Chapter 91 : Hestia Empire (1)
Chapter 91: Hestia Empire (1)
An abandoned temple.
Figures clad in black hoods had gathered among the collapsed pillars and shattered statues.
Followers of the Evil God who operated in the shadows throughout society.
They were none other than the executives of the Requiem Cult.
“Cain Belmaier....”
“You took that many resources and believers with you, and yet you failed again?”
“Heh. You boasted that you'd make up for your failure in Daejeon, but look at the state you're in.”
The Supreme Council, composed of high-ranking priests—the Ring of Subjugation.
No fewer than three of its members were present here.
'This can't be....'
Kim Geunsik's body trembled like a leaf.
He recognized their faces.
From the news.
From the internet.
They were the very people who had smiled warmly while speaking about humanity's future.
That was precisely why.
Simply knowing what their faces looked like meant he would never leave this place alive.
Thud.
He hurriedly lowered his head, but it was already too late.
The faces of all three had been engraved clearly into his mind.
Just then—
“I've secured the Bones of the Burning Ram.”
Cain slowly opened his mouth.
“Oh? So it wasn't a complete loss after all.”
“Yes. All the conditions have been fulfilled. As long as the proper trigger is provided, Kang Yohan will become our loyal puppet.”
“So you're asking us to trust you one more time?”
A woman with long, straight purple hair smiled with narrowed eyes.
“It's not because I value my life. I, too, joined the Cult to achieve a goal that I absolutely must accomplish.”
“Ahaha! That's true. That's why we promoted you to a mid-ranking priest, didn't we? Before Kang Yohan showed up, you completed every mission flawlessly.”
“Well, giving you one last chance shouldn't hurt. Julius. What do you think?”
The two high-ranking priests turned toward a middle-aged man dressed in a white suit.
A snow-white beard.
Sharp crimson eyes.
“Coincidentally, those witches have grown bold enough to challenge us. This is a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.”
Julius snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Rattle...!
A small girl bound in chains appeared.
She had black hair, yellow eyes, and pale white skin, giving her an adorable appearance.
In stark contrast, however, were the enormous hook-like claws over a meter long and the razor-sharp fangs protruding from her mouth.
Like a cornered cat, the girl crouched low, growling as she bared her fangs.
“An Oni we acquired from Japan. I've already placed it under control using a Bloodline Spell, so use it for this mission.”
“What kind of orders should I give it?”
“Ah, that's simple.”
Stab! Stab! Stab!
“Urgh!”
“Gah!”
“Kyaaa!”
Cain.
Kim Geunsik.
The Oni.
Crimson daggers pierced the hearts of all three.
“Cain, all you have to do is infuse the dagger with your mana. Of course, if both Kim Geunsik and the Oni die, you will die as well. So do try to be careful.”
A blood-red smile flickered across Julius's lips.
A community bound by fate.
This was the last chance Cain had been given.
The dead of night.
A Viking longship glided smoothly across the sea.
“That's the harbor.”
Rodbrock pointed toward the port nestled between towering cliffs.
Light Magic.
Alarm Magic.
And even lighthouses positioned to eliminate each other's blind spots.
Sneaking in was practically impossible.
“Just asking in case... Do you happen to have something like an entry permit? A trade certificate or even a special monster hunting license would work.”
“Of course not!”
“Yeah...”
He hadn't really expected otherwise.
Which meant there was only one thing left to rely on.
Yohan looked toward one side of the cliff.
Every nation had them—
Secret routes used by smugglers.
The problem was whether they could even reach one.
Security was far tighter than he'd anticipated.
“I... I can use Concealment Magic... to get us through... Please... just give me a sip of water... and untie me....”
Ashvalt, on the verge of collapse, pleaded desperately.
Compared to when he'd first boarded the ship, he had become much more obedient.
He'd also developed a far better understanding of his place.
“Hmm. Rejected.”
People like him always stabbed you in the back.
Besides, now that his staff had been confiscated, there wasn't anything left worth squeezing out of him.
“You devil... You'll definitely regret treating me like— Mmfff!”
“Yep. You can't do anything.”
Yohan stuffed a cloth into Ashvalt's mouth.
Good.
That settled things here.
Time to disembark.
“Please gather with your companions before inspection.”
“Have all required documents ready in advance.”
The Empire's soldiers moved with perfect discipline.
Completely different laws and rules applied here.
If they got caught making a mistake, they'd be headed straight for an underground prison.
“Sir Yohan. Shall I wipe them all out?”
“What shall we do, mighty warrior? A real man should smash everything in his way.”
Scarlet and Rodbrock waited for orders.
Rodbrock's opinion could be ignored from the start.
The Viking lived his life without using his brain.
But even Scarlet, who had grown tremendously stronger after absorbing Infinite Greed, had become a complete battle fanatic.
Just look at her.
Killing intent was practically dripping from her eyes.
Trusting those two would earn him a life sentence.
'There has to be an opening somewhere....'
The soldiers' positions.
Visual interference created through magic.
The characteristics and tendencies of those waiting for inspection.
And every other variable.
Yohan ran countless scenarios through his mind, calculating the success rate of each.
“Next!”
Before he realized it, their turn was right in front of them.
He had to decide now.
At the moment, the leading candidate was sacrificing the dumbest and most aggressive member—Rodbrock—while everyone else escaped through the secret passage.
Unfortunate though it was, a tank's role was to sacrifice himself for the team.
Rodbrock had probably steeled himself for exactly that.
Or maybe not.
“Everyone....”
Just as Yohan was about to explain the plan—
Whoooosh!
A sharp sound cut through the wind.
BOOOOOOM!
A massive pillar of fire erupted inside the harbor.
“W-What is that?”
“Enemy attack!”
The soldiers shouted.
“Aaaah!”
“Wyverns! A whole flock of wyverns is coming!”
The people waiting for inspection looked up at the sky, their faces drained of color.
Flying monsters that ranked among the Twelve Stars of the First Moon.
Well over ten wyverns had launched their assault.
Fwoosh!
Streams of fire poured from their mouths, engulfing the ships.
In an instant, everything before their eyes turned crimson.
'The Grand Witches' Assembly.'
Yohan immediately recognized the figures riding atop the wyverns.
Girls wearing wide-brimmed hats and carrying staffs.
Using flasks filled with mysterious liquids and various magical tools, they amplified the flames' destructive power.
The witches flew low over the harbor, searching for something.
Their movements were well-trained.
However, they weren't the main force.
Their Star Rankings were all far lower than Arabella's had been.
It was more accurate to think of them as a reconnaissance unit.
And if those who normally operated from the shadows had appeared openly like this...
Then Reina must have succeeded.
Her first plan—to drive a wedge between the vampires and weaken both sides by making them fight each other—had worked.
As a bonus, she'd created exactly the kind of chaos they needed.
“Aaaah! I'm going to die! Everything's burning!”
Yohan screamed as he jabbed Rodbrock in the side.
“T-That's right! If we stay here, we'll all end up as delicious barbecue! Even Viking warriors fear fire!”
“Damn it. You're right. We have to move!”
“Run!”
Fear quickly transformed into chaos.
Everyone rushed toward the inspection area, desperate to survive.
A tidal wave of humanity.
“C-Centurion! We can't control the crowd like this!”
“We have no choice! Defending the harbor comes first!”
As the soldiers shifted their priorities, the season of free entry had arrived.
Even amid the confusion, Yohan noticed something.
BOOOOM...!
One of the wyverns was swallowed by a crimson storm of blood.
Right.
The vampires of Redmoon Corporation had also arrived at the harbor.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
As they moved deeper into the city, magnificent buildings stretched endlessly before them.
Despite the night, the streets were as bright as day thanks to Light Magic illuminating the roads.
'No matter how many times I come here, this place still leaves me speechless.'
Yohan swallowed dryly as he gazed at the medieval city.
'Hestia.'
The immortal empire.
A land boasting a glorious civilization and a population exceeding eighty million.
This was the main stage of the Third Episode.
“It's good that we got in, but do you actually know where we're going?”
Park Yeri asked while continuing to watch the skies.
“Our first destination is the territory of Baron Helion.”
As long as they delivered the letter there, they would be guaranteed a reasonable degree of safety and freedom to operate.
Leaving the main road behind, they crossed a bridge.
Then continued deeper into the maze of alleyways.
Just then—
“Halt!”
A group of soldiers blocked their path.
Pristine white armor.
Well-maintained swords.
These were on an entirely different level from the soldiers guarding the harbor.
'The city guard?'
Yohan quickly assessed them.
Then his gaze stopped on the man standing calmly at the very back.
Damn.
He'd hoped otherwise, but...
'A regular knight.'
Possessors of the trait Aura, with outstanding base stats to match.
Since they generally possessed at least an 8-Star Rank of the Second Moon, they were extremely troublesome opponents.
The Eye of the Prophet examined its target.
[Bridman]
Occupation: Knight
Star Rank: 2nd Moon (月), 7th Star (星)
Unique Ability: White Blade
Strength: 36 Agility: 33 Mana: 26
Physical Defense: 150
Magic Defense: 140
Traits: [Aura] [Imperial Swordsmanship] [Magic Resistance]
Description: A regular knight of the White Rose Knights who enjoys tormenting those weaker than himself.
A 7-Star Rank of the Second Moon.
Even accounting for him being a knight, his Physical and Magic Defense values were absurdly high.
They were nearly double those of Rodbrock, who prided himself on his toughness.
But that wasn't what deserved the most attention.
'So that's why they aren't out hunting wyverns and are instead inspecting people on the streets....'
These men.
They belonged to the White Rose Knights.
If someone looked talented, they would recruit them by any means necessary.
If they believed someone might become a threat, they would eliminate them without hesitation.
They were the bloodiest hunting hounds in the Third Episode, where choosing the right faction was the central theme.
The soldier who had first shouted glared at them.
“Where are your entry permits? Illegal entry is considered a serious crime within the Empire.”
“We were unable to undergo inspection because of the monster attack. Surely you're already aware of that.”
Yohan answered while looking directly at the man standing in the back.
“Oh? So you noticed me. That wasn't luck. You have remarkable talent for sensing Aura.”
The man followed Yohan's gaze and then smirked after noticing the staff in his hand.
“A mage, huh? Well, your body may be frail and require frontline protection, but mages are useful in many ways. Fine. You pass, brat.”
“'You pass'... and 'brat'....”
Yohan scratched his head.
Seriously.
Hearing something like that from a newbie was starting to irritate him.
Not even a Hidden Class.
And this guy thought he could flaunt nothing more than the Knight class in front of a veteran who had cleared the game a thousand times?
He had intended to keep a low profile.
But this...
He couldn't let it slide.
“I'm not sure where that rumor about mages being physically weak came from, but I'm confident I'm stronger than your average knight.”
According to his vast database of experience, this kind of provocation worked on knights 101% of the time.
Especially if they belonged to the prideful White Rose Knights.
“You... You've got quite a mouth. You'd better be prepared to back up those words.”
The knight's expression changed completely.
The soldiers beside him also stiffened.
“Of course. If I win, all I ask is an entry permit. I can prove it immediately.”
After all, these were muscles forged through one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run every single day.