Zavad let out a long sigh, squeezing out his last remaining strength to finally pull the sword embedded in the ground.
In the meantime, Baha continued to babble, swallowing the clumps of blood pooling in his mouth.
“To the west… the County of Agre… if you follow the Path of Thorns on the outskirts… there is a small village where every house has a sotdae… with bird carvings on top.”
Zavad paused, listening to the halting voice.
The information was far too detailed to be something made up on the spot.
“The village head… probably remembers. The story of the thief… who died stealing a noble’s wallet. After that, Ranshel… truly loathed nobles….”
“…….”
“How much fun it must have been… to torment you before killing you. I hope he can… fulfill his goal. To kill a monster… like you… unless he holds your heart in his hand and crushes it, it would be impossible….”
Baha slowly blinked his fading eyes.
Strength was draining from his entire body, and no matter how much he squeezed his vocal cords, no sound came out.
‘Maybe he’s already holding that heart? If so, it might not be entirely impossible. If he succeeds in killing that man, he’ll surely smile so cutely. It’s a bit of a shame I won’t get to see it….’
He tried to picture Ranshel in his blurring vision, but soon, everything went dark.
Just before Baha’s last breath, Zavad had pierced both of his eyes with his sword.
Having exhausted all his energy, Zavad dropped his sword and collapsed onto the floor.
The area was a total mess with Baha’s blood and flesh, but he didn’t have the luxury of worrying about ruining his clothes.
“You seemed to be conducting an interrogation; did you find out anything?”
Harris, the Vice-Commander of the Knights, approached his exhausted leader.
Zavad shook his head.
“He spoke nothing but nonsense. It seems he was a madman from the start.”
“…Is that so.”
Though his strength was completely spent, Zavad forced his body to stand, acting as if he were fine despite pushing himself to the limit.
It is difficult to command loyalty if a leader shows weakness to the knights.
He always had to maintain a strong front to protect his position.
He believed that even his own comrades could betray him and stab him in the back at any moment.
Because he had faced unknown threats since childhood, he had never easily trusted anyone.
There was only one being in this world he truly trusted, one person who would never betray him.
He dismissed everything Baha babbled as the symptoms of a sick mind, but he did not forget the words he heard.
He was a man with a very good memory.
Despite the blood flowing from the cut on his leg, Zavad moved forward with his usual stride.
Those who had been watching the fierce duel between the leaders remained in a tense silence from the moment the outcome was decided.
As the clear victor moved, the gold medal of the Imperial Knights shining, the knights roared in praise of him, while the Holy Legion threw down their weapons and signaled their surrender.
“There is no more fighting. Tend to the wounded next to you first!”
And as Commander Zavad gave the order toward the front, Vice-Commander Harris, left behind, looked down at the deceased Baha—who had lost both eyes—and murmured in an inaudible voice.
“…So another brother goes.”
He lightly made the sign of the cross and followed Zavad, treading over the corpse.
Meanwhile, at that same hour, Ranshel was staring at the system window floating before his eyes.
[There is a change in contribution.]
[Event Contribution]
The One Who Calls the Storm> : 5▷-%
[Role change for a specific antagonist is occurring.]
[The antagonist ‘The One Who Calls the Storm’ has been removed from the contribution list.]
Since there was no way Baha would suddenly take a favorable stance toward Zavad, it was more accurate to conclude that he was no longer alive.
He couldn’t be entirely relieved, but at least for now, he could breathe a sigh of relief.
Without Baha, the chances of his identity being exposed would decrease….
“…….”
It would be revealed eventually, but at least not right now.
Ranshel curled his body into a ball under the blankets.
The bed felt too cold without Zavad. He only hoped for Zavad to come quickly and hold him.
The first day of the New Year arrived, the day the Saintess’s oracle was scheduled.
The chapel, which had been crowded before, was packed with believers from the crack of dawn, with lines stretching long into the distance.
Despite the cold weather, more and more people gathered as time passed, creating a bustle like a grand festival.
Monks and believers out in the plaza were preparing to send messengers so that the holy heavenly will could spread across the entire continent.
Even those busy with their daily lives were curious about the contents of the oracle delivered by the Saintess.
Anyone living in the Empire, even if not a devout believer, would have waited for this day.
Amidst the focused attention of the entire Empire, the bell signaling the start of the service rang.
When the Saintess appeared from behind the altar and spread her hands, a halo shone behind her, emitting a holy light.
The believers were all captivated by that light, waiting for the Saintess to convey the will of God, but the words that came from her heavy lips were incredibly shocking.
The Archbishop was a heretic who worshipped the demons of the snow mountains, and he had dared to plan the resurrection of the Demon King by hosting meetings disguised as prayer circles in the Temple basement.
Just as the land had been purified according to God’s will long ago, the message stated that agents would be dispatched to prevent the arrival of a cold winter and bring forth spring.
“Then, perhaps those people are….”
When someone murmured unconsciously, a small stir arose in the surroundings.
Those who had received word the previous day were already sitting on their knees before the altar.
According to the oracle, wouldn’t they be the agents spoken of in legends?
The believers stood on their tiptoes, peeking toward the front of the altar to see their faces.
The buzzing commotion vanished in an instant as Frey, emitting a holy light, began to move.
Everything became silent.
Frey first approached the maidservant who always assisted her.
“I praise your justice.”
She placed a flower crown on the maid’s head, and Danie bowed deeply.
Next was Hans, Zavad’s guard, who was crouching his massive frame as much as possible.
“I praise your loyalty.”
Hans, wearing the flower crown, prostrated himself so low his forehead almost touched the floor.
And finally, it was Zavad, kneeling on one knee between the two.
“I praise your conviction.”
This time, Frey did not immediately place the crown.
Instead, she reached out first, exerting a brilliant white holy power to grant a blessing.
“…Now, you have accepted it.”
That whisper was so soft it could only be heard by Zavad.
He frowned slightly, but soon, with the flower crown on his head, he smiled softly and paid his respects to the great Saintess.
Watching the scene from afar, Ranshel opened the window to check the progress of the sub-quest.
[Quest Progress Status]
Zavad Pomel (Knight): Unregistered [Blessing skill applied / Registration possible]
Hans (Shieldman): Registration Complete
Danie (Assassin): Registration Complete
Dotter (Archer): Unregistered [Blessing skill applied / Registration possible]
Finally, Zavad had also obtained Frey’s blessing, and everyone on the list had shifted to a state where the blessing skill was applied.
Now, they would fulfill their roles as agents preventing the Demon King’s resurrection according to God’s will.
Zavad was entrusted with the status of the leader guiding the agents and the knights.
By the Saintess’s will, he was also tasked with leading the final agent who had not yet reached the capital.
The oracle concluded with the message that the final agent could be met in the Pomel Duchy.
‘So this is how the story unfolds.’
