Ch.154The One Who Must Live (1)

Fweeeeee-

A sharp whistle cut through the sky. It was the signal used when the legion began its operations. Following it, the heavy sound of wingbeats blanketed the world.

“Focus on examining the north.”

“The hero’s movement path takes priority over the Holy Army’s movements.”

“Find the battlefield His Excellency desires.”

The wyvern battalion soared high into the sky. As their long-awaited first expedition commenced, they quickly dispersed. They concealed themselves within the clouds to prepare for possible interception by the clergy.

Saaaaaah-

The blowing wind brushed past the wyvern reconnaissance team. The world beneath their fluttering wings was quiet.

It was the silence brought by war. Peace, once filled with everyday commotion, feared death, so everyone hid in the darkness. The terrifying images of demons described in folk tales would continue to haunt them.

The holy knights could no longer protect humanity.

What stability could exist in a world forsaken by angels? Only pitch-black darkness embraced them.

-Hold position for now.

After hovering in the air for some time, the veteran soldier leading the front gave a hand signal. The others pulled on their reins to halt their wyverns.

A world shrouded in night.

In a place where only the sound of wind’s breath could be heard, as if in deep slumber, a light appeared.

It was a torch. Someone was cutting through the darkness.

Not a civilian.

No human could boldly enter a battlefield where angels and demons fought.

Moreover, this was a monastery that the Dark Order’s knights had swept through during their expedition. Among the broken religious statues and traces of demons, all one could find were horrific corpses and information spreading from death.

The group seeking this was clear.

“It’s the Celestials.”

“It could be the hero.”

“We received no news about their expedition.”

“Perhaps they advanced in secret.”

“Hmm.”

The veteran soldier didn’t answer the question.

“We’ll leave the judgment to His Excellency. Our job is to collect and relay the necessary information. Understood?”

“As you command.”

“From now on, I’ll divide the unit into tracking and surveillance groups. Be ready to report immediately if anything unusual occurs.”

Dismissed.

At the veteran soldier’s order, the wyvern reconnaissance team moved nimbly again.

A small group pursued the light from the collapsed monastery, while the rest scattered to survey other areas.

“Remnants of the southern Holy Army?”

The veteran soldier looked down at the receding light.

The final bastion of the human realm, blocking the path to the center along with the hero.

“We must identify them completely and report back.”

Only by killing them all could they properly confront the Celestials.

#

“Persistent ones.”

Durin examined the reports coming in one after another. While most were about the southern regions pacified by the Dark Order, obstacles still remained.

“So the Holy Army still hasn’t retreated.”

“They’re more honorable than those who foolishly fled and wiser than those who died recklessly in religious fervor. These are truly the elite of the elite who have survived centuries of struggle against heretics.”

“There was movement observed last night. Was it them?”

Cesario, the knight commander of the Dark Order, affirmed Durin’s question.

“Yes. Although we destroyed a significant number of monasteries in the last battle, it was only a portion. Those in the border regions are essentially war refugees, while all properly armed forces are stationed in noble territories.”

“You mentioned before that they could be persuaded to join the Order.”

“If we guarantee their survival, they certainly would.”

“They would abandon their faith so easily?”

“They’ll have a deity to serve regardless of which side they join.”

Cesario’s response was extremely secular. Unlike those living in papal territories who proclaimed prayers, those born and raised away from the central regions had different perspectives.

“Though less severe than the demon realm you came from, Your Excellency, the southern region has been a land of struggle by human standards. Faith is merely an oath of loyalty. When only holy knights can use divine miracles, why show fervent support?”

“You mean they invest in survival by obtaining necessary resources instead.”

“That is correct, Your Excellency.”

It was similar to Yursael’s case.

Though born an angel, there were angels who grew up in the demon realm, only engaging in battle, with very weak faith. Some readily accepted becoming demons despite having white wings—humans were no different.

Unlike the divine offspring who lived nearly eternal lives, humans were short-lived. Desperately clinging to fleeting lives that didn’t even last a hundred years made conversion easy.

They were quite extreme.

While some warriors sacrificed their lives for the papal territories, burning their short lives, others like the southern nobles discarded their faith like old shoes for survival.

“If you acquire this man, you can gain control of the south without much effort. Isn’t the main objective of this war to bring down the hero and weaken the papal territory’s control? I’m confident he will be of great help.”

Cesario presented a portrait to Durin. A face drawn with rough lines, with sharp eyes standing out.

“He looks aged.”

“Time doesn’t lie. He’s actually been the ruler of this region for a long time.”

“Tell me his name.”

“Conrad von Dimitrie. A cunning fox who pledged loyalty to the Pope and declared allegiance to the Celestials, but didn’t directly intervene in this war.”

He was a holy knight. If Cesario’s words were true, a warrior with false beliefs.

If they could acquire him, he would be an excellent card to fundamentally shake the papal territories.

“Your Excellency.”

Seeing Durin’s favorable reaction, Cesario continued to press his argument.

“His territory is not far from here.”

“How large is their military force?”

“About five thousand in total. Even if Holy Army refugees flowed in, it wouldn’t exceed ten thousand.”

“A number we can quickly subdue even if we fail. I’ll adopt your opinion, Cesario.”

The regent’s permission was granted. The Order’s knights rejoiced.

Finally, the time had come for the Order to play a major role in the war. Scenes of enthusiasm bubbling up were captured everywhere.

“First, I’ll issue orders to the Order. You are to clean up the collapsed southern monasteries and continue collecting useful resources.”

“We will follow your orders!”

“The rest should focus on the main roads. You may engage in battle with the Holy Army or the hero who might arrive ahead of us.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Even now, hundreds of wyvern reconnaissance teams were monitoring them outside. The Celestials, having suffered a major defeat in the battle between large armies, had significantly reduced capacity to mobilize in the human realm. They would try to erode the demon realm’s resources with a small elite force like the hero.

“Cesario.”

Amid everyone’s busy movements, Durin called for the knight commander. He immediately lowered his posture and showed respect.

“Command me.”

“Remember that unlike the Celestials who have endless opportunities, for us, a single failure leads to destruction.”

“It has always been so, and I constantly remind myself of this. So please do not worry.”

“If persuasion fails.”

He cut off Cesario’s affirmative words. At the same time, his red eyes blazed like flames.

“Kill them all. Without exception. Everyone.”

“……”

“You must also engrave in your heart the fact that the only land we do not rule is wasteland.”

It wasn’t a base emotion born of greed. It was merely adopting the extreme method taken by those backed into a corner.

He intended to turn the celestial territory, to which they would someday return, into a land of death.

Upon realizing this, Cesario trembled. He felt the weight of words uttered by someone who could sincerely carry them out, not just as a threat. He bowed his head and answered.

“A-as you wish.”

“Go. I have nothing more to say to you. Gather the knights and head to where this Conrad is.”

“I will follow your orders.”

Hurriedly, Cesario rushed out of the tent.

Goosebumps still covered his back.

Fear.

He had witnessed the primal terror shown by a demon facing destiny.

#

The southern region was just beginning.

After clearing out the remaining monasteries in the first offensive, the legion occupied the main roads. They choked off the territories not connected by maintained roads, cutting off supplies from the central regions.

“We cannot remain like this!”

“Holy war! This is our holy war!”

Resistance was expected. Those who took up swords to survive charged at the demons. The initial momentum was good, but what followed was problematic.

Detected by the wyvern legion and monitored all day, they were erased from the world by the bombardment of sorcerers.

It wasn’t a grand war. The demons handled the human army as if twisting a child’s wrist. The knights who fell helplessly were contaminated by demonic energy and stuck to the ground. The screams of those who couldn’t die honorably echoed across the hills.

A dog’s death.

The stories spread by trembling survivors broke morale. There were no scenes of dying while challenging demons with swords. All were reduced to pulp and scattered as flesh pieces, so no one wanted to enter the battlefield.

This was true not only among human armies but also among the Holy Army refugees.

Discussions about surrender began, and in extreme cases, even radical suggestions like “How about believing in the goddess of night?” started to emerge.

The faith that had been shaken by Rupiel’s death collapsed uncontrollably.

The region called the land of struggle during the war with heretics truly became a land of those yearning for survival. God was unnecessary.

How could one cling to prayers that would never be heard anyway?

The one who put forward this argument was, of course, the great lord who had a tight grip on the local influential figures: Conrad.

“I knew it would come to this.”

There was no passionate voice. He calmly spoke of his remaining short life.

“Everyone will die. Without exception.”

“We didn’t gather to hear resignation.”

“That sounds like you came because you have a clever solution.”

“It’s not clever, but there is one solution.”

A subtle temptation approached the man who held the greatest power in the southern human realm. The one who spoke was neither a cleric nor a knight, but a haggard old woman. Conrad fiddled with his command baton and asked.

“I thought you weren’t an ordinary person, which is why I brought you into my cabinet, but you say you see a way to overcome this crisis?”

“Yes. It’s actually very simple.”

The old woman smiled. It was eerie because her eyes were hidden under her hood.

“Negotiate with the enemy of faith.”

“Are you telling me to serve heretics now?”

“Of course not. How could I give such an impious advice to Lord Conrad, the pillar of southern faith and bastion of belief? As I said before, you just need to negotiate.”

Though she spoke indirectly, everything was heard. Conrad was not a dull man. He quickly turned his thoughts.

“Negotiate…”

“With the southern Holy Army completely collapsed and demons beginning their advance, who will protect this land?”

“Don’t we have holy knights regrouping in our territory?”

“According to rumors, demons riding dragons are hunting them.”

“You certainly have a keen ear for such stories.”

“It’s what the world knows. How could I not know when all common folk fear and avoid demons?”

The old woman said this while bowing and advising.

“You must step forward as the guardian of the church. It would be a great achievement if you could stop their advance with just your tongue.”

“If I hold out until the hero arrives, I would gain glory.”

Conrad smiled. None of his cabinet ministers had given such advice.

They couldn’t guess his true intentions and always spoke strange words.

“Once again, I find a way forward through your counsel. Thank you.”

“It’s an honor, Lord Conrad.”

That day, a new rumor spread throughout the human realm.

The great southern noble Conrad is advancing with his army to stop the demons. Although he only has refugees, he intends to set an example for faith.

The papal territory was moved by this and honored his courage by granting him the qualification of a holy knight. Furthermore, they sent a hero to ensure the region would not be abandoned.

“Dispatch envoys secretly. We must convey that we have no intention to fight.”

However, no one detected his true intentions.

They were simply grateful for the fact that a courageous nobleman had appeared in a world stained by defeat.

Foolishly so.