Chapter 387

“Like the Ancient God Faith… what on earth is that…?”

“Ah, Sir Median, since you were born in the east, you might not know.”

Perhaps noticing the confusion on my face, Lacey continued her explanation in a tone like a professor.

“The Ancient God Faith was an evil religion that claimed there were only four true gods and carried out human sacrifices and massacres. They worshiped the Heavenly Imir, the Earth Mother Nertus, the God of War Wodanaz, and the Winter Skadi. In the past, their influence was so small that they didn’t clash much with the 11 Star Gods Faith, but…”

The setting itself was similar.

The doctrine that there were only four true gods and the barbaric practices like human sacrifice typical of ancient religions.

However, the names of the gods in question were all different.

I couldn’t figure out why.

And then, Lacey dropped another bombshell on me.

“…400 years ago. The Third Saint, the apostate Peirus, insulted the existing gods as false at the council of the 11 Star Gods Faith, praised the ancient gods, and slaughtered the cardinals who opposed him. Since then, the Ancient God Faith has been branded as heresy. It was a blasphemous act.”

Peirus.

A word that made me doubt my ears.

Peirus, the Soul Reaper.

It was the name of the first apostle of the ‘Forgotten Gods’ Order and the only apostle in the game who revealed his true name.

—

I couldn’t hide my shock at the sudden appearance of the main boss’s name.

The apostles in the game only reveal themselves after major events, and their identities and whereabouts are never mentioned.

Since there was no way to find them, I hadn’t bothered to think about them, but to hear the name of their leader from Lacey…

I decided to probe further.

“…Peirus, huh? Never heard of him. What kind of guy was he?”

“He’s the shame of the Holy Kingdom, a cursed apostate who should be burned over and over. Despite being in the honorable position of the Holy Kingdom’s leader, he shamelessly fell into corruption, betrayed Elpinel, and slaughtered countless believers. He’s a great sinner.”

Lacey’s face twisted as if the mere thought disgusted her.

So he was the head of the Holy Kingdom. No wonder he mocked Elpinel so harshly.

You need to know your target well to mock them like that.

“His atrocities were so heinous that after him, only women could take the position of the Holy Kingdom’s leader. Later, Peirus, claiming to be the true seeker of God, united the Ancient God Faith and the Evil God Orders to attack the Holy Kingdom. But darkness can never overcome light. He was eventually defeated and disappeared.”

Gathering heretics to attack the Holy Kingdom? Even 400 years ago, he was doing boss-level stuff.

Since he disappeared, it seems he’s been hiding ever since his defeat.

“Disappeared, huh? That’s suspicious. Could he still be alive?”

“Unlikely. It’s been 400 years. Unless he had some fairy blood in his lineage, that’s impossible. Of course, if he were a half-fairy, he couldn’t have become the Holy Kingdom’s leader in the first place.”

He’s probably still alive.

Given that Isabella is actually over 100 years old, it seems there are ways to extend human lifespan, whether through the blessing of an evil god or other means.

Maybe I should warn them.

“Ah, please don’t spread the story of Peirus. The Church Order destroyed all records of him back then, so today, only the top brass of the Church Order knows about him. Outsiders who know his name will be taken to the Church’s interrogation room and ‘purified’ until they spill all their information.”

Oh no. I almost got into big trouble.

Cold sweat ran down my spine.

If I had been spreading information about him, I would’ve been quietly taken away and turned into a truth machine.

…I’ll keep my mouth shut from now on.

—

“The story got a bit off track. Anyway, the name Alfoedr is presumed to be a deity similar to the ancient god Wodanaz. The fact that he’s a god of war and the doctrines are similar suggest that.”

“Then isn’t he just the same person… no, the same god?”

While listening to Lacey’s story, I thought that it might be the same god worshipped under a different name.

Gods’ names change with the times and cultures, after all.

Like how Greek gods’ names and traits changed when they were introduced to Rome.

“The name of a god changing… that’s an interesting idea. It seems a bit blasphemous to me, but it’s possible. The Ancient God Faith is quite different from the 11 Star Gods Faith in many ways. I’ll need to investigate that further.”

The concept of a god’s name changing seemed unfamiliar to Lacey.

Perhaps it’s because Earth’s gods, worshipped without proof of existence, are different from the gods here, who reveal themselves through holy power and revelations.

I asked a few more questions, but since Lacey didn’t know much, there wasn’t much to gain.

Instead, she seemed happy that I was interested in theology and gifted me an incredibly thick scripture.

She said I should read it sometime… but when will I ever have the time?

Since it didn’t seem like I could refuse, I thanked her and took the scripture before leaving the cathedral.

I had to stop by the mansion to let them know I’d be away for a while and take Rana and Nigel to the professor’s residence.

I couldn’t leave our Rana in that perverted mansion.

It’s bad for her moral education.

—

Sitting in the carriage, smoking a cigarette, I pondered what lay ahead.

Hearing the name Peirus was something I never expected, and it felt like a heavy rock was weighing on my head.

In the original story, the apostles only appear after the empire collapses and the world twists.

There were seven or eight of them.

With Isabella’s death accelerated, would their appearance also be hastened?

It’s impossible to know, and it’s making me anxious.

Some of them are non-combatants, but among them are those with the power of seven or eight heroes.

If they show up now, it would be a serious threat.

Thinking about the original story, they’d probably appear in another country, not the empire… but the original story is already unreliable.

It would be great if we could catch one in the Holy Kingdom.

As I pondered this and that, we arrived at the mansion in the blink of an eye.

Only Nigel and Rana were there to greet me.

Damien and Ja-han had ended up lying down together after a duel.

Ja-han was slightly ahead in skill, but who knew Damien could move his body in mid-air?

From Ja-han’s perspective, it was like being hit by a trick.

“So, who won?”

“Both are seriously injured! Uncle Ja-han’s collarbone and shoulder are shattered, and Damien’s spine is broken!”

“Hmm. That must hurt.”

They called it a friendly match, but look at them.

Thankfully, there were healing miracles, or else they’d both be crippled.

“Damien seemed happy about it, though. He mumbled something like, ‘With my lower body paralyzed, I won’t be squeezed for a while!’ What did he mean by that?”

…Was he being exploited so badly that he’s happy about being paralyzed?

I don’t know whether to feel sorry for him or say he got what he deserved.

[Ja-han, Ja-han… Can’t even beat a sixteen-year-old brat now…! Looks like you need special training.]

‘If you compare the injuries, didn’t he win?’

If someone’s spine is shattered, you could probably take them down with one arm.

In a real fight, Ja-han would’ve lost an arm, and Damien would’ve lost his life.

Even after all that training, he’s still only at the level of taking down one paladin. Pathetic.

Looks like he needs special training.

—

After informing the two idiots lying in bed and Milia that I’d be away on an external mission for a while, I returned to the academy’s professor’s residence.

Taking off my armor and sinking into the bathtub, I finally felt like I was home.

Isabella’s mansion was so luxurious that it felt more like staying at a high-end hotel than being at home.

After my bath, I told Rana and Nigel that I’d be going on a solo mission for about ten days under the emperor’s orders.

Rana begged to come along, but it was a request I couldn’t grant. It’s not just any mission—it’s to assassinate a king. I can’t bring Rana along.

Fortunately, Rana understood how important the emperor’s orders were, so it wasn’t too hard to convince her.

“Nigel, take care of Rana for a while. If you’re bored, visit the mansion and spar with Damien and Milia, or go see Minea at the Rose Hall.”

“Understood. It’s a bit disappointing, though. I just returned as Princess Ha-shal-leur’s attendant, and now we’re parting again…”

I know, right?

We just reunited, and now this. I’m a bit disappointed too.

“It’s a classified mission, so there’s no helping it. When I get back, I plan to visit the Holy Kingdom, so we’ll go together then.”

“Yes. I’ll be waiting for that day.”

Nigel nodded as if making a promise.

—

=====[ That Night ]=====

In the deep night, when everyone was asleep.

Rana, who had been sleeping in Ha-shal-leur’s room, suddenly woke up.

It was unusual. She was the type who wouldn’t wake up easily once asleep.

‘Huh… It’s still night. Why…?’

Why indeed? Even she found it strange.

Rubbing her eyes, Rana turned her head and saw Ha-shal-leur sitting on the bed, staring at her left arm.

Unlike her usual confident smile, her expression was cold as ice.

Her blue eyes shimmered eerily, sending chills down Rana’s spine.

“Sister, is something wrong…?”

Rana asked Ha-shal-leur in a drowsy voice.

Only then did Ha-shal-leur notice Rana was awake and looked up at her.

“…Ah, Rana. It’s nothing. I just woke up suddenly. Don’t worry.”

Ha-shal-leur’s voice was low, as if half-asleep.

“Your tone is strange…”

Rana felt an indescribable sense of unease, but her tired mind didn’t give her the luxury to ponder it.

Her eyes slowly closed as sleepiness overtook her again.