I Obtained Sword God Level Talent - Chapter 88



87 – 087. The North (3)

“What’s with all the surprise? ‘Excommunication’ is what those people get.”

“E-excommunication…!?”

Hert, the magician occupying a seat in the conference room, gaped and twitched.

Even a magician, who seems so disconnected from the path of faith, wouldn’t fail to understand the weight of the word ‘excommunication.’

“N-no, no, no! I’m not the madman who denies God’s existence, that’s what I mean!”

Hert shouted, his voice filled with injustice. The way he looked around, shouting, was as if he were a child who had lost his parents in a marketplace.

“I’ll believe you. This time.”

Pat, pat.

I mumbled quietly and patted his shoulder again. As if they decided the situation was over, several people in the conference room let out sighs of relief.

‘This is when I need to use the title of Saint.’

A Saint, and a Knight of the Holy Grail. In other words, a man chosen by God. That’s me. Though the purpose of ‘God’ itself is questionable right now, I have no intention of cherishing that title.

“Well then, shall we resume the meeting? Doesn’t His Highness the Crown Prince wait?”

Shamelessly, with a brazen tone, I spoke, and most attendees nodded awkwardly.

“…I believe everyone is well aware of Sir Frey’s existence. To dare doubt him is foolish, I’d say.”

Once the situation settled, Friedrich spoke again, his voice heavy.

From noble mtl dot com

And so, the meeting resumed. Perhaps it was thanks to me, whose recent fame added to the Crown Prince’s presence, the discord that had been present before no longer leaked out.

“The most important goal of the subjugation force is simple. The complete annihilation of the mass-appearing monsters, and the liberation of the Papal States that have been besieged by them.”

Sitting next to Friedrich, I watched the meeting with an intrigued expression.

‘Is he really fit to be a good leader? He seems so carefree normally.’

Friedrich precisely laid out the path and goals for the subjugation force. I’d guess he called me to the meeting to add weight to his own words.

“As you all know, the ＜Sword Saint＞ has promised support for this subjugation. But it’s fortunate. With Lord Frey here, we should be able to achieve our goal faster than expected.”

Friedrich’s words caused complex, subtle shifts in the expressions of everyone in the conference hall.

Some seemed to agree with his statement, while others still appeared to harbor doubts about my actual abilities.

“The famed Knight of the Holy Grail… what role can he fulfill?”

“…I’m planning to form a separate strike force. Selecting those with power like a one-man army, we’ll plan to wreak havoc in the enemy’s rear. Of course, Lord Frey here will be in overall command of the strike force.”

“Then… are you considering a sudden reorganization of the forces? Your Imperial Highness, this could cause confusion among the soldiers.”

“That is not the case. The strike force will have a command structure completely separate from the main force, and there will be no soldiers belonging to the strike force itself. And I am not a fool who doesn’t know how to wield the sword in my hand.”

Friedrich’s voice, smooth as flowing water, enveloped the conference hall.

It was a clear and concise opinion. There was nothing really to fault, and no one stupid enough to disrupt this plan…

“I am opposed.”

Well, there was.

‘It’s that guy from earlier.’

Turning my gaze, I looked at the man sitting at the end of the conference table.

The man who, from the moment I had entered the conference hall, had been exchanging glances with Helios’ Hert. He was clearly someone with a complex web of vested interests tied to the Magic Tower.

“May we hear your reasoning?”

Friedrich, as if he hadn’t expected any opposition, looked at the man with a slightly intrigued gaze.

“Ahem. As His Imperial Highness knows, the level of monsters currently surrounding the Papal States, near the Vatican, is not ordinary.”

“…Continue.”

So, what’s your point?

The thought seemed to cross the faces of everyone inside the conference hall. The man cleared his throat, then slowly continued to speak.

“A man chosen by the great God. A knight who recovered the Holy Grail of the Goddess. And more recently, the head of a distinguished guild, Lord Frey… it’s self-evident that he is a force to be reckoned with.”

“Please state your point.”

“…Yes, I doubt Lord Frey’s abilities. I question whether he should be put in command of the strike force.”

“Ha!”

Listening to him, my brow naturally furrowed.

What he was saying was simple. Like Hert’s earlier opinion, he was questioning whether my actual abilities matched the rumors surrounding me.

“So much doubt.”

I threw a displeased look at the man. I then glanced at Hert, sitting across from him, who was frantically making gestures that he had nothing to do with this. It was a comical sight.

“…Therefore, I’d like to make a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

But unlike Helt, the man seemed to possess a certain strength of character. He spoke to Friedrich, his gaze strangely full of force.

“Everyone is aware of the dangerous monster that has appeared north of the encampment, I presume? How about proving your skills by eliminating that monster?”

“S-surely… ?!”

“Are you talking about the Twin Head Iron Ogre!”

‘…Twin Head Iron Ogre?’

At the shocked reactions all around, a flicker of interest finally appeared on my face.

A Twin Head Iron Ogre… it seems a mutation has occurred. Well, it’s only natural in these rifts events with so many monsters appearing.

‘…That’s something Lancelot could take down alone? Though, I’ll be the one going.’

Tch, I clicked my tongue, a complicated feeling churning within me.

The reason was simple. It was due to the characteristics of the mutated monsters that appeared in ＜Silvering＞.

‘There should be a powerful reward… but now, I have no idea how things will go.’

I smacked my lips and unfolded my casually crossed legs. Then, I rose from my seat and muttered quietly.

“Where is it? I’ll go now.”

“N-now, you say?”

“Hah! Such confidence! It seems the rumors weren’t unfounded…!”

My brief statement seemed to have surprised them quite a bit.

“Ho ho, the Twin Head Iron Ogre… you can encounter it about half a day’s run north of the encampment.”

The man spoke with a smirk.

It was the kind of face that seemed to say, *Go ahead and try if you can actually kill it.*

“However, there is a condition.”

“…A condition?”

“If, upon my return, I have defeated the Ogre… you will join the Special Forces unit.”

“Ha! Very well. I have quite high expectations for a name like Knight of the Holy Grail.”

The man, as if not willing to lose, gritted his teeth and smiled brightly. He also seemed to have something he believed in.

And then,

“Are you… leaving right now?”

Friedrich, who had been silently watching the situation, asked with a flustered expression.

“It doesn’t seem like it’ll be too difficult.”

Perhaps because there were many eyes watching, I replied politely with formal language. Friedrich then responded with a heavy look.

“At least have a cup of warm tea before you go. It hasn’t even been ten minutes since Sir Frey arrived in the meeting hall.”

Friedrich, having spoken, reached for the teapot at the head of the table. Faint wisps of white steam still curled from it, evidence that this thing, too, held magical power.

*Ssshh!*

He poured tea into the cup before me. The leaves, clearly of high quality, unleashed a clear, slightly bitter scent that immediately wafted up my nose.

But.

“I won’t be having tea just now.”

“……Excuse me?”

It was a statement that could be seen as rude, yet I made no attempt to hide my mood. Friedrich’s eyes, instantly bewildered, snapped to me.

“Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“I will return soon. I’ll have my tea then.”

I uttered in a low voice, glancing at the two men. There was Herto, the senior Helios mage who’d first challenged me, and the nobleman, who appeared to be his companion.

“Huh? How can you possibly know when you’ll be back?”

As if making sure they heard me, I continued in a cold voice.

“…Before this tea gets cold.”

*Twitch!*

The shoulders of both men visibly twitched. Only now did they seem to understand the gravity of their mistake.

* * *

Frey left the conference hall. The session was in a brief recess, and those participating had scattered to engage in casual conversation.

And.

“Wha-what in the world is this? Where did all that confidence from earlier…!”

The man who’d been riling Frey up was shouting, his face a mask of bewilderment. In front of him, Herto sat with a blank look, as if his mind had been completely scorched clean.

“Shit…….”

He was a mage. And because of that, his intuition was incredibly sharp. That intuition warned him: Frey, might just be a far more significant being than they’d imagined.

“No! Herto! Say something! Surely that b*stard was just some measly Rank 5, wasn’t he!”

“……”

*Swish.*

Herto’s dead, rotten fish eyes turned to the man.

Just looking at the guy made his stomach churn with anger. Did that idiot not even notice that he’d watched Herto get thoroughly humbled by Frey?

“….He isn’t a Rank 5. That is my judgment.”

Herto, did his best to speak calmly to the friend who he’d plotted with.

“Wha, what does that mean? Weren’t the mages from the tower saying he was just a knight who’s barely started out? They said rank 5 was even being generous!”

It was only then, maybe sensing something was off, that Hert’s friend asked back with a startled look.

“Wh-wha……!!!”

*Does he have to be so clueless?* Hert was about to snap at the guy when…

*Rustle rustle!*

“W-waaah!”

“It’s really, two heads……!”

The outside of the meeting hall had suddenly erupted in commotion.

“N-no way?”

This is impossible. It doesn’t make sense. Frey had only left the meeting hall five minutes ago. But… what were those noises coming from outside?

“It’s, it’s really a Twin Head Ogre’s head! He really, brought the b*stard’s head back before the tea even got cold…!!!”

Just then, another cry of utter shock rang out from outside the meeting hall.

*Thud!*

The faces of the two men turned ashen.