Chapter 381
Chapter 381: I Can’t Believe You’re Here (3)
Ghislaine looked on in admiration at Porisco, who was screaming with wild eyes.
‘How has he managed to hold it together all this time?’
Porisco had been using his position to engage in all sorts of misdeeds.
However, ever since rumors spread that he was a Saint, he had been forcing himself to act good. The moment he found an opportunity to bully someone, his true nature was revealed.
“Quick! Drag them all out! I will show you the true severity of the Church! You will pay for your sins!”
At Porisco’s excited orders, a large number of Temple Knights rushed into the building.
Given that it was a place where people from various congregations gathered to serve, the building was quite large. There were likely many people inside, but Porisco felt no concern.
‘Heh, what could merely some spies do?’
As far as Porisco knew, it was just a front where spies pretended to engage in community service.
Though the spies might possess basic skills, he didn’t think they stood a chance against the Temple Knights.
Temple Knights, while not as powerful as Priests, could use some Divine Power. Moreover, they had considerable combat strength accumulated.
In short, they were Knights capable of self-healing. There was no way they could lose to mere spies.
As Porisco pondered how to conduct the Burning Ceremony in a flashy manner, a sound of shattering broke the silence.
Clang!
“Hmm?”
A Temple Knight fell from the shattered second-floor window. Porisco tilted his head in confusion.
“What’s going on?”
Just as he wondered whether there was a stronger opponent inside, loud noises erupted from within the building.
“Uwaaaah!”
“It’s a monster!”
“Quick, kill it!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It was quite a ruckus. The sounds of something breaking and smashing echoed continuously.
Porisco, of all people, was quick to sense danger. His survival instincts kicked in.
He cautiously stepped backward, muttering, “Why is it so loud just to deal with a community service group?”
BANG!
Suddenly, the door burst open and a corpse of a Temple Knight flew out, causing Porisco to leap back slightly.
“Grrrr…”
A grotesque, bloated creature emerged with a beastly roar. Its clothes were torn, and blood streamed from its body, making it look incredibly gruesome.
“Ugh! What is that! A m-monster!”
Porisco exclaimed in shock as the Temple Knights guarding him stepped forward. They too wore tense expressions, swallowing hard at the sight of this unfamiliar creature.
But that wasn’t the only monster.
“Grrrr!”
Dozens of creatures carrying the corpses of Temple Knights emerged in line.
Kuwung! Kuwung! Kuwung!
More than ten monsters jumped out through the windows. When including those that broke through the doors, there were thirty or more of them.
Ghislaine furrowed her brows at the sight. There were considerably more monsters here compared to elsewhere.
This would be enough to pose a challenge for normal Knight Orders in any territory.
And there was something different about them too.
“Grrr…”
The monsters lined up as if forming ranks, unlike the other creatures that had lost their minds and charged wildly.
‘Are they slightly enhanced versions?’
There had been some that retained their minds in her past life.
The creatures that appeared now were undoubtedly improved compared to the existing ones.
Ghislaine squinted her eyes at the monsters when the sound of a bell rang from inside the building.
Ding.
The sound carried a strange magical resonance.
‘What is this sound?’
As Ghislaine pondered, the monsters began to move.
“Raaah!”
Dozens of monsters screeched as they charged at Porisco, who was caught off guard, shouting, “Block them! Block them!”
There were only ten Temple Knights left. With this number, they couldn’t possibly block those monsters.
Yet, since they couldn’t flee, they gritted their teeth and raised their Divine Power.
At that moment, Ghislaine jumped into the fray.
BOOM!
“Raaah!”
Ghislaine spun and faced the incoming waves, tearing through the monsters’ bodies in an instant.
‘They’re weaker.’
Monsters grow stronger in proportion to their form before transformation. These ones clearly followed some kind of control, yet their actual strength was weak. In their original forms, they would have been barely at the level of Commoners.
Still, that was stronger than an apprentice Knight.
Watching the monsters turn into scraps, Porisco laughed loudly.
“Ahahaha! Count Penris is a master!”
Thinking about it, there was indeed a formidable figure that would be counted as one of the stronger ones in the Kingdom. There was no need to run away.
Ding.
“Grrr…”
As the monsters were about to charge again, the ringing of the bell stopped their movements.
Then a man walked out from inside the building.
The man, with a pale face and long hair, looked frail and ghastly.
He murmured to himself as if he couldn’t comprehend the situation.
“What the… How did this happen? Why does this occur right when I’m here…”
Ghislaine squinted as she recognized the man. He was someone she had seen in her past life.
Recalling this, Ghislaine smiled and spoke up.
“I can’t believe you’re here. Raviere.”
The man known as Raviere squinted at Ghislaine.
“You know me?”
“Of course, I know you well.”
Ghislaine displayed a genuine look of joy.
Raviere was one of the hidden powerful figures who had blocked her in her previous life. His unusual abilities lingered vividly in her memory.
Raviere stared at Ghislaine for a moment before asking, “Are you Count Penris?”
“Yeah.”
“The rumors that you have become a master are true. To so easily kill ‘Holy Knights’ like this…”
“Holy Knights? Is that what you call those monsters?”
Back then, she had just smashed them as she saw fit, so she didn’t know how they were referred to. She only heard Raviere’s name just before killing them.
Raviere nodded gravely.
“Indeed… For one who knows death is imminent to not value their own life—how noble that is. They certainly lack nothing to be called Holy Knights.”
“Using human bodies as test subjects and wrapping it all up in pompousness.”
“It’s merely necessary sacrifices for great achievements.”
Ghislaine tilted her head slightly at Raviere’s words. Up until now, she had believed that the Duke Faction was the one creating those monsters.
However, after hearing what Raviere said, it seemed she had been suspecting the wrong character.
Pretending to know nothing, Ghislaine decided to probe him.
“Did you create them?”
At her question, Raviere shook his head.
“I started the research, but now many are involved.”
“So it was indeed you who initiated it. I’ll have to kill all the rest as I find them.”
As Ghislaine teased, Raviere smirked disdainfully.
“Count Penris, you have become quite arrogant since rising to master status. You know nothing of our power.”
“No, I’m well aware. The Inquisitor of the Salvation Society, Raviere.”
At those words, Raviere’s expression twisted.
Very few knew of their organization’s identity. For someone like Count Penris, who had no connection to them, to know his title was shocking.
Porisco, who had been eavesdropping on their exchange, shouted, “Salvation Society? T-they’re heretics! Quickly, kill that guy!”
But none of the Temple Knights moved. Frankly, it wasn’t the atmosphere for them to intervene.
Raviere ignored Porisco and glared at Ghislaine.
“The Kingdom’s intelligence organization does not know our identity. How do you know it? And to even know my title… who on earth are you?”
“Why? Shouldn’t only you all have secrets? I have my secrets too.”
“You…”
Ghislaine wore a carefree smile.
In truth, she didn’t know much about the Salvation Society.
Displaying a blazing black sun as its symbol, the Salvation Society appeared suddenly during the Age of Turmoil. During that time, many were in despair and thus believed in the Society.
Nobility of the continent, including Ghislaine, paid little attention to the Salvation Society. They were too occupied to care about a mere cult.
Only the Goddess’ congregations fervently opposed it and sought to suppress them.
‘Back then, I thought they helped Duke Delphine escape oppression. It seems they were already in league from this early on.’
Ghislaine hadn’t taken note of them until the war started a year ago. As the Ruthania Kingdom was crushed by Ghislaine, various hidden powerful figures emerged.
Of those, upon discovering some sent by the Salvation Society, Ghislaine had wiped them out whenever she encountered them.
Raviere was one of the powerful figures that emerged at that time too.
‘I should have investigated more back then.’
Ghislaine’s true objective had been Duke Delphine. Because she had simply thought the Duke Faction and the Salvation Society had joined forces, she had accidentally neglected to gather intelligence on the latter.
After capturing the Duke, she had thought she could wipe out the Society later.
But eventually, she lost in the war and died, so she had no chance to seek further knowledge.
‘But I can start uncovering it from now.’
Ghislaine grinned and pointed her sword at Raviere.
“As an Inquisitor, your position is quite high in the Society, right? I’m curious to hear what you have to say. I have quite a knack for torture, you know.”
“Since today isn’t the day of the promise, I won’t show my power yet… however, it might be better to eliminate you here, even if I take risks.”
Raviere’s eyes glowed red. At the same time, black energy erupted from his body.
Ghislaine twisted her lips at the sight.
‘Just as I expected… They were hiding their strength at this time for some reason. What are they after?’
The black energy Raviere emitted felt different from mana; it was more akin to Divine Power.
Due to its similarity to Divine Power, the Salvation Society was sometimes referred to as the Black Church.
In the early days, it stirred much controversy. Initially, people were terrified upon witnessing the powers of the Society’s priests. Yet, since it wasn’t dark magic, they couldn’t use that excuse to suppress them.
In peaceful times, the nobility and existing churches would never have let them be. The Salvation Society had truly expanded its influence by taking advantage of the Age of Turmoil.
‘“Since it’s not the day of the promise”… Could it have something to do with the Age of Turmoil?’
During such chaotic times, it’s understandable for a new religion to emerge. However, now that she thought about it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was connected to the Salvation Society.
Having experienced the miracle of regression, Ghislaine had become the type to never overlook even the smallest possibilities or clues.
And she was increasingly convinced that the “day of the promise” that Raviere mentioned didn’t refer to civil war.
“Well, I’ll learn as I take them down one by one.”
BOOM!
Ghislaine’s eyes turned red, and crimson mana erupted from her body. Knowing Raviere’s strength, she charged in without hesitation.
Ding.
“Raaah!”
As Raviere shook a small bell, the remaining monsters all lunged at Ghislaine.
Ghislaine immediately swung her sword at the monsters.
Clangclangclang!
Just moments ago, those monsters had exploded at her strike. However, this time, she felt a different kind of resistance as if tearing through a strong iron plate.
The black energy Raviere emitted enveloped and protected the monsters.
Thanks to that, Ghislaine could only cleave through a few of the ones in front. At that moment, the remaining monsters completely swarmed over Ghislaine’s body.
Raviere observed this and grinned ominously.
“For someone rumored to be a master, you are surprisingly weak. Was it an exaggerated rumor?”
Ding.
As he lightly shook the bell, an overwhelmingly stronger wave of power spread throughout.
Simultaneously, Raviere’s black energy enveloped the monsters. Then, their bodies began to swell even larger than before.
Before Ghislaine could gather her mana and strike down the monsters…
KA-BOOM!
With a tremendous roar, the bodies of the monsters exploded, and a pillar of black light shot into the sky.
Ghislaine’s figure disappeared entirely within that pillar of explosion.
Porisco and the remaining Temple Knights sat pale with fear, frozen in place.
“Ugh… wh-what… what is this…?”
Porisco stuttered, unable to articulate his shock. The fact that Count Penris had died so abruptly as a master was beyond comprehension.
“W-what the hell is this… What are those monsters…?”
The blazing pillar of black light loomed impossibly high, radiating a power so overwhelming that Porisco felt utterly powerless to act.
What’s more, that black energy emitted a feeling similar to Divine Power. Porisco couldn’t grasp or accept that fact.
Where on earth could there exist such a foreboding Divine Power?
Raviere gazed at the towering pillar of black light, realizing it would take the combined strength of himself and the Holy Knights to extinguish it.
“You mean to say that I’ve been hindered because I couldn’t even kill such a weakling…?”
Raviere’s face conveyed his displeasure.
They were in a situation where pursuers were after them. With such power being revealed, now he couldn’t be safe either. Clearly, someone would follow after him.
And considering such an event had transpired in the middle of the capital, the nobles would hardly sit idly by.
“Tch… It seems the operation in the capital has failed due to some brat. For now, I can only escape…”
As Raviere turned to leave, that very black energy began to envelop him. He was intent on fleeing this place quickly.
He paid no mind at all to Porisco and the Temple Knights.
Just as Raviere tried to move elsewhere, someone’s voice echoed nearby.
“Where are you going?”
“…?”
Raviere flinched and turned his head.
“You…”
He could no longer voice his thoughts.
Ghislaine, wearing a fierce grin, was swinging her Obra Blade toward him.
