Ch.311311. Eternity

Standing guard outside the cabin made me feel like a smoker.

Naturally, what came to mind was a white-haired, red-eyed maid with a husky voice.

‘She must be on her way back by now.’

I felt a slight longing as I thought of her returning after burning all the golden flower production sites in the Republic of Clark.

‘It feels empty without all that noisy chatter.’

A bitter smile formed as I recalled her always joking around and making strange comments.

Creak.

“Come inside.”

Pelestan opened the cabin door. His expression was quite dark, suggesting the conversation hadn’t gone well.

A staff stood rigidly between the floorboards of the cabin. Behind it, the Dark Spiritmaster shook her head at me.

Since she had revealed herself through magic, Pelestan could see her too.

“Is Luanes really inside the staff?”

Pelestan sighed and folded his arms.

“If he were there, he would have responded to me. How did his soul end up in there in the first place?”

[That’s a fair point.]

The Dark Spiritmaster agreed with Pelestan’s opinion.

[Back then, I lost to Luanes. I was swept up in his magic, nearly destroyed, and then absorbed into the staff.]

No matter how exceptional a Black Mage the Dark Spiritmaster was, she couldn’t defeat Luanes, or rather Heralhazhad. He was literally someone who carried a burden.

[But when I opened my eyes, I had become the spirit bound to the staff.]

Luanes Luden Griffin had vanished unexpectedly. He disappeared despite his victory.

But the more I heard the story, the more certain I became.

“Luanes is definitely inside this staff.”

“But there’s no response. Luanes wouldn’t ignore me!”

[Maybe he’s just hiding because he’s afraid of Deus Verdi?]

“What do you take Luanes for!”

[How great is our Deus? Someone like Luanes would just be pow-pow! Like this! Like this!]

Pelestan and the Dark Spiritmaster suddenly began arguing. The Dark Spiritmaster was especially animated, making boxing motions and punching the air.

[He could beat him up good!]

“Is this person really your master?”

Pelestan looked at me with disbelief. I pretended not to see and picked up the staff without answering.

[Deus, you should answer.]

“Let’s go outside.”

[I said answer me.]

“……”

[Hey.]

The Dark Spiritmaster continued muttering complaints beside me, but I simply ignored her.

“Is there an open space around here?”

Pelestan’s brow furrowed as he immediately understood my intention.

He still seemed unable to believe that Luanes was in the staff.

“Are you planning to force him out?”

“Yes, we can’t leave her like this forever.”

I didn’t know when the Dark Spiritmaster might be swept away by whatever was inside the staff.

Especially since this staff was used by him when he lived as Heralhazhad, not Luanes.

I had no idea how much blood had been spilled through this staff 200 years ago.

It was an ominous object, so I needed to thoroughly examine it to confirm if it was a safe place for the Dark Spiritmaster to stay.

“There’s a clearing over there that I use for training.”

Following Pelestan’s words, we headed to the clearing he used. It was a fairly spacious area halfway up the mountain, and it looked like he had created it himself.

[Can’t even call his master a master. What a complete idiot.]

[Deus.]

Ignoring the Dark Spiritmaster who kept muttering behind me, Stella quietly approached my side.

Her expression had been concerned because of my earlier question, but now her gaze was directed upward.

“What is it?”

Stella continued looking at the sky and carefully placed her hand on my shoulder before answering.

[The gods are watching.]

“……”

I instinctively raised my head. But all I could see were blue skies with clouds drifting aimlessly.

However, since Stella possessed divine status, it must be true.

[Heavy gazes are focused here. They seem concerned about what you’re about to do.]

“Any chance they’ll interfere?”

Since the Dark Spiritmaster was involved, I didn’t want any interference.

Stella, her gaze still fixed, slowly shook her head.

[They don’t seem likely to interfere for now. But just in case they try something, I’ll handle it.]

“…Will you be alright?”

It must be uncomfortable for her to defy the gods while bearing the title of Saintess.

But Stella smiled gently and carefully embraced me.

[I don’t serve the gods for the gods’ sake.]

“……”

[I serve the gods for humanity’s sake.]

I too believed that religion, whether gods exist or not, was inherently necessary.

And Stella was the most ideal religious figure I could imagine.

She served the gods but didn’t depend on them.

She read their words and followed their doctrines, but only because they were right.

“I’m counting on you, Goddess.”

[Of course.]

With a slight smile, Stella rose toward the sky.

[I’ve received your prayer well.]

Stella departed to keep the gods in check, and I placed the staff in the center of the clearing before stepping back.

“Hmm.”

Pelestan stood beside me.

He was still looking at the staff with a skeptical expression.

His unwavering faith in Luanes was commendable.

“Dark Spiritmaster, come here.”

[Tch, won’t even call me master.]

Though grumbling, the Dark Spiritmaster approached. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her strongly.

[Eek?!]

“Hold tight.”

[B-but that person is watching! Do this when we’re alone!]

“Ahem.”

Pelestan awkwardly looked away, pretending not to see, but I ignored both of their unnecessary reactions and answered.

“I need to hold onto you because I don’t know what might happen to you.”

I planned to forcibly extract whatever was inside the staff.

I was holding the Dark Spiritmaster, who was bound to the staff, in case something went wrong.

[…I think you’re holding too tightly?]

The Dark Spiritmaster whispered, perhaps feeling some pain from my mana-infused grip.

“Bear with it.”

I had no intention of letting her go, so I ignored her, and the Dark Spiritmaster wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered in my ear.

[I mean, I’m not saying I don’t like it.]

“……”

[It would be nice if you were this rough normally.]

Pretending not to hear her last comment, I channeled mana into the staff.

My mana began violently stirring inside the staff to draw out whatever was in there.

[Ah!]

The Dark Spiritmaster, in pain, desperately clung to me and let out a groan of agony.

“Just a little more, bear with it.”

[I-I’m fine… Ugh! No, I’m not fine!]

The Dark Spiritmaster clung to my head and embraced me tightly. I also gripped her firmly to prevent her from being pulled into the staff.

[D-Deus! S-something is trying to pull me away!]

“Don’t worry.”

I put more strength into my mana-channeling hand. My veins bulged prominently, and though she screamed that her body was at its limit just from this brief exertion…

My hand holding the Dark Spiritmaster became even more steadfast.

“Nothing can take you away from me.”

I gritted my teeth and poured out mana.

And finally.

Crack!

The staff, like an old tree root, began to crack, and dark red energy poured out from it.

It was the exact same color as the mana Luanes used when he became Heralhazhad.

“Luanes?”

Pelestan, startled, took a step forward, but the mana extending from the staff was transforming the surrounding landscape.

A world was being created.

A dark, gloomy place reeking of blood.

The once blue sky was contaminated with dark red light, and rising from the clearing were not trees but human corpses impaled on stakes.

The chilling sound that echoed was a scream filled with resentment.

Heavy, hot air and an overwhelmingly foul smell of blood began to vibrate.

The pool of blood covering the ground like a lake had already turned so dark it was nearly black.

[Ugh…]

The Dark Spiritmaster, who seemed exhausted and was leaning against me, looked in pain but was safe.

And then.

Whoosh!

A massive monster emerged from the blood pool.

It had the same shape as Luanes’ soul that the Dark Spiritmaster and I had faced before.

But now it had color.

Goat horns rising above a dog’s head. Thick fur surrounding blood-red skin.

A massive stake in its hand.

And.

A white-haired man impaled on the stake.

“Lua…nes?”

Luanes Luden Griffin.

Crash!

As the monster thrust the stake into the blood pool, he exhaled a bitter breath mixed with agony.

Luanes’ once intelligent eyes had already become cloudy, and he offered no resistance.

It’s your fault I died! It’s your fault I died!

Screech!

Die!

You! You! You!

And evil spirits pouring out of the blood pool. They all rushed at Luanes impaled on the stake, beating him, stabbing him, and torturing him.

Luanes continued to scream in agony but made no attempt to defend himself.

He was simply accepting their actions.

“Luanes! Luanes!”

Pelestan desperately rushed forward, trying to use the surrounding blood, but the blood did not respond to the blood mage.

That was natural.

This wasn’t real blood but a fake created using mana.

It was just a background made of mana inside the staff.

“Damn it!”

Frustrated that he couldn’t help the suffering Luanes, Pelestan let out a rough scream and tried to rush toward the monster.

“Stop.”

After carefully laying down the Dark Spiritmaster, I stopped Pelestan.

“Stop? Stop?! Don’t you see what’s happening? Those crazy bastards have trapped Luanes in the staff and are doing that to him!”

“Pelestan.”

Taking in this cruel landscape made of mana, I continued speaking.

“I took all souls on the continent to the land of rest.”

Perhaps he thought it was irrelevant.

Pelestan’s eyes twisted with anger, but I had to say what needed to be said.

“Even the souls that held grudges against Luanes are all inside me. Every single one, without exception.”

“…What are you saying? Then what are those things we’re seeing!”

By now, so many evil spirits had emerged that Luanes was barely visible as they tortured him.

His severed arms and legs reattached, and his plucked eyeballs and teeth regrew.

Hell.

Yes, the pain continued endlessly.

This place was hell.

However.

“There is only one soul here: Luanes Luden Griffin.”

“What does that even…!”

Just one person.

“To put it simply.”

A hell created solely for Luanes Luden Griffin.

“He is creating all of this himself.”

If you ask why.

Heralhazhad.

To judge himself.

Because he couldn’t simply rest in peace while carrying the sins of taking countless lives 200 years ago.

He was hiding in the staff, creating a hell just for himself to suffer.

“So that’s why he didn’t come out.”

Because the land of rest I created doesn’t judge.

It was just a place where everyone could sleep equally.

Luanes didn’t respond to our calls.

“He cannot forgive himself.”

If there was no place to judge sinners…

Luanes would simply create one himself.

“…Until when? How long does Luanes intend to suffer like this!”

Until when?

Considering the blood on his hands, the answer was simple.

“Forever, I suppose.”