LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 42 - Human or Monster (2)
Translator: Marctempest
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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Chapter 42: Human or Monster (2)
Upper floors of the temple.
In the solitude of her private chamber, High Priestess Clavia seethed with rage.
Just thinking about the Seat of Proof made her fists tremble violently.
“Quellière…”
She muttered the name, her face contorted in disgust.
That cursed name.
A woman who displeased her from head to toe.
Nonchalantly and decisively, she had ruined Clavia’s plans.
“…Suddenly appearing out of nowhere.”
She had salvaged the Red Calamity, which Clavia had painstakingly orchestrated.
Nell Sartilla was an excellent test subject and had the potential to become a member of the Holy Assembly.
But now, all of that had fallen apart.
To be precise, the chance for a peaceful and moderate resolution had vanished.
“…Should I just turn her into a revenant?”
A woman with those eyes.
Whether it was her godlike beauty or her serene demeanor, could her face remain intact if her skin was peeled off?
It was an impulsive thought, but it tempted her.
“That woman… and the Red Calamity…”
Couldn’t she just turn them both into puppets?
Lately, Clavia’s position had become a bit unstable.
The crisis of the Red Calamity, which she had officially declared as the High Priestess, had been revealed as a hoax.
So, why not flip everything at once?
If she resolved a fabricated crisis, trust would return quickly. And if she unleashed the revenants she had gathered…
“…!?”
At that moment, Clavia’s eyes widened as she sensed something.
She leapt to her feet and approached the window.
The Black Calamity.
He was not far away.
“Why… all of a sudden?”
The Calamity was an absolute being beyond her control.
Since awakening in the landfill long ago, he had remained elusive.
But now, he was approaching the Holy State.
“…Could he be angry?”
Yet, his aura was exceedingly violent.
Like an uncontrollable explosion of rage, it surged with relentless destruction.
For the Calamity to display such emotions.
Clavia found it puzzling.
“This is no time for this.”
If he was coming, she had to go greet him.
Hurriedly, she set out to awaken the revenants.
*
On the road to Disdel.
The carriage rattled noisily, moving with unusual ferocity.
Yet, the comfort of the seat suggested the skill of the coachman.
“How’s the ride, my lady?”
A voice called from the front.
It was Chevran, the tousle-haired, quick-witted coachman.
When I came to Glenber, I thought he might have moved on, but he was still here.
The price was steep, after all.
At this point, I wondered if he was my personal coachman.
“My lady?”
I rested my chin on my hand, puzzled by his question, and he laughed heartily.
“Haha. Anyone’s a lady or noblewoman if they pay.”
“You really do love money.”
“Of course. Isn’t money the solution to everything? Even just hoarding it feels good.”
Chevran smiled brightly, praising capitalism. I agreed, albeit mildly.
If it were the old me, I might have nodded vigorously, but now it was different.
“Hm.”
Was it because the banknotes of Earth and the currency of this continent were so different?
After pondering, I casually responded.
“I’m not sure.”
“Oh, that’s because you’re a wealthy lady, my lady.”
“Is that so.”
I didn’t think I was that wealthy.
Just capable of getting most things done and scattering funds moderately when needed.
“…”
If someone overheard, they might call me a fraud.
I swept my forehead and looked out the carriage window.
The radiant sunlight bathed the greenery in a sentimental glow.
The sunlight sparkled in my blue eyes.
For some reason, my chest tingled, and I gazed idly at the scene for a while.
A cough shattered the tranquil moment.
“We’re almost at Disdel.”
It was Chevran’s gruff voice.
I lowered my hand and blinked.
“Really?”
What should I do first when I arrive?
I should meet Nell and give her the costume.
After that…
I was rubbing my temples, deep in thought, when the carriage jolted violently.
Thud!
“Damn…!”
Chevran cursed under his breath as he grabbed the reins.
I held my forehead, which had been knocked by the jolt, and looked around.
“Ugh…”
I assumed the wheel must have hit a stone, but it was too dark to see properly.
Dark?
Recalling the sunlight I had just been enjoying, I turned my head.
And froze.
The surroundings had suddenly been engulfed in deep shadow.
“It seems the wheel is stuck on something! My apologies, my lady. I’ll get us moving again!”
“Wait, hold on…”
Something felt off.
The carriage rumbled forward again, leaving no time to think.
The ground shook, and vibrations stronger than before rattled the interior.
Crash!
“Urgh…!”
The carriage didn’t collapse.
Thanks to Chevran’s quick wit, he skillfully maneuvered to avoid a disaster.
As I steadied myself, I noticed a surging black aura.
The aura spread all around.
Just as I widened my eyes, a massive, tentacle-like appendage flew toward us.
A black tentacle, seemingly formed from condensed energy.
It was undoubtedly malicious, and I immediately reacted.
A chilling breath shot out in a straight line, deflecting the tentacle’s trajectory.
“…This is…”
It was an abnormal and grotesque phenomenon.
Even the most dangerous magical creatures weren’t this vast or sinister.
Unfortunately, I had a guess about who it could be.
“Argh! It’s coming again, coming again!”
“Tch…”
As Chevran cried out in alarm, I extended my hand.
Unable to fend off the barrage with just my breath, I raised an ice wall.
The icy surface, infused with extreme elemental power, withstood the blows from the tentacles and cursed blades.
The malice shifted its path, searching for gaps, but new walls were erected and destroyed just in time.
“Haah… Haah…”
It wasn’t easy.
Rapidly drawing upon my mana without a moment to relax was quickly exhausting me.
Meanwhile, the darkness only grew denser.
The battle was clearly disadvantageous.
Having made up my mind, I shouted to Chevran.
“Faster!”
It was an unusually loud command for me.
Perhaps due to the urgency, he didn’t seem to notice and replied immediately.
“I’m already going as fast as I can!”
“Push it to the limit!”
“Ugh… I-I’ll try!”
The carriage raced forward at near-breaking speed.
Chevran groaned repeatedly, squeezing out every ounce of his strength.
Meanwhile, I desperately fought off the malice, racking my brain for a solution.
“Could it… really have awakened?”
The spirit’s will was supposed to remain dormant in the landfill.
If that’s the case, was this a “scenario progression”?
Unconsciously, I bit my lip.
It was the worst possible opponent.
“…It’s too late to avoid it now.”
I didn’t know why it was targeting me, but it had appeared in the Holy State.
If it had resolved to act, avoiding a fight was impossible.
I needed to reach a more advantageous location.
The Calamity was the Holy State’s archenemy.
The Holy Knight Order and others would surely rally to face it.
“And Nell is there…”
She was a second-in-command character, one of the strongest in combat.
She would be a huge help.
The problem was whether I could make it there alive.
Gritting my teeth, I unleashed my mana.
*
The Adventurer’s Guild also served as a restaurant and inn.
On the second floor, in her private room, Nell was swallowing her anger.
“Those damn Dark Holy Society bastards…”
Fighting them at Quellière’s request had been fine, but in the end, she’d let them slip away.
Even though she had defeated two of their Seven Apostles and over a dozen followers, she was still dissatisfied.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
She wanted to deal with them all and proudly boast to her first friend—or so Nell considered her—Quellière.
“Argh, it’s infuriating.”
Of course, she had a personal grudge too.
They had carelessly labeled her the Red Calamity, and she intended to make them pay.
Even so, she had foolishly let them escape.
Irritated, she snapped at the man standing stiffly beside her.
“Hey.”
“Y-Yes!”
Kelly, standing at attention, responded immediately.
His pupils darted around nervously, like a bird in distress.
This only irritated Nell further as she raised an eyebrow.
“What? Am I making you uncomfortable?”
“…No, I’m fine! Very fine!”
“Fine, huh? You’ve got weird taste.”
Despite her one-sided grumbling, Kelly didn’t dare move.
It wasn’t so much scolding as it was venting her frustration, and it wasn’t unjustified.
Incidentally, Kelly was also covering her lodging expenses.
“Go fetch some water.”
After challenging Nell once, he had been reduced to waiting on her like a slave.
As a low-rank adventurer, Kelly couldn’t dream of resisting her true ancestor-level power.
“Ah… R-Right away! I’ll be back shortly!”
“Hurry up.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Kelly, overjoyed at the brief reprieve, hurriedly turned to leave.
Left alone in the room, Nell continued her thoughts.
“What is she, really…”
The topic was, of course, Quellière.
She had been occupying a corner of Nell’s mind lately.
Her train of thought inevitably brought up Quellière’s feats—summoning a blizzard and overwhelming the Holy Knight Order.
Not to mention her unshaken composure in every moment.
She was a mysterious woman in many ways.
“How does she know about me?”
After all, she was a vampire.
From the moment I had memories, there was always a question I couldn’t resolve, until recently.
The divine relic bore witness, leaving no room for doubt.
Yet, no one knew such a race even existed.
Not even herself, yet Quellière was—just what on earth?
“Mmhm…”
The more I dwelled on it, the more it felt like sinking into a swamp.
She would never tell me herself, so I had to figure it out.
Scratching my cheek as I pondered, a thought suddenly came to mind.
“What was that sensation?”
The shiver I felt when Quellière’s hand touched me.
I had dismissed it as my imagination, but the more I thought about it, the more real it felt.
It was still vividly etched in my mind.
“Was it magic…?”
No.
There wasn’t even a speck of magical energy left behind.
Besides, there couldn’t be magic like that.
Nell hugged her knees and racked her brain.
No matter how much she thought and agonized, there was no answer.
“Hm… Mmm…”
…In truth, this was a natural occurrence for her.
The sensation of touching the world itself.
Though Nell didn’t know, for Quellière, it was no exaggeration to say she was the world itself.
After all, without her, it wouldn’t exist.
But there was no way for Nell to discover this fact on her own.
Her thoughts naturally began to wander in another direction.
“A being who knows everything about my unknown race… Always so composed… And when touched, it feels like standing at the center of the world… Could it be…?”
For a moment, Nell held her breath.
No way. It couldn’t be.
But if not, then what?
Once her thoughts started forming, they spread uncontrollably.
She had hated the gods her whole life.
“I always said I’d slap them if I ever met one…”
Suddenly, an old saying came to mind.
When you speak of a dragon—
Bang!
A thunderous roar echoed in the distance.
The deafening noise nearly ruptured her eardrums, and Nell shot to her feet.
“What the hell is that?!”
Right when she was getting to something important, an uproar interrupted her.
Frowning, she stretched her hands and left the room.
Shortly before Nell stormed out.
*
On the first floor of the guild, in front of the request board, Sigina stood.
She was currently engaging in what she considered a high-level discussion on the state of the adventurer market and its future prospects.
“Really? There was an Overflow in Chelmbard too?”
“Yeah. It was absolute chaos.”
Though she had a scatterbrained streak, Sigina hadn’t earned her gold badge by sheer luck.
Her conversational partner was Glekt.
A fellow gold-ranked adventurer and a greatsword user, he had a prominent scar on his cheek, likely from a recent injury.
“But to think a similar incident occurred in Disdel… Could it really be the work of a calamity?”
As someone who operated near the theocracy and hailed from Disdel, Glekt had a connection to Sigina.
He had been active around the holy city of Chelmbard and had returned only today.
“Oh, you mean the Red Calamity?”
Sigina blinked innocently.
Glekt shook his head resolutely.
“No, not that. That case is already over.”
“Ah, right. That’s true! In that case…”
The Red Calamity was infamous across the theocracy, thanks to its grotesque moniker.
However, the truth about the false charges had yet to spread widely.
Glekt himself had only recently learned that the accused was a demi-human.
He confirmed Sigina’s guess.
“The real calamity. The Black Calamity, I mean.”
“Oh wow.”
She uttered a subtle expression of amazement.
To think he would boldly bring up such a dreaded name.
Sigina whispered under her breath.
“Why?”
“There’ve been many incidents recently that seem like its doing. It’s a reasonable deduction. People just don’t talk about it openly.”
Lowering his voice, Glekt followed suit.
He spoke with an emotional undertone, as if recalling past events.
“It’s not just the Overflow. There were even bigger commotions in Chelmbard. Things like several high-level monsters suddenly appearing.”
“Multiple high-level monsters?! I haven’t heard any rumors about that!”
Sigina was visibly shocked.
If what he said was true, it wasn’t just an ordinary occurrence but an unprecedented disaster.
Surely, such a commotion would have reached her ears.
Glekt nodded, as if to say he understood.
“There wasn’t enough time for rumors to spread. It was resolved too quickly.”
“…Wait, how could they resolve that quickly?”
“Since it was an urgent matter, the High Bishops themselves intervened. Even the Paladins were mobilized. That says it all.”
Except for Clavia, the other two High Bishops were currently stationed in Chelmbard.
Sigina’s eyes widened.
“Even the Paladins…!”
To think even they had been dispatched.
The situation must have been dire.
Glekt grinned.
“And to top it off, even the famous Sword Demon joined the fray. With that, it’s safe to say the high-level monsters were done for.”
“The Sword Demon too…”
She had heard the name.
A mysterious warrior who relentlessly hunted down monsters.
Glekt gestured to his scar, shaking his head slightly.
“In any case, someone like me, stuck in the middle, should have backed off while I had the chance. I got greedy and… Well, I was lucky to make it out alive.”
He shrugged as he finished his account.
“That’s why you shouldn’t obsess over money too much. People think adventurers are all about getting rich quick by diving headfirst into danger, but the ones with common sense avoid risky jobs. It’s always better to steer clear of trouble.”
“That’s true, that’s true! You’re absolutely right. But my dream is to sit on a mountain of money!”
“…Is that so.”
The conversation came to an end.
As the talking ceased, the various noises from the first floor became distinctly audible.
Glekt stretched his stiff neck and glanced toward the second floor.
“Is Kelly upstairs? If he is, tell him to come down. It’s been a while, so I ought to give him some discipline.”
“Wait here for a moment!”
Thud-thud-thud— Sigina hurried up the stairs but suddenly paused.
Her abrupt halt made Glekt raise a questioning brow.
“What is it?”
“Quiet.”
She put a finger to her lips and cupped her ear.
Her unusually sharp hearing picked up signals as her ears twitched slightly.
She murmured to herself.
“I hear hoofbeats.”
“Hm? Hoofbeats?”
“They’re coming this way… Someone dismounted?”
“…Hmm.”
As Glekt instinctively turned his gaze, the main entrance burst open.
A thunderous noise drew everyone’s attention.
The sight made everyone flinch.
It was inevitable.
It was as if they were facing pure darkness.
A bizarre figure clad in black armor with a dark helmet and carrying a jet-black sword sheath stood there.
Their entire body was obscured, making it impossible to discern even their gender.
Just as Glekt’s expression hardened, a cheerful voice shattered the tense atmosphere.
“I have a question!”
The speaker was a young girl.
There was no way anyone would believe she had arrived with the ominous figure next to her.
She boldly declared.
“I came because I heard there was a Red Calamity in Disdel.”
“…The Red Calamity? If you mean that one, she’s on the second floor…”
“Wait!”
Sigina protested against the clueless adventurer who had inadvertently replied.
“Why are you telling them that? Just look at how suspicious they are!”
“Ahaha… Thank you!”
But it was already too late.
The polite girl bowed her head and glanced around the room.
Adopting an oddly heavy voice, as though imitating someone, she continued.
“Everyone except her, please leave. It’s dangerous.”
Her confident demand created an uproar in the guild.
Adventurers, as a rule, did not take kindly to being dismissed.
Amid the peculiar tension, an adventurer slammed the table and stood.
“Hey, kid. Don’t mess around. We don’t go easy on brats. Do you even know how scary adventurers can be…?”
Perhaps he was the boastful type, as he kept cracking his knuckles threateningly.
The girl widened her eyes, as if frightened, and shook her hands.
“Don’t come any closer!”
“Finally coming to your senses—”
“You’ll get hurt! It’ll be bad!”
“What? This brat…!”
As the adventurer flared up and approached her, the Black Knight’s hand moved to their sword sheath.
The girl shouted.
“I don’t have any prejudices, but I hate it when people get hurt!”
To her, it was the ultimate warning, but the fearless adventurer didn’t heed it.
The moment he crossed the invisible line, a dazzling blade flashed.
Swoosh—!
A single swing.
Rarely did the wielder fail to cut their target.
The towering adventurer found himself frozen as Chandrafail stared coldly at him.
“… …”
Gold-ranked adventurer Glekt.
He poured all his strength into dragging the reckless novice out of range.
All eyes fell on him.
He spoke.
“The Sword Demon… Why are you here…?”
Glekt’s face was pale, and cold sweat drenched him.
The shocking statement caused an uproar in the guild.
“The Sword Demon? That person?!”
“They’re at least as skilled as a hero…!”
Adventurers revered power above all.
To them, the Sword Demon, who had no ties or background but was famed solely for overwhelming skill, was an idol and an aspiration.
“I heard they were in Chelmbard…”
The frantic commotion soon died down.
Without uttering a single word, the Sword Demon dominated the room with their mere presence.
In a chilling tone, they murmured.
“I will slay the Red Calamity.”
“Wait. Wait!”
Sigina hastily intervened, arguing.
“The Red Calamity doesn’t exist anymore! Nell is just an ordinary person! No, an ordinary demi-human. This would be a crime!”
“… …”
The Black Knight fell silent again.
Instead, they began walking forward.
The sword, unsheathed, emitted a sinister hum as it exuded murderous intent.
The Sword Demon believed nothing without seeing it for themselves.
Sigina muttered, “If that’s how it’s going to be—” and drew her rapier.
After all, when words failed, force was the only option.
“Glekt! Help me! No matter how strong they are, two gold-ranked adventurers together—”
“…No.”
“What?”
To Sigina’s surprise, Glekt rejected her in an unusually grim voice.
His gaze was filled with fear.
“He already spared me once. If I challenge him again, I’m finished…”
“…! Don’t tell me, that scar was from the Sword Demon?”
Her exclamation fell on deaf ears.
Glekt muttered a series of negatives before pleading with the Sword Demon.
“I have nothing to do with this! I have no intention of fighting you. I’m leaving this place.”
“Glekt!”
And with that, he hastily fled the guild.
Sigina had no time to intervene.
His departure caused a massive ripple.
“Damn it, what’s going on here?”
“I don’t know what’s happening, but if Glekt says so…”
As a seasoned adventurer who took care of his juniors, Glekt was highly respected.
The adventurers scattered like the tide, and even the receptionist slipped away.
In the middle of the day, the guild faced an unprecedented lull.
“Terrible people…”
Sigina let out a hollow sigh, overcome with despondency.
At that moment, a sharp voice came from above.
“What’s all the commotion?”
A red-haired vampire.
Nell Sartilla scratched her head irritably, grumbling, before locking eyes with a black knight.
The two spoke simultaneously.
“Unlucky.”
“Unlucky indeed.”
The black knight readied his sword.
The Ghostblade.
A sinister weapon that seemed to carry a soul, it pointed directly at the True Ancestor. Nell frowned.
“…What’s this now? Hey, are you with the Dark Holy Society too?”
“Red Calamity…”
“What?”
When he uttered the discarded moniker, veins bulged on Nell’s temple.
“There are still people who say that. Do you live with your ears shut? I’m not a calamity.”
“You’re not human.”
The black knight bluntly stated.
He immediately knew.
As a monster hunter, his eyes were trained to identify non-humans.
…And this foreboding aura.
Having encountered her, it no longer mattered whether she was a calamity or not.
“You’re a monster.”
A monster must be slain.
That was all.
He lunged swiftly.
“…Tch.”
Clicking her tongue, Nell swung her blood blade to meet his attack.
The two clashed as they passed each other, landing blows.
Immediately after, blood spurted.
“Urgh…!”
Nell clutched her side, groaning.
Meanwhile, the black knight’s armor bore only a minor scratch.
Both combatants, creations carefully designed for battle, quickly gauged each other’s strength.
Before Nell could even curse, the next attack came.
“You bastard…”
Ghostblade Technique, First Form.
Demon Cleave.
Swoosh!
Though the blood spray scattered in time, the black knight pressed through and struck.
Hot blood gushed from Nell’s chest.
She clenched her teeth, suppressing the searing pain.
“…What kind of freak is this?”
He’s a monster himself, yet he calls me one?
For a True Ancestor like her to be at such a disadvantage—it was absurd.
Where did this lunatic even come from?
It was her first time encountering someone who could cut through her blood techniques so easily.
Her gaze darkened, and her blood-colored mana went berserk.
“Looks like I have no choice…”
She hadn’t intended to use this, at least not yet.
Draining her blood rapidly, she enhanced her entire body.
It was a True Ancestor skill that burned blood as fuel.
A menacing aura surrounded her as three blood formations appeared.
Red weapons emerged from the ground, her hands, and thin air, surging toward the black knight.
“…!”
Finally, he paused for a split second.
Seizing the opportunity, Nell quickly retreated.
She was already at a disadvantage, and now injured.
The odds of victory were slim. She needed another solution.
Just as she was about to escape, Sigina shouted.
“Nell!”
Looking into Sigina’s trembling eyes, Nell weighed her options. Would she be any help?
No, her sharp ears wouldn’t matter; her sword wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
“Stay out of this!”
Deliberately speaking harshly, Nell pushed off the ground.
She didn’t know why he wanted to kill her, but she absolutely couldn’t let him.
She needed a way to turn the tide.
When she thought about it, only one person came to mind.
“Quellière…”
A powerful mage whose true abilities were immeasurable.
Could she handle this?
Nell dared to hope, but then shook her head.
Just from their brief skirmish, it was clear.
That black knight’s skills and intuition were beyond the norm.
He was an unimaginable monster from who-knows-where.
Someone who had clearly surpassed the limits of humanity…
“…Human.”
In that moment, her doubts about Quellière resurfaced.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered if Quellière might also be something extraordinary.
But that had to be a mistake.
What kind of being would walk the earth in the guise of a human?
But if it were true…
…No, if she faced this black knight, wouldn’t it prove if she was real or not?
“No… that’s not it.”
Quellière was her benefactor and her first friend.
She couldn’t allow anything to put her in danger.
With a labored breath, Nell darted away.
For now, she had to get as far from him as possible.