< 131. Butterfly’s Dream (9) >
*
The task of strengthening the seal of the Necropolis was going smoothly. Fernandez drove his sword into the final seal while reciting an incantation. He already knew about the tomb sealed by the five conclaves, and all he needed to do was reinforce the seals of the conclave and Mumto.
“What a pity, Priest. Not being able to kill the Great Demon with my own hands—isn’t that a sad thing for you?”
“To kill him, we’d have to break this seal.”
Fernandez watched as the dancing skeletons swallowed fire, their laughter echoing. Below, the hieroglyphs on the ivory seat shimmered. [We are your future.]
-*Clang*.
The consecrated greatsword plunged into the crevice of the rock. Fernandez wrapped chains around the greatsword and covered it with a linen cloth inscribed with Gaelic blessings. The linen was marked with verses from the Bible, written in the Pope’s blood.
Chanting a spell to harmonize the magic entwined with the seal, Fernandez closed his eyes. Beyond the shadow, the veil of night and death, he could feel Mumto’s gaze.
The divine power of the Keyblade had faded, and after a night of contemplation, this was the result. Without the protection of the gods or divine intervention, releasing Mumto from the seal would be extremely dangerous.
Moreover, Mumto in this era had not lost his peak power; he was merely dormant. Events like the failure of the Dane Kingdom and the betrayal of the three Pharaohs had not occurred in this world.
How much blood would flow if a fully powered Great Demon were unleashed into the Material World? If the Northerners invaded immediately after, followed by the White Kingdom’s demons marching north, could civilized society withstand the damage?
Fernandez quietly kissed the rosary symbol on the Keyblade and recited the final incantation. He stood up and turned to Kirhas.
“We’d have to release the Grand Magician who devoured all the ancient Asit heroes and slaughtered the gods from his seal. If he can remain dormant, we’ll be fine as we are.”
“…Alright. I don’t know why you suddenly changed the plan, though.”
“We’ll select the best among us to guard this seal.”
“We’ll help too. Not the best, but a decent second option.”
Kirhas chuckled as she looked at Fernandez. Her turquoise eyes shifted to the greatsword on his back.
“You’ve got a decent way of carrying that sword.”
“Want it back?”
“Of course. But since you helped us, I’ll give you a chance too.”
Kirhas slowly gripped the hilt and drew the sword. With a sharp sound, the polished greatsword emerged in her hand. She spun it once and took her stance.
“Come at me.”
“I’m a mage, though?”
“Do I look blind? The calluses on your hands, your posture, the way you look at your opponent—your shoulders and hands move first. Hey, Priest. You’re a warrior.”
And a pretty skilled one at that. Kirhas growled softly.
“That’s why I trusted you, Priest. You might not know, but all the ones who tried to kill me were mages, and the fools who risked their lives to save me were all warriors. That’s why there are no mages in my alliance.”
“If you insist…”
Kirhas grinned fiercely. Fernandez drew the greatsword from his back—the Keyblade of Vaitas. Though it no longer radiated divinity, its durability and sharpness made it a relic unmatched in the Material World.
Fernandez slowly gripped the greatsword and took his stance. His aged and withered muscles trembled just from holding the sword. But the Keyblade was a highly symbolic relic. If he could endure this, he might be able to make a case to the Papacy.
‘I’ll retire and live peacefully.’
Wouldn’t they grant him that much? A priest’s retirement usually meant excommunication, and an excommunicated priest would face eternal surveillance and sanctions from the Church. But perhaps, beyond that, he could dream of a happy retirement.
That was all he wanted now—to live out his remaining days in happiness. His weary eyes burned with determination.
Kirhas laughed as she watched him.
“My eyes weren’t wrong, Priest. You’re a warrior. I like you even more now.”
“Go easy on me.”
“You don’t look like you’re going easy, though. This is hilarious.”
Kirhas giggled as she flicked the tip of her sword.
“I’ll let you have the first move. Come at me.”
*
Fernandez’s greatsword tore through the air. It wasn’t as beautiful or precise as the swordsmanship he had exchanged with King Dane in the past, in the twilight of his youth. His body, now that of an old Dark Mage, lacked the muscles of Diemonica or the Blood of the Saint.
But the experience and skill of that day still lived within him, lingering in the instincts of his wrists. In a realm akin to instinct, he twisted the hilt in a cross grip.
-*Clang*!
The first strike fizzled out like foam. Kirhas lightly extended her blade, deflecting Fernandez’s greatsword upward. But Fernandez released his cross grip and used the recoil to spin the blade in a wide arc.
-*Whoosh*!
A greatsword isn’t a weapon of brute strength. While more strength might make it easier to wield, fundamentally, a greatsword strikes with rotational force! As the exchange continued, the strikes became smoother.
“Haha! As expected! Impressive!”
Kirhas’s eyes softened. She twisted her blade, shaking Fernandez’s strikes. Like a cat playing with a ball of yarn, she moved lightly. Yet each strike sent massive shocks through Fernandez’s body.
“Ugh!!”
“Haha, give it your all. Good.”
-*Clang*!
Kirhas now fully bared her teeth, laughing as she swung her sword. Fernandez, drenched in sweat, adjusted his grip and swung repeatedly. The only reason he could hold on was his experience in life-and-death battles.
Kirhas’s eyes gleamed sharply. Just as Fernandez was about to deflect her strike and slash downward, in that fleeting moment, the trajectory of his blade shifted vertically, aiming for the sky. At its peak, strength surged into Fernandez’s arms.
‘Oh no.’
Fernandez clicked his tongue as he brought the sword down in a slashing motion. For a brief moment during the duel, he had deluded himself into thinking he was the “Saint” Fernandez again. This strike wasn’t his.
It was a clumsy imitation of King Dane’s swordsmanship, lingering in his instincts. A sword technique that could rend space. Even with Diemonica’s body, in perfect condition and posture, it was hard to pull off.
Now, with the body of an old and frail Dark Mage, success was secondary—he couldn’t even handle the strain on his body!
‘I can’t stop it!’
The sword had already been unleashed. Fernandez felt his wrists burning as he brought the sword down. His tendons swelled, and his joints began to twist.
-*Crack*!
“Hey, you?”
Kirhas’s sword struck Fernandez’s greatsword, interrupting the strike midway. She quickly redirected the force, preventing Fernandez’s wrist from shattering.
“Huff…”
Fernandez staggered from the impact and fell forward. Kirhas knocked his sword away and caught his body. Her breath brushed against Fernandez’s shoulder.
She whispered softly in his ear.
“Your body can’t keep up with your skills. This is getting more and more interesting.”
“Was it a test?”
“Sort of. I saw the eyes of a warrior and the eyes of a mage in you. You were a strange guy who smelled like a mage.”
“Did I pass?”
“For now. Take that sword. It’s just sturdy enough to hold well. It’s of little value to me.”
Kirhas pushed Fernandez. Fernandez straightened his clothes and grabbed the greatsword wedged in the rock crevice ten steps away.
As he drew the sword and sheathed it on his back, Kirhas flicked her tail and said,
“That was just a test of qualification. The deal is a separate matter. Got it?”
“I know. I’ll deliver it to the Papacy myself.”
The reason she helped Fernandez was due to the official recognition from the Papacy. An official acknowledgment that the Federation of Beastmen Nobles would be recognized as part of civilized society. And at the very least, sending cardinals to personally baptize the high-ranking members of the Federation was part of their deal.
With this, the Federation of Beastmen Nobles could be recognized as a nation within the Great Wilderness. According to the traditions of the Temple of the Gods, the Beastman Nobility could now assert their independence and legitimacy as members of civilized nations.
This event would hold immense significance for the Beastmen, who had been treated as wandering mercenaries, expendable pawns, or illegal slaves. Though the elders who clung to tradition would fiercely oppose it, Kirhas’s internal control was unparalleled among past Chieftains.
It was an unwanted situation for Fernandez. Kirhas’s power solidified, and through it, they could counter Karadskar’s northern advance.
‘This will do.’
Fernandez panted heavily as he looked at Kirhas’s smile.
‘With this, the collapse of civilized society has been somewhat averted.’
Over the past three years, he had built a vast intelligence network spanning the eastern and central regions of the continent. He bridged the information organizations, including the Empire’s Iron Side, the Sultan’s Shaksisi, and Phaeirn’s Hunting School.
Based on this, he personally purified numerous regions. Sometimes with magic, sometimes with force, and sometimes with authority. He slaughtered countless heretics, apostates, dark mages, and demon worshippers, hanging them on stakes.
The blood formed rivers, soaking his hands and feet, overflowing. But it was enough. Compared to the dream he had three years ago, where the world burned and countless heroes sought his head, this was better.
At least Aria. She could live the rest of her life safely and peacefully. That was all he wished for.
The northerners? Their invasion would engulf the northeastern coastline of the Eastern Kingdom Alliance and the entire Levantein Empire in flames.
‘Let it be.’
The Great Ger of the White Demon Tribe? Their northern advance would set the Kirzat Sultanate, the southern border kingdoms, the jungle tribes, and numerous small kingdoms and territories ablaze.
‘Let it be.’
But the world would not end. Fernandez deliberately excluded those two events from his actions. What he prepared for was humanity’s final Great War. That was all.
And now, it was enough. The prelude to humanity’s extinction was the descent of the Great Demon. He had spent this entire life slaughtering all those who could summon the Great Demon.
The still-immature young dark mages and demon worshippers. If given another twenty to thirty years, they would have become the “Fifteen Evils Who Destroyed the World,” one by one.
The three years since the founding of the Religiosa Maledika were not about averting an imminent disaster. They relentlessly executed demon worshippers.
‘This will do now.’
Even if the north and south burn in war and human civilization regresses for decades. It doesn’t matter anymore. Fernandez smiled as he thought. He was confident he could secure at least five safe havens from the chaos.
Present the Keyblade to the Papacy and make a deal with the Pope. A safe and complete retirement. And now, all that remained was to live out his days in abundance with Aria.
‘I’m coming back, Aria.’
Life is too easy. Fernandez smiled as he looked at the thick magic circuit running from his wrist to his shoulder. Even with the same power, the days he struggled to follow demons seemed laughable now.
‘Too easy…’
Fernandez left the underground graveyard with blurred vision. The night sky of the wilderness stretched before him.
Magic flowed through the night sky. Between the moonlight and the stars. The flow of the heavens was vivid and close, as if he could grasp it.
The stars spread endlessly, as if embroidering the sky. It’s time to go home. It felt both like it took forever and like it ended in an instant. Like a sweet dream, or a bitter dawn.
“Don’t covet that star.”
“What did you say?”
“From there to there, see? That turquoise star. That’s my star.”
Kirhas, who had somehow appeared beside him, placed a friendly hand on his shoulder and pointed excitedly at the night sky.
“That, and that. The constellation that forms when you connect them. I’ll call it the Kirhas constellation.”
-Thump.
Her words echoed in his ears. His heart pounded fiercely. He had heard such words before.
-Right next to my constellation, I want to make a place for you.
Like a wheat field spreading under the autumn sun, the dazzling golden hair—
-Ah, Fernandez. We are drifters.
The beautiful blue eyes that looked at him. The delicate eyebrows and eyes that always curved into a smile when they shone towards him.
“Hey, are you listening?”
-Thump.
He forgot. He had forgotten. That moment, and the woman who had said those words.
“Hey!”
“I can’t remember.”
“What?”
“You, Aria, Zephis, Fabiano, Paul. The dark mages and heretical groups, I remember them all. But why?”
Why can’t I remember? Her name. The dragon who loved the age of humanity. Her name wouldn’t come to mind.
His head hurt. A sharp pain struck the crown of his head. Fernandez staggered, panting.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“How can this be!”
It wasn’t that the memory was faint or naturally faded. Like forgetting last night’s dream while looking at the morning sun. Only the sensation and mood lingered on the tip of his tongue!
Her name, her face. Everything about her was gone from his memory!
“How can this be. This can’t be.”
A spell to erase specific memories? A simple spell, but it was impossible to cast such a curse on Fernandez. He wasn’t that naive of a mage. His defenses for his mind and soul were nearly perfect.
It was as if someone had cleanly carved it out. If not for Kirhas’s joke, it wouldn’t have surfaced in his mind at all.
He retraced his memories of living as a ‘saint.’ It might have been a midsummer night’s dream, or a vision of the future. If so, his anxiety and pain were nothing but self-loathing hallucinations.
But if not? What if this moment was his dawn? What if the peaceful life and happy future before him were just his delusions?
Fernandez bent over, grabbing a handful of sand with trembling hands. He felt the grains slipping through his fingers. Could this be an illusion? Could there be such a precise hallucination…?
“Why her?”
Why did her memory disappear? Fernandez trembled as he pondered. Why? He had countless memories and experiences. Among them, many were crucial, potentially fatal to his life and plans.
So why, of all things, did her memory vanish?
“I need to check.”
“Uh, uh… okay. Need help?”
“No.”
I have to do it alone. Fernandez bit his lip as he stared at the horizon beyond the wilderness.
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