Chapter 33 – After the Battle of Roholon

Inside the temple, surrounded by dazzling stained glass, an elderly man in priestly garments conversed with a woman in a pressed-down robe.

“That concludes the report, Alstein,” the woman said.

“Hmm… I see. While it’s good that we managed to make the priest use the Horn of Wrath, there are still many unfortunate aspects. Which sister conducted the investigation?”

“What’s so damn unfortunate about it? I went there myself. Got a problem with that?” The woman grabbed the old man’s collar.

“Haha, not at all. I merely hoped you’d discovered the beast’s weakness. It’s disappointing to hear you didn’t.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? That bitch sensed me, so I couldn’t do anything. And how the hell did she sense me from over 300 meters away?”

The woman released his collar and clicked her tongue.

“Anyway, she’s no ordinary one. Isn’t she the girl the prophecy didn’t mention? And she’s been holding hands with your precious priestess, so curse magic doesn’t even work. They didn’t let go of each other for a second. What a pain in the ass.”

“Well, that is troubling. We’ll have to send Sister Sharan to handle the rest.”

“Sharan? That useless wind rat? What could she possibly do? Even if that beast kills tens of thousands of monsters and is on the brink of death, Sharan wouldn’t stand a chance.”

The old man chuckled quietly. “Even the slightest breeze from Sister Sharan will be enough to capture the beast.”

“Yeah, whatever. Do what you want. I’m out of here. Thanks to you, I’ve got a mountain of things to do… ugh… who knows what kind of bullshit the elders are going to pull now.”

“Hahaha, I’m afraid I can’t help with the Magic Tower’s affairs. Best of luck to you, Sister Firma.”

“Sister, my ass, you bastard.” Flipping him off, the woman disappeared, leaving only a faint trace of mana behind.

Left alone in the temple, the old man’s lips stretched into a sinister smile as he lifted a prayer toward the sky. “All for the glory of Erden.”

***

The chaos in Roholon had finally calmed, all thanks to a single girl who slept in my arms.

Even though her body was in shambles and her equipment ruined, she had charged into the midst of thousands of monsters. Her arms twisted, her legs broken, blood pouring from her entire body—but she didn’t stop. She killed every last one of them.

We fought our way through the endless monsters to reach her, killing anything that blocked our path. But we couldn’t reach her. No matter how many we killed, more monsters would appear, blocking our way.

By the time Noah’s breathing had grown faint, by the time there were no monsters left standing, it was only after sunrise that we finally found her. She was covered in blood, staggering, yet still standing. She kept swinging the hilt of her sword, even though the blade was long gone.

Tears poured from my eyes. I wanted to run to her, to hold her. But Noah kept swinging. She didn’t even notice I was there. She didn’t realize all the monsters were dead. She just kept, kept, kept swinging. Her arms moved endlessly… endlessly.

Carefully avoiding her flailing arms, I pulled her into my embrace. Only then did she seem to relax. She let out a soft smile, her body going limp in my arms. And she reached out to wipe my tears away.

It wasn’t the terrified, twisted expression she had before the battle. It was the same confident smile she had given me before, telling me not to feel guilty. And then, in that same bold voice, the one that had told me to never die and to never break… she asked for food… for a meal.

Even in this wrecked state… she tried to reassure me… telling me that same thing she had said before we headed south. Despite everything, despite her condition… she wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t twisted with fear. And that’s what broke my heart even more.

I poured all my divine power into her. Even though I knew it wouldn’t change anything. Even though I knew she wouldn’t heal quickly. I just wanted her to sleep more peacefully. I wanted her to be in a little less pain.

“She’s in… a serious condition,” Heinzel’s usually boisterous voice was heavy and solemn as he approached.

“What in the world is this kid made of?” Luchi, his face filled with some unspoken anger, stepped forward as well.

I could hear the murmuring of the townsfolk. Still, even now… ungrateful voices filled the air. Voices asking why she hadn’t fought like this from the beginning. Voices blaming the adventurers for the damage they suffered.

I ground my teeth. My hands trembled. I wanted to strangle them, to snap their necks right then and there. But Noah… Noah had sacrificed herself to protect these people. I couldn’t let myself act that way.

“It’s true that I made mistakes, but this kind of treatment is a bit much,” Heinzel muttered.

“If you start something here… it’s only going to create more headaches for the kid,” Luchi growled, clearly just as furious.

Both of them were glaring at the villagers, their teeth clenched.

“Sigh… Priestess, take this.” In that moment, Luchi pulled a small vial of purple liquid from his pocket. “It’s an Elixir.”

When he said that, my jaw dropped in shock. “Wh-what…?”

An Elixir. A legendary substance said to be crafted by only one alchemist in the world. Rumored to bring even the dead back to life. A divine relic that heals all wounds and accelerates growth.

Even as a priestess, I’d never seen one before. I’d only heard rumors of it. The Elixir I thought existed only in legends was now in Luchi’s hands.

But…

“N-no… Noah’s condition is critical, but with my divine power, I can—”

“No. External wounds are one thing, but you won’t be able to repair the internal damage.” Luchi cut me off, kneeling down on one knee beside Noah.

“It’s a similar situation to last time… though I suppose I need to explain again. This kid overused her senses. Did you see the way she was swinging that greatsword earlier?”

“Yes… I saw.”

“She was moving lightly, right? For hours, that sword never stopped moving. It never got caught on a bone, never stuck in the muscle. Do you know what that means?”

I shook my head.

“She was cutting through only the weakest points. She was sensing each of their weak spots, slashing the exact places that would kill them easily. It’s similar to before, but this time, it was even more extreme.”

“T-then… the aftereffects…”

“Her brain was close to frying itself, or her head could’ve exploded, or she could’ve fallen into a coma… But instead, her organs started to break down, she bled far more than her body could handle, and her brain was partially damaged. Can your healing fix that?”

Luchi handed me the Elixir. All I could do was bow my head and accept it.

“T-thank you… I promise, as both a priestess and as Rubia, I’ll repay you for this in any way I can.”

“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t give it to you expecting anything in return. It’s just… useless to me.”

Luchi stood up and began checking his equipment.

Carefully, I opened the vial and gently poured the Elixir into Noah’s mouth. As the liquid flowed into her body, warmth quickly returned to her skin, and color flushed back into her face.

“Its effects… they’re incredible.”

Her pulse returned to normal, and her wounds began to disappear at a rapid pace. Far faster than I could ever heal her.

“If I hadn’t swiped that from the old man, things could’ve turned out worse. Haha… Let’s head inside and rest. Though I don’t know if there’s anywhere left to stay.”

“Even if we can’t find a place for us, we need to find somewhere comfortable for the kid. Hmm, I guess… this is our best bet.”

Heinzel raised his fist, scratching his head.

“N-no, I’ll find us a place to stay. I’m a priestess, after all. I’ll figure something out.”

I carefully stood up, cradling Noah in my arms.

“Looks like we won’t be getting that meal after all. By the way, Priestess, was that barrier you made?” Luchi, grumbling about needing to visit a blacksmith for his wrecked equipment, glanced around and asked.

“Yes. In case the monsters breached our defenses, I set up a barrier to block the scent of blood from reaching Carpeng. Noah’s idea, actually.”

“So, the kid even thought that far ahead? She’s not ordinary, that’s for sure.”

“Did she not trust the adventurers… or was it us she didn’t trust? Either way… we’re fortunate.”

Both Heinzel and Luchi clicked their tongues in pity as they looked at Noah. All I could do was hold her even tighter.

I remembered the look in her eyes as she stared at the fleeing adventurers. And yet, even then, she saved those very adventurers. She said it was her “reason for existing,” that she couldn’t live any other way.

I remembered the twisted expression on her face when she said that. What kind of past does Noah have? The more I learned about the hidden sides of her, the heavier my chest felt.

“Let’s go. The blacksmith Noah went to should be fine. I’m sure she’ll welcome us warmly… probably,” I said, trying to shake off the heavy thoughts.

“A good blacksmith, huh?” Heinzel asked.

“Yes, she’s blessed. Although her blessing is more focused on speed than anything else,” I replied, picturing Hephaist in my mind. “She talks a lot, but she’s straightforward. I don’t think she’d turn us away or anything like that.”

“Alright, let’s head there then. Where is it?” Luchi asked.

“I’ll guide us. I think it’s a good idea to leave Noah’s gear with her too. As for the greatsword… well, it’s beyond saving. We’ll need to commission a new one.”

I gently lifted Noah, and with my arms full, Luchi took it upon himself to gather Noah’s scattered equipment.

As we walked towards the blacksmith, something seemed to bother Luchi. His face was tense, as if something was off.

“Priestess, are you sure the barrier is still intact?” Luchi asked, glancing around with a concerned expression.

“Yes, once it’s deployed, it stays up until I decide to take it down. Why do you ask?” I replied, feeling a little uneasy at his question.

“It’s just… the flow of the wind seems strange to me. That’s why I asked. If you say it’s fine, then it must be. Let’s keep moving—I’m starving,” Luchi said, though his tone didn’t suggest he was completely convinced.

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t have a single hair on my head, so I can’t feel anything,” Heinzel added with a laugh, patting his bald head.

“Pfft—Ah, sorry!” I quickly tried to stifle my laugh but couldn’t help it.

Up until now, I had thought of Heinzel as a slightly odd person, but after seeing how he fought against the monsters… I realized he was someone who threw out jokes to ease the tension and lighten the mood.

Luchi too, for all his gruffness, was a good person deep down.

And Noah, of course.

I made a mental note to thank them both properly, at least before we parted ways, even if we didn’t make it as far as Cartia Village. They’d agreed to escort us until we crossed the Karahan Mountains, but…

Just as I was about to smile and thank them, something happened.

“Priestess! Use your divine power, now!” Luchi’s shout echoed, breaking the peaceful moment.

“Protect the kid first!” Heinzel’s roar followed immediately after.

And then…

A strange wind began to blow through Roholon.

The earth trembled.

A horrifying beast’s wail filled the air.

A thick, suffocating bloodlust wrapped around us, making the air feel heavy and oppressive.

“W-What is this…” I muttered, my voice trembling.

Then I heard it.

Luchi’s voice.

But what he said…

It shouldn’t have been possible.

His voice was filled with an endless, cursed hatred.

A voice trembling with pure fear.

“Carpeng… has awoken.”

***

At that moment, everything seemed to stop.

A nightmare, long forgotten, had resurfaced.

Carpeng, the monstrous being sealed beneath the earth near Roholon, had awoken. No one knew exactly what Carpeng was—its origins lost in the ancient lore of this world. But there were enough warnings, enough prophecies left behind that spoke of its catastrophic power.

The name itself struck terror in the hearts of anyone who knew even a sliver of its legend.

Even Heinzel, who moments ago had been joking, turned completely pale.

“Luchi, are you sure?” Heinzel asked, his voice unusually tense.

Luchi didn’t respond right away. His face was twisted in disbelief and fear. He raised his head slowly, staring out toward the edge of the village where the barrier should have kept everything out.

The wind.

It was more than just strange.

It was wrong.

“Priestess… this is bad. That barrier was meant to keep the scent of blood from reaching Carpeng. But something… something’s forcing it awake,” Luchi said, his voice dark and hoarse.

My heart sank. Had I miscalculated? Was there something I missed when setting up the barrier?

“Is it too late to do anything?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Heinzel looked at Luchi, but even he didn’t have an answer.

“It’s awake… but not fully. We might still have a chance to reinforce the barrier, maybe buy us some time. But if it breaks through completely… no one will survive,” Luchi said.

“No one,” he repeated, his gaze hard.

I looked down at Noah, still unconscious in my arms.

She had given everything to protect this village, to protect me.

And now… something far worse than anything we had ever faced before was waking up.

“We have to try,” I said, my voice trembling but resolute. “If we don’t do something now, everything Noah sacrificed… it’ll be for nothing.”

Heinzel and Luchi exchanged glances, their faces grim.

“Alright. We’ll try. But if that thing wakes up fully, we’re leaving. We’ll grab the kid and get the hell out of here. You understand?” Heinzel said, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

I nodded.

There was no other choice.

“Let’s go.”

***

We made our way toward the edge of the village, where the barrier was weakening.

The air grew heavier the closer we got. It felt like the earth itself was groaning in pain, as if the land was trying to hold something back but was slowly losing the battle.

And then we heard it.

A deep, guttural roar, shaking the very ground beneath us.

“Priestess! Now!” Luchi shouted.

I quickly extended my divine power, reaching out to reinforce the barrier with every ounce of strength I had left.

The moment my power touched the barrier, I felt it—the massive, overwhelming presence pushing against it from the other side.

Carpeng was awake.

But we still had time.

If I could just hold the barrier long enough, maybe…

Suddenly, a deafening crack echoed through the air.

“No…” I gasped.

The barrier—my divine barrier—had begun to shatter.

And from beneath the earth, something was clawing its way to the surface.

The seal had been broken.

Carpeng had truly awoken.

And this time, there would be no stopping it.