Blood tax

Chapter 63 Red and Black Overture
"I see."

Sonia by the hospital bed fell into deep thought after listening to what happened.Galadia sliced ​​an apple and stuffed it into Griffith's mouth on the hospital bed, then nibbled the rest.

Griffith's injuries have long since recovered, but the school believes that he may have been irreversibly contaminated and insists that he rest in bed and undergo isolation.

There was a rare solemnity on Sonya's face:

"Aaron Rendilus is known as the Son of Prophecy, and his upbringing is still a mystery. According to Iluwash's prophecy, the unspeakable will be defeated at his hands, and the forces of light and darkness will Balanced through his hands and will.

"As soon as he learned of the prophecy, that person planned and executed the massacre of the Lundyrus family. On that terrifying night, that man and his twelve men entered the territory of Lundyrus. Executor.

"By the time Headmaster Tiberion, Lord Salorian, His Holiness Francis and the Canaanite rulers arrived with the strongest support they could muster, it was too late, and the only survivors in the manor were Aaron alone."

Griffith lay on the hospital bed, holding his breath as he listened to the girl's narration.It was a historical detail he had never heard of, and even Galadia was quiet.

"My father was also among the group. Their investigation found that the tribes and allies of Lundyrus had already been in ambush there. They arranged an unknown mysterious ritual, carried out a brave and desperate resistance, and wiped out all executions. but no one can resist the unparalleled malice of that one.

"Unexpectedly, that person's aura and body were also shattered, and the horrible psionic remnants of his soul and body being torn apart were detected at the scene, which originated from the most powerful and evil spell created by him alone ——

"Instant death judgment."

A near-divine being torn apart by a spell?Griffith couldn't believe it.These powerful beings have countless protective holy weapons and physical defense measures against demons. How could they be destroyed by a magic spell?
Noticing the puzzled look on Griffith's face, Galadia said softly:

"The power of instant death determination is that it is exempted from the rules of this world. Power takes precedence over many resistances and strengths. Users must have knowledge of meditation, inspiration, black magic, and mythology of the sixth level or higher to reach the threshold of cognition , As for the conditions of use, it is unheard of.

"Under such a terrifying blow, the known defenses and confrontations of the wizards are almost futile. Although it is called a verdict, it is no different from the death god's announcement. At least as far as I know."

Sonia nodded in approval, she gently rubbed the ends of her hair, thoughts and confusion flashed in her blue eyes:
"Since then, that person has never appeared again, and the official conclusion is that he has been torn to shreds in the terrifying psionic storm, and the remaining parts have been swept into the spirit world.

"But, why? Why did Aaron survive and that person was defeated? My father was curious too, but today I seem to have some answers,
"Lundilus has received a near-miraculous triple protection, namely:
"Illusory guardian spirit, high-level dying guardian and high-level damage reflection.

"After Griffith caused him heavy damage, the guardian spirit immediately activated the defense. From the description, it is Aaron's mother, Illya Lundiros, who is the favored person of a certain god, even though she has She died, but she was still protecting her child. However, it was unclear how she could change into that form;
"The high-level dying guardian is one of the highest-level spells that can be activated in critical moments, preventing deadly killings and teleporting the protected to a safe area. But its power is more than that. The spell itself has Perhaps this is the reason, even a terrifying weapon such as instant death judgment cannot kill Aaron immediately, and I can't understand the specific process and mechanism. Of course, it is also possible that high-level dying guards cannot stop instant death. determination.

"In the end, Aaron has a very high damage reflex on his body, and the amount of damage he inflicts on Aaron will receive an equal degree of feedback. Maybe, this is just my guess, that person is affected by his own strength. shredded."

That's it, that makes me understand.Griffith was indifferent for a while and said his guess:

"I think, judging from what happened to me in the ruins, if Aaron was not born chaotic and evil, or that person was not completely destroyed, a part of him resided in Aaron's body and waited for recovery. In order to achieve this purpose, he The remaining minions have successively arranged attacks by mountain monsters and goblins, hoping to take advantage of the chaos to capture the Sage Stone in the Homon Watts library."

"It's possible."

The two girls said together.Sonia glanced at Galadia and asked her to speak first.

"So, who attacked the Flying Leaf? Only a powerful existence can summon that sea monster. The target should be Aaron, right?"

Sonia nodded and said:

"Yes, that sea monster is very powerful. The strength is not its power, but its existence itself. My father thinks it is a special mythical creature, and powerful wizards will be confused and powerless when they see it. , seems to be designed to restrain spellcasters. Lady Marianne, who was with us that night, was erudite and wise, but she failed to respond effectively. Until Griffith and Rana fought off the Kraken , she was helpless.

"I think there are two possibilities:
"One, some people may have suspected that Aaron has some connection with that person. But until they get enough evidence, they will not stand on the stage and attack Aaron who is sheltered by Homonwarts, so they sent a That monster.

"In addition, that person may not have been really destroyed, or even recovered and possessed the power to interfere in this world, so it is not impossible to remove the obstacles of the Son of Prophecy.

"The crux of the problem lies with Aaron. It's hard to say whether he is inherently evil or controlled. After this incident, the school found him in the hall of Homonwarts with scars and immediately sheltered him, right? It will be difficult for him to investigate. Of course, the good news is that if he is really evil, he will also be tempered by the tight protection of Homonwarts in recent times.

"Galladia, I don't think this should be told to the headmaster. They firmly believe that Aaron is the son of prophecy who brings a balance between light and darkness, which may be detrimental to Griffith and us. This is also my father's opinion. "

That's right...the three of them fell silent together.I don't know what the girls are thinking, but Griffith's thoughts are simple and clear-

I still have to find a chance to kill Aaron early?

Just when everyone was thinking about strange things, Fiona rushed into the infirmary.

"Hurry up, it's coming to us soon!"

The blond waist-length girl wears a light, fitted white silk dress with a wreath on her head and wrists.She didn't wear any jewelry, but she carefully trimmed her eyebrows and put on lip gloss.Rana behind her was holding a large suitcase and covering her head.

This is……

The two girls beside Griffith stood up, put away their worries and thoughts, and untied the silver buttons on their robes and slowly took them off.

"You!" The apprentice knight slapped the bed board, "Today is the Frost Festival, do you have a performance?!"

"Yes, a little chorus of the three of us."

"You just lie down, it will be recorded for you with the echo crystal."

The three girls wore the same style of skirts, and the skirts were still a long way from the knees, and the light on their fair and slender legs was dazzling when they walked.The Elf and Sonia quickly touched up their makeup and put on the wreath and wreath in front of the apprentice knight.The completely different temperament and beauty actually merged together, as if the kingdom of God had descended on the mortal world.

"I'm going too!" cried Griffith. "Even if I'm rotting in hell, I'll crawl over with my rotting limbs."

……

Griffith felt completely fine.

Like everyone else, he sat down at the long table and began to eat the Frostfest meal.

At this time, a brownie pushed a small cart and brought him large packages and letters.

He stared warily at Brownie as he left before opening the package to find a gleaming Buckler and a letter inside.

"The handling plan for the seizure of the mountain monster incident
"To the first-year students, Thutoral, Griffith Blanton,

"You have shown unparalleled courage and responsibility in the battle against the mountain monster. In order to reward your achievements, the extra deducted test scores this semester have been restored.

"In view of the fact that the extraordinary characteristics of the mountain monster have been decomposed during the investigation, the school has decided to grant you the cavalry shield 'Pioneer' as compensation after proper research.

"This round shield is made of appropriate Adamantite and Mithril, which is tougher than standard equipment, and can greatly reduce the reaction force during impact, which can give the holder a tactical advantage against large creatures. .

"The sophisticated craftsmanship gives the Vanguard Shield excellent control, you can try to use it for throwing, and the unique rare metal material can stun the target with a certain probability when it hits.

"To sum up, this is an expensive and sophisticated piece of equipment. Although it lacks a proper tool soul to prevent it from possessing Extraordinary characteristics, it is still sufficient to meet the requirements of most battles."

Not bad, Griffith turned the reward over and over, and found that the silver shield was of moderate weight and flexible use. The center position was also painted with the legion's eagle flag emblem, which was very suitable for a lancer like him.It's not a loss to use this to replace the Beyonder characteristics of the mountain monster.

Griffith then opened a letter and found that it was a notice from Earl Larmor's House recording the settlement of the mission, with several money orders and certificates attached.

"Second Captain Griffith Brandon:
"In view of the courage you have shown in emergencies, you are rewarded as follows:
"A.150 Silver Lang bonus can be collected from Herman Meyer Bank with the attached bill.

"B.2 Merit points have been included in your personal file, please receive the attached certificate.

"C. Sequence 8 Agent Potions (Provided).

"Evaluation: Your performance is very bad, and as one of the camp security leaders, you failed to make more appropriate arrangements to avoid and reduce losses. Considering that you actively took remedial measures to avoid the worst situation, this battle gives you is rated D+ (very bad) and goes to the file.

"A 300 silver lang note from Bayeran Commercial Bank is attached, which is a bonus for victory in the Eastern War."

Very bad rating...but the rewards are pretty generous.

Griffith's merit points that had already been cleared have also accumulated to 3 points, and there is still 7 points of merit points away from the first-level squad leader.If he accumulates enough merits to complete the promotion, his annual salary will increase from 1200 silver lang to 1500 silver lang, and he will also receive a high-ranking non-commissioned officer insignia.

However, Griffith still thought that even if he accumulated enough merit, he would not be promoted for the time being.He is now Shutoral of the Larmor family, a Sequence 8 Beyonder. Once he has completed his four-year study at Homonwarts and paid 20 merit points, he can enter the command sequence and become the third-level commando squadron captain. That is, the second lieutenant officer in the regiment.

The second letter, from Griffith's hometown of Neopolis, was from his brother.The family finally wrote to him.

"Stupid brother,

"The Lamour House sent us a letter. I heard that you survived the first semester of Hormonwatts and successfully promoted to Sequence 8. I will reluctantly congratulate you! If it's not for love, don't work too hard anyway. No matter how hard you practice, you can't beat me.

"Dad has been granted territory in the newly conquered southern province. When this letter was sent, we were already on our way to moving to the new territory. I'm not quite sure about the pronunciation and spelling of that place. Your letter. Saya slammed on the door and said she would leave until you came back, but the official order did not wait for anyone, so I broke her off and dragged her away.

"Our uncle Dr. Zion moved his family back to Neopolis Island. He repeatedly told him that if you passed by, you must stay at his house for a while. Iloti has not seen you for a long time. Dr. Zion once A brief teaching at Homonwarts should help you. Enclose the address of their home.

"Greetings to you from father, mother and sister,

"See you at your new home in the South!
"Your invincible brother, Hilopus Brandon."

Huh... Griffith's heart filled with all kinds of tender emotions, leaving his hometown and joining the army, the continuous bloody battle has become a part of his life.Family has become so far away.

Come back to Neopolis during the New Year's holiday, and if you can, go to the southern province.

At this time, Galadia and the others finally appeared.

The halls of Homemonwarts seethed.After the horrors of a few days ago, the singing of the bright and beautiful girls brought the best comfort.

Griffith He heard the bright high-pitched voice of Galadia, like compensation for all the suffering so far.

Galadia (Note 1, this song is Kalafina "to the beginning"):

"In fact, who is it, who is looking forward to the realization of redemption

"A bewildered and helpless heart is like piercing through the empty sky."

Fiona:
"At the moment of choosing you
"The joyful heart that belongs to both of them can be found."

Sonia:
"Even then, burning the body to the bone, the flames that are icy to the bone

"As long as your smile is by your side."

Griffith crouched down on the long table, grasping the edge, his heart quivering with resonance.The fears that have accumulated so far are purified by the clear and thorough singing.

However, there are traces of sadness in the singing, which are tactful and melodious and cannot be erased.

His eyes couldn't leave the familiar and unfamiliar figure, and Galadia's gentle eyes looked at it and echoed the clear voice.

Her heart-shaking high-pitched voice is at the beginning of the story, as if destined thousands of years ago:
"Beautiful and beautiful, that round of moonlight

"It's just silent

"Die towards the beginning!"

chorus:

"I will look forward to, so tightly sealed

"It's so far away

"Buried in the dark

"Walk with you

"The past
"The song echoes softly—"

There was a hint of sweetness and bitterness in the taste buds, and when Griffith touched his cheek, he found himself in tears.

"Why are you crying, Griffith?" Rana and Miura walked past him cheerfully with food. "Remember the past?"

"A little bit," Griffith's voice was a little choked, "I miss the fallen comrades of the United League a little bit."

The steely Rana's face immediately lost the smile, and he whispered: "The unchangeable past, the unforgettable memory. I often dream of them, Valle, Camp, Latina..."

Murat then read out those comrades who had been together day and night and could not forget: "Gillian, Golona..."

"Krista," Griffith gritted his teeth and said a name that made his heart hurt, "it would be great if they were here at this moment."

"Hey, Krista," murmured Rana,
"who is she?"

　The first volume is over.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)