Chapter 58
“Swear for the Empire and for your mother. Swear that you will never let anyone know you are a creature of darkness.”
But if he died, that oath would mean nothing.
“Please come back alive.”
Melody’s desperate voice echoed in his mind.
He did not want to die yet. At least, not before seeing her face again.
Deonis reached out his hand. As dark power swirled around his fingertips, a familiar voice rang out.
“Your Grace!”
Turning his head, he saw a knight with a greatsword rushing through the leaves. It was Talia, whom he had assigned to guard Melody. Beside her ran a holy knight.
“Damn it, what is that…!”
Talia shouted as she saw the monster Ahwin was struggling against. Bloodied, Ahwin barely held back its massive claws.
“Commander!!”
In Dering’s hand, the holy sword shone with radiant light. Without hesitation, he leapt forward. His strike cut into the monster’s side like lightning.
Grrrrrr!!
The beast shrieked as the blade sank deep. Ahwin’s sword targeted its legs, breaking its stance.
The monster collapsed, slashing wildly with its claws in its last breath, but Dering blocked with the holy sword. The impact numbed his arm, but he gritted his teeth.
“Now, Sir Talia!”
“Take this!!”
Her greatsword swung straight at the monster’s neck. Crunch! Its head flew off.
Dering wiped the black blood from his sword and looked at Ahwin.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Commander. Truly glad we weren’t too late.”
“Sir Dering… how are you here…?”
Ahwin’s face showed rare surprise.
“Your Grace, are you hurt?”
“You disobeyed my orders by coming here?”
Deonis’s cold eyes made Talia frown.
“We didn’t disobey. And besides, when we come in the middle of your life-and-death battle, can’t you just say, ‘Good, you came’”?
“Didn’t disobey…?”
But then Deonis’s lips slowly parted as he saw the woman stepping out of the trees.
“Melody…!”
“She brought us here,” Dering explained.
Ahwin’s eyes widened.
“I came to save you,” Melody said.
“Haa…”
The last scout’s breath faded away. Benedict laid a white cloth over the corpse.
It couldn’t be helped. For the sake of the Light.
“May the Goddess guide you.”
Leaving the medical tent, Benedict frowned at the bright moonlight.
“It would be better if those born from darkness acted like it.”
Muttering, he walked quickly to the High Priest’s tent.
“The scout?”
“I sent him to the Goddess.”
Seruel closed his eyes in prayer before speaking quietly.
“This tragedy happened because of a reckless magic tool maker. Have you found out about her?”
“Melody Riwud. She once worked in the temple’s tool-making division. A supervisor there was caught making killing weapons, and it seems she learned from him.”
“So the Duke trusted someone who studied lethal weapons… He was too naive.”
“Or perhaps… he trusted her knowingly.”
Benedict’s narrowed eyes gleamed. Seruel’s smile deepened.
“People who worship darkness keep appearing. One cannot rest for even a moment.”
After a pause, Seruel continued.
“If darkness has bewitched the Duke, then His Majesty must punish him. Not that he will return alive.”
“The Crown Prince is being sent as reinforcements. We should let him handle this.”
At Benedict’s words, Seruel’s face brightened.
“Yes… it is right to end this here, where it began.”
“But the barrier restoration may not be possible.”
Seruel stepped outside, looking down at the corrupted land glowing in moonlight.
“The rift is only temporary. Soon, all will return to the Light. We need only buy time until then.”
But the barrier was already collapsing, and no human power could stop it.
“Surely no one could return alive from there…”
Seruel stopped himself mid-sentence.
“It has already been three days since the Duke vanished. He cannot have survived.”
Benedict answered smoothly, as if reading his mind. He was the faithful servant of the Goddess.
Plip. Plip. Rain tapped on the tent, then fell heavily, soaking the earth with the smell of blood and mud.
Seruel recalled the tool that had made water leap into the sky. His steps slowed. Those glittering green eyes nagged at his memory.
“Surely that toolmaker…”
No. No one could survive there. Even Ahwin, the strongest of the holy knights, had been swallowed by that place.
Losing him was painful, but soon, divine radiance would overflow in this land. Then his own holy power would return as well.
The coming of the Goddess of Light.
As in ancient times, when the Light saved the land from chaos, it would descend again. He believed it with all his heart.
To shine the Light—that was his mission. A few sacrifices could not be avoided.
“O Light, save us.”
His prayer was drowned by the rain.
“The High Priest wanted you dead.”
The way Deonis said it was so chilling, Melody almost couldn’t breathe. She froze, halfway through wrapping his wounds. Even her skin prickled.
Ahwin stamped out the small campfire and shook his head.
“Kelt ants? We haven’t seen a single one since entering the forest.”
“Then, Commander, are you saying His Eminence made up such nonsense just to frame Lady Melody?”
“Perhaps the scout lied.”
At those words, Deonis’s eyes flared with anger.
“What benefit would he gain by lying?”
“Even if they make Melody the scapegoat, the temple gains nothing.”
“Nothing? They dumped all the blame on her and dragged the name of magic tools through the mud. Isn’t that benefit enough?”
Deonis’s voice was sharp as a blade. Ahwin lowered his head, unable to argue further.
“There must be another reason.”
“Think what you want.”
Deonis turned his eyes back to Melody. His face showed shock.
“They wanted to kill you.”
“But I didn’t die. See? I’m fine.”
“I promised to protect you…”
“Sir, Talia protected me. If you two clear my name, then my innocence will be proven too.”
“But you had to flee into this forest to avoid death.”
Deonis gave a bitter smile, full of self-blame. Melody tied off the bandage and said quietly, in a calm voice—
