The Lady Virgin Saint’s foolish gaze turned towards Yulen.
The expression on her face revealed that she couldn’t even comprehend what she had just heard.
Thus, Yulen had to reiterate his words.
“I stabbed him. While Ian was unaware, from behind… I stabbed his abdomen, so it must have been a fatal wound. Naturally, he would have fainted.”
“W-what….”
The Lady Virgin Saint’s voice trembled along with her pale pink pupils. The shock spread through her body like ripples.
“Don’t worry too much, sister. He probably hasn’t died. A high-ranking official has been dispatched by the Dark Cult, and that gentleman is quite fond of Ian…”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
It was an uncharacteristically intense reaction.
The Lady Virgin had not held back her harsh words in a long time, writhing on the bed. Each time she did so, the restraining device made a loud clanking noise as it shook.
Desperately, the woman cried out.
“Are you insane?! You stabbed Ian? Helping the Dark Cult? W-were you possibly under their control…? Then hurry, hurry and free this hand… I’ll take a look!”
“It’s useless.”
The tone was excessively languid.
Yulen’s sigh-laden declaration stood in stark contrast to the woman’s voice, now heated and frantic. Countless emotions surged in the Lady Virgin Saint’s clenched eyes.
Denial, resentment, fear, confusion, and despair.
As Yulen quietly observed the fragments of her pain, he opened his mouth once more.
“I wasn’t controlled. I simply made a rational choice.”
“…Aren’t you afraid of the gods?”
Yulen couldn’t help but burst into laughter at that moment.
They say that lovers become alike. Ian had asked such foolish questions before Yulen left.
Truly a foolish notion.
Rising from where he had leaned against the wall, Yulen ignited a flame in his wicked green eyes. The sound of his heavy footsteps was fierce.
“The Heavenly Deity? Pfft, hahahaha… Ah, sister, you probably didn’t know.”
It was an unmistakable sneer.
It remained unclear whether it was directed at the Lady Virgin or at himself. Thus, Yulen’s smile appeared somewhat pitiful.
“How disgusting is this world? A priest, who should be practicing the love of the gods, regards orphans as mere livestock. Occasionally tossing them food, but when the livestock tries to challenge its owner, how does it act?”
“And so I stepped in…!”
“Those who laid the foundation for your support back then were members of the Dark Cult.”
With a thud, the Lady Virgin’s words were choked off again.
Her wide-open eyes testified to her horror. Although she fumbled for words, the sounds that emerged were simply fragmented screams that resembled no language.
Yulen’s argument intensified, growing more fervent.
“Ha! Are you surprised? But in hindsight, it makes sense. Choosing to side with an orphan they intended to use as a mere figurehead… Wouldn’t a price commensurate with that be necessary? And so, I made a ‘contract’…”
The Lady Virgin’s lips opened and closed repeatedly, her harsh breaths revealing the shock she had received.
It felt like everything she believed was being denied.
She had thought she had run all her life for her dream. Although there were trials and difficulties, she believed she had somehow relied on the Heavenly Deity to break through. Besides, she had also felt proud of her considerable talents.
But what if that wasn’t true?
“Do you still not understand? The Dark Cult has already infiltrated the depths of the Holy Kingdom! There is no chance for humanity!”
“I-Ian…”
Her voice trembled, her eyes unable to meet anyone’s gaze, now lacking their previous fervor.
All these elements revealed the Lady Virgin’s inner conflict. Nonetheless, she did not hesitate to call out the name of the man she desperately wanted to believe in.
It could even be seen as her final struggle.
Even if it was merely a phantom created in her mind as she was cornered.
“Ian will come to save me.”
Suppressing the tears that nearly overflowed, the Lady Virgin murmured those words.
At this, Yulen could only wear a hollow smile.
The Lady Virgin’s blind faith was astonishing. Even in a situation devoid of any breakthroughs, she did not lose her belief in Ian.
Of course, Yulen would not just let that pass quietly.
“Ian, Ian… He is quite the remarkable friend. Honestly, I can’t count how many times I have been impressed. Did you think so too, sister? Perhaps, this friend… could he really… help the Dark Cult…?”
Then there was a chuckle, laughter unmistakably laden with mockery. Yet, it was brief.
Soon, a shattering sound pierced the air.
“…Nonsense!”
With gritted teeth, Yulen shouted with eyes bloodshot, a semblance of madness glimmering in his demeanor.
Clenching his jaw again, he reiterated, “It’s impossible! No matter how exceptional Ian is, he cannot save you! He has no way of knowing this hiding place… Do you know why Ian has managed to survive until now?!”
Yulen’s hand, wore a mock smile as it groped through his bosom. Not long after, a blood-red gemstone rose to the surface of his palm.
The Lady Virgin recognized the object well.
Its name was ‘Bloodstone,’ a precious item said to be worth two noble houses.
Upon reflection, it was indeed puzzling.
How could something so rare appear in such abundance?
The Lady Virgin’s gaze dulled in disbelief. In an instant, Yulen’s smile turned bitter.
“…Shall I show you proof that there are no gods?”
With a crack, the Bloodstone began to crack.
Yulen squeezed it with his thumb and index finger. The grip of a skilled knight was more than enough to crush stone into dust. Moreover, Yulen’s strength was enhanced by the power of the Dark God.
The Bloodstone could hardly withstand the pressure.
The Lady Virgin nearly sprang up in surprise. It was a sacrifice capable of healing all ailments except those of the dead. It was rare for a cleric to simply watch as it turned to dust.
However, in the very next moment, the Lady Virgin lost consciousness for another reason.
‘Aaaahhh!’
Screams spread. A translucent gas flowed out between the cracks of the Bloodstone, filling the Lady Virgin’s retina.
As the pitiful wails continued, the smoke gradually regained its form.
‘Uaaahh, uuaahhh!’
‘Help, please…!’
The Lady Virgin could not tear her eyes away from that horror. The pitiful sounds of crying seeped into her eardrums.
They were the children from the orphanage.
There was no room for confusion. She had tried to feign indifference, but it was a place where memories of her childhood lingered. The Lady Virgin recalled having gone through the list of orphans she specifically obtained.
James, the little brat who complained about having such a common name. He had once mentioned wanting to become a knight and earn a new name after achieving great deeds, maybe one day.
She recalled instructing in secret for a few wooden swords to be sent to the orphanage.
That child was ascending to the skies, shedding tears of blood. This was what a victim caught in the clutches of a wicked spirit must look like.
Mary, the cute nine-year-old little girl. Rarely was there a child whose lovely appearance monopolized the affection of the orphanage. She had mentioned wanting to open a flower shop someday.
But that flower bud never bloomed and withered away. The girl’s wail filled with resentment shook the Lady Virgin’s mind.
The Lady Virgin’s head turned white. The shock that struck her was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
Clip, clip. The trembling jaw joint of the Lady Virgin clicked painfully. The emotion that overtook her eyes surpassed mere astonishment; it was fear beyond comprehension.
This couldn’t be happening.
Still, the voice of the demon remained calm.
“…Aren’t you afraid of the Heavenly Deity?”
It was a dreadfully succinct retort.
Yet the Lady Virgin only trembled, clutching her head in horror.
Thud, thud.
The demon began to step forward again.
“Aren’t you afraid? In the political arena of the Holy Kingdom, you survived thanks to the Dark Cult, and you sacrificed the orphans’ souls without hesitation to invoke great miracles!”
“No!”
It was almost a dying scream.
The Lady Virgin buried her head deeper and deeper, stuttering excuses.
“I-I didn’t know… it’s the truth! If I had known those helping me were pawns of the Dark Cult, if I had known the Bloodstone was such a terrible thing!”
“What would have changed if you had known?”
The Lady Virgin gasped, tears welling up as she struggled to breathe.
Yulen had approached right in front of her. The wicked green eyes emanated a sinister glow.
“Then you would have been chased away without even being able to serve as a figurehead, and Ian would have died long ago, with a gravestone in place… That is the harsh truth of the world.”
“Ah, no… no….”
Even in her pleading words, Yulen’s voice grew louder.
“This god of yours!”
With an avaricious gesture, he roughly tore away the silver rosary that Ian had gifted her, shouting with all his heart.
“Do you still believe in this god?! You claim to love the weak with your words, but have you ever truly loved us even once? If that illustrious deity exists, why hasn’t he saved us? Why does he not extend a hand of salvation to you yet?! What’s more, even accepting the horrifying item created by sacrificing the souls of orphans… Tell me, please!”
At last, Yulen’s hands grabbed the Lady Virgin’s shoulders and shook her. Even as her head repeatedly swung back and forth in a frenzy, she found herself utterly speechless, her mind clouded.
Does a god exist? To explain the reason?
No one wanted to know the answer more than the Lady Virgin herself. Even now, she mumbled her prayers with a pale face.
However, the gods offered no reply. Just as they never had.
After a prolonged period of pressing, Yulen finally gave a hollow smile.
“…Indeed, sister, you cannot provide proof.”
Clank, clank.
The silver rosary in Yulen’s hand rolled across the ground. Even that sharp noise could not rouse the broken spirit of the Lady Virgin.
“A god is an illusion.”
Amidst the absence of gods, the demon repeated its cunning whispers.
“Who can prove their existence? If even you can’t prove it!”
While pondering that, the demon pulled out a sheet of paper from its bosom. The crimson ink contained within held an eerie quality.
It was a ‘contract.’
“…Let’s make a deal.”
The Lady Virgin was silent, her mouth shut. It could even be said that she was utterly vacant.
With a sigh, Yulen forcibly grabbed her wrist. His response seemed as though he had anticipated this reaction.
“Then I will give you the world. Consider it a fleeting dream… there’s no need to be too frightened. You simply didn’t know; you’ve been receiving our assistance all along, haven’t you?”
Even so, the Lady Virgin could not easily respond.
She should refuse; she should push back.
But she simply could not muster the strength into her arms. This was a feeling of powerlessness she had never experienced before.
When despair rises to the pinnacle, even the body refuses to obey.
It was a revelation the Lady Virgin had come to today. Yet, just as she was, Yulen was forcing her hand over to the contract.
As if it were her final resistance, the woman’s finger twitched and trembled. Yet Yulen only wore a bitter smile.
“Give it up, sister. I told you… no one can find this place.”
As the Lady Virgin’s thumb was about to stamp upon the contract, a silver bolt of lightning pierced through the world.
Yulen’s face remained smiling. Neither the Lady Virgin nor he noticed what had occurred. Only the passionate hues blossomed in the suspended time.
Blood red.
Thud, rolling.
Yulen’s severed arm rolled across the ground. Even until that moment, Yulen had kept his body stiff, refusing to erase his smile.
A quiet voice penetrated through the silence.
“…Hey.”
Impossible.
This couldn’t be happening. He had deliberately chosen a hiding place miles away, and he was the only one who knew this location.
There was no way it could be leaked.
Even so, Yulen couldn’t stop the chill creeping up his spine. It was utterly absurd, yet that only solidified his conviction.
Had he really come?
Thus, Yulen’s smiling face distorted, and he moved.
At the end of his gaze stood a man with dark hair, breathing heavily.
“It’s Ian Fercurus.”
