Chapter 242: Between the Cracks (1)
ZtQiWWarm sunlight filtered through the thick leaves.TSvt
UINYOIt was hard to believe that this peaceful and clear forest had been the scene of a fierce battle the day before.xbRT
zAH1EcDEven the corpses that had been wildly rampaging through the quiet forest, where only the birds’ songs could now be heard, had fallen into a deep sleep from which they would never awaken, as if they had finally found rest.nyivfF
Bs2EOw“Are you awake?”sgprE
qSD1However, eternal sleep was only reserved for the dead.J8Mbd9n
oSBcUnlike them, Vlad, who had just opened his eyes, slowly turned his head at the sound of the young girl’s voice resonating in his ears.PcU
JfTVL“…”70mqsM
cA5J7uy“They said that man didn’t die. What a relief, right?”iFqy4
Zqj8rTThe price of embracing the World Tree had not been small, and Vlad still felt an unbearable pain throughout his body. For that reason, he could barely articulate a word, but the young priestess kept chattering endlessly, as if she already knew what Vlad wanted to say.UIX
8tNc“But he was quite seriously injured, so he might lose the mobility in one of his arms.”viKaFgD
0TRs“Ugh.”njZ
mct6It was Vlad who had exhausted all his energy from speaking due to yesterday’s fierce battle.O2EY7IT
9amYIAEven so, he felt uncomfortable being in front of the priestess, so he made an effort to get up and straighten his back.66X
zpL6cwS“….In that case, it could have been worse.”nrV
TDqThe sunlight shone on the priestess’ head as she stood by the window.syBWhHg
7n7KpHer silvery-blond hair shimmered dazzlingly, which was hard to bear for Vlad, who had just opened his eyes, but even so, he could make out the small picture book she was holding.9JONi
gPk“What’s that? Is it a revelation?”zyoyP
HTVJE“No.”0OUAN6
5EwIAlthough the priestess usually received revelations through her drawings, today didn’t seem to be the case, and she smiled sweetly.sKqvQH
wHd“You no longer need any revelations from Vlad.”UoBvG
LrtNJOFor some reason, the words the priestess had just spoken carried a strange resonance. Vlad, distracted for a moment by her words, suddenly saw a blank sheet of drawing paper resting in her hand.78wJAtv
SZP“He said to thank you, for drawing such a wonderful picture in his place.”51uDIN
1ICj“…Really?”pxLbi
eTMIIt was a page torn from the book she was holding. Although the sheet didn’t seem particularly elaborate, as he looked at it, a faint smile began to form on Vlad’s face.g42lTLC
Fj3RwA“But you still don’t know how to draw.”eZ7
xhNMTqd“Huh?”DD6wYr
QXQkaC7As always, it was a clumsy, uneven drawing.e7BiRSJ
wFTqThe drawing looked like it had been done by a small child; in it, there was a smiling tree—despite being a tree—and Vlad standing beside it with a sword in his hand.bXfBKA
YstIb***LpEi
edGBDeep within the elven city. A pitiful cry could be heard from the elven prison, which was completely dark, unlike the sunny exterior.52l4HK4
kFxmhs“Oh my God! Please!”G1ZCHJ
607vL1TAn urgent sound came from Count Vitskaya, who was hanging upside down. He seemed to have been severely tortured, as he was covered in blood, but it seemed as though he had been interrogated by a highly skilled expert because there were no fatal wounds.PtLnud
ntW5r3“Bishop Pedro, my faith in God has never wavered. Even if you were to ask me to recite a prayer right now, I could do so without making a single mistake… Aaaah!”GQxmo
ESakISchrrnnng-4v9SEh
2ZT14aThough the Count pleaded for his innocence with a desperate voice, the priest standing before him seemed to have no intention of listening to his confession. Bishop Pedro, who held a hot iron instead of the Bible, meticulously peeled away the remaining skin with a calm expression and posed a question to the Count.MHC
bPZ“When did you start collaborating with them?”n1Ele
F3S8YPA“Aaah! Aaah!”b37NG08
A6s“Five years ago? Or perhaps longer?”3h5Li
2VXwpThe Count’s horrible screams echoed through the cell, so much so that the elves outside the bars turned their faces away, unable to bear the scene.Iz4L
90mO5qHowever, as a faithful follower of God’s will, Pedro simply did his job silently, seeking the truth even in this hellish scene.58qWlx
ukYnX“You’d better not try to deceive me. The Vatican has had its eye on you as an impure person for a long time.”CS4a0
52nINQp“Aaah!”Zlds
R51Count Vitskaya’s face grew increasingly pale when Pedro said he had been watching him for a long time.GQbJ7hf
4xQBishop Pedro. An exorcist and inquisitor of heresy of whom the Vatican was proud.VX7v
e19qBefore him, who had claimed to have killed dozens of wicked beings and personally burned hundreds of non-believers, Count Vitskaya was just easy prey.AfZspe6
qVUm“…It wasn’t exactly collaboration…”N6Je
v6B6ItH“The elves say that Absilon wasn’t created as a poison that could induce suicide.”N7rSMbU
MbWAyE2Pedro set down the hot iron and took a small pair of tongs while continuing his questioning.S9Owp
5OtThey were a pair of tongs that seemed harmless to anyone, but the Count was actually more afraid of the small tongs, whose purpose he couldn’t understand, than of the hot iron.C2Q7C3
igJf“Though it is highly addictive, it wasn’t something that couldn’t be abandoned.”XlX
x9c“…”1rwW
QoJAbsilon, the elven drug that had shaken the capital of Brigantes. The number of court nobles who committed suicide after coming into contact with the drug numbered in the dozens, so it must have been a product that could not have been distributed without malicious intent.wxD
Pdk“When was that deadly poison added to the elves’ resentment?”DFM65
GnB2D2However, even the elves who created Absilon said it wasn’t a drug designed to kill someone.hJGJ
pMrThey said that, while they may have intended to slowly sicken the empire, they didn’t want such an extreme outcome.VoeNuN
CR6DtOThe elves knew very well that if they truly did that, Ausurin would be in danger from the Empire.UBM7Fy
nVvd“From what I see, it seems that this came from your territory.”xpxLiV
OdnSomeone had added poison to the empire.n4T3fX
gpIjSLUsing a shield called the Elves before them.4WQeNH
IN7ndThrough the Count’s trembling eyes, Pedro became convinced that there were beings who incited hatred among each other while borrowing others’ names.kvD510j
9uFsW“Was it the work of the Dragon Blood Duke?”PK4z4ZL
r9DtlmConstantly drawing and dividing lines between each other.3VX9JB
lx6Wr3There were people smiling amidst the deep conflict that had emerged.arcV
uX1A faithful servant of God finally began to shine a small torch on those people who were crouching in every corner of the world.IgDetM
KrWH“I’ll talk! So please!”TvfC3
QBp1Pedro, who acted with anger instead of the holy word of God in the righteous path he believed in.AZMt
hYOtHowever, the appearance of the venomous insects that Pedro heard about through the Count’s mouth was far more repugnant than Pedro had expected.nTu06Ud
ZP27***obA
ubPDh2Sounds of anger echoed from the damp corridor.fNtkb7
UhwCSThey were such eerie sounds that they sent shivers down one’s spine, but Joseph, who was secretly hiding behind the door, only focused on listening attentively.QJI9Nx
CGwm-We must scatter again, immediately. We’ve already revealed too much.pJ8FPx
zJqTW-Disperse after we’ve gathered with such effort? It could take centuries to reunite!fZf
wDh0569Beyond the door where Joseph stood, dozens of sorcerers were speaking fiercely, their faces filled with bloodlust.hOGF
1BXThough there were at least a hundred of them, counting those who remained silent, the fact that no other noise could be heard only added further tension to the situation.NZml0
7Iff-If not now, we’ll never have another opportunity! Never in history has the Empire been plunged into such chaos as it is now!fdy
3m3xwWith Ramashthu temporarily withdrawn due to the wound inflicted by Vlad, the sorcerers she had summoned began to bare their teeth.1YG2
aibvPThough they belonged to the same world, each had different dreams. They began to raise their voices at each other as if now was their chance to achieve their goals.B9FclEz
dsCc7CF-Now is the time to step forward and rule the empire! This is truly the birth of a great magical empire!3MVoou
9oB-I’m not interested in something so trivial. I’m only here for the world creation art she promised.aKIaT
DDlLXwG-Let’s start with the Vatican and the Northern Orthodox Church! How many of our comrades have we lost at the hands of those damned ones?irb5D72
GMxxHWFor some, it was for an ambition they couldn’t reach, for others, for a truth they couldn’t find, and for others, for a vengeance buried deep in their bones.gwpcY8R
odutFRTJoseph could feel that each word they spoke was steeped in a darkness so deep it would turn the world black.HN4
AvdvBut their extreme words reached no one’s ears, and so far had only remained in a void, as no one had paid attention to them.GJg9Z
oP2B8pl-······First of all, it’s true that now is the right time for us to achieve something.YYx2qB
HyLvkUhUntil Ramashthu appeared and gathered them all under her command.R6Qo
BW31hdDAt that moment, Joseph recognized a familiar voice coming from inside the door.00Cb8e5
70gAn unknown headless knight who was Ramashthu’s loyal follower.OGoJg8
k3IaJWhen the man who had led Joseph deep into the corridor opened his mouth, the sorcerers who had been heated moments before began to fall silent.uW2
9ZfldM-For that, the great feat of Ramashthu, something we all agreed upon, must first be accomplished.HjVMCRs
JobgBeWhat feat was Ramashthu trying to achieve first?c5s
ogUGWunWhat tricks had they implemented so far to achieve it?4jO6
kKWuut8Joseph’s ears began to inch closer to the door to listen to what the headless knight was trying to say.cqzDB
1fKM-Although the Dragon Blood Duke betrayed us, we still have another fragment of the dragon.5Rv
iKvndThe army of Radu surrounding the city of Moshiam clearly seemed suspicious.iAwhE
EYFPerhaps at that time, Ramashthu and the Dragon Blood Duke had been allies, using a dragon fragment to lure him in.C6U7b2
OPR9-Additionally, we’ve already collected the essence of the spirits and the potential of the children. All that remains is the root of the World Tree.Acd
Yh19Q1OThe most perfect fragment of the world, the potential of the young to become anything, and the root of the World Tree that rises to the heavens.DQOdcG
JBiNL7H-Once we have all of that, Ramashthu will become the master of her own world.HqKlPB
oDu4LThrough them, Ramashthu sought to become a god.xiYQn3f
wcgEven for the sake of the fragile children whom the current world simply ignored.pXvSxS
VMZIn the world she dreamed of, no child would suffer, but to achieve it, she had chosen the path of the worst imaginable blasphemy.yAen
YCfi5nF“…!”YWQa
ybY1Joseph, who finally realized Ramashthu’s true purpose, let out a gasp.mbZ
iT0f6fSHer grand plan, which surpassed the imagination of any mortal, caused Joseph to let out a sigh from deep within his heart without even realizing it.8K8L
DGrTCreak!gJ6X
3dqAnd in a place where no one was breathing, Joseph’s breath was something completely foreign.gOAXSz
KiKpEThe headless knight, noticing the sound, pushed his chair back with a screeching noise.9xypuq
KhD-Who’s there?HsFKi
p55rThe headless knight’s steps slowly approached from inside the room.0Q06pLn
bXuBut Joseph, who had nowhere to run, couldn’t hide his panic and didn’t know which direction to flee.er9Kfyk
bv0q-I knew it could only be you, Joseph of Bayezid.RA91Ynl
cpeT3PTThrough the door that slowly creaked open, a blue flower floated, carried by the headless knight.5ySLC8
Gl2QLAs his eyes, infinitely cold because they held death, swept over him, Joseph felt as if his heart had stopped.zfvo9J
VZpAhF-······.z7BMkP
mD2However, the headless knight did not approach Joseph any further. He simply stood still, staring over his head, as if frozen in place.XUggPAh
sY9V-Have you returned?VKW4gc
YLitbrS“Yes.”g2i5zX
HQpSuddenly, Joseph was startled by the voice coming from above his head.zSakl
qhTy8“It seems you’ve gotten lost after I sent you on an errand.”62xfmK9
KAQzLThough Joseph was not a knight, he had sharp perception. But now, behind him stood a man who had lost all color.EpT0N
vCuThe man, whom I don’t know how long he had been standing there, opened his mouth while looking at the natural blue flower before him.ke3taS
qJSyE3Q“Let me take this guy with me.”ua5d
nFwTM-······Alright, Lord Frausen.Vij63
o9z“Oh, and by the way…”1x857vS
0ztc4E4Frausen, turning Joseph by his stiff shoulders and taking him along with him, added.5AlfrmT
7JC“You still don’t possess the heart of the dragon, right?”BsFk
Fs3yl0Pointing to his heart with a raised finger.rrXPB
S7C“If you want to obtain the legitimate right to it, you’ll first have to kill Sarnus, as we agreed.”oNm8s
IsMafeXYou get death, and I get the fragment.Z03b
HC0PCdBecause that was the contract we made that day in the forest.gd8ta
so2wWVWith those words, the man who returned from the dead and the man headed toward death began to walk down the dark corridor.JF3rW
ERoqA hallway they would never leave, yet they continued to advance without stopping.RKWR8N
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