Chapter 222

221. We Are the Rock (2)

From the farthest outskirts of the settlement, further west, all the way to Ribue, Fernandez ran without a moment’s rest. Even for Diemonica, covering such a distance at a speed beyond Marbo was excessive.

His breath reached the edge of his chin. Gasping, Fernandez pushed through the refugee column, shoving the displaced aside as he sprinted.

“Halt! Maintain order! Enter one by one…!”

“Move aside.”

-Bang!

The guards tried to roughly block him with their spears, but Fernandez grabbed the shaft and swung it, shoving the guards aside. They were helplessly pushed back, colliding with the castle gate.

“What is this commotion!”

A knight, seemingly the guard captain, shouted. He sternly blocked Fernandez’s path. Fernandez, catching his breath, growled.

“Where is the Duke’s daughter?”

“W-what are you talking about…?”

“I am the Chieftain’s messenger. The situation is urgent, so we’ll skip the formalities. Take me to the Duke’s daughter!”

At his shout, the knight flinched. The words “urgent situation,” and a heavily armed man with clear battle scars shouting them… It sounded like the battlefield was in dire straits.

Chaos instantly spread among the refugees. They surged toward the castle gate in a frenzy. Fernandez clicked his tongue, pushed the bewildered knight aside, and dashed inside.

-Rumble…

Another explosion echoed from the direction of the battlefield. By sunrise, the battle would be over, and if the Duke’s forces could return safely, this chaos would be nothing but a hiccup. But before that, he had work to do.

He had to ensure the Duke’s daughter’s safety.

With all the servants and attendants evacuated, the King’s Palace was desolate. Most of the guards had been dispatched to defend the outer walls, leaving the palace to embrace a quiet night.

Fernandez, gripping his sword hilt, walked through the empty palace corridors. His sharp senses picked up on presences. Two upstairs, one above that, and… three on this floor.

“Did the Emperor send you?”

Fernandez stood in the lobby, looking up the stairs as he spoke. Soon, a whistle sounded.

“Impressive thinking, Inquisition Officer.”

A man cloaked in black revealed himself on the stair landing. An assassin. Fernandez noted the man’s well-developed muscles.

“Do we have a reason to fight, Inquisition Officer? This is more of a political issue than a religious one.”

“You should have expected the Inquisition’s involvement the moment you requested a heresy investigation.”

“Heh, if you’re here for a heresy investigation, shouldn’t you be out there dealing with the wraiths?”

The man smirked, crossing his arms. He seemed relaxed, but Fernandez could sense the tension in the man’s muscles, ready to strike at any moment.

He was like a coiled snake, ready to sink its fangs at the slightest opening.

“Well, it seems the heretics have surprisingly taken refuge in the King’s residence.”

“Quite the surprise. Has the Duke allied with demon worshippers? I’ll report this to the Imperial Senate and take immediate action!”

“No need, Iron Side. I’ll handle it first.”

-Swish.

Fernandez drew his sword as he spoke. The man who had been mocking Fernandez frowned, his eyes narrowing.

“Let me repeat. This is Imperial politics, young Inquisition Officer. Judging by your build, you’re a Heretic. Stay out of this.”

“You dare block my path, knowing I’m an Inquisition Officer? Especially when it’s not a civilian matter, but a national organization’s?”

-Thud.

Fernandez took a step forward. Simultaneously, the man bent his knees, ready to pounce. Their eyes locked.

“By the authority of the religious tribunal, the right to execute heretics, the right to command exorcism forces, and the right to act on behalf of the Church, I will carry out the heresy trial.”

“You’re crossing a line, Heretic.”

“The Monastery Head said, ‘Anyone who attacks an Inquisition Officer must be a heretic.'”

“Attack!”

-Clang!

At the man’s command, black-clad men leaped out from the corners and ceiling of the lobby. A sharp strike. An ordinary human wouldn’t have been able to block this sudden, perfectly coordinated ambush.

But Diemonica could hear even the rustle of clothing in a closed space. Fernandez swung his greatsword as the hidden men lunged.

-Slice!

One man’s waist was severed, and he collapsed to the floor, organs spilling onto the corridor tiles. And next—.

-Crunch!

Fernandez’s fist slammed into the chest of a man who had closed in to swing a dagger. The steel gauntlet crushed ribs, tearing through the lungs before pulling out. Blood and viscera splattered onto Fernandez’s face.

Fernandez closed his eyes and turned his head. Seizing the moment, the man from earlier lunged into his chest. It was an unexpected move, but in a moment of obscured vision, individual strength meant little—

“Ugh!!”

-Crack!

The dagger aimed at Fernandez’s throat stopped abruptly. Fernandez had grabbed the man’s wrist right in front of his face. The man gritted his teeth, struggling to pull free.

“What… strength…!”

“First. I am Diemonica.”

-Crunch!

“Argh!!”

The wrist shattered, and the dagger clattered to the floor. The man screamed, gasping for breath. Fernandez raised his sword, holding it above the man’s head.

“I sentence the defendant to death. Iron Side.”

“The Empire will remember this!”

“The Church will remember this too. Especially the Imperial Palace, which has much to remember now.”

-Bang!

The pommel struck the man’s crown. Instantly, his skull caved in, and he collapsed, blood streaming from his eyes. Fernandez tossed the lifeless body to the floor and walked toward the stairs.

As he ascended, the lingering traces of dark magic grew thicker. It was a familiar presence. Fernandez observed the floating remnants of magic, reading the fragmented structure. It was Manderson’s work.

A dark mage must be skilled at hiding their traces. And Manderson was among the most cunning of dark mages. For such a mage to leave such traces…

-Troublesome, huh.

‘Understandable.’

Mass resurrection. Summoning a legion of undead, even if only for a single night, places an immense burden on an individual. Even without significant achievements in necromancy, it was common sense.

As Fernandez climbed higher, the residual magic grew wilder. The necromancer’s magical signature was palpable. The magic carried the despair and screams of the dead.

-Screech…

In the form of a wraith…





The magical power was so dense that it could almost materialize. It was so vivid that it felt like it was seeping out of his body. Fernandez chuckled as he passed by the lingering resentment growling at him.

‘What on earth made you so impatient?’

Standing at the deepest part of the court, in front of the king’s residence, Fernandez grabbed the doorknob. Sizzle—the doorknob, influenced by necromancy, resisted, burning the skin of the living. Fernandez ignored it and opened the door.

-Creak…

The rusty hinges groaned as the door opened. The necromantic magic caused rapid aging in the surrounding objects. Wool decayed, iron rusted, oil oxidized, and organic matter rotted. Such magic was densely pouring out like fog.

In the midst of that green fog, on the king’s throne, which had turned pale from rust, an old man sat slouched.

“Manderson. It’s been a while.”

“You… Ana…”

The old man, almost skeletal, rattled his jaw as he spoke. His clouded eyes glanced at Fernandez’s face. He shook his head.

“I don’t know you. Inquisition Officer. Who are you?”

“You sided with the Imperial Palace, Manderson. You even set up a decent laboratory. It must have been a satisfying deal.”

“What are you trying to say…?”

“A mage commands magical power. The line between a dark mage and a demon worshipper is whether you command the magic or are commanded by it. That’s why I don’t consider demon worshippers as ‘mages.'”

-Thud.

Fernandez stepped forward. The thick necromantic magic coiled around his arms and legs. Fsss… The clothes wrapped around his body slowly decayed, turning to dust and crumbling away.

“Demon worshippers are puppets controlled by demons, and the magic they wield is nothing more than a small favor shown by demons. It’s a trick performed with their souls as collateral. But a true mage must explore the world’s mysteries, pursue wisdom, and transcend taboos. A mage commands magic and governs mysteries. That’s why we were noble. Despite oppression, regulation, pursuit, and interrogation. We were noble beings.”

-Ssshh!

A surge of magical power rushed toward Fernandez. A fog with the face of a wraith tried to bite his neck. Fernandez flicked his hand lightly. In that brief moment, three beastly figures were pinned through his fingers.

-King!

With a clear sound, the magical power rushing at him scattered. It was a lightning-fast spell. Fernandez approached the old man while keeping the beastly figures pinned. Confusion spread across the old man’s face.

“Magic wedge… You have deep knowledge of necromancy… Inquisition Officer. Isn’t that… the wisdom of heresy…?”

“You’re pathetic now, Manderson. The Calmburg Magic Academy was a gathering of scholars who pursued great ideals and the most secretive mysteries. You were once a member of that noble academy. You were once great.”

“I… I don’t know what that is… Who are you?”

“Someone who was once great with you.”

-King!

As the magical line was severed, the energy seeping from Manderson’s body scattered. Fernandez’s hand quickly pinned another beastly figure, breaking Manderson’s bindings one by one.

“What did you hope for, willingly becoming a puppet? My old friend.”

“The Emperor promised me…”

“What?”

“Eternal youth… Immortality. Infinite time to explore great mysteries. A vibrant land and a beautiful wife… Infinite time…”

The old man chuckled. Fernandez looked down at him with a cold, hardened face. Greed was spreading across the old man’s face.

“It was a simple task. If only you hadn’t shown up. This territory would have been mine, and I would have become the Empire’s Elector, standing eternally great with the Emperor. The experiments I conducted in dark rooms, scraping bile from corpses, would now be freely conducted under the Empire’s protection. That was the Emperor’s promise.”

“Was it worth giving up your own nobility, willingly becoming the Emperor’s dog and a puppet?”

“Who among us can claim not to be a puppet? We are all puppets. Of the state, organizations, society, hell, the Temple of the Gods, or fate…”

-Crunch.

Greed and madness enveloped the old man’s face. Hellish magic surged from his feet, flowing through his muscles and bones. Crunch, crack—the unpleasant sound of twisting bones surrounded the old man.

Flames erupted. Dark green flames engulfed the old man’s body, burning fiercely. Fernandez stood his ground, holding the beastly figures.

From within the flames, the old necromancer’s voice echoed.

“This territory is mine. This land, this body! Even my fate! Everything will be mine!”

“Your soul has been taken.”

The price of commanding a massive undead legion through necromancy. It must have been the power gained by handing over his soul to a demon of hell. Fernandez sighed.

The Emperor. Luring the necromancer to overthrow Duke Erbe and using the Duke’s daughter to turn the entire region of Ribue into his puppet. It was an excessive trap just to keep one Elector in check.

The Emperor is elected. And the Emperor desires his power to be passed down to his family. For that, he set the Empire’s next target as the Eastern Kingdom.

But another scheme was simultaneously underway. The fact that the Emperor is elected. That the Electors hold the power to elect. That…

-If more than half of the Elector families are controlled, the Emperor’s power becomes infinite.

‘It’s not just Duke Erbe who has fallen into the trap.’

-The Empire will collapse.

Just as Faijashi said. The Great War of the previous life. Even in the midst of that fierce downfall, the Empire stood as the bulwark of human civilization, supporting civilized society. Now, it was on the brink of collapse.

Rene Philippa. The Emperor of the Great War. The indomitable hero who repelled two barbarian invasions and commanded the Great War. She was needed. Fernandez took a deep breath as he looked at the flames.

-Swish.

The Keyblade was drawn from its sheath. It shone brightly against the hellish magic. Fernandez pressed his forehead against the blade and whispered.

“This is my burden.”

He stopped the 50-year war. As a result, the Emperor fell, unable to bear the severance of his power. In his previous life, before Rene Philippa ascended the throne, the Imperial Palace was not his concern. He didn’t know what kind of person the Emperor was.

But that. The fact that he didn’t know. At least it meant he didn’t dabble in dark magic or the secrets of demons. The Imperial Palace was closer to being Faijashi’s enemy.

If the Imperial Palace has now fallen into corruption. Could it not be because of stopping the war? Like the butterfly’s wings causing a storm on the other side of the world. Could that action have drawn a series of closed curves?

He wanted to save his son. To do that, he would save the world. That thought, that action. But what was the result? As a result, this world was collapsing at an absurdly rapid pace compared to his previous life.

‘Was it destined to fall anyway?’

-There is no destiny, Fernandez. We experimented with that.

‘It was our first experiment. Yes. There is no destiny.’

Regret is a symbol of weakness. Instead of regretting and lamenting, stand up and run. Fernandez lifted his forehead from the blade and looked at the necromancer reveling in hellish magic. His flesh was twisting and growing as demons clung to it.

“Pray, Manderson.”

He had never lived a life of comfort. Even in moments pushed to the brink, never.

“To any god, with any words. Sincerely.”

So this time too. Even if choosing the lesser evil over the worst. Always.