Ch.209209. Advice

A volatile situation.

Deia’s eyes were fixed with a menacing glare, showing not the slightest hesitation.

It seemed as if she would pull the trigger at any moment.

Mule smiled faintly, dismissed his followers, and approached.

“I’ll acknowledge your spirit. Seeing your emotional outburst, that man must be quite precious to you.”

“Could you just stand by while someone insults your family?”

“Family? Do you truly consider him family? That man who is nothing but an outsider?”

“…What?”

Mule’s question pierced sharply into an unexpected area. He was referring to Shinwoo Kim who existed within Deus Verdi.

“I understand. You can’t abandon family. But sometimes one must endure sorrow for the greater cause.”

The followers gathering around him once again joined their hands in prayer.

Deia and Findenai felt uncomfortable at the sight of them worshipping not a god, but the white-haired man before them.

“He will lead this continent to destruction. He defies the will of the gods and ruins the destiny they have ordained.”

“Keep your bullshit in check.”

While Deia missed her chance to speak due to the strange pressure from Mule and his followers,

Findenai, who never cared about reading the room, cut in abruptly with her axe resting on her shoulder.

“My master will destroy the continent? What nonsense. He just took down four greater demons in the Republic of Clark.”

“…”

“He brought freedom to that cruel republic, you know?”

Findenai hesitated for a moment, but since Deus wasn’t around anyway, she spoke her honest feelings.

“He’s my hero, you piece of shit.”

“…Heh.”

“You’re laughing? Want me to split your head open?”

Unlike Deia who had only fired warning shots to apply pressure, Findenai showed no hesitation about cleaving this man’s skull with her axe.

Sensing Findenai’s intensity, Mule apologized sincerely, trying to defuse the situation.

“I apologize. But I think differently. Is killing a few greater demons enough to be called a hero?”

Just a few greater demons.

Was this man’s god truly so impressive?

Or was he simply belittling demons from a moral standpoint?

There was no way to know immediately.

“Besides, the Republic of Clark shouldn’t have fallen yet. It simply wasn’t the right time.”

“…Not the right time?”

This time even Findenai couldn’t hold back. Her feet had already pushed off the ground, and intense killing intent suddenly surged from the axe resting on her shoulder.

Whoosh!

White smoke erupted from her shoes. They were equipment called War Shoes that she had obtained while bringing down the Republic of Clark.

When Deus first met Findenai, he mentioned that she lacked items.

Blood-Stained Hand, Landing Machine, Bangbu.

These were Findenai’s drop items in the game and equipment that maximized her combat power.

The current Findenai was wearing two of the three divine artifacts.

On her hand was the Blood-Stained Hand gifted by Deus, and on her feet were the War Shoes, an upgraded version of the Landing Machine.

Though she was missing her most important weapon, Bangbu, Findenai was approaching the intimidating atmosphere she had as a chapter boss, but…

To be coldly honest.

CRASH!

She was merely imitating it.

She still lacked the destructive power of her most important weapon.

The axe came down precisely toward Mule’s crown, but he extended his hand and blocked Findenai’s axe head-on.

A white light enveloped Mule’s hand, gently catching the axe.

Nevertheless, Findenai’s killing intent remained fierce.

“Have you seen the blood that flowed in the Republic? Have you heard the screams? What right timing are you talking about?!”

Whoosh!

As smoke erupted from the War Shoes, Findenai’s body rose into the air while spinning.

Pulling back her axe, she twisted her waist and kicked toward his face.

But the result was the same.

This time, the white light took the form of a goddess and stopped Findenai’s foot.

Though it appeared gentle from the outside,

When she felt the actual sensation, Findenai’s eyes widened, and she quickly activated her War Shoes to retreat.

“Hey! Fighting now only plays into their hands!”

Deia shouted, feeling she needed to say something despite understanding the emotional outburst.

Politically and in terms of public opinion, this was not the time to cause a major incident.

But ignoring Deia’s cry, Findenai glared at Mule and the white light.

“That’s supposed to be a god?”

Findenai checked her right foot and axe that had touched the light.

The parts that had made contact were grotesquely distorted, as if eaten by insects.

Though it appeared elegant and dignified on the outside,

Findenai realized there was something quite disgusting inside.

Something bizarrely twisted, different from demons.

“How dare you attack the Spirit Master!”

“Protect the Spirit Master!”

“Let’s just kill them! We’ll carry out divine judgment!”

The followers who saw Mule being attacked lit up with fury and tried to rush at the two women.

“Enough.”

Mule extended his hand to stop them.

“They are foolish. They truly believe Deus Verdi is a great being. We should show them mercy and forgiveness. That’s what the gods desire.”

“What bullshit.”

Findenai boldly stated she needed no such thing, but Mule continued with his smile intact.

“I know why you two came looking for me. You’re searching for Deus Verdi.”

“…”

“Return to Robern Academy. He has returned.”

“What?”

“He’s back?”

Deia and Findenai wore expressions of disbelief. Deus had returned after disappearing for a month?

“He fought the greater demon Learic for a month, and surprisingly, it seems he won. The Dream Demon Palace has fallen.”

“Greater demon Learic?”

“Dream Demon Palace?”

Several terms too important to ignore passed by, but Mule offered no further explanation and gestured.

His followers who had surrounded Deia and Findenai slowly made way.

The clear path urged the two women to leave.

“I’ll see you at the royal palace.”

At this clear dismissal, Findenai gritted her teeth, insisting it wasn’t over yet.

But Deia grabbed her arm and shook her head.

Fighting here would only damage Deus’s image. She realized there was no point in physically killing a man like Mule.

‘He’d just become a martyr and stir things up more.’

Nothing is more troublesome than a dead hero. The public would use his name as both absolution and motivation, boiling like lava.

They needed to break Mule’s image in the public’s mind.

A kind of social death was necessary.

And nothing Deia and Findenai could say now would accomplish that.

“Let’s withdraw.”

There was nothing to gain by staying longer.

Besides, she wanted to immediately confirm what he said about Deus having returned.

Findenai felt the same, as she glared at Mule for a moment before sighing deeply.

Click.

She folded her axe back into its staff form.

“If my master isn’t back, I’ll kill you.”

Even while leaving, Findenai showed her temper one last time before turning to follow Deia.

* * *

Late at night.

Aria sat on a bench at Robern Academy, blankly staring at the sky.

Looking at the round moon, she suddenly remembered sneaking alcohol to drink while moon-viewing with friends.

Though it wasn’t exactly the past.

Chronologically, it was her third year, so it was in the future from now, but still in her past.

Sometimes when she recalled those days like this, she still felt regret, but she had stopped letting the past control her present.

‘Maybe I should try it with the others.’

Friends from then were still friends now.

When the break ended, sneaking out with everyone for a small adventure didn’t seem like a bad idea.

‘The professor wouldn’t like it though.’

Being a proper student.

That’s what Deus wanted, but didn’t he also tell her to experience things she could only do now when he saved her before?

Drinking, which becomes ordinary as an adult, might feel like an exciting experience right now.

‘Well, I’m just thinking about it.’

Like saying you want to travel but never making concrete plans.

Aria talks about it but never actually takes the initiative to arrange such gatherings.

“Yawn.”

Yawning, Aria thought she should head back to the dormitory. With Deus’s return, her anxiety had disappeared, allowing her to enjoy moon-viewing for the first time in a while.

“Hello?”

That’s what she thought, but.

A sweet voice from behind. A soft voice that seemed to announce its harmlessness momentarily made even Aria’s body relax.

But she immediately infused mana into her body and created distance.

A white-haired man standing behind the bench where Aria had been sitting.

Mule, smiling gently as he greeted her. Just as roses have thorns, Aria was wary precisely because she sensed no harm from him.

But Mule bowed deeply toward her.

“O great one chosen by the gods to save this continent. It is an honor to finally meet you.”

“…”

“Given the circumstances, I apologize for not visiting you in person. But I’ve come to deliver an important message.”

“Huh?”

“I understand your confusion. But you must realize the weight of destiny on your shoulders and the schemes of the wicked man trying to steal it from you!”

“So you’re the one claiming to be the real Spirit Master.”

Standing behind the bench, he continued to smile and affirmed.

“Yes. And I am sent by the gods to help you…!”

BOOM!

A blue fireball flew toward where he stood, mercilessly burning the surroundings.

Smoke rose in the night.

Remnants of blue flames still burned the academy’s lawn, and Mule stood there with his body on fire.

“Ugh!”

His lower body, which had been hidden by the bench, was revealed. Something like tree roots or tentacles was embedded in the ground, with only the upper part taking human form.

Aria realized what he meant by saying this body wasn’t his real one.

“The disgusting form of the god you serve is no different from the Dream Demon Palace.”

A sharp voice cutting through the night air.

Mule frowned deeply and glared at the man walking slowly toward them.

“Deus Verdi.”

A completely different atmosphere from what he showed in front of Findenai, Deia, and his other followers.

Mule’s fierce hostility was pouring toward Deus.

However, Deus calmly stood in front of Aria, separating the two.

“What business do you have with my student?”

“Your student? She is a great one! The one destined to save the continent!”

“You mean her destiny as a hero.”

In fact, several absolute beings had already mentioned the destiny Aria possessed.

Even Learic had told her to sell her hero’s destiny at the general store.

“Yes! The gods have…!”

“Enough.”

He couldn’t bear to listen anymore.

Deus clicked his tongue and said to Mule.

“If you’re going to spout boring talk about divine messages, leave now. It’s unpleasant to hear.”

“You, what do you know…!”

Mule gritted his teeth and glared at Deus as his god was insulted.

But Deus gave him a bitter smile in return.

“Far more than you do, I’d say.”

For example.

“What they desire at the edge of the continent.”

“You dare claim to know their will, in front of me?”

To Mule who spat out words as if chewing his burning anger, Deus shook his head and answered.

“I won’t call them evil. But I can say with certainty, they’re not particularly trustworthy beings.”

Though he couldn’t explain the reasons in detail.

It was sincere advice from someone who had seen this world’s ending many times over.