Chapter 291
Chapter 291
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 291
Chapter Title: Armistice
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Though it wasn't particularly long, the war that had nearly upended the fate of the entire continent had finally come to an end.
The rulers of every kingdom let out sighs of relief.
From their perspective, a war breaking out amid the current turmoil had been a heavy burden.
But even after all three kingdoms' forces had withdrawn, the people of Iair continued to groan in misery.
The brief conflict had inflicted far too much damage in that short time.
And it hadn't even been caused by the neighboring countries.
On the contrary, they had provided relief and aid to the cities they had occupied.
It was their own Holy King—the one the people had trusted and followed—who had plundered and squeezed them dry.
Even though it had been revealed that he was an Apostle and a holy decree had come down ordering his execution, nothing had been resolved.
Ordinary folk were still suffering the war's aftermath.
"Hmm..."
Seo Woo-jin grimaced as he headed back toward the Grand Cathedral.
The sight in the small town they had passed through on the way was just too bleak.
And this was a place that had escaped the direct impact of the war.
"The situation doesn't look so good."
A mocking voice came from beside him.
It was Diarok.
"If someone hadn't started the war, it wouldn't be like this."
Seo Woo-jin shot back at him.
But Diarok wasn't fazed in the slightest.
"Yeah, it's all the Holy King's fault. Or should I say, the Apostle's?"
In truth, Mardetain was the one who had brought about this mess.
Even if Leninstang had struck first, Diarok wouldn't have felt the least bit sorry.
"Tch."
Seo Woo-jin smacked his lips and scratched his head.
He had no desire to waste his energy bickering with a lunatic like that.
As Seo Woo-jin shut his mouth and focused on the journey, Diarok fell silent as well.
'Sigh, why do I have to travel with this guy?'
He couldn't make sense of it.
After successfully withdrawing the Leninstang army, Seo Woo-jin had planned to return to the Grand Cathedral with a light heart.
He had been looking forward to it, his face full of anticipation at the thought of collecting the treasures slumbering in Iair according to the report.
But then Diarok had suddenly insisted on coming along.
Naturally, Seo Woo-jin refused.
They weren't close enough to travel together, and who knew what trouble that madman might cause?
But Diarok wouldn't take no for an answer.
He even made the absurd threat that if Seo Woo-jin didn't let him join, he wouldn't withdraw his troops.
In the end, Seo Woo-jin had no choice but to accept his company.
All while thinking that if Diarok caused any trouble, he'd beat him half to death without mercy.
'Fortunately, he hasn't stirred up any problems so far...'
Diarok seemed to be forcibly suppressing his madness, following behind Seo Woo-jin in ordinary traveler's garb.
Of course, he still picked fights with snide remarks like just now, but he never crossed the line.
Thanks to that, Seo Woo-jin regrettably had no excuse to thrash him.
With a nagging sense of unease, they crossed through the small town.
That was when it happened.
"Hm?"
Diarok's gaze shifted to one side.
"Holy Knights."
There were far too many Holy Knights stationed in a town this small.
Seo Woo-jin looked that way as well.
'About fifty?'
Among them, five had reached advanced levels.
That was a force strong enough to surpass an ordinary knight order.
"Halt!"
As the two stared, one of the Holy Knights spotted them and shouted urgently.
'What now?'
Seo Woo-jin felt a twinge of anxiety, wondering if something else had gone wrong.
He stopped walking, and the Holy Knights rushed over.
"Pardon the intrusion. I am Sairon of the 3rd Holy Knight Order."
He was the strongest among the five advanced knights, radiating the most potent holy power.
"...What's the matter?"
Seo Woo-jin tilted his head quizzically.
"Have you seen this woman before?"
He unfolded the paper in his hand.
It depicted a sketch of a single woman.
'A composite sketch?'
It wasn't on Kim Da-hye's level, but it was quite well-drawn.
"Is she some kind of wanted criminal?"
Diarok snorted and took the paper to examine it.
He looked like someone who had been bored and was glad for the distraction.
Seo Woo-jin pretended to glance at it casually, hoping not to get dragged into anything.
But...
'She looks familiar.'
The woman in the sketch matched a face from Seo Woo-jin's memories.
'Who was she?'
He couldn't quite recall.
It felt like someone he had seen long ago.
"Have you seen her?"
Sairon asked urgently, noting Seo Woo-jin's expression.
"Well..."
The memory was on the tip of his tongue.
'If I knew her name, it might come to me.'
Seo Woo-jin tilted his head and asked Sairon the woman's name.
Hearing the answer, he realized who she was.
"Cardinal Lupera. She's also a criminal who has committed grave offenses and fled."
"Ah!"
Honestly, he hadn't known her name.
But the word "Cardinal" triggered the memory instantly.
She was the woman who had come to the Academy with Bishop Filoyan to find Sung Yu-ra.
'She definitely had an aura similar to Mardetain's.'
A holy power that felt somehow twisted.
It hadn't been impressive enough to warrant attention, so he had forgotten...
"Have you seen her?"
The Holy Knights tensed up at Seo Woo-jin's reaction.
"Is this woman a follower of the Demon King too?"
She had the same kind of holy power as Mardetain, so it was certain.
"...Who are you! Reveal your identity!"
Clang-!
The Holy Knights drew their swords, aiming them at Seo Woo-jin and Diarok.
'Looks like she's caused some serious trouble.'
After Mardetain's death, this remaining follower named Lupera had apparently committed some major crime and fled.
"Interesting."
A chuckling sound came from beside him.
It was a voice brimming with the madness that had been dormant for the past few days.
'Tch.'
If he let this go on, innocent Holy Knights might get hurt, so Seo Woo-jin stepped forward first to clear the misunderstanding.
"I am a free knight carrying out Lady Freyja's orders. Lower your swords."
He kept his identity as the Hero hidden.
No point in letting rumors spread.
"Lady Freyja?"
Fortunately, Freyja's name carried weight.
She had always been a hero of Iair, but after the rumor spread that she had slain an Apostle disguised as the Holy King, her prestige had soared beyond imagination.
And since they were fellow Holy Knights, their respect for her pierced the heavens.
"Can you prove that?"
Sairon asked.
But there was no interrogation in his tone; if anything, he seemed even more polite than before.
"Regrettably, no... But I can prove it once we reach the Grand Cathedral."
"Is that so?"
Sairon nodded.
Seo Woo-jin's calm response seemed to earn his trust.
"And this one?"
He pointed to Diarok, who was wearing a bizarre expression beside him.
"A prisoner. I can't go into details, but I'm transporting him to the Grand Cathedral on her orders."
The lie came out smoothly.
He half-hoped Diarok would flip out at being called a prisoner so he could use it as an excuse to beat him, but surprisingly, he stayed quiet.
"I see."
Sairon eyed the unbound Diarok for a moment before speaking.
"Lupera stole something that absolutely must not leave the Grand Cathedral, and fled. That's why every Holy Knight Order is pursuing her."
'Something that must not leave?'
What kind of treasure was it?
But with all the Holy Knights mobilized to track it down, it had to be an item of immense value.
"Could you tell me what it is? It might be related to my mission..."
He mixed in a bit of deception, figuring they wouldn't answer easily.
Sairon pondered briefly, his expression troubled.
It seemed like a highly sensitive matter.
"If it's too difficult, you don't have to say."
"No. Those who need to know already do, so I'll tell you."
Ignoring Seo Woo-jin's polite refusal, Sairon shook his head and answered.
"She slaughtered dozens of Holy Knights and soldiers, then stole an important item and fled."
Lowering his voice so no one else could hear, Sairon continued quietly.
"It was Baron's corpse."
Seo Woo-jin's expression hardened.
And...
"Damn it."
Diarok beside him spat out a curse.
"Didn't you say he was dead?"
Demonic energy swirled alongside surging madness.
The Holy Knights, startled by the sudden change, recoiled in alarm.
"W-What is this!"
Their lax vigilance spiked to the extreme.
Seo Woo-jin sighed and glared at Diarok.
"Rein it in, unless you want to get beaten to death."
His cold voice.
Though devoid of any energy, it made the air around them chill as if the temperature had dropped a degree.
He ignored the shouts from Sairon and the other Holy Knights directed at him.
He simply kept glaring at Diarok.
"...Tch."
Knowing Seo Woo-jin's words were no bluff, he slowly withdrew his mana.
His face was still twisted with madness, but he wouldn't act rashly now.
"Think about it. I killed Mardetain. I told you Baron wouldn't die, so I buried him in the ground, right?"
At Seo Woo-jin's words, Diarok recalled the memory and nodded.
"You're right."
Seo Woo-jin had indeed said that.
Even the lingering madness subsided.
It was a relief, but Seo Woo-jin had no attention to spare for that.
'Baron.'
She had stolen his corpse and fled.
That meant—no, it could only mean—Baron might already have been revived.
"This is trouble."
If that undying beast came back to life, he would surely come hunting for Seo Woo-jin.
For revenge.
'And next time, he won't be as easy to handle as before.'
Baron wasn't an idiot; he wouldn't come alone.
He'd either team up with foes far stronger than Mardetain or devise some new way to counter him.
Whatever method he used, it wasn't good news for Seo Woo-jin.
"...Answer us!"
Sairon's shout pierced his thoughts.
He was yelling at Seo Woo-jin, his body radiating blazing aura.
"Haa-"
A sigh escaped involuntarily.
He had just managed to fool them, only for Diarok to ruin it.
After shooting Diarok an irritated glare, Seo Woo-jin turned to Sairon.
"Sheathe your swords, Sir Sairon. I am not your enemy."
It was obvious, but his words alone weren't enough to make Sairon lower his guard.
'No choice?'
He had no reason to waste energy fighting people who weren't enemies, so Seo Woo-jin decided to reveal his identity.
"As you might have guessed, I am not a free knight carrying out Lady Freyja's orders."
"...Reveal your identity."
Seeing no hostility from Seo Woo-jin, Sairon asked in a somewhat calmer voice.
And Seo Woo-jin answered.
"My name is Seo Woo-jin. I am the Hero."