Transmigrated to a Dark Fantasy World of SSS-Rank: King of the Void-Chapter 40: The weapon of a Divine Paladin

Once again, a dream from the past, echoing into the present through his mind. It spilled out as tears that did not belong to him, cutting into him like the sharp edge of that golden sword resting in the throne room of the Master of Cinder.

Mitsuki brought a hand to his forehead, trying to calm the sadness and pain the dream had awakened. The expression on his face also revealed a deep disappointment at the "betrayal."

’I really... wish there were some kind of warning before having these kinds of dreams.’ As soon as he calmed down, he took everything he had seen in that recent dream and connected it to what he had already dreamed before.

He understood that these were the memories of the body he had taken to transmigrate into this world—he had seen it in the dream of the person who died on the hill after turning into a statue of ash—but there were still many mysteries behind it.

’The happiness that guy, Arthur, felt when he was with that girl was... too much. Maybe that’s why it hurts so much every time I wake up; it’s like I’ve lost something incredibly important.’

Feeling overwhelmed, he lay back on the bed with his hands under his head.

’I wonder what triggers these dreams... Did I do something specific? Do I have to do something similar to what Arthur did in the past to dream about those moments?’

For now, there was no answer, but he could keep dreaming of the past until he uncovered the truth. Until then, he would have to endure the emotions trapped in a distant past.

***

Beyond the great walls of the capital of the Kingdom of Holylight, two figures in black hooded robes walked among abandoned, dust-covered houses. They examined the area carefully; the ground bore traces of ash, just like the interiors of the houses, yet there was no sign that the kingdom had ever housed life.

It was strange.

One of the hooded figures looked up at the sky, as if praying. Then, in a soft, masculine, and gentle voice, he said, "How strange. The last time one of ours came to investigate the capital, they never returned. What do you think, Nine?"

Beside him, in a deep female voice, Nine replied, "We were sent to die in the name of the Shadow, Seven. For you to question our survival right now is disrespectful to the Heralds."

"I’m sorry. I was simply curious. Still... what if we don’t die and manage to obtain the information we need?"

Approaching the castle’s grand staircase, Nine sighed.

"If that happens, we might finally make some progress in our search. Besides, Zero would very much like to know what happened in Nemoria four hundred years ago. The Mysteries are the Heralds’ highest priority, so it would benefit us to find something. We might even get a few days off afterward."

Seven seemed uneasy.

"I see... Even so, the fact that we don’t feel anything dangerous is unsettling. What if the Herald of the Unnamable has already taken the mystery?"

Nine, climbing the stairs ahead of him, suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. Her deep black eyes, faintly tinged with purple beneath the darkness of her hood, pierced Seven’s soul with a chilling intensity.

"Do not ever mention the cause of our misfortune again, Seven. It doesn’t matter if that monster appears and claims whatever it wants. Lord Zero will never allow it to remain alive."

Seven lowered his head in guilt.

"I’m sorry, sister. I didn’t mean to."

"If you are, then let’s finish our work. Our sacrifice will be crucial to the mission."

"Yes, sister. I will follow you."

Together, they climbed the stairs and walked through the halls in silence until they reached the origin of it all. The ash devouring the marble spread like the hands of death and misfortune, clawing away at the life and color of the old capital castle. Soon, they stood before the throne room doors. They entered without hesitation, without fear of death, and what they saw did not disappoint them—instead, it brought them relief.

The place was empty. There was nothing but a sword embedded in the floor.

"There are traces of Arcane Magic," Nine said, running her delicate fingers over the dusty columns. She looked toward the doorway; there was a crater there, as if something had slammed into the marble.

"There are signs of battle as well, Nine."

"So it seems. Someone has taken care of the calamity in the capital."

"So it’s true... He has finally arrived..."

Nine clicked her tongue in irritation at her brother’s words. Shaking her head, she approached the throne where the sword stood and examined it closely. She clenched her fist tightly and said, "It seems we’ve arrived too late, but it’s not all bad news, Seven. This... is our reward."

She grasped the sword by its hilt; the golden metal gleamed in the light filtering through the colorful stained-glass windows.

"The weapon of a Divine Paladin."

***

Back in Luxar, Mitsuki found himself walking alone down the street. It was early, so the place wasn’t crowded. That eased him a little, as the noise and people’s gazes still made him uncomfortable; he just couldn’t get used to them.

’I didn’t find them in the dining hall or hear them in their rooms, so it looks like Jeanne and Ellegaard have their own business this morning.’

He reached the city center and took a moment to observe the large buildings.

’This place needs a fountain. It would look way more elegant.’

Then, he looked toward the library with excitement. The doors were still closed, meaning the place wasn’t open to the public yet. That disappointed him immediately, but it wasn’t a big deal.

’Not open, huh. I’ll have to come back later. I want to get more books that tell me about this world’s history.’

He kept walking, surprisingly relaxed for someone so asocial. Maybe the dream from this morning had opened his eyes a bit. Still, he ended up buying a piece of bread from a nearby bakery. He didn’t look at the baker even once, so his discomfort around strangers was still very much there.

He sat near an alley to eat in peace, but then he heard a voice.

"Some people have been talking about you lately, Poisoned Pastry."

Choking on the bread, Mitsuki turned toward the back of the alley, which happened to connect to another hidden street. He pounded his chest, trying not to suffocate. Once he recovered, he frowned, his body trembling with fear.

The bastard who had used that ridiculous nickname was none other than the same guy Jeanne had punched in the face the first time she went to the guild.

His legs gave out as he took a step back.

"What, are you scared of me?" the blond said. His brown eyes showed a disgusting kind of hostility.

Stammering, Mitsuki turned to leave. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know you."

The blond sighed, tired. He didn’t even move from where he stood. He just crossed his arms, resting his sword against the wall.

"Loser," he muttered, retreating into the darkness of his alley, where other eyes watched like predators.

Meanwhile, Mitsuki felt a knot in his throat. He clutched his chest in pain as a strong dizziness made it hard to keep his balance. Without watching where he was going—a street that was slowly filling with people—he bumped into someone and fell onto his back.

Looking up at that person, Mitsuki whispered, "Mr. Aslan?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The old man was carrying a paper bag filled with bread.