Chapter 93
Some of the survivors who had escaped returned to the village, but even with everyone gathered, there were only twenty-nine survivors. Out of the original two hundred villagers, barely more than one in ten had survived.
The villagers buried the bodies of the dead in silence. Though they would have liked to give the fallen a better resting place, they had neither the time nor the means. Once the simple burials were done, the survivors prepared to flee. Truthfully, there was little to prepare, as the monsters had already destroyed most of the village.
"We'll be on our way now," Kirak said. He was the man who had taken charge of the refugees. He bowed respectfully to Caron and his group.
Caron handed Kirak a small stone and said, "This stone holds some of my blade's energy. As long as you have it, you should be safe from monster attacks."
He had channeled a part of his mana into the stone through Guillotine. Though it wouldn't last long, it would still protect them from the monsters for the time being.
"But do you have somewhere to go?" Caron asked.
Kirak's expression turned bittersweet before he answered, "There is a village about half a day's journey east, near the Holy Kingdom's border. I've heard that paladins and priests sometimes pass through, so... We'll head there for now."
The area was overrun with demonic monsters, making it almost as if they had already claimed these lands. At least with paladins nearby, it would be better than staying here.
Caron nodded slowly and said, "I wish you all the luck in the world."
"And you knights, are you going to stay here?" Kirak asked.
"Well, someone has to finish things," Caron replied plainly.
Kirak gazed at Caron and bowed again, then said, "I will remember this for the rest of my life. May God bless you all."
With a final word of blessing, Kirak rejoined the line of refugees. Moments later, the survivors started their solemn march out of the village, and Caron and his group watched them in silence as they disappeared from sight.
"They all seem hesitant to leave," Leo said as he looked at them.
"Since there's no choice for them but to just leave their loved ones behind..." Caron replied softly.
"If I'd been stronger... Would it have been different?" Leo muttered.
Without hesitation, Caron smacked Leo on the back and said, "Did your puberty just start now?"
Leo winced as he rubbed his back, then said, "Ugh, it hurts more than usual... Maybe because it's been a while, you jerk."
"Don't rush things. You're growing well and quickly enough as it is," Caron said, a hint of unexpected praise slipping into his voice.
Leo stared at Caron with wide eyes and asked, "Did... Did you just compliment me?"
Caron nodded and admitted, "You've earned it. I can tell you've been working hard even while I was gone. Keep it up."
"Am I still dreaming? Did you really just compliment—" Leo's sentence was cut off as he was suddenly lifted off his feet, rising into the air.
Utula, standing behind Leo, had grabbed him and lifted him with both hands, effortlessly raising him high. He boomed, "Leo Leston! The attitude you showed in sacrificing your life! That is truly the mark of a great warrior! I, Utula, salute you. You are indeed a great warrior!"
"U-Utula, thank you... but c-could you...?" Leo managed to gasp.
"We introduced ourselves to each other, so we're friends now! It is an honor to be the friend of such a brave warrior!" Utula declared.
"Help... me..." Leo wheezed.
As Utula and Leo's bond of friendship intensified, Caron turned to Leon and said, "Let's prepare to set off in half a day."
Leon narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are you sure? Don't we have to hurry up?"
Caron had already explained to the others what the Gate of Chaos was, and the potential disaster it could bring if it were completed. Caron had even worked out that their target was likely the Southern Great Forest.
"That's where they'll aim," Caron continued. The Southern Great Forest wasn't just home to elves and other races. It was famous for the World Tree. Most likely, that tree was their goal. Corrupting it would be enough to taint the vast forest with dark mana.
Leon scowled because she understood exactly what a place like the Southern Great Forest meant. She said, "The elves won't just sit back and let that happen."
"But they've been cut off from human contact for a long time now. They're probably unprepared," Caron said. He knew that from Neria, the elf he had rescued in Reben. The elves had only sensed something was wrong, but didn't understand exactly what.
And if the Gate of Chaos opened in this situation, the Southern Great Forest would be devastated. Fortunately, they still had time, as the summoning ritual hadn't yet begun.
"So, what's the plan?" Leon asked.
Caron shrugged and answered, "First, we need to rest and restore our mana. Being close to the Southern Great Forest should make your mana training more efficient, right?"
"So, start with recovery?" Leon confirmed.
"Stopping the Gate of Chaos is pretty simple. We just find the summoner and rip them apart. Done," Caron explained.
"That sounds a little too simple, don't you think?" Leon asked.
"Think of it as a summary," Caron said. He had seen the Gate of Chaos with his own eyes before. In his previous life, the Malevolent Emperor had summoned it in the Imperial Palace. He remembered all too well the devastation it had unleashed.
"A true member of the Ducal Family of Leston should stop the Gate of Chaos at least once in their life," Caron said with a wry grin.
"But we haven't even pinpointed the summoner yet," Leon pointed out.
Caron gave Guillotine a light shake, then replied, "Lucky for us, we have a skilled tracker. Guillotine will guide us."
Settling himself onto the ground, Caron exhaled softly. Noticing Leo still hanging off Utula's back, he called, "Hey Leo, enough horsing around and start your mana training. You need to recover your mana to fight or do anything, right? Can't take my eyes off you for a second."
Too tired to answer, Leo slid down from Utula's back and immediately began training his mana, while Leon also closed her eyes to begin on her own mana cycle. Caron watched them both, mentally running through various scenarios.
The Holy Kingdom... They're the wild card, Caron mused.
Holy mana was incredibly effective against dark mana, after all. Perhaps the Holy Kingdom was already aware of the situation and taking action. That could be helpful, but there was a concern.
Those fanatics... They're unpredictable, Caron thought.
Even the elders of the family had often warned them to avoid clashes with the Holy Kingdom's zealots, because they were impossible to anticipate and shunned those without faith. And if the zealots somehow crossed paths with the elves...
"Just imagining it is terrifying," Caron muttered to himself. A sense of certainty settled in. "This might just be a disaster..."
This mission was shaping up to be anything but simple. Still, Caron shook his head, glancing at his cousins. The priority now was letting them recover.
***
Late into the night, Kirak and the group of refugees trudged eastward, only to come face-to-face with a group of soldiers.
"Halt!" commanded one of the knights, his voice sharp through his silver mask and pure white armor. Kirak recognized them immediately. These were Holy Kingdom paladins. Only the Holy Kingdom's knights wore such pristine armor.
"We're refugees!" Kirak announced, stepping forward as the group's representative.
One of the knights replied in a low, solemn voice, "You come from a land tainted by foul dark mana. Are you heretics?"
"No, we're not," Kirak answered quickly. "Our village... Our village was simply attacked by demonic monsters."
"The cursed are easily driven to madness. Judging your sins is our duty! Kneel at once!" The knight's voice brooked no argument. The refugees, intimidated, dropped to their knees immediately. Priests from behind the knights began moving through the group, sprinkling holy water over them.
Kirak watched their movements nervously.
This land still belongs to the Keath Kingdom... he thought. But the force of paladins and priests seemed too large, over one hundred strong. They had to be conducting military operations. In the village of Laia to the east, it wasn't unusual to see paladins and priests appear from time to time. But they usually came for volunteer missions. However, this force was far too large to be considered a mere volunteer mission.
While Kirak was assessing the Holy Kingdom's troops, the paladins standing in his way stepped aside to reveal a priest dressed in robes of pure white, walking slowly toward him.
"Given the situation, I ask that you forgive our caution," said the priest, his voice calming and soothing.
Kirak found himself bowing his head instinctively as he replied, "No need to apologize."
The priest exuded an aura of reverence that Kirak had only sensed from high-ranking Holy Kingdom officials in the past. Keeping his head lowered, Kirak continued, "We're refugees from the village of Yusla. The village was destroyed, and I'm leading the survivors to the town of Laia."
"I am deeply sorry for your loss," the priest said gently, stopping before Kirak and placing a hand on his shoulder. "May the radiant light dispel the darkness that has fallen over you."
With a brief prayer, a warm, bright light flowed from the priest's hand into Kirak's body, washing away his fatigue as if it had melted into the air. His mind felt sharper and clearer.
Kirak looked up, meeting the priest's gaze. The man had platinum hair and bright brown eyes that radiated intelligence. Truly, there was no one who embodied nobility more than this priest.
"Are you feeling any better?" the priest asked with a warm smile.
Kirak gave him a cautious nod and replied, "Yes, thank you."
"It is our duty as priests to offer a safe haven to those fleeing from the clutches of evil," the priest said. "From here to Laia, your path should be free of danger. However..."
His gaze drifted slowly to Kirak's waist, landing on the small leather pouch Kirak carried. He said gently, "There appears to be something in that pouch. May I see it?"
Though the tone was kind, Kirak felt a sudden pressure. He had a feeling that defying the request would lead to serious consequences.
The stone given to me by the knight is in the pouch, Kirak thought. It was meant to repel monsters. He wondered if there was anything wrong with it.
As Kirak hesitated and remained silent, the priest turned to a nearby paladin with a patient smile. In an instant, the paladin roughly tore the pouch away. Moments later, the pouch revealed a stone, glimmering with a dark blue light.
"...This is interesting," the priest murmured, picking up the stone with a delicate white hand. He examined it in silence, turning it over thoughtfully.
"It's not dark mana, but it holds a profane power," he finally said. "It seems someone infused this stone with a deliberate spell. Am I correct?"
Kirak kept his mouth shut, sensing the tension in the air. Speaking recklessly could bring harm to his benefactors.
However, a paladin beside him unsheathed his sword and pressured him, yelling, "Answer the priest immediately!"
But the priest raised a hand, signaling the paladin to stop.
"This man is blameless, Sir Haken. How can we be so rude to one who has lost his home?" he said with a reassuring smile. "I respect conviction. Surely, you have your reasons for staying silent. You may keep your beliefs."
The priest's mild tone put Kirak slightly at ease, but he responded hesitantly, "Thank you—"
"But as you honor your conviction, I too must uphold mine, to root out evil wherever it lurks. I hope you understand," the priest said as he placed both his hands over Kirak's head, channeling a bright white light.
"Ahh..." A groan slipped from Kirak's lips as he felt the light searing through his mind, as if scouring his thoughts. He didn't know how much time passed before he slumped to the ground, unconscious.
The priest finally removed his hands, looking down at Kirak with a knowing smile. "...So that's what had happened," he murmured, studying the fallen man thoughtfully before turning to the paladin. "Assign one of the knights to watch over these refugees."
"Do we not need to clean them up?" one of the paladins asked.
"Their souls are untainted," the priest replied, recalling what he had glimpsed within Kirak's memories. The stone held the unholy energy of a sword. It was a dark blade, almost alive with malice, meant to interfere with their holy mission.
"It seems we have an intruder hoping to disrupt our crusade," Elijah, the Saint of the Holy Kingdom, said with a smile. "We'll need to move quickly."
Only those who served the Light could have the honor of dealing with evil.
"Let us proceed. For the radiant Light!" the priest said.
"Yes, Saint," the paladins responded.
The saint had no intention of yielding such glory to the profane. The fanatics once again moved forward.