“……!”
The Demon Worshipper, whose limbs had vanished, widened his eyes.
What was this monster before him?
Not only had he overcome the fire received from a demon, he had effortlessly neutralized it?
That was impossible.
“What in the world….”
He was flustered. His words would not come out properly.
In the end, the Demon Worshipper opened and closed his mouth several times before clamping it shut.
Arden, who had watched this, pulled him out of the circle.
Sssssizzle!
“Let’s go.”
He grabbed the Demon Worshipper by the back of the neck, lifted him up, and left the underground room.
He knew exactly what would happen if he left him like that.
The bastard would kill himself somehow.
If that happened, they would have to fight Demon Worshippers without even being able to prepare properly.
Arden did not want that.
‘I have to stop it as much as possible.’
Cannibalism, human livestock farms, human experimentation… Demon Worshippers had committed unthinkable acts.
Of course, he had secretly read it in a book that was about to be discarded, so some details might differ. But it could only be worse, not better.
“What are you going to do now?”
The bastard, who had been struggling, asked as Arden continued thinking.
“…….”
Arden did not answer and climbed the stairs to the first floor.
He was looking for the old man or Mel.
He felt this bastard needed to be kept somewhere more secure.
“Do you think anything will change by keeping me alive?”
“No. I know too. You will move no matter what.”
It was obvious without needing to see it.
Even if this bastard did not die, the Demon Worshippers would move.
They had likely been told to act if no signal came for a certain period.
“So you know it is useless, yet you are doing this? Even if you buy time, you will lose in the end.”
“You never know until you fight. We have to try to find out.”
As he said that, Arden struck the back of the Demon Worshipper’s head.
Thud!
“…Tsk.”
The Demon Worshipper clicked his tongue and fell silent.
Then Arden spotted the old man. Mel was beside him as well. The priests were nowhere to be seen, as though they had gone somewhere else.
Arden hurried to the two of them and spoke.
“Wait a moment.”
The old man turned to look at Arden.
“I was about to go retrieve you from the underground room because I had more to tell you besides the matter of the Demon Worshipper, but you came first. But in your hand….”
He trailed off and looked at the Demon Worshipper for a moment.
“His limbs…?”
“He tore out the magic circle and drove it into his chest, saying it would begin if he died.”
“…Then I believe we should keep him somewhere other than the interrogation room. Follow me, Sir Arden.”
“Yes.”
Arden nodded and followed the old man.
After walking for some time, the old man opened a door labeled Closed—No Entry and entered.
“This is the place.”
When he poured Divine Power into a sphere, the dark room lit up in an instant.
Arden cautiously stepped inside and looked around.
True to a room marked No Entry, it was filled with all kinds of horrifying torture devices.
They could not be compared to those in the underground room.
“Sir Arden, let us put him in here first.”
The old man brought over an iron box a little larger than a person’s torso.
Its interior was densely packed with nails, each marked with a spell.
“Crazy bastards. That still exists?”
Even the Demon Worshipper clicked his tongue.
The old man spoke with a grim face.
“Do you think this is the first time I have seen you? Sir Arden, put him inside. Because of the nature of the demon he contracted with, this bastard cannot die easily anyway.”
“…Yes.”
Arden nodded and put the bastard inside the iron box.
Crunch!
The nails infused with Divine Power burned away all his scales and pierced his flesh.
After watching dark red blood flow from all over his body, Arden shut the box.
“Gaaaaah!”
When the old man shook the box a few times, a scream burst out.
Was that what torture was like?
Arden blinked and looked to the side.
Mel had a similar reaction.
“…….”
The old man, who had fetched some rope from somewhere, wrapped it around the iron box and spoke.
“I will carry this bastard.”
He then placed it on his back and carried it like a bag.
“Let us go, Sir Arden. Lady Berua has something to tell you. I should have told you immediately, but I was delayed a little because of this bastard. I will tell you about Demon Worshippers afterward.”
“Ah… yes.”
It was just as the two were about to leave the room.
“Um… old man. You said that, when you were young, you killed Demon Worshippers and forbidden magic users under orders from the Temple.”
Mel, who had not moved, spoke carefully.
The old man nodded.
“For a time, that was true…. But why bring that up suddenly, you fool?”
“I remembered something you said before. Couldn’t we put him in prison under guard? Instead of doing this.”
“…Everyone thinks that way at first. Stop thinking about it and let us go. The one who cuts wanted men into pieces every day is worrying about me.”
“That’s one thing, and this is another. This is harder.”
Mel gestured with her chin.
Arden, who had quietly listened to their conversation, turned his head.
Dark red blood continuously dripped from the iron box tied to the old man’s back.
Faint groans accompanied it.
The old man lightly patted the box as he answered.
“Gaaaah!”
“Mel… this is no different. Your grandfather received this kind of education instead of learning to read when he was young, so he has grown accustomed to it.”
The old man’s face as he said this seemed somehow lonely.
“And unless you experience what those bastards have done firsthand, you cannot understand why I go this far….”
“Old man.”
“I lost everything that day. There was a time when I killed them out of vengeance, not because of the Temple’s orders. But after I met you, I came to my senses. That is why I am still alive.”
“…….”
“You were my salvation. I do not regret saving you then.”
The old man’s final words, spoken as though in passing, were so quiet that no one could hear them.
Perhaps because of that, the conversation stopped for a moment.
An unfamiliar silence passed between them.
Mel was the first to break it.
She murmured softly.
“…Old man.”
“Mel, even past forty, you are still like a child who only grew bigger. You have not changed since you were young.”
“Have I?”
“What do you mean, have you? I am telling you to grow up, you fool. How long are you going to stay like this?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
Mel shrugged.
However, her deeply sunken eyes remained fixed on the old man.
After watching him for a long time, Mel continued.
“Is it still like that these days? You never talk about it.”
“…It is not like that these days. Let us stop and go. Sir Arden, please forget the conversation you just heard.”
“Yes.”
Arden nodded.
He could infer that there were complicated circumstances involved.
He had no intention of prying.
***
When Arden reached the intensive care room, he left the two behind and entered alone.
A single bed stood within the pure white room.
Berua lay upon it.
Sensing someone’s presence, Berua spoke.
“Arden, have you come?”
“Yes.”
“Please wait a moment….”
She slowly raised herself and faced Arden.
“There is one reason I called you.”
“What is it?”
“Could you learn about Demon Worshippers with the old man and Mel? Of course, I know you have things you must do. It would be enough if you only helped along your way beyond the continent. It is difficult to call it a reward, but…. I will arrange in advance for you to obtain one sacred relic stored in the Central Region. You will have to pass its trial, but if it is you, Arden, you will be able to.”
As Berua had said, sacred relics could only be used by those they chose.
It was such a well-known fact that it had spread throughout the continent.
Arden nodded and answered.
“Yes, I will try. Do not worry.”
Putting the sacred relic aside, he had not forgotten the vow he had made when he first set out on his journey.
His vow to change the world.
His vow to destroy bandit gangs and kill every monster.
He would merely add one more thing to it.
He had made up his mind from the moment he confirmed the existence of Demon Worshippers.
Of course, his body had not fully recovered yet, but it would recover to some extent by the time he left.
Then there would be no problem.
Berua looked at Arden and bowed deeply.
“Thank you very much.”
“No, it is all right.”
“I have already spoken to the old man, so you may go once you have finished preparing.”
“Yes.”
It was just as Arden answered briefly and turned around.
“…I feel as though I only receive help every time.”
Berua murmured softly.
Arden paused and looked at her again.
Her expression was full of complicated emotions.
It also seemed as though she had made a great decision.
“Honestly, even I do not know whether I should be asking this of you. No matter how strong you are, you are still a child. You should not have to see scenes like this yet… but if you do what I have asked of you, you may see even worse scenes in the future.”
Berua lightly bit her lip and continued.
“And whenever I heard that you had been hurt, I thought the gods were too cruel. Why did they have to let the bandit gang attack the orphanage? If the gods had shown mercy… if they had shown even the slightest mercy… everyone would have been smiling. You would not have had to see such terrible scenes at such a young age.”
Berua’s voice gradually broke into sobs.
“I still remember when Arden buried the dead children in the ground, then cried in my arms. The world is too cruel… Do the gods truly exist…? I should not be like this. If I am like this….”
In the end, Berua stopped speaking.
She could not continue any longer.
Sitting on the bed, she covered her face with her hands and cried.
Arden could not do anything for her.
He merely approached carefully and patted her back.
“…….”
After crying for a long time, she spoke without lifting her head.
Her voice was still full of tears.
“Why did I suddenly begin thinking this way…? Since—since the battle in the forest? Honestly, even though they are my own feelings, I do not understand them well anymore….”
Berua lowered the hands that had covered her face and clutched the blanket.
“May I ask just one thing? Only one thing?”
“Yes.”
Arden nodded.
Even so, Berua pondered for a long time before finally speaking.
“The position of Holy Knight that I gave you… do you regret it?”
It was a sentence filled with many thoughts.
Many things rose to Arden’s mind in an instant. Once he sorted through them, he answered slowly.
“No. I do not regret it.”
Arden did not regret it.
Not when he first received the symbol of a Holy Knight from the High Priest.
Not now, after overcoming countless trials and facing Berua here.
That was why he could say it.
“Because I was able to do many things thanks to it.”
If anything, he was grateful.
“…….”
Berua still had her head lowered as she spoke.
“Arden… I still have much I want to say, but if I say any more here, it will become shackles instead. And I do not even know what I was trying to say, speaking so incoherently.”
“It is all right.”
Although Arden said it was all right, Berua shook her head as though she had already made up her mind.
“No. I apologize for showing you such a disgraceful sight. You must be busy, so please forget this. I pray that the gods will bless you.”
Only then did Berua raise her head and smile faintly.
Arden watched her for a moment before turning away.
There was no farewell.
Arden closed the door and went outside.
Left alone in the pure white room, Berua could only stare at the spot where Arden had stood.
***
“Have you finished speaking?”
The old man asked Arden when he came out.
Arden nodded.
“Then it will be quick. I am considering leaving immediately. What do you think, Sir Arden? I will explain as we travel.”
“That is fine with me too. Let us go right away.”
“Yes, understood. Mel, let us prepare.”
“Okay, old man.”
Mel answered briefly and headed somewhere.
Meanwhile, the old man spoke.
“For now, we have narrowed down the Black Mages’ locations to some extent. If we leave immediately, it will take about two days.”
“That should be enough for me too.”
Two days felt as though it would be enough.
“That is fortunate. Then we will leave as soon as Mel returns.”
“Yes.”
“It will likely take quite a long time. We have identified around five locations just along the route to the Central Region. That is why I ask: would it be all right for you to leave without meeting the others?”
“Yes, that is fine. I think it is right to leave like this.”
“Understood.”
The old man nodded and shook the iron box.
“Gaaaah….”
Then he adjusted the strap tied across his shoulder and spoke.
“Sir Arden, would you wait outside?”
“I will.”
“Follow me.”
Arden followed the old man outside the Temple.
“What I will tell you now concerns Demon Worshippers.”
“…….”
Arden nodded with a serious expression.
The old man thought for a moment, then continued.
“The story is not very long. First… even if Demon Worshippers are killed, new ones appear after time passes. It is because the demons themselves have not been killed.”
“Then the demons….”
“The demons are beyond the continent, far past its outskirts, in a place called the Demon Realm. It is a place even the Emperor could not reach.”
“Ah.”
Arden blinked at those words.
The old man paused for a moment and looked at Arden.
Then, as though he had collected himself, he continued.
“To return to the matter, later Demon Worshippers inherit the abilities of their predecessors. That is why they grow stronger the more they are killed. The bastard here is the same. The previous one was insignificant, but this one is….”
The old man trailed off.
He looked up at the sky for a moment before speaking again.
“That is the truth the Temple has concealed.”
“…….”
“The current Divine Emperor believed that people would grow anxious if such a story leaked out, so it was hidden. I do not know whether that was the right decision now.”
“But you said we would overcome it.”
The old man nodded at Arden’s words.
“Yes, that is true. But… even if we win this time, those bastards will appear again someday. Of course, we may be able to overcome them then as well. But if they become so strong centuries from now that we cannot handle them….”
The old man stopped speaking and forced a smile.
“My apologies. Please consider it the nonsense of a senile old man.”
Arden thought for a moment, then asked.
“Will it end if the demon dies?”
“Yes, it will.”
“Then I will kill the demons too. So there will not be any more victims.”
“…Thank you, even if only for saying that. Mel will arrive soon, so let us prepare.”
The old man lightly patted Arden’s shoulder as he spoke.
Instead of answering, Arden nodded.
It did not matter if they did not believe him now.
He could show them himself later.
That was when it happened.
Mel walked out of the Temple and spoke.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, let us go. Sir Arden, you as well.”
“Yes.”
And so, the three set off.