Ch.92Challenge Letter

# 1.

Peter.

Whenever he fell asleep, he always dreamed.

The setting was an alley in some slum, and the scent was fishy and nauseating.

Someone who approached out of nowhere embraced Peter while he was eating and whispered:

“It’s okay. You’re not strange at all.”

Is that so?

She said he was normal, but the gazes visible over her shoulder denied those words.

“Crazy bastard!”

“Blasphemous bastard!”

“Call the inquisitor!”

Furrowed brows,

Sounds of retching,

Contemptuous stares.

He couldn’t fully understand what was happening, but one thing was certain.

“You all…”

.

.

.

“Made me this way.”

Crack!

With a horrific bursting sound, the sinner caught by the “Saint of the Alley” crumpled.

It was a rupture faster than cognition.

“…!! Aaagh…!!”

Just as the captured sinner tried to scream from the delayed surge of pain, Peter’s chilling face drew close to the sinner’s nose and asked:

“Does it hurt?”

The sinner—Fadel, an A+ grade arsonist who burned people alive—instinctively knew.

‘If I nod, I die.’

If he screamed or showed pain, his head would immediately be severed.

So Fadel shook his head.

Desperately forcing a smile, he wiped away his flowing tears and mucus as he answered.

“I-I’m sorry…!!”

Fadel knew.

That this was the only answer the world wanted from people like him.

Peter, who had momentarily paused his “harvest” at those words, asked as if genuinely curious:

“What are you so sorry for?”

“F-for burning people alive!! And for running away, I’m sorry!!”

“Hmm…? And?”

“…What?”

“I asked, and what else?”

Under Peter’s eerily gleaming eyes, Fadel began blurting out whatever came to mind.

“For killing people!! Oh, yes!! A-animals! I’m sorry for killing animals too!! For killing and stealing possessions, for stealing money, I’m sorry!! For spitting, littering, cursing at random people, I’m sorry!!! And also…!!”

Peter remained silent.

He merely watched Fadel’s prolonged confession with the same dry smile as before, taking no action and simply observing.

The pitch-black saint didn’t move a muscle, and Fadel’s confessions gradually diminished.

Until finally.

Somehow with even his fear erased, Fadel offered his final answer.

“I’m sorry for being born?”

“Why?”

“Why, you ask? You know, don’t you?”

With an expressionless face, Fadel pointed alternately at himself and the saint as he spat out:

“Because we are, by nature, beings like this.”

Only then did the saint stir.

With both hands on Fadel’s shoulders, he answered with a smile:

“I believe in the goodness within you.”

“Bullshit. You know there’s nothing like that.”

“Indeed, is that so?”

Squelch!

Fadel’s heart was seized in an instant.

Looking at his own pulsating heart, he muttered as if it were nothing:

“Tsk, I… begged… for nothing.”

Thud.

Fadel died.

The saint, Peter, had killed him.

That was all there was to it.

【The first apostle <Peter(SSS+)> activates – <Faith Harvest(SSS+)>.】

【Harvest rate: …100%】

【Seal attempts to release.】

【Essence – <Evil> awakens.】

Peter raised his head.

-It’s okay. You’re not strange at all.

That was true until he killed Fadel.

Being innately evil,

Being extremely calculating,

Being unable to feel emotions.

Because the two were the same, Peter wasn’t strange until Fadel died.

But he killed Fadel.

Therefore, the current Peter—who had killed Fadel who was like himself, and lost Lia who had affirmed him—the current Peter:

“Surely, must be a strange person.”

No, is he even human at all?

-Crazy bastard!

-Blasphemous bastard!

-Call the inquisitor!

“We” who are different from them are always objects of rejection, not understanding.

【The seal is released.】

【Essence – <Evil> awakens.】

Having broken the seal and regained his original “evil,” he was no longer bound by “sadness” or “vengeance” as before, but,

-What I believe in is the goodness within you.

Nevertheless, Peter headed toward the Imperial Palace.

Step, step, step…

Walking through the silent night, Peter suddenly posed a question to himself:

“…Why?”

Why do I want to kill the Emperor?

Because Lia took me in?

Because Lia affirmed me?

Because I hate the Emperor who killed Lia?

-Why, you ask? You know, don’t you?

-Because we are, by nature, beings like this.

At Fadel’s answer that suddenly came to mind, Peter’s vacant eyes gently sparkled.

“…I see.”

Just because I want to kill the Emperor.

That’s why I’m killing him.

His heart felt lighter.

“…Oh God.”

Please show mercy just until I kill the Emperor.

Peter hastened his steps.

# 2.

In the past few days with Reina, Nahan learned something new.

That is,

“Sob… un…nie… no… I really…”

Reina sheds tears every time she sleeps. At such times, Nahan would silently take her hand gently.

“She’s a pitiful person. Losing her family, being framed for crimes she didn’t commit, gaining infamy because of it, and then repeatedly losing something else because of that infamy.”

At Nahan’s murmuring, Casler, who had approached unnoticed, bluntly stated:

“Peter has departed.”

A voice devoid of any emotion.

Nahan nodded, picked up his sword, then turned to Casler and asked:

“It was because you lacked power.”

“……”

“Because of your bloodline, you were framed for crimes you didn’t commit, gained infamy because of it, and then lost something else because of that infamy.”

Nahan knew.

Casler’s past and the lingering attachments he left behind.

That’s why he had decided.

“I believe that you, Casler, would at least give that poor child a chance to explain.”

To entrust the Emperor’s protection to Casler after subduing Peter.

Facing Nahan’s intentions, Casler asked with a serious expression:

“Is that an order?”

“It’s not, but—”

“Then I won’t listen. No, if you give such an order, I’ll turn my back on you.”

After the resolute reply.

Casler, who had placed a barrier around Reina, turned away indifferently and warned:

“Please don’t break the promise we made that day until the end.”

“Yes. If you follow my orders well, as per the ‘promise’ we made that day.”

A momentary exchange of glances.

At Nahan’s faint smile, Casler let out a short sigh before speaking:

“Your order to protect the Emperor while you fight Peter—I’ll begin executing it.”

“I’m counting on you, Casler.”

“…Cold Heart.”

“Yes, Casler the Cold Heart.”

The stage was finally set.

“See you later.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Approaching the window rather than the door, Nahan wrapped himself in darkness and leaped.

The objective: persuade Peter.

Estimated difficulty,

【Warning.】

【Peter’s seal is being released.】

【Essence – <Evil> awakens.】

【Due to Skill – <Faith Harvest(SSS+)>, rank temporarily increases.】

【<Peter(SSS+)> → <Peter(Ex-)>】

Very difficult.

# 3.

Meanwhile, at the Black Wolf’s new hideout.

“Unnie! What’s the new order?”

“Stand by.”

It was a failing inn on the edge of the central district, suffering from poor facilities.

“Okay! Did you hear that, Hanryang? What should we play today?”

“[…Damn, I never thought someone could be more annoying than the young lady.]”

“What!? Rock-paper-scissors with a mirror!? That sounds fun!! Let’s go quickly, Hanryang!!”

“…Yes.”

The members who had completed Black Wolf’s instructions spent their time waiting for new orders in their own ways.

“Ruby. I’m thinking of stopping by the Mercenary Union.”

“Let’s go together.”

While most members mingled comfortably, only one person was uncomfortable—she was Yuria, the Saint of Compassion.

“…Senior Punisher.”

After Peter’s departure, she spent most of her time alone in her room.

Unlike Ruby and Dallan who could go out, Yuria, having awakened as a saint, was particularly noticeable and had to stay indoors.

“Rock-paper-scissors!!”

“Yes?”

“Of course you lost again!”

Luna and Hanryang were always doing foolish things,

“Shall we go?”

“Yes, Dallan.”

Ruby and Dallan were always gathering information,

“……”

Lactea always spent time meditating or interrogating the captured Flora.

Similarly, Black Wolf was busy,

Casler was busy,

Peter had run away.

For Yuria, who had joined four years later than the other members, the only place she could be was here.

Only in Peter’s room.

“Senior Punisher… why did you have to go against God…”

She couldn’t defend him because he had committed a grave sin.

‘But even if I could defend him, would I have defended Senior Punisher?’

At the subtle question that arose, Yuria sighed and twisted her body.

They were all sinners anyway.

After all, the Black Wolf was a gathering of killers, regardless of their circumstances.

‘Just as there’s no grave without a story, there must be a reason why Senior Punisher acted that way.’

But even so,

‘The sins that I, the members, and Senior Punisher committed don’t disappear because of that.’

Yuria felt at ease.

Bang!

“Ugh! Tah-heu… my little toe…!!”

At least until she twisted her body and kicked Peter’s desk with her foot.

Crash!

“Aaaargh!!”

The bag that fell over from the impact and the contents that spilled out.

Flutter.

A letter fell in front of Yuria’s eyes, which had been helplessly struck.

An old-looking letter that seemed to have never been opened.

Yuria thought.

Peter = Committed a grave sin = Purged = Ownerless belongings = Coincidentally bored.

“Ownerless things belong to whoever picks them up.”

Rip!

Flutter!

“What could it be? A love letter? A family letter? If it’s something good, I should engrave it on Senior Punisher’s tombstone.”

Yuria began to read the letter.

.

.

.

A few minutes later.

“Vice Captain. I’d like to go out for a while. If you refuse, I’ll fight you.”

“?”

“Ugh…! I-I’m serious…?! I’ve already written a challenge letter, really…!!”

“?”

Lactea received a challenge letter.