SSS-Class Suicide Hunter - Chapter 113
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The Heretic Questioner.
An epithet holder. A so-called first-generation Hunter active since the early days of the Tower. Among every nationality, regions where no nation had established themselves, and regions where nations had collapsed when humans came rushing in, this blond psychopath stabilized the Tower by hunting down radicals.
âI see Constellations as the deities of their worlds!â
The specialist who managed all religions on the planet with the authority âTen Thousand Templeâ smiled widely.
âSimply put, the deities are the laws of their worlds! For example, there is a law that exists on our world, Earth, which is the law of physics! Though, the laws of physics are basically installed everywhere, like Windows operating systems, so theyâre nothing special. Thatâs why there isnât anything special about our world!â
Um.
âBut we have nuclear weapons and guns, you know?â
âAs I said, the laws of physics are the foundation of everything, no matter where you go! That means that those two tools can come from any world where the technology is advanced enough!â
The Heretic Questioner continued that it would, however, be difficult to develop technology based just on physics if magic and miracles were common. That didnât mean that other worlds couldnât invent nuclear technology and guns anyway.
âI guess there was also an Apocalypse destroyed by a nuclear war. The Saga of the Iron Knights in Space, which is now our 23rd floor, was science fictionâŠâ
Could it be� Was Earth the weakest among the worlds?
I knew that magic and skills didnât become common until after the Tower rose, but I felt weird hearing that our home Earth, the blue marble, was weak. Was this nationalism? No, should I say it was globalism?
âBut, like you said, it is true that guns and nuclear weapons are very powerful! If we were to rain them down, we could defeat quite a few apostles!â
âI see.â
Raviel tapped her mouth with the tip of her fan.
âSince the laws of physics are the underlying bases of most worlds, physical attacks can be used almost anywhere.â
âThatâs right! It is natural that those who arenât bound by physics cannot attack physically. And if they have physical bodies, then physical attacks will, of course, work on them! But the question of efficacy remains: Will they be affected by the full force of the attacks, or will the attacks be reduced?â
The floating Sword Emperor let out a small exclamation.
-Huh. That guyâs smart.
âSword Emperor, does this sound right to you?â
-Yeah. Thatâs why the Constellation Killer could break Shiny with his aura and why I wasnât pushed about when I only trained with a blade. That kid who controls the Black Dragon Guild could also make pancakes of Preta with her beam. Physical power is a very powerful âlaw.â
[Shiny sullenly nods.]
-It can be said that a Constellationâs class depends on how much they follow the laws of physics.
I wanted to ask what that meant, but the Heretic Questioner began to explain it right away.
âThe part that I just said about reduced physical damage is unexpectedly important! This is because one can follow the laws of physics but not be completely bound! And if thatâs possibleââ
ââBecause all Constellations have their own laws, their apostles have to oppose the laws of physics with those laws.â
âOoh! As expected, you have a brilliant understanding of it! You are indeed Death Kingâs partner!â
âThatâs obvious.â
My husband spoke such lovely words. I was certain that Raviel was shining this small tactical meeting with just that.
-Zombie, wonât you focus? Youâre deciding this worldâs fate right now.
[Shiny jumps up and strikes the back of the warriorâs neck.]
Good grief.
Theyâre so pitiable, not knowing a love like mine.
-Hey, quit your BS, Zombie.
[Shiny looks at the warrior with eyes like rotten fish.]
âShiny, you donât even have eyes.â
[Shiny says to look at the jewels on the sheath.]
When I followed her words and looked at the decorated sheath, the colors of the jewels were somewhat hazy.
Hm.
âI got it. Iâll watch myself.â
-And concentrate.
âYep.â
All Constellations have their own laws.
Their apostles also obey those laws.
âWhat are some examples of laws?â
âHmm! For example, there is a constellation named Barbit.â
A âgod of love,â the Heretic Questioner added.
âThis Constellation [translates everything in the world to romance]. In a world ruled by Barbit, power and wealth are meaningless! A personâs strength is determined by how much romance power they have.â
âRomance power? Whatâs that?â
âMm! You have to see it.â
The Heretic Questioner combined his hands to make a sign.
âSacred Technique, Psyche.â[1]
Poof!
Light emanated from the Heretic Questionerâs hands. It wasnât just white but also reddish⊠and a little pink? Anyway, a thick perfume-like mist shrouded us.
âAha. This is temporary, but Iâve set up a sanctuary for the God Barbit! Try doing something, Death King!â
âUmâŠâ
I looked around awkwardly. It was late at night. The Heretic Questioner, Raviel, and I were in Ravielâs quarters to strategize for the coming invasion in 10 days.
ââŠNothingâs changed except for the pink mist, though?â
âExcuse me for a moment!â
It was then. The Heretic Questioner hooked his foot around my ankle to trip me. âHuh?â I said, my body tilting. âUm,â I said as I grabbed Ravielâs arm. âAah?â The two of us fell to the floor.
âHmm.â
Raviel stared down at me. She was on top of me, making it look like I was being attacked by her. It had all happened in an instant.
âGongja. Showing this kind of affection in front of someone else is embarrassing.â
âUh. UhâŠâ
I was mortified.
âN-no! No! Itâs not like that, Raviel! I was just fallingâŠ!â
âAhaha.â
The Heretic Questioner laughed.
âItâs a pose you often see in romance works!â
âHeretic Questioner, this isâŠ?â
âIn Barbitâs sanctuary, every action leads to romance! You donât simply fall; you draw in people around you. Mhm. For example, if Death King wore a dress shirt and drank some water, there is a 95% chance that the water will spill and show off his muscles! Everyone nearby would inevitably be flustered by the sight!â
Oh, lord. What was that? Wasnât that cosmic horror, not romance?
âIn short, a sanctuary reinterprets the world and brainwashes people. Itâs the same for the Great Library we were in earlier! The Librarian interprets the world as [a collection of stories], and we are compelled to be [characters].â
Poof.
When the Heretic Questioner made another sign, the circle of pink on the floor disappeared. Flushed, I got out from under Raviel.
The Heretic Questioner smiled widely and said, âDefeating the Constellationsâ apostles with their laws and the laws we can use. This is both a Holy War and a Star War!â
A Holy War and a Star War. In Korean, both would be written as âSungjun.â[2]
âHm. So how should we deal with the Holy War that will take place in ten days?â
âWe need to know exactly which Constellations are involved! You can infer this from what Iâve said so far, but our tactics will depend on the Constellationsâ laws!â
âCertainly, knowing information about the enemy before the war is extremely important,â Raviel said, her fan at her mouth.
The Heretic Questioner nodded.
âYes! So I ask you, which Constellationsâ apostles are coming in ten days?â
Hm.
âCan you tell the laws from the names of the Constellations?â
âIf you know their true names, it is 100% possible! I can look with my skill, [Ten Thousand Temple]!â
At that, I recalled some information about the young man⊠No, he was possessing the body of the Lady of the Golden Silk, so young woman⊠in front of me.
âIt was around when I was fighting Preta on the 13th floor.â
When I was fulfilling the prophecy, the Black Dragon Guildmaster said that not only was the Heretic Questioner skillful, but he was also knowledgeable of other worldsâ religions.
Good.
âA description⊠Can you infer a Constellationâs true name from their epithet?â
âIf the Constellation is famous, yes!â
If that was soâŠ
âThey are [The Ox that Harvests Ruins], [The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains], and [The Evangelist of Everlasting Happiness].â
âHm.â
The Heretic Questioner rubbed his chin.
â[The Ox that Harvests Ruins] is Mutia. That Constellationâs main areas of control are [Destruction] and [Re-creation]. Itâs simple but powerful.â
Destruction and re-creation.
âHow does it fight?â
âI guess⊠Its physical force can be used strongly at will! It can crush an area, dismantle a beingâs structure, and maybe recombine the structure afterward to create a golem. Itâs very rare, but there are times when it can also use the power of time! Time is also a part of the laws of physics!â
The Second Reincarnation Female Lead characteristic of the Lady of the Golden Silk was definitely because of Mutiaâs power, then.
An apostle of a Constellation beyond this world had already been present here.
âIs that why the Corner Librarian designated this world as an Apocalypse?â
In the Librarianâs perspective, could we intervene because there were outside Constellations already interfering in this story?
Or was it just because there was no Constellation in this world, as Raviel said?
âThe former seems to match the Corner Librarianâs tendencies more so than the latter.â
While I was thinking about that, the Heretic Questioner continued.
â[The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains] is the epithet of Mahos. Its main areas of control are [Dueling] and [War]. This is another simple but powerful force!â
Dueling and war.
âDoes that mean they cannot deny a challenge to a duel or something like that?â
âYes! Or spread a mania so that they are not afraid of death or dispense wisdom about tactics and strategies! Ah. On the other hand, it can also forcefully make a peace zone by âbanning war itselfâ! That is a very rare case, though!â
âThe one who controls war also controls peace⊠That sounds somewhat odd.â
Raviel smiled slightly at my mutter.
âThereâs nothing strange about it. Peace is nothing more than a name for [the state in which war has desisted]. Therefore, one who can effect war can, of course, effect peace.â
âExactly!â
The Heretic Questioner smiled widely.
âI donât know the true name of [The Evangelist of Everlasting Happiness]! It must be a Constellation who hasnât become famous yet!â
It was unknown.
âIf the Constellation isnât famous, does it mean that it is weak, or is that an advantage?â
As I was locked in anguish, Shiny vibrated.
[Shiny wants to ask if he knows about the âGuardian Goddess.â]
âShiny⊠You were the one who told me to focus on the meetingâŠâ
[Shiny is advising on a very important issue! ]
âWhy are you like thisâŠâ
[Shiny declares she isnât being selfish at all and that this is to determine how accurate the Heretic Questionerâs information is!]
Hm.
âI⊠Itâs a little off-topic, but do you know about the [Guardian Goddess]?â
âOho.â
The Heretic Questioner grinned.
âThe [Guardian Goddess] is Hwiyaâs descriptor! As her name suggests, her areas of control are mainly [Protection] and [Immortality]! She is a very powerful deity, but my Ten Thousand Temple skill says she lost her strength because of a certain event.â
[Shiny sparkles, saying that this person is genuine and can be trusted!]
âGongja. Why is your sword suddenly doing that? Itâs hurting my eyes.â
âJust a moment. Iâll wrap it upâŠâ
[Shiny screams for the warrior to stop.]
Anyway, while I received confirmation that the Heretic Questionerâs information was correct, Raviel tapped her chin with her fan.
âItâll be difficult⊠Each enemy is of a different type. Are there a total of three enemies?â
âItâll be even more difficult since each apostle might borrow different levels of power!â
âEven so, we can see the broad strokes. Thank you for sharing your information.â
âAha, saving this world will help our Tower! Itâs efficient to help you!â
âIs that so?â
âYes! And my other skill, [Sacred Technique], can borrow the powers of any god I know the true name of! Combined with everyoneâs strengths, we will find a way!â
Our strength.
Raviel and I looked at each other. Then, we opened our mouths at the same time.
âItâs love.â
âThat will be love.â
There would be plenty of people who are better at fighting than us, and there would be people who are smarter than we are, but we were confident in one thing. Our love was greater than anyone elseâs.
ââŠHuh?â
The Heretic Questioner tilted his head.
âItâs weird, Death King. When I see the two of you being lovey-dovey, the area around my heart feels tingly and numb. I never felt something like this before, so what could it be?â
âItâs a heart attack.â
âI also heard a message that my immersion rate got higher! How should I interpret this?â
âNo⊠For now, please be careful with the immersion rate.â
If the Lady of the Golden Silk swallowed the Heretic Questioner before the war, we would be hamstrung.
Regarding what we said earlier, Raviel and I were on the same page. She said,
âThe âloveâ we mentioned has a meaning other than the general definition.â
âWhat is that?â
âIâm sorry, but I canât share. Letâs say itâs a secret weapon.â
âUmm, but I canât take it into account when weâre plottingâŠâ
âThatâs all right. Letâs discuss basic tactics and steps instead. As I am powerful in this world, I can arrange for security forces to be anywhere in the wedding hall. For example, I can borrow the emperorâs special operativesâŠâ
âOho. How skilled are those operativesâŠâ
Like that, Raviel and the Heretic Questioner sat across each other and continued to talk.
âThis will work.â
The sight of the once-love rivalsâthough one of their personalities had obviously been swappedâtalking determinedly to fight together filled me with optimism.
âThis will definitely work!â
Bae Hu-ryeong entered my vision like a bucket of cold water.
-Gongja. Donât be an idiot. Being invaded by three apostles is no easy thing.
âHow bad will it be?â
-Think of it as about 1.5 times the strength of Preta on the 12th floor.
What a novel unit of measurement.
âPreta was a Constellation. The invaders now are apostles. Wouldnât apostles be weaker than a Constellation?â
-She was the lowest-level Constellation. In terms of your Tower ranks, she was like a D-rank Constellation.
â12th-floor Preta was?â
-Yes, 12th-floor Preta was.
Bae Hu-ryeong continued to pick his ears.
-Well, Iâm not worried since itâs you. No, I should say that I am not worried since itâs âyou two.â
Bae Hu-ryeong glanced at Raviel.
Since he spent a long time beside me, he must have guessed what the âsecret weaponâ Raviel mentioned was.
It was the same for me too. Thus, I didnât think that this invasion couldnât be overcome.
But.
-But Zombie, donât you want to clear this stage with zero casualties?
âYes, thatâs right.â
-Youâll have to think hard, then. Your hubby and that smartie-pants can take care of tactics, but you should develop your personal fighting ability.
Bae Hu-ryeong looked down at me with his arms crossed.
-Hmm. Thinking about it, youâre also D-rank, right? You donât intend to be that rank forever, do you?
Of course I didnât.
5.
Ten days flew by like an arrow.
âItâs finally your wedding day!â
In the empire, weddings were held in the evenings.
A marriage was the combination of the sun and the moon of the family. The evening, when the two celestial bodies met in the sky, was becoming of a marriage. The clearer and redder the sunset, the better it was for a wedding, and today was such a day.
âYou look so splendid today, Duke Consort!â
I felt another strange feeling, surrounded by some servants.
Up to five servants stuck to me like beetles to lead me around. They kept saying, âHow can you be so beautiful?â âHer Excellency is so lucky!â and other silly things. My mind was overstimulated.
âWell, thank you all very much. You donât have to fuss like thisâŠâ
âNo, itâs no trouble!â the servants replied firmly.
âAt least for today, the Duke Consort should be the most amazing groom in the nation! Frugality and humbleness are virtues, but you cannot act like that now! Today, the only virtue is beauty!â
Oh, Iâve felt this once beforeâŠ
It was the same as when the Black Dragon Guildmaster and the other guild masters went wild about me getting a photoshootâŠ
Of course, there were also differences from that time.
âCongratulations on your wedding, Duke Consort.â
An old gentleman with a cool beard greeted me in the dressing room. I was confused because I didnât know who he was. Seeing my bafflement, the old gentleman smiled wryly.
âI am your foster father. I have a small position in running the imperial household. I heard a lot about you from the new Duchess of Ivansia.â
âAhâŠâ
Oh, god. I was wondering who he was, and he was my father whom I was meeting for the first time!
âN-nice to meet you. Um. Thatâs, itâsâŠâ
âYou can call me Father. Donât worry. I know that you wonât be able to see me as your father in your heart. I wonât disturb the duchy by making use of my connection to you.â
The old man bowed his back very politely.
âI am going to retire after this wedding. Your husband was very considerate of me. Hoho. I wonât need to worry about my days in retirement.â
ââŠâŠâ
A sigh slipped out from my mouth. How hard did Raviel work for today?
I spoke a word that I had never said in my life.
ââŠFather.â
âYes, the moon of Ivansia?â
âI donât know politics, and I have no connections to high society, so I donât know about the conditions in society. So I want to ask: What do the people of the empire say about this marriage?â
âSimply put, it has been highly unconventional,â the man said gently.
âThe marriage of someone from the Ivansia ducal family is equivalent to a royal marriage. Naturally, it is challenging to prepare for such an event on short notice. Moreover, Her Excellency broke the engagement with His Highness the Prince and succeeded as her family headâŠâ
At that moment, the old gentleman closed his mouth. It was because the outside of the dressing room became very noisy. We could hear the murmurs of the guests.
ââŠAnyway, it would have been impossible if the Silver Lily Duchess had not persuaded His Majesty the Emperor.â
The old man stroked his beard and beamed brightly.
âDuke Consort. Your husband is truly a capable person. Her loyalty to His Majesty is an irreplaceable boon for the empire. Though I may only act as your father for today⊠If I may say something.â
That very moment, the gentlemanâs eyes narrowed.
Simultaneously, a strong spirit emanated from the body of the old man that was almost comparable to the Sword Saint.
âConsidering your husband also requested my presence in my âother positionâ and the security arrangements of the wedding hall, it seems that todayâs marriage will not go very smoothly.â
The grand chamberlain of the imperial family.
The moment the commander of His Majestyâs special operatives said so, the commotion outside the dressing room turned into screams.
-Zombie. Get ready.
I looked out the window.
-Theyâre here.
Bae Hu-ryeong was right.
[The apostle of âThe Ox that Harvests Ruinsâ has manifested.]
[The apostle of âThe Warhorse of the Eternal Plainsâ has manifested.]
[The apostle of âThe Evangelist of Everlasting Happinessâ has manifested.]
Two celestial bodies, the sun and the moon, mixed in the red sky.
As the glow of the setting sun gave way, the enemies we had been awaiting appeared.
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