It had been two days since Duke Yuma swallowed the two gods that had been rampaging through the Silmaria Continent.
The Valkares Empire.
In the eastern outskirts, Valhail.
Kwahaha—!
The red-haired man, Argyle, pierced through the enemies in front of him with his spear.
The massive bodies of two ogres crashed to the ground.
With beast-like, bright yellow eyes gleaming, Argyle continued to move fiercely.
Covered in blood, he shook the spear vigorously, flicking off the gore and flesh stuck to the blade.
Red blood and chunks of flesh scattered in a half-circle.
Argyle gritted his teeth and pressed forward.
He had to pour all his strength into protecting the people who remained in the territory.
Fatigue weighed heavily on his body, but his awakened spirit diluted the exhaustion.
“There sure are a lot of them.”
There were too many monsters crawling around. Despite the rising fighting spirit, Argyle felt death creeping closer.
Whirrr…
A red current endlessly rippled along the spearhead.
On the ground lay mercenaries, contorted grotesquely, already dead.
Protruding bones.
A puddle of dark red blood on the floor.
Argyle mechanically thrust the spear again.
He threw aside the ogre’s guts that were draped around his neck like a scarf and gripped the sticky spear again, slick with monster blood.
Thud—
At that moment, he turned to see a massive shadow stirring behind him.
‘Is this it?’
There was no way he could handle such a bulk. Desperately, he raised his arms.
Then, a flash struck from behind.
A white light sliced through the massive shadow.
The owner of the white light was Bell.
She cleaved through the waist of a troll engulfed in madness and magic.
The upper body of the troll rolled away.
Kiiiiiaaaah!
Without hesitation, Bell decapitated the troll’s head.
Her brother, Haven, appeared like a storm, rescuing family members from the ogre’s grasp behind Argyle.
Argyle quickly turned his head to look at the new arrivals. There were a total of five of them.
Among them, two swords flickered with azure flames.
Vivid, brilliant flames.
“When on earth did you become a Grand Sword Master?”
Haven stood next to Bell, who had just slain the troll.
Haven stood up.
Belle snickered.
“Your big brother didn’t say it either. We’ve surpassed the Master’s wall.”
Calm conversations, quite unrelated to the situation, continued.
The dialogue ended as they both charged off in completely opposite directions.
The sword strike unleashed from Belle’s blade sliced the enormous boar-shaped monster into dozens of pieces.
The torn meat plummeted to the ground, scattering blood everywhere.
The swordsman of the White Night Clan, Haven, and the Lycanthropes teamed up to slay the remaining five ogres.
Thanks to Argyle and Haven saving her, the girl who had her life preserved stared blankly at the people who saved her.
After confirming the survivors’ safety, Haven and Belle were intensely gazing at Argyle.
Haven was the first to speak.
“That should definitely be of help.”
Belle nodded at Haven’s words.
“Right?”
“Uh-huh.”
They recalled the warnings they heard from Yuma.
To save as many people as possible from the Valkares Empire, and to bring back useful talents to Yuma.
That was the mission given to them.
Recognizing Argyle, who had risen to Master through tremendous effort, were the two semi-genius warriors, Belle and Haven.
Argyle, however, merely stared blankly at the ones who spoke to him.
“Let’s go. There’s a safe zone near the capital, and the palace is being rebuilt around 3rd Prince Ricardo.”
At Haven’s words, murmurs erupted not only from Argyle but also from the survivors huddled behind him.
“T-the 3rd Prince Ricardo is alive… that’s a relief.”
The village chief of Valhail sighed in relief.
Belle looked beyond Valhail and said, “Let’s take it slow.”
Belle, Hyman, and the Lycanthropes cleared the path.
Except for the Cat-Folk High Priest Hestia, who had been appointed as the overall commander for restoring the Valkares Empire alongside the 3rd Prince, everyone continued moving to rescue the people of the Silmaria Continent.
Including Yuma.
*
Yuma spoke to the girl on his back while riding Ethan.
“Get ready to disembark.”
A voice came from behind, “Yes.”
It was Cloney’s voice.
Swoosh—
The griffon slowly landed on the ground, gracefully maneuvering its massive wings.
Yuma dismounted from Ethan first and looked up as he set foot on the ground.
Cloney couldn’t jump down and immediately land on her feet because of her small stature.
Of course, Cloney could have cast wind magic to cushion her landing or used flying magic to touch down gracefully, but that was unnecessary thanks to Yuma’s consideration.
Cloney was able to plant her feet firmly on the ground, supported by Yuma’s sturdy body.
“Thank you, Duke Yuma.”
A quiet thank-you flowed into his ears.
Cloney nodded and trotted after Yuma, who was striding ahead.
Yuma was moving his feet as guided by the divine energy spreading across the ground.
The location indicated by his senses was a nearby cave.
Cloney looked up at Yuma and opened her mouth again.
“Please grant me the God of War’s blessing every time we fight. It’s great to catch a glimpse of the 7th circle level!”
“Sure, got it.”
Since it would help her growth, there was no reason not to grant her wish.
Cloney beamed with a bright smile.
But her smile quickly faded. Her eyes fell upon dead bodies—lifeless corpses that even Ermel’s power could do nothing about.
The parched ground.
Bodies that had already fused with the earth beneath them.
Cloney’s pink lips parted once more.
“When will complete peace arrive?”
By now, Cloney knew quite a bit.
She wasn’t unfamiliar with the sight of Yuma killing gods, so she had somewhat grasped the current situation in the divine realm.
That the divine realm was in a state of chaos.
Only by quelling the unrest in the divided regions of the divine realm could the dangers looming over the Intermediate World be entirely eliminated.
Yuma glanced at Cloney and spoke.
“It won’t take long.”
He’d quickly increase his divine power and somehow find a way to enter the Divine Realm.
Then, he would kill five of the remaining Eight Evil Gods and bring complete peace to this world. That was Yuma’s top priority.
Cloney gazed into Yuma’s blue eye with her golden eyes, seemingly trying to decipher every meaning hidden within.
Step, step.
“When we find peace, will you still stay by my side?”
Step, step.
Their footsteps echoed boldly through the pitch-black forest.
After a brief moment of reflection, Yuma replied.
“I’ll be here; where else would I go?”
Return to the modern world?
‘I don’t know.’
Even if it were possible, could he really abandon everything he’d built here and return?
Can I just leave everything I built on this land behind and return?
Leaving all the companions I’ve gathered here.
Is it possible to return alone?
Duke Yuma shook his head inwardly.
It’s impossible.
‘There’s no way I can leave everything I’ve created here and just leave.’
The very fact that he was contemplating returning was proof of that heart.
If he had pondered this on the first day he was summoned to this world, he would have naturally concluded that he should return.
Even after a month, he would have reached the conclusion that he must go back.
But not now.
He couldn’t just abandon everything and return alone.
Yuma placed his right hand on Cloney’s head, who was staring at him intently.
He lightly patted her head.
“I’ll sort this situation out quickly… And then I’ll create a peaceful world where you won’t even need to use magic.”
Cloney stared at Yuma with her golden eyes.
And her cheeks puffed up unconsciously.
“There will be times I’ll need to use magic even in a peaceful world. Even if a peaceful world comes… I’ll be by your side as a mage, Duke Yuma.”
Yuma chuckled.
“Yeah.”
He knew that Cloney wasn’t mad at him.
A mage.
The very vocation that allowed her to be by Yuma’s side was something she excelled at.
It was her desire to maintain that vocation.
“You have to appoint me as the Apostle of the God of War when I reach the 7th Circle, okay?”
Cloney couldn’t forget that day.
The day Duke Yuma appointed Ermel as a Holy Maiden and the day he made Sister Bell the first Apostle of the God of War.
Not exactly that moment, but the image of Bell’s lips twitching in a happy smile was etched in her memory.
That innocent smile made Bell seem somewhat foolish.
Cloney envied Bell’s simple ability to feel happiness.
“Yeah.”
Swish…
As he said that, Yuma infused magic into Balmung.
His body was that of a giant bear.
The head resembled a demonic monster reminiscent of a bat, charging towards them.
It was a remnant of the ‘Beast Frenzy Enhancement’ left by the Goddess of the Dead Bones.
Cloney’s right hand, holding the staff, moved.
Rumble!
A thunderbolt, greatly enhanced by the ‘Blessing of the God of War,’ fell from the clear sky.
The thunder roared, incinerating the beast’s physical body and even its soul.
They hurried their steps. The mythic power of this realm indicated the survivors’ location was nearby—a cave.
