Chapter 381: To Think You’d Be Here (3)
Ghislain wore a look of admiration as he watched Porisco, whose eyes blazed with anger.
‘How did he manage to hold back all this time?’
Porisco was someone who, in his position, had committed every evil act imaginable.
However, after gaining a reputation as a “Holy One,” he had been forced to feign righteousness. The moment he found an opportunity to torment someone, his true nature surfaced.
“Hurry, hurry! Drag them all out! I’ll show them the severity of the ‘True Order’! These wretches shall receive divine punishment!”
At Porisco’s excited command, the Temple Knights rushed into the building in droves.
The structure was fairly large, as it served as a place where people from various Orders gathered to provide service. Although there were likely many people inside, Porisco was unconcerned.
‘Heh, what can a bunch of spies possibly do?’
According to Porisco, this was just a place where spies pretended to engage in volunteer work.
Even if they had some level of skill, being spies, they couldn’t possibly match up to the Temple Knights.
Temple Knights, though not as proficient as priests, could still use minor divine power. Coupled with their considerable martial prowess, they were essentially knights capable of self-healing. There was no way mere spies could defeat them.
As Porisco contemplated how to make the execution more spectacular, a shattering sound broke his train of thought.
Crash!
“Huh?”
The sound came from a second-floor window, where one of the Temple Knights tumbled out. Porisco tilted his head in confusion.
“What’s going on?”
Just as he began to wonder if someone unexpectedly strong was present, a ruckus erupted inside the building.
“Aaaargh!”
“It’s a monster!”
“Kill it quickly!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The commotion was deafening. There were constant sounds of things breaking and being smashed to pieces.
Porisco, known for his quick wits, picked up on the situation swiftly. It was the very same sense that had saved him from danger countless times before.
Cautiously backing away, Porisco muttered to himself,
“Why is it so chaotic for just a simple volunteer group?”
Boom!
Suddenly, the door burst open, and the corpse of a Temple Knight was flung out. Porisco instinctively took a few more steps back.
“Grrr…”
A grotesque creature, its body grotesquely swollen, appeared, letting out a beast-like growl. Its clothes were shredded, and blood dripped from its body, giving it an utterly repulsive appearance.
“Wha-what is that? A m-monster?!”
Porisco shrieked in terror, and the Temple Knights assigned to protect him stepped forward. They, too, stared at the monstrous figure in nervous anticipation, swallowing dryly at the unfamiliar sight.
But it wasn’t just one monster.
“Grrr…!”
Dozens of monsters, each carrying the corpses of Temple Knights, emerged in a line.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
More than ten creatures leapt out of the windows, and when combined with those that broke through the doors, there were over thirty of them in total.
Ghislain frowned at the sight. Unlike other places, there were significantly more monsters here.
This number alone was enough to challenge the knights of an average estate.
Moreover, there was something different about these monsters.
“Grrr…”
They stood in an orderly formation, almost as if they had coordinated. This was unlike the other monsters, who usually charged mindlessly.
‘Have they been furtherly modified?’
Indeed, in his previous life, there had been instances of monsters retaining their sanity.
The monsters that had appeared now were clearly an improved version of the previous ones.
As Ghislain narrowed his eyes at the monsters, a sound came from inside the building.
Ding.
The sound carried a peculiar wave of magical energy.
‘This sound…?’
Just as Ghislain was startled by the noise, the monsters began to move.
“Screeeech!”
With shrieks, the dozens of monsters charged forward, prompting Porisco to cry out in alarm.
“Stop them! Stop them!”
Only ten Temple Knights remained. That number was far too few to hold back these creatures.
Nevertheless, with no avenue of escape, the knights gritted their teeth and summoned their divine power.
At that moment, Ghislain stepped into the fight.
Boom!
“Graaaagh!”
Ghislain spun his body in front of the Temple Knights, and the monsters’ bodies exploded instantly.
‘They’re weaker.’
The strength of a monster depended on its abilities before transformation. Although these creatures appeared to be following orders, their actual power was low. Before their transformation, they probably had no more than the strength of ordinary people.
Even so, they were still stronger than novice knights.
As the monsters disintegrated into chunks of flesh, Porisco let out an exhilarated yell.
“Hahaha! Right, the Count of Fenris is a Master!”
Come to think of it, one of the kingdom’s strongest individuals was present here. There was no need to run away.
Ding.
“Grrr…”
The monsters, poised to charge, halted as the bell chimed once more.
A man emerged from the building.
He was gaunt, with pale skin and long, disheveled hair cascading down his face. His appearance was haggard and frail, as though he might collapse at any moment.
The man muttered to himself, seemingly puzzled by the situation.
“This is… How did they know to come here? Of all times, for something like this to happen when I’m here…”
Ghislain narrowed his eyes as he watched the man. He definitely recognized him from his previous life.
Recalling the memory, Ghislain smirked and spoke.
“So, you’re here. Lavierre.”
The man called Lavierre furrowed his brows, glaring at Ghislain.
“You… know me?”
“Of course, I know you well.”
Ghislain’s expression showed genuine delight.
Lavierre had been one of the hidden powerhouses who had obstructed Ghislain in his previous life. His unique abilities had left a lasting impression.
Lavierre scrutinized Ghislain for a moment before asking.
“Are you the Count of Fenris?”
“Yes.”
“So, the rumors of you attaining the rank of Master are true. To kill the ‘Crusaders’ so effortlessly…”
“Crusaders? Is that what you call those monsters?”
In his past life, Ghislain had simply destroyed the monsters on sight, so he had never cared to learn what they were called. Even Lavierre’s name had only come to his attention moments before he had killed him.
Lavierre nodded solemnly.
“Yes… Though death awaits them, they do not hesitate to sacrifice their lives. How noble. They are more than worthy of being called Crusaders.”
“Experimenting on human bodies, yet dressing it up as something grand. How poetic.”
“It is a necessary sacrifice for a great cause.”
Ghislain tilted his head slightly at Lavierre’s words. Until now, he had assumed that the monsters were creations of the Duke’s household.
However, from what Lavierre was saying, it seemed he had been pointing his suspicions in the wrong direction.
Feigning ignorance, Ghislain decided to probe him further.
“Are you the one who created them?”
At this, Lavierre shook his head.
“I began the research, but now many others are involved.”
“So you’re the one who started it. Then I’ll just have to track the rest down and kill them too.”
As Ghislain taunted him, Lavierre curled his lips into a twisted smile.
“Count Fenris. You’ve grown quite arrogant since becoming a Master. You have no idea of our power.”
“No, I know it very well. You’re Lavierre, an Inquisitor of the Order of Salvation.”
Lavierre’s face contorted at those words.
Only a handful of people knew of their existence. For Count Fenris, who had no apparent connection to them, to know not only their identity but also his specific title was shocking.
Porisco, who had been eavesdropping on their exchange, shouted.
“The Order of Salvation? Th-th-those heretics! Kill him at once!”
However, none of the Temple Knights moved. They could sense this was not a situation they should interfere with.
Lavierre ignored Porisco and fixed his gaze on Ghislain.
“Even the kingdom’s intelligence agencies know nothing of us. How do you know? And to even know my rank… Who are you?”
“Why? Are your secrets the only ones that matter? I’ve got secrets too.”
“You insolent”
Ghislain responded with a composed smile.
In truth, he didn’t know much about the Order of Salvation either.
The Order, which used the symbol of a blazing black sun, had emerged during a time of chaos. Many people, mired in despair, had come to believe in the Order.
At the time, Ghislain and the other nobles of the continent had paid little attention to it. They were too preoccupied to concern themselves with what seemed like a mere cult.
Only the established Orders of the Goddess had fiercely opposed the Order of Salvation, trying to suppress them.
‘Back then, I thought they were simply aiding Duke Delfine to escape persecution. But it seems their alliance had already been forged by then.’
Ghislain’s interest in the Order had only piqued after the One-Year War began. When the Kingdom of Ritania fell to Ghislain, powerful individuals from various hidden factions began to emerge.
Among them, some were revealed to be affiliated with the Order of Salvation. From that point onward, Ghislain had destroyed the Order whenever he encountered them.
Lavierre had been one of the powerhouses who appeared during that time.
‘I should have investigated them more thoroughly back then.’
Ghislain’s primary goal had been Duke Delfine. He had assumed the Duke and the Order were merely collaborating, so he had been lax in pursuing deeper knowledge about the Order.
His plan had been to defeat the Duke first and deal with the Order later.
But then he lost the war and died, leaving him no chance to dig further.
‘Well, I can start looking into them now.’
Ghislain smirked as he pointed his sword at Lavierre.
“A Judge, huh? That must mean you hold a pretty high rank in the Order. I’m curious to hear what spills out of your mouth. You know, I’m something of a good interrogator myself. ”
“It’s not the Day of the Covenant yet. So, it’s not time to reveal my full strength… but even so, it might be better to eliminate you here and now, despite the risk.”
Lavierre’s eyes glowed a deep crimson. At the same time, a black aura began to rise from his body.
Seeing this, Ghislain twisted his lips into a sardonic smile.
‘As I thought… These bastards already had power even during this time but chose to hide. What are they scheming?’
The black aura emanating from Lavierre wasn’t mana. Rather, it gave off a sensation that was closer to divine power.
The Salvation Order was often called the Black Order precisely because of this peculiar energy, which bore a resemblance to divine power.
In its early days, the Order stirred up significant controversy. When people first witnessed the power of the Salvation Order’s priests, they were terrified. However, since it wasn’t black magic, there was no valid pretext for suppressing them.
Had it been a time of peace, the nobility and existing religious orders wouldn’t have stood idly by. The Salvation Order had cleverly used the period of chaos to expand its influence.
“The ‘Day of the Covenant’, huh… Don’t tell me this has something to do with the period of upheaval.”
It was a chaotic era, so it wasn’t unreasonable for new religions to emerge. But now that he thought about it, the feeling that the Salvation Order was somehow linked to that time wouldn’t leave him.
Having experienced the miracle of regression, Ghislain had developed a habit of never dismissing even the smallest possibilities or clues.
And he was now convinced that the “Day of the Covenant” Lavierre spoke of had nothing to do with the civil war.
“Well, I’ll figure it out eventually if I keep killing them one by one.”
* * *
Boom!
Ghislain’s eyes turned crimson as dark red mana erupted from his body. Knowing Lavierre’s power, he didn’t hesitate to charge straight at him.
Clink.
“Graaaah!”
The moment Lavierre rang a small bell, the remaining monsters all lunged at Ghislain.
Ghislain immediately swung his sword at them.
Clang, clang, clang!
The monsters, which had previously exploded in a single strike from his blade, now felt different. Instead of disintegrating, his sword met resistance, like tearing through reinforced steel.
Lavierre’s black aura was now enveloping the monsters, shielding them.
Because of this, Ghislain’s sword managed to cut down only a few at the front. Taking advantage of the opening, the remaining monsters swarmed him.
Lavierre watched with a sinister grin.
“For someone rumored to be a Master, you’re disappointingly weak. Were the rumors exaggerated?”
Clink.
Lavierre rang the bell lightly again, and this time, an even stronger wave of power rippled outward.
The black aura surrounding the monsters grew denser, and their bodies began to swell.
Before Ghislain could repel the creatures with his mana
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the monsters’ bodies exploded, and a pillar of black light shot into the sky.
Ghislain’s body was completely engulfed within the column of the explosion, leaving no trace of him visible.
Porisco and the remaining Temple Knights collapsed to the ground, their faces pale as ash.
“W-What is this…? What the hell is this…?”
Porisco stammered, too terrified to form coherent sentences. The idea that the Count of Fenris, a Master, could die so effortlessly left him utterly shaken.
“What… What are these people…?”
The searing black pillar that stretched high into the sky was far beyond his ability to comprehend or handle.
Even more incomprehensible was that the black energy emitted an aura reminiscent of divine power. Porisco couldn’t understand it, nor could he accept it.
How could there be such a sinister divine power in this world?
Lavierre gazed at the blazing black pillar with a calm expression. That pillar wouldn’t dissipate until his and the paladins’ holy power was exhausted.
“To think we were hindered because we couldn’t kill someone so insignificant…”
Lavierre’s face twisted with irritation.
He knew pursuers were after them, and having revealed this power, he could no longer remain safe. Without a doubt, trackers would follow.
And with such an extraordinary phenomenon occurring in the heart of the capital, the nobility wouldn’t remain silent either.
“Tsk… All this because of some upstart. It seems I’ve failed in the capital. I’ll have to retreat for now.”
As Lavierre turned to leave, the familiar black aura wrapped around him, preparing to whisk him away from the scene.
He didn’t spare a second thought for Porisco or the Temple Knights.
Just as Lavierre was about to move to another location, a voice called out nearby.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“…?”
Lavierre flinched and turned his head sharply.
“You…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence.
Ghislain, with a feral grin, was charging toward him, wielding an aura blade.