Ch.220Report on the Collapse of Patience (13)

Günther shared an unexpected story. It was about three individuals the Order had been monitoring for quite some time.

Sightings were reported throughout the Empire, but their identities remained unknown. Wherever they went, commotion followed, yet they always managed to escape. They saved people and fought monsters, but strangely, heroes kept falling one after another.

Were they anonymous benefactors hiding their identities, or were they working to harm the heroes? The Order had been tracking them for quite some time but hadn’t made much progress.

A man with black hair and brown eyes. A woman with short red hair. A tall blonde woman. These three sometimes traveled together, sometimes separately. But such descriptions could match countless people in the world.

“I’m talking about you all. Since the collapse of Emmaus, the Order has been investigating and tracking you.

Of course, our results have been meager. We still don’t know who the man and woman accompanying Sister Maria truly are.

What we suspect is that you have your own unique purpose. Even Sister Maria seems to be cooperating with them rather than directing them, and that you have extremely powerful backing.”

Even Kain tilted his head in confusion. He had prepared himself not to be surprised by anything, but he hadn’t expected the conversation to turn toward their group.

Günther, misinterpreting his gesture, blushed slightly.

“The Order is actually weak in these matters. We’re too large an organization to secretly track individuals.

Moreover, we mistakenly believed that Inquisitor Maria was conducting an independent investigation.

Theoretically, anyone human—even His Holiness the Pope—can be tainted by heresy, so an inquisitor’s investigation must be conducted independently and must be guaranteed.

That’s why until now, we’ve only been able to watch as you traversed half the Empire.”

“Wait a moment,” Maria crossed her arms. “Why are you suddenly talking about us?”

“Ah… I apologize, but may I ask for your patience? I’m not very articulate and struggle to speak briefly and clearly.”

It was ironic that the “Hero of Patience” was asking for patience, but Maria nodded for him to continue. Günther smiled in gratitude.

“We realized our mistake only recently. There were testimonies of seeing a black-haired, brown-eyed man in Venelucia.

Sister Maria had disappeared in the City of Lombardt, and the blonde woman had been missing for some time, yet this man continued his activities alone.

So we speculated that the actual leader might be this man here. If so, you aren’t under the direction of the Inquisition.

Let’s match the conditions: Not members of the Order, but highly capable.

Able to move freely throughout the Empire and even spotted in foreign countries. And found at places where heroes have fallen.

There’s only one explanation for all this. The black-haired man and the blonde woman aren’t simple mercenaries.

They’re from the Imperial capital, and perhaps even have connections to the Imperial Palace.

Of course, the world is vast and there are many skilled individuals. Perhaps some ambitious elector bribed capable spies or agents.

But someone bought with money wouldn’t dare defy the Black Knight. They would rather abandon the money and flee.

The hardliners at the Papal Court argued that you should be arrested immediately. They saw you as mere troublemakers.

But I argued that you shouldn’t be touched.

You are the Emperor’s people, and interfering with you would only increase tensions between His Holiness and His Majesty—which would be counterproductive when the Empire’s cooperation is absolutely essential right now.

It seems I was right.”

Unable to contain himself any longer, Kain held out his hand.

“Excuse me for interrupting, but I’m having trouble understanding.

Isn’t the Papal Court’s immediate concern the revival of the Demon King and containing the Black Knight? What about measures against the Black Phoenix Faith priests?

I hope you’re not withholding information because you think it’s too sensitive for us.”

Lily and Maria also agreed. But Günther shook his head.

“We’re not particularly worried about them.”

Kain couldn’t believe his ears.

“What did you say?”

“I said we’re not worried. Of course, we’re concerned. But not as concerned as we are about you three.”

“It sounds like you’re saying we’re more dangerous than they are.”

“Because it’s true.” Günther’s expression remained unchanged.

“The things you mentioned were once problems, but not anymore.

The Demon King was already defeated during the last Crusade. Considering how many times he’s been defeated by the Order’s efforts without your knowledge, countless times.

Just as you move in secret, our Order has been moving similarly.

The Black Phoenix heretics? Troublemakers, yes. But the method for catching troublemakers is simple.

Hold a big whip in your right hand and a large money pouch in your left and shake them. ‘Inform on others if you don’t want to be whipped.’ Classic, but always effective.

The Black Knight? Difficult. A difficult problem. Laios will want revenge against the world, and he’ll want to resurrect Ismene.

But even that doesn’t worry me much.”

“Why not?”

“Because I know where he comes from and where he’s going. Laios understands the hatred and resentment tied to that land better than anyone.

An ordinary person would have collapsed just witnessing such hatred, but because Laios’s own desire for revenge is so powerful, he’s drawn those forces to his side.

The one who moves that land of hatred is Laios himself.

The Wasteland supports Laios too. Like them, he lost everything; like them, he dreams of revenge, but there’s something they have that he doesn’t.”

“A body.”

Günther smiled at Kain’s answer.

“Indeed, our conversation moves quickly.”

Kain’s lips trembled. Intuitively, he understood what Günther was saying. No, Kain instinctively knew.

Rather, his reason was rejecting his instinct’s judgment. That it couldn’t be. That it was an unacceptable story.

Günther knew about Laios’s identity. He also knew that Laios was moving for Ismene’s sake.

“…You. What have you done?”

Günther gave a conspiratorial smile.

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m not particularly worried about him. What we’re concerned about—what the shepherds of the Order are worried about—is you three.”

“Why?”

“Because you can’t be controlled.”

The respect was gone. Kain’s face hardened. Yet Günther continued to smile leisurely.

“Control doesn’t mean dominating like a master holding a slave’s leash. Being unaffected by external pressure is also a form of self-control.

People cannot control the wind. But they know how to avoid being controlled by it. They build thick walls to hide behind or enter caves.

Is that all? They go further and utilize the wind. They build windmills, unfurl sails, and fly kites. They even shoot fire arrows in intended directions to cause great fires.

Making the uncertain certain, making the uncontrollable controllable, distinguishing between what can and cannot be done, and doing what can be done—that’s what I consider control.

From that perspective, the Demon King and the Northeastern Wasteland are under the Order’s control.”

Lily groaned. Maria gripped her chair tightly. Kain glared at Günther with piercing eyes.

“Laios. Ah, Laios! What he wants is clear. He wants to gather Ismene’s fragments to restore her completely.

But that won’t happen. One fragment is still with me, and another is with himself.

Even if I fall, Laios won’t be able to offer his final fragment. His hatred for the world will be greater than his love for Ismene, and he won’t stop until he destroys everything.

And Laios cannot defeat the Order. Of course, he is a child of shadow and darkness, moves as one with the Wasteland’s hatred, and has the support of all evil spirits as their agent, but that’s as far as it goes.

The darkness and shadows he wields can never defeat our light and fire. Our knights have spent their lives mastering the art of cutting through such darkness, and they’ve inherited the wisdom and courage of their ancestors.

As proven during the founding of the Empire, darkness and shadows, no matter how numerous, cannot overcome light and fire.

And what more can be said about someone who couldn’t even properly wield a sword?”

Günther was full of confidence. Not unfounded arrogance, but the posture of someone with certainty. He spoke as if stating the obvious.

“You were behind all this.”

Günther smiled and shook his head.

“Behind it? No. I’m not that remarkable. I couldn’t plan and execute all this alone. I’m not even worthy to tie the shoelaces of the one with the grand vision.

Moreover, I even failed once. I merely received a chance to salvage things, a stroke of luck to restore everything to normal.”

“His Holiness the Pope?”

“No. No. He has already left us. Arius of Temperance. He was truly a great hero.

All of this was designed by him. Everything happened as he foresaw. In honor of his name, I should say he was neither a fortune-teller nor a prophet.

He was a person with extremely rational thinking, a genius who contemplated all possible scenarios. Since the seal wasn’t perfect, he and I pondered many times on how to prevent the world’s destruction.”

“Are you saying that sealing the Demon King in the body of a frail novice priest, ‘splitting’ the body, and then ‘sealing’ it in each other’s bodies wasn’t enough?”

Kain shot back accusingly. But Günther only offered a sad smile.

“That was the second-best option. The best solution was different. Driving a sword into the Demon King’s heart. That was the only final solution.

The Demon King is a being where abstraction and reality are mixed. It’s where the boil of hatred formed with the birth of the Empire long ago, and that curse cannot be lifted. Because it’s the grudge exchanged for the lives of the priests of darkness and shadow, who made up most of the once-powerful Life Tree Order.

Hatred calls to hatred. Hatreds communicate with each other. It doesn’t matter what you’re angry about. Until the heart of hatred is resolved, you just rampage blindly. Just like Laios wandering the world blindly.

Moreover, hatred grows by consuming itself. Nobles despise commoners, and commoners slander nobles. The Emperor suspects the electors, and the electors covet the Emperor’s throne.

The Order is criticized as corrupt by the people, and the Order worries about how many heretics are hiding among the people.

But think about it. No one is made solely of hatred. Because there isn’t only hatred in a person’s heart.

The Demon King, those who cast the curse, the spirits wandering in the afterlife who died unjustly in that land—they were all originally people. And what people have tied, people can untie. Arius focused on this point and found the answer in a very old song.”

Günther seemed to be singing. Or perhaps sobbing.

“The darker it’s surrounded, the more brilliantly it shines, but in light, it loses itself.

For those who desperately want it, it’s too heavy, but for those who don’t, it’s infinitely light.

It makes those who lie as if dead move forward, but it drags those whose bodies are destroyed, giving them no rest.

It whispers in your ear as if it exists when it doesn’t, drives you to absurd actions, yet binds and constricts you so you cannot live a day without it.

Like a carrot dangling before a donkey’s eyes, you can look at it, but no one can grasp it. Perhaps because the moment you grasp it, it loses its light and crumbles.

Cursed! Cursed! If this isn’t a curse, what is?

Don’t you see, everyone in the world walks around with one stuck in their heart! Even those too withered to bleed walk the world blinded by light!

For some, it’s as heavy as a crown, and for others, as light as a bird’s feather. Many speak of me, but their descriptions all differ.

Yet it’s a strange thing. A thousand people offer a thousand explanations, and ten thousand people offer ten thousand interpretations, yet in the end, what they speak of is just one thing.”