Chapter 199 – Academy’s Strongest Canteen Man (4)

“The altar… Breaking it?”
“We can never send these guys to the Holy Father!! Get into formation!!”

The Luvier Shrine was a holy kingdom itself.
After the fall of the empire, the capital was built in the place where the shrine was located, and the name remained the same and has enjoyed prosperity ever since.
Therefore, it was natural for the Monarch soldiers to be indignant at my declaration.

“Die!! “Dogs of the Kingdom!!”
“Hella! “Please give us light!!”

As the troops of the four major parishes appeared in the distance, Hubblet drew his sword and stepped forward.

“Let’s clear a path. “Follow me.”

Hooksclaw is the strongest group among the 12 alliances that protect the North.
Wivlett, called Baekgi, swept away the soldiers standing in front of him in one fell swoop.
As Hubblet’s unique magic 〈 Hundred Flowers 〉 unfolded, they died white-faced without even shedding blood.
While everyone started running to the center of the main shrine without even looking back, I grabbed Caroline, who was holding her feet like a stone.

“… Caroline?”
“…”

Caroline, a saint born and raised in the Holy Kingdom and chosen by the goddess, seemed quite shocked by my words.
She came to her senses when I held her hand, but she still couldn’t hide her confusion.

“Let’s go, it may be impossible to find all the people who remember the Hero Summoning Secretary, but if we just destroy that shrine, something like this will never happen again.”
“Yes…”
“And you don’t have to play with the goddess anymore.”
“What… ?”

The size of faith is the power of God’s intervention.
Even now, if you can’t directly deal with the devil lord or the leader of the corrupt church and can only give revelations to the saint, what strength will you have left if the shrine is destroyed?
From now on, we will not be able to set foot on the continent for at least another hundred years until the kingdom becomes stable.

“It’s a strange promise and an oath to have a child, so you don’t have to keep that kind of thing.”
“No, that’s… I’m going to do it…”

Huh?
What did I hear wrong?

“I’m giving birth to a child… Ten or twenty, as many as you like…”
“…”
“Fool… Ah.”

Is this the Caroline I knew?
She was gazing at me over her bangs while touching her finger with her ring on, and when my eyes met hers, I quickly averted my gaze.
Suddenly, the back of her neck became itchy unbearably.

“Oh, uh, okay…” … Later, we’ll talk about it later…”
“Huh…”
“First of all, starting with the goddess… No, let’s kick them all first.”
“Yes, yes! “I’m going to fall behind, come on, let’s go quickly!!”

***

Seleucia Frederick, leader of the Holy Light Knights La Ruel and patriarch of the Northern Diocese.
The old paladin with an imposing appearance could not help but lament the current reality.

From the moment I retreated from the north after receiving the order from the church, I had a bad feeling.
He only realized this after hearing the news that a warrior who received the goddess’s oracle appeared and swept the Western Front, and that a swordsman who suddenly appeared injured him and retreated.
Nicholas of Kassel, along with the bishops of several dioceses, revealed his hidden ambitions.
All of this was an act that was not in accordance with God’s will.

Ten years since the Great War.
Many people died.
And blood is still flowing on the continent.
Like Roshoir in front of us, those who fought together against the demons took each other’s lives.

‘What on earth did we fight to protect?’

After hearing news of his home country from the sand dunes of Sandalphonia, he immediately called the knights’ wizard.
Just as I was about to push back the troops and move towards the transfer gate 〈 〉, a cold spear stuck at my feet.

“Where do you want to go, old knight?”
“Ice snowball…”

Esther knew.
That you must not allow the man in front of you to leave the battlefield.
Frederick, along with Adalbert Alves, the former leader of the Hooksclaw Knights of the 12 Leagues, was the strongest knight in the Holy Kingdom who terrified the demons during the Great War.
The huge shield with its brilliant brilliance did not lose its shine even in the dark, and the blood never dried on his bushy beard.
Even Cassel could not treat him carelessly, so he hid the truth about the hero.
If Frederick were to oppose his wish, the plan would never succeed.

“Our battlefield is here. “Did you think they would just let me go?”
“… “The war is already over, Wizard of the North Sea.”

The paladin wiped his sand-dusted eyes and pointed to the dark horizon.

“Demons have invaded Farencia. “They say the sun never rises in Monarch.”
“…”
“We, who were aiming for a war in the same direction, should not have met here in the first place.”
“Even if I turn around now, nothing will change. Take up arms.”

Frederick realized that the Archduke, who had a frozen heart, had no intention of letting him go.
He immediately struck down the huge hammer, causing a thunderous earthquake in the dry land.
Anyway, even if La Ruelle rushes to Monarch right away, she can’t make it in time.
Even if he showed his back, he had to go back.

“Open the 〈 transfer door 〉!!!”

As the two armies clashed, a black portal appeared from the rear.
The Holy Light Knights were fiercely resisting the attacks of Rochear’s soldiers.
He gritted his teeth as if they were about to break and passed through 〈 transfer gate 〉 without even looking back.

Phew! Along with the sound, I felt a sharp pain in my back.

“Cough… ! Haha…”
“Are you here, Patriarch Frederick?”

Arriving at Louvier, pierced by the Ice and Snowball’s spear, he encountered Cassel with a pale complexion.
The Pope’s office was very dark, and there was not a single star in the sky.

“We all suck.”

Leaning against the wall in the dark, he looked as if he would collapse at any moment because the bleeding on his shoulder had not stopped.
However, it was still not the attitude of someone who had given up his ambition.

“It was unexpected. Who would have thought that the hero would still be alive…”
“…”
“But it’s okay. “I asked Maraka to treat him first.”

Cassel approached Frederick, saying that she, the leader of Hylaronian, was already exhausted.
Eventually, a warm light spread from his fingertips, and the frozen wound healed little by little.

“Not much time left… This time… “We can purify the world.”

Purify the world.
Does he know how much blood he has spilled on the continent?

“What is the reason?”
“The reason… ?”
“Caused the war. And joined hands with the demons.”

The northern part of Monarch, where the Holy Light Knights retreated, was empty, but evil headed to Farencia.
Anyone who wasn’t an idiot would now know that there was some kind of deal between Kassel and them.

“Haha… Cough! “Cough!”

Cassel laughed while coughing dryly.
In the past, the eyes that had experienced the long war between humans and demons were already consumed by deep madness.

“Because the hero who defeated the Demon King was not perfect.”

And Frederick knew that that madness was also in him.
Perhaps I unconsciously understood this from the moment I first set foot in the North.
That this world needs stronger justice.

“If only he had kept his faith. If he had fulfilled all his duties as a warrior, there would have been no more evil in this world. Because I couldn’t do that.”
“…”
“So, I just stepped forward.”

Suddenly, Frédéric thought of Rocheard’s ice and snowball.
She hated her demons as much or even more than she hated herself, but she had very clear and beautiful eyes.
Is it due to the influence of unique magic?
If not, has there been a wish more important than defeating evil?

“Do you want to kill me right here…?” … ?”

It was a road they couldn’t walk on.
Now it’s too late to turn back.
We have no choice but to fight until one of us dies.

Instead of answering, Frederick turned towards the corridor leading to the center of the Great Temple.
As the leader of the Holy Light Knights who protect the Holy Kingdom, it was his job to repel invaders.

Bang!! Kwaang——!!

I thought as I walked through the crumbling temple of light.
Cassel’s divine power was pure, without a single karma, like that of the Monarch Pope.
Even though he controlled the Holy Kingdom at will, started a war on the continent, and summoned a second hero using a forbidden secret, the goddess did not judge him.

Kugu Palace——!!

The ceiling collapsed.
Apparently it’s still dark outside.
The light that came through the broken window caught my back and created a long shadow in front of my feet.

It was the brilliant light that shone from the stone statue that always prayed to the goddess.
It was a blessing that protected him from before every time he raised his shield against his enemies.

Frederick understood late.
Now the word of God depicts a narrow and long darkness from the back of an old man.
Correct or distorted.
Even if we take slow steps toward one side of justice.

‘If it represents our unwavering will.’

The Goddess will not let go of human hands.
That’s what God’s love is like.

As I grabbed the hammer and opened the door, I came into the huge cavity of the main shrine where the altar that had been honoring the will of the gods since time immemorial was placed.
In a place where there was only light, a group of men and women were fighting against numerous soldiers.

***

– Knife! Is that all sorted out?
“Yes, this is the way up after disposing of all the monsters in the underground waterway.”
— Come to the lighthouse, we’ll pick up the wounded and join the guards to deal with the remaining demons in the city.
“I understand, princess.”

Carl, who had the communication crystal in his pocket, wiped away the dirt and blood from his shoes.
The Lighthouse of Horus left behind by Terra was relocated in front of the Akasha Pavilion and was being used as a command center.
Thanks to this, we were able to send Erzsebet’s armored soldiers throughout Parenzia.
The transformation of the demons ended and the remnants died one after another.

Carl, who was crossing the site while being cautious of possible ambushes, found a familiar object on the ground.

“This…”

It’s worn down to the point where someone would mistake it for trash.
An old hat lying around without an owner.
However, none of the academy students knew about that item.
It was the belongings of a respectable wizard who occasionally wandered around the stalls and auction houses on nice days.

“Uh, princess?”
– Please speak.

When Karl reported about it, she did not respond for a while.
A moment later, a low voice was heard from the crystal sphere.

— … Please take care of it and bring it back. I will keep it and give it to you.
“All right.”

Who is it being delivered to?
He arrived at the lighthouse of Horus with a small question in mind and met Erzsebet, who was looking out over the city from the top floor.
She was looking down with a very stern expression.

“Carl, please join the professors on the first floor right now and leave the academy.”
“Yes… ?”

There were no dangerous situations on the way here.
From what I heard from the Red Hood students riding the ice duck, it seemed like the battle would soon be completely over.

“Is there any problem?”
“…”

If a dangerous situation arose, I planned to immediately seek assistance.
But Erzébet shook her head and held her sword back.

“If those two people had been hit too…”

Her gaze was directed to the very center of the Academy, where a huge floating island floating above Parenzia crashed a few hours ago.

“We are all dead.”

It was the only place where there was a concession stand.