Chapter 167: Critical Point (4)
The knight commander’s office in Crossbridge.
There, Serena, the saintess of abundance, faced Commander Ebelz.
He looked at her with a complicated gaze that was different from before.
The atmosphere was so bleak that it was hard to believe they were mother and daughter.
The subtle distance between them had started since the day she was chosen as a saintess.
It wasn’t this quiet back then, but she felt they had grown further apart after the death of Lian Crost, the white holy sword.
“Saintess.”
“…Yes.”
Serena could sense many thoughts in Ebelz’s voice.
He seemed to be troubled by many problems.
It was an attitude that did not suit his always strong appearance.
Ebelz looked at Serena and hesitated for a moment, then sighed and told her his story.
“I called you here today to tell you something important.”
“I thought so.”
Lately, she had met Ebelz mostly for official reasons.
Today wouldn’t be much different.
Serena nodded and answered, and Ebelz spoke as if he had been waiting.
“Next month, His Holiness will open the Heavenly Gate himself.”
“What…?”
“He will open the Heavenly Gate that connects to the Divine Realm of Order, and summon many angels to the earth.”
Serena doubted her ears when she heard Ebelz’s story.
He would open the passage to the Divine Realm.
He would summon angels to the earth.
It sounded like something that would help a lot in the war.
But the reality was not so.
There was always a fair price for a miracle.
Especially if it was a huge event that affected the entire continent, the price would not be light.
“If he does that, the causality rate will…”
The causality rate related to the Goddess of Order would collapse.
The collapsed causality rate would have a negative impact on the entire Temple of Order.
Opening the Heavenly Gate was nothing but a temporary solution.
It was also close to a last resort that would completely disable one temple.
The best way for Crossbridge was to win the war with the power of heroes.
But Ebelz still maintained his attitude despite that.
“His Holiness knows that well.”
“Then why…”
“For a while, all priests of the Temple of Order outside the holy land will lose their power.”
Ebelz was right.
All functions related to the Temple of Order would stop in all temples outside the holy land.
This also applied to the heretic inquisitors who were expelled from the Temple of Order.
Then, the influence of the Temple of Order would be greatly reduced for a while.
That was a factor that hindered the reconstruction of the continent even after the subjugation of the apostles.
“And yet he’s doing that?”
“He has received a divine mandate for war.”
“War…?”
War.
Serena’s expression changed at the heavy word.
The weight of war discussed by the knight commander was much heavier than that of others.
Ebelz looked down at Serena and told her about the divine mandate.
“Soon, the fire of war will engulf the whole continent.”
“But there’s also the empire, right? The empire will fight for humanity with us.”
“The empire will split into several factions and wage civil war, and in the north, death’s army will stir.”
“That’s…”
“We can’t rely on the empire in this war. We have to face the church with only Crossbridge’s power.”
It was not a light thing that meant they could not get help from the empire, which was the epitome of human civilization, in the upcoming war.
It wasn’t a crusade. It was a bloody war where they fought each other for their own reasons.
Humanity could not unite properly.
The Holy Emperor had already made that judgment.
As if to prove it, cold reality continued to flow out of Ebelz’s mouth.
“The hero of order lost to an apostle of the church, and the hero of honor betrayed us long ago.”
“…”
“The Temple of Harmony also betrayed us, and even the white holy sword was taken away by the church. That’s why His Holiness made his decision.”
Serena felt many emotions from Ebelz’s black eyes.
It was a weak side that he could never face in his life.
The black holy sword, Ebelz Edelrant, was always a strong being.
But now he looked like he was afraid of something.
“Do you know why I’m telling you this?”
“…I don’t know.”
Why did he act like this? She couldn’t understand his attitude at all.
As she tried to ask him about her doubt,
Squeeze
Ebelz suddenly hugged her tightly
“Serena. I wish you hadn’t become a saintess.”
“Ah…”
“But… fate is so cruel. You became a saintess even though you hated the temple more than anyone.”
He pulled her back with a strong force.
She lifted her head and looked at Ebelz as she felt his warmth in her hand.
She felt a strange sadness in his dark emotions.
He looked very sad even though he wasn’t crying.
“Why are you doing this? I don’t understand at all.”
“I think Ascalon and your existence are the only hope for us.”
“Well, of course, Ascalon is powerful…”
“Heroes are beings that burn themselves to light the way. The fate of a saintess is not much different from them.”
He hugged her tighter.
His attitude also made Serena feel uneasy.
What was he afraid of?
He was emotional in a way that didn’t suit his large stature.
“When the end of the cruel war comes, you will have to think about your own end.”
“That’s natural, isn’t it? Everyone is fighting against the heretics with their lives. Everyone admires and follows those heroes.”
The beings that burned themselves at the forefront.
That’s why the world called them heroes.
There were some who fell off the path and became corrupted, but most of the heroes were pure-hearted.
She admired their stories.
And she became a saintess to help them.
But Ebelz didn’t seem to like that fact.
“The last flame of Ascalon is completed by the sacrifice of the saintess of abundance.”
“What…?”
“It means that you will have to face a moment when you have to choose for the future of humanity.”
She had to die for Ascalon to be completed.
It was like a death sentence from Ebelz.
She laughed bitterly.
She had guessed it for a long time.
There was no happy ending for the heroes of the story.
They knew it, yet they moved forward for their faith.
But what Ebelz really wanted was not for her to do it.
He had his own reason for bringing up this story.
“What do you want me to do, my knight commander?”
“Don’t die. Serena Ederunt.”
“Is that so…?”
The force that embraced Serena became stronger.
He used to treat her like a saint, but now he showed a more parental side.
Phew.
A short sigh escaped from Serena’s lips.
Ebelz’s voice echoed in her ears as she exhaled.
“Survive, no matter what you have to sacrifice.”
Serena’s hand, which was hanging in the air, moved towards Ebelz’s back.
She gently stroked his back with her clumsy touch.
It was the first time she comforted him like this, except for when she was young.
The words that came out of his mouth were too foolish.
“But that’s too disrespectful, isn’t it?”
“…Serena.”
“I’m not a child anymore.”
She said that and leaned her cheek on his shoulder.
She was a saint, no matter what anyone said.
She had long ago made up her mind to burn herself for him.
As long as he kept looking at her, even if the whole world disappeared, it was enough.
That was the only reason she lived.
Her dream was the sky’s dream.
And the future that the sky spoke of was her destiny.
“I wonder how much longer I have to wait until I can face you.”
She drew an uncertain future from the cold touch of the glass in her hand.
A world that obeys under the name of God.
Everyone shouts his name, worships him, and reveres him.
Everyone who faces him cheers and applauds.
Behind him, the six apostles of the church will follow him.
Of course, the one closest to him should always be herself.
She was his first apostle, after all.
“Please let me be a part of your great story.”
Swoosh.
Her ash-colored eyes engraved the image of the vessel on her retina.
A small stone temple in the middle of Uto.
There, Eutenia watched the figure of a person in a glass tube.
Black hair. Eyes hidden by eyelids.
It was a vessel of God that was waiting for completion, still in the shape of a young boy.
It was what Elbon had stored with an accelerator and Eutenia quietly came in alone to face it.
Eutenia smiled contentedly as she looked at the vessel of God in front of her.
“The moment I face you, the great one… I’m really looking forward to it.”
It was a flesh that was made by the church itself after receiving a revelation from the great being.
When the flesh was completed, her master would soon manifest himself on earth in this form.
At that moment, she would be able to see the appearance of God that she had longed for so much.
Eutenia reached out and caressed the surface of the glass tube as she imagined the future to come.
“There were so many things that happened until now.”
The events that had happened so far flashed through Eutenia’s mind as she looked at the vessel of God.
After her father was dragged away with a false charge and bandits raided her village that day,
Eutenia had changed as she went through many things.
She received grace from the great being and saved her life, and also became chosen by him to carry out his great will.
Since becoming an apostle, she never forgot to thank him for choosing her.
“From being an outcast, I met you and kept running for you.”
The great being always looked down at her.
Under his warm care, Eutenia did not hesitate to stain her hands with blood for him.
Even if everything in the world disappeared, as long as he kept looking at her, it was enough.
That was what drove her to live now.
Her dream was the sky’s dream.
And the future that the sky spoke of was her destiny.
“I will continue to go on for you.”
Years. Decades. Centuries.
Maybe until her life ran out.
Eutenia Hyrost would always serve him faithfully for his sake.
That was the path of faith she chose.
Since their first meeting, Eutenia owed him a debt that she could never repay.
She wanted to remain his apostle until she paid off all that debt.
“How much longer do I have to wait until I can face you?”
She drew an uncertain future from the cold touch of the glass in her hand.
A world that obeys under the name of God.
Everyone shouts his name, worships him, and reveres him.
Everyone who faces him cheers and applauds.
Behind him, the six apostles of the church will follow him.
Of course, the one closest to him should always be herself.
She was his first apostle, after all.
“Please let me be a part of your great story.”
Swoosh.
Her ash-colored eyes engraved the image of the vessel on her retina.
A small stone temple in the middle of Uto.
There, a god and an apostle were, with their eyes closed.
