328 – Division -1-

Early dawn.

The members of the academy were climbing the snowy mountains, their breaths visible in the crisp air as they crunched through the white snow.

“…”

Following behind, Ruin silently accepted his burdens and trailed along.

“Haah… Haah…”

Malik glanced at Ruin, who was exhaling heavily, nodding without a word.

‘His gaze has changed.’

The foolish look that once held no clear purpose now bore a distinct intensity. Eyes filled with the passion of one who seemed ready to carry the weight of a man.

Ruin’s expression, now resembling that of a true person, brought a small smile to Malik’s lips.

‘If I push him a bit more, he might transform even more beautifully, but I must hold back.’

It would be a shame to break such a fine packhorse.

“Ugh! Shouldn’t it just work…!”

It didn’t seem like he had gained enlightenment or undergone awakening. It felt as if he had surpassed an even more arduous stage.

A person with a strong will is the hardest to bend in their beliefs. For someone like him, who had enjoyed positions and rights that others could not, it would have been even more difficult to lower his pride. Yet, the eyes of Ruin before him now were.

“Huuh… Huuh…”

—

He appeared as if he had just stepped onto those arduous stairs.

Knowing that he could not produce results swiftly due to a great failure, it was undeniable that his current self looked better than when he had lingered in the shadows of past actions.

“Impressive.”

The faces of the students were set with resolve.

Though of the healing order, Yuria’s face bore the tension of someone who could not afford to stand still, having circled the ground countless times with a singular purpose.

-…Nothing will go wrong, right?

On the face of the princess, who had sifted through much information to narrow down the location of the holy sword to the north, there was the weight of responsibility.

-It must be there. It absolutely must be.

Hanna’s face was marked by calmness.

-…

It seemed Hanna had some inkling of what lay ahead. This journey would not be an easy one.

The massive procession shuffled forward.

Slowly, toward the temple where the holy sword lay in slumber.

The fifty imperial soldiers trailing behind exchanged idle chatter about the holy sword, shaking off their tension.

-So, is there really a holy sword?

-I don’t know, but the princess says there is, so we’re going.

-Ah… this is exhausting.

-Just shut up and keep up.

-Yes…

-But, who gets to keep the holy sword?

-Are you an idiot? The one who draws it is the master.

If they were to find the holy sword, who would claim it? They endured the grueling trek while sharing such banter.

There was no tension in their steps, despite the uncertainty of what might occur.

“…”

Malik, observing their relaxed demeanor, clicked his tongue and recalled what Ricardo had said.

-There are more heretics than we expected.

-How many could there be? My father is coming too, so I doubt we’ll be overwhelmed.

-No, we will be outnumbered.

-We’ll be outnumbered…?

If that fool was saying such things, it meant a formidable force was approaching, one that could not be dismissed lightly. Especially since he had never encountered a being like the Apostle before.

How strong they are.

They were utterly unaware of the strange powers they possessed. The most terrifying aspect of dark magic was the unpredictability of their very essence.

For now, there was nothing weighing on his senses, allowing Malik to ease his tension slightly, yet the peace that could end at any moment made him cautious. His father had not yet arrived.

– Something has happened in the capital. I may be delayed due to the aftermath, but I will hurry as fast as I can before you arrive.

‘The summit is in sight now… A dilemma indeed.’

Malik gently lifted his head, closing his eyes as he gazed upon the peak of the snow-capped mountain before him.

‘It seems I must buy time for my father to join us.’

Standing at the forefront, Malik extended his hand toward the trailing companions and spoke.

“Hold for a moment.”

The group following him questioned Malik’s sudden gesture, but they exhaled a sigh of relief, grateful for the chance to catch their breath. They were weary from the trek that had begun at dawn.

“Ha… I’m dying.”

“It’s cold… and I’m hungry.”

“Yuria, are we close?”

“Ah… not yet…!”

As Malik stood, assessing their progress, he noticed Yuria’s troubled expression and inquired.

“Yuria.”

“Yes… yes!”

“How much longer do you think it will take to arrive?”

Yuria, pulling from her memory, furrowed her brow before responding to Malik.

“I think it’ll take about five hours! Since it’s noon now…! If we take the fast route, it’ll be three hours, but the easier path will take about five!”

“Five hours, huh… Still quite a distance.”

Five hours.

It was a tight timeline.

They were prepared to camp if necessary, but it was best to finish within the day.

The longer the journey stretched, the more fatigued the group would become, and if that situation was what they were aiming for, they had to avoid it at all costs.

Malik exhaled deeply and said, “Let’s take our third break here. Bring out the supplies. I will cook.”

It was noon.

They needed to conserve their strength.

‘My shoulders feel heavy.’

The weight of the word “responsibility” felt heavy upon me.

*

“Quite a lot.”

In the temple where the holy sword lies in slumber, I, hidden nearby, muttered to myself, furrowing my brow. There were more of them than I had anticipated.

Surrounding the temple where the holy sword rests were at least a hundred figures cloaked in black. They all seemed to be of the same ilk.

The heretical camp, shrouded in an opaque barrier, unleashed their magic upon the temple’s protective veil.

—KWA-AAAAK!

—KUGUNG…!

—KUGUGUGUGUNG!

“…Even with that, they won’t break through.”

The conditions to enter the sanctuary are only met after the sun has set. It is when the light-infused energy of the holy sword wanes that one gains the freedom to enter.

If one were to force their way in…

—K…KWA-AAAAK!!!!

They would be consumed by the light’s energy, their bodies burning away until death claimed them.

A specific time.

Certain conditions.

The reason no one had found the location of the holy sword for over centuries lay within the secrets held by the temple. It was nearly impossible for anyone not destined to be chosen to set foot within the holy sword’s sanctuary.

Thus, when Yuria learned the location of the slumbering sword, she fulfilled the conditions.

The heretics’ methods were brutish.

Like headbutting the ground, they stumbled about, striking lucky, while the academy’s approach paved the way in the direction the holy sword desired. This is why the heretics were struggling.

Already, twenty lives of the faithful had vanished like lab rats, yet those who clashed with the temple remained formidable.

‘Hmm…’

The heretics had but one goal.

To seize the holy sword first and then purge those who arrived late. Yet, the impatience etched upon their faces revealed that things were not going as planned.

“…The holy sword.”

But could I wield it too?

In my heart, I could boast that it was whiter than any color in the world.

‘…Or perhaps not.’

Realizing that the lady would laugh until her belly hurt if she heard this, I slowly closed my eyes and gazed at the setting sun.

“It seems the time has come to begin.”

– The barrier has vanished!

As the opaque barrier that enveloped the sanctuary dissipated, the sight of the pure white temple began to unfold before my eyes.

A temple as white as the color of snow.

At the same time, I marveled at the thought of how such a colossal structure could have gone unnoticed by people for centuries. It was as if the description from a novel had come to life before me.

‘The scale is insane.’

What would happen next? According to Elisia, the minions were set to move in order to deal with the Academy personnel trailing behind.

I gazed at the seven figures standing with their arms crossed behind the throng of over a hundred heretics.

And then.

“What the hell.”

I rubbed my eyes as a silhouette emerged from the darkness.

“Eight of them?”

Why was there one more?

From a space that resembled a gate, a figure draped in a robe stepped forth. Judging by the height, it appeared to be a woman, but her face was obscured, making it difficult to discern.

What was certain was this:

– I stand before the Apostle of Mercy.

Things had gone awry.

The throng of heretics, numbering over a hundred, quickly formed ranks and stood in alignment. The five archbishops clad in white robes turned to the Apostle and spoke in booming voices.

“The path is open!”

The Apostle of Restraint raised a hand.

“The hunt begins.”

It was the start.

‘A variable.’

Events were beginning to unfold in a direction I had not anticipated.

*

After the break, we resumed our trek along the mountain path.

As the temple came into view, my companions began to exhale in relief.

“It’s the temple!!!”

“Wow, it really exists?!”

“…Your Highness! It’s the temple! The temple!”

Shartia let out a sigh of relief.

Yuria was the same.

Everyone was exhaling gasps of awe and wonder. It was astonishing that such a beautiful temple stood in the barren North. As they marveled at the sight of the colossal shrine emerging through the twilight,

“Stop…!”

Malik’s senses sharpened, and he drew his sword.

“Raise your swords.”

“…What?”

Amidst the confusion, soldiers began to unsheathe their blades one by one, sensing the presence that loomed.

At that very moment—

– RRRRIP!!!

The sky tore open, and a massive surge of magical energy began to cast a shadow over their heads.

“It’s an ambush…”

The figure that had attacked them was a woman cloaked in robes.

“An elf.”

An elf skilled in archery and magic.