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“Please save me!!!”

“Stop!!!!”

“Kill me!!!”

“Please!”

Desperate voices flowed from the pits in every direction. There were many pits, and there were also several pits Kadrian had not seen. This place was a small hell. Only an apostle of special status could realize such a method. Kadrian’s chestnut-colored eyes faced straight ahead.

Beneath the enormous statue at the very center was a man praying: Nestor. Moonlight was leaking inside. If not for the surrounding noise, and if one did not listen to the prayer he was muttering, it would have looked almost sacred. Kadrian soon reached the innermost pit. Something was happening inside that was enough to surprise even Kadrian.

Specially shaped soldiers were being created there. The cocoon-like forms resembled a spider’s nest. Sticky membranes stretched here and there, and fruit-like things hung like figs. What was inside them were human children. Kadrian had heard of this method before. This was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes.

That was how dangerous it was. This was a dangerous act. Forbidden magic formed a powerful magical field, and its energy was so wicked that it easily revealed its location. It had not come yet, but until that day came, it was a technique that had only been whispered about through oral tradition. It was powerful black magic, but the reason it was not used carelessly and was only passed down by word of mouth was, as expected, because of the Papal Court.

They were filled with inquisitors who always rushed in with their eyes lit up so that they would not miss even the smallest trace. Just then, two spherical objects split open with a crack. What fell to the floor amid bubbling foam were sturdy monsters. What had gone in were young humans, but what came out had completely different forms. They were 2.5 meters tall. Their black, liquid-covered skin was close to gray. Because of the hastily reconstructed bones, some parts were deformed.

Yes, these were close to transformed high orcs. High orcs gained the respect of other orcs and grew their bodies larger. The small ones were 2 meters tall, while the large ones, though rare, could exceed 3 meters. Such creatures often became the leaders of orc groups. The difference between the lifeforms now crawling on the floor and high orcs was their appearance.

Because their origin was human, they greatly resembled humans. Only their strength, physical endurance, innate morale, and the like were those of high orcs. But what was clearly different was their altered bodies. Mutations existed in parts of their bodies. One of the two had no hand, and in the place where it should have been, there was a sharp biological blade.

The other had an enlarged left arm. It was as if it had become a hammer. Kadrian, who repeatedly marveled at them, realized that the hand of the god of blood had touched these soldiers. The feeling of seeing with her own eyes what she had only heard about was sweet. What she was worried about was the Papal Court’s intervention. It was the problem of the elite holy knight order being deployed. Though the Wandering Guild was a gathering of individuals with outstanding skills, they were insufficient to face an elite holy knight order.

If that had been possible, the main cult would have shown itself long ago. Many such cocoons were hanging there. They seemed to be starting to operate now. Kadrian walked farther inside with clicking footsteps. Nestor turned toward her. Unlike his usual appearance, where he wore a hood, he was dressed in formal attire. Wearing a thin silver necklace around his neck, he was a young man of twenty.

His actual age was over eighty, but his skin was so youthful that no one would believe it. His eyes were delicate, the tip of his nose was rounded, and his mouth was long, making his face look somewhat feminine at first glance. Kadrian smacked her lips inwardly. Since he was a priest who served the god of blood, his pleasures had a primal aspect. If he had served the god of pleasure, even if Kadrian had not seduced him, he would have subtly demanded it himself.

In any case, she remained in a state of amazement and freshness, but she knew that this matter would bring great danger. Her intuition told her that this was certainly something he had committed without even receiving the main cult’s permission.

“This is astonishing and glorious, but Lord Nestor, you have clearly gone too far. Did you receive permission from the main cult?”

“…”

“You did not, did you? Since the Demon Soldier Corps is already being created, it is only a matter of time before this energy is detected. You must stop the Demon Soldier Corps even now. If it had been that day, there would have been an oracle. Is that not so?”

“There was an oracle. I received a revelation.”

“As far as I know, Lord Nestor, you are not among the prophets. If what I am thinking is correct, then you are pushing yourself too far right now. This place is not the main cult, and even if the Wandering Guild has gathered here, if the Papal Court personally intervenes, everyone will be wiped out. Even if we request support from the main cult after they set out, we will be ignored. This land we barely obtained will slip from our hands like that.”

“They know nothing at all about Louis’s value. If we can capture him and send him back to the main cult, all of this will be recorded as a glorious deed, Kadrian. Your name will also be engraved. And you and I, the two of us, will be granted special power by the descended Demon God. We will rise to become even higher beings.”

“I wonder. Even if Sire was defeated, is he really worth that much? I am the type who does not believe anything unless I see it with my own eyes.”

“He is.”

Kadrian sighed. Apostles all had a stubborn side. Including Nestor, she had met four apostles. Amid the screams ringing like a murmur, she tilted her head.

At that moment, there was a man walking toward them from the other side. The two recognized him at a glance. His long, beady eyes curved thinly. He was short, but the murky mana flowing inside his body was genuine. A broken sword hung behind his back, and although he was the leader of the Wandering Guild, there was no trace of the circus-member-like outfit. He wore typical mercenary clothing.

A severed head dangled from his left hand. It was dripping blood and its tongue hung out. It was clear that it had not been long since he killed the person. It looked like the head of a stranger, but when the moonlight fully illuminated it, they immediately recognized it as the head of another guild member. It was clear that another member who had aimed for the position of leader had challenged the leader. Wearing an unmistakably pleased expression, he spoke.

“Hey, Nestor. Long time no see. It’s a shame you’re still alive, but you’ve made something pretty nice.”

“Leader Ian.”

Kadrian recognized Ian and immediately greeted him. Ian seemed unable to remember clearly, so he rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment before speaking.

“Ah. Kadrian, was it? It’s been a year, right?”

Nestor made a disgusted expression, then soon forced a smile.

It was an afternoon when the sunlight poured down so brightly it felt cold. From the west of the Duchy of Eron, a holy knight order suddenly appeared. From the front to the rear, they advanced in two orderly lines, and all together, they appeared to number around three hundred. At the sound of horse hooves, the merchants trying to enter the capital, Lebledna, hurriedly moved aside to the left and right.

A cart that had been traveling smoothly leaned to the roadside, and the merchant’s son and daughter climbed onto it to watch the holy knight order. The merchants stood side by side beside them, whispering about what was happening. Wearing dazzling white armor, these people were the Flash Knight Order, led by the inquisitor Avan Keil, even among the holy knight orders.

From their arms to even their white horses, complex patterns had been drawn, and not a single one had been drawn without meaning. All of them were crests related to barriers or buffs that produced special effects based on divine power.

In any case, the one leading them was Avan Keil, famous as an inquisitor. He had met Louis before. As he crossed the iron bridge leading into the capital, he clicked his tongue at Louis, who had obtained a country in such a short time. When they had met back then, Louis had been a duke, and even then, Avan Keil had thought that too much power was gathering around him. Yet how much time had passed since then? He had fought a war and become king.

He had come here due to various factors, but if one had to choose the foremost reason, it was to restore his pride. As an inquisitor, he had sensed an unknown power through his instincts and judged Louis to be its leader, but the result had been completely different, and he had suffered a degree of humiliation at the time.

While that incident still left a bad taste in his mouth, the moment he heard information that there was a noble involved in black magic within Louis’s territory, he led a portion of his forces here. Those he brought were not the absolute elite, but they were the Flash Knight Order, who were evaluated as being close to that level, and he had selected the most faithful among those who followed him. It was in order to investigate this place and, furthermore, interrogate Louis.

They entered the royal castle. The ones walking down the long corridor laid with a red carpet were Avan Keil and the young Flash Knight Order member who had followed him, Mitchell Kulin. This young knight, only sixteen years old, was one of the children of a great noble of Dorian and possessed considerable talent.

“I still do not understand why Sir Keil is so obsessed with Louis. Was there really a need for you to come all the way for this?”

“You talk too much.”

“I cannot help it. Do you know how far we had to ride to get here? Our comrades are fighting demons in the north.”

The words “and how fun that must be” had been omitted from the end, but Avan Keil knew what was underlying Kulin’s words even without hearing them.

“This will be a good experience for you too. He is an outstanding man.”

“You have never once said that to me, yet you say it about someone else?”

“Ugh. I should have left you behind. You brat, a holy knight must…”

“Always be careful with his words, and pray every day to obtain a narrow heart that does not give rise to disbelief. I have memorized it too, you know.”

Then the great hall opened. Louis looked at Avan Keil. Red hair, cold eyes, and strong divine power. He was exactly as Louis remembered. On the other hand, Avan Keil’s eyes widened as he looked at Louis.

‘He has grown stronger. Just how much…? His skin, face, height, physique—everything is different. Is he the same person? Suspicious. Extremely suspicious.’

And Mitchell Kulin, who had been chattering like a parrot the whole time, also went beyond surprise and wore a fascinated expression. He had never heard from Avan Keil that Louis had reached the realm of a Sword Master. The mana leaking from around him was oppressive, and Kulin’s body, sensitive to mana, recognized Louis’s realm like a ghost.

There was only about a four- or five-year age difference between them, yet Louis stood at a level equal to Avan Keil. Mitchell Kulin, who usually thought of himself as someone blessed with talent, received a fresh shock.

“You must have heard my business. Pontina Louis, Grand Duke of the Duchy of Eron, I will interrogate you.”

As if declaring that he would carry out official duties, Avan Keil emitted a chilling energy. It was a thorough proceeding that showed his rigid tone and his character, which clearly distinguished right from wrong. However, Louis, who received that energy head-on, did not move at all.

Unlike in the past, a completely different level of mana now existed inside Louis. No, even if that was not the reason, his body was already not easily affected by another person’s mana, magical power, or divine power. Instead, Louis smiled and spoke to Avan Keil with an expression that said this was perfect.

“You came at the right time. You must help me, inquisitor Sir Avan Keil.”