Sword of Salvation-Chapter 60: - Walking Disaster

Mariel and Celinee continued their journey as soon as morning greeted them. The innkeeper had asked them to stay because the village chief and residents wanted to hold a feast as a form of gratitude. However, Celinee politely declined, emphasizing that they needed to hurry to the capital.

Despite Celinee’s clear goal, Mariel also intended to use the opportunity to achieve his own ambitions—a sentiment akin to the phrase "killing two birds with one stone".

Still, Mariel doubted he would obtain any special information about sacred weapons. He already knew about the three sacred weapons in Western Continent, so the chances of another one being there were slim.

Aside from Rhongomyniad, which was in Merlin’s hand, other sacred weapons were likely distributed evenly across all continents, not just centered in the West or East.

Mariel could have left the continent and traveled to Eastern Continent. Alternatively, he could return to Camelot immediately, seize Excalibur and Caliburn, and then flee to Eastern or Southern Continent. However, collecting sacred weapons wasn’t his only objective. To fulfill his ambitions, he needed to set foot in and play his hand in every kingdom.

Besides, even if he doubted the presence of another sacred weapon on this continent, he needed to be absolutely sure. Mangolla, Moskvallha, Denland, Esparossa, Maxesonia, Greecia, Celtekhna, Urakhna, Turrakha, and Perakhsa—he had to visit all of those nations to confirm his suspicions. Only then would he return to Camelot to seize Excalibur and Caliburn.

At least, that was his plan before heading to Southern or Eastern Continent.

However, his plans could change at any moment depending on the situation. Camelot was at war with Celtekhna. Relations between Neiracia and Urakhna were deteriorating. Perakhsa was still under a truce with Neiracia, but there was no guarantee they wouldn’t break the agreement if Urakhna proposed an alliance.

The Western Continent might plunge into chaos greater than anything it had ever experienced.

Was that what Great Human Council wanted?

Mariel refused to believe they weren’t involved in the conflict. If Great Human Council didn’t want wars between the kingdoms, they would have worked to stop it. They had the influence and resources to do so. Therefore, it was likely they actually wanted the conflict.

But why?

Did they want a technological revolution in Western Continent like the one in Northern Continent? Or did they aim to reduce the number of monarchies in the West to a minimum, similar to the Eastern Continent, which only had three nations? Or perhaps there was another motive Mariel couldn’t yet fathom?

Thinking about it seriously, wasn’t that intriguing?

Mariel could no longer proceed with a slow, leisurely pace. He had to play aggressively if he wanted to disrupt whatever Great Human Council had planned. Waiting for Weimei to complete her task would take too long. Mariel had to sniff things out for himself.

"Mariel."

They were about two-thirds of the way to Iresvilea when the ninja’s voice called out. Celinee stopped, and Mariel instinctively followed suit. There was no need for questions. The reason for Celinee’s call was clear far ahead of them. Mariel now understood why the village chief’s request for help had not arrived.

The landscape several hundred meters ahead was in ruins. The area looked as if it had been hit by a massive natural disaster. However, there were no signs indicating a natural cause. Only one conclusion could be drawn—the destruction had been caused by someone’s, or something’s, rampage.

"I have a bad feeling, Mariel."

"Do you think Doctor Lergen is behind the incident that caused this destruction?" Mariel asked—the most logical question to ask.

"Dr. Lergen has two procedures to turn humans into half-demons," Celinee explained as she continued running—though this time at a slower pace.

Mariel matched his speed with the ninja.

"The first procedure," Celinee continued, "involves partial surgical techniques. This technique requires Dr. Lergen to slow down the body’s metabolism to its lowest point. It is the safest method, but it takes months. Most half-demons are created through this procedure.

"The second procedure only takes between half an hour to two hours, depending on how serious Dr. Lergen is. While the first procedure has a 90% success rate, the second one has only a 5% chance of success. Rather than creating half-demons, the second procedure is more about creating monsters."

From Celinee’s explanation, the destruction of the landscape was clearly caused by a "monster" created through the second procedure. However, it did not explain how the monster became so powerful. The destruction suggested a power several times stronger than Zagabob.

"Did Dr. Lergen plan to replicate the power of a Primordial Demon?" Mariel asked.

He had no idea how the power could be replicated. However, he had no other assumption. He could only suspect that Dr. Lergen intended to create a half-demon as powerful as a Primordial Demon. From the destruction he saw, Mariel believed Dr. Lergen was close to succeeding.

"I don’t know."

That answer came as they entered the destroyed area. They could not take a detour. To reach Iresvilea quickly, they had to go through that area.

"But," Celinee added, "I wouldn’t be surprised if he had such plans. Dr. Lergen claimes his goal is to extend human life to match that of demons. But no one know if that is his true goal or just an excuse to gain the rulers’ support."

Mariel and Celinee continued discussing Dr. Lergen as they ran. However, even with all of Celinee’s knowledge about him, they reached no conclusions. Their conversation remained speculative; the truth could only be uncovered by confronting the doctor directly.

After some time, with the sun slightly past its peak, the silhouette of the capital appeared. However, what they saw made Mariel and Celinee instinctively quicken their pace. The closer they got to the city, the clearer the sight became.

A quarter of the city lay in ruins. Debris was scattered everywhere. Chunks of stone and earth were strewn about. The destruction extended not only into the city but also beyond the gaping city walls. Royal soldiers were busy clearing the ruined areas of the city.

Upon arrival, Celinee immediately asked one of the soldiers about the cause of the destruction.

Their fears and Mariel’s suspicions were confirmed. The soldier explained that Dr. Lergen had acted again. One of his minions had infiltrated the palace and kidnapped Princess Maggio. Dr. Lergen had turned her into a half-demon, a monster.

King Maggio and his elite guards had located Dr. Lergen’s secret laboratory. However, they arrived too late. The lab had already been destroyed. The princess had transformed into an uncontrollable monster and rampaged, causing widespread destruction.

King Maggio demanded accountability from the doctor, but Dr. Lergen only laughed and left Iresvilea joyfully. To protect his people, King Maggio had to make a difficult decision. He ordered his elite guards to attack his daughter, who had turned into a monster.

The monster was incredibly strong. Several elite guards were killed. The destruction was inevitable. The situation only improved when the army commander and Sterminatore members joined the battle. Some mercenaries also helped. They failed to kill the monster; she escaped to the southeast.

Celinee then informed the soldier about the devastated area they had passed.

The soldier confirmed that the destruction was also caused by the princess’s rampage. She had not only wreaked havoc in the southeast but also in three other locations. She was now tens of kilometers to the northwest of the city. She had somewhat calmed down, but no one knew when she would rampage again.

The soldier also informed them that the king had paid all mercenary groups in every city in Mangolla to capture his daughter alive. If they returned with her dead body, there would be no punishment, but the reward would be drastically reduced.

Mariel and Celinee thanked the soldier and entered the city—without paying any fees due to their status as Ultores members.