"Whether it's a favor or a grudge, I repay it twofold. That is the way of the dragon."

Following this, Dusk Bringar shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, and. Whether it's Traha, Lark, or Fernandez, they all were busy trying to devour my country. Whichever of the three seizes the empire, it's only a loss for my country."

Dusk Bringar stretched out her little finger and lightly poked my chest.

"It means that you have to be the one to make a move."

"Ha ha..."

I appreciate the honesty in this part.

Immediately after, Dusk Bringar's expression hardened slightly.

"And..."

"Yes?"

"...No, never mind."

She seemed about to say something but faltered.

"Forget it. It wasn't anything important."

"No, what is it! Why start speaking ominously and then stop!"

"Don't be so impatient, child. You will understand in time. Soon enough."

Dusk Bringar, revealing her sharp teeth in a grin, swiftly kicked off the ground and climbed atop her horse.

Then, without a word of farewell, she just waved her hand and departed with her subordinates... I silently watched the people of the Bringar Duchy leaving in a rush.

They had been here for quite a long time.

Maybe that's why their departure seemed so unfamiliar.

'They will all return.'

I had to believe and wait.

"Well, with that, most of the emissaries have left..."

Looking around the now desolate Crossroad, I pulled out a pocket watch and grumbled about the time.

"Why hasn't Kellibey come?"

The last emissary, Kellibey.

I had prepared gifts and escorts because he said he would leave today, but he was nowhere to be seen. When exactly is this old man going to show up?

That's when it happened.

"Hey! Ash!"

From the direction of the mansion's teleport gate, a rough old Dwarf voice called out.

Turning to look... there he was.

Kellibey, who should be departing as an emissary, was in his usual blacksmith attire, covered in grease and soot, running towards me.

I was about to scold him, but Kellibey, excitedly, shouted out.

"I've finished it! The new equipment!"

In his hand, a piece of equipment was shining with the distinctive golden glow of an SSR-grade item.

"The new Nightmare Slayer!"

"...bringing an indemnity privilege, I see."

This calls for recognition. Can't help it. I stopped my retort and welcomed him with a broad mind.

The item Kellibey had made was a helmet.

A combination of a mask, helmet, and a crown.

"I rushed to finish it, but my finishing is perfect! Here, see for yourself!"

"..."

Receiving the somewhat familiar item, I felt a bittersweet emotion.

Yes, this was the Nightmare Slayer, forged from the Goblin God-King's magical core.

Its name was-

"The greatest helmet I've ever made, [Original Sin]!"

Original Sin.

Thinking of the Goblin God-King and the new owner of this helmet who will bear its torments, it seemed a fitting yet cruel naming.

I closely examined the helmet.

The original helmet of the Goblin God-King had an integrated crown, and its mask part was quite elaborate.

However, this helmet had a laurel wreath instead of a crown, and the mask part was changed to a simple design.

"Even though you are a prince, it wouldn't be right for your subordinate to wear a helmet with a crown. So I changed it to a laurel wreath."

"A laurel wreath was also used by emperors in the past..."

"Well, it's not used much these days! And I focused more on the functional aspect of the mask. It wouldn't break even if hit by a cannon."

Anyway, I received the helmet. Let's see.

[Original Sin (SSR) Lv.50]

- Category: Helmet

- Defense: 50

- Durability: 50/50

- Stamina +30

- The MP you hold is converted to HP. The wearer's magic and skills now consume HP.- All attacks deal additional magic damage proportional to maximum health, but the wearer also receives a portion of that damage.

- Every time you receive any form of damage, physical defense and magic defense increase by 1 percent. Stacks last for 3 minutes and can accumulate up to 100 times.

- Upon reaching maximum stacks, maximum health is doubled and additional health regeneration is granted. This effect lasts until the end of the battle.

- ??? (Unlocks depending on the number of enemies killed while wearing this equipment)

- ??? (Unlocks depending on the number of enemies killed while wearing this equipment)

It's a lengthy explanation.

To put it simply, it's an equipment that enhances tanking ability by stacking during combat.

You just need to take damage 100 times in any form, and since your own attacks and skill usage also inflict self-damage, the stacks should accumulate quickly.

'But if you fight recklessly just to build stacks, you might pass out from accumulated damage before you can stack up.'

Will you dive into danger for a quick comeback? Or play it safe and preserve your health?

This equipment requires choosing between such dilemmas during combat. It's quite a perverse design.

'I like it!'

As a Nightmare Slayer, shouldn't I have this level of perversity? And the design is striking too. I nodded in satisfaction.

"Excellent work, Kellibey. You've done a great job."

"Heh. I always make great stuff. Anyway, I was finishing this up and didn't prepare much. Can't I just leave tomorrow..."

"You can prepare along the way. Leave now."

"You're ruthless, my lord! Come on, don't be like that!"

I forcibly grabbed the grumbling Kellibey and ordered him to wash up at the lord's mansion.

After he hastily washed and dressed in clothes I had prepared, I put him in the carriage that was waiting.

"The gift I'm sending is loaded in the carriage behind. Please deliver the letter well, and convey my words too."

"Alright, alright. Thanks for seeing me off. I'll be back~"

Kellibey, grumbling but obediently sitting in the carriage, looked back at me and exclaimed, "Ah!"

"Also, my assistant Hannibal. He has something to say to you."

"Hannibal?"

"Yes. I brought him here, so talk to him."

Turning around, I saw the shaggy-haired boy, the spirit enchanter Hannibal, standing awkwardly.

I thought he came to see off Kellibey, but it seems he has business with me too.

"Anyway, have a good trip~"

"Yes, sir. Have a safe journey~"

After Kellibey and the escort troops left,

I waved my hand and turned around. Hannibal had already approached me.

Crouching in front of the boy, I smiled gently.

"Hannibal. What do you want to tell me?"

"Yes, Your Highness, it's about..."

Hannibal hesitated, took a deep breath, then puffed out his chest and said,

"...I think I need to talk about my origins."

Origins?

I looked at him with curious eyes.

***

After finishing the conversation with Hannibal,

In Crossroad city center, emptied of those who had departed,

I strolled leisurely, heading towards a facility located in one corner of the city.

The temple.

At its entrance, as always, was a big man with an inverted helmet, grooming himself. I called his name.

"Torkel."

"Ah, Your Highness."

Torkel, turning his body slowly, bowed to me.

"Have you come. What brings you today..."

"I have a task for you."

I handed a new helmet to Torkel, who was slowly blinking within his helmet.

"Take this, your new equipment."

"This is..."

Torkel flinched as he took the helmet. It was clearly not ordinary equipment at a glance.

"...Your Highness."

Torkel extended it back to me.

"I do not deserve such equipment."

"..."

"The shield and mace you gave me before are already more than enough for me. I am grateful, but this equipment should go to someone else..."

"Torkel."

But I did not back down."You are the right person for it."

"..."

Torkel looked back and forth between me and the helmet in a daze.

In a recent battle, Torkel reached level 50 and awakened his ultimate skill along with his third job change.

[Torkel (SR)]

- Level: 50

- Title: Leprosy Exterminator

- Occupation: Painkiller

- Strength 20 Agility 10 Intelligence 10 Stamina 50 Magic Power 15

His awakened occupation name is Painkiller.

It means an analgesic, but considering the disease Torkel has suffered from all his life and his tumultuous life, the name feels strangely apt.

And his skill status...

[Owned Skills]

Passive: Leprosy Annihilator

Skill 1: Endurance of Pain

Skill 2: Repentance of Pain

Ultimate: ??? ;Restricted State

A passive skill that further extends and enhances leprosy patient characteristics.

A 1st skill that increases defense. A 2nd skill that recovers health.

And his newly awakened ultimate, but...

'It's in a restricted state.'

A restricted state means, literally, that the skill cannot be used due to various factors.

There can be many reasons, but in Torkel's case... it's probably a psychological one.

'He still feels guilty for causing Margarita's death.'

The fact that he has been doing menial work in the temple every day since then is telling.

Moreover, he has lost not just Margarita but also all the other colleagues from the Leprosy Extermination Squad he has been with his whole life.

I will never fully know the torment and agony he lives with, but still.

For future strategies and for his life going forward,

he cannot remain stagnant forever.

"Torkel. From now on, you must fight as one of the core vanguards of our army."

A solid anvil is essential for a strong army.

Of course, we have Evangeline, a pure tanker who can also deal damage.

Having acquired [Snow White], Evangeline is now indisputably the strongest tanker in the world.

But war is not fought alone.

A strong sub-tanker to form the anvil with is desperately needed. And Torkel can certainly fulfill that role.

"Take it. I'll make you new armor soon too."

"..."

Torkel eventually accepted the helmet, but he was still hesitant.

"Your Highness, I..."

Torkel was about to say something after a long hesitation.

That's when it happened.

"Hello there~!"

Suddenly, a wavering voice was heard.

Surprised, we turned around to see a tall... man swaggering towards the temple entrance.

"This is the Crossroad Temple, right?"

Yes. The man had an appearance that could only be described as such.

Late 30s? Early 40s? Around that age.

In a shabby priest's outfit, with greasy, unkempt hair.

His eyes were bleary, his beard untrimmed and dirty, and a burnt-out cigarette butt was in his mouth.

The man in such attire staggered to the front of the temple, exhaled a long breath, and flung the backpack he was carrying against the temple wall.

Bibles and other contents spilled out of the backpack.

"Wow, that was damn tough. Isn't Crossroad way too far?"

"Uh..."

Seeing this unfamiliar man walking around so casually, I asked in confusion.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, haven't you heard?"

The man pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, saw that it was empty, threw it to the ground, and while chewing on the remaining butt, introduced himself to me.

"I'm Zenis, dispatched from the Central Church. I've been newly appointed as the priest here in Crossroad."magic

Then, he formed a circle with his fingers, winked, and smiled.

"Looking forward to your generous donations, my lord."

--TL Notes--

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