Chapter 129

“God, heavens, why do you not permit me?!”

The knight let out a frustrated scream, like a beast, losing all dignity and spewing resentment toward the world.

Though her expression was as fierce as a demon’s, a demon needs power to be a demon. Without power, no matter how terrifying the expression, it’s just a petty ghost.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Roka snorted and infused lunar energy, paralyzing Milenia.

Like a spider unable to stop a parasitic wasp laying eggs on its back, she had no choice but to lie quietly on the ground. Still, her mouth kept moving.

“She was clearly just an Expert beginner, so how did this happen? Was she hiding her power from the start? Is that it?! Were you toying with me from the beginning?!”

She had heard that people change so much in just three days apart that you’d need to rub your eyes to recognize them. But even so, this was too much.

The girl she could have easily killed had grown strong enough to overpower her in such a short time. It was a story she couldn’t accept. The boundary she had struggled with for so long, this kid had crossed in just a few days.

Is this what talent is? In an instant, her entire life felt insignificant.

She had prided herself as “the strongest under the Master,” but now all that pride felt trampled. The knight gritted her teeth.

The end of Expert. The beginning of Master. The two are like a river and the sea facing each other at the estuary, divided by just a single step.

But as everyone knows, even the largest river cannot compare to the sea in size and scale.

Though she had been nearly invincible among Experts, against a Master, she couldn’t even compare. Even if Roka wasn’t yet a true Master.

Moonlight Teresa’s Lunar Technique.


Elder Geher’s Stellar Technique.


Leyman’s Void Technique.


Hero Yurinel’s Sacred Technique.


Captain Xerox of the Celestial Dawn Order’s Harmony Technique.


Demon Hunter Lucia’s Demon Slaying Technique.


And Ardein’s Dragon Form Technique.

A Master must have their own unique Power Technique, born from their lifelong training or their journey through the world. Without it, they cannot be called a Master. That’s how it should be.

But in truth, having one’s own Power Technique is not the goal but the result. The greatest swordsman who had guided Roka thought so.

Growing one’s power is like nurturing a small pond. If the pond is small enough to cover with a palm, it’s more of a puddle than a pond. Nothing can live in it. At best, a few water striders might skim its surface.

But as one steadily grows their power, the pond will eventually become as vast as a lake. Where there is space, life will come. Fish will appear, frogs will grow, and birds will flock to feed on them. The pond will become a thriving ecosystem.

One’s own Power Technique is something that naturally arises in this way. If the foundation is solid, it will emerge on its own.

Where there is food, insects gather; where there are mice, cats follow. No weed fails to grow on fertile soil. One’s Power Technique is something that naturally sprouts on a strong foundation.

But Roka’s foundation had expanded too quickly, and so the lake grew before the fish could arrive. Thus, she had not yet formed her own Power Technique.

Her foundation was solid, so she couldn’t be called anything less than a Master. It was a peculiar situation. Becoming a Master isn’t something achieved in a flash.

Her body had reached Master level before she could even contemplate her own Power Technique. To someone like Milenia, it made no difference. She was still an opponent she couldn’t defeat.

“Should I kill her?”

Roka’s question sent a chill down her spine. It was clear she had the ability, and for a moment, it felt like being dragged to a slaughterhouse, waiting helplessly for the blade to fall.

“What’s happening? What’s going on?”

At Kyle’s question, the knight quickly thought. She couldn’t reveal everything. This mission was more important than her life. If her lord failed to achieve their goal, her pitiful life wouldn’t matter.

A Master they hadn’t accounted for had intervened. Given the nature of their small, elite operation, Roka’s involvement could have endless consequences.

If this mission failed because of a slip of the tongue, she and the prince would be branded traitors. Even if she survived now, she’d only be prolonging her life as a traitor.

‘Then…’

She had to send them into the tiger’s den. To ensure they couldn’t interfere further.

That was the last loyalty she could uphold. From the Church’s perspective, Roka was a bolt from the blue, and if they could eliminate her, they had to do so now.

Unfortunately, her own strength was insufficient, so she had to resort to schemes. The kind of schemes with a long history and tradition.

‘Let Ranga and Kisea deal with them. Let the wolves tear each other apart.’

In her estimation, Roka had just reached the Master level. Even among Masters, there are differences in strength, like between a great sea and a small one.

Ranga, who had reached Master level earlier and accumulated far more power, was clearly stronger than this young wolf.

‘I… I haven’t even come close to Master level yet!’

Of course, her own envy played a part in this thinking.

She was just one step away from Master. But that one step had been her lifelong frustration.

That one step, though small, encapsulates a person’s entire life. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t take that one, enormous step!

Her jealousy toward Roka, who had broken through to Master level at such a young age, was something she couldn’t suppress. And she didn’t want to.

“What’s happening? Can’t you see? What should have happened long ago is happening now.”

Though she was on the verge of collapsing from frustration, she maintained a calm exterior. Then, as she lifted her head while pinned down, she met Kyle’s eyes and was startled by the shattered pupils.

Eyes aren’t like glass cups. If you hit them with a hammer, they might burst, but they don’t shatter like that.

What could have caused that? Before she could ponder, she saw her own reflection in the broken eyes. Her face, twisted with uncontrollable envy, was clearly visible.

Seeing her inner self reflected so plainly made her heart race. Struggling to maintain composure, Milenia spoke again, though her voice trembled slightly.

“You… you’re on Ardein’s side, right? Then… this isn’t the time to be tormenting someone so powerless, is it? The story about crossing the gate was just a lie, and you’ve been hiding, waiting for this moment?”

The priest didn’t respond to her sarcasm. He didn’t explain what he had done to save the Citadel or why his eyes were shattered.

He just closed his eyes and sighed. These moments of human confrontation were the most difficult for him.

If the enemy were the Phoenix, at least the goal would be clear. Defeat it. But in this clash of interests, not good versus evil, it was nearly impossible to distinguish friend from foe. Both sides had their own sense of justice.

Should he intervene in the conflict between the Empire and the Church? Or should he stay out of it?

Even if he left it to God, God would only give him another choice. To Him, such small matters are but a storm in a teacup.

If someone outside tips the teacup, whether the storm is fierce or dying no longer matters.

“You asked why I came? If you go down that corridor and take three left turns, you’ll reach the most splendid palace, the Rose Palace. I was originally sent there as a guide. To help those people subdue the Rose Palace guards and capture the Empress…”

The Empress? But she has no special powers.

She’s just a noblewoman, the Emperor’s wife. Beyond that, she’s just an ordinary old woman.

“She’s just an elderly woman, isn’t she?”

“I know. It’s cowardly. But if the Emperor resists to the end… our plan is to take the Empress and the concubines hostage. If you’re on the Princess’s side, you wouldn’t stand by and watch her mother be captured, would you?”

“…Do you know that Grimudo destroyed Elvenheim?”

The priest sighed. How could the Church, of all institutions, resort to such petty tactics? Especially now, in this situation.

People across the continent worship the Three Divine Gods for various reasons. But between stopping the Demon King and taking hostages, which aligns more with their faith is obvious even to a fool.

“Grimudo? Ha, you gain nothing by saying that to me.”

The truth, no matter how much we deny it, eventually comes to us.

If we avoid facing it, it will come before our eyes and force us to see.

Such things cannot be hidden forever. Eventually, even this knight will realize it. But now, there seemed to be no time to wait for that truth.

The priest quietly sank into thought.