Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Prologue
The inhabitants of this world believed that night fell when the gods closed their eyes.
They thought that demons and evil-doers hid from divine gaze during the day, only to emerge at dusk and harm people.
Yet even in such darkness, there were those who radiated a noble light.
Clad in platinum armor, they carried out divine judgment and cried out for the destruction of evil.
The gods' single open eye in the night. This world called them Holy Knights.
Yoo Ji-tae had become one such Holy Knight within the game.
Though two years had already passed, he remained an atheist.
Episode 1
As dusk deepened, Aiden's heart grew increasingly restless.
No matter how much he urged his horse forward, the densely wooded mountain slope made it impossible to pick up speed.
The 2.5-meter lance strapped diagonally across his back was nothing but a hindrance in this terrain.
"If the sun sets completely, we're in trouble."
His destination was Tedrang Village.
The demon he was pursuing had likely taken refuge there.
If his assumptions were correct, the creature had been hiding in Tedrang for over a week—more than enough time for casualties to pile up.
The frustration of being unable to move faster gnawed at him despite his urgency.
Before he knew it, the sun had dipped below the horizon—the time when they became active.
Finally, the terraced vineyards at the village outskirts came into view.
From here on, no more trees obstructed Aiden's path. He loosened the reins and spurred his horse forward.
The quiet village echoed with the untimely clatter of hooves, prompting the villagers—hiding in their homes—to cautiously peer out from their windows.
They knew exactly what this sound meant.
A Holy Knight dispatched by the Church.
Or a demon hunter who demanded gold coins as payment.
Few others dared to move so boldly at night.
Most hoped for the former—a Holy Knight.
But what met their eyes was not a figure clad in platinum armor, radiating divine light.
Instead, it was a man in leather armor with a black cloak—undoubtedly a demon hunter.
Of course, the villagers were in no position to be picky. They rushed out immediately to greet him.
"A-are you a demon hunter? I'm Gembel, the village chief of Tedrang."
The chief was a hunched old man. Aiden showed him the insignia of the Valanches Church.
"No. I'm a trainee knight affiliated with the Church."
In other words, a fresh graduate from the monastery.
Truth be told, a trainee knight was even less reliable than a demon hunter in the eyes of the village. Most lacked experience.
Only a select few completed their training and earned their qualifications—the rest either died or were crippled in battle against demons.
The chief, having lived long enough to know this grim reality, wore a troubled expression.
Aiden noticed but ignored it.
"The demon I'm chasing fled here. It's been about a week—judging by your reactions, it's already caused damage."
The chief's hurried appearance and the villagers' fearful faces told him enough.
"Y-yes, that's right. Several women in the village have already died. Their bodies... shriveled up. Ugh. I've never seen such a ghastly sight in all my years."
The chief shuddered as if unwilling to even imagine it.
"That's the one."
An incubus—a nightmare demon that drained the life force of women until they withered away.
Time was ticking toward midnight—the creature would soon be hunting again.
"Chief, gather all the young women in the village here. Now."
"Young women, you say...?"
"Those who have begun menstruating but have not yet undergone their coming-of-age ceremony."
Though doubtful of Aiden's abilities, the chief felt an odd sense of trust from his composed demeanor and bearing.
"Ah... understood."
After hesitating briefly, he gestured to the villagers.
"You heard the knight! Hurry and gather everyone!"
At the chief's command, several young men scattered through the village to spread the word.
With only about a hundred households, it wouldn't take long.
Seizing the moment, the chief spoke again.
"It's no ordinary fiend. Not just women—several men who went after it have already been killed. Perhaps it'd be best to contact the Church and request a proper Holy Knight..."
He was asking Aiden to guard the village until reinforcements arrived—to avoid reckless action.
Of course, Aiden had no such intention.
Completing this mission would finally free him from his trainee status.
Two years in this world.
At last, he had a chance to step onto the main scenario—he couldn't let it slip away.
Aiden glanced at the translucent holographic window floating before him.
A character sheet modeled after in-game status and quest logs.
"Still a long way to go."
Two years of relentless effort had brought him this far, but compared to the game's later stages, he was still woefully unprepared.
"Um, Sir Knight...?"
"There's no time to wait. I can handle it alone."
The chief couldn't tell if this confidence was bravery or recklessness, but he had no choice but to comply.
Even as a trainee, the title of "knight" placed him above commoners.
"...Understood."
Having firmly dismissed the chief's concerns, Aiden dismounted as villagers began gathering.
Though only young women had been summoned, a sizable crowd—men, women, and children—had assembled before the chief's house.
They had come to see the knight from the Church.
Even the burliest men in the village seemed small before Aiden.
Despite the crowd, no one spoke loudly or caused a disturbance.
All waited quietly for Aiden to address them.
"Is this all of them?"
About thirty young women stood in a line.
"Yes, every last one, my lord," replied the fastest-moving villager.
Aiden nodded and approached the group.
The women kept their heads bowed, avoiding his gaze.
Their reaction mirrored the procedure nobles used when selecting concubines—though this was entirely different.
A reflexive response.
"Look up. Meet my eyes."
The girl at the front hesitated before locking eyes with him.
Her pupils trembled with unease.
Aiden stared intently, raising his index finger toward her forehead.
"I won't harm you. There's no need to fear."
Simultaneously, a pure white glow ignited at his fingertip.
Divine power—the energy Holy Knights wielded against demons.
The purity of this power varied by individual, as did training methods, but Aiden's case was somewhat special.
The System.
To be precise, it was based on the abilities he had set during character creation.
Aiden had chosen "Noble Hypocrisy."
Perform righteous deeds to earn admiration and reverence, then convert it into divine power.
If this world were a game, fulfilling the conditions would be simple.
But unfortunately, this was reality.
He had to draw awe from real people—not AI NPCs.
Had he known he'd be transported into the game, he wouldn't have chosen such an ability.
No—he might not have even started this damned game in the first place.
Regardless, the radiance at his fingertip was the culmination of two years of effort.
The brilliant light captivated everyone.
Some gasped, others clasped their hands and murmured prayers.
The fear in the girl's eyes had vanished.
"This one's clean."
Those marked by an incubus would reject divine power.
Aiden moved down the line, observing reactions, until he abruptly stopped before a girl with russet hair—about the twelfth in line.
Her body trembled like a leaf.
"J-Julie! What's wrong?"
Her father paled, glancing between Aiden and his daughter.
"She's been marked by the demon. Hold her from behind so she can't move."
Commoners ensnared by demons were usually burned at the stake—they were likely to become demon worshippers or thralls.
If the victim were nobility, expensive holy water or purification by a saintess might suffice, but such mercy didn't extend to commoners.
Julie's father wailed in despair.
"M-my daughter's innocent! Please, Sir Knight, have mercy...!"
The chief and villagers wore somber expressions.
But they understood the reality. At the chief's signal, Julie was restrained from behind.
Just as some young men moved to prepare firewood and a stake, Aiden spoke.
"I don't burn people."
The chief looked puzzled.
"W-what...?"
"Just hold her tight so she can't escape. That's all I need."
Julie was losing her sanity. Possessed by evil, she screamed with hostility.
"Let go! Don't touch me! My body—my body belongs only to Lord Sebas!"
The clash between the demon's dark energy and Aiden's divine power had triggered this outburst.
"Just as I thought—charmed."
Had Aiden not been here, she would have sought out the incubus and offered herself willingly.
That was how nightmare demons hunted humans.
Aiden immediately channeled more divine power.
Unlike the healing arts of a saintess, he couldn't fully break the charm—but a temporary effect was possible.
The white glow pushed back the shadows lurking in Julie's pupils, if only briefly.
Aiden seized the moment.
"Your name was Julie, right?"
"Ugh... h-huuuh...!"
Julie writhed in pain, on the verge of collapse.
The villagers stood frozen in shock.
"My blade cuts only heretics and demons. If you are neither, trust me. I won't harm you."
A warm light enveloped Julie.
Aiden's halo.
Though not yet a full Holy Knight, the potency of his divine power was extraordinary.
Even the chief, who had doubted him, now bowed his head in awe.
"The eye of the gods..."
Forgetting it was night, the villagers sighed in relief.
Julie, too, slowly spoke.
"...I... I just..."
"You've done nothing wrong."
"I'm... I'm sorry... What was I...?"
"The demon is to blame for this misfortune. Don't blame yourself. Just tell me—where is Sebas?"
There had to be a meeting place.
"The... the brewery. The brewery on the outskirts... He said he'd wait for me there."
That was enough.
Knowing the creature's location meant capture was only a matter of time.
"This marks the end of my trainee days."
The Church required the slaying of forty-nine demons for qualification.
Sebas would be the final trial of his Holy Knight training.
As Aiden withdrew his halo, Julie collapsed.
"Julie!"
Her father rushed to support her, looking up at Aiden.
"Sir Knight... what happens to my daughter now?"
"She's not fully purified yet. Have her drink this first."
Aiden pulled a small vial from his coat and handed it to the father.
One might mistake it for holy water, but it was merely a sedative.
A single vial of holy water would cost more than the entire village's wealth—far beyond Aiden's means.
"She'll wake in two or three days. By then, the dark energy in her body should be completely cleansed."
Even without holy water or a saintess, curing demonic corruption was possible.
Eliminate the source—the demon itself—and the corruption would fade.
Burning people alive was, in many ways, this world's worst custom.
Aiden knew it was utter nonsense.
"Such a precious gift... How could someone like me ever repay this kindness...?"
Aiden didn't clarify that it wasn't holy water.
If he did, the villagers might not believe Julie was truly purified.
Even if the demon died, she might not be able to stay in the village.
Their fear could still lead to her execution.
Aiden shook his head.
"It was my duty."
"I'll pray for your well-being for the rest of my life."
Aiden skimmed the messages floating before him with a bitter gaze.
Numbers representing nobility, divinity, and the like—rising just like in a game.
As he mounted his horse, the chief hurried over.
"Sir Knight, perhaps it'd be safer to take some men with you? The brewery's location is..."
"I see it."
Aiden pointed toward the distant brewery.
Though too far for ordinary eyes to discern at night, Aiden saw it clearly.
Ignoring the chief's hesitation, he gripped the reins.
"Don't doubt me."
He didn't want this—one of the few things he enjoyed in this world—to be interrupted.
Killing demons.
Ever since being thrust into this character, nothing entertained him more.
Aiden spurred his horse forward.