The God Who Wept
Someone shouted.
“It’s not too late yet! Move now—!”
The people attacking the castle sprinted desperately toward the holy knight who had killed the land boar piglet.
“Heh… hehehe.”
But the holy knight who had slain the piglet moved even faster.
When he hurled the piglet’s corpse into the air, the small body scattered like smoke and vanished into the sky.
Bireon’s expression hardened like stone.
“…It’s over.”
As if answering Bireon’s words, from far away came the low, rumbling cry unique to land boars.
Elbridge asked, hoping his imagination was wrong.
“Bireon, what exactly did that man just do?”
But Elbridge’s hopes were shattered cleanly.
“There are two reasons a Stampede occurs. First, when the land boar population grows too large. Second, when a piglet dies but its corpse cannot be found.”
“Is the corpse really that important?”
“Yes.”
Bireon continued his explanation while scanning the battlefield.
“When a land boar piglet screams, the adult land boars appear to save it. The adults will rampage until they either rescue the piglet or find its corpse. But that man just erased the body entirely. What do you think will happen now?”
“…”
“Since they can’t find the piglet’s corpse, the land boars will run endlessly searching for a piglet that might still be alive somewhere. Destroying everything that stands in their way.”
It was a clear, concise explanation.
Yet Elbridge grew confused for an entirely different reason.
“That’s a habit that could be abused at any time. Just what kind of confidence did the southern orders have to start a war? Unless they were planning for everyone to die together…”
Bireon shook his head.
“No. This is an extremely exceptional situation. The people of the South would never induce a Stampede even if it meant the complete collapse of their orders.”
“Why not?”
“Because anyone who commits such an act—along with their holy knights and their entire clan—would be branded enemies of every order in the South and slaughtered in the most horrific ways imaginable. Inducing a Stampede is the greatest taboo in the South.”
By the time his explanation ended, Bireon’s gaze had stopped at a certain spot in the forest.
About twenty holy knights and priests were gathered a short distance from the battlefield.
‘It’s the Flowing Water Order.’
Those who had been captured by the Stump Order and dragged onto the battlefield.
The moment Elbridge tried to move to rescue them, two land boars burst from the forest with thunderous cries.
Grrrr—
The two land boars ignored Elbridge completely and charged toward the battlefield.
Several people who saw this let out groans of despair.
“Damn it, they’re already here!”
“Just fight back! Don’t give up already!”
The holy knights of the Winding Sword Order worked together with practiced skill and slaughtered the two land boars in an instant. It was a clean response, exactly what one would expect from people accustomed to demonic beasts.
But there was a problem. While they were dealing with those two, five more land boars had appeared.
People began shouting.
“Escape before we’re surrounded!”
The holy knights from each order started scattering in every direction.
However, the speed at which land boars were gathering from all sides was far too fast.
“Shit!”
The fleeing people were pushed back like a tide and forced to cluster near the castle walls.
Bireon grabbed Elbridge’s arm.
“We need to get out of here before it’s too late.”
But Elbridge’s gaze remained fixed on the people of the Flowing Water Order.
“What about them?”
“I don’t weigh lives against loot, Elbridge.”
That was true. To Bireon, the Flowing Water Order was nothing more and nothing less than spoils of war.
Of course, Elbridge could understand Bireon’s position.
But understanding didn’t mean he could simply turn and run.
Elbridge thought of Leonhardt. He was not the kind of person who could reject every compromise and do only what was right, like his mentor.
Yet he was also not the kind of person who could care solely for his own safety, nor one who could turn his eyes away from a remaining possibility.
“…No. There’s still a chance.”
“You’ll change your mind soon enough, Elbridge.”
Ignoring Bireon’s words, Elbridge ran toward the people of the Flowing Water Order.
‘I have to do what I can.’
A single land boar was charging straight at the Flowing Water Order members.
Elbridge cut it down with a single slash, then offered a prayer to his Goddess.
Goddess. Grant me the Authority of Blockade!
— Be careful, Elbridge.
Along with the oracle, dozens of massive stone pillars materialized in the air.
They were larger and far more solid than the ones he had summoned in the mountain city of Varkuntol.
The pillars created by the Goddess’s power began to fall freely.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud—
The pillars instantly surrounded the people of the Flowing Water Order and formed the shape of a temple.
That temple was a fortress for Elbridge and a wall of protection for the followers of the Flowing Water Order.
The sudden manifestation of such immense divine power brought a hush over the chaotic battlefield.
The scale of the Authority Elbridge had displayed was incomparably larger than anything the southern holy knights could produce.
The people of the Flowing Water Order muttered in stunned voices.
“This is…”
With his back to them, Elbridge spoke.
“I came here at Isalbius’s request to rescue you all. Do not be afraid.”
The followers of the Flowing Water Order nodded, their hands trembling.
A small spark of hope—that they might survive—ignited in their hearts.
Even Bireon, who had been about to flee, had stopped in his tracks.
Bireon thought that perhaps Elbridge really could save these people.
‘…Fine. I can afford to stall a little longer. I can survive no matter what. I have the Authority of Leap.’
Bireon arrived at Elbridge’s side.
“Elbridge. What are you trying to do?”
“I’m going to try changing the flow of water.”
Every moving mass had a current.
Elbridge believed he could act like a rock planted in the middle of a river and alter the flow of the land boars, even if only slightly.
Grrrr—
The speed at which the land boars were gathering grew faster and faster. Just within Elbridge’s current field of vision, there were already well over a hundred. It was difficult to even imagine how many more lurked inside the Great Forest.
But one thing was certain. The land boars would continue multiplying endlessly until they formed a swarm of tens of thousands—or even more.
Now there was only one thing Elbridge had to do.
‘Hold out until the flow changes.’
Grrrr—
The land boars charged toward the castle, toward the southern holy knights, and toward Elbridge and his Authority of Blockade.
Elbridge lowered his stance and sank his feet halfway into the soft southern soil.
Even though he had already used the Authority of Blockade, the Goddess’s power still had plenty of room to spare.
It was surely thanks to the four seats of power.
Elbridge offered another prayer.
Goddess. Grant me the Authority of No Retreat.
The instant Elbridge’s shield began glowing pure white, a land boar collided with it.
Booom—
Land boars were neither agile nor did they possess sharp claws.
But they possessed overwhelming power born from their massive bodies—far stronger than most demonic beasts.
It was a force that ordinary people, and even most holy knights, could not withstand.
The holy knights and priests of the Flowing Water Order thought Elbridge would be sent flying from the creature’s sheer weight. Yet Elbridge did not budge an inch and completely stopped the land boar’s charge.
Swoosh—
At the same time, Elbridge’s sword swung down, splitting the land boar’s skull and destroying its brain.
A much smaller amount of divine power than usual flowed into him.
‘…So it really is a crossbreed between a demonic beast and a boar.’
With this little divine power, offering the corpse to the Goddess would hold little meaning.
Still, it was fine. He had expected as much.
Another land boar leaped over its dead comrade and charged.
Elbridge raised his shield high and thrust his sword upward. The blade pierced straight through the land boar’s heart.
Elbridge swung his sword like a madman. Every time his blade moved, a land boar’s life was extinguished. Before long, a small hill made of land boar corpses had formed in front of him.
Grrrr—
Once the land boars could no longer see Elbridge, they began slamming recklessly into the pillars of the Authority of Blockade. It was as if they believed the piglet was trapped inside.
‘The situation is getting worse.’
The land boars didn’t even care if their heads were split open or blood poured from their snouts. Some even died after breaking their own necks by ramming the pillars too hard.
As dozens, then hundreds of land boars desperately piled onto the barrier, even Elbridge began to worry.
Since the Authority of Blockade had to endure so much force, it was only natural that its consumption would accelerate.
“…Goddess. I beg you.”
— It’s still alright, Elbridge. Wasn’t your Goddess a mid-tier deity with four seats of power?
Despite the playful tone, the Goddess’s voice was clearly tense.
Before long, the land boars had completely filled Elbridge’s field of vision. Eventually, he gave an order to Bireon.
“Bireon! Get the people out one by one!”
“…Understood.”
Fortunately, Bireon had the ability to do so. He hurled his harpoon into a massive tree, then used his Authority of Leap to begin carrying people outside one at a time.
However, it was a heavy burden even for him. The problem was the sheer number of times he had to use his Authority.
Blood streamed from Bireon’s nose, and his eyes were bloodshot red.
“Damn it… what the hell am I even doing…”
The task of risking his life to move ‘loot’ outside was so exhausting that Bireon kept grumbling nonstop.
When about half the people had been evacuated, Elbridge realized the pressure on his Authority of Blockade had lessened.
The land boars that had been slamming into the pillars were now quietly shifting toward another direction.
Had they judged that they could not break the barrier?
No. The flow had simply changed.
Elbridge confirmed what had caused the shift.
‘The castle wall has collapsed.’
The castle wall of the Sinking Shadow Order. One corner of it had crumbled.
Grrrr—
The land boars, now wildly excited, poured into the castle like a flood.
The holy knights of the Flowing Water Order stamped their feet in anguish at the sight.
“No, no… there are still people inside…”
There would be countless people within the castle. Members of the Sinking Shadow Order and ordinary southerners alike.
But the reason the Flowing Water Order’s holy knights suffered even more was something else.
“How many people from the Flowing Water Order are inside that castle?”
“At the very least, twenty. Is there any way to save them?”
Elbridge shook his head.
This was no longer a matter of avoidance or compromise. It was simply a question of what was possible and what was not.
If he left to save them, the people he had already rescued would die. And there was no way he could stop the land boars that were already rampaging through the castle.
‘Damn it.’
But because the land boars had turned toward the castle, a path had opened for Elbridge once more.
He dispelled the Authority of Blockade and said,
“This is our only chance. Let’s move!”
Bireon also shouted at the priests and holy knights of the Flowing Water Order.
“Run!”
Even as they ran after Bireon and Elbridge, the people of the Flowing Water Order kept looking back.
One holy knight spoke with a sob in his voice.
“People are dying inside the castle. The God… the God is weeping…”
The claim that the God of the Flowing Water was crying was unlikely to be mere metaphor. According to Isalbius, the God of the Flowing Water was a deity who loved his followers far too deeply.
Watching twenty of his followers die in terror, it seemed impossible that the God of the Flowing Water could remain calm.
Elbridge clenched his teeth and answered.
“…There’s nothing we can do. We have to move.”
Elbridge thought to himself.
The God of the Flowing Water might be too human to be called a god.
*
The group headed north, toward Bireon’s castle.
The rain that had begun as a drizzle now poured down like a deluge.
Unlike the East, the slightly lukewarm rainwater felt like the tears of the God of the Flowing Water. Though of course it couldn’t be.
The ground had turned into a mud pit, and their feet kept sinking. As Elbridge walked, he thought,
‘Did the land boars scatter after venting their rage?’
That couldn’t be. Bireon’s face was still rigidly stiff.
Then where were the land boars headed?
He couldn’t know. But there was one thing he desperately hoped for.
That the Stampede would not come this way.
It was only by evening that the group finally returned to the castle.
Because of the rain clouds, the darkened sky showed no trace of sunset.
When Elbridge and Bireon arrived in front of the castle, a large group of highly agitated people came out to meet them.
Members of the Silver Harpoon Apostles, the Flowing Water Order, several unknown orders, and even some spectators…
Rombel shouted in his booming voice.
“Hey! You’re back?”
Rombel approached Elbridge with a satisfied smile.
Just by looking at his expression, it was clear. This was the face of someone who had successfully completed his mission.
“You look like a drowned rat. But it seems things went well?”
“…Well.”
“What do you mean, ‘well’? You brought back this many people.”
As Rombel said, the fact that just two people had managed to extract and return with over twenty survivors was clearly an achievement beyond expectations.
But a concern grave enough to overshadow that success had arisen.
Bireon spoke to his subordinate, Dicha.
“Dicha.”
“Yes, Lord Bireon.”
“A Stampede has begun.”
The atmosphere of those who had come out to greet them sank in an instant.
“…The followers of the Flowing Water Order said that their God is weeping. Is that why?”
“Yes. Many believers must have already lost their lives to the Stampede. For now, let’s go inside and discuss countermeasures. Whether we should stay in the castle or abandon it and evacuate somewhere…”
Just as they were about to enter the castle after speaking, Bireon’s steps suddenly halted.
He abruptly dropped to the ground and pressed his ear to the earth.
“…Damn it. Everyone inside, now!”
No one asked why. Bireon’s urgent voice explained everything.
The Stampede was heading straight for this castle.
‘Is our luck just that terrible, or did it somehow follow us?’
The group hurried inside the castle.
Once the news of the Stampede spread, silence swallowed the entire city like paper soaking up water.
People climbed onto the castle walls and stared out at the Great Forest.
Grrrr—
And before long, the land boars revealed themselves.
Just those visible at first glance numbered in the thousands.
‘There’s no time to prepare. No method to prepare with.’
The land boars maintained their full speed and began slamming their massive bodies into the castle walls.
Boom. Boom. Boom—
The thick castle walls trembled faintly.
If even a small section of the wall collapsed, the consequences were obvious.
“O God of the Silver Harpoon…”
The people’s faces turned deathly pale.
The apostles of the Silver Harpoon Apostles and even Bireon wore expressions of utmost gravity. No matter how brave they were, there was no way to stop a Stampede. All they could do was pray that luck would allow them to survive.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Grrrr—
Marcus, his body rigid with tension, asked Elbridge.
“S-Sir Elbridge. This time too… it’ll somehow work out, right?”
“Would you prefer an honest answer or a hopeful one?”
“…Never mind. The God of the Fox Rain is telling me not to listen.”
Marcus’s expression grew utterly miserable.
Of course. In a situation like this, even the God of the Fox Rain would have no solution.
Elbridge considered what he needed to do.
‘I’ll watch the situation from the wall and use the Authority of Blockade wherever the wall begins to collapse.’
Of course, he knew that wouldn’t be a fundamental solution.
Once a wall started to collapse, the damage would only spread further. In the end, it would be nothing but wasted effort.
Elbridge offered a small prayer.
“Goddess. What should I do?”
— …
The Goddess had clearly heard Elbridge’s prayer, but she could not give him an answer.
Elbridge smiled bitterly.
He thought that was the end of it, but the Goddess of the Rusty Shield spoke in an unusually serious voice.
“Yes, Goddess.”
The Goddess’s words sounded slightly strange. A price?
What kind of price could a god possibly pay?
Boom. Craaaash—
At that moment, part of the southern castle wall collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Elbridge immediately ran toward the southern wall.
‘First, I’ll use the Authority of Blockade to seal the gap—!’
As Elbridge ran, something strange happened.
The dark sky grew slightly brighter.
Everyone looked up at the sky at once.
Something was descending through the rain clouds, enveloped in light.
It had the shape of a human.
‘A god?’
But it was not the Goddess of the Rusty Shield.
It was an elderly male deity.
Isalbius, who stood nearby, muttered.
“God of the Flowing Water…”
Ah, so it was the God of the Flowing Water.
However, from Elbridge’s perspective, the appearance the God of the Flowing Water showed was slightly strange.
When the Goddess of the Rusty Shield had revealed herself in Varkuntol, she had displayed a dazzling and powerful presence.
In the distant past, when other gods occasionally appeared on battlefields, they too had shown their most confident and majestic forms to inspire their followers.
Yet the God of the Flowing Water was weeping in agony.
‘This doesn’t seem like an attempt to raise morale…’
The God of the Flowing Water opened his mouth.
“My children. Forgive your God, who was too cowardly and narrow-minded to act in time.”
Though his voice was not loud, it was majestic and rang clearly in everyone’s ears.
Yet Elbridge’s questions remained unanswered.
Just why had the God of the Flowing Water descended now?
The God of the Flowing Water pointed his finger at the sky.
The raindrops pouring from the rain clouds gathered together, forming a massive body of water.
“Forgive this unworthy father.”
The God of the Flowing Water pointed his finger at the swarm of land boars.
The enormous mass of water created in the air became a giant wave that swept across the land. Even the horde of land boars could not withstand that colossal wave.
Though a god had personally stepped forward for his followers, no one rejoiced.
Elbridge, Rombel, Marcus, Isalbius.
And every single person there froze like stone.
Everyone realized that something fundamentally wrong was happening.
Something that should never be allowed.
Something that was clearly forbidden even to a god.