Is He Done Pretending?

When the tattered, wounded human looked up, Iver sensed a vibrant life force in his bare chest, his heavy breathing, the scars covering his body, and his bulging muscles.

A pure sense of "power".

That was a kind of "valor" that had completely disappeared in Iver's era. It was a broken lineage of [power].

But at that moment, the man suddenly fell headfirst to the ground.

Iver was startled and immediately urged the Pegasus beneath him to move.

Pegasus streaked across the sky in a brilliant golden arc, carrying Iver to the man and catching him as he fell from the sky.

Are you alright?

Iver asked with concern, "What's your name?"

"Fine..."

The man's voice was unusually dry and hoarse, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness and was unable to speak, "I am Arthur."

The sin thorns on his body have withered and dissipated into black smoke. Only a small section of the sin thorn remains connected to his right arm, which still holds the Holy Lance.

—It really is Arthur.

Iver thought to himself.

When he participated in this ceremony, the Giant Chieftain had called out Arthur's name. Judging from the youthfulness of Arthur's body, this should have been an adventure before he became famous. It was during this adventure that Arthur gained the Holy Lance's approval.

The Human World incarnation of the Silver Crowned Dragon was indeed exceptionally brave.

But she's really stubborn.

"Judging from your voice, I can't tell you're alright at all..."

Iver casually remarked, subconsciously reaching out and pressing his hand against the other person's chest.

He was suddenly stunned for a moment, and then realized that the power he Dedication Path, and even the Paradox Flame Butterfly, had been sealed away.

During the Promotion Ritual of the Dedication Path, he can use the power of the Little Butterfly, which also means that the Promotion Ritual Path of Transcendence of Dedication cannot be used.

Correspondingly, Iver can use other abilities of the Great Sin Scholar. He can also freely use rituals that Path of Transcendence.

"Wait a moment," Iver said, glancing around before finding usable ritual materials. "The giant's heart is perfect for the healing. Although the Magic Cauldron is gone, this giant should have a water cup, which can also be used as a pot..."

As Iver searched for clues in the surrounding area, the human warrior he had helped to the open space suddenly spoke up, "Why did you save me?"

"...What?"

Iver paused for a moment. "Why...?"

He hadn't really thought about that.

— Rather, it's more accurate to say that a native who can communicate normally, is relatively good at fighting, and has no malicious intent is exactly the temporary teammate that the boss set up for himself in the script.

As he pondered, the other party asked again, "Is it alright for you to use a giant as a ritual material?"

"Giants aren't even my kind..."

Iver blurted it out.

But at that moment, he suddenly felt a jolt of fear and a chill run down his spine.

—Wait, what does he mean by that? Is there something wrong with the other person's perspective? Normally, if a human sees an elven knight riding a pegasus and accompanied by a Greater Demon, shouldn't they first ask about the Night Demon? For example, "Who is she?" or "Why are you with him?"

However, the other party did not have much of the awe that humans have for elves, nor did they have any fear or apprehension towards demons.

It's important to know that the first Demon Scholar was Jean de Fontanel, a figure from the early 15th century. And according to the first Promotion Ritual Path of Transcendence of Iver ... the story of the Giant Pankerde Couple took place in 1320, while Avalon was founded in 1340.

This is at least a century before Fontanael was born!

There are no Demon Scholar at all in this era; the demons are still apostles of the Fallen Angel! How can an elven knight serving as a candlelight servant be mixed up with a demon of the Fallen Angel?

... Wait, that's still not right!

Iver suddenly realized the crux of the problem.

The "Sir Hellerchein" he is now playing is actually a character who existed before the era of "Arthur"! It was because of the sacrifice of "Sir Hellerchein" that people no longer regarded giants as supreme Giant God, which gave Arthur and his nine warriors the courage to go here to find the Holy Lance; and since Arthur would come to find the Holy Lance, it means that the Candle Holder Apostle Kastening is dead.

If the Candle Holder Apostle Kastening had died before Sir Hellerchein's sacrifice, then he would have had no reason to travel to Avalon to investigate "evidence of the giants' crimes."

In other words, Arthur should not appear in the story of "Sir Hellerchein"!

Back when Sir Hellerchein was still alive, "Arthur" was the Crowned Angel of the Path of Strength!

—Then there must be something wrong with Arthur who appears in front of me!

Iver also remembered something else—he had sworn before the Silver Crowned Dragon not to use his own kind as ritual material.

Gazing into the calm eyes of the human warrior who called himself "Arthur," Iver gradually realized something.

... I'm amazing.

Who are you?!

"Very good."

Arthur nodded slowly, his expression serious. "You must remember, the sin of Heavenly Sin is, to a certain extent, subjective. For example, a Half-Elf may consider both humans and elves to be of the same kind as him, or he may consider neither to be of the same kind as him. The sin of Heavenly Sin will judge him according to how he himself judges it."

"The fundamental principle of the sin of Heavenly Sin is the sin of 'treating one's own kind as material' itself. It is a Sin of Arrogance, the first of the seven deadly sins. And this 'own kind' is not necessarily limited to 'the same race'... it could also be the same ethnicity, or the same nationality, or even the same kind of people, or even like-minded people from different races with whom one has a good relationship."

"You only need to live uprightly and have a clear conscience. The Great Sin Imprint will keep you safe."

Arthur, whose bones were almost completely broken, neither cried out in pain nor rested. Instead, he remained in this scarred state, earnestly and seriously instructing Iver on something in the manner of an elder.

Iver was extremely cautious, as if he were on the verge of death.

—He didn't even introduce himself!

The other person explained the secrets of the Great Sin Imprint to him so familiarly... and even for ordinary Demon Scholar, the Great Sin Imprint was knowledge that had nothing to do with them. Not to mention the "Sin of the Heavenly Sin," which, even more than five hundred years later, was esoteric knowledge that was still Secret Knowledge.

This is most likely the Silver Crowned Dragon in its true form! But Iver doesn't know whether this is a helper hired by the boss, or whether it came looking for trouble on its own...

Speaking of which... being separated from the "Calamity Demon Dragon" which is still the Crowned Angel, and becoming an individual named "Arthur," it seems that he does indeed have a desire to transcend.

In other words, he was indeed Iver's predecessor on the Path of Transcendence.

Iver ultimately failed to find the copper pot and cup, but he did find a copper shield. He lit a fire beneath it, placed fragments of the giant's heart and liver on top, and, having found cumin and plenty of garlic in the kitchen, began to roast them.

This recipe, resembling teppanyaki, is the simplest ritual for utilizing high-quality meat. Because grilling itself is the first kind of ritual—it signifies a skill in cooking food to perfection. In the past, when humanity was still in a primitive stage, "cooking" was the most effective way to maximize the nutritional value of food and reduce its toxicity.

Just like some of the witch's potions that must be added to soup to achieve their maximum effect.

Stewing and roasting are the simplest rituals. Just as a warrior who slays a dragon bathes in dragon's blood and devours its Dragon Heart, eating the Dragon Heart directly would undoubtedly cause it to burst from its power. However, if the Dragon Heart is cooked before use, its toxicity and danger are greatly reduced.

The core principle of Ritual Studies is a sacred act that is performed without understanding why it is done, but with precise steps, a clear purpose and hope, and where one's own abilities are insufficient to achieve the goal sought by the ritual.

If such a sacred act contains supernatural elements, then it undoubtedly belongs to the Ritual Studies. And if the ritual is fully explained and disenchanted, then it becomes part of alchemy.

When consuming the giant's heart, the "unidentified Mr. Arthur" offered experienced advice and guidance:

"Your idea is sound. The giant's heart and liver possess ample vitality, and their magical powers are fire and earth. Copper is a fire-related metal mineral, sufficient to unleash the 'fire element' power within it. If you have sage, amaranth, ginger, and cinnamon, the healing effect can be further enhanced."

"Furthermore, giant marrow is also an excellent ritual material. After a simple detoxification process, it can be used to heal bones. You can purify it by fermenting grapes, especially diseased grapes with shriveled skins and a blackish-gray fuzz. Mix these grapes with the giant marrow and then ferment. To accelerate fermentation and maintain purity, you can add additional Water Attribute and Light Attribute; the best medium for this magic is blessed Oak Ash or honey. After concentration, you will obtain a fragrant black ointment."

"Furthermore, the skin of giants has other uses. Especially the skin of Pure-Blood Giant; the red bear fur on their skin can be collected, degreased, dried, and preserved. This dried bear fur, mixed with cinnabar, can be used as a potent Fire Attribute energy-infusing material. Adding a small amount of fire essence can further enhance its effects."

"The skin on the back of the giant after the hair is removed can be tanned with tannin and made into leather. It can be preserved with the oil refined from the giant's blood, and then burned off with fire after seven years. If the process is successful, a material with excellent anti-magic properties can be obtained. It can be immune to many spells below the Third Level..."

Arthur's words became increasingly arrogant.

Iver was terrified.

... Brother, stop for a moment, brother!

Do you not want to act at all?