The Villain Carries the Holy Sword – Chapter 117

Chapter 117: Passing Through Memories (2)

“Step on soft ground when you walk. That way, it doesn’t make a sound.”

“Yes.”

Cain constantly instructed Abel as they entered the forest.

As if there was no time but now.

“But there are usually footprints. In that case, it’s best to step on the roots of trees that are protruding from the ground.”

“Understood.”

Rustle—

The two were like ghosts.

Despite being densely packed with all sorts of bushes, they moved forward without much difficulty.

However, it wasn’t a straight line.

Adjusting their direction according to the direction of the forest wind, they always made the air flow from the front to the back.

Cain tapped his nose and said,

“When you’re anticipating a battle with a non-human race, you have to think that their five senses are overwhelming. There are always those who can smell what we can’t.”

“That’s why we keep the wind in front of us.”

“Even so, the ones who can smell will still smell, but we have to do what we can.”

Cain looked south.

Booooom—

A roar echoed.

It seemed they were finally using the magic bombs they had brought.

The culmination of civilization that the continent’s City Alliance, especially the commercial city of 〈Delft〉, produced was terrifying.

Kaboom—!

Unlike in the past, when humans had to be chosen by Aura or Mana to become stronger, now it was very easy to kill something with just a magic gun or a magic bomb.

An era in which the unknown rain of mana and its unfathomable mystery were being shattered by human civilization.

Now.

“The end of the Elves.”

One of the races that symbolized such mystery were the Elves.

Cain felt the shift from the age of mystery to the age of humans as he moved forward.

No matter how great a barrier, it was still a barrier.

Considering the techniques used to maintain it and the total amount of power, it couldn’t grow infinitely.

So, if they were determined to run, they would reach the middle in an instant, but Cain was cautious.

Abel watched Cain’s back and followed his steps.

He wondered where and what kind of experience Cain had gone through to know so much, but he kept his mouth shut.

He had no intention of asking until Cain spoke first.

“……Huh?”

A bewildered woman’s voice.

Cain and Abel stopped their steps.

As the densely packed trees began to clear, a girl was sitting on one of them.

She was a girl with jet-black hair, similar to Cain’s, and ruby-like eyes that glittered with a mysterious light.

And her face was full of boredom.

“Human?”

“You’re human?”

They looked at each other.

It was incomprehensible to find a human girl inside the ‘Barrier of the Great Forest’ in the ‘Deep Forest’, let alone an ordinary northern forest.

Cain glanced sideways.

Abel opened his mouth at the gesture.

“Who are yo—”

While Abel was speaking……

In the space between the girl’s breaths as she was about to answer Abel……

Shing.

Cain immediately dashed forward, drawing Agweska.

‘Kill first, ask later.’

In this situation, it was a luxury to ask who the opponent was and why they were here.

With the fate of the expeditionary force resting on him quickly dealing with the World Tree and Glumiêm, Cain chose reality over ideals.

Shheeeek—!

A light but fast black trajectory was drawn. Its end pointed towards the girl’s pale, slender neck.

Fwhip—

Cain narrowed the distance in an instant.

He definitely made contact, but there was no sensation.

‘A shadow?’

He saw it at the last minute.

The girl, being sucked into the shade of a tree leaf, stared at him with wide, terrified, red eyes.

Whoosh—

From the side.

From the pool of shadows next to Cain, a shortsword, the kind Elves typically used, shot upwards.

Its target was Cain’s side.

But the sword was too light.

Crack—!

Cain simply raised his foot and crushed the sword under his heel.

“Ah!?”

The red-eyed girl, who had come out of the shadows along with the sword, was so surprised that she went back in again.

Cain watched her closely.

The sword, designed for the physically weaker Elves, was as fragile as expected, and his body, strengthened by the limits pushed by ‘Winter’s’ passive ability, had become that much stronger.

He could now withstand Kyrie, which he had to use by burning his future against Abel, once or twice even with his bare hands.

‘Using an Elven sword……’

Enemy.

Cain defined the girl.

Whooooosh—

The forest wind blew.

Cain closed his eyes.

‘It must be a bloodline ability.’

It was extremely rare, but not unheard of, for a human to possess such a special ability.

It was a bloodline ability.

Those related to shadows or darkness were associated with the noble night dwellers, Vampires.

———!

They were silent.

As beings assimilated into darkness, they were invisible to the naked eye.

Shheeek—!

But they always carried a faint smell of blood.

Cain caught the extremely faint, metallic scent and thrust Agweska to the right.

“How?!”

The red-eyed girl, stabbed by Cain’s sword, jumped out in surprise before she died.

She tried to get away with her light body, but……

“Stay.”

White Starlight.

Shuuuu—

Ice flowers bloomed wherever Cain’s feet landed.

The warrior of ‘Winter’, who had galloped across the Great Wall, the eastern frontier of humanity, took a step.

The weight contained in that step……

The girl, who was running, instantly slowed down under the pressure of something massive pressing down on her.

“W, What is this?”

“These are steps meant to catch those who scurry away like you.”

It would have been easier if his opponent was earthbound like the girl.

It was commonplace for his enemies to fly in the sky, and there were countless others who would teleport away in an instant at the Great Wall.

So, while it was important for him to be fast, it was more important to catch the enemy.

“Ggh—”

The girl couldn’t take a single step.

It was as if she had been plunged into deep water, unable to even breathe.

Crackle—

The girl stared at Cain as he approached, his body wreathed in Pure White Thunderbolt.

Then her eyes widened slightly.

It was as if she had found someone familiar in Cain’s face.

“Edmund?”

“…….”

“No, you look like him, but you’re not Edmund.”

“His son.”

At that moment, the girl’s eyes bulged. She looked even more incredulous than when she was caught by Cain’s ‘White Starlight’.

“That Edmund got married? There was such a crazy woman in this kingdom?”

“…….”

“No, and he had a child? That sword-obsessed Edmund?”

Swoosh—

Cain lowered his sword.

Abel moved a step behind Cain, wary of any potential danger.

‘Originally, I was going to kill her right away, but……’

Cain smiled bitterly.

He thought he didn’t have a hometown.

But he did.

If there was a place where people looked at him and remembered his father, wouldn’t that be his hometown?

‘And she knows Edmund well.’

McLoud, Marquis Ross, even King Hybolt, they all treated Edmund similarly.

Just like this girl.

“Who are you?”

Cain decided to kill her after learning her identity.

“……You’re still going to kill me?”

“I’m going to kill you regardless of who you are.”

“Why?”

“If you’re a human who can move freely in the Elven forest, it’s better to kill you than risk the danger of letting you live.”

The girl made a disgusted expression.

As if she was looking at something that should never have appeared in this world.

“That’s something Edmund would say after being rolled around in war for 10 years.”

Swoosh—

Cain swung Agweska and held it against the girl’s neck.

Her red eyes stared at him. Just as the girl had found someone familiar in Cain’s face, Cain was also reminded of someone at this moment.

‘Oleciren?’

And the girl spoke.

“I am Everwyn Ross.”

“……!”

The former Queen of Airian, who had used the alias Carla Audrey.

“My brother made a deal with the Elven Queen and brought me back to life.”

And the younger sister of Heatherward Ross, a direct descendant of the Ross bloodline.

“Who are you?”

“Cain. Cain Ethelred.”

Everwyn smiled.

It was a strange smile, like a mournful song sung by a caged bird.

“Kill my little brother.”

“…….”

“And kill that damn Elven Queen.”

Abel tried not to show it, but he couldn’t hide his surprise.

Cain, on the other hand, brushed back his hair that had fallen over his forehead and said,

“Then I’ll have to kill you first. Resurrection is impossible anyway, so being brought back means some dirty trick was used.”

“Sharp.”

“She probably remodeled something to be a material using the power and miracles of the queen, similar to how the Elveknights were made. So are our conversations being reported in detail right now?”

Cain was well aware of the Elves’ ‘Central Spiritualization’.

If they had been caught, it was already too late from the moment he encountered the girl, so he asked comfortably.

Shake. Shake.

The girl shook her head.

“I’m not synchronized to that extent. Well, if she gives a direct order, I can’t disobey.”

“That’s a relief. Now die.”

Shheeeeek—

Cain’s aura dwelled in Agweska, attempting to decapitate Everwyn in an instant.

That’s when Everwyn said,

“Before that, I should use everything I can. At least in this forest, I’m quite useful, you know?”

“……?”

“We have some time before my brother arrives. I’ll guide you until then.”

Swoosh—

She pointed behind her.

The gigantic tree that soared into the sky, the World Tree.

The greedy monarch, entwined with thousands upon thousands of trees, was caught at her fingertips.

“Let’s go, quickly.”

Kwaaang—

Another explosion echoed.

A sign that the war between humans and Elves was intensifying.

━I’ll see you later.

Oleciren said she would see him later.

It meant she would come to help when Cain fought the World Tree or Glumiêm.

‘Impossible.’

Although she was rapidly growing stronger as a witch, she was still far behind the Elves or Glumiêm.

However, Oleciren would never back down just because she was lacking.

She was probably squeezing every ounce of her strength to break through the Elven army, and Cain decided to do the same.

He released the pressure that had been holding Everwyn down and said,

“Lead the way.”

🔹🔹🔹

Rustle.

Under the World Tree, the wooden throne.

Glumiêm sat on the magnificent throne, woven from branches that had fallen from the original tree, resting her chin on her hand with her eyes closed.

《This is difficult.》

Her mind was on the battlefield with the humans.

She was giving strength to the World Tree to several elves at the same time, but it wasn’t going as she intended.

《The humans themselves haven’t gotten much stronger than before, but their tools have become troublesome.》

Elves were mystical.

Their songs dulled hostility, and their spirits created miracles that magic could not touch.

Not only that, but the bows and swords they spent their entire lives crafting were powerful.

But humans were diverse.

Although they hadn’t changed much from the past, the bombs and cannons that caused explosions here and there had the power to easily tear apart the Elves’ mystique.

No matter how mystical, they were powerless against overwhelming firepower.

《And the witch……》

Glumiêm frowned.

The human army, countering their mystique with firepower, was annoying.

“I have brought it.”

It was Heatherward Ross.

Dressed in a black coat, he looked as if he had traveled a rough road, with tears and dirt here and there.

《Shiny is useful at times like this.》

He held clear spring water in both hands.

Glumiêm beckoned him, and he offered her the spring water in his hands.

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp—

The World Tree trembled.

The power of the World Tree once again filled Glumiêm’s exhausted body.

《To think you could go to the top of the World Tree and back so quickly, impressive.》

“Thank you.”

《It’s tricky because it can only be held by living hands, but this is definitely the best—》

Glumiêm looked at the elven village with sharp eyes. She felt a strange sensation as she fully recovered with the spring water of the World Tree.

《Shiny.》

“Yes.”

《Enemy. They are with your Everwyn.》

Whoosh—

Before Marquis Ross could answer, he instantly transformed into darkness and disappeared.

It was only natural, as it concerned Everwyn, whom he had dedicated everything to create.

Glumiêm propped her chin on her other hand and frowned.

《Could it be Ethelred?》

However, there was already an Ethelred on the battlefield, fighting with a shield.

She wanted to leave her position or use ‘Fate Observation’ to investigate, but Glumiêm had no choice but to send her consciousness to the battlefield.

She couldn’t afford to take her eyes off the fight.

Translator’s Blog

Blog

• Is My Brain Turning Into a Pile of Mush From All This Light/Web Novel Reading?
• Did Uncle Steve RAID Your Snack Again?
• Wakana Gojou: The Ultimate Husbando? Is This Anime Romance Even Real?
• My Early 20s Emo Profile: A Journey Back to Myspace (And Why It Still Haunts Me)
• Lacus Clyne: The Ultimate Waifu? A Gundam SEED Freedom Deep Dive