Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Episode 72.
The full moon smiled brightly, casting its gentle glow upon Aiden and Saya.
The moonlight favored only them, plunging the rest of the world into deep darkness while blessing their love with its bluish radiance.
Atraxia, the goddess of the moon and love.
She had once been Vacheksar's lover, but as the moon, she could never stand beside him, the sun.
Vacheksar and Atraxia were synonymous with tragic love.
They illuminated the world separately—morning and night—forever unable to coexist in the same time and space.
Now ascended, they would never meet again.
Yet despite being the protagonist of such a tragic tale, Atraxia never envied the love of others. She only blessed them.
Aiden gazed up at the full moon.
Infusing divine power, he traced the sign of the cross.
"O Moon, I shall fulfill your wish."
It was his first prayer—and oath—to a god.
"I swear in the name of Aiden, the Paladin. Holy Vacheksar."
A brilliant halo stretched toward the heavens. The full moon watched him and curved into a crescent.
Aiden was determined to keep this promise, no matter what.
His gaze returned to Saya.
Her translucent skin, illuminated by the moonlight, made her delicate features even more striking. Though cold and lifeless, she was more beautiful than anything else in this world.
Aiden brushed back her silver hair.
Then, abruptly, the people of the Valerian territory came to mind—the massacred villagers. A shadow passed over his face.
To love Saya, he would have to turn a blind eye to the sins he had committed against them.
But he didn't want to. He knew he wouldn't be able to bear it.
Instead, he rationalized—he would atone when he stood at the pinnacle of this world. A pitiful excuse, repeated over and over.
A hollow laugh escaped him.
Love and humanity. He was greedy, unwilling to abandon either, and he knew full well his own hypocrisy.
So he mocked himself.
Lost in thought, the sudden flutter of mountain birds snapped him back to reality.
Then came the sound of the earth trembling. Aiden could guess what was approaching.
Fenrir. He had completely forgotten about the beast.
He had been too careless. Immediately, his mind began racing.
How would the beast react? Most likely, the wolf wouldn't remember Saya.
Which meant it might turn hostile toward Aiden. In his current state, he wouldn't stand a chance in a fight.
Escaping was the wiser choice. This mountain erased the scent of visitors—if he willed it, he could lose the wolf.
But if he did, he might lose any connection to Fenrir altogether.
The beast was necessary to unite the Ain, and it had a role to play in the future. It was better to maintain at least some relationship.
Aiden made his decision in an instant.
He would gauge its reaction first. There would still be time to flee if needed.
The heavy footsteps drew closer.
Finally, a massive wolf, standing ten meters tall, emerged from between the ancient trees.
Its eyes met Aiden's, perched on a branch.
Fenrir's face was twisted in frustration.
It felt as though a part of its brain had been hollowed out.
The wolf knew the man before it—yet it couldn't remember why it had come west with him.
Seeing the beast's expression, Aiden was certain his guess had been right.
Before Fenrir could act unpredictably, Aiden spoke first.
"You're right. Your memories have been erased. Listen carefully to what I say next."
The wolf brought its enormous snout inches from Aiden's face.
Cold eyes bore into him, but Aiden didn't flinch.
Calmly, he explained the situation.
(Aiden couldn't divulge specifics about Atraxia—nor about Karyemen's authority. It was forbidden.)
Though much of the information was restricted, he did his best to convey it intuitively.
The wolf wrinkled its muzzle, glancing down at Saya.
All Fenrir understood was that the dead woman was a gumiho and that Aiden had the power to revive her.
Even to the wolf, she was unmistakably a gumiho.
And it instinctively knew this wasn't some illusion.
Mental abilities had no effect on Fenrir—and the wolf was well aware of that fact.
So then, what was this sensation, as if part of its mind had been erased?
The beast muttered,
"...A god?"
Nothing else made sense. Its immunity didn't extend to divine power.
Aiden shook his head.
"Wrong."
Karyemen's authority had merely erased Saya's existence.
If anything, divine power had fallen upon Aiden—since he alone still remembered her.
The wolf narrowed its eyes.
"Then what?"
"Come with me. You'll find out there."
With that, Aiden tore off his inner robe and wrapped Saya tightly in it.
Then he slung her over his back, securing her with a tight knot.
"I'll need to ride you."
Aiden leaped from the branch.
The moment he landed on the wolf's massive back, Fenrir convulsed violently.
CRASH!
Ancient trees toppled, shaking the earth. Rocks crumbled, scattering debris in all directions.
Aiden spoke calmly.
"I need your help to revive the gumiho. We don't have time for this."
Fenrir never allowed anyone to ride it—but Aiden's words were enough to shatter that conviction.
Besides, the wolf still had fragmented memories of carrying Aiden before. It just couldn't recall why.
Fenrir let out a furious roar.
"If this is some trick of yours, I'll tear you apart and swallow you whole."
"Understood. Now move."
The wolf, visibly displeased, obliterated the ground beneath it as it lunged toward the Moonstone Steps.
The thousand-step staircase, carved from moonstone, led to the temple suspended in the sky.
"Climb."
Fenrir growled.
"Once this is over, we settle our hierarchy."
"Fine. Just hurry."
The wolf, seething with irritation, leaped toward the steps, shattering the ground beneath its paws.
It took mere seconds to ascend the staircase.
Aiden marveled at Fenrir's speed as they reached the temple.
Dozens of coffins lined the hall.
Atraxia must have intervened. Since the royal bloodline carried the moon's essence, perhaps she intended to sever the chain of their sinful history.
Of course, he couldn't be sure. He didn't know why she had acted so suddenly.
Still, Aiden was genuinely relieved things were unfolding so smoothly.
He dismounted and walked toward the coffins.
The high priest, seated on the dais, rose to his feet.
"Emissary of the Sun, welcome."
He bowed slightly, counting his prayer beads.
Aiden's emotions were conflicted. This man had erased Saya—and by all rights, should have been his enemy.
But he showed no hostility. With a favorable outcome already in motion, there was no need for bloodshed.
Aiden returned the courtesy.
"I greet the Apostle of Atraxia."
The priest bowed once more before gesturing to the coffins.
"As the Moon commanded, preparations are complete."
Fenrir stomped toward him.
"You killed the gumiho?"
To the wolf, the old man didn't seem capable of such a feat.
As Fenrir's aggression flared, Aiden warned,
"Killing him would complicate things. Stand down and head to the annex in the rear garden. You'll get your answers there."
The priest whipped his head toward Aiden.
Aiden replied flatly,
"If the beast isn't convinced, everyone in this temple dies."
The priest couldn't speak of his authority—or any other secrets—but those truths were well-documented in the annex.
Ignoring the priest's reaction, Aiden lifted the coffins one by one.
He stacked them onto Fenrir's back, securing them tightly with rope.
The wolf couldn't forgive this insolent human. Once this was over, it vowed to teach him proper respect.
Of course, their hierarchy was already decided.
Saya, destined to become the Ain's sole deity, had chosen Aiden as her mate.
Aiden climbed onto Fenrir's back.
"Move out. We'll stop by the rear garden, then head straight to revive Saya."
The wolf's face twisted in frustration, swallowing its pride.
Unfortunately, its patience would go unrewarded.