Chapter 58
Chapter 58
Episode 58
Aiden's gaze, which had been fixed on Saya, shifted back toward the demons.
The grotesque hybrids still filled the area. Cleaning them up was the priority.
Shaking off complicated thoughts, Aiden lunged forward again.
He cut down the fleeing creatures one after another, slaughtering them all without sparing a single one.
Even as dawn broke over the eastern lands, Aiden was still moving.
Mountains of corpses—large and small—rose across the territory, black blood flowing between them like rivers.
Aiden crushed the last remaining demon's skull beneath his foot.
His expression fierce, he surveyed the surroundings. All those evil spirits had been reduced to lumps of flesh strewn across the ground.
The cultists and apostates were nowhere to be seen.
They must have either been killed by Siron or captured by the execution squads while fleeing.
The misfortune awaiting them wasn't just execution. The principle of collective punishment would likely be applied, wiping out even their distant relatives.
The Baranches Church never showed mercy to anyone associated with demon worshipers—no matter the reason.
Aiden couldn't stop it.
Such methods were Baranchesar's will. No matter how much of a hero the scriptures recorded him to be, he wasn't above the gods.
Aiden sheathed his holy sword and approached Saya.
She hopped down from the scarecrow and landed lightly on the ground.
The morning light made her silver fox fur glow even brighter.
Saya grinned and pointed at the baby.
"He didn't cry. Maybe he'll grow up strong."
Siron, who had been watching, pulled out her halberd and strode toward the child.
Aiden blocked her path.
"I'm sparing him."
Siron looked genuinely bewildered.
This baby was fundamentally different from the mother and child Aiden had saved in the Grand Duchy.
They had been forcibly oppressed, but this child's parents had willingly fallen into corruption.
Back then, Siron could understand—but not this time.
What Aiden was doing now was outright blasphemy against doctrine.
Siron spoke hesitantly.
"...Sir Aiden, this is a heretic's child."
"I know. But I'm sparing him."
Even if the cult leader had continued threatening him earlier, Aiden wouldn't have yielded.
He couldn't let the cult leader escape just to save one child. The damage they would cause if released was obvious.
But thanks to Saya's intervention, the situation had already been resolved.
There was no reason to abandon the baby now. In short, it was a matter of priority. He could endure sacrifices for the sake of progress, but he had no intention of being bound by doctrine or law.
Moreover, Aiden knew full well that all of this was nothing but hypocrisy to justify himself.
Still, he had decided to spare the child.
Siron bit her lip. The fact that the divine champion was defying Baranchesar's teachings was something she couldn't easily accept.
"...Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
Her grip on the halberd tightened until her knuckles turned white. Her hands trembled violently.
She wanted to deny it—she couldn't believe that the hero she revered had betrayed his faith.
Siron stared at Aiden with desperate eyes.
"The—the reason. You must have a reason for this too, right?"
Aiden met her gaze squarely.
It was the same look he had sometimes seen in Yuron's eyes—a mix of reverence and disbelief, wavering uncertainly.
But Yuron had reached the point where he would believe Aiden even if he claimed a demon had birthed a god.
Blind faith. That was one of the values Aiden demanded from his comrades. He couldn't explain every single action.
Aiden steeled his expression.
"The gods will it. Just as they forgave you, they must intend to do the same for this child."
Siron looked utterly perplexed, while Saya burst into laughter. Ignoring them, Aiden turned his attention to the baby.
He infused his finger with divine energy and traced the sign of the cross.
"Grow up righteous. Always do good and aid the weak. May your repentance reach the heavens. The gods will watch over your remorse."
He pressed his finger against the baby's forehead. The child giggled and babbled happily.
Aiden took the baby and handed him to Siron.
Her pupils trembled.
"Take him to a nearby monastery."
"B-but..."
Aiden spoke calmly.
"Can I trust you?"
She had sworn to serve Aiden until her dying breath.
Disobedience was impossible—yet she couldn't defy church doctrine either.
The only thing she could lean on was Aiden's word that it was divine will.
Conflicting emotions flashed through Siron's eyes. Finally, she bowed her head deeply and gave a small nod.
Aiden asked again, his Insight activating.
"Can I trust you?"
"...Yes."
"Leave immediately. I'll see you at the church."
Siron glanced briefly at Saya before turning back to Aiden. With a resigned sigh, she spoke softly.
"I'll see you later. Please take care of yourself."
As Aiden nodded, Siron turned and walked away.
By now, morning had fully arrived. The rising sun in the east cast long shadows of Saya and Aiden, overlapping them into one.
Aiden turned to the grinning nine-tailed fox.
"How long do you plan to follow me?"
Saya shrugged and playfully flicked her white tail in front of his face.
"See? Just one. It's been almost two years since I was born, and I'm still stuck with one tail. What kind of nine-tailed fox has only one tail?"
As she spoke, the fox took a step closer to Aiden, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Oh, but look—there's one right in front of you! Congratulations. Every man in the world will envy you. Just give me a little sip, and I'll disappear for a while. How about it?"
Before he knew it, Saya was close enough for her breath to brush against him.
Her seductive fox-like eyes shimmered, her fair skin flushing red.
Her unique scent was an irresistible temptation for any normal man—but Aiden didn't respond.
His expression remained impassive.
Aiden pushed her forehead away with a finger.
"I can't stand the smell of beasts."
But the truth was, his refusal to embrace her wasn't just about emotions.
The first child born from a goddess-tier being would inherit divine status—a demigod. A child he absolutely needed for his plans.
But not now. Even if it was his own blood, a demigod was an arrogant and unruly existence—one Aiden could never control.
Contraception was impossible. For a nine-tailed fox, conception wasn't just about physical union—it was about essence.
Sex didn't guarantee pregnancy, but he couldn't gamble on the future.
A gloomy aura flickered across Saya's face.
"Why do you have to be so mean? That's not the real reason. You're hurting me too."
Saya already knew the gist of it. Even when they traveled together in the past, Aiden had refused intimacy—and he had vaguely hinted at the reason back then.
He couldn't explain in detail due to restrictions.
Aiden spoke.
"Good that you know. So it's impossible."
"I can endure it. We can stop midway."
Aiden scoffed. A nine-tailed fox experiencing her first time couldn't control her urges. It would be a miracle if she didn't kill her partner from sheer ecstasy.
Aiden shook his head.
"Saya, you told me once—don't lie to yourself. That applies to you too. How could a creature as self-centered as you suppress its instincts?"
Saya frowned.
"Don't talk like you know everything."
Aiden nodded.
"Fine. I'll apologize—now leave. There's nothing for you to gain by following me."
He turned his back. Saya lightly grabbed his pinky finger.
"You need me too, in the end."
Her usefulness wasn't limited to bearing children. He needed her as a nine-tailed fox herself.
Besides, she wasn't the only goddess-tier being who could bear his child.
He always had backup plans—and methods to secure them already prepared.
Her voice dripped with honeyed temptation.
"Just let me stay by your side. I'll endure until you want me. I promise."
Though she seemed docile now, her true nature was anything but.
Aiden knew better than anyone what Saya's instincts could drive her to do. An uncontrollable monster—he couldn't keep her by his side until he grew stronger.
A problem that could be solved with a few drops of blood might end in rivers of it.
That couldn't happen again.
Aiden pulled his finger free.
Saya's blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Her voice trembled slightly.
"You're not the same as before. I can tell. You understand me now, don't you?"
"It's not about understanding."
Aiden paused briefly before speaking in a low voice.
"Honestly, even talking to you right now is painful. Remember Regul, who taught me the sword? He's probably long gone from your memory. What about Anna, who always baked bread for us? Or Benjamin, who died fighting beside me—and his son, whom I swore to take responsibility for? I still hear their screams."
No matter how much he invested in mental fortitude, the festering emotions never disappeared. They only allowed him to ignore them and keep moving.
But sometimes, those memories returned without warning, tormenting him.
He bit his lip.
"Saya, I begged you to stop back then. Must I beg you again?"
His voice was calm, but his eyes trembled slightly.
An emotion he rarely showed.
Facing him, Saya suddenly felt afraid.
For the first time, she wondered if she might truly never melt his heart.
Her head grew faintly dizzy. Her eyes reddened.
"A-Aiden... I—"
Aiden shook his head.
"Don't say you're sorry. I'm no different from you. Saya, you acted according to your values. So did I. We don't need to ask forgiveness from each other."
He had tried cursing her, treating her harshly—anything to push her away.
But none of it worked on her. So now, he spoke sincerely.
"If you let go of those feelings, we might get along just fine."
Mutual benefit. If they weren't lovers, they could stay together for the sake of the future.
Whatever the case, Aiden needed her.
Saya stared at him with desperate eyes. His words—far crueler than any insult—dug into her chest.
"So, Saya, live freely now. Grow your tails as your instincts demand, wander the world like a true nine-tailed fox. By the time you return, I'll be someone worthy of helping you."
Even if it was just mutual benefit, Saya had nothing to gain from Aiden as he was now.
To truly settle their love-hate relationship, Aiden needed to become someone capable of offering her something tangible.
If he tried to manipulate her using emotions as leverage, the backlash could be catastrophic.
Effectively, Aiden had given up on the demigod child she could bear. He would have to find another goddess-tier being.
Saya realized Aiden had drawn a firm line. It terrified her.
She froze, tears finally spilling from her eyes. Then she broke down—crumpling to the ground like a child, covering her face as she sobbed.
She didn't know what to say. I'm sorry. Forgive me. The words swirled in her mouth before dissolving into nothing.
Aiden looked down at her.
Her drooping ears and tail looked pitiful. Deep in his chest, he was already wiping her tears away.
It hurt—like his heart was being torn apart. If he hadn't invested in mental fortitude, he might have embraced her.
With heavy steps, Aiden walked away.