‘Rine?’
At the sudden familiar figure, Ludger unknowingly swallowed his breath.
But he immediately recalled that this situation was nothing more than a reenactment of an event from 500 years ago.
‘No. No, it’s not Rine. It only looks similar because she possesses the Eye of Judgment.’
Regaining his composure, Ludger calmly analyzed the opponent.
‘Looking closely, the starlight in her eyes is weaker than Rine’s. She may have the Eye of Judgment, but it feels more like an imitation.’
That suspicion of Ludger’s turned into certainty when new people appeared.
Around the woman who seemed to be a Saintess, four other women revealed themselves.
They too wore pure white ceremonial robes with hoods drawn over their heads.
Each had different hair color, yet they all shared one thing in common—the glimmering starlight in their eyes.
‘All of them possess the Eye of Judgment?’
That was impossible.
There could only ever be one possessor of the Eye of Judgment in any given era.
That was a law of this world.
Yet here stood five owners of the Eye of Judgment.
‘So they’ve been continuing experiments not only since 500 years ago, but even far earlier than that.’
Led by the Saintesses, the Paladins of the Theocracy of Bretus stormed into the capital of the kingdom.
Under the name of “relief for the people,” they suppressed the chaos that had spread throughout the city.
Holy Law.
The golden light they emitted suppressed the negative emotions of those whose rage had been amplified by Basara.
It did not even take half a day for the noisy capital to fall silent.
If one looked at this alone, the Theocracy of Bretus appeared to be benevolent saviors who had rescued people from the suffering brought by demons.
But Ludger did not accept it at face value.
As expected, in the central square of the capital, Paladins and Saintesses had gathered to perform something.
They drew a massive ritual circle, and atop it the five Saintesses stood at five points, hands joined together as they raised prayers.
‘That is...’
As the ritual neared its end, the circle carved into the ground began to shine.
The light grew stronger and larger, radiant enough to dazzle even in broad daylight.
The light became a massive wave, rippling outward across the city in concentric circles.
Those touched by it collapsed one by one.
They did not die.
They were still breathing properly.
They were merely unconscious, as if asleep.
Once they confirmed that the common people had all fallen asleep, the Paladins stormed the royal castle.
What followed was the process Ludger already knew well.
The Theocracy of Bretus dragged out the king and every member of the royal family, eradicating them completely.
Men and women, old and young alike—none were spared.
Even those only tangentially connected to the affair were executed under the so-called hammer of God.
While the city lay in eerie silence, the royal castle was stained in blood.
They attempted resistance, but it was meaningless after suffering near-annihilation against the demon Basara.
The disparity in forces was overwhelming.
But even if the army had been intact, could they have stopped this?
The Theocracy, when it wielded its absolute power, was not merely numerous.
Each individual was strong.
Especially the Saintesses leading at the front—their power was the greatest of all.
“T-this is...”
Sedina was struck speechless at the horrific sight.
“How could this be possible? No matter how great the power of the Theocracy of Bretus, to come into another’s kingdom and purge the entire royal family?”
“For them, it is possible.”
Ella snapped her fingers, and the scenery before their eyes shifted.
The common people, who had fallen into deep sleep, began waking one by one.
Despite the horrific events that had unfolded, they went about their day as if nothing had happened.
Some had lost family.
Some bore wounds that would never heal.
Parts of the city had been destroyed or burned, and most of all, the ruling royal family had changed.
Yet the people’s reactions were strangely devoid of emotion.
Like dolls.
Puppets created to carry out the roles given to them.
Sedina shuddered at the uncanny sight.
“This is it.”
Ella gazed heavily at the sight of people living their ordinary lives.
“The reason the Theocracy of Bretus, despite all its atrocities, remained unscathed.”
“...So it was through that ritual circle that this was done.”
Ludger, watching the state of the people, realized what the Theocracy had committed.
“Mind control. The absolute foundation of the Theocracy of Bretus’s power.”
Why was it that, though the foundation of a nation had been overturned, no record was left in history?
Why was it that all of this happened without a word of resistance, without protest?
It was made possible by the power the Theocracy possessed.
“They distorted memory, controlled information, and rewrote history as they pleased.”
Now he understood why survivors had chosen flight over revealing the truth.
Because it was useless.
Even if they shouted until their throats tore, the people would never grasp the truth.
That was why they ran.
“Mind control. It is not simply Holy Law or mystical power. Its root is almost identical to the Authority of demons.”
The peculiar powers demons possessed were called Authorities.
From the mental assaults of the demon Basara to the illusion manifestation wielded by Helia.
Forces beyond magical or scientific process—powers so close to miracles in themselves.
The mind control used by the Theocracy of Bretus was the same.
“An Apostle of God...”
The being everyone called a demon had claimed to be a servant of God.
That meant Authority itself ultimately flowed from God.
Ludger lifted his head.
It was a habitual action, as if seeking the sky.
Seeing this scene, the fragments scattered in his mind began fitting together like a puzzle.
Organizing his thoughts, Ludger spoke.
“In the end, the birth of the Exilion Empire was brought about by the Theocracy of Bretus.”
From its very origin, the Empire had been forged by someone else’s hand.
“The former kingdom sought to escape the rule of the Theocracy of Bretus. For that, they needed the power of the World Tree. Our Elf Kingdom, too, considered the Theocracy the most dangerous of enemies, so we did not refuse. Thus an accord was struck, and the plan was set in motion.”
“But they failed. As if it were fate’s cruel jest.”
“A pitiful thing. But now, I sometimes wonder. Was it really only fate’s jest?”
“What do you mean?”
“Perhaps even in this tragedy, there may be a hidden reason.”
Ella admitted she had no proof.
But Ludger knew she did not speak lightly.
For she was an elf who had lived for a very long time.
Not merely aged, but once a brilliant head of one of the greatest houses.
“Perhaps so.”
That was why Ludger took her words seriously.
Ella waved her hand, erasing the reenactment of the past.
Once again, the orchard’s scenery spread before them. Ella gazed quietly at the red fruit that had returned to its place.
When she had first seen it, her eyes had been full of sorrow, regret, and bitterness.
But now, having faced the past once more, her expression showed a kind of relief, as though a burden had been lifted.
“What followed, you already know. Those who sensed failure scattered. Some to survive, others to leave behind the truth for future generations. As for me, having lost the loyal retainers of House Plante, I could not resist the rebellion of the Lifret family. So I fled, and lived a wandering life.”
“So that is how it was.”
“A strange thing. That the man who saved my daughter would turn out to be of the blood of the Theocracy of Bretus. Tell me, Ludger Cherish. For what are you doing all this?”
That was what Ella wanted to know.
Why Ludger was taking on such a burden.
Things unbearable for one person alone.
“What I do is no different from those of the kingdom that perished 500 [N O V E L I G H T] years ago.”
What Ludger desired was simple.
The downfall of the Theocracy of Bretus.
And for this world, fixed under their control, to regain its original form.
“Is that truly it?”
But Ella did not accept his words as they were.
There was no lie in what Ludger said.
Considering the path he had walked until now, his answer was indeed true.
The doubt was whether that was the whole truth.
To Ella, it seemed Ludger was hiding his true reason.
Cleverly revealing only a part of the truth.
“If you do not believe me, will you force the answer from me?”
From the beginning, Ludger had no intention of concealing it.
From the moment he faced Ella, he felt it would be impossible to hide anything from her.
It was a feeling much like what he had once felt before his teacher.
The long-lived bore within themselves a wisdom that transcended common sense and reality.
To such beings, clumsy lies or cheap deception had no effect.
Ella shook her head.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t have the hobby of prying into truths someone wishes to hide. More than that, I could never be so rude to the benefactor who saved my daughter.”
“Benefactor, now?”
Ludger let out a faint laugh.
Not exactly something to say when she had been ready to kill him at a moment’s notice.
Of course, Ella had her own position.
Seeing that she hadn’t attacked him outright, it was clear she had intended to test him to some degree.
“You don’t even know what dangerous schemes I might have.”
“Usually, dangerous people don’t go around declaring they’re dangerous.”
“And you’re giving such a definite answer just on that?”
“I don’t know your exact goal, but as long as no harm comes to my daughter, I don’t care. Besides, it’s absurd for the dead to oppress the living as they please.”
Ella spoke and turned a loving gaze toward Sedina.
“Just meeting like this, I’m already grateful for the present moment.”
The mood turned strangely intimate.
“...That’s a little embarrassing.”
Ella scratched her cheek with a finger.
Had it been just the two of them, she would’ve been fine, but with an outsider watching, she felt uncomfortably flustered.
Ella quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway! So all your questions are answered now, right? Is this what they call a parent-teacher meeting?”
Witnessing the hidden truth of five hundred years ago and calling it a parent-teacher meeting—what an odd elf.
Even so, Ludger pointed out there was one matter still unresolved.
“There’s still one thing I came here to find.”
“Ah, I figured you’d say that. Of course. The fragment of the Relic.”
Ludger answered with only a nod.
One of the Relic’s fragments lay here, in this kingdom.
“That... what exactly is the Relic fragment?”
Sedina finally voiced the question she had been holding in for so long.
She had brushed it off before, but now, she could not ignore it.
“What do you even intend to do by gathering them...?”
“I don’t know the exact use, child.”
At Ella’s reply, Sedina pursed her lips in disbelief.
“It’s true. The ones who tried to use it were the human kingdom. I merely helped cultivate the World Tree. But one thing I can say for certain—those people firmly believed they could put an end to the Theocracy of Bretus’s atrocities.”
Ella turned her eyes toward Ludger.
“And you know that as well, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“Then what exactly is it that you want?”
“I believe I’ve already said enough. The downfall of the Theocracy of Bretus.”
“I saw countless mages obsess over that Relic. Whatever the completed whole is capable of, it won’t be something ordinary. It could be dangerous enough to drag my daughter into it.”
Ella looked straight into Ludger’s eyes as she spoke.
“Even so, since you seek it, I’ll hand it over.”
“You trust me?”
“I think the rightful owner has come for it. Still, what a cruel fate. For the fragment meant to destroy the Theocracy of Bretus to end up in the hands of the Theocracy’s own royal bloodline.”
Perhaps this too was fate—retribution written by destiny.
“Here. Take it.”
Ella extended something toward Ludger.
When he received and checked it, it turned out to be a seed from a certain fruit.
This was the fragment he had been searching for.
Ludger carefully held the seed in his palm.
“All questions are answered, and I’ve obtained what I came for. That’s the end of our business, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Ludger stepped back, letting Sedina stand before him.
Naturally, Sedina embraced Ella in farewell.
“Parting again, my daughter.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll come again.”
“Good.”
Ella whispered in her daughter’s ear, so only she could hear.
“Next time, you’ll bring him not as your teacher, but as your husband, won’t you?”
“...!”
Sedina’s face flushed scarlet at the tease.
Her trembling eyes stared at Ella, but she could not bring herself to deny it.
Ella chuckled mischievously at her daughter’s adorable reaction as she saw them off.
Sedina waved her hand to Ella, then approached Ludger.
“Let’s go back.”
“Yes.”
Their consciousness returned to reality.
They felt as if freed from gravity, their bodies lightened.
At the same time, the night breeze brushing against their skin made them open their eyes.
The guest room terrace of House Dentis.
Looking at the night sky, it seemed little time had passed outside compared to inside.
The warmth in his hand disappeared.
Sedina had hastily let go of the hand she had been holding.
Flustered, she lowered her head toward Ludger.
“S-see you tomorrow.”
Then she walked away quickly, almost like fleeing.
Watching her retreating figure, Ludger let out a faint laugh and slowly opened the fist he had closed.
The hand that had been holding the seed given by Ella.
Within lay the fragment of the Relic he had searched for so long.
‘Now...’
Only one fragment remained.
The single piece whose whereabouts had never been uncovered.
Ludger drew out the Relic fragment he wore around his neck and held it close to the newly obtained one.
‘If I resonate these two, I should be able to discern the rough location of the last fragment.’
He had wandered across the continent in search of it.
The only place he had never yet gone was perhaps the polar regions.
But it did not matter.
Even if it was there, he intended to find it.
Yet that resolve was rendered meaningless.
“...What is this?”
When Ludger confirmed the location of the last fragment, he could not help but let out a voice full of dismay.