SWNOVELXO Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Chain Reaction (1)
Fifteen-year-old Linen was an apprentice soldier in the fortress village of Dalton.
Though he had been forcibly conscripted to protect the village, he had no regrets.
He had no intention of abandoning his hometown and fleeing, especially now that the Undead Army had already reached the outskirts.
And, he had confidence.
Despite his young age, Linen was the strongest in the village, at least in terms of sheer strength.
His stamina, especially for lifting heavy objects or enduring for long periods, was enough to make others shake their heads in disbelief.
But war did not take the shape of men.
Skeletons, corpses, and grotesque monsters assembled from both.
These abominations swept through the entire fortress in an instant.
Ten minutes after the battle began, the leatherworker from next door, who had been laughing loudly just yesterday, had his head severed by a skeleton soldier’s sword.
After fifteen minutes, a childhood friend, practically like a brother, was devoured alive by a massive monster.
The soldier who had given Linen his spear and taught him the basics of spear fighting was torn apart by dozens of zombies, leaving no trace behind.
During all these moments, Linen could do nothing.
All he could do was despair at his own helplessness.
The spear he had been desperately swinging was reduced to just its handle, and when he regained his senses, he found himself pinned beneath three foul-smelling zombies.
Craaahk!
The creatures began to tear into Linen’s face.
When he hurriedly shielded his face with his arm, they began gnawing on his forearm instead, chewing through the flesh as if it didn’t matter.
Crunch.
Chomp.
Crack.
Ah… so this is how I die.
If there is truly a god, if miracles really exist, then let it happen right now.
Just as his consciousness was beginning to fade, a miracle really did happen before his eyes.
Flash!
A brilliant flash of light descended from the sky.
It turned the zombies that had been tearing into him into ashes in an instant.
What was that?
At first, he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
Moments later, groaning, he raised his head, only to see a boy on a white horse, who had entered the village at some point, leap down from his steed and shout,
“Bring them to me!”
Then, suddenly rushing toward Linen, the boy grabbed his arm without warning and shouted again,
“I can heal this! Bring all the severely wounded to me!”
In that moment, a transparent light gently enveloped Linen’s mangled arms.
His bleeding stopped, and his torn flesh began to regenerate.
How is such a thing possible?
To Linen, this was not just a miracle—it was a revelation.
I have granted you the miracle you desired. From now on, you must fight for that boy for the rest of your life.
“Y-yes… I will… do that…”
Linen barely managed to respond to the voice he heard in his head before losing consciousness.
It was much later, when he regained his senses, that he learned the boy who had healed him was none other than the youngest imperial prince, Claude.
Moreover, it was the same Claude who had purified the Undead Army that had engulfed the village with a single burst of light.
Rumors had spread that, because of the prince’s notoriously poor behavior, a heated debate had erupted among the people.
“Could such a delinquent have performed this miracle?”
“Perhaps the rumors are wrong?”
“Prince Claude purified the Undead Army with light? I wouldn’t believe that even if you threw dirt in my eyes!”
But none of that mattered to Linen.
He had seen it with his own eyes and experienced it firsthand.
A miracle.
And that miracle had changed even him.
When Linen regained consciousness, he immediately sensed that something had changed within him.
A new power.
The spear he now held was wrapped in light.
If none of this had happened, he would have likely lived out his days as a simple woodcutter or miner.
But the miracle he had witnessed had drawn out a hidden power that had been buried deep within him.
Though he still didn’t fully understand what this power was…
One thing was certain: whatever strength he had now, he would use it solely for the prince who had saved his life.
—
Four days after the Undead Army was purged.
In the central chamber of the imperial palace, a heated debate about Claude was taking place.
“So, Prince Claude is set to enter the palace shortly…”
“I still don’t understand all the fuss. Prince Claude destroyed the Undead Army? Of course, he did. He had the knight order with him, didn’t he?”
“But wasn’t it the Imperial Guard? The Grand Duke knows what that means…”
“Are you suggesting that His Grace, the Regent, was wrong in deploying the Guard?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. Haven’t you heard? They say Prince Claude wiped out the enemy without the knights’ help.”
“Do you really think that’s possible? What is he, an Archmage? Or perhaps a Knight Master? Even a Knight Master wouldn’t be able to take on thousands of the Undead Army alone.”
“As unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true. I’ve heard that on the battlefield, he awakened divine magic for the first time.”
“Divine magic? Isn’t that used for healing wounds or enhancing physical abilities? How could that destroy an entire army?”
“According to rumors, the magic the prince awakened is one of the long-lost High Divine Spells.”
“What? Turn Undead? That’s nonsense! That spell is just a myth made up by the priests. If it really existed, there wouldn’t still be undead left in this world!”
“Regardless, the number of witnesses is overwhelming… But why hasn’t Prince Jess arrived yet? We need the Regent to discuss rewarding Prince Claude for his achievement.”
Jess was supposed to have entered the imperial chamber more than 30 minutes ago.
One of the ministers furrowed his brow as he glanced at the still-closed doors of the imperial chamber.
“Isn’t it obvious? He’s probably been delayed because he’s so happy to hear of his younger brother’s victory. Besides, what kind of reward are we talking about? Just give him a small piece of land and some silver like always.”
“It’s not that simple. There will be not only silver rewards but also an official position, won’t there?”
“An official position? For that rascal? You should remember what he did in the palace last year. And more importantly, we still haven’t resolved the issue of Prince Albert and Count Fennel’s ‘disappearance.’ It’s obvious they’re dead, but the imperial family hasn’t made an official statement yet…”
At that moment, the doors of the chamber swung open, and a group of people poured in.
“Oh, finally, they’ve arrived.”
“Wait, those are…”
At first, everyone thought it was Prince Jess entering.
But instead, a group of priests in white ceremonial robes, with one wearing gold-trimmed attire and a mitre, entered.
“The High Priest!”
“High Priest Essex? Is this for real?”
“What is the High Priest doing here? Was there a scheduled visit from the temple today?”
The ministers were taken aback by the unexpected appearance. Accompanied by eight senior priests, the High Priest stood in the center of the chamber with a gentle smile.
“Greetings, brothers. I am grateful to see that all the esteemed officials who support this great empire are gathered here.”
“Well, it is time for our regular meeting…”
“What brings you here, High Priest?”
“I came because I heard that Prince Claude will be arriving soon.”
Essex spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Despite his 90 years, the elderly priest stood straight, his voice firm.
“I assume you’ve already heard the news. I’ve come to greet Prince Claude, offer my congratulations for defeating the Undead Army, and conduct a brief confirmation ceremony before bestowing upon him the title of Saint.”
“Saint?”
“What does that mean? I’ve never heard of such a title.”
“A Saint is a title bestowed upon someone who has performed an impossible miracle through the blessings of the Five Gods that shape this world.”
Essex calmly explained as he glanced around the room.
“It’s no surprise that none of you have heard of it. The last time the title of Saint was bestowed was 320 years ago.”
“320 years…”
“If the miracle that occurred in Dalton, in the County of Elston, is true, then Prince Claude is worthy of being named a Saint. Not only did he awaken divine magic without any formal priestly training, but he also revived the long-lost High Divine Spell.”
“The High Divine Spell… you’re talking about Turn Undead? That spell actually exists?”
“Of course it does.”
Essex smiled broadly.
“However, in recent centuries, no priest has been able to reach that level. According to ancient records, it requires an Archpriest to train for 60 years to attain such power. But even reaching the level of an Archpriest takes decades. How can anyone sacrifice another 60 years of life for this?”
“That’s true. With a human’s lifespan…”
“In the end, it’s essentially an indirect way of saying that the spell can only be used with divine intervention.”
“How could Prince Claude possibly have mastered such an incredible spell?”
“They say that when Prince Claude saw innocent people falling victim to the Undead Army, he unintentionally triggered the Turn Undead spell. It was clearly a miracle born from the blessings of the Five Gods.”
Essex’s voice rose with excitement. Glancing around the room eagerly, he seemed anxious to proceed.
“Of course, before we begin the sanctification process, I must report the procedures to His Grace, the Regent.
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