LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 212: Rumors Build Upon Rumors
It had been a week since they set sail.
The knights, being elite, had no issues, but the healers and priests were greatly suffering from seasickness.
Even with the use of holy magic to alleviate it, the intense rocking of the ship was enough to daze their minds.
He ordered those suffering from seasickness to rest, and he had a quiet meal in a secluded spot.
As Iriel tore a piece of bread with her slender fingers, she murmured, “There are some strange rumors going around lately, aren’t there? About a half-elf, a prince of a nation, even the youngest-ever sword master. How can so many rumors spread in one place?”
“Well, all the nobles on the ship are young. It’s inevitable that rumors would spread.”
“Hahaha. Maybe the rumor about the youngest sword master isn’t so far-fetched.”
She chuckled as she spoke.
“Still, we need to discern the truth behind these rumors. It might be helpful to us…”
“It doesn’t seem like it would be that helpful.”
“Doesn’t your heart flutter at the thought of uncovering the truth behind the rumors?”
“Your heart flutters at strange things. You’re just like your master.”
“Is that a compliment?”
With a subtle expression, Iriel was approached by a group of young men.
Their finely dressed appearance and the accompanying knights indicated they were undoubtedly noble offspring.
Their eyes were fixed on Iriel.
A blond young man greeted them.
“Excuse us for interrupting your meal. We couldn’t help but speak to someone who fits so beautifully with this lovely night.”
Whether it was his natural gaze or not, his shining eyes were somewhat intimidating.
The two knights standing behind twitched their eyebrows slightly.
They thought it madness for mere noble offspring to dare approach a saint; they must be seeking death.
Just as their hands were about to draw their swords, Ray raised his hand to stop them, accepting the bold greeting with a sly smile.
“Thank you for the kind words.”
“…?”
To the bystanders, it seemed as if three young men were attempting to court another man.
The startled group waved their hands in protest.
“Oh, no… we were just trying to greet the lady here.”
“We certainly didn’t mean anything else by it.”
As the tension dissipated, Iriel returned the smile.
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Hahaha. Actually, we’ve reserved a terrace upstairs with a fantastic view. Would you care to join us for a drink? Everyone’s up there. It’s like a small banquet.”
Ray glanced at Iriel, his silence posing a question about her wishes.
After a brief reflection, Iriel gave a nod.
They seldom had opportunities for time alone, much less for leisurely drinks.
Spending time with the saint on the ship to create positive memories didn’t seem like a bad idea.
The three young men, energized by her agreement, eagerly started leading the way.
Their steps were so sprightly that even the most sophisticated navigation system would have had trouble keeping up.
Accompanied by two knights, they reached a spacious terrace.
To the accompaniment of musicians, over twenty young nobles danced with their partners.
The moonlit sea, visible through the windows, presented a spectacular sight indeed, as promised.
As the pair stepped onto the terrace, all eyes were drawn to them.
Even those already dancing with partners couldn’t help but steal glances their way.
Their entrance into the hall was nothing short of striking.
Among the crowd, someone recognized Ray and gasped in astonishment.
“Ah, isn’t that the person?”
“The one from the rumors, right?”
“Searching for a partner… Could their companion be the one…?”
The whispers grew loud enough to be bothersome, and Iriel appeared confused.
“…Ray is the subject of rumors?”
“This is the first I’ve heard of it…”
“Where did such a rumor originate from…”
Regardless of whether they were unsettled, the three young men ushered them to their seats.
Shortly thereafter, one of them produced a bottle of aromatic liquor.
“What’s that?”
“‘Éclér.’ It’s a sweet liquor so delightful that once you have a sip, you can’t help but want another. I made it myself.”
At his words, Ray swallowed hard.
How tasty must this liquor be to deserve such praise!
He quickly took the offered glass and received the liquor.
The scent alone was intoxicating, unlike ordinary liquor.
Perhaps because of its high alcohol content?
“Please, try it. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
He said this with a meaningful smile, which seemed somewhat unsettling.
Was it just his natural demeanor?
As Ray poured the liquor into his mouth, a bitter taste mixed with an overwhelming sweetness overwhelmed his palate.
It was like a sudden bolt of lightning, strangely addictive.
“Wow, this is delicious.”
“Right? There’s plenty, so have another glass.”
Of course, he had no intention of having more.
He knew that too well.
This momentary sweetness was an artificial flavor created by mana.
In other words, the liquor bottle itself was a kind of magical artifact.
Feeling a faint trace of mana, he had suspected some trickery.
Just as Iriel was about to drink, Ray grabbed the glass from her hand and shook his head.
Sensing something amiss, she put down the glass, and Ray dramatically overturned the table.
Crash!
The sound of dishes breaking halted the musicians’ performance.
All eyes turned towards them again.
Circulating mana in his body, Ray sobered up completely.
“This is tasty? Bullshit. These bastards dare to play with the liquor? Ptui!”
As he spat, something dark and clumpy came out.
It was as if it were a sweet poison.
The foreign mana mixed in with the liquor temporarily damaged the body, preventing the use of mana.
Those who became as powerless as ordinary people were no match for a mana user.
What was about to unfold was predictable.
Ray stood up and punched the young men in the face.
Smack!
“Aaagh!”
Their noses were crushed, and blood flowed.
Of course, he intended to examine them thoroughly.
Despite the intense pain, the young man resisted.
He deftly parried an attack aimed at his head with the back handle of his sword, then twisted and broke their wrists.
“Next time, make your liquor with your feet.”
“Argh!”
Having cleanly snapped the remaining hand, the young man left his assailant unable to use his hands.
“How dare this insolent bastard!”
Just as their escort knights drew their swords, the paladins standing behind them stepped forward, pointing their swords at the knights.
These were the elite of the elite, accompanying the pilgrimage.
Knights who were merely low-level aura users stood no chance against them.
The paladins continuously emitted divine power.
“Do you not realize whom you are pointing your swords at?”
“Put away your swords right now.”
“Pa, Paladin…?”
They wore plain clothes suitable for movement on the ship, which made it difficult to recognize them as paladins of the Holy Kingdom, but the sheer amount of divine power they exuded made their identities unmistakable.
The murmurs around them grew louder.
“Paladins? Why would the Holy Kingdom be here…?”
“I heard from my father. The saints from the Silia Kingdom are on a pilgrimage…”
“Then, the two people in front of us are… Oh, no, the two are…”
Cold sweat ran down their faces.
It was fortunate that they hadn’t spoken rashly.
A misstep could have led to a crisis for their family.
The power held by saints was tremendous.
They commanded blind trust from over thirty million followers of the Holy Kingdom and wielded influence even in other territories.
In some respects, their authority even surpassed that of the Pope.
Having tampered with the drink of such figures, they couldn’t complain even if they were to be executed on the spot.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, one of the young men, holding his bleeding nose, made an excuse.
“Li, listen! It’s a misunderstanding…! This liquor isn’t like that…!”
“I know. It’s actually good liquor, right?”
“Yes…! It is, it’s good liquor.”
“If it’s that good, then you should drink a lot of it.”
He poured the liquor into the young man’s mouth and massaged his throat to force him to swallow.
Gulp-
“Ughhh…”
A burning sensation in the throat was followed by the spreading of a sweet scent.
“Hehehe. What was that you said earlier? A beautiful night view? That’s nice.”
Under the painfully bright moonlight, fists flew back and forth.
The punches were so severe they could have killed a person, clearly demonstrating their lethal potential.
Curiously, despite the severe beating, the recipient didn’t collapse until he lost consciousness.
The level of endurance was almost miraculous.
It was like dancing with a partner.
The young man writhed in agony.
Somehow, the punches stopped just short of making him lose consciousness.
Just as he adjusted and was about to faint, a sharp increase in pain exploded somewhere in his body.
Additionally, the liquor he had been forced to consume prevented him from using his internal mana for protection.
“Just… just kill me…”
The expressions of the onlookers grew serious.
“He’s going to die at this rate…”
“Someone should stop this…”
Sympathy arose for the man being beaten like a dog, unable to defend himself.
But no one there could intervene.
Thus, the beating of the young men continued in turn until the night view gave way to dawn.
For a while, no one could leave their seats, transfixed by the demonically cruel scene.
The rumors grew even graver.
“They say the Saint is actually a demon…”
“There’s also a rumor that he delights in drinking human blood…”
“He dances with corpses under the moonlight.”
“I heard he once didn’t heal a person but instead broke a perfectly fine arm…”
“Shh! The knights of the Holy Kingdom might hear us.”
Unaware of the actual events on the terrace, the rumors about Ray’s demonization continued to spread.
Iriel sighed.
“So, Ray was the main subject of the rumors after all.”
Ray, now rumored to be both a saint and a demon known for wringing human blood for fun, spoke with a wronged expression.
“What kind of rumors are these? They’re completely false.”
“…Maybe not completely false.”
The sight of his white hair stained with blood could make anyone believe he was a demon.
Along with Iriel’s sigh, it seemed as if even the sigh of Goddess Gaia could be heard from somewhere.