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The sun dipped below the horizon, giving way to a pitch-black darkness. The moon raised its head, shyly taking the place of the sun, which had disappeared beneath the vast desert horizon touched by the stars.

A sea of stars spread out before us. In the heart of the desert night sky, the Milky Way flowed long and wide as nomads sat around a flickering campfire, busily preparing their ingredients, while the smoke from cooking rice wafted with a savory aroma.

Though it was a no man’s land teeming with monsters, it was not the monsters who ruled over this barren wasteland. The descendants who had tread over the scarlet sands for thousands of years found patches free of monster traces, using the earth and sky as their bedding to soothe their weary bodies and souls.

The tide of time brought forth the blend of magic and science, blooming civilization’s wonders even in the desolate desert. The name of that flower is broadcasting.

[Yes, greetings, dear viewers. The voice that delivers hope. The time for Al-Sawt has returned.]

A modest radio, perched on a low, flat rock. A small door leading to the world sprouts forth.

[Before we know it, night has fallen. Have you wrapped up your day well? What a warm night it is.

As always, shall we start with the weather? A cool breeze is expected over the next few days, with some clouds and rain likely. To borrow the expression of a viewer who sent in a message to the weather bureau, now is the perfect time! Perfect for what, you ask? To embark on a pilgrimage to the holy land to meet ‘Aramad’!

This year, the period of ‘Aramad’ lasts for a total of 32 days! That’s plenty of time to visit the holy sites at your leisure. So, how about spending the day with a good book and a hot cup of tea? Surely, the divine would not wish for you, who has worked hard, to overexert yourself.

However, let’s avoid the northern desert no matter what. Until our mother’s anger subsides, don’t even cast a glance at the northern desert!]

A youthful boy, herding livestock, came over upon hearing the sounds. The boy’s eyes sparkled at the story being told by the sound box made of metal and wood.

When the bright-eyed boy suddenly reached for the rifle placed next to the radio, the old man, seemingly offended, made a huffing sound as if to say, “How dare you touch your grandfather’s possessions?”

The old herder, petting his grandson’s saddened head, moved the rifle away from the child. The clunky firearm was set beside the radio, and the elder leaned back, lighting a hookah (أرجيلة) to smoke.

As the pale smoke rose to the sky, the wind gently carried the sounds of the radio.

[Recently, we had to halt broadcasting unexpectedly. Those of you who were listening to Al-Sawt must have been quite bewildered.

As you all know, some fervent “listeners” do not particularly appreciate our broadcasting. They seem to dislike it more than you can imagine.

Due to some friction with those individuals, we had to hastily stop our transmission and go into hiding.

Did I say something that made me cross their path? Ha ha. Of course, I firmly believe it was a mere misunderstanding.]

The sounds flowing from the radio danced on the breeze.

The old herder scratched at his ear with a finger, pausing from the hookah.

[My colleagues and I strive to deliver only hopeful news to our listeners…. However, lately it seems all we can report is sad news, and it pains my heart.]

The host’s words paused for a moment. It was a cue to prepare before the next announcement.

Understanding the hint, the old herder called the boy closer. He handed the child a stick in his small, soft hands and entrusted him with the livestock.

The youthful herder led the dog and goat toward the direction of the oasis—the beginning and continuation of life—the lifeblood of animals living in the nurturing embrace of the earth god. The child, leading the livestock, drew strength from the sea of sand in the midst of the desert.

Seeing this, the old herder’s eyes gently closed. Only then did the host begin to deliver the awaited news.

[Ten days ago, a shell fired by the government army fell in a civilian area in no man’s land, killing 30 and injuring hundreds. Three days later, a shell struck the market. Our esteemed spokesperson stated, “The civilian casualties are the tragic outcomes of an unfortunate accident, and social chaos is incited by criminals and rebel factions.”]

[The government claims this place is a hotbed of violence and robbery where rapists run rampant, yet they turn a blind eye to the truth.

The same goes for the warlords. Under the pretense of rooting out collaborators, they drag public servants’ families into public squares to burn, shoot, and behead them, thus perpetuating the cycle of violence. I’d rather not even mention civilian militias. Sometimes, it’s hard to distinguish whether they are thieves or not.

Looking at it this way, one might find some truth in our dear government representative’s words. A broken clock is right twice a day, right?]

[However, today I witnessed an astonishing scene in the streets. I saw a man running through a barrage of bullets, carrying a child who had no legs on his back. And I also witnessed, tragically, a sniper’s bullet piercing the man’s heart. Who was the criminal here?]

[Was it the dying child? The man crossing the battlefield? Or the sniper hiding in a building? If we are to hold the person who pulled the trigger accountable. Wouldn’t I, sitting quietly in this safe studio just watching, be the subject of accusation?]

[The existence of hell is a question that even theologians ponder. If hell exists, will I, who ignored the extinguishing flicker of life, end up there?]

[What about the plunderers who harmed others to find food? The soldiers shooting rebels at orders? Conversely, what about the rebels aiming their guns at soldiers? They say those who die in holy wars against infidels go to heaven, yet here brothers are bleeding each other dry by denouncing one another as heretics—what an irony!]

[This is a topic that’s too profound for my shallow knowledge to tackle. I would like to extend an invitation to the priests listening to this broadcast to discuss this topic! … But I fear our dear “listeners” might come to join us. Ha ha! Still, one thing is for sure: the child saved by the man’s sacrifice is receiving proper treatment and care at the World Union’s refugee camp!]

[‘Oh, believers! Bow down and worship, and do good deeds. Then you shall prosper.’ These are the teachings highlighted by the prophet who preached the wisdom of the earth god. Although we may not know your religion, and our faiths may differ, I sincerely wish for God’s blessings on all those who dedicate themselves to the refugees there.]

The old man sighed silently with his eyes closed, absorbing the news from the radio. The old herder strapped the rifle around his shoulder and began walking towards the oasis.

At that moment, suddenly, the host’s voice changed.

With a slightly uplifted tone, the radio began to convey different news.

[…Next, we have a piece of a somewhat hopeful story. Seven monster colonies around the Shahid Plains have been successfully wiped out!

This is a familiar topic that often appears in our broadcasts. The “Hero” and the “Alchemist” joined the peacekeeping force on the battlefield. According to unpublished photos sent in by a viewer who works as a journalist… Wow!

My friend who served in a tank unit eight years ago was dispatched to the Shahid Plains extermination operation, and the photos show that they have reached the heart of the colony! The sight of the colony being burned against the backdrop of tank wreckage is spectacular! It’s set to feature in tomorrow’s article—can’t wait to see!

Rumor has it that the “Saint” was spotted in this area! Unfortunately, the shooting was not possible, and we couldn’t secure a photo. It would have been a complete scoop if we could have captured it, but alas.]

I am honored to be the first to deliver this good news! I bet journalists are a bit upset, huh? Ha ha! While many are rejoicing at the news of the monster colonies that threatened the borders disappearing, there’s still cause to hold back celebration. There’s more hopeful news!

It seems the warlords will enter into a ceasefire to ensure the safety of pilgrims and worshippers during ‘Aramad’! Though an official statement from the government has yet to come.]

It was good news. But can such be truly called peace?

It has already been weeks since the international community agreed to send forces to ensure peace on the Mauritania Continent, yet true peace still seems distant.

[But hope is visible.]

The small box carrying the world’s sounds speaks of hope.

[Today may not be better than yesterday, but do not lose hope! There’s still tomorrow, right? Painful moments will inevitably pass, and if we wait patiently, peace will surely come someday.]

The host concluded with a spirited voice. The closing remarks announcing the end of the broadcast flowed from the radio.

[May peace dwell upon all those listening to this broadcast. I hope to meet you again, alive. This has been the voice of hope, Al-Sawt.]

A faint voice drifted with the breeze. The boy looking at the old man smiled brightly.

The old herder placed his hand on the boy’s tiny head. At the moment, the boy holding his stick looked up at the night sky with a transparent smile.

Amidst the long streak of the Milky Way, an unnamed star sparkled in red.

Like Akande’s tattoo, which regenerated his body after being thoroughly beaten.

Come to think of it, the power he wields isn’t magic or divine either. I had received the materials from the Inquisition side regarding Akande’s investigation and remembered it clearly.

By the way, Akande had just regained consciousness a moment ago. As he stared blankly at the knight in platemail armor, he suddenly became startled and then jumped up, rushing at the knight and began rambling about something.

Although I couldn’t interpret the meaning due to the language barrier…

Judging by his expressions and non-verbal cues, it seemed Akande was quite surprised.

His eyes, widened in astonishment, were darting around as if lost for words, resembling more of a teenage girl fan meeting an idol than anything else. But considering his bear-like size, it was just plain unsettling.

“It’s a relief that you’ve awakened.”

“Let’s set off now.”

Not using magic on someone who’s unconscious is a rule that applies to all types of magic, and the knight himself had opposed the idea of teleporting the fainted Akande, saying it was too risky. Thus, we could only leave the safe house after he regained his senses.

Our first stop was a barn in an unnamed rural area.

The knight, passing through rings that shimmered in various colors, stared intensely at the barn before looking around widely, drawing his sword to strike down the lock. At that moment, Veronica raised her voice just slightly, questioning him.

“What are you doing?! What if we get caught—”

However, as the greatsword collided with the lock, it produced no sound whatsoever.

Certainly, the lock should have broken and been left in pieces, yet there was no sound of it shattering, nor even the noise one would expect when something falls.

Ignoring the stunned gazes directed at him, the knight began feeling around the floor inside. After gently pushing aside some hay and tapping the dirt a few times, he glanced around the barn before suddenly standing up and coming back outside.

“Nothing here.”

“…Do we not have eyes too?”

We came because our ally was supposed to be sleeping here, yet all we found was this barn.

Veronica frowned at the foul odor of manure wafting up from who-knows-where, whether inside or outside the barn, glaring at the knight. But he ignored her and hurried his pace.

“We must move to the next location.”

The second stop was right in the middle of a valley.

While the confused Akande and we were looking around to comprehend our location, the knight strode boldly toward the bottom of the valley. Without hesitation, he leapt down from a significantly high rock, and a booming noise and clanking of metal echoed throughout the valley.

Startled animals tumbled and fled, while the knight slowly walked over the cracked dry earth, parched from recent droughts. After apparently finding something, he suddenly knelt down on one knee and began to caress and tap the ground. This behavior was quite similar to what he did back at the barn.

I deduced that the knight was searching for something. Though I didn’t hear any explanation, it felt like it might be meaningful in some way.

However, Veronica seemed increasingly irritated. From his repeated impulsive actions without warning to his lack of proper explanations, she might have thought he was simply going mad from crawling around between rocks at night. But one thing was clear: the saint was angry with the knight.

“For goodness’ sake…! Listen! If you’re looking for something, just say so! If you can’t find it, say you can’t find it! What are we doing here when you say you’re looking for comrades? Now it’s a valley after the barn? Why not go to the sea next?”

As the saint jabbered and huffed, suddenly the knight jumped up from his spot.

Thinking he might be attacked, Veronica quickly ducked, hiding behind me.

“…”

“…”

“…What are you doing?”

Veronica, who had been holding onto my arms, chuckled awkwardly. She had not only hidden behind me but was pushing me forward as well.

I, um…

“…Shield?”

Ah. Meat shield. I couldn’t remember the word for a second, damn it.

And how dare you use me as a shield?

“Prepare yourself!”

“Whaaa?!”

With Veronica’s head tucked under my arm, I was just about to throw a punch at her temple when the knight, having approached us, began leading us to the third location.

Enclosed by various colorful lights, I suddenly found myself waking up to a sprawling desert before me.

As I released my grip on Veronica’s head, she scrambled away like a cockroach seeking refuge from its owner. I sighed while opening and closing my fist in disappointment.

We arrived at the third destination, but the knight kept silent.

As he had done at the barn and in the valley, the knight quietly strolled over the sandy ground before stopping at a certain spot and repeating the same behavior. What could this possibly mean? As I was about to express my curiosity, I heard him speak.

“I sense it.”

Finally, the knight broke his silence.

“Excuse me?”

“What you asked earlier. My answer to what I am doing now. I’m confirming.”

“So, you’re confirming something when you should be finding your comrades? Now you’re confirming real estate or something?”

Veronica, stroking her temple, sarcastically responded to him. But it seemed she was just as curious as I was.

“So, have you finished confirming?”

“I have.”

He stated that he hadn’t sensed any signs of his comrades at both the barn and valley.

I asked him if that meant his comrades were here. Appearing to concentrate, the knight remained silent for a moment while pressing his hand against the ground.

“…I sense it. A familiar presence.”

That meant there was someone here.

Hearing the long-awaited affirmative response, my face brightened up. Veronica also wore a delighted expression.

“Then we just have to find our comrades! Let’s hurry and finish this so we can rest!”

“…”

“…But where are our comrades?”

The saint scanned the desert. No matter how she turned, all she saw was sand.

Confused and still not grasping the situation, Akande and I were on high alert, while Veronica darted her gaze at the knight.

As if an invisible hold was pulling something from the air, a hilt emerged from thin air. The knight pulled the hilt held by his gauntlet, and gradually, a greatsword revealed itself.

He suddenly buried the sword deep into the sandy ground, its blade digging through more than halfway down.

“They are underground.”

The sound of the grains shifting brushed against our ears. The sands of the desert began to wriggle like a living creature.

Sensing something strange, we all hurriedly attempted to retreat, but at that moment, the ground suddenly caved in and swallowed our feet.

“W-what…?”

“What the hell is this?!”

“Bau’ gur-ah!”

And that’s how we were dragged into the sand. To be precise, we rolled down.

As we tumbled down the sloped path, we abruptly came to a stop, as if caught on something.

“Ouch…”

Despite rolling a considerable distance, it didn’t hurt as much as I expected. Perhaps it was because of the soft sand covering the floor.

When I finally came to my senses, the first thought that popped into my head was, ‘there is no light.’ While searching for a light source using my hands, I suddenly heard the familiar clank of metal ahead.

-Whack!

Light emerged.

“Are you alright?”

The knight looked at us, who were rolling on the ground, concernedly.

Ignoring the fact that I hadn’t even heard his descent, where on earth did he get that torch from, I wondered.

The knight lifted the torch to illuminate the darkness. He then extended an empty hand toward me. I spat out a mouthful of sand and grabbed the gauntlet.

“…Where exactly are we?”

I gazed at the knight with a puzzled expression. Veronica, barely holding onto her sanity, also shot him a serious look.

The knight raised the torch high, very high.

As my sight gradually adjusted to the darkness, aided by the torch, I could easily distinguish the objects around us.

In the pitch-black darkness, enormous statues lined the area.

These statues resembled ancient mythical monsters, hybrids of animals and humans. Towering statues, each one appearing to stretch several dozens of meters, loomed impressively within the desolate space.

The statues were so tall and massive that even the torchlight could hardly reach them. Beneath these imposing figures lay an unfathomable depth of darkness.

As the knight illuminated the surroundings with the torch, he briefly responded, “This is where my comrades rest.”

He then added, “It is also where the demon is sealed.”

*

The shockwave caused by the knight’s stunning confession was indeed tremendous.

“Wait, is this guy insane? What? A demon!? Are you kidding me! Why are you only mentioning such an important thing now—”

Upon hearing the word ‘demon,’ Veronica unleashed a torrent of obscenities.

How could someone use such coarse and vulgar expressions? In fact, until now, the Holy See had likely kept her from being expelled from her saintly position because they knew just how far she might go when freed from the constraints of being a clergy member, right?

Veronica’s verbal onslaught was so crude it was hard to put into words.

I desperately tried to calm down Veronica, who was raising her voice.

“Veronica… why are you so angry…”

While I was holding back the fuming saint, this line of thought suddenly crossed my mind. If the knight were indeed an angel, wouldn’t this be a blasphemy? An angel being mocked with such obscene curses by a saint. I couldn’t help but wonder if an omnipotent God anticipated this moment.

Anyway.

Stripping away the raw and unrefined expressions, Veronica’s argument boiled down to this.

“Isn’t this supposed to be where angels rest? Then why is there a demon here too? Are we neighbors?! Are we renting out a room over here!”

And amidst the chaotic environment filled with verbal and non-verbal assaults, the knight’s answer was something like this:

“My comrades are preventing the demons from returning to the world by guarding the place where they are sealed. They are essentially a kind of guard.”

“Why is there a demon here?” he asked. “Well, we sealed it here. It’s best to contain it as soon as it’s discovered. Isn’t it the same for thieves? They get caught as soon as they’re discovered, right?”

To put it simply, he was saying that he and his comrades (probably angels) had half-beaten the demon to seal it where they literally laid down on top.

The knight claimed he had captured demons with his comrades a long time ago. They wandered the world following the traces of demons, and whenever they encountered one, they executed it right there, chopping off its head and limbs to seal it. The problem arose the moment someone tampered with the seal, or the demon, driven mad, broke free from its seal.

On such days, in order to once again chop off the demon’s head, he and his comrades rested at the location or nearby where the demon was sealed, hoping such a day would never arrive.

“…So you’re saying you laid down on top of the corpse after killing your opponent?”

“Exactly.”

“……”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

And this was the place where the angels supposedly laid down. I imagined the image of angels.

Laid down on top of a severed demon corpse… peacefully sleeping angels. The more I thought about it, the closer it sounded to a description of Satan than an angel.

By the way, there really weren’t any comrades (angels) at the barn and valley.

To explain further…

“Oh, there’s just a demon there. It’s very well sealed.”

The knight boasted that demons were asleep beneath the barn and valley, and the seal was perfectly intact.

Why in the world did they seal a demon near a village?!

When I politely asked this, the knight responded:

“That region was a desert with no one living in it. It was a wasteland where not a single blade of grass could grow.”

“……”

“…At least until about 800 years ago.”

What a turn of events. It was like burying waste from a livestock farm in an uninhabited mountain area only to find an apartment complex suddenly built nearby.

The difference being that the trash buried in the mountain was an inanimate object, while those buried in the Mauritania Continent were living beings that could breathe, both human and not.

The knight assured us that it was neither an intentional outcome nor a cause for concern since the seal was intact.

“It wasn’t intentional, but since the seal is securely maintained, it’s all good. And the demon sealed beneath the barn is weak, so you needn’t worry.”

“……”

“…Really, you can relax.”

What on earth is there to relax about?

At this point, I began to doubt whether he was truly an angel. No, even if he was an angel, he absolutely should not be. If a deeply confused old man like him is an angel, then the world should soon fall under the dominion of demons.

Veronica seemed to have a similar thought, as she cast a suspecting glance at the knight.

“…Are you really an angel? I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean by that? You’re a priest, remember? Just go buy some candies. You might have a few years left in you, old man.”

“Are his teeth still fine?”

“Then buy some jelly or something. Get one with ginseng in it.”

Anyway, with the situation reaching this point, what choice did we have? We reluctantly decided to trust the knight and follow him.

Just in case, we each took our gear with us and had a sort of insurance… After all, with a saint and an angel around, surely nothing serious would happen, right? That was the consolation I kept telling myself as we moved forward.

Ah, that reminds me.

“By the way, when you initially showed us the map, didn’t you say that ‘the locations of the sleeping comrades’ were marked on it?”

I asked, my voice tinged with doubt. The knight merely replied with a deadpan expression.

“No. I only said it was a ‘map with locations marked.’ I never mentioned anything else.”

“…I believe I remember asking whether or not your comrades were there. What was that about?”

This time it was Veronica who posed the question. Likewise, the knight answered with an emotionless tone.

“All I replied back then was, ‘That’s correct.’”

“No. Then you should’ve said they were places where demons were sealed from the very start!”

“Waaah!” Veronica yelled, her voice echoing like it contained all the world’s grievances as it resonated underground.

And then the knight opened his mouth.

Again, with that same deadpan tone.

“To be honest, I didn’t think you would follow if I told you the truth. I apologize.”

You shouldn’t have spoken at all, you bastard.

As the flickering light cast a dust-covered slate, my reflection showed a pitiful expression resembling a frog I had seen somewhere.

 

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