Chapter 114

114.

“Dark Cultist… Dark Cultist…”

Myna spoke in a soft voice.

“Lord Cain. Now that you’re in the Audience Chamber, you know well what I mean – that sea of countless papers.”

“Yeah. I do. I’ve seen it for myself.”

At this unexpected comment, Myna’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“There are various reasons why work gets delayed. Among them, one is particularly annoying and troublesome.”

“Considering the flow of the conversation, could it be…”

“Dark Cultist!”

The sudden shout made everyone flinch.

Myna’s gaze was vacant, as if recalling something. Her complexion was dark, and the corner of her mouth trembled.

“Those mole-like creatures keep coming endlessly! Whenever they appear, the Bright Sect minimizes all other tasks and focuses solely on hunting them. Then, naturally, work piles up!”

With a voice filled with frustration, tears welled up in Myna’s eyes.

“How well they hide! Tracking them takes no less than half a year. And that’s not even the end. Those damn things destroy relics, forcing us to conduct new consecrations. And the only one who can do it… is me. In other words?”

“…the work piles up, and your duties as a Holy Maiden increase.”

“Exactly! Even when I delegate tasks to the sect members, there’s just no end. And when I need to cleanse the traces of darkness, I must personally visit those places. So exciting missions, right? Yay!”

She suddenly raised her arms in the air, shouting, but then bowed her head.

“Finally getting a break from administrative work, and my first trip with Lord Cain… and yet, here they are – the Dark Cultists… hic!”

‘Hmm.’

Something was off about Myna.

It seemed her bad memories involving the cultists, coupled with the accumulated stress, had erupted. This is why people need stable rest.

“Holy Maiden Myna. Please calm yourself. Isn’t that why I’m here? Whether administrative work or cultist-related issues, if it involves the North, my involvement is necessary. And as the Chosen One, I intend to assist Holy Maiden Myna.”

“…”

Gently clasping her trembling hands, my gaze met her bloodshot eyes.

“…I’m sorry. When it comes to the Dark Cultists, I can’t help but feel my blood boil uncontrollably.”

“I fully understand. I often feel the same way. Others would too.”

A nod to Nia and Charles caused them both to eagerly nod in agreement. Erica, who initially looked bewildered, eventually shook her head as well.

Fortunately, Myna had calmed down enough to speak with a dejected expression.

“I thought things had been peaceful lately, but they were just lurking in the North. Ah. If their activities become prominent, it means the situation isn’t good.”

The cultists were always weeded out through cooperation among the various sects.

In such a situation, the Dark Cultists’ activities mostly retreated into the shadows.

Their skills in concealment and hiding developed, making them a group difficult to track down.

After finishing her explanation, Myna sighed.

‘Those explanations make sense.’

Listening to Myna, I recalled the information I confirmed from Wade Trios before leaving Solorun.

Small towns near the city are now deserted because of the evacuation warnings issued due to abnormal weather.

In other words, there’s a chance the Dark Cultists were hiding in the now-empty towns. And…

“Did you visit any other frontlines or gateway cities, Lady Erica?”

Charles, who had quietly observed the situation, spoke up.

At the question posed by the woman stirring her spoon, Erica shook her head.

“No. There are so many beasts and monsters in those areas that I avoided them intentionally.”

“So, the situation inside the city remains unknown.”

Charles’s gaze turned to me.

It seemed Charles, who had worked as a shadow operative, had noticed something. At this point in the conversation, Myna’s eyebrows also slightly furrowed.

An isolated city.

An unending battle.

The oppressive fear cast by the abnormal monsters.

The pervasive atmosphere of death and relentless stress. Such extreme conditions gradually wear down one’s mental strength. It means fractures will form in relationships usually held together tightly.

In short, it’s the perfect situation for the Dark Cultists to infiltrate the city and sow discord.

“We must move as quickly as possible.”

Not just the gateway city.

Devalleta Castle, Vulkon, and Untara — all on the frontline.

If those fiends are active undercover, the internal state of these places is most likely a mess.

“That evil power can be detected by both me and Lord Cain.”

In other words, since we’ve been marked by the Goddess, we can sense the Dark Cultist’s power. Nodding in understanding, I turned my gaze to Erica.

She seemed to have realized something from our conversation, and her expression hardened.

The Dark Cultist problem was now clear.

Next, we needed to address the issue at Devalleta.

“So, Lady Erica, what do you plan to do with the rotten tree you spoke about earlier?”

“…Looking at my ears, you’ll know. They’re not ordinary human ears.”

Erica’s ears trembled slightly. Can she move them at will?

“Devalleta is of the hybrid lineage of the Eternal Ones. Our bloodline carries mysterious power. I intend to use it to purify the rotten tree.”

“Will purifying the tree resolve the blizzard?”

“Yes. Although it’s a mere replica, its origin is the World Tree. I’m certain.”

Nia supplemented Erica’s statement with a confident explanation.

“The World Tree, like dragons, is one of the organisms responsible for the world’s cycle. If dragons cause natural disasters, the World Tree governs the seasons. In my knowledge, the North’s end was planted with winter, affecting the Northern Dukedom where snow always fell.”

Nia, stroking her chin, carefully observed Erica.

“Isn’t the origin of elves said to be from the World Tree?”

Erica’s ears twitched slightly at this expression of interest. It appeared she realized she was being observed like a research subject. Despite the half-elf girl appearing uneasy, Nia continued her explanation.

“Miss Devalleta’s instincts related to trees are surely reliable. If the rotten tree or something similar is genuinely a replica of the World Tree, it is indeed the cause of the blizzard. Hmm. Actually, even a replica shouldn’t just rot like that, so….”

“Dark Cultist?”

“It seems so, given the context.”

Dark Cultist, again.

While I was busy handling matters at the capital, those fiends were quietly creating chaos behind the scenes.

‘Sip.’

Moving with Nia, there were several pieces of information not mentioned in any novel.

Is it because she’s someone whose very existence is shrouded in mystery?

Or maybe it’s because she’s lived for so long?

“Kain. Your expression is peculiar. You’re not thinking of anything inappropriate, are you?”

“…How could that be? I was merely intrigued by the new information.”

After brushing off Nia’s curious gaze, I summarized the situation.

“It’s late now, so let’s all get proper rest. We’ll move early tomorrow, so close your eyes soon. I’ll keep watch.”

“I… have to check on the patient’s condition, so I’ll sleep a little later.”

Except for Myna, who went to check on the fallen knights, everyone wrapped themselves in blankets and closed their eyes.

“…Sigh.”

Sighing due to the myriad of information and thoughts filling my head.

I had resolved in this life to live leisurely and comfortably, yet before I knew it, I was throwing myself into relentless efforts.

Compared to working 140 hours a week, the amount of sleep I get now is sufficient, so it’s all good.

‘This life is turning out to be quite eventful.’

Anyway, for the peace to come, enduring hardships temporarily is worth it.

I threw another log into the fire, which had diminished in size.

“Crackling sound.”

Just as Myna, who had been checking on the patients, settled beside me and sat, a somber silence fell over the area, which had been lively with conversation just before.

“Holy Maiden Myna also needs to rest fully. You may need to use your strength a lot.”

“Yes, my… body feels a bit chilled, so I’ll just rest here for a moment.”

Murmering softly, Myna moved closer.

Though she was supposed to be immune to the cold due to the Goddess’ blessings…

“…”

I didn’t point it out.

Instead, I quietly stirred the spoon, organizing my thoughts.

“Here come the Dark Cultists.”

From my perspective, they’ve appeared out of nowhere all of a sudden.

Although the Imperial Palace was monitoring the activities of the Dark Cultists, they weren’t a pressing concern.

Primarily, the Bright Sect handled the Dark Cultists. And through their various authorities and powers, the sect was quite successful at eliminating them.

“If they were to surface…”

On second thought, Altain was a nation that would crumble naturally.

As the internal strife in the central government worsened, the southern provinces took the opportunity to declare independence.

Amid the chaos, war broke out with Sylvester. And if the Dark Cultists were to slightly destabilize the Northern Front…

“The empire would be utterly finished.”

The fact that the fictional depiction of Altain’s collapse was complete makes sense.

The lack of visible Dark Cultist activity is clear now; having achieved their purpose, they were likely lying low, waiting for the next opportunity.

The question remained: why did the Dark Cultists aim to destroy the empire?

Altain wasn’t just another minor kingdom.

Before Sylvester’s rise, it had been the temporary overlord of the Western Continent.

It would have been more efficient to consume the empire rather than dismantle it.

Tuck.

At the sudden sensation, I turned my focus and saw Myna resting her head on my arm.

Her faint breathing could be heard.

She must be exhausted; she fell asleep almost instantly.

I gently moved my shoulder, but she didn’t respond. Rather, her balance shifted, and her cheek pressed against her, with her neck in an awkward position.

“Ugh…”

“…”

Carefully adjusting her to a more comfortable position, I lowered her head onto my thigh and covered her with a blanket. This should prevent her body from stiffening after waking up.

“…Is the Bright Sect their target?”

To the Dark Cultists, the sect is nothing less than an eternal enemy.

The place where the sect has deeply rooted itself is Altain.

If Altain collapses, the sect will take a significant hit.

This situation of hesitation in rebuilding seems precisely what the Dark Cultists want. Therefore, the Goddess also seemed to send a signal through the marking.

“Their intentions are all too clear.”

Re-aligning Myna’s rumpled blanket, I threw another log into the fire.

*

When dawn broke, all the unconscious patients woke up.

After adequately responding to Arthur and the knights’ grateful looks of determination, we set off across the snowy plains on the back of the wolf pack.

Due to the swift movement of the White Beast and the wolf pack, we were able to quickly arrive at the location of the rotten tree.

Everyone was speechless at the sight before them.

“Really absurd.”

Is this even a tree?

A blackened wall blocked our path.

On closer inspection, the sheer size was overwhelming. If a replica of the World Tree is this grand, how immense must the real World Tree be?

Flash

As we silently stared at the rotten tree, Myna’s body shone brilliantly. Simultaneously, a burning sensation prickled my neck.

“I can sense it. That wretched stench of theirs.”

“…Holy Maiden Myna, your language is harsh.”

“Ah.”

Muna’s kind face twisted into a sinister expression as she spoke. The knight’s astonished faces were in plain sight.

Muna recomposed herself.

However, the presence of the Dark Cultists’ aura must be quite vexing because her eyebrows were still arched. Her small fists clenched and unclenched, suggesting she felt a significant amount of discomfort.

Slush

A small smirk followed as I tightened my grip on the sword.

The unsettling sensation of numerous unnatural creatures rushing toward us from afar.

Several grotesque monsters. Their appearance seemed as if they were stationed as a guard around the rotten tree.