Ch.178 Years Ago, The White Sisters (2)

“The soul being subjugated? That’s news to me.”

I felt helpless again at this unfamiliar situation.

‘Some possession I am—don’t I know too little about what’s going on behind the scenes?’

At this point, maybe I should discard all my original knowledge and just remember the broad strokes.

While Eldchain’s progression was certainly unfriendly, there’s a limit to how many variables there should be.

“I don’t know where to begin,” Irefi said, her face clouded with deep concern.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t pry.”

Irefi looked so seriously troubled that my curiosity actually retreated. I didn’t want to satisfy my curiosity by dragging out her painful memories.

“No, it’s fine. Since things have come to this, I think you should know, Nepy.”

Irefi took a sip of warm tea and began sifting through her past memories.

“It was two years after my debutante, when I was eighteen. I had just joined the Nelfrugia Knights as a new recruit.”

A rookie and Irefi… that’s a hard combination to imagine. That would mean Irefi secured the position of Knight Commander in just eight years. In reality, it was probably even faster.

‘I’m reminded again that her very existence defies all logic.’

“One day, some of us knights, including myself, were dispatched to a nearby kingdom for a foreign prince’s diplomatic reception. I was allowed to bring Miren along. She was delighted—it was a great opportunity to explore a foreign country together.”

Irefi smiled fondly without realizing it, likely reminiscing about those happy times.

“It started well. We did a lot of sightseeing and enjoyed various activities. After completing our duties, the knights were waiting in a small village below the royal palace before returning home. Just then, I received an invitation from the prince.”

Her expression, previously calm as an undisturbed lake, suddenly crumpled. A subtle killing intent began to permeate the room, raising goosebumps on my skin.

“I couldn’t commit a diplomatic offense, so I headed to the palace. I had a private audience with the prince. I could tell what he wanted just by looking at his eyes. That fellow said he fell in love with me at first sight during the event…”

“That… that bastard…!”

To privately summon an imperial guard knight and demand affection—was this prince, a national leader, completely brainless?

Irefi must have agreed because of her kind nature, even though this was grounds for the Empire to condemn the kingdom.

“I tried to leave, but I was forcibly detained and had to waste a lot of time. Until suddenly, I saw crimson mist and black clouds rising in the distance.”

◇

As soon as she detected the anomaly, Irefi ignored all etiquette and procedures and rushed toward the source of the ominous energy.

Even by carriage, the journey would have taken half a day. It was inevitable that it would take some time, even with Irefi running at her fastest.

When she finally arrived at the village, an unspeakable tragedy awaited her.

“Kuk!?”

The sky was covered with crimson energy as homes were consumed by flames.

From cracks in the air, disgusting shadow-like forms continuously emerged. Each one spawned another, and two spawned four. These rapidly multiplying monstrosities created utter chaos.

The Chainlich Phenomenon.

In Eldchain’s world, invisible chains bind the entire world. Occasionally, when these chains slacken, they connect to other dimensions, allowing otherworldly beings to cross over—this is called the Chainlich Phenomenon.

A flood of violence worthy of being called a calamity. Unfortunately, this was an emergency situation of unprecedented scale.

“Vice Commander! Miren! If anyone’s nearby, please answer me!”

Irefi shouted until her voice grew hoarse. No answer came. She assumed they were too busy fighting the Chainlich Phenomenon.

“Miren! Please… be safe, Miren…!”

Black entities of indiscernible form blocked Irefi’s path. A normal person would have already lost consciousness from the overwhelming energy.

But of course, she was no ordinary person.

Slash! Slash!

Whether they blocked her path or attacked her, they were already outside Irefi’s concern. Without even drawing her sword, she created sword energy that sliced them all into more than seven pieces.

All the while, her eyes searched only for Miren and her fellow knights.

“No living people, no groups in combat that I can sense…”

Irefi considered the worst-case scenario. Despair began creeping in, but she pushed it away with sheer willpower. She slapped her cheeks with both hands, swallowing the tears that threatened to fall.

“Miren! Vice Commander! Ugh…?”

After searching the village thoroughly, Irefi finally reached the central square. What she witnessed there was the complete opposite of her memories.

The central square had once been a cheerful place where people laughed and talked under blue skies. It had been a pleasant location filled with food and entertainment.

But now, Irefi’s lake-blue eyes beheld a scene from hell.

‘A plain of corpses soaked in blood.’

Beast-like forms howled as they gnawed on already lifeless humans.

A giant shadow continued its meaningless destruction, bursting human intestines like stepping on ants.

Amidst this world devoid of dignity, she spotted something familiar—a person wearing the Nelfrugia Knights’ uniform. Irefi hurriedly approached and checked for a pulse.

“It’s already too late.”

The cold, stiff corpse bore traces of fierce battle. There was no doubt they had resisted courageously until the end.

Then Irefi noticed the corpse was frozen in a peculiar posture.

‘As if embracing someone… could it be?!’

Irefi carefully moved the corpse aside. Beneath it was a lovely young girl. Her moonlight-white hair proved she was Miren Justitia.

“Miren… you’re alive!”

She had already searched the entire village outskirts. The central square was the last place she checked. Among all, only two survivors remained: Miren Justitia and Irefi.

That an ordinary girl survived when warriors and strong men had fallen was nothing short of a miracle born from a fellow knight’s kindness.

“Miren. Excuse me for a moment.”

Irefi carefully lifted Miren and laid her on a nearby bench. She gently brushed Miren’s hair aside and shared her warmth, careful not to wake her.

Miren’s breathing was stable. Only after checking multiple times did Irefi finally step away.

“I’m sorry, sister. If I hadn’t left you alone… if I had been more decisive… everyone would have been safe… Miren…”

Irefi’s soft, small hand reached for the hilt of her ceremonial sword. To annihilate the cursed purple sky and the otherworldly beings.

She was filled with killing intent.

■■■■■■■!

There was no reason the otherworldly beings wouldn’t detect the extreme threat emanating from Irefi.

The giant form that had been mindlessly destroying things came bounding over. It leaped playfully as if it had found an interesting toy.

Its mountain-like bulk instantly darkened the sky.

“Holy Memory.”

She chanted melodiously.

Boom!

The giant form completely crushed the spot where Irefi and Miren had been. The impact pulverized the innards of countless corpses, sending them flying with the dust storm.

Irefi and Miren were nowhere to be seen.

“Sister will be back soon. You need to wait here like a good girl. Understand, Miren?”

The two sisters were completely isolated inside a blue and white cube.

The black giant sat atop the cube, but it displayed an impenetrable fortitude without even a crack forming.

Shing—

The silver-white blade fully emerged from its scabbard, reflecting the demonic realm—a world filled with vengeful spirits.

Slash!

A sharp sound of air being cut reverberated throughout the area.

Irefi had merely swung her sword quickly, but the giant form that had been crushing the cube was vertically bisected and collapsed in two pieces. The sword strike, which didn’t even contain any energy, reached the low-hanging clouds with power to spare.

At this moment, even the mindless otherworldly beings regarded Irefi as a threat to their survival.

“I’ll be right back, Miren.”

To avoid any more regrets. In hopes that her little sister would remember this calamity as nothing more than a midsummer dream.

She stepped completely outside the cube.

Targeting her with her single sword were beasts mad with bloodlust.

Calamities from all directions waited to tear apart the only remaining life.

‘Can I ever atone for my rashness… even if it takes a lifetime? No, I shouldn’t question it.’

A blue energy like a comet’s trail imbued Irefi’s sword.

‘I must do this.’

■■■■■■!

Their monstrous cries were the starting signal.

Irefi quietly opened her eyes and charged into the black horde like white lightning. Even without special techniques, her sword carried a prayer powerful enough to dominate the world.

Crack!

Irefi’s sword scraped the ground. The sword strike pulled the earth like an erupting volcano. Debris flying like meteors tore the monsters’ bodies to shreds.

Entrusting herself to the dust cloud, Irefi moved with agility. Sometimes flowing like a natural stream, sometimes violently like ocean waves in a typhoon.

When she thrust, a straight line of lives became void; when she slashed, a plane of enemies vanished with the sound of cutting air.

Slash! Slash! Crack!

Irefi didn’t look around. She simply charged forward, thoroughly cutting down every beast-like form.

There was no self-preservation in her merciless advance. She continued to cut, thrust, and swing without mercy as she advanced.

No matter how strong a single force might be, it cannot overcome the violence of overwhelming numbers. This was a truth passed down since ancient times.

That’s why both humans and beasts form groups to rely on and protect each other. But Irefi was openly defying this truth.

The tip of Irefi’s sword carried the power of punishment, revealing her quality of being peerless under heaven. Yet it never appeared violent.

She looked like a dancer on stage performing the phoenix, executing a brilliant sword dance.

‘I will bear this for a lifetime. As a knight, as family.’

Irefi’s sword dance was a memorial. It was a requiem to comfort the souls of fellow knights who willingly risked their lives for the weak and those who died unjustly.

Black powder that once had form scattered in the wind, and mindless monstrous cries spread painfully. She stood at the center of the silver-white sword dance that rose and twisted like a tornado.

The sword strikes, flashing like meteor showers, finally found their place after about two hours.

‘Ah…’

As if it had never happened, the clear blue sky revealed itself. The warm sunlight, previously hidden by the purple mist, gently embraced Irefi.

Splash. Splash.

Irefi slowly approached the Holy Memory cube, stepping through pools of blood. Her composure, not disturbing even a single breath, displayed a noble dignity.

“Miren…”

Seeing Miren still peacefully asleep, her tension eased. Irefi carried Miren on her back and quietly left the royal city.

The kingdom’s soldiers, arriving too late, had to deal with the aftermath in bewilderment, knowing nothing of what had transpired.

This was the unrecorded legend of the White Knight. The unofficial first military achievement of Irefi Justitia.

◇

“Holy… that’s insane…”

By the time Irefi’s story roughly concluded, I couldn’t help but curse.

“Don’t you ever think you’re an unreasonable life form? How much training could you have had at that age!”

“I was born this way, what can I do?”

Irefi countered in a matter-of-fact tone. Judging by her plain attitude, she genuinely seemed to feel nothing special about it.

“No, it has to make sense… what is this? Suppressing a calamity alone at eighteen? Ha, I’m truly speechless.”

Although not recorded in history, she was the first person to subdue a Chainlich Phenomenon single-handedly. If anyone but Irefi had told this story, I would have scoffed at it.

“Anyway… Miren suffered from Chain Disease as an aftereffect. I negotiated with His Majesty, using Eldchain as collateral.”

“Because Chain Disease is incurable except for the exception of Eldchain.”

Chain Disease refers to a state where the connection between soul and body is maintained just before breaking.

The soul and body naturally attract each other, but Chain Disease severely weakens this property. Those who experienced Chainlich Phenomena often complained of Chain Disease.

Eldchain is the only means to completely cure Chain Disease.

‘The Emperor granted permission quite readily. It would have been too precious to use on mere Chain Disease. But I suppose it was a small price compared to Irefi’s loyalty.’

“Thanks to that, Miren borrowed the power of Eldchain once.”

“What? Then shouldn’t she be up and about by now?”

Irefi shook her head sorrowfully.

“There seems to have been… a mistake. Originally, Eldchain’s golden chain should firmly secure the soul to the body, but strangely, the soul became bound to the golden chain instead.”

“So Miren’s soul is sleeping inside the golden chain, is that it?”

“Yes, that’s exactly right.”

“This… this…!”

For a moment, I almost cursed in Irefi’s face. The target, of course, was not Irefi.

‘Emperor, you crazy bastard! Yes, I thought something was strange.’

It’s clear the Emperor didn’t deliberately sabotage Miren’s treatment. It was truly an accidental error or mistake. Up to that point, it could be considered an unavoidable twist of fate.

That’s what makes the original story’s events even more cruel.

‘No matter how much her sister died, would “that” Irefi scorch the Empire? If the chain meant for Miren was used on the Empress, it would have stopped at mere treason!’

I could easily guess how the golden chain containing Miren’s sleeping soul was used.

‘They twisted providence by sacrificing Miren’s soul separated in the chain. Because even Eldchain cannot revive the dead!’

One of the golden chain’s powers is to grant equal compensation for an equal price.

An eye for an eye, and a soul for a soul.

There shouldn’t have been any means to offer a human soul in the first place. If only Miren’s soul hadn’t remained in the golden chain!

Perhaps it was because I was trembling that Irefi asked with concern:

“Nepy? Why are you suddenly like this?”

“It’s nothing. I just hope Miren recovers her health soon.”

“Yes, that’s true. Thank you, Nepy.”

‘Phew. Calm down. It hasn’t even happened yet.’

I changed the subject back to Charle. Irefi also seriously offered various opinions as we exchanged theories.

While we were in the middle of determining our course of action, a knock came from outside.

Knock. Knock.

“Enter.”

When Irefi gave permission, an elderly butler respectfully handed over a letter.

“It bears His Majesty’s seal.”

“Yes, Marquess Alteone. A messenger has arrived outside the mansion. I believe His Imperial Majesty has ordered both of you to come to the palace…”

“Tell the messenger we’ll be out shortly. Nepy, change into your formal attire and meet me again.”

“Alright. I heard you were in seclusion, but your recovery seems surprisingly quick.”

We each changed into our formal attire and uniform, then boarded the carriage sent by the Emperor.

It was a journey deep into the night, with still a long time until dawn.

I thought it was dark because thick clouds obscured the moon.