Chapter 163

“That’s strange. No matter how much I think about it, it’s strange.”

For the first time, Lady Kisea encountered a formidable opponent. Just by looking at her wide-eyed expression, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be an easy fight.

Archbishop Arice of the Elysia Church wasn’t one to back down easily. If something suspicious came up, she would dig into it relentlessly.

If she had ears and a tail, it would’ve been hard to tell who the real wolf was. Lady Kisea was on the defensive the entire time.

“Queen Kisea. The Evil God Oberta is a common enemy for all three of us. I acknowledge that you are a Master and, by human standards, have reached the pinnacle. But by the standards of the gods, or rather, by the standards of the divine… I’m sorry to say this…”

She casually brushed her hair aside and spoke nonchalantly.

“It’s hard to believe that you managed to hold off the Evil God, who had taken over the body of a Dragon Chimera, even if only for a moment. Honestly, I don’t trust you at all.”

“Are you deliberately provoking me because you think I betrayed the Temple?”

Unable to hold back any longer, Lady Kisea finally growled in anger.

But in truth, anyone would have pointed out the same thing.

The story that the Hilrae Church created the Dragon Chimera. That it was controlled by the Evil God and tried to kill the Princess. That Lady Kisea found the fallen Princess and defeated the Evil God. That the girl regained consciousness and fled.

Even with Azahadaka’s testimony, it’s hard to accept such a tale. Looking around, everyone’s faces were filled with confusion.

The already absurd story became even more bizarre as Lady Kisea exaggerated her achievements. It’s no wonder it’s hard to believe.

“So…”

The Emperor, too, seemed to think the same, his eyes gleaming.

“The Hilrae Church created the Dragon Chimera, and the Evil God Oberta possessed it to target my daughter? Queen Kisea, you fought Oberta one-on-one and drove him away?”

He shook his head.

“Though I know little about martial arts and training, this is clearly nonsense. Captain Xerox. Is this… really possible?”

“Your Majesty. I don’t know much about the Dragon Chimera, but if the Evil God Oberta had a physical form, it’s not something a single Master could handle.”

“Queen Kisea. In front of me. I’ll give you one more chance. Don’t lie this time.”

The Emperor coldly recited. Lady Kisea, startled, twisted her fingers and bit her lip, then suddenly turned to look at me. She pointed at me.

“Actually, it wasn’t me who drove away the Evil God. It was him. I only assisted in the exorcism ritual.”

“All you did was swing your sword once, and you call that assisting.”

Roka grumbled. The Emperor finally noticed me and Roka and widened his eyes.

“You two… I heard you went to the Citadel! No, more importantly, Priest. Why are your eyes so bruised? What on earth happened?”

Well, it’s a long story.

Should I start with the Phoenix?

…No, never mind. There’s too much tangled up. If I just tell my story without organizing it, everything will get even more confusing, and the truth will drift further away.

“Ah, are you perhaps that…”

Archbishop Halonen also looked at me with a strange expression. Seizing the opportunity, I asked him to reveal the truth about what our group had experienced.

Earlier, because we didn’t know what each other had gone through, absurd misunderstandings arose, and another confrontation almost happened. Without even knowing why.

He didn’t answer, but he began the story of the Citadel. About how Roka and I left, the people we met, and the things we experienced.

“The Citadel Republic…?”

“No, rather, is that place safe?”

The story went on for a long time. Even though I summarized what we experienced in the Citadel, people had to take bathroom breaks.

All our stories were intertwined like a web. My story and Roka’s. The Princess’s story. The Empress’s story. Lady Kisea’s story. Master Geher and Captain Xerox’s story.

After hearing all this, Archbishop Arice closed her eyes and added the Temple’s perspective. Archbishop Halonen silently allowed her to speak without interruption.

“I see the outline now. So, that’s how it happened. No wonder there were continuous explosions, hah.”

As we cross-verified each other’s testimonies, this version of events was closer to the truth. The story of the Holy Knights and the Celestial Dawn Knight Order clashing and annihilating each other saddened the Princess and the Empress.

Lady Kisea’s face also turned pale. She looked at me with resentful eyes, but there was nothing I could do. This wasn’t a situation where I could inflate her achievements with lies.

“By the way, Queen Kisea.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Do you really have nothing to say to me?”

“Oh, the weather is really nice today…”

As everyone’s stories were told, the whole truth came to light. Thanks to that, Lady Kisea’s humble scam was exposed.

The Princess also let out a deep sigh. I heard her mutter, “I knew it.”

“Anyway, you do have some achievements, so I won’t ask for the reward back, but don’t expect any additional compensation.”

The Empress cut her off sharply. Lady Kisea’s eyes widened, her ears drooped, and she responded with sparkling eyes. The Empress frowned.

“Don’t open your eyes so wide.”

Anyway, this is how we all came to understand what had happened. A story reconstructed based on the testimonies of many people.

There might still be some hidden truths, so we can’t say it’s the complete truth. But it’s as close to the truth as we can get.

“Eleniel. You loved your son so much, but in the end, you chose to leave with him.”

The Empress sighed, seemingly remembering the two bodies left behind. Only now did we learn how those two had passed away.

The knight who had been kneeling stopped her tears. The Princess, deep in thought, closed her eyes tightly and then opened them again.

“Duke Valder. Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be holding a position here?”

“Ahem, Your Majesty. You shouldn’t say that. It’s true that I used the Temple a bit for power, but in my heart, I’ve always been a man of the Empire.”

For a moment, the Emperor’s gaze also fell on the deceased Prince and Empress. I saw a fleeting sadness in his eyes. The sorrow of not being able to express grief—perhaps that’s the burden of being an Emperor.

“Now I understand the sequence of events and the merits.”

Even though he couldn’t express his sorrow, he had to move on to the next agenda.

“Saint. You probably don’t know yet. The apprentice from the Citadel also didn’t fully grasp the truth. It’s true that the Demon King attacked Elvenheim. But this time, it wasn’t just simple destruction. He created a Death God!”

But the next agenda wasn’t ordinary. My expression stiffened.

Many demons claim to be Demon Kings. But the only one truly worthy of that title is the one from the Arctic.

Somehow, I think I understand now. As long as Grimudo of the Arctic exists, the chaos in this world won’t stop. If you don’t stop the cause, no matter how much you fix the result, nothing will change.

I think I see where I need to go next.

And what I need to do.

*****

“Hilrae. Are you still trying to evade responsibility?”

The goddess Nemi crossed her arms and asked. Through Halonen’s eyes and ears, the goddess had heard the compiled truth.

That the Hilrae Church’s secret weapon was the Dragon Chimera is almost certain. There’s too much evidence to hide it anymore.

“What were you planning to do with that behind our backs? Did you want to become the sole god of this world after getting rid of us?”

Elysia was also furious. In fact, she was also dissatisfied with Nemi.

One hid the truth and ruined things, while the other was secretly creating weapons to drive them out. Hilrae didn’t answer. Their speculations were correct.

If Yanid hadn’t been predicted to not live long, Hilrae would have taken over that body. Even though Oberta was already there.

The two goddesses’ goals were almost the same. It’s just that Oberta was a bit more skilled. The Evil God was first-rate in such matters and completely deceived Hilrae.

As a result, they caused trouble and used their power, but gained nothing. They only lost a lot.

The Dragon Heart was consumed, and Archbishop Armata was killed by Yanid before he could reclaim his divine power. The root of all this is the Evil God and that priest on the ground.

However, she’s not in a position to hold anyone accountable now. First, she needs to get through the current crisis.

“So? It’s a failed endeavor anyway. It’s not impossible for you two to join hands and annihilate me, but we have a common enemy in front of us. We shouldn’t forget that.”

Right now, none of the three goddesses can harm each other. The Death God is flaunting its power and expanding its territory. Killing each other would be the worst move.

Now is the time for the three of them to join hands and pool their strength. The two goddesses also understood this logic. Though angry, they couldn’t resort to force.

“So, do you have a plan?”

The goddess of light stepped back and asked. There couldn’t possibly be one.

The three goddesses now feel like they’ve lost all their limbs. They have almost no power left to project onto the world. Modrig is a god with a physical form. With their remaining strength, they can’t possibly oppose him.

“Let’s just admit it. We’re no match for Modrig. If he were to abandon his physical form and fight fairly as a spirit, it might be different, but he has no reason to do that.”

But that’s just how it is for them.

“Why are you pointing that out now?”

Nemi asked, puzzled. It’s something they all know.

It’s just embarrassing to say it out loud. Soon, she heard Hilrae’s opinion and her eyes sparkled.

“But what about the Ancient God?”