The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns

Chapter 479

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 479

The one from the dwarven side was the king of Dragon Forge.

And the beautiful-looking young girl who entered alongside him was Triana, the priestess of the World Tree that existed within the Mother Forest.

The very fact that an elf—who rarely ever participated in this kind of international exchange—had appeared was enough to draw everyone’s attention.

“We received word from Pascalia. And just in time too. It seems Dragon Forge’s benefactor is here as well.”

He greeted me warmly with a hearty laugh.

“The Mother Forest also received news through the spirits. We heard that individuals connected to the monster that attempted to corrupt our World Tree had appeared. And it’s nice to see our benefactor again after so long.”

Triana, who seemed slightly more mature than before, smiled gently at me.

At the words of the two representatives of the non-human races, everyone’s gaze turned toward me once more.

At this point, it almost felt like they were wondering why the princess of the fallen kingdom hadn’t been invited too.

“At this point, it seems the trust attached to his existence is sufficient enough.”

As though deciding that was enough, the Emperor of Pascalia finally brought out the main topic.

“He shall participate in this conference not as the head of a nation, but from the same standing as the Stars. If anyone objects, speak freely.”

Naturally, nobody moved.

It wasn’t just one or two places—even the non-human races had come and stamped their guarantees on me.

There was nothing to gain by saying, “I don’t care, I still don’t trust him!”

We hadn’t discussed things in detail, but this outcome had been agreed upon to some extent beforehand.

Even if we avoided mentioning Yog, the best course was still to at least let them know what was happening right now so they would remain vigilant.

Still, despite not explaining Yog or the current situation in detail, his judgment had landed with astonishing precision.

I didn’t think I’d given any major hints.

No matter how much old man Osberg knew about me, it was a conclusion he could never have reached unless he had been continuously observing me.

Step… step.

Every time I slowly took another step forward, everyone’s eyes followed me.

“It is a pleasure to meet you all, the most noble individuals on the continent. I am Leon Cascadia, eldest son of the Ducal House of Cascadia of the Kingdom of Bata.”

I took another step forward and continued.

“The name of the monster that attacked the imperial palace is the one-eyed ancient being, Bigfoot.”

I paused briefly, inhaled shortly, then continued.

“It is one of the monsters known as the Ancient Gods.”

A suffocating silence spread.

The very name “Ancient God” crushed the conference hall beneath its weight.

Ancient God.

Even if one didn’t know exactly what that meant, the title itself carried enough arrogance and gravity to be felt instinctively.

And in reality, they truly were monsters.

Still, it wasn’t exactly a name people could easily grasp.

“However, what everyone here truly wishes to know isn’t the identity of that monster, correct? Whether the Pinas Archipelago can command more monsters like that one, and if so, just how severe this situation truly is.”

“Indeed. What are your thoughts on that matter?”

When an elderly king chimed in, I answered simply.

“Another name for a complete Ancient God is a monster that destroys civilizations. There is no exaggeration in that title.”

“Th-that monster is truly to that extent…?”

“Though Bigfoot’s upper limit of power is relatively low compared to other Ancient Gods.”

Ancient Gods were symbols of calamity.

But precisely because they were such beings, there was something I could say with certainty as well.

“Still, I don’t think there’s any reason to worry.”

“Why is that?”

“They are beings so powerful that the very concept of controlling them does not work in the first place. Whether willingly or unwillingly, the chances of additional Ancient Gods appearing are low.”

The nightmare that attacked the imperial palace was only a one-time disaster, not an ongoing one. The meaning behind that was enormous.

At those words, sighs of relief flowed out around the room.

No matter what, even Sword Saint Osberg had struggled for a long time without being able to easily secure victory over the creature.

They had likely realized that if something like that appeared within their own territories, it would be catastrophic.

“That is, at the very least, fortunate news. Then, if we need not worry about Ancient Gods, should we raise the banner of retaliation against the Pinas Archipelago—”

“Would you prefer I speak bluntly about the danger level excluding the Ancient Gods? Or would you rather I phrase it indirectly?”

When I interrupted and asked, the muttering man widened his eyes slightly.

It wasn’t anger over my rudeness, but because he had already somewhat predicted whether my answer would be good or bad.

“I would ask that you speak bluntly.”

“I recommend abandoning any thoughts of siege warfare and holding out through defensive warfare as much as possible. The moment you invade, annihilation is practically guaranteed.”

* * *

“What nonsense is this! Are you claiming that the combined strength of every nation gathered here cannot defeat the strength of the Pinas Archipelago?!”

“Did you not say there are no more of those monsters? Then why defensive warfare?!”

“The archipelago’s terrain allows for endless varieties of attack routes! Do you not know that expanding the battlefield is the most foolish judgment in military strategy?!”

The backlash was natural.

Though Pinas was stronger than expected in terms of combat power, in truth, judging purely by numbers, it should have become a one-sided battle.

Of course, one had to consider the attrition caused during travel by ship, but even accounting for that, there was still a massive difference in manpower and military strength.

Everyone knew that, so naturally there would be backlash when I said such things.

When I silently stared directly at him, he flinched and stepped back.

Thanks to my earlier explanation, it seemed he was feeling pressure that went beyond the appearance of a five-year-old child.

And unlike the older Stars, young men often overflowed with more spirit than they could control, so it seemed he had become frightened.

I quietly looked at him before speaking again.

“In the first place, humans cannot control Ancient Gods. Then there is only one conclusion. Something capable of controlling Ancient Gods has built a nest within Pinas.”

At my firm words, another king raised his hand.

“That’s impossible… Even that monster was such a terrifying existence… And you say there exists something controlling it?”

“I will refer to that existence by the abbreviated term ‘extradimensional monster.’”

At my explanation, the man narrowed his eyes slightly.

“I have never even heard of such monsters. Since when have such creatures…”

“Everyone present here has likely heard of the Moon Watchers at least once.”

The moment I mentioned the Moon Watchers, reactions immediately began surfacing.

“The Moon Watchers has now been annihilated and is known across the continent as nothing more than a group of murderers. But to be precise, what they targeted were those monsters and the people enthralled by or consumed by them.”

The effect of the bombshell statement was enormous.

The murmuring crossed beyond whispers into outright uproar in an instant.

“What utter nonsense! Those bastards killed my son!”

“Indeed! How many nobles of our kingdom died by their hands…!”

I truly hate places like this.

I’d rather swing a sword.

What even is this?

“Many of them were traitors who sought to betray humanity, and those who became consumed by power and were devoured by those monsters. Those extradimensional creatures consume the human mind and turn people into their servants.”

“Nonsense! Impossible to believe! My son was famous everywhere as a man of upright character—!”

“Determining the truth of that isn’t my responsibility. Still, the countless pieces of evidence the Watch secured should remain somewhere. You can investigate it yourselves.”

Everything Isna had done had not been meaningless.

In truth, thanks to what she did, several nations had survived before being destroyed.

Though in the end, they still collapsed because of traitors.

I could not explain Outer God Yog in detail.

Just speaking his name caused severe mental madness.

And the condition depended on how deeply one understood Yog.

If a child who knew nothing merely spoke Yog’s name, it would not become a major issue.

But I, who had directly confronted him at the boundary of the outer dimension, would now drive listeners insane the moment I carelessly spoke about Yog.

“I cannot explain that monster in detail.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I met him directly. Since I know him, even the words I speak themselves may have harmful effects on all of you.”

Of course, nobody looked convinced.

“Honestly, it’s difficult to believe…”

“What absurd nonsense is this? Merely knowing its identity influences people? If such a ridiculous monster truly existed and sought this land, civilization would have collapsed long ago.”

“Indeed. The Watch could never have stopped something like that.”

“Because the archangels have been stopping it all this time. Though perhaps ‘in their stead’ would be a more accurate phrase. I’ll show you proof…”

If things continued like this, even if they pretended to understand on the surface, there was a high chance some fools would independently move while shouting that a preemptive strike was the answer.

My lips moved very slowly.

I cut out and spoke only a tiny fragment of a keyword related to Outer God Yog.

After repeatedly confirming with Luna and some of the other archangels, I had verified the safe range of what I could utter.

“Ghk!!”

“Guhhh… M-my head.”

The instant my lips parted slightly, screams erupted everywhere.

I immediately stopped speaking.

Those incapable of protecting their bodies and minds with aura or mana directly cried out in agony.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

The knights fared slightly better, but their expressions were awful.

What followed afterward happened exactly as expected.

The guards, judging it an assassination attempt against the lords they served, all simultaneously drew their swords and pointed them at my neck without leaving any room to escape.

“Ghk?! What in the world are you doing…?!”

“Do you understand now? The more one knows and recognizes information about that thing, the more influence even the words spoken about it begin to carry.”

Those writhing in pain eventually returned to normal, but they still complained of dizziness and headaches.

“I thought showing you once would be more effective than a hundred words.”

I placed my finger against the blade pointed at my neck and slowly pushed it aside.

“My head… It feels like it’s about to split open.”

“I-I think I heard horrifying hallucinations… ghk.”

The emotions on their faces were unmistakable fear.

And confusion.

The only ones mostly unaffected were the Stars, though among them, the Fist Saint, Yoo Sowon the Heaven-Splitting True Immortal, wore a complicated expression.

Why’s he acting like that?

When Luna spread clusters of five-colored light from her fingertips, the conditions of those complaining of headaches slowly began improving.

It helped that the information disclosed had been extremely minimal, and Luna’s healing abilities had also strengthened after awakening through Lucifel’s power.

“This is the degree of influence caused by even a fragmentary piece of information. There’s an old saying, isn’t there? The more one gazes into darkness, the more one becomes consumed by it.”

Looking around at the terrified people, I drove the nail in further.

“So please. Don’t go wasting innocent lives thinking things like, ‘We can do it. My soldiers can handle it!’”

Despite the incredibly rude tone, nobody pointed it out.

“Then how are we supposed to deal with a monster whose very name cannot even be spoken?”

“For now, we endure.”

He was not omnipotent.

If he had established such a powerful foothold without even breaking the seal or seizing the core, then there absolutely had to be a price involved.

Now that even the heavens had begun moving again, it made no sense that he could cause all this chaos at no cost and yet hadn’t done so from the beginning.

“We must minimize the damage while enduring until he exhausts himself, and search for an opportunity.”

After that, you can divide the conquest spoils among yourselves however you wish.

The only concerning point was what exactly he was doing in the Pinas Archipelago to go this far, but it was more efficient to wait for the archangels to uncover information regarding that.

“To think that merely mentioning that existence could destroy the listener. But conversely, does that not mean it could become an enormous weapon?”

“Indeed. If that is the case, then unless one abandons hearing itself, who knows when or where something might happen…”

Seeing some people already considering weaponizing it, I felt the need to make reality clear to them.

“Do not even think about using it. It is common sense that the one speaking shatters before the listener does. In the first place, the moment one understands it enough to speak of it, that person may as well already be dead.”

What good was a powerful cannon if the artillery exploded before firing?

Perhaps this bizarre phenomenon itself was Yog’s power.

“Then why are you, who encountered it directly, completely fine?”

After some thought, I gave the best answer possible.

“I happen to have a rather unique constitution.”

Within the dark atmosphere, I conveyed as much information as I could.

Even so, there were still those wondering whether simply defending was truly the best course.

There were many reasons why they wanted to launch a preemptive strike, but on the surface, it was simple.

Because the homes and livelihoods of the people were being trampled.

War ruined not only people, but the land itself.

Rivers became polluted with blood, and the earth absorbed the flesh of the dead as they rotted, ruining crops.

No one knew how far that devastation would spread, which was why they had concluded that a preemptive strike was necessary.

Of course, some clearly didn’t care about any of that and were instead more interested in the spoils they could seize by crushing Pinas.

Fortunately, that confusion was soon swallowed up entirely by the sudden event that occurred.

A cluster of light suddenly gathered beside me, forcibly drawing everyone’s attention.

The timing really was artistic.

“Th-that light?!”

The first to react was a representative of the Holy Kingdom.

He reflexively leapt to his feet and bowed low to the ground together with the holy knight guarding him.

The others briefly looked puzzled by the sight.

Paaang!!!

Light exploded outward brilliantly, and someone emerged from within it.

The Archangel of Knowledge, possessing three pairs of wings.

Uriel.

He held the divine sword Uros in one hand and the holy scripture of Kalidel in the other.

Normally he never even took those outside, but now he was putting on a show.

“Do not fear. I have come to ease your fear and worries.”

“L-Lord Archangel!”

The representative of the Holy Kingdom lowered his head so fervently it seemed foam might spill from his mouth, reacting like a pilgrim welcoming a sacred relic.

Meanwhile, I narrowed my eyes and looked up at him.

Watching him radiate such solemn and holy dignity didn’t even make me laugh anymore.

Showing off his image because there were people watching.

And here I was in this state because of the artifact someone had handed over.

“Hear me.”

The rulers of every nation simultaneously rose from their seats.

Archangel.

A being recorded in scripture and occasionally in history books as well.

Cold executors who regulated the world, yet also messengers who delivered the warm miracles of God.

Their actions stemmed not merely from surprise, but from reverence toward such an existence.

“An indescribably foul and filthy existence seeks to defile the land upon which you live and expand its domain. Raise your weapons to protect your lives, your families, and your homes.”

The flattened representative of the Holy Kingdom immediately answered.

“If the Archangel commands it so, then the Holy Kingdom’s faithful holy knight order shall stand at the vanguard and advance upon the archipelago—”

“Your minds cannot endure the corruption of that place. Judging that creature is not your role.”

“Then whose role is it, O Archangel?”

Uriel pointed at me.

“The heavens shall grant their blessing so that you may overcome this crisis by aiding Leon Cascadia, representative of the archangels.”

“T-the representative of the heavens!?”

“My heavens, even an archangel…”

After blatantly tossing all the aggro onto me, Uriel scattered light throughout the conference hall, blessing it before disappearing entirely.

Right before vanishing, I felt as though I saw him smirk mockingly at me.

Only a few pure white feathers remained behind where Uriel had disappeared, proving he had once been there.

The representative of the Holy Kingdom even shed tears as he crawled over and clasped the feathers like priceless treasures, letting out cries of admiration.

Meanwhile, everyone else’s gazes were directed not at the feathers, but at me.

Amid the complicated atmosphere, the Emperor of Pascalia quietly listened to a report from the chief chamberlain approaching him, then stiffened his expression, declared a recess, and hurriedly exited the conference hall.

On Emperor Credos’s side, numerous people had gathered and were urgently discussing something.

From the words “western coastal cities” and “the offensive has begun” that I overheard from the Pascalian imperial chamberlain, it seemed the attack had started earlier than expected.

There was no need to worry too much.

The fact that Uriel had appeared here and said those things meant another archangel had likely already begun moving.

As though halted time had begun moving once more, everyone rose from their seats and started acting individually.

Some left looking exhausted, but the behavior patterns of those remaining in the conference hall were all identical.

And all their gazes were fixed upon me, the emotions reflected within them saying—

Now even an archangel vouched for him? What the hell is this kid, exactly?

And once their thoughts reached that point, their desire to establish ties with me became obvious.

My response was swift.

In an instant, I moved behind the Princess of Bata and took shelter as though saying, If you want to talk, get through the Bata princess first.

The startled princess looked at me, but I simply put on a shameless expression and remained silent.

[Translator - Night]

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