Chapter 50: I Won't Insult You with This

"My foot you're rocking it!"

Mino pointed at Altotai, who was swimming blissfully inside the magma barrel, and said with righteous indignation, "He's already soaring with pleasure!"

Apophis walked over to the magma barrel and lifted Altotai out.

Having just been immersed in magma, Altotai's entire body had become smooth and translucent, with a faint heat radiating from the blade, exuding a deep, dark golden texture.

"How is it, Altotai? Still comfortable?" Apophis smiled.

"Comfor—" Altotai relaxed his expression, just about to nod when a sudden flash of alarm went off in his heart: 'So what if it's comfortable?! Don't think you can tempt me with these little petty favors and make me easily reveal the secrets of the Holy Church!'

"That post-coital abandonment mindset—well, nicely done, Altotai." Mino stroked his chin and nodded.

"As expected, it wasn't that simple... What a pity, I guess I'll just have to enjoy the remaining magma all by myself." Apophis shook his head as if regretful.

"Gah! Is your interrogation really that short-lived..."

Altotai's blade swayed slightly, and he tentatively asked, "How about... you try again?"

"...What is with that expression of someone who has tasted something and now craves more?"

Apophis continued to shake his head: "I'm getting old, getting old. I know when there's no need to waste effort on impossible places."

Acting as if filled with pity, he once again tore open space and pulled out a bucket radiating bone-chilling cold.

"Since even the magma of the molten volcano couldn't tempt you, I suppose I won't insult you with the snow from the Pure White Peak..."

Hearing this, Altotai's blade, which had not yet lost its scorching heat, suddenly paused, and his voice wavered with hesitation:

"The snow from the Pure White Peak...?"

"Indeed," Apophis sighed emotionally. "After experiencing a steaming hot magma bath, applying the most delicate and frosty snow from the icy peak is simply the ultimate enjoyment for our kind.

Furthermore, it can drastically improve the compactness of the blade, making it elastic, tender, and glossy, rendering the edge sharper than ever before..."

"A holy sword that has not gone through the complete process is destined to live a failed life."

Apophis stored the magma barrel back into his spatial storage. The room was now left only with the endlessly spilling cold air. The moment the sweat on Altotai's blade made contact with it, it crystallized into fine, delicate ice pillars, emitting a crisp, clear sound.

"Is this... truly the snow from the legendary absolute zero icy peak?" Altotai asked with a dazed look in his eyes.

"Yes, and it's even the most refined essence from the very peak."

Altotai's blade swayed violently, as if his throat were frantically swallowing saliva. For a moment, Mino suddenly felt a bad omen.

"Hey! Altotai, you're not going to just..."

"...Hah... hah..." Altotai shook violently all over, emitting labored gasps. Soon, he put on a tough-guy voice:

"No, do not worry, my Lord. How could I, Altotai, being the Holy Sword of Light and all, ever yield to the demons just for my own desires?"

"Altotai!" Mino wiped away tears of emotional gratification.

Beside them, Apophis casually tossed out a remark:

"Unlimited ice refills today, you know..."

Altotai abruptly jerked his hilt upward:

"Even if I completely and voluntarily surrender the intelligence on a silver platter, thus making my blade even sharper, it must surely be... for you, my Lord!!!!"

With a splash, Altotai plunged headfirst into the snow barrel.

"Altotai!!!" Mino was shocked.

[Ding—Interrogation mission completed. You have obtained three Command Seals of the Enhanced/Suppressed Demon Sword Apophis, which can be manifested when needed.]

Accompanied by the crisp chime in his ear, Altotai had spilled the beans.

"The holy relic Heart of Ice provides the wearer with extraordinarily powerful protection, but it also has a drawback: the wearer must maintain a completely frozen and calm state of mind.

Once emotions exceed a certain threshold, the Heart of Ice will completely fail, while simultaneously suppressing the wearer's power for a considerable period of time.

However, thanks to the processing by the Holy Church, the moment the Heart of Ice fails, it generates an indestructible protective barrier that teleports the wearer back to the Holy Church."

Clementina nodded slightly: "That will be enough."

As long as Lena could be stripped of her combat capability for a period of time, the Demon Army wouldn't be in such a passive position. At the very least, by the time Miguo and the others fully recovered their powers, they would have enough capacity to handle the situation.

"It's just that the wearer is none other than Lena, the Ice Saintess... The Holy Church has truly found themselves a troublesome Saintess."

Shaking her head, Clementina said no more, and taking Apophis with her, she slowly left the cell.

"Phew, those meddlesome demons are finally gone."

Jumping out of the ice barrel, the Holy Sword Altotai, whose luster was nourished to an unprecedented degree, spat toward the receding backs of the two demons: "To actually plot against Lady Lena the Saintess, these demons are truly despicable."

"The truly despicable one is you, you double-crossing turncoat holy sword..." A cold voice came from behind.

Altotai's blade stiffened.

Slowly turning around, he saw Mino looking at him with a gentle smile, though for some reason, Altotai felt a chill run through him.

"M-My Lord. Uh, well, let me explain!" Altotai gave a dry chuckle, his self-preservation instincts going into a frenzied overdrive: "This is called strategy—strategic surrender! Yes! That's right!"

"Oh?"

"Just think about it! At this juncture, with the Hero having just been born, in order to continuously sabotage the kingdom's strength, the demons were bound to get rid of that massive headache of a frontline obstacle, Saintess Lena, no matter what! ...If I hadn't confessed, who knows, maybe several great demon lords would have mobilized together and directly ambushed and slaughtered Saintess Lena!!!"

Altotai put on an expression of someone who had everything under control: "And once I exposed the weakness of the Heart of Ice, the demons would settle for the next best thing and choose an easier method. That way, Saintess Lena's life won't be in danger!"

"Yes, exactly like that!"

"Hearing you put it that way, it does make some sense." Mino thought for a moment and displayed a faint smile.

Altotai nodded excitedly: "Precisely, precisely."

Then, he saw Mino's sandbag-sized fist come flying toward him.

"Make that a ghost of a reason! You were just acting all high and mighty and lecturing me a moment ago, yet look at you now!!" Mino jabbed his finger repeatedly like a machine gun against Altotai's hilt, cursing angrily.

"What happened to the 'great Holy Sword of Light with a steel soul'? You folded and knelt after just a single round, didn't you?!"

"Whatever happened to 'no one can make you yield'?"

In the corner, Altotai aggrievedly muttered: "That wasn't a person... it was a Demon Sword."

"Go die!"

"My Lord, calm down, calm down!" Altotai gave a dry cough. Knowing he was in the wrong, he hurriedly explained: "Haven't you noticed? The intelligence I surrendered fully adopted your free-handout techniques; it is definitely not something that can be achieved easily!"

"For instance, there are actually three weaknesses to the Heart of Ice, but I only revealed the hardest to achieve and most airtight weakness!"

"Just think about it, the Heart of Ice is worn by Lena, the Ice Saintess. What on earth could the demons possibly do to make someone as emotionally detached as an iceberg like Saintess Lena experience emotional fluctuations?!"

Altotai said with absolute confidence.

"What you said is actually quite valid." This time, Mino nodded seriously.

Immediately afterward, he tilted his head and looked at Altotai.

"But... what if they extract more intelligence from me on how to make Lena experience emotional fluctuations? Wouldn't Lena be totally screwed?"

Altotai froze in place.