Chapter 1489

<1489th Chapter> 1489. Paladin: A Journey of Evil Annihilation

In this world, there exist eight regions.

Valentier is merely one of these eight regions, each assigned to its own Paladin.

Thus, including myself, there are a total of eight Paladins.

‘Compared to the real Earth, this world is way too small. Maybe other continents exist out there.’

The existence of other continents isn’t really important.

What matters is that Valentier has become safe because of me.

Originally, Valentier was considered one of the most dangerous areas due to the Great Demon Suton. Especially after the previous Paladin’s death, it became even more perilous. But then I showed up and changed everything. Using the information I had, I hunted down demons, the corrupted, and heretics, utterly wiping them out. I even killed a Great Demon.

Valentier became far safer than any other region. It was something for the people of Valentier to rejoice over.

Unlike the people, I was slightly anxious.

My growth had stopped.

I need to kill demons and the corrupted, but they’re nowhere to be found.

In the center of the city, there’s a demon tied to an iron cross, but this guy’s role is to boost the people’s faith.

“Repent! Repent! Repent!”

I can hear the voices of the people from here. They’re probably beating the demon just like I told them to.

‘Sloth is a sin. Maybe I should seek out heretics again. Testing the faith of the residents wouldn’t be such a bad idea.’

Some might ask why I don’t train or go to another region.

I train every day, waking up early in the morning and practicing until afternoon. But I don’t feel any stronger. It’s an efficiency issue. I’d rather hunt ten demons in a year than train for a whole year—it’s more efficient.

‘And moving to another region isn’t something I can do on a whim.’

To exaggerate a bit, a Paladin is practically the king of their region. Would another region’s Paladin and their church forces take kindly to a random Paladin coming in and hunting demons? From their perspective, it would be seen as territorial invasion or aggression.

If a Paladin wants to operate in another region, they have to go through the proper procedures, no matter how annoying.

“Paladin.”

A Holy Knight approached me and bowed his head respectfully.

“Speak.”

“A messenger from the Papal State has arrived and awaits you in the reception hall.”

“Finally, they’ve come.”

I already knew what the messenger from the Papal State would say.

If the resurrection of the Great Demon Suton in Valentier was Act 1, then Act 2 begins with the arrival of the messenger from the Papal State.

I quickly headed towards the reception hall.

Upon opening the door,

The messenger from the Papal State, who looked to be in his mid-30s, immediately stood up upon seeing me, bowed deeply, and greeted me.

“I am Bishop Francis of the Papal State, bringing a message from His Holiness the Pope.”

“I didn’t expect a Bishop himself to come. Let’s cut to the chase. What is the Pope’s message?”

“His Holiness is extremely pleased with the Paladin’s accomplishments.”

“As a Paladin, I’ve merely done my duty. Did you come all this way just to deliver that?”


“It’s unlikely that a spirit was sent.”

“His Holiness the Pope has decided to bestow a personal blessing upon the Paladin of Valantine. Furthermore, in recognition of your efforts in defeating the Great Demon and restoring peace to Valantine, the Pope will commission the creation of a sacred artifact exclusive to you.”

“My own sacred artifact…?”

“What kind of sacred artifact would you desire?”

“Sacred Sword.”

I replied without hesitation.

“While Valantine already possesses a Sacred Sword, one blade isn’t enough for me. The current sword is already broken, so it would be good to have another Sacred Sword.”

“I understand. However, to craft a Paladin’s Sacred Sword, we require Sacred Blood.”

“Sacred Blood? You mean blood?”

“That’s correct.”

“I see.”

I nodded calmly. This was proceeding just as in the original story.

The bishop took something from his robes. It looked like an ordinary stone on the surface.

“This is a Return Stone encoded with the location of the Papal Palace. The palace is already prepared for your arrival, my lord Paladin. Please come with me. If you’re busy, we’ll gladly wait.”

“Hmph, this won’t take long. Let’s go now.”

I accepted the Return Stone.

I channeled divine power. The Return Stone began to glow brightly, its light enveloping my body. The bishop also activated his Return Stone.

After a brief moment, the bishop and I vanished from the audience chamber.

Poof.

We appeared at the entrance of the Papal Palace.

A towering white city wall over 20 meters high greeted me. At the open gate stood rows of Paladins in shining white armor.

As soon as they saw me, they drew their swords and planted them into the ground in salute.

“O Paladin of Valantine, allow me to guide you to the Papal Palace.”

The bishop led the way.

The Papal Palace was smaller than the city of Valantine but far more advanced. The citizens’ faces were bright, and the laughter of children filled the air.

The Papal Palace sat at the center of the eighth region, meticulously protected from evil.

Only individuals of extraordinary lineage could reside here: collateral branches of noble families, relatives of priests, descendants of paladins, and naturally gifted artisans.

At the heart of the city stood the Papal building—a pristine white castle as radiant as the walls themselves. Even compared to the royal palace of ‘Baekhwan,’ this white fortress held its own. Behind it loomed a colossal statue standing thirty meters tall.

The statue depicted a fully armored figure with a greatsword plunged into the ground, exuding immense dignity.

“That statue really stands out.”

“That is Lord Diaros, the first Paladin to receive the revelation of Lady Herianne.”

“The one who defeated two Great Demons?”

“Yes. That is one of Lord Diaros’ many achievements. His greatest contribution was laying the foundation for the unification of humanity through the Church. Without his dedication, the Church as it exists today wouldn’t be possible.”

“…”

I remained silent. My gaze had simply been drawn to the statue because of its size—I wasn’t particularly interested in the “first Paladin” or anything like that.

As we approached the Papal Palace, citizens began gathering. They cheered upon seeing me.

“The people are cheering for me.”

“Did you not slay the Great Demon Suton, my lord Paladin? Everyone knows of your great deeds.”

“Is everything ready at the Papal Palace?”

“No, the citizens are voluntarily celebrating your arrival.”

Kiiiiiiiiiiing.

I used my Divine Vision to scan the surroundings, causing even louder cheers to erupt.

The bishop chuckled wryly but confidently said,

“I’ve heard you can distinguish between demons, fallen ones, and heretics. Are there any heretics among these people?”

“…No.”

Of course not.

If word of me has spread, they’d know I can identify heretics. There’s no reason anyone would risk exposing themselves before me.

“The Papal Palace is thoroughly protected by the Barrier of Herianne’s Sacred Artifact.”


“Hey, every 100 days, we priests conduct a purification ritual with the citizens. Demons don’t even dare to think about attacking the Vatican. This is holy ground!”

The bishop proudly boasted about the Vatican while spitting everywhere.

I just let it go in one ear and out the other.

The reason the Vatican hasn’t been attacked by demons so far isn’t because of the barrier. It’s simply because there’s no reason for them to attack the Vatican.

“Humans can be hunted elsewhere. Unless the demon is some kind of pervert, there’s no reason to target the heavily guarded Vatican.”

I entered the Vatican.

Numerous Paladins, priests, and nuns welcomed me.

The bishop looked pleased as he watched me. This was an event prepared by the Vatican to show how much they welcomed me – basically just for show.

“I can’t stand this anymore.”

“Huh?”

I summoned Stormbreaker. Zzzrrrkkk! The spear disassembled into pieces and attached to my body, transforming into armor. Then I summoned Valenteer’s Holy Sword and plunged it into the chest of the bishop standing before me.

“Kuaaaaah?! W-what are you doing?!”

“Shut up, corrupt one. Did you think I wouldn’t notice just because you hid yourself with magic? My eyes can pierce through any demonic trickery.”

“I am not corrupted!”

“That you’re still talking despite your heart being destroyed proves you’re a corrupt one.”

The bishop flailed his arms while backing away. I extended my left hand and grabbed his neck. He tried to break free using superhuman strength, but I was stronger.

“The Paladin of Valenteer has gone mad! The curse of the Great Demon Suton has taken control of him! Knights! What are you waiting for? Stop the Paladin! Priests! The Paladin has fallen! Bind him with divine law! Nuns! Support the priests!”

The Holy Knights raised their greatswords, and the priests prepared to chant prayers. However, the confusion in their eyes made them hesitate.

Between the Bishop of the Vatican and the Paladin who defeated the Great Demon, which side holds higher status and influence goes without saying.

“Don’t interfere. I’m currently dealing with the corrupt one.”

“…Paladin, Bishop Francis is one of His Holiness’ disciples. Evidence that he’s corrupted…”

One knight calmly spoke amidst the situation. I glared at him.

“My eyes are the evidence. Are you denying these sacred eyes blessed by Lady Herianne?”

“No! However, this is the Vatican!”

“Demons are like cockroaches. No matter how clean you keep things, they keep crawling out. Don’t rely on false security just because the Vatican has been safe until now. Demons are everywhere. The Vatican is no exception.”

Before the knight could respond, another knight rushed forward swinging his sword at me. I decapitated the bishop while simultaneously spinning my body to block the knight’s sword.

“The Paladin of Valenteer has fallen! Kill him! This is where His Holiness resides! For His Holiness, we must eliminate this heretic!”

I infused my greatsword with Divine Light. The golden glowing blade effortlessly cut through the knight’s sword and armor. The knight knelt down, glaring at me with killing intent. His wounds began to squirm and regenerate – an unnatural regenerative ability.

“Listen, Holy Knights. Your faith should not be directed at the Pope. Your faith belongs solely to Lady Herianne.”

The knight revealed his true form. His skin turned red, and his mouth elongated like a beast’s snout.

“In the name of the Paladin, I command you. Holy Knights, fulfill your duty.”

I unleashed Holy Aura.

The sacred energy emanating from me dominated the space. The corrupt ones were suppressed and struggled under its weight.

“In the name of the Paladin, I order you. Holy Knights, carry out your duty.”

I swung the Holy Sword.

The corrupt one’s body was cleaved in two, spilling blood and guts.

“Kill the evil.”