Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Serpent Swallowing the Great Land
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Sunset-like crimson flames dyed the castle walls.
A city where corpses of those who couldn't close their eyes piled up beneath the walls.
In a city where tattered flags fluttered and occasional death rattles echoed,
only the conversation between the city's invader, Opfir, and its lord, the High Priest, could be heard.
"Why... why the civilians...?"
The High Priest gazed at the pile of citizens' corpses behind Opfir.
Neither holy knights nor priests.
They had been the people of this city.
Trembling with rage at the sight of their bodies, which could be called civilians without shame,
"The rumors were false. The talk that Opfir doesn't fight those without the will to fight was all..."
"Is redefining words at will a trait of Holy Kingdom priests?"
Opfir cut off the High Priest's words.
"They had no will to fight? Who decided that? They sliced human flesh with blades. Clear intent to harm."
Opfir pointed to a woman's horribly mutilated corpse behind the pile of citizens' bodies.
The rag of a woman, pierced by needles and stakes, was a 'Returner' like Remesis.
"They called a woman without the will to fight a witch and gleefully sliced her flesh for coins. And you say they had no will to fight? Don't make me laugh."
Opfir stomped his foot, and the pile of corpses in the plaza fell into the fissure.
"The moment you harm someone, you've shown your will to fight. Whether it was resolve or mere amusement isn't my concern."
Opfir buried the bodies in the cracked earth and grabbed the priest by the collar.
Sensing his fate, the priest asked at least to resolve his final curiosity.
"What is your goal, serpent?"
"Peace."
The High Priest's face twisted.
Even at the end, he shot Opfir a resentful glare for not speaking sincerely.
"Mocking me to the last."
"I'm serious. I want peace."
"Does it make sense for someone who wants peace to do this...?"
"You're still misunderstanding. Look. This city is more peaceful now than ever."
Opfir released the priest's collar and spread his arms toward the city.
"Can't you see? No one is branded a witch and hurt, no citizen spills hatred on the streets. If this isn't peace, what is?"
"People too terrified to leave their homes—how is that peace?"
"Do you ever realize how precious breath is?"
"What?"
"True peace begins with fear. Only overwhelming fear makes society aware of peace's value."
Opfir spread his arms wide, his red robe flapping like in a speech.
"This city will never break its own peace now. No one will hunt witches, and no witches will emerge."
He looked at the High Priest with a smile full of conviction.
The High Priest, listening to Opfir, muttered lowly.
"Madman."
"I'm tired of persuading. Never expected your approval anyway."
Slash.
The High Priest's vision spun.
*
After burning one city, Opfir resumed his journey to dismantle the Holy Kingdom.
However, Opfir's mood on the road was profoundly unsettled.
'Idiotic conspiracy theorists.'
Strange rumors had recently spread in the Holy Kingdom.
The reason for Opfir's resurrection was still the Holy King's doing.
But they shifted the blame from Opfir to innocent witches.
- If Demon King worshippers hadn't interfered with rituals across the kingdom, Opfir wouldn't have been freed like that.
Hearing this rumor, Opfir inwardly marveled.
'Their thinking is so different from ours.'
The logic was that touching Opfir's corpse was fine, but failing to control it was the fault of unknown entities.
The result was the witch hunt in the city he'd just visited.
Opfir hated witch hunts.
Hated—no, loathed them.
He'd been labeled a Demon King worshipper and suffered, and his family had been endangered because of it.
So when he encountered witch hunts, he executed the participating citizens without exception.
Though he pursued being the final boss, he still felt disgust.
It didn't conflict with his 'corrupted philosopher' setting, so no hesitation.
Thus, it was known among those who knew that Opfir loathed witch hunts.
'Come to think of it, the Holy King was a famous witch hunter too.'
The one who actively exploited and spread the witch hunt concept was Holy King Vesper II.
Before fame as Holy King, while expanding the faith, he gained renown through witch hunts.
'Must've killed many innocent beastkin that way.'
Demon King Worship Cult. A heresy created by beastkin and demons.
Lurking worldwide, believing they'd one day build their ideal world...
That's what the Holy Kingdom propagated.
But reality was more complex.
'Beastkin are truly wronged.'
Demons did have Demon King worship as their default faith.
They boasted cannibalism as proud culture and occasionally committed terrorism.
But beastkin were unjustly lumped in.
After the Empire fell and beastkin nations emerged, boosting their prestige,
humans, fearing this, linked them with demons.
'Well, the savior and lurking parts aren't entirely false.'
Coincidentally, beastkin believed in a savior to liberate them someday,
and elves did lurk worldwide.
Thus, the Holy Kingdom's claims were a mishmash logic.
A spoonful from demons' real threats,
a spoonful from lurking pointy-ears,
a spoonful from beastkin awaiting saviors.
Thus concocted the 'Demon King Worship Cult.'
Of course, knowing from original knowledge they didn't exist, Opfir pitied the beastkin.
(Excluding pointy-ears and demons, naturally.)
'That ends soon too.'
Opfir frowned toward the possible Holy King's location.
He knew the Holy King's circumstances well.
Even his pitiful past.
But Vesper II had gone too far for pity.
'Tch. Since when do I care about good and evil?'
Opfir clicked his tongue unwittingly, sorting his discomfort.
His priority was becoming a charismatic final boss.
To Opfir, the Holy King was 'the fox daring to impersonate Opfir.'
The Holy King's death was solely for that.
His circumstances or good intentions were irrelevant.
"He's coming."
Opfir regained composure and stepped forward.
His destination before the capital: the massive river.
There, toward the Saintess's group and Holy King's group awaiting him.
Rivers have clear sources and flow steadily one way, but
is calling a river over 300 miles wide truly right?
A joke from Herata River locals, the Holy Kingdom's great artery.
Sensing Holy King's mana across the Herata, Grace naturally recalled Providence's proverb: enemies meet on a single log bridge.
Grind.
The Saintess ground her teeth unwittingly upon seeing the Holy King.
Ari cautiously asked her.
"Did he come to interfere?"
"Your Majesty, apologies. This disrupts the plan."
Originally, in the Opfir suppression plan, the Saintess wasn't pretending.
First, evacuate residents; without eyes, Opfir returns as Duke.
Create battle traces, pretend to join Duke, complete the charade.
But eyes appeared.
Ones ignoring her evacuation order.
They hurried to change plans and leave.
But before crossing the river, a pillar of light struck from the sky.
As light faded, Vesper II emerged.
"Ugh."
The Saintess immediately blessed Ari, who entered combat stance.
But the Holy King casually surveyed them.
"One proper Rank 6 fighter, one empty Rank 6, and one neither at Rank 3. Planning to fight me with this?"
"Who knows. Not impossible."
Ari countered, assuming stance.
'With the power Rex gave...!'
Though holding back, she'd fought Eschric's King.
A fist blocking all if timed right, ignoring levels; with time, piercing anything.
Plus Eschric manuals taught her his ultimate techniques.
Though Rank 6, Rex and Duke diagnosed she could reach Rank 7.
'Possible.'
With Saintess, they could handle the Holy King.
As she thought, Rex urgently shouted in her mind.
But Ari didn't retreat.
"Don't worry, Master. I'll prove it."
Rex panicked at her reply, checking her status.
'Oh no!'
Compared to lords, heroes' levels too high raise treason or disobedience rates.
Forgotten amid absurd 0-tier heroes Peter and Duke.
'At a time like this!'
In strategy sims, 1% equals 50%.
1% stray bullet.
1% reinforcement fail.
1% Lu Bu betrayal.
1% is binary: happens or not. To Rex, 1% = 50%.
Rex cursed probability's god, urgently calling Ari.
"I'll show my training results."
Rex knew this phenomenon well.
Overloyalty.
Different from Duke's Rex Carnifex command misinterpretation.
Duke twisted results as 'protected,'
overloyalty ignored commands out of loyalty.
Ignoring Rex's cry, blessed Ari charged the Holy King.
Holy King's eyes tracked the white tiger girl piercing his guard.
And,
Thud.
"Urk!"
Ari's strike met the Holy King's shield.
But she groaned not from blocking.
"Those eyes. What do they mean?"
"My sins are deep. Forgive me."
Holy King's eyes were clearly filled with sorrow.
Easily blocking Ari's attack, he slightly pushed the shield.
That alone hurled Ari over 100 paces away.
Ari clutched her stinging wrist unwittingly.
'Parry failed?'
She'd attempted parry when pushed.
Speed she could visually track.
But failed; wrist ached like cracked.
Saintess healed instantly, but terror in Ari's heart lingered.
Fear felt long ago.
Since first meeting Duke, forgotten.
Helplessness and dread.
Chilling fear crawled her spine.
Ari's tail shot vertical, mirroring emotion.
"This is... Rank 8..."
Despair filled Ari's eyes.
She didn't fear death.
Just disappointed in her disobedience to Rex.
Holy King only watched, didn't attack.
"This too is my fault..."
"?"
"Mother. Please."
Holy King bowed, turning back.
From his shadow, the Scribe emerged, leaves scattering.
"Forgive me. Stay here."
Golden chains shot from Scribe's robe fingertips.
Chains bound Ari, Grace, Rosalyn, entire Providence expedition.
"Ngh!"
Bound Grace struggled desperately.
Her efforts futile; chains intact.
"Release us, Scribe!"
Scribe silently glided to bound Rosalyn.
Grace's pupils quaked seeing this.
"No..."
Childhood memory.
Priests binding her with golden chains, trying to gouge sister's eyes.
Crimson aura like flames leaked from Grace's pupils.
Aura filled both eyes.
"Don't touch my sister...!"
"Sister! Wait!"
Just before Grace's eyes fully engulfed in flames,
Scribe's action at Rosalyn was unexpected.
"Now you're free, child."
Crack!
Glass shattering from Rosalyn's body; her rank surged.
From Rank 3 to 5.
The seal suppressing the witch broke.
"Forgive me. Truly sorry."
Breaking seal, Scribe bowed repeatedly to Rosalyn.
Bound Grace, confused, only mouthed words.
"No need to forgive. Just... sorry..."
"It's okay."
Then Rosalyn cut Scribe off.
"The moon's brighter now."
"...What?"
"You're sincerely repenting. A bit of light returned to your moon."
Rosalyn gave an awkward smile.
"People say piled karma can't vanish. But they're wrong."
Karma isn't that harsh.
Like good deeds reflect intent, evil too.
"Sincere repentance and atonement can erase evil karma."
Of course, if forgiver's gone, no atonement.
News to Scribe, never conversing with Rosalyn.
"But I haven't atoned yet..."
"Atonement's fine. I've always forgiven you all."
Rosalyn didn't hate people.
Seen too much evil karma?
To her, humanity was good people and those less good due to circumstances.
Feared Duke, but no hate.
"No need to atone. I forgive you."
Of course, Rosalyn's forgiveness only slightly lit Scribe's moon.
Most forgivers unreachable; only that much atoned.
Still, to Rosalyn, Scribe was 'less good.'
She was ready to forgive all.
Grace shut her mouth at Rosalyn's words.
Wearing Saintess title, wishing Holy Kingdom burn, felt endlessly ashamed.
Forgiven Scribe,
"Ahh..."
shed black tears.
"What have I done... I..."
"Um, Scribe? Grateful for seal break, but can you release my chains?"
"No. Can't."
Scribe absorbed black tears wetting ground into legs, replied.
"You must stay."
"Pardon?"
"Sinners like us bear responsibility. You are Holy Kingdom's sun and moon."
"What does that..."
But Scribe, as always, didn't explain to twins, did his duty.
"Don't forgive me."
Black tears flowing from robe below, absorbed into legs, Scribe clapped.
Clap!
Golden dome expanded centered on Providence expedition.
Then binding chains shattered.
"..."
Scribe, holding back tears, silently left golden barrier.
"Wait, stop! Why suddenly?!"
Grace chased, but couldn't exit dome.
Leaving expedition, Scribe returned to Holy King.
"Mother. Are you alright?"
"Yes. Sinners like us can't leave regrets."
Both stepped into river.
Walking flowing water like flat ground.
"How many holy knights followed?"
"None came."
"As expected..."
Holy King Vesper II smiled bitterly.
"Cut too many, it seems."
"Karma's retribution."
Sacrificing casually, fitting subordinates; they self-mocked.
Then river current beneath them sped up.
"He's coming."
"I'll protect you, Mother."
"Thank you."
Roooar...
Words barely ended, river surged,
soon tsunami-like wave from upstream approached.
And Opfir descending from sky higher than wave.
"You? The fool dreaming falsely in my name?"
Wave grew larger.
As if drawing all upstream water.
Opfir sneered at tense Holy King tying shield to arm.
"This is reality. Swim well in your dream not to drown, fledgling."
River-spawned tsunami engulfed the two.