The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 85

Revelation-8

Guilt

The feeling of responsibility for a wrong one has committed.

It is more despairing than sadness or depression, one of the most destructive and complex emotions a person can feel.

The way to eliminate guilt is to repent or reduce the essence of the sin.

Then.

How should a being, whose very existence is a sin, seek repentance?

***

“Ain, did you ever consider how I felt when you threw a fit, calling me the Blue Tower’s honor, or the enemy of your parents?”

That woman could not understand what it felt like to think that her mere existence was a burden to others, even to her protector.

Because if she knew, she wouldn’t act this way.

“…I’m… sorry…”

Crackle.

“Aaaaahhh…!”

As the electric shock coursed through the transformed hand, Leo sliced the apology away.

“We’re not done yet.”

Because it was far too careless.

“Earlier… you ranted about the Blue Tower’s honor and the enmity towards the Tower Master, right?”

It was unpleasant to the point that even hearing the apology was distasteful.

“Shall I be blunt? From the start until now, the Tower Master and I have never had a personal vendetta. You idiot.”

Platous didn’t want to believe it. She couldn’t believe it. She wanted to think that it was just Leo who saw it that way. Unfortunately, with her shallow knowledge and perspective, that was all she could grasp.

“The Tower Master simply fulfilled her duties as a wizard. While there might have been emotional strain due to conflicting opinions, there was no primal rage or resentment toward you.”

This wasn’t an issue that could be resolved with a black-and-white view of good and evil.

The Tower Master, as the leader of the Blue Tower’s wizards and a representative of modern magic, presented views that aligned with those of a wizard.

Leo, as Ain’s protector who freed her and gave her intelligence, stood by his convictions and offered counterarguments to persuade.

There were no personal feelings, no grudges. That was how society functioned.

“And me, an enemy of your parents? That the Blue Tower’s honor was tarnished?”

It was a thought that made him seriously doubt whether she was truly the daughter of the Tower Master.

“Do you think the Blue Tower is like the Red Tower, which focuses on combat magic? Or a group like the knights, where power is their essence? Are you truly a Blue Tower wizard?”

The Tower Master was, above all, more of a scholar and researcher focused on the study of magic.

Of course, the current Tower Master had earned great honor in the Blue Tower, uniquely holding several patents on combat magic and demonstrating outstanding skill, but even so, it was not to the extent of bearing the responsibility of an enemy.

“Would you like me to make it easy for you to understand? What do you think the Tower Master would say if she saw this situation?”

The root cause of the current situation, if generously assessed, could only be attributed to Leo by about 10%. To call it Leo’s responsibility was as absurd as blaming a butterfly for a typhoon caused by its wing flap.

“What if the Temple sees this as the stance of the entire Blue Tower? And what if the radicals within the Magic Tower use this as a signal to start rampaging?”

Noblesse Oblige

The moral duty tied to one’s position does not simply mean making donations or performing good deeds.

“Do you think a stupid excuse like ‘I didn’t do it myself’ would work? I’m starting to doubt if you’re even a noble anymore.”

Leo grasped her hand once more and kicked her in the face. Since her arm was restrained, his kick landed squarely on Platous’ face.

“You know, when I was younger, I hated nobles. They were like pigs pretending to be elegant.”

He hadn’t seen his parents since he was ten, and having lived as a mercenary for over two years, all Leo saw in the lives of nobles was the indulgent pastimes of overfed swine.

“But watching over the young lady by her side made me realize just how narrow-minded I had been.”

In hindsight, it was simple logic. Among the people he had seen at the bottom, there were many outstanding individuals; there was no reason it should be any different for nobles. On the contrary, it was obvious there were even more of them.

“The reason nobles care so much about manners and etiquette is because every action they take determines the lives of all those who follow them.”

A vagrant mercenary could spit on the roadside, and no one would care, but a noble doing the same would make the headlines, causing damage not only to themselves but also to their entire family.

Many servants ended up losing their jobs because of such actions.

“Oh, and that doesn’t mean I’m saying nobles have it harder or are more pitiable than someone like me, a vagrant. Obviously, a noble’s life is far better than the bottom-dwellers, who might not even survive the day.”

Yet, the lessons learned from witnessing both the lowest and the highest from a front-row seat were far from cheap.

“But whether it’s the bottom or the top, there are difficulties to understand, and just as there are good people everywhere, there are also scumbags. Like…”

Thwack.

This time, he punched her, his fist leaving her soft belly even redder with bruises.

“Like a spoiled noble lady who refuses to take responsibility.”

Faced with his barrage of sharp rebukes, scathing words, and violence, Platous felt her mind cloud over. She was so shattered that she couldn’t even beg for her life or apologize. The order of cause and effect was all jumbled in her head, and now she just felt wronged.

“…Ugh… What… what did I do… that was so wrong…”

“Fine, let’s put it this way. I’ll concede a hundred times and just focus on the past and present. Because if I consider what’s to come, I’d have to rip you apart in front of the Temple.”

Overwhelmed by his terrifying leniency, Platous lost control of herself, resulting in an embarrassing mishap. As Leo glanced at the yellow puddle on the floor, he grimaced.

“Speaking disrespectfully about priests or religion within the Magic Tower… to be honest, that’s none of my business. Frankly, I’m not exactly a devout or moral person either.”

People outside the barrier who overheard those words were perplexed, trying to reconcile the current scene with Leo’s past accomplishments.

“But shouldn’t you at least act courteously when you’re in front of them? It’s ridiculous that I even have to explain this.”

There hadn’t been even a shred of basic courtesy in her earlier attitude. Even he had greeted her politely.

“To a great magician like you, religion is just the opiate of the masses, and the temple’s powers are like a business peddling holy power, right? That’s what your thesis said, too.”

It wasn’t a lie. Her graduation thesis, which earned her degree, centered on the idea that religion was merely a tool to control the masses through faith, and that the sole benefit of religion holy power could easily be replaced by the advancement of magic.

“I… I only wanted to advance magic…”

Slap.

A harsh slap landed across her face. The pain was now overshadowed by fear, so much so that she could no longer feel it.

“Advancement or whatever, what’s that got to do with not showing respect? You act like that because you see religious people as nothing but swindlers spouting nonsense while taking money. Isn’t that right?”

All the clergy present turned their attention to Leo. It was a topic connected to their beliefs, so they couldn’t help but focus.

“…Alright. Let me give you an example of what happens without religion.”

Leo drew a dagger once again and pressed the blade against her throat. His action startled not only her but also those watching from a distance.

“From now on, don’t talk about ethics or morality. Tell me a reason why I should spare you. If you can give me one, I’ll let you go right away.”

Blood trickled down from her neck, flowing along the edge of the blade. If he moved the knife just one centimeter closer, she would die instantly.

“…If I die, you’ll be charged with murder…”

“Nonsense. That’s a law built on ethics and morality too, isn’t it? Use that magic and academic rationale you cling to so much to explain it to me.”

Her mind went blank. It wasn’t just fear. In truth, there was nothing Leo feared, even if he were to kill her.

Family power, even physical strength none of it mattered to the man before her. Leo always managed to surpass those obstacles.

To Leo, there was no difference between killing her and killing an orc.

“You can’t, can you?”

“P-please… anything… I’ll… I’ll apologize…!”

“An apology? That’s still an issue of ethics and morality, isn’t it?”

Whoosh.

The blade plunged down. Except for the Holy King, everyone else gasped and rushed through the barrier, knowing that if she were truly killed, there would be no turning back.

“Do you understand now? It’s simple.”

Leonardo, too, was well aware of it. It was precisely because he understood that the knife was simply stuck into the floor.

“Whether you believe it or not, this is why religion is necessary.”

The existence of religion was meant to unify basic human common sense.

“So, stop acting out. If you make a mistake, apologize promptly.”

He was well aware that this woman, not knowing any better, consoled herself as a pessimist while actually being an egocentric, self-absorbed person, indulging in selfishness.

“…Huff… Cough… Gasp…”

As her mind was utterly torn apart by logic and fear, she could barely maintain her ragged breathing, unable to utter a single word.

“Oh, and I didn’t mention this.”

Leonardo spoke as he dispelled the barrier.

“I’ve had someone in my heart long before I ever met someone like you. And that lady is much more responsible and hardworking than you.”

With those words, Leo dispelled the barrier.

“So, don’t loiter around me and the lady with that pig-like mouth of yours. It’s a waste of effort to even make you understand your place.”

As the barrier completely vanished, the priests and paladins immediately tended to the woman they saw as a sworn enemy, administering healing without delay. They probably thought he had overreacted.

Still, it was a relief.

No one had witnessed this scene.

It truly felt like a relief.

***

Though he felt he had handled things rather aggressively, the situation resolved itself more smoothly than he expected.

This was largely thanks to the Blue Tower’s immediate apology when they were first informed of the matter.

The leadership of the Blue Tower had no prior knowledge of the incident, and it was all the result of Platous Blanc’s unilateral actions.

In hindsight, it made sense. Such a method was not typical of the Magic Tower, and more importantly, if there had been information sharing with the Blue Tower, they would have at least been aware of his unique magic in advance.

Therefore, the entire Blue Tower, including the Tower Master, extended an apology, and since the temple had suffered no significant damage, the matter was concluded with an apology and without spreading it to the media.

This outcome was influenced by the fact that Leo had directly confronted her, the cause of the issue, and even the temple people had witnessed it. However, Leo remained unaware of this, thinking it was merely a stroke of luck or benevolence.

Surprisingly, even those from the temple did not express any anger toward him. Instead, there were occasional priests who approached him, and even paladins who sought his advice on combat techniques.

The Holy King himself would sometimes invite him and Ain for tea during his free time.

Following the tests and rituals conducted by the temple, Ain was recognized as a type of spirit entity, granting him the rights to exist as a quasi-spirit.

This provided a pretext for dissection, but since Ain’s contractor, Leonardo, would never allow such a thing, there was no need to worry about it.

However, one obstacle remained:

“Don’t goooo…!”

It was a warrior who, with a tearful voice, clung to Leo and Ain as they were preparing to leave.

“Miss, I’m sad too… But I no longer have a reason to stay.”

Leonardo had wanted to bring Ariasphil back with him if possible. He had tried various approaches using the knowledge he had gained from different Magic Towers and even engaged in sparring, but there were no significant results.

He knew that if he returned to the mansion with Ain, the two family heads of Reinhardt would be out for blood, but with no solution at hand, he had no choice but to accept the current situation.

“It’s all right, Arias. Father is making the accessories that will be given during the revelation ceremony as a sign of his promise to wait…”

At the mention of accessories, the murmurs grew louder. Starting from the incident with Platous, even the paladins and priests could sense a peculiar atmosphere between Arias and Leo.

“Ain.”

“Yes, Father. I’ll be quiet.”

“Good. Now you no longer ask ‘why,’ do you?”

Seeing the growth of a child was always a parent’s joy.

“Can’t you… stay? Just a little longer…”

With her eyes almost tearful, Arias clung to Leo. Just looking at her made his heart ache as if it was being torn apart. Normally, she was cute and beautiful, but with a more mature face showing tears, the emotions hit him fourfold.

‘…Even so… I must endure.’

[You little eunuch…]

Thwack

The snarky Sage had been dealt with by Ain, so there was no need to worry.

“…I’ll definitely come back for you.”

With those words, Leo took out another gift he had prepared as a token of his promise. Since she had cut her hair, he wanted to leave a different form of promise.

“This is…”

A small, dark container, simply wrapped, but in a way, it was a considerate gesture that felt very much like Leo.

“Would you like to open it?”

“…Okay.”

Arias’ tearful eyes brightened slightly as she began to unwrap the gift she had received.

Poof

It was like fireworks going off. White feathers made of mana scattered, celebrating that the shield to protect the sword had returned to its rightful owner.

“Since it’s a Holy Sword, I thought it would be better to store it in something a bit nicer.”

Wondering if the gift had been too flashy, Leo explained to Arias with a slightly awkward expression.

However, Ariasphil did not feel embarrassed by this situation at all. The gift was truly meaningful, so she found herself at a loss for words instead.

“It’s really… a beautiful scabbard.”

The black base scabbard, adorned with white metal, exuded a delicate beauty and elegance, as if it had been waiting for the Holy Sword to be placed within.

“…Can I put it in right now?”

“Of course, my lady.”

At his words, Arias carefully took out the Holy Sword, wrapped in special cloth, and brought it to the mouth of the scabbard.

The Holy Sword fit perfectly into the scabbard, as if to prove that he had not forgotten about her even while making it.

“…Huh?”

At that moment, a radiant light surged from the sword. It was so bright that it was impossible to keep one’s eyes open.

“Are you all right?! There must be a malfunction with the magic tool…!”

“…It’s here…”

As the light faded, the paladins, priests, and even Ain and Leo, standing at the front, could see Arias clearly.

With her clear, shining eyes, Arias drew the Holy Sword. Even without her conscious intent, the sword radiated a sacred light, illuminating the surroundings on its own.

“A revelation has come…!”

The divine had answered the fervent call of the warrior.