Ch.6060. People Waiting for the End (1)

A week later, I received a summons from the royal palace. It seemed Bishop Andre had succeeded in establishing a new agreement with the Kingdom of Kairos. Along with this cooperation, it appeared that the Holy Nation had decided not to make an issue of the crown damage incident. I accepted the greetings of the royal guards while harboring an uneasy feeling in one corner of my mind.

“A summons, huh? It’s been a while since I received one. It must be nearly half a year since I was summoned for something other than an official event.”

George muttered. Since this wasn’t an official event, he was dressed with only minimal formality. Daphne seemed to have succeeded in harnessing her mana during this time, emanating a much more mature aura. She must be reaching the end of the 5th circle, knocking on the door of the 6th circle. With the wall that had been blocking her now broken, Daphne’s growth was unstoppable. I proudly sensed her refined mana.

“The Apocalypse Cult, was it? I’ve only heard rumors about them, never thought they actually existed.”

“This is my first time hearing about them. People who worship the apocalypse and calamity…”

Daphne tilted her head in confusion at George’s words. Marianne was keeping her mouth shut as always beside the two, but her silence was different from usual. I stared at Marianne for a moment, then straightened my steps and continued walking.

“If the activities of those who have been operating secretly to avoid watchful eyes have been detected, it might mean they’re already plotting something.”

George said with a frown. Daphne swallowed dryly while rubbing her arms.

“They can say such things because they’ve never seen a calamity, right?”

“Some say such things precisely because they have seen it.”

That’s what I said. Whether they were people fascinated by the power of calamity, those who worshipped evil gods from the beginning, or groups who became angry at people because of the calamity, I couldn’t tell.

“It will probably be a completely different kind of battle.”

Daphne nodded and turned her head toward Marianne.

“Still, we can’t just send Marianne alone. You made a good choice, Ilroy.”

“I think so too. Anyway, this is much better than being torn apart. Now that we know such people exist, it would be strange for us to just sit still.”

Marianne opened her mouth in a voice smaller than usual.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, if anyone should apologize, it should be Ilroy. After all, it’s that hero’s decision that’s dragging all of us along. Isn’t that right, Ilroy?”

George playfully deflected Marianne’s apology and looked at me. I looked at him and raised one corner of my mouth.

“I’m not particularly sorry.”

“Arrogant, conscienceless, evil party leader bastard.”

George grumbled as he widened his stride to walk ahead of me. Daphne, who had been watching the banter between George and me, burst into laughter and approached Marianne.

“There’s no need to apologize among comrades. At times like this, just say ‘thank you for coming with me.'”

Marianne blinked her golden eyes as she looked at Daphne. She usually spoke so little that she seemed mature, but seeing her like this, I could somewhat feel that Marianne was the youngest in our party.

“Yes… thank you.”

Of course, her expression didn’t change at all.

We followed the royal guard’s guidance through the wide corridors of the palace. The ministers we occasionally encountered either avoided my eyes or greeted me with humble postures—one of the two reactions. Well, at least they’re not trying to devour me further.

“The King is waiting inside with the bishop. And I heard that the bishop has also brought the personnel who came for cooperation this time…”

The guard who stopped in front of the conference room glanced at the tightly closed door.

“You’ll find out the details once you go inside.”

When the guard knocked on the door three times loudly, the conference room doors opened on both sides with a rattling sound. The first person visible was the Queen.

“Hero Ilroy greets Your Majesty the Queen.”

After paying proper respects to the Queen, I slightly shifted my gaze to check the scene inside the conference room. Bishop Andre sitting across from the Queen. Of course he would be there, and several people in priestly attire whom I’d never seen before. They must be inquisitors, subordinates of Bishop Andre.

And then, I frowned deeply when I saw the figures seated between the inquisitors and the bishop.

Why are those guys here?

==

In Evernode, winter typically refers to the period from October to mid-April. Of course, that’s just what people call it—by the end of August, any warmth that could be called heat is gone, and a chilly coldness begins to permeate the air.

“You have good skills. I suppose that’s because you’re a former mercenary.”

Aryen nodded stoically at the knight’s compliment. The knights and soldiers of the north seemed to not welcome Aryen and Isis, or rather, they were still wary and found it difficult to deal with them. Whether they were wary of him or not, Aryen didn’t particularly care, but there was one fact that slightly irritated him.

“Well, even the hero showed remarkable achievements when he first went on patrol.”

That their wariness all stemmed from the hero.

“You’ve had quite an unfortunate turn. If you had remained in the hero’s party, you could have enjoyed all the glory there is to live for.”

Aryen felt irritation surge every time the word “hero” was mentioned. Whether he had accomplished it himself or with the help of Duke Quenore. The fact that he had achieved the idealistic theory Aryen had mentioned earlier at the Kraken battle, the fact that he didn’t have to sacrifice anything in the process, was disturbing the mercenary’s peace of mind.

There were no screams from Barktins. Aryen didn’t disregard their pain, but he thought it was inevitable. After all, if they hadn’t done what they did, everyone would have died. The hero, the saint, the mercenary, and the residents of Barktins who were screaming in pain.

“What I’m really curious about is, why did the hero send away someone as strong as you?”

Aryen was too strong for the knights to just gloss over. If he had been similar to George or Marianne, they might have accepted it, but Aryen’s martial prowess was already at a level that could be considered just below the Duke’s. Even with internal discord, it seemed too valuable a military force to just send away.

“That’s none of your business. I just did my job. If he hadn’t sent me away, I would have left that party someday anyway.”

Aryen answered irritably without realizing it. The knight accompanying Aryen narrowed his eyes and looked at him. Aryen gritted his teeth and turned his back to walk away.

“He didn’t acknowledge me, and I couldn’t acknowledge him either. That’s all there is to it.”

“…I see. Understood.”

There are no heroes. Saving everyone is ultimately just a dream.

The mercenary, Aryen, sheathed his sword. He recalled the face of the madman who had spoken with an infinitely cold expression, saying they must head toward death. He remembered the look in the eyes of the man who said they must carry firewood into the fire pit. Self-sacrifice is deception. He could not accept that method. One person’s way of life could be poison to another.

“…What nonsense.”

Aryen stood at the outer fortress gate, looking at the streets of Evernode. No pain, no lamentation. Even if someone might be sad, there was no one who would leave them to be sad.

“Damn it.”

Aryen cursed and returned his horse to the stable. He didn’t particularly want to stay here long. It was too different from the world he knew. The world the mercenary knew wasn’t warm enough to accept this. His mouth tasted bitter. After all, the scenery the hero had achieved was something the mercenary could not have achieved. He felt the scent of blood in his nostrils.

“Sir Aryen.”

Waiting for Aryen as he came out of the stable was one of the members of the Holy Nation’s entourage. Aryen sighed, shaking off all distracting thoughts, and greeted the priest.

“What is it?”

“It has been decided that we will leave Evernode. The Saint and the Duke are waiting for you.”

Aryen nodded and moved his steps. He had been thinking they would leave quickly since there was no post-war recovery to speak of, but it still felt somewhat sudden.

“This seems like a hastily decided matter.”

“There was a call from the Holy Nation. It seems there is a more urgent matter than the recovery here.”

An urgent matter? Aryen frowned. Has something happened to Isis?

“We’ll discuss the details together when we go in.”

Before the priest could knock, the door to the mansion’s conference room opened. The atmosphere in the conference room was more serious than Aryen had thought. Isis was speaking with a grave, almost pale face, and the Duke, who was usually indifferent and expressionless, was also conversing with a stiff face. At the sound of the door opening, both of them raised their heads simultaneously to look at Aryen.

“…The mercenary. Please sit down first.”

As Aryen took his seat, the priest who had been leading the conversation between the Duke and Isis sighed deeply. He was a middle-aged priest who was the leader of the recovery support personnel.

“In that case, I think it would be best to organize and explain everything from the beginning.”

The priest pushed up the glasses that were half-perched on his nose and turned to face the mercenary.

“The Apocalypse Cult has resurfaced, Sir Aryen. Have you heard about them before?”

Aryen nodded. He hadn’t spent over a decade as a sword-for-hire for nothing. He was also aware of the existence of a group called the Apocalypse Cult.

“I thought they were a dying organization.”

“No. They have suddenly stretched their limbs this time. After operating covertly in the world’s back alleys and underground, evading the eyes of the Kingdom of Kairos and the Holy Nation, they have now come back into the world due to the stirrings of the third and fourth calamities.”

Aryen frowned. The appearance of the calamities was indeed the perfect timing for them to start their activities. But to have increased their forces enough to be caught in the surveillance network in such a short time…

“Although they have resumed activities within the Kingdom of Kairos, the Holy Nation is not unrelated to this matter. It has been decided that the Holy Nation will take the lead in capturing them. The Kingdom of Kairos has also said they will provide all possible support while maintaining close communication.”

The priest briefly summarized the situation, and Aryen found himself wearing the same expression as everyone else in the room. He was well aware of how vile the Apocalypse Cult members were. The atrocities he had heard about during his mercenary days were enough to make even a battle-hardened mercenary like himself shudder.

“So you’re saying that since it’s the Holy Nation’s business, the Saint can’t be left out?”

The priest nodded at Aryen’s question.

“Yes. She will probably accompany the inquisitors to investigate the areas where the Apocalypse Cult has reportedly appeared. The inquisitors will handle the dirty work themselves, while the Saint will calm the local public and work with nearby Blue Orthodox Church branches to care for the victims.”

Inquisitors. Those fanatics. Aryen slightly frowned, and Duke Quenore, who had been listening to the conversation, sighed.

“It’s troubling. I can’t help but think they might have extended their reach to Evernode as well, which makes it impossible for me to just sit still.”

“…This place will probably be fine.”

At Isis’s response, Duke Quenore smiled bitterly.

“That’s bitter to hear. Of course, there’s no need to unnecessarily worry the residents, but I will discreetly increase the patrol personnel. Places where our eyes don’t usually reach, like back alleys. We’ll need to examine those areas thoroughly for the time being. Thank you for sharing this valuable information.”

The Duke expressed his gratitude to the priest and then turned to Aryen.

“Will you continue to accompany the Saint? From what I’ve heard, you don’t necessarily have an obligation to stay with her.”

“…No. As I’m employed, I’ll escort her until the end.”

Aryen said this while looking at Isis. She was noticeably anxious. Was there a reason for her to be so nervous?

“…I see. Good luck.”

The Duke seemed to have something he wanted to say, but he shook his head and stood up.

“Thank you for supporting us in Evernode during this time. I wish you luck on your journey ahead.”

“I only did what needed to be done. Thank you for welcoming us warmly during these difficult times.”

Strong guilt appeared on Isis’s face as she spoke of doing what needed to be done. For the few weeks they had been in Evernode, Isis’s expression had always looked like that.

It was while they were leaving the Strope mansion and walking to pack their belongings. The priest sighed as he looked at Isis’s back as she trudged ahead.

“This is the right thing to do, but it will be a difficult journey.”

When Aryen turned to the priest, the priest cast a shadow over his face.

“Is there something else going on?”

“Well…”

As Aryen asked with an anxious voice, the priest glanced at Isis cautiously and lowered his voice.

“These Apocalypse Cult members who have appeared… their area of activity is said to be around Barktins.”