337. Eyes of the Deep (1)
337. Eyes of the Deep (1)
- 1 -
In the capital of the Haisen Kingdom, Hylash, one place had recently emerged as a new guiding light for the people.
The Black Temple.
Queen Yurena had built it after demolishing the old Grand Duke's residence — the very place where she herself had once been confined.
By exposing a part of her past, the place that was once a symbol of oppression now resonated with a new message.
Its smooth obsidian outer walls gave off a powerful impression, as if drinking in even the sunlight.
In the flower garden near the main entrance, colorful flowers bloomed explosively, centered around black blossoms.
Once inside, crystals and mirrors on the walls scattered the sunlight, softly filling the space.
Instead of breathtaking grandeur, a strangely warm and mysterious air enveloped visitors.
Simply standing there brought a sense of relief welling up from deep within the heart.
"The greatest and brightest light does not come from outside."
Esther's voice filled the temple.
On the altar, which was decorated neatly rather than lavishly, the saintess's appearance shone even brighter because of its very simplicity.
Her very existence was proof of the message she delivered.
As she recited the prayer, Esther's gaze rested on each and every one of the believers.
Before her knelt or sat people from all walks of life — commoners, knights, merchants, even nobles — in reverent silence.
"It exists within each of our own wills. It is the resolute determination to find one's own path and to advance toward it that is the true light illuminating the world."
Her words were the core of the new faith that had quietly begun to be called the 'Sun Church'.
It was different from the sole continental order she had served in the past, which had come to be known as the 'Celestial Church'.
In the Celestial Church, faith was an absolute external authority and belief in a God.
"The wickedness we must guard against is the attempt to stain another's path with evil, or the weakness that breaks our own will."
But the Sun Church emphasized the individual's inner self and will, while God was the one who, through such eyes, watched over and aided those who possessed them.
"Advance toward the brilliant light, and the darkness that grants rest. Build your own pillars to receive the sunlight and cast shade. Let us each pray."
After the sermon ended, the believers began to leave one by one.
Their faces were etched with deep contemplation and a subtle sense of liberation.
Over the course of a few months, the influence of the Sun Church had been spreading quietly but rapidly among the people of Haisen.
For those enduring an oppressive old faith and chaotic times, a doctrine emphasizing self-will resonated powerfully.
"You have worked hard, Your Grace."
"Everyone has worked hard."
After everyone had left, only Esther and a few close aides remained in the temple.
"Do not forget the scheduled relief activities. I will see you again in the evening."
""Yes.""
After assigning them their tasks throughout Hylash, she picked up a parchment scroll sealed with wax that had been placed in a small brazier next to the altar.
Sarak.
It was a summons from the Holy See.
A disgustingly familiar, unpleasant letter from the Holy See.
"..."
She broke the seal and skimmed the contents.
Her eyes met the clichéd phrases of threats and conciliation.
Tadak!
She reached out with her white fingers and moved the scroll over the brazier.
A faintly trembling fingertip, and the smell of burning paper.
The fuel of the flames was her past.
A faint sneer crossed lips that had remained completely expressionless the entire time she read the letter.
"Master."
Esther turned around at the quiet voice.
It was Leticia, neatly dressed in her black priestess robes.
"You... burned it again."
"They endlessly doubt and agonize. Even their faith in the God they claim to believe in is nothing but negligence or fanaticism. Can the Holy See, full of such unfaithful people, truly be called the birthplace of a religion?"
Esther spoke while staring into the flickering flames.
It was a silent answer to the massive shadow that had bound her in the past.
She was no longer their puppet.
And she certainly was no longer that foolish 'cleric who was once a saintess'.
"But if you continue to ignore them, they will eventually take action."
Leticia approached her side.
"It is fine. When that time comes, I... we will be ready."
Esther stroked her hair and whispered.
"Now, let us go and see the source of that light."
Leticia's eyes sparkled.
And at the same time, shook with anxiety.
It was time to meet the 'Sun' that Esther served. Libertas.
- 2 -
"Oh my God..."
The training grounds of the Krash County Adventurer's Guild were filled with awe.
Even the guild's veteran adventurers stared with their mouths agape, as if unable to believe the sight before their eyes.
"Next, come."
In the center of the training grounds, Guild Master Harai stood against the adventurers, holding a single wooden sword.
Harai's movements were no longer those of a retired guild master.
A violet energy, like a heat haze, rose from his body, and his wooden sword became a fierce blade that tore through the air.
Dugeun. Dugeun.
Harai felt a foreign pulsation deep within his right chest.
The 'gift' he had received from Libertas not long ago.
He did not know exactly what it was, but it was a 'Mana Core'.
Along with the awe, an unsettling sense of foreignness mixed within.
But, thanks to this power... he had reclaimed one thing.
'Jeina.'
What he must protect.
"Your eyes! Look not at the tip of the sword, but the eyes! Even if the limbs deceive, no one can lie with their eyes!"
Harai roared fiercely as he easily struck aside the thrust of a novice adventurer who seemed to have just joined the guild.
The novice staggered, having no time to react.
"Disappointing. Hilton! Your fundamentals are lacking! How can you fight if the flow between your defense and offense is cut off like this!"
The situation was not much different even when the opponent was a veteran adventurer.
Hilton aimed a heavy strike at Harai, but Harai angled his blade to deflect the impact while simultaneously exploiting his opponent's blind spot.
The tip of the wooden sword touched the back of the veteran adventurer's neck.
"Damn, Guild Master..."
Hilton panted heavily, jabbing the tip of his sword into the floor. Sweat poured down his face like rain.
"How can you be so fast? Did you take some kind of special drug?"
'...This guy just won't do.'
Harai kept a smile on the surface, but inwardly he drew a firm line.
What flickered deep within Hilton's eyes was not a desire for strength.
It was merely greed for the benefits that strength would bring.
'He probably knows I received power from Lady Philia... but I cannot introduce someone like him to Lady Philia.'
Recently, Harai had been selecting people to serve the new 'Master' alongside him in just this way.
Hiding his true feelings, Harai offered a gentle smile.
A smile full of leisure.
'But still, people can change.'
There was no reason to hold back on instructing them.
"It's not simply about speed. It's about discarding unnecessary movements and reading the flow of your opponent's motions. I occupy that space before the opponent can make their next move."
Harai smiled faintly.
"Without experience and training, even if you acquire power, you cannot wield it properly. But even more important than that..."
He looked around the entire training ground and said.
"...is how you handle that power, and where you direct it. Your potential is limitless. Do not settle. I, too, will continue to train myself."
After clapping his hands once to draw their attention again, he declared with a smile.
"Well then, today's special training ends here."
These days, he was not simply content with having gained power himself; he was focused on cultivating it in everyone.
Even though Philia had given him no specific orders, he did this so that he could become an even greater force when she needed him.
"Father!"
As soon as he opened the front door, his daughter Jeina ran out and threw herself into his arms.
Just a few months ago, she had been a child dying from an illness of unknown cause.
Thanks to Libertas, he had learned the reason for her suffering, and thanks to her intervention, Jeina had miraculously recovered, now so energetic she could dash around the garden.
"I learned magic from my teacher today! Look!"
Jeina proudly stretched out one hand.
The red light dancing above it was unmistakably the prelude to flame magic.
It was still at a beginner level, but considering it had been less than a month since she awakened, it was a staggering achievement.
"Our daughter has really become a mage! Isn't that amazing?"
Harai smiled as he stroked her hair.
If protecting this happiness was possible, he was prepared to pay any price.
- 3 -
The place Leticia arrived at, following Esther, was the Narcissus Palace of the Hylash royal family.
As soon as she passed the main gate, Leticia sensed an alien energy and stopped walking without realizing it.
It was different from when she had come before.
Back then, she had sensed something foreign, but never at this level.
There was an overwhelming presence inside, making her keenly aware that she had been 'shown consideration' at the time.
"There's no need to be nervous, Letty."
Esther lightly tapped her shoulder and whispered.
"That being... is more merciful than you can imagine."
But Leticia could not easily relax.
She had the illusion that the decorations, flowers, and artworks throughout the palace were imbued with a strange power.
As if something was watching her.
And so, she finally arrived at the audience chamber.
"You have come. Ash. And..."
On the throne at its center sat a being.
"...Leticia Serafina."
"Hrk..."
Leticia swallowed her breath.
There on the throne, it had a human form, but she dared not call it human.
The mysterious and benevolent figure of 'Countess Philia Elskopf' that she knew was nowhere to be seen.
Pitch-black hair cascaded down like living darkness, and violet eyes of unfathomable depth seemed to draw in all the light in the room.
'...A god?'
An overwhelming 'Essence' that could only be captured by that word alone.
She could not withstand it. Before reason could even command it, her body reacted first.
Kung.
Her knees met the floor.
'So this... is the Sun...'
It felt as if the blood throughout her entire body had frozen.
Alongside a sense of awe, a pure terror born of survival instinct swallowed her whole.
'That thing... No, that being...'
Her head bowed of its own accord.
This was the true form of the 'Sun' served by Saint Esther.
This was the source of the alien sensation she had vaguely sensed from 'Countess Philia'.
"Raise your head."
A low voice, yet one that seemed to fill the entirety of space.
When she barely managed to lift her head to look at Libertas, Libertas's gaze met hers.
That gaze seemed to pierce through to the deepest part of her soul.
Leticia's entire body trembled faintly.
Despite facing a 'heretic', no animosity rose within her.
'Why?'
As she searched for a similar memory, she recalled the first time she had 'heard the word of God'.
It was the same back then.
The sensation of her heart tightening, a mixture of awe and fear.
It was the absolute sense of being overwhelmed that a tiny creature felt when standing before a vast being.
Under that gaze that seemed to see through to the deepest recesses of her soul, Leticia felt a sense of vulnerability, as if everything about her was being laid bare.
...The fact that this feeling did not feel entirely bad was what frightened her even more.
"I heard about you from Ash."
Her voice was low, yet it penetrated clearly into her ears.
The dignity and nobility contained in that voice seemed to soak her entire body and mind.
"That you possess a strong will to find your own path."
A faint smile spread across Libertas's lips.
Unlike the overwhelming Essence she exuded, that smile held a human-like curiosity.
Captivated by that smile, Leticia unknowingly took a step forward before shrinking back again under the being's commanding pressure.
"...Yes. So..."
She barely squeezed out her voice, but faltered for a moment, not knowing the proper title.
"The name Philia you knew was a lie. Call me Libertas."
"Yes. Lady Libertas..."
At Libertas's calm words accompanied by a serene smile, Leticia felt a strange sense of relief.
And when her gaze returned to Esther, she even felt a slight, inexplicable pang of longing.
"It seems the foundation is being laid quite well."
"Yes, Master. Day by day, the number of those who follow the light of the heart, rather than the light of hypocrites, is increasing."
Esther's face was composed.
It was a new thing to remark on, but she already seemed accustomed to this overwhelming sense of presence.
Watching the two of them, Leticia felt both fear and a swelling sense of profound emotion rising at the same time.
In truth, this was a being of a different faith than hers, a false prophet and a heretic who created faith as a terrestrial existence.
But somehow, inexplicably.
'Master, she said...'
She could not help but discover a part of herself drawn to that title.
- 4 -
At the same moment Leticia and Esther were together meeting Libertas, and Harai was openly praising his daughter.
"Finally..."
"So that is that being."
On the deck of the Wepar, Shue and Saya were watching a mythical spectacle.
- Keuuuuu —
Kwadeudeuk — !!
The sound of tearing flesh assaulted their eardrums.
The Great Mother of the Deep, Gertrude.
A giant Kraken, straight out of myth, was tearing a giant whale sea monster, a creature of its own class, to shreds.
Blood and chunks of flesh scattered in all directions, dyeing the sea a dark crimson.
"It's as impressive as its reputation suggests."
"It's even bigger than what I heard..."
The bow of the sailing ship.
The two women, cutting through the wind, drew upon their power.
Hwareuk!!
Pachut — !
Shue's white hair was dyed red, and Saya's black hair was dyed gold.
The mana throughout their bodies churned.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
And the manifestation of that power soon drew a reaction from the 'Great Mother'.
- Kuoooo — !!
The Great Mother of the Deep roared, turning her eyes, which were larger than the two of them combined, toward Shue and Saya.
Overwhelming presence.
The mythical monster and the two women who had gained power transcending their species.
Over the vast sea, the gazes of the three beings collided.
Kwang —— !!!
The time had come.