#819 Problem Child vs. Problem Child

Some might have forgotten, but I do have a main weapon in my possession.

It goes by the name Wicked-Holy Sword Dreischwartz, part of the venerable Seven Sacred Swords or something along those lines.

In truth, the seven sacred swords were meant to clash until only the last one standing could claim the title of the True Holy Sword, boasting tremendous power. But with my ability, even an ordinary holy sword can be pushed to its maximum potential.

That’s why I was able to unleash a grand light beam powerful enough to shatter mountains.

As a pacifist by nature, I’d rather not resort to such brute force, but these problem children really know how to grind my bears, leaving me no choice.

I genuinely admire Silver Wolf and Mamoru for maintaining their composure in the presence of such characters.

So, what happened to the problematic bunch that that manga-esque, fatal flash of light should have obliterated?

“How violent.”

They’re still alive.

Tsk.

“I heard the saint was a gentle, virtuous, and non-violent soul. It seems rumors can’t always be trusted.”

Belphgamilia stood there, unscathed, broken sword in hand.

That broken sword was none other than the Corrupted-Holy Sword Viergelb he received as one of the Heavenly Four. It was supposed to have perished long ago, its holy power now drawn forth from Belphgamilia’s talent alone.

And for the record, I am usually quite docile!

You two are to blame for making me snap!

“Isn’t a saint supposed to cherish all beings without discrimination? Flinging flash attacks indiscriminately hardly seems saintly.”

I can understand Belphgamilia emerging safe and sound, but Golden Bat, too?

And let me reiterate: my severity is reserved only for you guys!

“This item, Gold Noise Particles or GN Particles for short, can be scattered around oneself, allowing for high-speed movement and leaving behind an afterimage that the enemy attacks, mistaking it for me. It’s an effective diversion against dragons.”

“As expected of an S-rank adventurer, your evasion tactics are top-notch.”

Belphgamilia’s compliment doesn’t convince me one bit!

Anyway! With the likes of you, powerful and renowned, bickering among yourselves, it brings nothing but trouble to society!

Your peers are working their tails off trying to build peace, so don’t go around wrecking it with your shenanigans!

“I haven’t done anything. It was this demon here who unreasonably picked a fight.”

“Come now, isn’t all this the result of the error in your book? You shouldn’t distort the truth.”

These troublemakers don’t even consider that they might be wrong for a moment, insisting on their righteousness.

And that’s precisely why they’re troublemakers.

I began to hear a variety of snaps, crackles, and pops near the back of my head.

“...All right. If we simply obliterate the conflict's very cause, the fight will also cease, right?”

“Are you suggesting something ominous? What’s this ‘cause of conflict’? Surely not the book I published?”

No, that’s not it.

Sure, Belphgamilia got angry after reading your book, but there’s a more fundamental issue, right?

Yes, that book's description of Mt. Eternity is the true cause of the dispute and hate.

By eradicating it, peace shall return!

Luckily, I possess the means to do just that!

The flash of light from this Wicked-Holy Sword Dreischwartz has already been proven to break mountains!

I may not be able to completely obliterate a mountain as massive as Mt. Eternity, but I can surely shave off a part.

Maybe a downgrade to the world’s third-tallest mountain would suffice. 

“Wait just a minuteeeeee! You can’t do that! Mt. Eternity is a pride of humanity! It has to remain the tallest in the world!”

“You intend to harm a treasure of humankind?! Please, I beg you, stoppppppppppp!!!”

No can do.

I am an ally of peace, and as such, my policy is to obliterate anything that becomes an enemy of it.

“I get it! We’ll stop fighting! Look at us, getting along so well! Right?!”

“We’ll even sing together into the sunset! Singing can bring peace to the world!”

For the moment, I managed to pacify the hotheads and sheathed my holy sword.

Of course, I never truly intended to blow Mt. Eternity to smithereens. It was merely a bluff to cool them off.

I’m an ally of peace but also an ally of nature.

“Seriously, though, how many people in this world can make threats like that...?!”

“Indeed, Lord Saint is no ordinary man...!”

The Selfless Workaholics behind me were shivering with dread.

***

Somehow, we managed to defuse the explosive situation on the spot.

But we haven’t reached a fundamental resolution just yet.

“Well, let’s give Lord Saint and Mamoru the courtesy of a peaceful discussion and make them understand that Mt. Eternity belongs to the Demon Kingdom, shall we?”

“Right. I owe Lord Saint a debt of gratitude, and I must show respect to Silver Wolf as the guild master. For their sakes, I’ll indulge you, troublesome reader, and explain the legitimacy of my work with all due respect as its author.”

“Fufufufufu...!”

“Hahahahaha...!!!”

Both sides clearly had no intention of backing down.

At the very least, they’ve stopped trying to settle things by force, but they’re not the least bit inclined to retract their assertions.

How utterly troublesome.

“Still... if it ends with just a verbal dispute, I couldn’t ask for more...!”

Honestly, hats off to these workaholics.

But if we let it end here, the problem will just fester, so let’s debate it until we’re all satisfied.

Golden Bat gets the first word.

“Hmph, the very idea that a mere reader could question the author’s actions is presumptuous. It’s downright insolent.”

Could we avoid such abrasive claims?

“Do you have any idea how much research and information gathering went into my writing of the One Hundred Otherworldly Famous Mountains? I actually climbed the featured summits and many others besides. Otherwise, it would be impossible to select the very best among them.”

“So what?”

“In other words, I can confidently say that Mt. Eternity is the finest of them all because I have compared it to hundreds of others! It’s a sentiment based on substantial hands-on experience. I believe no one else could hold Mt. Eternity in as much esteem as I do! ...But what about you?”

Golden Bat’s malicious gaze turns to Belphgamilia.

“You mentioned earlier that you have no mountain climbing experience and have only gone into the mountains strictly for work, right? Do you think someone like you, a novice in climbing, can possess the vision to love Mt. Eternity? It would please Mt. Eternity more to be under the care of someone who has mastered climbing and loves the mountains more than anyone else—and that’s me!”

So, you’re saying Mt. Eternity would be better off belonging to the Human Kingdom?

And by the way, did you smoothly claim Mt. Eternity under your care?

It seems Golden Bat is indifferent to whether it belongs to the Human Kingdom or not; he regards Mt. Eternity as his own personal possession, which is quite frightening.

“Hmm, indeed, I’ve never taken to the hassle of mountain climbing. If I have to exert myself and suffer, I’d much rather be sleeping.”

“Hahaha, right? ...Wait, are you mocking climbing, you rascal?!”

What a tedious exchange.

“However, none of that matters to me. Because for a few years in my youth... I trained on Mt. Eternity!!!”

“Wh-What did you say?!”

“I cherish those days when I lived and awoke on that mountain... Hence, I can hold personal memories dear and proudly declare, ‘I love Mt. Eternity.’ In a way, my affection for it is focused and intense. In contrast, aren’t you just a philanderer who flits from one mountain to another?”

“Wh-What was thaaaat?!”

Golden Bat was left speechless by the sharp retort.

But did Belphgamilia really have such a past?

I tried to confirm it, but when I looked to Mamoru (his colleague) for confirmation, he could only shake his head vigorously.

“I don’t know anything about it, swear! I’ve never heard of Lord Belphgamilia training on Mt. Eternity! Besides, his early life is shrouded in mystery...!”

“If a dignitary of the Demon King’s Army had trained there, doesn’t that mean it should side with the Demon Kingdom?”

Silver Wolf just had to add an unnecessary comment.

Thanks to that, the heated argument only intensified.

“Haaaah?! Nonsense! It’s precisely because I’ve seen and climbed many mountains that I can appreciate Mt. Eternity’s true value! That’s what justice is! Therefore, Mt. Eternity should belongs to the Human Kingdom where I resideeeee!!!”

“If you truly love Mt. Eternity, you should be able to grasp its splendor intuitively. Having to compare it to other samples to understand its worth just proves how mediocre your appreciation is. I cannot entrust Mt. Eternity to someone so half-hearted. I’ll take it under my care!”

What are they even talking about anymore?

I believed in peace and tried to negotiate, but it seemed that wouldn’t solve anything.

Then again, I have no other strategy besides the threat of “trimming down” the mountain. I have no idea what to do now.

At this point, maybe I need to pin my hopes on someone else.

“I’m going back to the farm for a bit.”

“HUH?!”

The two Selfless Workaholics are visibly shocked and flustered.

They probably think I’ve had enough and am throwing in the towel.

“It’s okay. I just need to call someone from the farm before we can settle this.”

I remembered something after what Belphgamilia said.

He was that person’s disciple, wasn’t he?

If so, it makes sense that he spent some time training on Mt. Eternity.

An Adeptus who dwells on Mt. Eternity, master of the elixir of eternal life.

The Sage Lifeless King.