Encounter with the Witch (1)
The border of the Holy Kingdom was as freely open to pilgrims as the holy capital Temris itself—no special qualifications required for entry. All it took was passing through the blessed gates with a simple procedure.
There were two reasons for such straightforward protocols. Practically speaking, there simply wasn't time to scrutinize every pilgrim from across the world. The church was perpetually locked in battle against the abyss. Doctrinally, the gods looked upon the lowliest with the same favor as the mightiest, so how could they turn away visitors?
The only reason a saint would bar entry was if the visitor belonged to the forces of the abyss.
Kriel's approval rating for his Dark Knight class had been steadily declining almost daily, but today it plummeted harder than ever.
'Blocked right at the main gate, of all places.'
The moment Kriel tried to step beyond the gate, the faint golden glow enveloping the Holy Temple Gate flickered out. As the radiance faded, the guards leveled their spears at him. Even flashing his Western Front orders did nothing—they wouldn't listen. It was enough to make him lament his fate.
[Uh... is this my fault?]
Orishin whispered while bobbing along. Kriel was tempted to blame it all on the damn horse head and shift the responsibility, but it wouldn't change a thing.
'It's because of this cursed horse head!' would just lead to, 'Then leave it behind and try again.'
As long as Kriel bore the Dark Knight class, the Holy Temple Gate's glow would never shine upon him. The priests of the Holy Kingdom were renowned for their piety, but whether their mercy and love extended to abyss-tainted folk like him was another question.
"Halt."
In the midst of his impasse, a familiar yet unwelcome voice rang out. Kriel turned. She was clad head to toe in black—hat included—evoking the image of a witch at first glance. Long hair spilled from beneath the brim, dark as shadow, tipped with red like blood beading on a blade's edge.
"Morgina..."
Kriel muttered the name of the 'witch' he'd rather not have seen again.
[What? You know her?]
"She's the saintess of Eve Kaha."
[No way? The goddess of corpse delivery?]
Morgina's gaze shifted to Orishin. The fierce glare made him yelp "Eek!" involuntarily, ducking his head behind Kriel's back.
While Orishin trembled behind him, Morgina strode forward. In one hand, she held the raven pendant emblem of the Eve Kaha church; with the other, she shaped a divine-force raven mimicking it.
"I'll vouch for this man's identity. He's a penitent seeking to cleanse his curse through service to our church."
"A... curse, you say?"
Saintesses—or saints—stood outside the church's standard hierarchy, yet they commanded profound respect regardless of rank. Those who devoted themselves from the world's underbelly earned admiration across all levels. Even the gate guardians, the kingdom's most honored knights, held them in reverence.
Word came that they could trust the saintess's guarantee, and the spears slowly lowered.
"You may enter. But stay close to the saintess, and stray not from her side."
Before Kriel could respond, Morgina hooked her arm through his.
"Come on, knight! Let's go!"
Her cheerful shout rang out. But the moment they passed the Holy Temple Gate, her expression hardened. She leaned in and whispered to Kriel.
"Hey. What the hell did you kill this time? Why's a stray ghost like that clinging to you?"
[Stray ghost?!]
Orishin buzzed around her in protest, as if his earlier hiding had been a lie. Or rather, he tried to protest. The divine raven she'd shaped split into over a dozen in an instant, pecking at him relentlessly. He swung his horn in resistance, but couldn't withstand the numerical assault.
'Kieek!'
Letting out an undignified screech for a spirit, Orishin dove into his horn for cover.
"That punk..."
"Shut it. Dealing with stray ghosts one by one is a waste of time."
Kriel wanted to sigh. Nothing good ever came from tangling with this woman. He'd come to the Holy Kingdom precisely to avoid giving her more reasons to cross paths.
So why the hell was she here?
"Anyway, that's unexpected. Did that old geezer really send you?"
"Old geezer?"
Morgina's "old geezer" was undoubtedly the Western Front commander, the Lion Duke. But Kriel hadn't come to Temris on his orders—he'd come precisely to avoid them.
"...?"
Morgina tilted her head at his reaction.
"Didn't you come here after getting our church's cooperation request?"
"I'd like to ask you the same. Weren't you wandering in search of abyss traces after leaving the Western Army? What brings you all the way to Temris?"
Morgina muttered under her breath at Kriel's cool response. He didn't catch every word, but phrases like "petty human" and "stupid wall-hole" drifted over—nothing worth noting.
"Haa..."
She sighed openly, then grabbed his hand and yanked him along.
"You're here, so it must be priest-related, right? I can get you cathedral entry and a private audience with the saintess, so come to our church first."
"Is there another saintess in the Eve Kaha church besides you?"
"Nope?"
She was offering a one-on-one with herself, then. Kriel trusted Morgina's abilities but not her personality—it made the offer unappealing.
Sensing his hesitation, she quickly added,
"Hey, you know I'm being nice because it's you, right? You almost got kicked out at the gate."
She had a point. His Dark Knight class had nearly barred him from the start. Going to the cathedral alone might end in rejection at best—or a brawl at worst.
He couldn't refuse.
In the end, Kriel followed Morgina's lead to the Eve Kaha cathedral.
[Uwaaak! Nooo!]
A horse head wailed in the distance, but sadly, no one nearby cared to heed a suspicious ghost's plea.
The Eve Kaha Cathedral was modest compared to others, befitting the church's small size. With Morgina leading, no priests blocked Kriel's path. Orishin grumbled telepathically as they bowed silently in greeting each time.
[Wow. This thug is really a saintess? End times, for sure.]
It was from inside the horn this time—a thought wave just for Kriel.
'You can do telepathy too?'
Kriel marveled at Orishin's magical prowess. Speaking directly to the mind required advanced technique and precise mana control. Ironic that such finesse was wasted on trash-talking.
Orishin shut up before he could prattle on. The moment his thought formed, Morgina whipped around, glaring not at Kriel but at the broken Bicorn horn in his gear.
[Eek!]
"What's up?"
"Nah, thought I heard someone calling me."
She shrugged it off as a mishearing and kept walking. Kriel whispered at her back,
"Her skills are the real deal. Best I've seen at sensing ether wavelengths."
[Eve Kaha picks saintesses just like her...]
Morgina called out loudly,
"Hurry up! Come in."
Her room was spartan for a saintess—no fancy furniture. Thick light-blocking curtains and a bed taking up one corner seemed the only indulgences. Weapons stood in for decor: a seamless iron mace, spiked shield, ashwood club. More armory than bedroom.
The door creaked shut, and Orishin crept out from the horn.
[Her vibe screams Eve Kaha herself. But does guiding warriors to the afterlife mean turning your room into a battlefield?]
"Stray ghost talking back?"
Orishin moped into silence.
"So, Kriel. What brings you all the way here?"
"That spirit you keep calling a stray ghost got pissy about it. And you?"
"Too abyss-tainted to be much of a spirit."
Morgina tilted her head at Orishin, then turned back to Kriel.
"The Priest-King issued a summons to all saints from every church."
"For what?"
"They found an abyss relic."
The abyss was a Dark Knight's specialty. Kriel instantly grasped why she'd requested his dispatch.