episode_0008

The carriage arrived at the Papal Palace.

Vroom.

A mournful and tragic music echoed through the streets.

Aeris’ death was announced to the world.

People walking around the streets shed tears or wailed upon seeing Aeris’ coffin.

“I must be a bad guy.”

No, I was a real villain.

“Emil, please call me next time.”

Look at that. Even a crazy dog was starting to consider me as their master.

If I recalled her evil deeds from my past life, I was indeed a villain.

Even though I didn’t say anything, I could sense that I was being blamed for Aeris’ death.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to be a hero who saves people and receives admiration…”

I thought I would fulfill my dream of becoming a hero that I had been planning for a long time.

But the mission I was given was to destroy this world.

It was no different from destruction after all.

“Ah… There’s too much filth. I have to kill them all. I must purify this land.”

The clueless god had another fit.

“Oh no, I’m doomed.”

Looking back, my life went downhill since the god approached me.

I thought becoming a hero would bring only good things, but it was the opposite.

“Yes, let’s succeed first and then think. In this life, I will treat my parents and Hansun well.”

I will live a successful life.

I will earn an overwhelming amount of money to treat my parents and Hansun well.

Determined, I rushed to my room.

I had to calm down the god who was having a fit.

If I didn’t calm him down now, he would have another fit.

“Oh god, please wait a moment. The class allocation test at the academy is coming up. I will offer sacrifices during the test.”

There were plenty of sacrifices to offer.

Academy professors, honorary professors, bishops who came to supervise the bishops.

They were all figures who fought against demons.

Their struggles spread worldwide, giving hope to people.

If I killed them, it would accelerate the destruction of humanity.

“Hahaha, yes, offer sacrifices to me. This is purifying the world! Blood! Festival! Purification! Hahaha.”

“Why are there only crazy people around me?”

The god had lost his mind.

Even the crazy dog and everyone around me seemed to have lost their minds.

I sighed while rubbing my temples.

I thought I would have a bright and hopeful future after regressing, but my surroundings were filled with lunatics.

“Oh, someone please save me.”

I prayed in despair.

I hoped someone would come to rescue me from this situation.

Unexpectedly, a helping hand reached out to me.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on my door.

“Emil, can I come in?”

It was Daphne.

“What’s up?”

“Just bored, so…”

“Of course, come in.”

I welcomed my first friend in life with joy.

When I was a viscount, I was the only noble in the territory and had no friends.

After my parents passed away, I was busy handling the affairs of the territory.

After the start of the destruction, I had no time to make friends.

Looking back, I lived a lonely life.

I smiled with joy at having my first friend in life.

“I’m sorry.”

But seeing Daphne with swollen eyes made my heart ache.

The reason she was like that was because of me.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Anyway, I’m sorry.”

Guilt tormented my heart.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

Daphne burst into laughter.

She made a face as if she didn’t understand English.

***

“It’s strange.”

Marzita fell into contemplation.

Complex emotions dominated her heart.

“That man Emil is suspicious.”

She happened to witness Emil and Aeris’ confrontation.

Emil, who apologized, suddenly bowed deeply.

Even though he was a high-ranking member of the Aerys Guild, it was a disrespectful act that could have caused great anger.

However, the Guild Master did not show much anger.

He made a serious expression and suddenly released his aura.

It was the expression of someone facing their lifelong enemy.

The aura was directed towards Emil.

Even Mariska, who was far away, felt a chill from the intense aura.

But Emil, without trembling in fear, approached the Guild Master.

He placed his hand on the Guild Master’s body. And then the Guild Master collapsed.

It was too coincidental to say that he collapsed due to a heart problem.

There were too many discrepancies in Emil’s testimony.

“What if the one who killed Guild Master Aerys was him?”

If he used underhanded methods to kill Guild Master Aerys?

All doubts would be resolved.

“No, that’s impossible.”

She denied the thought that had just crossed her mind.

Guild Master Aerys was the strongest among the former heroes.

It was unlikely that he would lose his life to underhanded sorcery.

“Anyway, Emil Brown, that man is someone to be wary of. We must watch him closely.”

There was no intention to delay vigilance towards Emil.

There were too many suspicious points.

“I wish Freya would open her mouth as soon as possible… It’s a shame.”

The key to resolving the doubts lay with Freya.

But Freya remained silent, keeping her mouth shut.

****

“Guild Master Aerys was also attacked. That person is a crazy murderer.”

Freya was trapped in her room.

She was afraid. She couldn’t go outside because of fear.

“Why did you kill Guild Master Aerys? Just for fun?

There was no reason to suddenly kill him.”

She thought he was someone who knew the line when killing the thugs who attacked the escort.

But when she saw him kill Guild Master Aerys, the spark of hope that had remained in her heart was extinguished.

She saw it. Guild Master Aerys right before his death.

He pointed at Emil with his finger.

Even in death, his eyes held a sense of determination.

“You’re trying to console Daphne after killing him?

Crazy. Bastard. Mad murderer.”

It sent shivers down her spine.

Even she, who knew the circumstances, was almost fooled by his tearful wailing.

If she didn’t know the truth, she would have genuinely thought he was grieving.

“Wait a minute…”

She recalled the past.

Besides Guild Master Aerys, there was another victim on the road she traveled with the man.

“Could it be, did that man also kill the mayor?”

The mayor of the city they visited on their way to the Papal Palace had also met an unexpected death.

The timing was too coincidental.

The night the man arrived, the mayor passed away.

“Dad, what do I do. I’m scared. He’s crazy. I got involved with a crazy person.”

It was more than just a crazy act.

Terrified, she flipped the blanket over her head and trembled.

“He’s going to kill me. I want to go back.”

But it was already too late.

The relic had chosen her, and she was forcibly enrolled in the Hero Academy.

She couldn’t refuse enrollment.

****

When the fatigue of the long journey had somewhat dissipated.

The day of the entrance ceremony approached.

The new students gathered in the auditorium.

“Another day to kill someone.”

Her heart sank.

Today, she had to kill someone and dedicate it to the gods.

While other classmates enjoyed their academy life, she couldn’t.

If they were evil, she would kill without hesitation.

But the sacrifice desired by the gods was a clear line.

“Congratulations to everyone on becoming heroes.”

The Pope blessed the new students.

“Ah, now I am also a hero.”

She had become the hero she had hoped and wished for.

She should have been happy, but the voice of the god that suddenly rang out made her feel bad.

“Destroy this world. In order to purify this world, it must fall into destruction once. If you cannot change the predetermined future, just kill them all! Kill all those abominable creatures!”

The voice of God echoed in my ears.

Due to the buzzing noise, I couldn’t hear God’s words completely.

I barely caught the words ‘destroy the world.’

“Why have you gone mad?”

I was curious about the reason why God had gone mad.

There were many guesses, but none of them justified the need to destroy the world.

God’s intentions were unclear.

“Ah… will you grant my request?”

Suddenly, the voice changed.

God spoke in a gentle voice.

The change in attitude was terrifying.

“Make sure to kill that person. Understand? It doesn’t have to be now.”

I looked at the person God was pointing to.

“Madness, it’s the Pope.”

The person pointed to was the Pope.

One of the five reapers who divide this world.

“If you kill that person, I will specially grant you a special power.”

“The Relic – Reaper Power Gauntlet. When worn, it increases strength. The range of using the grip of death expands.

Only those who have God’s approval can wear it.”

“It is a relic specially made for you.”

I listened carefully to the voice in my ear until the end.

It was a special relic that could complement my weakness in power.

If someone were to ask what relic others have, there would be no need to avoid answering.

“I will definitely do it. Just leave it to me.”

People around me looked at me strangely at my confident response.