I transition to the passageway of the Pablo Hetala Palace.

　When my pure white vision regains color, I see a man in the uniform of the Hunting Academy - Baltzalondo - standing in front of me.

　As if to say that he's been waiting for me, he's giving me an appealing look.

''........What did the plague man say?''

Bring Ordov to Ivezaino in three days, that's what I want.

　Barzalondo looks down with a divine expression.

'I don't think he's going to give Rebrahard his demands. They're going to use Highforia as a hunting ground to lure him in and finish him off.

"....It's a natural thing for a hunting nobleman to do. There is no such thing as listening to the words of a beast...

That's not very convincing.

　Pointing this out to him, Barzalondo was at a loss for words for a moment.

'What does this have to do with Ordov and the Plague Oath?'

　Barzalondo's eyebrows twitched.

'.........Is the purpose of the plague man to swear an oath to the prior king.......?

　He smiles and shows his affirmation.

'Let me show you a guess what you think,'

　As I said it, I walked out and walked past Baltzalondo. As if by choice, he turned and followed behind me.

The first king, Ordov, swore an oath to the plague victim, Isak, so that the impenetrable sea would be laid to rest. Ordov hid the plague victim in Hyphoria. His righteousness, the oath he swore, prevented him from destroying the plague.

...how did you know about...?

　Barzalondo rolls his eyes as he paces next to me.

'The oath between Ordov and the Plagues should have been passed on to the Holy King Rebrahald. Nevertheless, why does Rebrahald want to just hunt Isak the Plague Man?

　Barzalondo gritted his teeth and stared at the floor with a thoughtful expression.

'I think Rebrahard is trying to ignore the oath of Ordov,'

　Barzalondo must have had that suspicion.

''It can't be.........''

　It's as if he can say to himself.

"Only the late King Ordoff and the current Holy King know the content of their vows. My brother, unlike me, is wise and intelligent. He has a plan.

Your brother is a changed man, isn't he?

It's...

　As he searches for words, Barzalondo replies.



　He may say that he has changed, but his underlying trust has not been broken.

　He may want to believe that only Rebrahard's roots have not changed.

'But you're worried, aren't you?

..........

'The fact that you asked me, not Lebrahard, what the plague man said is a good indication.

　As if to show affirmation, Barzalondo falls silent.

'I just wanted to know what the oath was, too. Shall we go and find out?

I don't think my brother would give us the benefit of the doubt if we asked him.

　Of course you do.

You can ask him. Didn't he ever tell you where Ordov was hitting the fishing grounds?

"...I haven't seen my predecessor king since the current Holy King ascended the throne and my role is to fight the pecking order and negotiate at Pablo Hetara. I rarely returned to Hyphoria.

　Ordoff seldom came back and never had a chance to see him.

It's not like he hasn't been on the throne for a while. Not once in all that time?

'My father's care. As Count, I was fulfilling the duties assigned to me by the Holy King. If the First King comes to see me every time, he'll say I've been misled.

　Hmm. Well, that's not impossible.

　I haven't seen my father for quite a few years, but I'm not familiar with Hyphorian culture. If Balzalondo doesn't think it's strange, it's not so strange.

"Can't we really find out where Ordov is, even in Hyphoria?

"I will not deprive the deposed prior king of his freedom.

'Lebrahard may have known that the plague was coming to meet Ordov. No wonder, then, that he kept in touch with them in secret for his own safety.

　With a grim expression, Balzalondo ponders.

''........If they have hidden information about my father, it would be the Highforia home country......the highest ranking of the five holy dukes, Duke Eikaku Garunzest, should be in possession of it......no.''

　As he reconsidered, he looked up.

'But in the unlikely event that I ever see my father, I'm not going to divulge the contents of my vows to others...'

'It would be nice to hear the details, though. Just to make sure that what Rebrahard is doing is consistent with his oath.

　Besides, with the current situation now that the plague is awake, we may be able to get some of it out of him.

''It's certainly... certainly worth it...''

'It's settled. Speaking of which, I was going to ask you, when Ray said he could hear voices coming from the Spirit Godman Sword--

　Barzalondo changed his hue and turned around to look at me.

"The Heavenly Spirit King Dionatek is...?

　The fact that this was no ordinary occurrence was evident from his appearance.

I don't know what's going on. Is there a problem?

Where is Ray?

It's probably a garden by now.

''I need to check on the Spiritual God and Human Sword immediately!

　As soon as he said that, Barzalondo kicked the ground and ran into the garden.

''........Hmmm.''

　I use the magic of transference (Gatom).

　My vision turns white and I transition to the gardens of Pablo Hetara.

　I see Ray sitting on a rock with the Reishinjin Sword in his hand.

'I spoke through to Barzarondo. Apparently, the owner of the voice is a man named Dionatek, the Spirit King of Heavenly Life--

　Ray doesn't even turn around to look at us, he is silently looking in front of us.

　I turned my magical eye there, but I couldn't see anything.
　But perhaps something is there.

　Just like when I heard the voice of the Spiritual God Human Sword, perhaps in Ray's magic eye--

''I think ... maybe ... this is a spirit ... inhabiting the Spirit Godman Sword ...''

RAY!

　Barzalondo's voice came flying in.

　He rushed to the garden at full speed and threw the golden hilt at him.

　Ray grabbed it with one hand.

'Connect it with the sword body!　Once the hilt and blade become one, the power will return to the Heavenly Fate Spirit King!

　As Balzarondo tells her, Ray removes the temporary pattern from Evans Mana.

　Then, as if in resonance, a magic circle is drawn on the golden hilt he received.

　Like a magnet attracting each other, I insert Evansmana's sword barrel into it, and a dazzling light fills the garden.

　Me, Ray, and Baltzalondo were isolated into that space of light.

'....help..........'

　A woman in gleaming royal attire emerges in front of me.

　She wears manacles on her mouth and holds a brush in her right hand and a strip of slender wooden board - a wooden letter - in her left hand.

　On the wooden letter, the words that the Heavenly Life Spirit King had just said, 'Help me' were written.

''I beseech you, Heavenly Life Spirit King Dionatek!

　Barzalondo said to that spirit.

'To the wielder of the sword in which thou dost dwell, grant him his heavenly destiny.

　Then, the Heavenly Life Spirit King moved his brush and wrote the rest of the story on a wooden letter.

　A voice rang out.
　A tranquil voice came from her who was supposed to be muzzled.

''Help........give it to me.......''

　The words were directed to Lei, who was holding the Spirit God Man Sword.

　He asked straight away.

''Who should I help?''

..........

　The Heavenly Life Spirit King moved his brush.
　However, there was no further writing on the wooden letter, and no voice was heard.

　Suddenly, the light faded away and the surroundings returned to their original garden.
　The figure of Dionatek, the Heavenly Spirit King, also disappeared.

　Looking at Ray, he shook his head.

''........I can't see him anymore either. I can't even hear the voices........''

''It's because the Spirit God and Man Sword is rusty.

　Barzalondo says.

'Even the indwelling spirits cannot use their power to its fullest if the holy sword rusts.

...rusty?

　Ray looks at the sword barrel of the Spirit God Human Sword.

　The sword blade is sharply sharpened. Not a single blade spill, let alone rust, has occurred.

''It doesn't look like that, but...?''

''As for the blade, I suppose so. However, the brilliance of the Spirit God Man Sword is rusty. The light that the original holy sword gives off isn't at this level.

　Come to think of it, during the Battle of Ewezeino, did I mention that Bobonga is also rusty?

The Spiritual King Dionatek is a spirit born in the lore of a god who brings down the heavenly destiny appropriate to that person. The fact that Dionatek, who normally resides in the Spirit God-Man Sword, emits a voice means that the wielder is in the midst of a great destiny.

　Barzalondo speaks to Ray in a serious tone.

'If it's about the same time as the visit of the plague Izaak to Pablo Hetara... Ray, you may be destined to be deeply involved in this one.

''........I thought for sure it was the Spirit God Human Sword asking for help.......''

　Ray smiles as if he has no sense of substance.

　We were supposed to be outsiders in the conflict between Ewezeino and Hyphoria, but apparently the situation has changed a bit.

''Even more so, it seems we have to listen to the Heavenly Fate Spirit King's voice. How can the Spirit God Human Sword regain its former glory?

''The one who forged Evans Mana was Bellamy Standad, the witch of the Allied Workshop. We have no choice but to have her reforge the Holy Sword. She should still be in the Grand Court of the Holy Superior now.

　Immediately, Barzalondo tried to run.

No,

　He stopped at the sound of my voice and turned around again.

'In preparation for the battle, Bellamy will return to Badyloua once. We'd better wait until then.

Why?

　With a questioning look on his face, Barzalondo asks.

'I don't think the Holy King, who is about to intercept Ewezeino, is going to leave the Spirit Godman Sword in our care.

　The strength of the Disaster Abyss World Ewezeino is second only to Isak the Plague Man, Naga, Bobonga, and Kostoria.

　I don't know how effective they are against Isak the Plague Man, but it's safe to assume that they plan to use the Spiritual God Human Sword as a trump card against Arzenon's Lion of Perdition, at least.

　It's reasonable to think that they've made a calculation to recover the sword from the Demon King Academy by now.

''That's for sure,''

''The Demon King's Academy will be one step ahead of us, heading to Badilua. We'll have some freedom if we pretend that Barzalondo has left the Seventh Elenesia in pursuit of it.

　In preparation for the decisive battle with Ewezeino, Barzalondo, one of the Five Holy Barons, should be given some kind of order.

　If I swallow it, I will not be able to meet Ordov.
　But if I'm on my own, I won't be able to gain the trust of the former king.

　That's why I'll make a move before the Holy King gives an order.

　Barzalondo won't be told to turn back if he has to retrieve the Spirit God and Human Sword.

''What do you know about the whereabouts of the First King?

'We'll go to Hyphoria after we drop Ray off at Vardilua. We are in need of forces. An alliance of academies in Pablo Hetara would not be denied entry.

　Balzalondo nodded as if satisfied.

'Yes, I agree. I thank you, Anos, for your hospitality.

　I tell him, responding with a smile.

'Let's go. We'll be out of the Seventh Elenesia before Lebrahard makes a move.