The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 75

A Conquered World.

Kaylen had vaguely suspected this might be the case. Above all, the crimson dot that appeared on the moon when the dungeon core was destroyed served as evidence to support her suspicion. The light emanating from the moon absorbed the mana of the world.

“Conquered… Are you saying the term ‘colony’ is true?”

However, without revealing her assumptions outwardly, Kaylen feigned surprise.

“Yes. Hundreds of years ago… the Celestial Realm suffered a decisive defeat to the Demon Realm.”

The Celestial Realm and the Demon Realm.

The two worlds had long been antagonistic, vying for dominance over the Middle Realm caught in between.

Despite this rivalry, the two forces always maintained a balance, with neither side gaining an overwhelming advantage.

However, by a slight margin, the Celestial Realm had been in a better position.

This was because they were the first to spread the faith of the Celestial God in the Middle Realm, leading the majority of its inhabitants to worship the Celestial God.

The Demon Realm, displeased by this, had always invaded whenever the opportunity arose, only to be thwarted every time—until the event mentioned by the saintess.

“What was the decisive defeat?”

“I don’t know the details. All I know is that as a result of the defeat, the Celestial Realm lost much of its dominance over the Middle Realm, and the Celestial Legion retreated.”

Kaylen furrowed her brows at those words.

“The retreat of the Celestial Legion…?”

The Celestial Legion was a heavenly army stationed at the borders of the Middle Realm.

They served as a defensive line against full-scale invasions from the Demon Realm.

The defense line was so formidable that no demonic forces had ever dared to confront it head-on.

‘That’s why they resorted to tactics like the Demon King’s descent.’

The Demon King’s Descent—a method to bypass the defensive line using demonic agents in the Middle Realm.

Occurring roughly once every thousand years, the descent of the Demon King was a calamity for humanity.

Even so, past heroes had successfully thwarted these descents.

But to think that instead of a detour, the Demon Realm forces would break through the Celestial Army head-on…

If that were the case, the influence of the Celestial Realm in the Middle Realm would have nearly vanished.

‘Then humanity alone cannot fend off the Demon Realm.’

How could they overcome the power that even drove away the Celestial Legion?

It was a wonder the human world was still standing.

“Why haven’t they annihilated humanity? With the Celestial Legion gone, it should be possible.”

“There’s no need for them to do so.”

Theresia responded while fiddling with the dungeon core.

“Humans without the Celestial Realm’s blessing pose no threat to the Demon Realm. It’s as if they don’t even care. Instead, they exploit something else in the Middle Realm.”

“Exploitation…?”

“Mana. Through dungeon portals and dungeon cores, they extract the mana of the Middle Realm. The decline in the level of knights and mages is largely due to this.”

Kaylen nodded in understanding.

“And it’s the same for our Holy See. The Demon Realm has never directly invaded the Holy See since the Great Demon War a thousand years ago, but due to the lack of divine power, we’ve been on the path of decline.”

Even so, to never invade the Holy See even once?

Kaylen’s eyes flashed with curiosity.

‘Surely, the Holy See would be the most bothersome organization to the Demon Realm?’

The Holy Emperor, Saint Sovereign, representing the followers of the Celestial God.

And the countless priests and holy knights under their command.

The Holy See, fortified by its fervent faith, served as the representative of the Celestial Realm’s will in the Middle Realm.

Even if the Demon Realm had conquered the Middle Realm, the Holy See was undeniably a potential threat capable of turning the tide at any time.

And yet, it had been left untouched?

“That can’t be right.”

During the Demon King’s summoning, the Demon King’s army had relentlessly attacked the Holy See.

While other humans could be ignored as the saintess had said, the Holy See was different.

The Demon Realm wouldn’t have simply let them be, especially because of the existence of the Holy Sword.

The Holy Sword Astella.

Embedded in the central plaza of the Holy See, the sword was renowned for its history of defeating numerous Demon Kings.

Its overwhelming divine power, anti-demonic properties, and the ability to awaken heroes through the “Holy Sword’s Choice” made it an artifact the Demon Realm couldn’t afford to leave standing, even if they had taken control of the Middle Realm.

For the Demon Realm to avoid targeting the Holy See, there had to be a significant reason.

Kaylen made a mental note of this.

“However, we cannot simply surrender to the Demon Realm. Ultimately, this colonial domination will end in humanity’s destruction,” the saintess declared, placing the dungeon core she had been holding aside.

“The Holy See has worked with various nations across the continent to form a unified force. Its name is the Dungeon Guild. During a time when even dungeons were hard to contain, we invented mana suits after countless trials and errors, allowing us to destroy dungeon cores. I believe Kaylen, you’re already well aware of this.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then, how much do you know about the Sanctuary?”

“The Sanctuary is…”

The Sanctuary—the holy ground where the saintess and the Holy Legion slumbered.

Its location was a mystery to all, accessible only through the Portal of Light located in the Dungeon Guild’s headquarters.

There, they lay dormant, only to suddenly appear when the human world faced a dire crisis.

After Kaylen briefly summarized what he knew, the saintess smiled faintly.

“You’re well-informed. But among that, some information is inaccurate.”

“What would that be?”

“We don’t remain dormant as people believe. We actively function within the Sanctuary. And most importantly…”

Theresia paused, locking eyes with Kaylen.

Although she still had the same youthful appearance of a 15-year-old girl as before, her gaze carried a subtle provocation.

And with that:

Thump.

Kaylen’s heart unexpectedly raced. Heat rose within him, and his body slipped into a mild state of excitement.

‘...Theresia. She’s playing tricks again.’

Had he been an ordinary person, he might have unknowingly fallen under her spell.

But Kaylen knew better. His heart racing for this child?

“That’s impossible,” he thought firmly.

During the Demon King subjugation, she had been like a daughter to him, someone he had cherished and cared for deeply.

Even now, her face remained unchanged. The idea of harboring improper feelings for such a child was absurd.

As Kaylen pondered, his thoughts turned toward something suspicious:

“Could it be the effect of the Blessing?”

The Blessing of Life bestowed by the saintess.

Kaylen focused inward, carefully observing it.

The overwhelming divine power coursing through his body revitalized him. However, there was another, subtler effect.

The divine energy faintly stimulated his entire body, inducing a slight sense of excitement—enough to make one believe they were enamored with the saintess.

Beyond that, the divine energy even provoked feelings of reverence toward her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“She’s certainly learned some questionable tricks over the past thousand years.”

He didn’t know what she had been through, but the innocent Theresia, freshly anointed as saintess, was long gone.

In her place stood a woman seasoned by countless experiences.

“Let’s see what she tries to do.”

The Blessing of Life was a form of light mana. Since it was already within him, Kaylen could control it at will.

But for now, he decided to feign ignorance and observe Theresia’s actions.

“Fufu, Kaylen, your face has turned red.”

“Ah… Is that so? It seems I was startled by your words.”

“Are you sure that’s the reason?”

Theresia’s knowing smile deepened as she looked at him, and Kaylen, his face flushed, averted his gaze.

Her smile grew even more pronounced.

“A genius, but still quite young.”

Fortunately, having only recently arrived at the Fairy Tower, it seemed the elves hadn’t yet ensnared him in their schemes.

For him to blush this much at so little—it was almost endearing.

Bringing this genius Meister into the fold of the Sanctuary seemed far less daunting than anticipated.

“Still, I shouldn’t rush. Step by step.”

It wouldn’t do to rely solely on reverence for the saintess.

He needed to understand, intellectually, why the Sanctuary was the right choice.

“Kaylen,” she called, her voice now softer and sweeter, perhaps due to the Blessing’s influence.

“About the most important thing I mentioned earlier… aren’t you curious?”

“T-The most important thing… about the Sanctuary? Y-Yes, I’m curious,” Kaylen stammered on purpose.

Theresia smiled warmly at his response and said,

“The Sanctuary is… paradise for humans. Those chosen may live there for eternity.”

“Eternity…?”

“Yes, for eternity. Just like me, who has already lived a thousand years.”

***

Outside the Dungeon Guild

“Kaylen! Kaylen!”

Branch Leader Krundal approached Kaylen, who stood motionless outside the guild.

“Ah, yes, Branch Leader.”

“You… forgot your book.”

“Thank you.”

Lost in thought, Kaylen accepted the spellbook Krundal handed him.

“What kind of conversation could leave someone like him forgetting a spellbook?”

Krundal couldn’t fathom it. Kaylen, widely regarded as a once-in-a-generation genius, forgetting something as fundamental as a spellbook? It was almost inconceivable.

“What could they have talked about?”

Krundal briefly wondered but soon dismissed the thought.

“Better not get too involved.”

There was an unspoken rule among Dungeon Guild branch leaders:

Never pry too deeply into the affairs of the Dungeon Guild Headquarters.

This rule applied even more when the matter involved someone as prominent as the saintess herself.

Suppressing his curiosity, Krundal bowed slightly.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes, go ahead,” Kaylen replied.

As soon as the spellbook was handed over, Krundal quickly retreated into the Dungeon Guild building.

Watching him disappear, Kaylen reflected on the earlier conversation.

“Oh my, look at the time. Let’s continue this conversation another time,” Theresia had said, deftly bringing the topic of eternal life to an abrupt close.

Her calculated pacing was the mark of someone practiced in persuasion.

“Ah, and remember, what we talked about today is a secret. Understood?”

At that moment, the Blessing of Life surged within Kaylen.

It urged him to keep their conversation confidential, as though planting the thought in his mind that this secret must remain buried.

“So, she’s not entirely carefree after all.”

She, too, had a safeguard—her trust bolstered by the subtle control exerted through the blessing.

“A versatile tool, this so-called blessing.”

Kaylen let out a wry smile.

The saintess, who had lived for a thousand years, could subtly manipulate emotions and tempt people with the promise of eternal life…

“Cult leaders also lure followers with the promise of immortality, and now even the saintess resorts to such tactics. How ironic.”

Yet, he couldn’t deny its effectiveness.

The saintess, having lived a millennium and proving her own immortality, carried immense credibility.

And who among humanity could resist the allure of eternal life?

Even Kaylen wasn’t entirely disinterested.

However, his intrigue wasn’t for his own immortality. What fascinated him was how the saintess and the people of the Sanctuary had achieved such longevity.

“The Sanctuary… once you enter, leaving seems nearly impossible.”

No matter how sanctified the place might seem, Kaylen doubted its purity.

Without proper preparation, stepping into that realm could spell disaster.

And preparation meant ensuring he had the absolute strength to overcome any restrictions.

“I’ll need to accelerate the growth of the Flame Sword.”

The key to his readiness lay in mastering the Flame Sword

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]