Inside a dark, secret room where not a single ray of light could leak inside, the man sitting at the desk stared at the dark flame blazing from the wall for a while before eventually turned around.

“Raon Zieghart and the Light Wind Division were showing strange movement.” He stroked his chin, gazing under the desk. “They were looking around as if they were searching for something.”

“I-it might be because of me. I unintentionally leaked demonic energy the first time I saw him…” The black-haired young man kneeling in front of him let out a small groan. “But it was a really, extremely faint amount. Even the priests and holy artifacts wouldn’t have responded. Just how…?”

His lips trembled, the man unable to understand.

“There are rare occasions where people with special senses are born.” The man curled his lips into a faint smile. “Did Raon Zieghart decide to participate in the sacred ceremony in order to find you? This is getting interesting.”

“I-if they really managed to sense the demonic energy, shouldn’t we be sending them back now?”

“No, the opposite. Keeping them close is the right move. The fact that he isn’t publicly looking for us implies that he isn’t sure.” He smiled, saying that enemies should be kept even closer than the allies.

“Raon Zieghart places great importance in justice, to the point that he was named the Frostfire Sword of Valor at some point. People like him will never recklessly swing their swords. He should be completely blind, fixated on finding you.”

The man casually shook his finger, already able to see how Raon and the Light Wind Division were going to act.

“I’ll manage the upper echelon, so you should just focus on your job.”

“U-understood.”

The black-haired young man lowered his head and dissipated into the air, turning into a shadow that resembled tainted water.

Crackle.

The man turned back and gazed at the dark flame blazing from the wall. The black flame gradually intensified and started to climb along the letters engraved on the wall.

“God is always nearby, huh…?” Black tears dripped from his eyes, his lips drooping downwards in sorrow. “Just where are they?”

***

“Father Firn is the definition of a noble soul,” Burren gasped while rubbing the back of his neck. “He did nothing but volunteer work all day long. He almost looked like a boy who had newly become a priest instead of a high priest.”

He shook his head, saying that he’d never expected that such a person existed.

“Kinnear was a holy knight in a different meaning.” Martha furrowed her brow in irritation.

“What do you mean?” Burren tilted his head.

“He just kept trying to flirt with women, not praying or training! He was refused by a woman on my watch, and then he tried to go for me right after that. I almost cut his mouth when it happened!” She ground her teeth, saying that he was the definition of a hoodlum.

“Uh… it was so hard to stop you back then.” Dorian sighed, his shoulders slumped.

“Runaan, how was Sir Danief?” Raon nodded and called Runaan’s name.

“Ah.” Runaan had been dozing off while leaning against a wall, She blankly raised her head at his call. “He followed the king, he walked after the king, and just stayed with the king all the time. He swings his sword during his break. And…”

“And?”

“He doesn’t speak.”

Runaan placed her finger on her lips, saying that she’d never seen a person who spoke so rarely.

“How was the saintess?” Raon called out to Rimmer, who was picking his ear while leaning his back against a wall.

“I couldn’t find hide nor hair of her. I wonder if she’s hiding somewhere, extorting some kids?” Rimmer rubbed his temple, saying that it was frustrating.

“Vice division leader, you went to the gambling house instead of working, didn’t you?”

“It’s so obvious.”

“Haa…”

Burren, Martha, and Dorian shook their heads.

“That’s not true! Even I know how to choose the right time and place!”

“Since when?” Runaan asked simply, hitting his bone.

“Argh…” Rimmer was unable to refute her words, and he bit his lip while clutching his chest. “Anyway, I really couldn’t find her. I even went into the nunnery to look for her!”

“You fucking pervert.” Martha ground her teeth, despising him.

“Haa, no matter what I do, you’re just shitting on me…” Rimmer’s shoulders slumped, exhausted from the conversation.

“Balt and Yuson, who I was following, didn’t do anything of note.” Mark Gotten lowered his head, reporting that he hadn’t managed to find anything from the high priests, just like the others.

“How about you?” Burren gestured with his hand towards Raon and Hopen.

“The same goes for us.” Raon briefly clicked his tongue while meeting Hopen’s eyes.

He’d met with everyone who was present in the audience chamber and the high-ranking officers by using Hopen’s status as the prince and the fifth holy knight captain, but he didn’t manage to find anything special.

There was no reaction even when he’d unleashed his wrath, probably because they’d already experienced it once.

“Then is it really that jerk?” Martha narrowed her eyes, showing her suspicion at the fact that the saintess was nowhere to be seen.

“It’s a common occurrence for the saintess to go missing, not just for a couple of days but even for a few months. It would’ve been strange if she was around all the time.” Hopen shook his head, saying that she’d always been like that.

“In the end, there are no results.” Burren frowned, sweeping his hair back.

“Are you sure that there is someone using demonic energy here?” Martha rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He wouldn’t have been able to give a clear answer if it was just his opinion, but Raon could calmly nod his head because Wrath had confirmed it.

“Haa…” Raon sighed while looking at the pale yellow moonlight coming from the window.

‘We didn’t manage to find them in the end.’

With the help of the Light Wind Division, they’d observed everyone who was present in the audience chamber, but the one contracted with a demon hadn’t been revealed.

He’d set up a trap to reveal their demonic energy, but they didn’t even seem to notice that it was a trap. It almost made him believe that no one had made a contract with a demon.

‘However… I couldn’t meet with the saintess.’

As Rimmer had said, the saintess had disappeared after their audience and was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t think she was the one because she was acting too much like a thug, but he figured he would need to be suspicious of her as well.

Most importantly, she was the only one who blatantly told him not to participate in the sacred ceremony.

“What should we do now? The sacred ceremony is in two days.” Burren bit his lip, unable to figure out their next step.

“We are canceling the search operation.” Raon casually clapped his hands to gather everyone’s attention.

‘We’re just wasting our time at this rate.’

Judging from the situation, the enemies were most likely aware that they were looking for them. Considering that they could hide their identity in a land brimming with holy power, it would be impossible to find them before the sacred ceremony.

“Then what are you going to do?”

“We’ll change our methods. We need to make the preparations to fight back even if a demon is called–in a way that will allow us to protect the majority, even if some sacrifice has to be made.”

He was no hero. It was way better to make proper preparations instead of wasting time on uncertainties.

“Dorian, you have holy water, right?”

“Of course, it’s a necessity.” Dorian smiled cheerfully, rambling that holy water was a necessity in a holy kingdom.

“We also have lots of holy water. We can use that—”

“No, that should be ineffective.”

Raon firmly shook his head. Since a high-ranking official was involved, it was better to consider that the holy water and holy artifacts in the country had already been tainted.

“From now on…”

Raon told the Light Wind Division and Hopen what preparations they needed to make, and how. The plan was complicated because they didn’t know who the enemies were, but they immediately understood and nodded their heads—as expected from such talented people.

“It’s so much work when this isn’t even our land.” Rimmer bobbed his finger while looking at Hopen. “Make sure to repay us generously if everything goes well. Got it?”

“Of course, don’t worry about it.” Hopen smiled, saying that he’d treat him with a full course.

“I’ll be looking forward to it!” Rimmer grinned and left through the window.

Raon couldn’t understand why he left through it every single time when there was a perfectly fine door, waiting to be used.

“You don’t need to give him anything. He’s going to lose it all here before he leaves anyway.” Burren left the room after telling Hopen that he didn’t need to give Rimmer a single gold coin.

“That’s right, just ignore him.”

“Zzz…”

Martha snorted, leaving with Runaan, who had fallen asleep, on her back.

“Well then.” Mark Goetten lowered his head politely before he left.

“I’ll be taking my leave as well.” Hopen smiled awkwardly and followed Mark Goetten. His footsteps seemed extremely heavy.

‘Hey.’

Raon closed the door and shook his hand towards Wrath, who was leaning his back against the ceiling.

What’s up?

Wrath lifted his eyelids while wagging his tail.

‘Do you still have no intention of telling me?’

How many times do you have to ask? The contract between the human and the demon was carried out with consent between both parties. The King of Essence and the other mongrels created that condition. There’s no way he would go against it now!

He slammed his hand down violently, telling Raon to stop asking for the impossible.

‘But you look a bit too anxious to be saying that.’

Wh-who are you calling anxious?!

Wrath frantically shook his head, trying to deny his statement.

Anyway, the King of Essence won’t do anything until the contract is carried out! Never!

‘Is that so?’

But that also implied that he was potentially going to help after the contract was carried out. It was a good thing to hear.

‘King Baorn, Father Firn, the royal guard captain Danief, the paladin Kinnear, Saintess Olga, and the priests…’

Raon let out a small sigh and reflected on everything that had happened so far.

‘Hmm? Wait a moment…’

When he thought about Hopen’s explanation about the high-ranking officials five days ago, he could figure out who the suspicious one was. Considering Hopen’s explanation and the recent situation, he was definitely behaving strangely. He couldn’t say for sure, but it was enough reason to be cautious.

Wham! Wham! Wham!

As he was trying to slowly retrace his thoughts, someone pounded the door. Instead of knocking, they seemed to be kicking the door with their foot.

Raon furrowed his brow and opened the door. Saintess Olga was standing there, slouched on one leg, with her purple hair tucked behind her left ear. Raon noticed that the strange tattoo even existed behind her ear.

“Saintess?”

Raon couldn’t understand why she came to see him when she had been nowhere to be found when they looked for her.

“Screw that, give me some of your time.”

It wasn’t a request but an order. The stupidest part was that the saintess went outside after she said that, not even looking behind her.

‘What an amazing personality.’

Raon shook his head and followed the saintess. She stopped at the zelkova tree in front of the lodgings and leaned her back against it.

“Why did you call on me?” Raon nodded his head, concealing his probing gaze.

“What’s this lack of respect?” The saintess tilted her head.

“Because you were doing the same.”

“What a bad personality you have.”

“I can’t be worse than you.”

“Kuhuhu.”

The saintess laughed instead, as if his words put her in a good mood. She was rather special indeed.

“Do you smoke?”

“No.”

Raon shook his head, and the saintess took out a cigarette and held it in her mouth.

“It looks like you’ve been up to something strange.” The saintess shook her head while igniting the cigarette. “Stop the pointless act and return to Zieghart.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You dispatched that ugly elf and looked for me.” She sneered while talking about Rimmer. “I place a lot of importance on appearance. You might get a pass, but I don’t want a sly person like him.”

The saintess shook her head, saying something that Rimmer would’ve started rampaging over if he’d heard it.

“How much do you know?”

“What do you know?” She asked instead of answering. “What are you even looking for, to follow all those people around?”

“......”

Raon put his fingers together while staring at the saintess’s serious eyes.

“Oh, are you going to kill me?” The saintess smiled, putting her hand on her neck. “Don’t glare at me so hard. It’s just my instincts.”

Gray smoke flowed from her red lips in a long, swirling trail.

Cough! Cough!

Wrath was floating in the air, furrowing his brow while coughing.

Kill that woman! This is second-hand smoke!

‘Be quiet for a moment.’

Raon slapped Wrath far away and looked at the saintess.

“Instinct?”

“I’ve had good instincts ever since birth. I can read situations and determine crises and opportunities as well.” The saintess licked her lips faintly. “And that instinct is telling me that you should leave instead of causing pointless trouble.”

“Are you implying that Schper will face a crisis?”

“It might be the case, and it might not be.” She casually shook her hand.

“If you have a bad feeling about it, why haven't you told the others about it?”

“I tried it a few times before, but whenever I said it was going to be dangerous, it returned as an even bigger crisis. So many people have died.” The saintess chewed the edge of the cigarette, saying that it was such a shitty life.

“Then why are you telling me about it…?”

“Just like you’ve been observing me, I’ve also been watching you. I felt like it’d be fine with you for some strange reason.” She smiled, taking a deep drag of her almost-stub of a cigarette. “See? I’m not getting any frightening feelings at all even though I’m talking to you right now. This might really be a signal that I should let you escape alive.”

The saintess shook her head after extinguishing the burnt-out cigarette.

“God is so damn irritating, giving me a prophecy to save you and no one else. I want to just smash their face in.” She ground her teeth, putting the cigarette butt in her right pocket.

Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at the saintess who was insulting God.

‘What the hell is this woman?’

She hadn’t even reached transcendence, but she sounded like she could read heaven’s flow. It was such a mystery even though she didn’t know the details.

It’s the heavenly connection.

‘Heavenly connection?’

It refers to the cases where the upper energy center is open from the moment of their birth, and they are connected to the heavens. Her passage is even wider than Pineapple Girl’s. However, it’s not achieved by her own will, and she shouldn’t know the details as she claims.

‘Ah…’

Raon started to understand what the saintess was saying after hearing Wrath’s explanation.

“This is my last warning. Stop doing stupid shit and go back home if you don’t want to die.”

“Even though the Light Wind Division and I can be helpful to you during the crisis?”

“And who knows when that crisis is going to happen? Are you planning to stay here forever?” The saintess snorted, saying that she couldn’t tell when it was going to happen. “And the frustrating king told you—even though we’re weaker than you, we have the courage to fight until the last moment.”

She clenched her small hand into a fist.

“We have to fight with our own strength instead of borrowing other people’s strength after hearing that.”

The saintess had unwavering eyes. She seemed to look up to King Baorn despite calling him a frustrating king.

“Fuck off to Zieghart before the sacred ceremony if you understood.” The saintess shook her hand as if she were chasing away a fly and turned around.

“Hmm…” Raon swallowed nervously while looking at her back.

‘What should I do?’

She might be extremely helpful for the plan if he told her the truth. However, the ongoing situation could be part of her plan, leaving him with a conflicted mind.

Raon was contemplating the matter while biting his lip when Wrath clapped his hands, looking at the saintess’s arms and thighs.

Ah, it’s that!

‘What?’

Her tattoos felt strange for some reason, but her ear clarified it. They aren’t tattoos at all.

Wrath nodded while looking at the rectangular tattoo engraved by the saintess’s ear.

‘They aren’t tattoos?’

No, they aren’t. Those strangely shaped dots aren’t anything like tattoos. They are the backlash of holy power.

‘What is the backlash of holy power?’

The skin melts down into that shape if holy power is used excessively. The same thing happens to demons.

His shoulders trembled, saying that the saintess must’ve been a madwoman who couldn’t even feel pain.

Raon clenched his fist upon hearing Wrath’s explanation.

‘In that case…’

* * *

The day of the sacred ceremony arrived.

There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, perhaps because God was blessing the occasion, or the occasion was blessing God. The Holy Kingdom of Schper locked their gate as soon as the dawn fog faded away and surrounded the entire kingdom with walls of holy power.

The sun rose above the white ramparts, and every single resident of the kingdom came out of their homes. They knelt on the street, holding cups of water or holy water.

Raon gazed down upon the overall scenery of the kingdom, standing at the peak of a spire.

Under the sky and formed into a round, bubble-like shape through holy power, countless believers were preparing for the prayer. It was a spectacle to behold.

“Thank you for staying, Light Wind Division leader.” Father Firn came up next to Raon and lowered his head.

“Not at all, this should serve as a great experience for me.” Raon shook his hand while smiling faintly.

“That’s indeed a great spectacle,” Kinnear the paladin said, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Stop with that stupid spectacle shit. We see it happen every year.” Saintess Olga pouted. She glared at Raon in fierce displeasure.

As Raon met her eyes, heavy footsteps could be heard from behind them. He looked around and saw that King Baorn, the royal guard captain Danief, and the high priests were coming up.

“Greetings to the king.” Raon lowered his head at King Baorn.

“I’m honored that you remained, Light Wind Division leader.” King Baorn smiled while returning the greeting.

“Are the other swordsmen not participating?” He tilted his head upon seeing that Raon was alone.

“They said they would stay down below. They must find this place to be uncomfortable.”

“I guess that would be the case since there are so many old people here. You can also go down whenever you want to if it becomes boring, division leader.” Baorn smiled peacefully and stepped to the front. “We should get started right away. The sun is rising.”

The king walked, taking soft steps until he was standing at the edge of the spire. He sat at a dangerous spot, a place where he could fall if he took another step forward, and put down the holy water that he’d been carrying.

Father Firn went next to him and poured the holy water into the king’s cup.

Ring!

The sound of the bell resounded throughout the entire kingdom, and the king lifted the holy water filling the cup into the air before pouring it in his mouth.

The people under the spire followed the king and drank the water and holy water.

King Baorn smiled in satisfaction at that sight, then put his hands together while falling on his knees.

“God is always nearby. Even if the holy one isn’t watching us…”

He started to recite lines from the holy book, and the people started to recite after him.

Whir!

The light started from the king at the highest position, connecting to the priests, holy knights, and the people, fortifying the majestic radiance of the wall of holy power surrounding the entire kingdom. The holy and sacred aura welling up on the land made it feel like God was about to manifest.

Raon let his eyes roam while sensing the holy power, powerful enough to make his fingers prickle.

‘They aren’t budging even though such powerful holy power is spreading…’

The holy power was powerful enough to even influence the ordinary people, yet no one seemed to be in pain. The demon contractor had a tremendous amount of patience, surpassing his expectations.

Raon calmed himself and examined everyone in the area. However, not a single person moved, not until the sun rising from the east reached the center of the sky.

Ring!

Everyone finally opened their eyes once noon was announced by the majestic sound of the bell.

The king drank a second cup of holy water and started to recite from the holy book again. The people also drank the water and holy water they’d brought and continued to pray.

Nothing special happened even after that.

Ring!

The bell rang for the third time when the sun started to set. All of Schper’s residents drank the holy water and water, just like at noon.

Raon furrowed his brow while looking at the evening glow in the sky.

‘What’s going on? Are they not doing it today?’

Even though the prayer of the sacred ceremony was about to end, there wasn’t even the smallest cloud in the sky, let alone any demonic energy.

Raon had remained tense all this time, but he was about to lose his focus.

‘Did they postpone their schedule because they realized I’ve been looking for them? I don’t think they would do that though.’

Raon kept contemplating the matter because of the incomprehensible situation, but the surrounding area was too quiet.

King Baorn, who should’ve been chanting the prayer, was smiling faintly with his mouth closed.

“Isn’t this a wonderful sight to behold?” King Baorn nodded peacefully while watching the people, whose hands were put together in a prayer.

“Light Wind Division, do you know the saying that God only gives trials that humans can bear?” He looked at Raon gently.

“…So I’ve heard.” Raon nodded. It was a common saying in most of the religions, not just Schper.

“This one believed those words more than anyone else. I always thought that all kinds of trials served as experience, filling my body and soul.” The king smiled while stroking his chest.

‘This one?’

King Baorn had always referred to himself as I and me. He’d never called himself ‘this one’.

“But it didn’t work. I prayed so hard for them to stop putting me through trials, but God never listened. It was either because I’m such a weak human that couldn’t overcome the trial, or…”

The king raised his head. Dark energy was wavering in his blue eyes.

“Because God is a son of a bitch.”

His frightening voice flowed under the spire, and darkness welled up from the wall of holy power surrounding the kingdom.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Harley]