CHAPTER 119

I was going with Babiyen to meet the Ice Lord.
I immediately relayed this fact to Aranseol and Horizon.
“Just the two of you with Babiyen?” Aranseol asked again, and I nodded.
“There will probably be other escorts, too.”
Since Black Dawn was after my Resurrection magic, having an escort was essential.
Aranseol thought for a moment, then came up to me.
She suddenly clasped her hands with mine, interlocking our fingers.
Babiyen, watching from behind, twitched an eyebrow, and Horizon covered her mouth with a surprised look, but Aranseol paid them no mind.
“Don’t overdo it again somewhere, and have a safe trip.”
With that, Aranseol let go of my hand.
I wasn’t sure what the hand-holding was meant to signify.
After that, Aranseol and Horizon decided to leave right away.
Aranseol was heading to her master, Soun, while Horizon was going to seek out a surprising individual.
“I’m going to see Lady Noir Nox.”
The Owner of Nox, Noir Nox.
I was surprised to hear she was going to meet her.
“That woman?”
“Yes. She’s the strongest person in Nox. I can’t become stronger in terms of physical power or magic like Aranseol or Babiyen. But with shadows, I can operate in various ways.”
Noir was certainly an outstanding individual in that regard.
Especially as the Owner of Nox, she would be able to teach in many different fields.
“T-The Sin of Envy is a great traitor to the Amyeong Tribe, but since shadows don’t work on him, there’s nothing we can do. But I can! I will stop him, at the very least.”
Horizon had spoken with such conviction.
I had to trust her.
“If she refuses to help, just mention my name.”
I had already spoken with Noir before.
She also held a grudge against Black Dawn, so if I was mentioned, she would help.
“Okay, I will.”
Horizon smiled brightly and departed.
Around the time only Babiyen and I were left at the Regular Army base, the main force of the Regular Army finally returned.
They were covered in wounds and dust.
But their eyes shone with the sense of accomplishment from having seized victory.
“Come to think of it, I don’t see Sir Rapha Hastel.”
Rapha Hastel was not among those who returned.
“I heard he went with a few of the lieutenant generals to track the Sin of Wrath. Maybe he went with them.”
I agreed with Babiyen’s words.
It was something Rapha Hastel would definitely do.
That old man really never rests.
Pursuing the enemy right after an annihilation operation… he doesn’t act his age.
But with the Commander-in-Chief on the move like that, the morale of the regular soldiers would surely rise.
Besides, they were tracking the remnants of Black Dawn, including the Sin of Wrath, in the 2nd World. As long as they were being pursued, the threat of Black Dawn in the 1st World would be significantly reduced.
In other words, my own freedom of movement would also become a bit easier.
Can they catch her?
Rapha Hastel was said to be the strongest, even superior to the Sword Lord.
Given his age, he might not be in his prime, but he was undoubtedly a powerhouse.
However, when I recalled Asheria Eve, I wasn’t sure if even he could win.
That woman was something that far transcended a human.
It would be great if they caught her, but I decided not to get my hopes up.
“Yo, Harua.”
Just then, Inferno appeared.
He, too, was covered in dust and blood.
“How rough do you have to fight to end up looking like that?”
“This is what happens when you roll around on the battlefield for days without sleep.”
He took off his cracked sunglasses and received a new pair from a subordinate next to him.
“More importantly, I heard you saved my guys.”
Inferno lightly patted my shoulder.
“Thanks. Because of you, there were zero casualties.”
“What’s the point of having Resurrection magic if I don’t use it?”
“Yeah. Seeing a guy who died yesterday come back to life is more gratifying than I thought.”
Inferno’s face was noticeably brighter.
Despite all he had been through, the joy he felt that his subordinates hadn’t died was the mark of a true leader.
Please, let Inferno be the next Commander-in-Chief.
Today, too, I prayed for the healthy growth of my network of connections.
“But because of this, the Black Dawn bastards will be even more wary of you from now on.”
He also knew the key points well.
“Lululio isn’t here.”
“Resurrection magic wasn’t used. There’s a high probability she’s alive and on her way back. Still, we’ve sent a reconnaissance team to look for her just in case.”
“She’s a tough one. She’ll be fine.”
Inferno thought positively.

I agree.
With Lululio’s Ability, she should be able to escape easily enough.
“It’s a shame, but a time will come when just having her won't be enough, like what happened this time. If it were up to me, I’d have you stay within the Regular Army.”
“I prefer being safe, but I don’t like being tied down to one place.”
I trust Inferno, but I don’t trust the entire Regular Army. There could be another enemy hiding within their ranks, just like Asheria Eve. It would be a problem if I let my guard down here only to find myself helpless later.
“Instead, I’d like to request a magic tool. One that can probe the identity of a target.”
“...The Sin of Wrath. You said she was hiding as that Shadow Tribe girl, Horizon.”
“Yes. We can’t let the same thing happen again.”
I don't think Asheria Eve will try to disguise herself again. We’d obviously be prepared for it, so there would be no reason for her to take such a risk. But she was an unpredictable woman. It was best to be prepared for anything.
“I’ll have it ready by the end of the day. There’s a colonel who has a knack for magic tools. I’ll ask him to make it.”
“Thank you.”
It’s always good to have as many safety measures as possible.
“So, where are you thinking of going next? I’d like to know your route in advance.”
“I’m thinking of visiting the Holy Church, then going to find the Ice Lord.”
“The Ice Lord?”
“Do you know anything about him?”
Babiyen knew him, but it would be good to hear another opinion.
Inferno slowly stroked his chin.
“I’ve met him before. If I had to describe him, he’s a prickly person. Still, he’s not the type to join hands with Black Dawn. Their personalities are complete opposites.”
“Opposites?”
“How should I put it… he’s excessively frugal. Almost like he’s reached enlightenment.”
Babiyen nodded as if she agreed. Their reactions made me even more curious. Just what kind of person was he?
“So why the Ice Lord? Are you asking for some kind of help?”
“I’m going to resurrect the Red Flame Lord and have her teach Babiyen magic.”
A look of bewilderment appeared on Inferno’s face. I could certainly understand his reaction.
“Babiyen told me that the Ice Lord would be the perfect person to keep the Red Flame Lord in check.”
“Hmm, they are polar opposites. The Ice Lord himself isn’t a bad choice, but… are you sure about this?”
Inferno knew the Red Flame Lord well. His expression showed he was certain that woman would be scheming something.
“There’s a risk, but I have to do what I have to do.”
“Is it for your girlfriend?”
“She is not my girlfriend.”
Babiyen glanced our way.
I know, I know. Stop cursing me with your eyes.
“The Holy Church, huh. Right, you have a connection with the Divine Lord. That puts my mind at ease a bit.”
The Holy Church would surely assign me additional guards. Inferno had anticipated this. Besides, it was better to use the Regular Army’s forces to annihilate Black Dawn. For now, the Holy Church had more personnel to spare. I’d have to rely on their support.
“Still, if I had my way, I’d stay by your side myself.”
“I’ve seen for myself how busy you lieutenant generals are.”
Manpower should be used where it’s most needed.
“More importantly, what happened to that Artificial Transcendent project they were working on?”
The biggest reason for raiding the Black Dawn headquarters was their Artificial Transcendent project. This was something I had to hear about directly from Inferno. It was too important a matter to ask some random Regular Army soldier I didn't know.
“The traces were all still at the headquarters. We eliminated everything we could, but the important materials…”
“They took them and ran.”
“Right. Even with Lady Ririran helping with the search, we couldn’t find them.”
Ririran couldn’t find them. At this point, that meant no one could.
“It’s possible they were never there to begin with.”
“That could be. They might have a separate altar prepared somewhere. We’re going to investigate that thoroughly from now on.”
I could practically hear the Regular Army soldiers being worked to death. Still, the fact that they annihilated the headquarters was good news. Most importantly, discovering that those bastards could travel through the Void was a huge gain.
“I won’t tell you not to worry, but I’ll make sure no harm comes to you.”

“I’ll be counting on you.”
“Right. Let’s see each other again soon.”
I would have many more dealings with the Regular Army in the future. We’d be seeing each other often.
“...Girlfriend.”
Meanwhile, Babiyen was muttering to herself for some reason. When I turned to look at her, she flinched and started whistling. Why was she whistling when she was so bad at it?
“Huh.”

At that moment, I saw something behind Babiyen.
As I hurried toward it, Babiyen flinched and turned to look at me.
“Wh-what is it? Coming at me so suddenly.”
As I got closer, Babiyen froze and looked up at me. The moment she gulped and closed her eyes, I walked right past her.
“Lululio.”
A girl covered in dust, her goggles pulled down.
Lululio had finally returned safely.
Babiyen paused, then turned to look at Lululio. For some reason, she suddenly took a swing at me from the side, which I dodged.
“Lululio, glad you made it back alive.”
As soon as Lululio saw me, she gave me a faint smile.
“Hee, heheh, somehow. I’m just glad you’re alive too, Sir Harua.”
“Well, I did die once. Thanks to that, I got here first and had some time to rest.”
Choosing to die was an excellent way to return.
“Haha, that’s really amazing-ssumda…”
She let out a breath, her face etched with exhaustion. She had to return from the 2nd World all by herself. It seemed she had a very hard time getting back, likely running out of resources like food along the way.
“You went through a lot. Go inside and get some rest.”
“Sir Harua.”
When I suggested she rest, she suddenly grabbed my collar.
“You haven’t forgotten one of the key parts of the mission, have you?”
A smile played on her lips. Her body was clearly exhausted, but I could feel a sense of duty that this one thing had to be accomplished.
“The key part?”
This operation was the Regular Army’s annihilation of the Black Dawn headquarters. And…
“...A Deadly Sin?”

Lululio opened the container she had been clutching so tightly.
And from within came a single finger.

My eyes widened as I realized whose finger it was, and Babiyen also wore a shocked expression.
“It’s the finger of Ganibal, the Sin of Gluttony.”
Lululio had pulled off something huge.
“Lieutenant General Inferno!”
We still have things to discuss!