> A good read. MC transmigrated to a game and became a character whose playthrough routes is forced to die. The MC is a sword pilgrim who can make people into sword but his is different. The people turned into swords by the MC has regrets and if he made them let go of their regret, he gains rewards such as stats and etc..
LINK: https://ashenclouds.wordpress.com/2021/09/23/sword-pilgrim-검의-순례자/
I will put 3 chapter for you guys here to check if you guys like it, if so then click the link above or search it in your browser. If you liked it, try to support the author and translator if you can.
Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Transmigrated to game.
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Synopsis:
Callius von Jervain.
A character who dies no matter what he does. A character who falls into a forced choice route where he can only die, no matter his choices up to that point. However, there is a single route where the character can live and play the game.
And I have to carve out that route somehow.
Because I've become Callius von Jervain in the gam
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Chapter 1
"Three years."
Under the heavy rain pouring down like the tears of a God, I press my hood down and walk with hurried steps.
Three years.
That much time has already passed since I started living here.
If you say it's short, it's short; if you say it's long, it's long.
But I can assure you.
These three years have never left me with any happy memories.
"For Valtherus!!"
"For our God Lactus!"
A sharp sword creates death, and death piles up the corpses like a mountain.
And then those corpses, again –
Are refined into new swords.
Three years ago.
I became a pilgrim in such a cruel world.
Caw! Caw!
Shoo!
Feeling a presence, the crow that was feeding on the flesh of the corpses stirred its wings and flew away.
The green meadows were stained with blood and devastated by the aftermath of the war.
A scenery that was unforgivingly bleak.
The corpses piled over it had become as a mountain; and the hungry beasts as well as the humans who were not any better stared at each other and took advantage of it.
"Uh, hey. Hey. Look over there. It's a Pilgrim."
"It's true. The rosary of the sword hanging from his neck and the stigma on the back of his hand…. He's a real Pilgrim."
Unlike the wild beasts that dug up corpses only to fill their stomachs, the figures of the children who came in search of loot were being reflected in those gray pupils.
"… A Pilgrim of the Sword."
He wore a pure white hood, but an impressive shock of jet-black hair could be glimpsed under it. The sharp gray eyes that could be seen through it looked like they did not belong to an ordinary human being.
The necklace hanging from his neck was a rosary.
The stigma of a god in the shape of a sword was on the back of his hand.
These people were often seen on the battlefields.
Followers of Valtherus.
Pilgrims who wandered around in search of a sword at the call of their God.
Or –
"Sword madman."
A child who had been rummaging through the bodies quickly threw a stone.
It flew in a long parabolic arc, but the stone thrown with the power of a child fell helplessly at the feet of the Pilgrim.
"Get out of here, swordsman!"
Famine and poverty caused by war inherit its violence. The resentful gazes that had no choice but to blame someone else in order to survive turned to the Pilgrim.
The children's faces were furious with hateful frowns, but their faltering legs were mired in fear.
The children flinched as those indifferent gray eyes stared at them.
"This war happened because of you crazy people, who turned the princess into a sword!!"
"Yeah, that's right! Get out of here!"
"It's all because of you!"
Pilgrims were devotees of swordsmanship, who worshiped only swords and the God Valtherus.
Only one thing mattered to them.
The divine power that grants miracles.
"We don't have a body to offer someone like you!!"
"Fuck off right now!!"
To draw the soul out of a body that has lost its warmth, and turn it into a sword.
That is the power of God.
The only power that Valtherus gave them.
Carcass Sword (주검) – Resident Sword (駐劍).[1] It was called a divine miracle.
Sword Pilgrims.
Priests who perform miracles by turning the corpses of the dead into swords.
That is what it means to be a Pilgrim of the Sword.
"You guys turned people into swords and this is what happened!"
God's miracle is exceptionally discriminatory, so the power of the sword would differ depending on the origin of the sword.
There were many Pilgrims who secretly killed people with great potential and turned them into swords. Whenever there were any neighbors who disappeared without a sound, it would always lead some to suspect it to be the work of a Pilgrim…
Those who had heard of the notoriety of the Pilgrims, or whose family had been taken away like that, naturally did not like the people who performed these divine miracles.
Rather, they –
"Devil!!"
They called them devils and despised them.
A follower of God being called a devil, what could be more contemptuous than this?
However, this Pilgrim went on his way without responding, as if he was long used to these insults.
The children, who had been staring at him as if he was not even human, returned to searching the mountain of corpses.
It was then.
Clop, clop, clop!
The harsh sound of horseshoes rumbled across the ground.
"Pilgrim of the Gods who serves the great Valtherus! Stop for a moment!"
The Knight in the vanguard stopped at the Pilgrim's feet and said with a loud voice.
The Knight, who came all the way to the front of the Pilgrim, did not even get off his horse and spoke with a dignified posture.
"O' Son of the great Valtherus, you who have entered the territory of Lutens. In the name of the Lord of the Western Provinces, Quardal de Lutens, you are invited to the Lord's castle."
The Pilgrim's eyes gazed upon the Knights.
The level of the Knights was high, and their spirit high enough to pierce the skies. Perhaps they had just won the war.
They behaved like you had no choice but to follow their order.
The Pilgrim's eyes narrowed coldly. Dry lips parted.
"Only the God Valtherus can block a Pilgrim's way. Move aside."
An obvious refusal.
The Knights immediately drew their swords as if they had known in advance.
Sreung!
"We need a Pilgrim."
"You don't need a Pilgrim, but a miracle from God."
"That's right. The Lord wants to turn all the corpses here into swords."
"Are you going to start another war just after all this killing? You're crazy."
Taking someone's life means also creating a thread of resentment.
'Blood calls for more blood.'
A new war will cause nothing but that.
The Pilgrim shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but we're desperate too. I won't listen to your refusal."
A huge amount of money had been spent to prepare for the war.
To make up for that amount –
The Lord was trying to catch the Pilgrims passing through his lands.
To turn the corpses piled up like a mountain into swords with the miracle of Valtherus!
As long as he had Pilgrims working for him, it was a feasible idea.
"You're doing something that deserves punishment. Aren't you afraid of God's wrath?"
"For us, the enemy before our eyes takes precedence over the wrath of God."
The Pilgrim's mouth closed.
The status of the God worshiped by this Kingdom on the road to destruction had long since fallen to the ground.
Looking at him standing in silence, the Knight at the vanguard poured out more unanswered words.
"Of course, we will treat you with the utmost respect. With the war approaching, of course, it will be insufficient, but I will do my best to serve you. Are you tired of the long pilgrimage? It wouldn't be bad to settle down for a while and then leave again.
"Does the Pilgrim's divine power seem infinite? It'd be better to stop using it right away."
The moment the Pilgrim was about to take another step.
Thump.
Taeeng, tang!
An iron helmet fell from the mountain of corpses.
"Who!"
"Was there a thief?"
The Knight's eyes, cold as frost, pierced the child hiding among the corpses.
"Hey!"
He was the child who had spoken the contemptuous words to the Pilgrim. He was crushed by the Knight's spirit and could not even escape.
"The bounty here belongs to Lutens. Pay for the crime of stealing with your life."
The Knight took out his bow, pulled the bowstring and fired an arrow.
The arrow flew through the wind and pierced the child's heart.
The eyes of the child who died without a single scream reached the Pilgrim.
It was a futile death.
However, there was no emotion in the Pilgrim's eyes.
Children die and old people die.
It's just a matter of being late or early.
Just when he wanted to quietly look away.
The Pilgrim's eyes changed completely.
The body of the dead child gleamed with a silvery light that only he could recognize.
"Pilgrim…"
The gaze of the Knight who had shot the arrow turned to the Pilgrim again.
But the Pilgrim was nowhere to be found.
When the Knight looked for where he had gone, he had already come closer to the child who was losing his warmth.
The moment the Knights were about to move.
The man who appeared to be their leader raised his hand and blocked them.
"It's a miracle of God."
Saaaa.
Grains of silver light flowed from the body of the dead child. The light gathered at the Pilgrim's fingertips soon condensed and formed a single shape.
A double-edged sword.
However, it was different from a normal sword.
The edge of its blade was shining a dazzling blue.
The Knights knew.
That was the miracle of Valtherus for which they had displayed such cynic anticipation.
The only power He bestowed.
A Carcass Sword!
The eyes of the Knights who witnessed the light of miracles became sharp.
"If only that miracle…"
If you could arm the soldiers with Carcass Swords that were stronger than steel, victory in war could be guaranteed. The Knights' eyes were dyed with greed.
"Pilgrim,"
However, the Pilgrim did not answer their call.
He was still looking at the sword emitting a soft light.
And when the light faded.
The Pilgrim's mouth opened.
"Obviously, it's a grudge?"
The Knight-Captain's eyebrows narrowed.
Grudge? What grudge are you talking about?
He wanted to ask right away, but couldn't.
Because that was then.
Shhh. The figure of the Pilgrim disappeared with the light sound of the wind.
"Huh!"
The Knight-Captain was surprised for a while.
"Uh…"
His gaze rotated.
He saw his own body atop his horse, and then he fell to the floor.
"Oh!"
"Captain!"
The head of the Knight-Captain had been cut off.
The cries of the Knights and their horses resounded in amazement.
"Avenge the Captain!"
"Catch the Pilgrim!"
Chaeeng –!
The Pilgrim's sword swung.
The Carcass Sword in his hand broke a Knight's sword and ripped his iron armor at once.
There was an overwhelming difference between their weapons.
The Pilgrim thought cynically.
After a while –
Drip, drip.
Only the drops of blood running down the Pilgrim's Carcass Sword could be heard across the calm and desolate plain.
Saaaa.
A silver light leaked from the sword held by the Pilgrim. Soon, the shape of the sword scattered like ashes and disappeared.
The Pilgrim left the vanishing sword behind him as if nothing happened and quietly continued walking along the road.
Light shone through the stigma on the back of his hand, which symbolized his status as a Pilgrim of Valtherus.
[Cente's Grudge]
[Strength +1]
A faint smile spread across the Pilgrim's lips and then disappeared.
Editor's Notes:
[1] The characters used for this is 주검 (검 is also used for Sword) – from now on this will be translated as "Carcass Sword" for clarity. This is being changed from Corpse Sword as the author specifies the term later. The term will also be used for the lowest grade of such swords.
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Chapter 2
Three years ago.
"In the name of the great Valtherus, I appoint you as a Pilgrim of the Sword."
Inside the Valtherus Church.
"Callius. I hand you the stigma and the mark of Valtherus…"
The stigma will caress the back of your hand to prove that you are a Son of God.
The token will hang on your neck and make you feel that your Father is watching over you.
"Do not forget that finding your sword is the Pilgrim's purpose on his pilgrimage."
The stigma was stamped on the back of the hand.
The rosary was hung over his neck.
"Ah...."
I was reborn as Callius, a devotee of Valtherus and a Pilgrim of the Sword.
And then I found out –
That this world of my rebirth was a world I myself had made.
[The Pilgrim's Path]
A large game project that I participated in producing. There, I'd taken on the role of the story writer and producer, and the game had been nearing completion.
'Killed.'
I can't remember why I was killed.
But the cold feel of the blade stabbing my back and the cool feeling of my throat being cut still haunt me.
That's it. I was killed.
And –
"Reborn."
That was one fact I discovered while wandering around.
I had no choice but to know.
Because all the characters in this world were created by me.
Callius.
Even the existence of the person who I had now become is something I created.
So I couldn't not know.
As it had been a large-scale project, the story occupied a huge part.
A production period spanning ten years.
Each character had a story to tell. If it had been any other game, I wouldn't have done that.
But in [The Pilgrim's Path], I had no choice but to do so. This was because the beginning of the game itself was to turn dead characters into swords.
People became weapons.
[The Pilgrim's Path] started from that idea.
Even an NPC in a small town without a name.
As long as you are alive, you can turn anything into a weapon.
Because of that setting, I had to write the story of all the characters, so I easily realized that this was the world of the game I was involved in.
And thanks to that, I knew.
'Who should I turn into a Carcass.'
Who should I turn into a Carcass, to increase my chances of surviving?
The stats vary greatly depending on what and who the Carcasss is made of.
Presence and potential in life.
And by summing up the influence it has on the world, the cadaver's ability is determined.
The more it occupies a large part in the story, the better it is when turned into a sword, and its ability to control the supremacy of the world, isn't it natural?
'The Carcass from an unnamed person is usually slightly stronger than an ordinary sword.'
But for soldiers on the battlefield.
The rule is a little different.
There are five grades among swords.
Carcass (주), Life (명), Spirit (영), Vision (환) and then at the end.
The divine sword called God.
My purpose is to obtain the divine sword and save my life from the Pilgrims and the imperial pagans who are aiming for the Carpe Kingdom.
And if you can… .
'To resurrect God.'
I have a small hope that Valtherus may know why I came here.
But right now, the reality is that even just saving my own life is difficult.
"At least, five years from now."
Within five years, the Kingdom of Carpe will be destroyed by the exiled pagan gods and their followers, and the god Valtherus and his followers will all be annihilated.
I am also a Pilgrim of Valtherus.
I can't get away from their eyes.
'Because I can't even apostatize with this body.'
Jet black hair, gray pupils.
Jervain, one of the seven sacred families resembling the appearance of the God. I am the one living the life of Callius von Jervain.
If one with with such a striking appearance apostatizes, he would be killed by the Church before the followers of the pagan god had a chance.
If there's one thing that's fortunate.
"Because I was the author."
Most of the story of this unfinished game was written by me.
Callius.
Links and ties to this body.
And even the stories related to that relationship are woven together.
Five years remain until the fall of the Kingdom.
In that time, I must find a way to protect myself.
There are two main ways.
"I wonder if I could find a strong sword and become stronger."
If not, I can only ask the sword.
It is a way to listen to the Verse of Grace (시은) – Corpse Grace (屍恩)[1] and increase your power as a reward.
Seuuk.
Among the corpses at my feet.
I see it with my eyes.
The bitterness she embraced while she was alive shines like the soft moonlight, exuding its presence.
Invisible to ordinary Pilgrims, who are strengthened by wielding swords and practicing devotion.
However, I am different. Because that's what I see –
A corpse with grudges entangled.
If you turn this into a Carcass, another growth method is possible.
That is, Verse of Grace (시은) – Corpse Grace (屍恩).
Secret Quest. Bodily grace.
Among the many corpses lying at my feet.
I shall turn the corpse with the strongest hate into a Carcass. And if I fulfill their wish, they give me the strength I need.
I don't know what would be given.
'Because the reward design of the quests was not under my jurisdiction.'
For the past three years, I have achieved basic growth by listening to the stories of these trivial corpses and relieving them over and over again.
Thanks to that, I was able to beat the knights on the battlefield with my bare hands, and even able to turn the beasts of the frontier into pieces of meat without any weapons.
But I'm still not satisfied.
If it's only to this extent, it's far from being able to deal with the fanatics of the Empire.
Saa.
A silver light shines, and a new form is born in my grasp.
Click.
"Is it a rapier?"
A thin and long rapier.
The width is three centimeters. Its length is one meter and forty.
It's well-balanced, flexible, and at the same time quite strong.
It was a Carcass close to a Life Sword.
"Rapier… it was here."
I didn't know her face as she was wearing a helmet.
However, looking at the condition of the sword, it seems that the potential during her lifetime was not bad.
I looked at the rapier.
The soft light emanating from it began to tell me the wish of its life.
It could be said to be easy to express, but it is not.
Their anger just enters my head and shows what they want.
The wishes of those who died in the turbulence of the era are all usually the same.
An unjust death wants revenge.
Or the regret of what was left behind.
"I'm picking up something that's bothering me."
The memories of the Carcass flowing into my mind revealed the appearance of a castle and its many faces.
Among them, the blonde child who looked like a son was the clearest.
Maybe this time –
"Should I find your son…?"
It was the regret of a mother who was worried about the son she had left behind.
Torrett, a small estate located near the northwestern border.
It's too small to be called a manor, and it's more like a rural village.
There are traces of the rapier's owner living here.
Callius looked around the estate a little and strode towards the Lord's castle.
The residents who glanced at him murmured that it was a Pilgrim.
'They're not rejecting me.'
They weren't throwing stones, so it was already fortunate enough.
Unless it was a nobleman's mansion, the treatment was up to the public, so Calius sighed involuntarily.
The way he was relieved by not having stones thrown at him welled up some sadness in his heart.
"Pilgrim, take this."
"?"
He took a moment to breathe.
A little girl had brought a wild flower and handed it to him.
"..."
Callius' thoughts stopped at the first gift of flowers he had ever received.
The memories of the past three years, when stones and knives were all that came, flashed past him like a lantern.
"Did the Pilgrim also come to catch the bad guys who torment our village?"
The girl who gave him a look with her bright eyes, seemed to have a high affinity for the Pilgrims.
Callius, who had been dazed, soon returned to focus.
'Another Pilgrim?'
There are parts that can be inferred from the girl's words.
"Are there any other Pilgrims besides me?"
Callius' eyes sharpened.
"Yes! He cleared out the bandits in Torrett! So it's very easy for us to go out of town now."
"Hey, Eri! Don't bother the Pilgrim!"
One of the townspeople called out the girl's name and bowed his head to Callius.
The girl named Eri started to leave with a smile, but Callius stopped her.
"Where is the Pilgrim now?"
"Staying in the Lord's castle! Bye-bye then!"
Eri disappeared, and Callius started running straight to the Lord's castle.
'Pilgrims don't do favors.'
The Pilgrims of the Order of Valtherus do not offer unpaid favors.
Why should a Church that only has the talent to turn corpses into swords do anything for the poor residents?
'The only purpose of a Pilgrim is the sword.'
A stronger sword. A more powerful sword.
Only that.
So, if the Pilgrim did a favor, there was a good reason.
'If you do this wrong… .'
Verse of Grace. Lord's castle. Pilgrim.
In an instant, assumptions were put together in his mind. Power entered the rapier in his hand.
"Uh, uh!"
"What are you!"
Passing by the guards guarding the gate, he jumped over the fence.
After three years of training, he could achieve this much with ease.
Whik!
Thud!
Taat!
People screamed as they saw Callius rushing like the wind.
"Who are you!"
It was not a soldier guarding the Lord's castle.
'The condition of the armor is not good.'
It looked like he was wearing something picked up somewhere with leather padding.
His face was full of scars, and he was not clean, rather dirty.
Mercenaries.
"What are you doing! Stop him!!"
Calius's hands clenched into fists and leaned behind his body.
And shot forward.
Whoo!
"Ouch!"
A mercenary dropped down after being hit by Callius' fist and rolled to the ground.
When the large man was laid out with a single blow, others started to panic.
"Die! Gahk -"
He grabbed the neck of a mercenary who had come running with a weapon and raised it.
Chi! The man's face turned red as if he was choking.
A worthless mercenary.
In addition, the physical abilities that had been developed through quests over the past three years were not at a level that idiots like this could withstand.
"Where is the Pilgrim?"
Callius hoped it wasn't what he thought it was.
But it kept coming to his mind.
'I think I wrote this kind of story.'
I can't remember exactly, but I think I wrote something similar to this.
After writing side stories for at least a decade, it was natural that he couldn't remember every sigle detail.
But, a young Lord.
A Pilgrim aiming for that Lord.
Just what was it –
"Ah, he's in the office with the Lord…"
"You crazy! Why did you tell him that!"
"But the captain is dying."
Thump!
Callius put down the mercenary who was apparently the captain, and quickly ran towards the office.
'I don't have to do this, but…'
Click.
The rapier was still hanging from his waist.
It had no scabbard.
Scabbards were where swords returned to rest.
Therefore, there was no scabbard that came with a Carcass. Because Carcass Swords were meant to return to the bosom of the Gods in the end.
Callius pulled out the rapier and kicked open the office door.
Bang!
And what he saw was –
"Ah…"
A young Lord with a sword pointed at the tip of his chin, and an unknown Pilgrim holding that sword.
Editor's Notes:
[1] Si-Eun (시은) is being translated as Verse of Grace.
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Chapter 3
The Pilgrims of Valtherus.
Sword Pilgrims.
The funereal priests who are called Pilgrims have little to no cooperation among each other.
Even if there is, it is only something that appears from the outside. If you look inside, it's all really ugly.
Because –
"Are you here for my sword, Brother? But I'm sorry. You're one step late."
Each and every one of them is extremely selfish when it comes to swords.
Even if they have no desire for anything else, when it comes to swords, the Pilgrims are far more obsessed than they care about their own Brothers.
Callius laughed inwardly.
The guy had a sweet mouth, but the joy that shone in his eyes could not be hidden.
'He's hostile.'
The guy wants –
To turn the Lord into a sword.
And then take that sword and turn me, another Pilgrim, into a sword too!
'The miracle of Valtherus, which was created to relieve the pain of the dead, has long since changed its meaning.'
Therefore, Pilgrims who have the same goal do not seek to achieve it together.
Ironically, Pilgrims –
'They show the best aptitude to be turned into a Carcass.'
Divine power is essential to unleash the miracle of the Gods from which the Carcass is made.
So, a priest can be said to be a vessel that contains that divine power itself.
A Sword Pilgrim therefore is the best material to make a powerful Carcass.
As a result, the Pilgrims implicitly target each other.
There are even some people who fight openly, so it is natural that the people of the Empire do not view the Pilgrims in a good light.
However, it is inevitable that the Valtherus Church, which is drunk on the faded glory of the past, thinks it is God's wish to have the best sword.
"Isn't this the idiot Arsando…?"
"… Arsando Mirinae! No, what's your name?"
Pilgrims often kill others that show the aptitude for being made into Carcasses, but usually only at the border regions near the empire.
The young lord of the neighbouring estate –
'Now I remember.'
The settings and stories I wrote over one night began to come back to my mind.
'Leone, the young lord of Torrett.'
The mother who had marched into war to save the crumbling estate dies, and the remaining vassals rob the valuables and run away.
Left alone, Leone weeps and tries hard to become the new Lord and revive the estate.
'He was troubled by the bandits, but then he found the mine they had occupied and got a breather.'
But only for a while.
It was a story about a Pilgrim who helped clear out the bandits, who realized Leone's potential, killed him, and turned him into a Carcass.
'… … .'
Callius sat slumped on the floor and looked down at Leone, who was looking back at him.
"I came here for nothing."
When the story he had written became a reality and unfolded like this, he felt somewhat reluctant.
"I don't know how you know my name, but seeing that you keep staying here, it seems that you have no intention of going back."
"Unfortunately, I have something to do with that little boy."
Leone slowly approached Callius.
The little kid had some sense.
Well, that's enough to be targeted by Pilgrims, though.
"That's a shame. To think it'd cause a fight between Brothers…!"
Saak!
"Hey!"
Chaeng! Kkig! Kkigigig!
Arsando's sword, which was aimed at Leone, was blocked by the rapier.
The sound of clashing swords sharply pierced his ear, as if scratching an iron plate.
"Your eyes are far too excited to say that you're sorry."
Rather, it was an exuberant face, as if things were going well.
"I'm sorry, Brother! It's the first time I shall turn a Brother into a Carcass, so I can't control myself!"
Kuung!
Kkig! Kkigigig!
"It's a pretty heavy sword."
Greatsword.
A wide and long two-handed sword.
It is heavy and cannot be handled freely, but each blow is mighty.
Not very compatible –
'When I have a rapier.'
The rapier is a thin and long sword optimized for stabbing.
If you make a mistake parrying that greatsword, it will break at once.
The tooth is already starting to degrade.
"Try it once!"
Kwadangtangtang!
Dodging the blow, Callius swung the rapier into the air and took a moment to catch his breath.
'Tough.'
There is a crack in the rapier.
Even with the same grade of Carcass, the difference in compatibility is inevitably obvious.
If it collides with another sword that pushes with such force, the blade of the sword will naturally degrade.
And the more you do that, the more it will break.
Power or speed, is the difference between the two swords.
"Shall we do it?"
Not very compatible –
But there's nothing that can't be done.
Woo.
The desk shattered and dust flew. A pile of papers scattered and fluttered in the air between them.
Salang, salang.
Through the papers falling down in the wind, the figure of the man can be seen.
Although his face was full of joy, he properly raised his heavy sword.
The tip of the sword cut through the dust and drew a light arc.
Then at once –
Kwaaang! A hit.
"You bastard!"
It looked like an angry bull rushing.
The force of the striking sword was as if a huge rock was pounding down.
Salang. The fluttering papers drifted between them and obscured the view. Once again, Arsando's sword was raised.
Step.
"Huh!"
"You idiot."
It looked like he didn't think about the reach of the sword.
His sword hit the ceiling, revealing a gap.
That gap –
Callius didn't miss it.
Taat! Kwajik!
Callius' steps slammed against the office floor and rushed forward.
The rapier pulled by the waist was sharp as an arrow and powerful as a spear.
Chwasss!
The rapier pierced the papers that was fluttering between them.
"Kuh!"
The tip of the sword approached right in front of the opponent in an instant. Arsando's head moved.
Woo!
It was a great act of reflex.
The sound of bones creaking in his neck from how hard he twisted it, was the proof.
An arc was drawn on Arsando's lips, avoiding the majority of the blow.
"Stupid."
But as if even that was a trick, Callius took back the sword and moved in a strange orbit. Seug. Tuk.
"Aaaaaah!!"
An arm fell to the floor.
Callius opened his mouth, wiping the blood off his sword.
"It was an honest sword."
He looked like a weasel, but his swordsmanship was very straightforward. Just stab and hit. An honest swordsmanship without any trickery or deceit mixed in.
It was a heavy sword that struck only with force.
However, Callius was able to bring forth victory with ease.
"That's why the greatsword is so bad. If you lose an arm, you can't fight."
"Ahh! Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Arsando Mirinae.
He tried to hold the sword with his remaining arm, but to no avail.
Even holding it with two hands was slow, how could he fight with one hand?
"Those eyes! Those gray eyes! You must be Jervain!?"
Callius' eyes narrowed in a frown.
Arsando's red, bloodshot eyes seemed to have witnessed the impossible. Arsando could not understand.
If he's really Callius von Jervain, then this couldn't have happened.
There was no way Callius von Jervain could have shown such a sword.
"How did Jervain's Scapegrace become able to wield such a sword!!"
"You don't need to know, since you're going to die soon."
Chwasss!
Tuk, degrrr.
"It's not good if the body is severely damaged… but what can you do?"
Callius spoke disrespectful words, but even so, Arsando was a Pilgrim.
The strongest opponent he'd met in a long time.
If it had been a Pilgrim other than Callius, and if the place had not been a small and cramped office, the fight would not have been so easy.
When Arsando died, the sword he had been holding fell down.
"Hmm… what's this? It doesn't matter. "
The rapier's condition was also miserable.
It had to fight against the same grade of Carcass, and the compatibility was not very good, so cracks had formed here and there. It couldn't be used anymore.
"Leone."
"Yes, yes? How do you know my name…"
"This is your mother."
Callius put the rapier in front of Leone.
"Yes? Mother…. My mother died in the Lutens Plains…"
"I speak in the name of Callius, Son of Valtherus and Pilgrim of the Sword. This is your mother's Carcass."
Your mother –
"She wanted to come back."
That's probably why.
"I think she was trying to protect you."
Leone stretched out his hand towards the rapier with surprised eyes.
In the fierce battle before, the blade had been damaged at several places, and cracks could be seen.
Wounded.
It was as if it had come from the battlefield where his mother died.
No, it was like as if his mother herself who had fought an arduous battle and died.
Leone's eyes reddened.
Instantly, hot tears ran down his cheeks and wet the floor.
Leone's tears dripped down on the floor of the dusty office.
"Mother...?"
He held the rapier with hands trembling like an aspen.
Saaaa.
As if it had been waiting, the rapier began to turn into grains of silver light.
"Ah...."
A shimmering silver breeze of light flew in the wind to the window of the office.
Leone trudged towards the window to see the disappearing ray of light.
No, he looked at his mother.
[Leonaire Torrett's Regrets]
[Divine Power +2]
Callius looked at the disappearing Leonaire and was startled.
"Ugh!!"
Intense pain soon followed.
One more stroke begins to be engraved on the stigma on the back of the hand.
"Why, why are you like this. Pilgrim!!"
"Keuuuugh!"
Callius knelt down and grabbed his wrist, sweat dripping down his body.
In return for the completion of the quest, the divine power rose, and this must be evidence that the level was rising even higher.
A single stroke was drawn on the shape of the stigmata, which had previously been in the form of a simple sword, and it began to change shape.
A crescent-like stroke was added to what was originally a sword-shaped stigma.
"Uh huh."
A silver light spread like flames from Callius' body, and sooner a purer divine power rose though him like a fire.
"Haha...."
The body became more comfortable.
'The divine power rose.'
Although there were many times when physical abilities increased, this is the first time that he received divine power as a reward. Divine power is literally a token of faithfulness to the God you worship.
The corners of Callius' lips rose.
The amount of divine power directly increased greatly and became purer.
As the grade increased, the physical level also rose as a whole.
He was lucky.
「Callius von Jervain」
「Occupation」 – Pilgrim.
「Spirit」 – Level 4
「Divine Power」 – 2971/3251.
「Talent」 – [Bard's Blessing – Best]
「Characteristics」 – [Verse of Grace] [Nobility's Duty] [Scapegrace of the Count Family] [Death Verse Composition (사시작비) – Die Not Before the Hour (死時昨非)][1] [Prodigal Son of the Order] [Gluttony]
[Ability]
Strength – 19+(10)
Agility – 15+(10)
Skill – 7
Health – 15+(10)
Faith – 20
Until now, Callius' divine power had been level 5.
This time it seemed to have risen to 4th grade.
The level of divine power is a measure of the Pilgrim's spirit.
The higher the level of divine power, the higher the body level of the believer – exponentially higher.
Depending on the level of his spirit, the body gradually changes to be closer to God.[2]
'As the quality of divine power goes up, strength, agility, and health also go up.'
After clenching and opening his fists with satisfaction, Callius glanced at the corpse of the man lying in the corner.
Knowing that the level of divine power had risen, it was time to make a Carcass.
Arsando's severed arm and head were roughly joined together and his hand reached out.
"O Great Valtherus, let the forsaken twilight burn in the dawn."
Slurp.
As pure divine power radiated from his fingertips, a strange wind flowed from Arsando's body.
Soon, his body was enveloped in a halo, and a sword formed in Callius's hand.
"Oh."
A Carcass with a darker blue blade than before was made.
A blue blade like that meant a Life Sword.
The dark blue blade of the Carcass proved this.
'Life Sword.'
It was the first time Callius had made a sword from a Pilgrim.
The first Life Sword he had ever held in his hand.
It was a sword that seemed to stick to the hand from its sense of grip.
"That's why you have to have good gear."
Arsando.
Verse of Grace didn't come out of him, but it didn't matter.
He had no intention of doing that anyway.
Callius, who had put Arsando roughly around his waist, saw the young lord Leone, who was still smiling in tears.
'But it's amazing.'
This wasn't the original story.
'I should have killed both Leone and the Pilgrim so that the player could benefit… … .'
Leone didn't die.
Originally, he was an unlucky character who got caught up in a fight and died after being struck by a sword.
In addition, his potential was high, so if Leone himself were made into a Carcass, it would have the aptitude to be even better than a Life Sword.
'But he didn't die.'
What kind of change is this?
Callius looked at Leone with strange eyes.
'Should I kill you?'
A sword that is better than a Life Sword might come out.
I can't remember the exact setting, but there's nothing wrong with having one more high-level Carcass.
"Hmm…."
But Callius, who was thinking with his arms crossed, let out a deep sigh.
'He's a poor kid.'
I feel sorry for him, but at the same time, I'm curious as to what will happen.
Leone's potential is more than a Life Sword.
If I leave this guy alone, how will he grow, and what kind of impact will that have on this world?
Callius wondered.
"How long are you going to cry? I returned your mother to you and saved your life. At least serve me some food and drink."
"Yes, of course, yes? Alcohol?"
Leone was taken aback by the bold request that didn't seem like it had come from a priest.
"I want some wine."
Editor's Notes:
[1] 사시작비 is being translated as Death Verse Composition (changed from Four Verse Composition).
[2] 성력 is being translated as Spirit, 신성력 as Divine Power.