Inheriting the Novel

Chapter 137 : The Human Closest to God (3)

The Human Closest to God (3)

The soft light subtly emanating from the brand engraved on my back wasn't blindingly bright, but it was definitely bothersome.

It looked pretty cool, but when I thought about living like this forever, I was a bit hesitant.

"By any chance, is there a way to turn this light off?"

"..."

Pilla looked at me with a hard-to-describe expression.

His lips kept moving, repeatedly saying, "Why on earth...?"

[From a rough look, that thing seems to activate in response to the power within your divine blood. Wouldn't it work if you change the direction the power flows toward the brand?]

That was what Grancesia said, but up until now, I had never sensed any special power within the divine blood.

Still, just in case, when I scanned my body using the Eye of Insight, I saw a new flow that I hadn't before.

'Huh?'

Either because the divine blood sealed in my body through the brand was newly activated, or for some other reason, I could see a white flow beginning from the brand and spreading throughout my entire body.

'I can only feel it now... but my body feels great.'

My vision also seemed sharper, and I was bursting with energy.

At first, I hadn't realized it because of the pain I felt while branding, but upon becoming aware, I could clearly sense the difference.

'The effects are insane.'

In the original story, Fabian's magical power sensitivity greatly improved after receiving this procedure.

On top of that, I felt as if my physique had doubled in quality.

[Do you remember when I said that, to acquire divine blood, you must reach the level of an 'Asin' (demi-god)?]

'Of course.'

[Divine blood is a power granted only to those who transcend humanity and reach the Divine Transformation Realm. And with it, one gains the qualification to possess a divine body, becoming worthy to have the physique of a god.]

That was what I'd heard when I fought Riya, who had once been the calamity of the dragon.

[This brand seems to produce an effect similar to when you obtain that divine body.]

'Hmm? Then, if I were to obtain the divine body...'

[The power of the divine body would be further augmented by the effects of the brand.]

Even now, the effects I felt were remarkable. Adding them to the divine body—who could imagine how far it would go?

'Anyway, if I change the flow generated by the brand like this...'

When I interfered with the flow coming from the brand, the light on my back slowly faded.

At the same time, the magical sensitivity and vitality I had just felt waned as well.

'I guess I can just activate it when I need to.'

Still, I felt my body was now distinctly more sensitive than before.

Satisfied, I gazed at my now darkened back, then turned to Pilla, who now had his mouth wide open.

"How, how are you using such power so naturally? I haven't even explained anything to you yet..."

"It's thanks to the Eye of Shimosha."

"I-I see."

I used the Eye of Shimosha, the universal excuse, to explain everything.

"Honestly, I just blocked the activated power of the brand."

"That alone is impressive. But it really is strange. The brand should only react to the divine power in your body..."

He scanned my body repeatedly, muttering as if he couldn't understand at all.

"Not only do you have my blood, but the divinity I sense is even stronger than an angel's. Does the Eye of Shimosha grant divinity to a human's body? It's unbelievable."

[Hmph. Angel's blood, my foot. What's inside his body is divine blood, divine blood!]

To Pilla's words, Grancesia replied with a voice overflowing with pride.

'I'm really glad I obtained divine blood.'

So much of what I'd gained was thanks to divine blood.

If I had to pick the best addition I'd made, it was undoubtedly the divine blood.

"Anyway, does this mean I can now learn the Heaven-Slaying Arms?"

"Hm? Ah, absolutely. In fact, you might be able to manifest something even greater than what I use now."

He said this, and his eyes sparkled a little.

"Yes... If it's you, perhaps you will someday reach the domain Lord Grancesia once attained."

The supreme realm that only a single human had ever reached so far.

"Clay, from now on, you will become the human closest to God."

Now, I had finally stepped into its shadow.

* * *

"... Riya Asktalin."

Gideon Asktalin, emperor of the Empire and one of the Seven Heroes, spoke, panting.

His body was in shambles, bleeding from various wounds.

"Did you covet the emperor's throne so much? If you wanted it, I'd have given it up to you at any time..."

Looking at Gideon, Riya simply gazed at him silently.

"My daughter and the Empire's treasure... I never dreamed you would do such a thing."

"..."

Riya only listened wordlessly to Gideon, then let out a faint sigh.

"Don't say such nonsense. Get up. If others hear, they'll think you're serious."

In fact, there were several others within the half-ruined training ground. Judging by their tense faces, they wondered if Gideon's words were genuine.

Only then did Gideon seem to notice their gazes. He coughed awkwardly and stood up.

"Ahem, my joke went a bit too far."

"You should treat your wounds. You act like you've suffered a fatal injury when you just have some scrapes..."

Riya's eyes flashed like a dragon's as she spoke. She seemed genuinely irritated.

Feeling a bit intimidated by his daughter's words, Gideon quickly healed his body.

'There was a time when teasing her was fun...'

It's all because of that Clay guy.

At first, he'd enjoyed watching Riya gradually change thanks to Clay, but now it just felt a bit lonely.

'I am her father, after all... isn't this too much?'

Gideon had even taken time out of his busy schedule for the past few months to help Riya in the Empire.

And this is what he gets in return—such a cold response.

"Your Majesty."

Lost in complaint, Gideon snapped back to reality at the sound of Riya's voice.

"Oh, right. Do you have more to say?"

"No. I just called you to see if you had anything more to teach me."

"I figured as much."

Tsk, Gideon clicked his tongue, looking at his indifferent daughter and thought:

'Really, her rate of growth is frightening. No matter how I think about it, this isn't a normal pace for a human.'

She was already famed as the Empire's treasure, brimming with talent. Nevertheless, her speed at learning magic in these past few months was far beyond human limits.

'Even a real dragon couldn't grow this quickly.'

Suddenly, he recalled the novel he'd been reading recently.

According to Riya, it was written by that Clay guy.

Although Gideon was familiar with calamities, the contents of the novel were intriguing and shocking.

'The calamity of the dragon in that novel... that's supposed to be Riya?'

At the current point in the story, there were rumors the calamity of the dragon had destroyed the Empire.

Of course, in the novel, the empire had a different fictional name, not the Asktalin Empire, but Gideon assumed it stood for his own empire.

'It's a plausible story. That guy's quite imaginative.'

A princess expelled from the empire after contracting the Curse of Dragonification.

What happened to the 'calamity of the dragon' in the novel was exactly what Riya went through.

Only, the outcome was totally different.

In the novel, the calamity of the dragon rampaged through several kingdoms and ultimately destroyed the empire, never finding salvation.

Because of this, setram had begun to act proactively, extending its influence across the continent.

'If... that guy hadn't saved Riya back then, maybe something similar would've happened.'

It fit together too well to just be a coincidence.

The thought made him shudder inside.

"Your Majesty?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. My mind wandered for a moment. Hm, yes. It's true, I have nothing left to teach you. You've already surpassed me..."

At Gideon's words, a stir went through the onlookers.

There was only one thing that meant.

"Riya Asktalin, from this moment on, you are the fifth of the Seven Heroes—the Dragon King."

Of the Seven Heroes, only one title is passed down through generations.

The royal family of the Empire, born with dragon's power, has always held a seat.

The title "Dragon King" represented that.

"Two generational changes among the Seven Heroes already..."

With the advent of new members, people around muttered such things.

With the Seven Heroes Convocation and now a new one born, this was a herald of a new era, even if the method was different.

Riya briefly glanced at the surrounding reactions, then deeply bowed to Gideon.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I have received much help from you thus far."

"Riya, there's something I want to ask you."

"Yes, ask whatever you wish."

"The horn at your waist... does it still have meaning?"

At Gideon's question, Riya glanced at the ornament at her waist—a decoration made from her broken horn.

It was the symbol of calamity itself.

"Yes, Your Majesty. But... I don't think the time has come yet."

"It's not time?"

"Yes, I just have that feeling."

Clay had said it. That the calamity of the dragon had been ended with this.

But Riya thought differently.

'Back then, I hadn't even awakened as the calamity.'

Could that really be called the calamity of the dragon?

Would this world tolerate a void left by that calamity?

Surely there would be consequences.

Riya instinctively knew this.

'And surely, when the time comes...'

That's when she would use that horn.

Of course, even Riya didn't know what the outcome would be.

* * *

We stayed with Pilla for just over a week.

During that time, I learned the Heaven-Slaying Arms, and the rest of the group had to serve as my sparring partners.

"I want to learn it too!"

"Absolutely not. Are you trying to throw away everything you've learned so far?"

"This is unfair!"

Kisea pouted in protest.

Considering the power of the Heaven-Slaying Arms was overwhelmingly great, her reaction was understandable.

"Once you use it, you're bedridden for a whole day, so what's the use?"

"... From what I see, for that kind of power, that's not much of a downside."

Ian muttered, sounding exasperated at my not-so-comforting comment.

I looked at him and gave a wry smile.

'If they knew that when you fight someone with a divine aura like an Inquisitor, you can unleash even greater power... I wonder how shocked they'd be.'

The Heaven-Slaying Arms was originally created to counter the Inquisitors, who had been made through twisted methods.

Maybe that's why.

The Heaven-Slaying Arms resonated with divinity, becoming even stronger at those times.

If we fought Setram, it would certainly be a great asset.

"So, are you planning to leave now?"

"Yes. I've learned the Heaven-Slaying Arms, after all."

"I see."

Pilla looked a little sad at my words.

"Sir Pilla, what will you do now?"

"I'm going out to see what the situation is. If Setram is on the move... something big will happen for sure."

"Indeed, war is a serious issue. If you helped, sir Pilla, it would be like gaining the might of a Heavenly Lord. If you're considering..."

"No, that's not what I mean by talking about war."

I had intended to try bringing Pilla to our domain as an ally, but he shook his head slowly.

"Setram is not a normal nation. It has become something enormous."

"What do you mean...?"

"Clay, you spoke of calamities, didn't you?"

"Yes."

While staying here, I had shared what I knew about the Seven Swords Under Heaven and calamities with Pilla.

He'd had a deep bond with Fabian in the original, so he might know of some hint about calamities or the Seven Swords Under Heaven, I had thought.

"I think that must surely be a 'calamity'."

"... If Setram contains a calamity, do you mean the pontiff, violette?"

The truth was, I already knew what the calamity lurking in Setram was.

Divine Calamity, Altair.

The god worshipped by Setram—was itself a calamity.

But since it was risky to say that outright, I had no choice but to play dumb.

"No, I don't mean the pontiff."

Normally, if there were to be a calamity in Setram, pontiff Violette would be the most obvious guess.

That's why I expected Pilla would believe that as well.

But what he said next was something I had never expected.

"Setram itself, as a nation, is likely a single calamity."