Chapter 159

Matheos prayed while gazing at the sprawling metropolis with a population of 200,000.

“O God of Radiance.”

The stigmata on his forehead shimmered as if on fire, and pure divine energy gushed forth in streams, rising high enough to touch the clouds.

The light was so intense that shadows vanished from the surrounding objects.

“Look upon this city.”

Matheos narrowed his black eyes, staring at the devastation throughout the town.

Dust and smoke billowed from the mines, and Infiltrators and foreigners suddenly burst forth.

Having seemingly satisfied their hunger, blood stained their mouths, hands, and Tentacles.

The towering holy spires and fortifications were no exception.

Even within a fortress that could withstand an army of 100,000, people died like turtles ripening inside their shells.

Matheos could vividly feel the emotions arising from that place.

A colossal fear, pain, despair, a threadbare faith, and hope.

“This world needs your gentle touch.”

He was already on the brink of exhaustion from using the Cloak of Distinction over an 11 km radius.

Yet Matheos did not cease his prayers.

His human form shuddered with a force rivaling that of a Sword Master.

His legs, capable of shattering steel stakes, trembled uncontrollably.

“Let down the irons of judgment upon them from the celestial realm! If you cannot do it, then let me take your place!”

His gaze, while continuing the prayer, fell upon the stairs.

A handful of Holy Knights, priests, and Purifiers were barricading the stairs, battling powerful Infiltrators.

“Skreeee!”

The Infiltrator resembled a red lizard with eight long legs.

With a body length of 20 meters and a tongue that stretched to 8 meters, dozens of people protruded from its neck and shoulders, wailing for help.

“Help us!”

“Come over here! Hehehe!”

“Hurry! It’s warm here! Let’s live together!”

They began to turn slightly red from the parts touching the Infiltrator, and once they were completely consumed, they seemed to forget their rationality and individual faces.

The Holy Knights did not retreat in the face of that horrific sight.

They were filled with the glory of fighting to protect their Saint and the city.

“Lord.”

Divine energy blazed atop their armor and swords, and human flesh drew forth power beyond its veil.

Evil! Slaaash!

The spears of the Purifiers flew straight for the Infiltrator’s six eyes.

The Infiltrator scoffed, shaking its head slightly to shake off the divine-radiant spears, but they penetrated its hard scales like a hot rod melting ice.

Thud!

“Gaaahk!”

Three spears pierced its face, and three pierced its eyes.

Clearly, agonized screams echoed, and eight Holy Knights charged forward.

“Aim for the ankles!”

“Just make sure they can’t move!”

“Our Saint is watching us!”

They split to the left and right, swinging their swords at the Infiltrator’s eight legs.

Slaaaash! Slash!

They swiftly sliced through the legs, reaching down to the fourth one.

However, the young Holy Knight, only 20 years old and fresh in his position for just a year, couldn’t pull his blade out in time due to the pressure and tension, his hands stiffening.

“Ugh!”

The Infiltrator’s remaining three eyes gleamed, and it swung its blood-covered legs like a fly swatter.

Thud!

The young Holy Knight was struck by the Infiltrator’s leg and tumbled down the stairs.

The blow cracked his skull and broke bones, twisting limbs in unnatural directions, but he felt the blessed light rushing through him and stood up once more.

“O God of Radiance. Grant me the strength to protect your son!”

The eight Holy Knights were already tiring as they targeted the eight legs, while the Infiltrator crawled up the stairs, trampling them. At that moment, the priests finished their prayers.

“Begone foul creature!”

“This palace is built upon the rock!”

Divine flames flowed down from the spears lodged in the Infiltrator, igniting its insides, while a radiant shield spread out like a circular barrier to block its tooth-filled maw and long tongue.

As the Purifiers’ spears diminished in number, the Infiltrator angrily swung its tail, knocking the Holy Knights down the stairs.

An old priest ignited his last life force to summon divine energy.

“O God of Radiance, here I am…”

The long tongue that pierced through the priest’s torso was engulfed in white flames and set ablaze.

The Infiltrator severed its tongue, but the white flames had already poured into its mouth.

* * *

Matheos stared at the stairs.

Red bloodstains dotted the white steps.

The Holy Knights, Purifiers, and priests all lay dead, their former shapes unrecognizable.

“Screee…”

The Infiltrator, barely crawling up, raised its now-horrifically battered, yet still capable of crushing a wagon-sized, front limb.

From the Infiltrator’s neck, dozens of people reached out their hands, crying out to the Saint.

“Saint!”

“Let’s live together!”

“Together, as one!”

With deep sorrow in his solemn eyes, Matheos looked up to the sky.

In that moment, a pillar of light over five meters in diameter descended from the clouds.

“Kii-.”

The gigantic Infiltrator could not even scream before turning to ashes.

Swoosh!

A thick beam of light rained down from the massive cumulonimbus, striking the ground.

The Infiltrator and foreigners struck directly burned without leaving a trace.

Injuries of those touched by the beam healed, the Infiltrators were purified, and those rising from the dead found peace once more.

Matheos wept quietly as he witnessed it all.

“Valenciaunos. Was this why you instructed to only use the Cloak of Distinction within this palace? To avoid provoking them immediately?”

The Saint could not read the intentions of the Duke.

The Cloak of Distinction was an exceedingly excellent technique meant to reveal one’s true appearance.

Yet, the most critical aspect of the Great Infiltrator Doctrine is to kill quickly while they are in the form of humans unable to use psychic waves, which is why it was not widely used.

…Even in a great city, it was not an everyday occurrence for over 100 fully mutated Infiltrators to appear.

“The Duke was an Infiltrator, wasn’t he? Then that number makes sense. Yes, it seems this needed to end quietly. This is my fault. I spread the Cloak of Distinction too broadly.”

Matheos thought and clenched his teeth.

“I was sure this was the right course of action. I clearly heard a voice telling me to do this.”

Haunted by profound guilt.

* * *

I numbly pulled out the Black Tear.

Benechion, the Duke, was rapidly turning into a cold corpse.

A terrible question churned in my mind.

Why did he try to stab himself?

Perhaps in despair that retribution would never come to pass, he might have taken his own life.

My arrival meant that Jeilliris was watching this place, which was indeed the case.

It could have been for his family.

Unless I fabricated everything, I could not implicate even Grace’s grandchildren as Infiltrators.

The vassals of the Gremoryus family would turn the Duke’s grandson into a captive hero who defied the Infiltrators, overcoming personal feelings.

He might not have intended to take his own life.

Maybe he tried to counterattack with a curse after I seized his sword, only to fall powerless against my strength.

He may have wished to torment me and Jeilliris until the end.

Benechion was not yet too corrupted.

Based on the mental waves just detected in the Audience Chamber, I could believe that the level of corruption had only just begun.

The priests understood how powerful an Infiltrator was even as their essence dissipated upon its death.

What if… Matheos didn’t actively support me?

It was obvious.

I would become a world-class bastard who slaughtered a perfectly fine Duke without any justification.

It would be fortunate if there wasn’t a wildfire-like revolt following such an act.

Memories from before my return flooded back.

Fluttering flags, armies clashing in the fields, assassins striking nightly, Jeilliris armored up, foreign kings and Infiltrators eyeing the fractured Empire.

“No!”

“You…! I won’t allow you!”

At that moment, Jerphas, who had been rolling on the ground, lunged at me with an energy unfitting for an aged man.

The six-horned iron mace swung with a boom, targeting my temple.

I swayed my body to evade while lifting the Black Tear to sever Jerphas’s arm and turn to slice his neck.

The mace slightly grazed me, causing hot blood to trickle down from my temple, soaking my right ear.

“…The world.”

It was just as Duke Benechion had said.

My lingering attachments and greed nearly cost me my life.

I came to slay future enemies, relying on knowledge from before my return, but realizing it was still an event that had yet to unfold left me paralyzed.

I hadn’t had to contemplate such issues until now.

Lady Trentia and Sister Sorelazie had drawn enemies into their fold before my return, yet they bore no deep grudge against Jeilliris.

Duke Benechion was different.

He had been a rebel raising an army around this time before my return.

And I was not targeted because he was an Infiltrator, but rather because he would never swear fealty.

Yes. Indeed… He was a man with virtues befitting a Lord.

He loved his vassals and held ambitious aspirations.

Yet, in the end, Benechion opposed Jeilliris.

Then I could not call him a good person.

I set fire to Jerphas’s body and stumbled back towards the hallway.

I needed to meet Matheos.

Based on testimonies that significant ancient energy was felt from Duke Benechion’s corpse, I had to be involved in the inheritance of the dukedom.

* * *

Matheos utilized the Cloak of Distinction not just for the palace but for the entire city.

Though the Infiltrators were scheming within the deep mines here, it wouldn’t be unusual for over 100 fully mutated Infiltrators to crawl out.

I only hoped they wouldn’t start claiming they tried to hide how many Infiltrators there were.

I sincerely wished he wouldn’t say that he couldn’t feel the Infiltrators’ energy on the Duke.

* * *

“Duke Valenciaunos. You were right.”

“Pardon?”

Matheos, covering his stern face with his bony hands, lamented.

“I must not have listened when you instructed merely to cloak only the inner courtyard. Perhaps I did not trust your words, which could not be described as those of a faithful saint. I might have suspected that there was a plan that took someone’s sacrifice for granted once again.”

The Saint continued speaking as if in confession.

“You said the Duke was an Infiltrator. That was why, wasn’t it? Now I understand. The Duke, aware of the Duke’s identity, anticipated that many Infiltrators would be in this city and tried to purify only this inner courtyard, seeking to deal with them as discreetly as possible?”

“Ah.”

“I feel strange now. Someone who should not have died because of my mistake has perished, and even their family expresses gratitude for saving us by performing a miracle of dropping a pillar of light from the clouds. No, if I were truly a Saint, I should have been able to save them without needing to drop a pillar of light.”

I burst forth with light.

It felt like the God of Radiance had raised my hand.

With face flushed, I hastily responded.

“No, Saint. You are truly the Son of God.”

My face burned with embarrassment, but I disregarded it.

“Thanks to you, we could capture them in one fell swoop. If I had originally intended to cut down their forces little by little, they would have hidden deeper underground.”

Feeling something jab at my lower abdomen, I ignored it.

“Was it a sacrifice for the greater good?”

“Indeed.”

The number of loyalty oaths is vast, while my conscience feels tiny.

“…How could someone so merciful make such a brutal decision?”

“Merciful?”

“…!?”

I cleared my throat and continued speaking.

Now, the Saint needed an excuse rather than a reason.

“Saint, we do not yet know how many have perished. Considering those who would have been killed had they lived for another year, today’s deaths are but a minor sacrifice.”

“I am someone who cannot allow that.”

It felt like someone was grasping my heart with cold hands, yet I ignored it.

“Wasn’t that not your intention? You didn’t want to sever them, did you? Please, rise. I need your help.”