Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race-Chapter 174 - Sanctified Chains

Inside the White Palace, in the holy capital Milishion, a bad-tempered man hurried through the corridors. He had light brown hair and green eyes.

His unshaven beard and disheveled hair gave him an air of neglect, and deep dark circles covered his eyes, betraying many sleepless nights.

The exhaustion on his face was only disguised by the constant irritation in his expression. He wore a green cloak over light armor and carried two swords at his waist.

He pressed on until he reached what appeared to be the audience chamber of the White Palace. The guards posted at the sides did not attempt to stop him.

Upon arriving before the doors, one of the guards opened them for him without a word. The man entered without even thanking him, maintaining an air of contained fury.

The hall was vast and imposing, decorated with an ostentation that made clear the wealth and power concentrated there.

Finely embroidered tapestries covered the walls, depicting sacred and historical scenes.

Golden columns supported an artistically painted ceiling, and the polished marble floor reflected light from the ornate chandeliers.

A huge stained-glass window behind the main chair cast multicolored light that gently tinted the room.

There were two men in the chamber. One of them stood, calmly observing one of the tapestries.

He wore ceremonial robes embroidered in gold, and his fingers were laden with rings, some magical items, others merely ornamental.

A scepter rested on the nearby table, but what drew the most attention was the golden sword at his waist, shaped like a gladius.

That was Lucios Galard, the current Pope of Milis.

The man, before becoming the Miko of Divine Vision—and consequently the Pope—had already been a powerful swordsman and an influential noble.

Even after assuming the highest title in the Church of Milis, he did not abandon his martial roots and habits.

The other man in the room was an imposing Knight, completely covered in white and silver armor with golden details.

The visor of his helmet concealed his face, revealing only his intense blue eyes, which surveyed the room like a statue.

The man who had just entered strode forward brusquely and said aggressively:

"Lucios, why didn't they let me see my daughter this morning?!"

The Pope turned slowly. He looked to be about fifty years old, with brown hair already graying at the temples.

"Paul Greyrat, you must know that you did not fulfill the agreement that was established..."

Paul slammed both hands on the table that separated them, making the sound echo through the vast room.

"How were you expecting me to kill the target if a North Emperor arrived to save her?!"

Paul's journey to Milis had been, to some extent, smooth.

After deciding that Rudeus would go to the Sword Sanctuary to fetch Aisha, and that he himself would come to Milis to retrieve Norn, Paul and his companions wasted no time.

The group crossed the Demon Continent with relative ease.

They were accompanied by Elinalise and Talhand—a high elf and a dwarf—and, with their help, managed to traverse the Great Forest without drawing attention, hiding their names to avoid direct confrontation with the Legion of Iron.

Fortunately, there were no major complications, which was most feared due to the Legion hunting Rudeus and Sylphiette.

Elinalise and Talhand remained in the Great Forest, as a precaution, since the entry of a powerful elf and dwarf into Milis at this time could cause problems.

From that point on, only Paul and Zenith pressed on.

However, the ease ended there, when they went to meet Zenith's parents.

Upon arriving at the Latreia House, the head of the family—Norn's grandfather—discovered that Paul was a North King.

Immediately, he demanded that Paul and Zenith remain and fight for the Latreia House against the Legion of Iron.

Paul flatly refused. Zenith, despite her initial hesitation because it was her family's home, also stood firmly against it.

Although the Legion of Iron was hunting her son, he was likely on the other side of the world at that moment, far beyond their reach.

So the last thing the couple wanted was to enter into conflict with that enormous organization.

However, things soon took an unexpected turn.

The Pope himself learned of the situation and, to their even greater surprise, Norn herself—daughter of Paul and Zenith—asked that they fight for Milis.

The girl did not remember them, and everything indicated that she was merely repeating words she had been taught, pleading for them to help the Latreia house win.

Paul and Zenith were deeply hurt. Norn had been raised there since she was one year old due to the Teleportation Incident; it was natural that she would be attached.

Yet the parents decided that they would take her, even against the girl's will, because it would be best for her.

It was then that the head of the Latreia House placed her under his protection and began preventing Paul and Zenith from even seeing her.

Paul nearly unleashed a bloodbath in response, but Zenith held him back.

Next, they both took part in a meeting with the Pope, who revealed his true intention. With words disguised as justice, family, and duty, he essentially blackmailed them.

Paul felt pressured, agreed to fight for Milis for a time in exchange for the promise of taking Norn with him in the future.

Recently, he had been given a target: if he killed her, he would be free to leave with his daughter. The target was an elf named Verdia.

But Paul failed because a child with green hair carrying a huge golden sword appeared.

Apparently, he was not really a child, but a North Emperor over eighty years old.

And now he was there, furious.

The Pope, observing him with cold disinterest, remained silent, as if the result had already been expected, and said icily:

"The mission was to kill the elf. That mage is largely responsible for starting this war. She taught that demon, Rygar Adoldia, and even brought a Demon King to fight for her."

He thought and spoke, "And more: the green-haired demon... the North Emperor, Ornthorn, personally saved her."

Paul ground his teeth in fury.

"I have nothing to do with this... this war is not mine!"

The Pope sighed, disappointed.

"That's where you are wrong. This war is all humanity's. Only by uniting can we be sure to annihilate this evil at its root. You should try listening to your daughter Norn."

The Pope stared at Paul intently, and his voice took on a slight reproach.

"She is a Latreia, whether you like it or not. And the Latreia House has a noble conduct and desires to see the demons expelled from the Holy Continent..."

Paul replied in a voice riddled with venom:

"Stop forcing your ideals on my daughter. You are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites..."

The Pope looked at him with what seemed like pity.

"You are strong, Paul Greyrat. But unfortunately, you lack the discernment to fight for what is right..."

A tense, heavy silence hung between them. The Pope then spoke with restrained sorrow:

"I will not continue to force you, even seeing clearly that you follow the wrong path. I will give you one last mission. And then you may depart with your daughter. The North Emperor will not be there. We have already confirmed his position at this moment."

Paul calmed a little upon hearing that, but was still visibly furious. Every fiber of his body screamed for blood.

All he wanted at that moment was to draw his sword and plunge it into that manipulative Pope's chest, ending it right then and there.

But the White Knight, standing by, was a menacing reminder.

He did not move, but his presence was suffocating.

The only person recognized as the Water Emperor in Milis.

Anyone who had tried to approach the Pope aggressively had been killed instantly by his blade—a blade that no one could see move.

No one could avoid it.

When Paul placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, only as an involuntary reflex, he felt a deadly chill.

He felt as if the tip of the White Knight's blade was already at his throat. He hadn't even seen the man move. It was as if death had appeared by instinct, silent and definitive.

Paul took a deep breath. Zenith's words echoed in his mind: "Breathe deeply, negotiate."

He closed his eyes for a second, swallowed his anger as if it were acid, and then murmured through clenched teeth:

"What is the mission?"

The Pope smiled upon hearing that.

--

Several minutes later, Paul left the chamber, still irritated, but his eyes shone with a dark determination.

On the previous day, the Pope had again received a Divine Vision. His visions had become a hot topic on the Holy Continent.

Each time one of his prophecies came true, his influence grew—and with it, the fanaticism of his armies.

It was with these visions that Pope Lucios Galard won the loyalty of various noble houses and powerful commanders.

He shared his influence with Cardinal Leblanc Mc Farlane, but the two had aligned objectives and strengthened each other.

It was with these visions that he won the loyalty of the Water Emperor, and even Galgard Nash Venick came to recognize, at least in part, his actions, after the fulfillment of several visions beneficial to the Church of Milis.

This time, the vision was about the Nikolaus River—the main river of Milis, which flowed from the Blue Dragon Mountains to Milishion and formed the great lake at its center.

The enemies' objective seemed to be to poison its waters and block its source, depriving the holy capital of its supply.

Several months remained until the rainy season, and in times of war, a scarcity of water would severely divert the focus of their forces.

But thanks to the Pope's Divine Vision, this attack would be thwarted.

However, as always, the vision was limited. Lucios said he only knew of the attack—he did not know who would participate in it.

There was, however, one more piece of information about this attack that he had shared with no one but the White Knight.

While the Pope analyzed battlefields and read dispatches from various fronts, the White Knight, motionless at his side, spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper muffled by reverence:

"Your Holiness... is it right to send these soldiers there knowing what awaits them in the end?"

The Pope fell silent for a long time. The sound of the quill scratching the parchment ceased. He laid down the scroll slowly and sighed, displeased.

"It displeases me to do this..." he murmured, frowning. "But the truth is we still know little about what he is capable of in combat. What I can learn through Divine Visions is limited."

Lucios raised his eyes to his companion in faith and trust:

"In the end, this will be for the greater good. If I can fulfill God's will during my tenure, I would be willing even to sacrifice my own life."

The White Knight remained silent for a few seconds. His blue eyes shone beneath the lowered visor of his armor, then he replied with absolute faith:

"Whatever you say, Your Holiness."

The Pope rose slowly from the ornate chair, straightening his ceremonial cloak.

"I will speak with the bishops to verify the preparations for the ritual..."

He walked to the door, but before leaving, turned to his bodyguard:

"Tell your niece to ensure that Paul does not discover that his other daughter is Rygar's disciple."

The fact that Rygar had a disciple had only recently become public knowledge when he arrived at the Sword Sanctuary.

Before then, only a few knew the identity of the child traveling with the group, but at the Sword Sanctuary, they were forced to acknowledge her talent.

Not even the upper echelons of Milis had known her identity until then.

Information did not travel swiftly, and even now, only the highest circles knew the truth.

The Knight nodded solemnly.

"I will do so."

And the two left the chamber, leaving behind only the oppressive silence and the sacred plans of a new, imminent confrontation.

--

Time passed.

The group of four warriors—Verdia, Kilian, Lerov, and Pursena—moved at a steady pace, ever closer to the region of the Blue Dragon Mountains, where the majestic Nikolaus River originated.

The mountains rose imposingly in the distance, shrouded in mist and icy wind, and the sound of the river's waters could be heard now and then amid the gusts.

At one of the camps set up efficiently and discreetly during the journey, Verdia finished preparing a hot meal.

The smell of roasted meat spread through the cold mountain air.

Pursena, with her keen instincts, sniffed the air, her eyes shining with expectation and saliva at the corners of her mouth, and exclaimed:

"I've never eaten Blue Dragon meat!"

She seemed delighted, like a child before a forbidden feast.

That was no surprise to the others—Pursena had never hidden her taste for meat. In fact, she was notorious for stealing food when she was younger.

On countless occasions, Kilian had forced her to hunt beasts to replace the stolen meat, as punishment and a lesson.

In normal times, such behavior would be grounds for prison or at least severe reprimand.

But Pursena was a warrior of undeniable potential, and her numerous contributions in the name of the Great Forest had made her somewhat immune in this regard.

It was a peculiar vice, but tolerated.

Verdia smiled as she stirred a makeshift pot with a hand-carved metal spoon:

"There is a specific preparation method... It's quite difficult, but if done correctly, Blue Dragon meat can be very tasty."

The group laughed, relaxing slightly under the faint glow of the fire.

After eating, they broke camp and resumed their journey. The terrain grew ever steeper, and the thin air made breathing more difficult, but none of them were ordinary warriors.

From time to time, monsters appeared—small groups of mountain creatures with curved tusks, and occasionally, the shadow of a Blue Dragon passed overhead.

However, until then, no truly difficult combat had been necessary.

Finally, they spotted in the distance the giant source of the Nikolaus River.

It was a majestic sight: a crystal-clear waterfall plunging from fissures between snowy peaks, feeding a deep, pristine lake that in turn formed the river's headwaters.

Blocking such a powerful flow would be a lengthy task and require meticulous planning.

Kilian looked at the landscape and spoke, seriously:

"Stay alert. There may be monsters or traps around here."

Despite his apparent calm, Kilian was completely attuned to his surroundings.

His senses, honed by years of battles and hunts in the Great Forest, caught every tiny sound and movement nearby.

He moved with a tense body, ready to react to any danger.

It was then that Verdia stopped walking. Her blue eyes shone with an intense silver light for a second. She stood motionless, her eyes vacant, as if torn from reality.

No one noticed. Pursena was distracted by the tracks of some nearby animal, Lerov checked his weapons, and Kilian had already moved ahead.

Verdia was having a vision of the future.

A glimpse of what lay ahead on their mission.

She blinked slowly, regaining consciousness, and resumed walking as if nothing had happened.

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