The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 122



Only Krnovel

Episode 122 Star that pierces the truth (7)

A look of embarrassment was also evident on Hendark’s face. His expression was a mixture of doubt as to how he knew that person and embarrassment at having to tell him.

However, he had already promised to do something in return. Arch Paladin, who could see through the truth and speak only the truth, barely managed to open his mouth after washing his face vigorously.

“… … Not much is known about ‘Gordon the Light-Hind’. Since his existence has been erased from the records, only the Archbishops and the highest-ranking knights know about him through hearsay.”

“… … .”

“I, too, have heard everything from my teacher, so please understand that I cannot tell you in detail. Of course, you shouldn’t tell this story somewhere else… … .”

The story begins as Kadim accepts the clear warning.

“As you said, he was a priest who had been in the religious order about 300 years ago. Although his status was not high, like a lay priest, he was a man respected by many for his devout faith and outstanding spiritual powers. Then one day, he received an important mission from someone and set off on a long journey.”

“… … .”

“But all I heard was that I had received a mission… … I had no idea that it was a matter of slaying the Great Devil. “Is that really true?”

Kadim nodded slowly in agreement. Hendark, who saw through the truth, wiped his chin and sniffled. After chewing on the question for a moment, he looked at her urging eyes and continued speaking.

“Yes, whatever it was… … he successfully completed his mission, and was greatly praised by the religious community. A statue was erected to commemorate his achievements, and he was even canonized. It is extremely rare for a living person to be canonized, even after 300 years.”

“… … .”

“But for some reason, he was not happy at all. Instead, he was locked in the church library, saying that the injuries he had sustained during his journey had not healed, and he did not even show up for his own canonization ceremony.”

“… … .”

“I don’t know how long this suspicious seclusion continued. But one day, when there was a major event for the church… … he suddenly appeared in the cathedral. And in front of a large crowd of priests and knights, he made a shocking declaration.”

The voice pauses for a beat, then continues with a slight tremor.

“Elgar, the god the church worships… … ‘Fake’. “They are nothing more than a ‘false being’ who is disguising themselves as Elgar and pretending to be Elgar.”

A violent ripple occurred in Kadim’s eyes.

I couldn’t help but doubt my ears.

He had already heard those words from Illenia once. But this time, he was shocked beyond compare. He couldn’t believe that it was the devout priest of Elgar himself who had said those words.

Soon, Kadim’s eyes turned to the sun. There was a possibility that another divine punishment might befall him. However, this time, it was not an appealed assertion, but a recollection that the speaker himself distrusted, so Elgar’s eyes did not bring down a divine punishment.

However, Hendark seemed to be troubled by the thought of making such remarks. Only after making the sign of the cross and taking a deep breath was he able to continue his story.

“Why did a hero who was canonized as a saint commit such blasphemy? … The full story is unknown. My teacher assumed that I had become corrupted by the harshness of my mission, but my intuition told me that it would not be that simple. Well, if the great devil was defeated as you said, there is a possibility that the devil’s thoughts may have been present during the process… … .”

“… … .”

“Hmm, anyway… … Even a hero revered as a saint could not tolerate such blasphemy. The late emperor and the archbishops of the time unanimously agreed to depose him and have him executed.”

But at that time, the church did not have the power to subdue that corrupt priest.

It is said that Gordon broke the prison blockade and escaped leisurely. It is unknown how a priest who abandoned God could perform such a miracle. According to legend, he no longer wanted to face the voyeuristic eyes of the other world, so he went to the other side of the sun, and was given the nickname ‘Gordon, who turned his back on the light.’

“After that, the whereabouts of ‘Gordon who turned his back on the light’ are unknown. Since all records have been erased, there is no basis for speculation, and only his notoriety and story are passed down in utmost secrecy… … .”

“… … .”

“This is all I know. As for what ultimately happened to the fate of the hero who denied God, only Elgar, who always looks down on the world with those brilliant eyes, will know the truth… … .”

Archpaladin ended his story in a bitter tone. The warrior glanced at the sun and shook his head.

This resolved one of the biggest questions that arose in the second episode.

Why the name of the priest who killed the great evil has been forgotten in the world 300 years later. After some kind of process, Gordon came to the truth that the God he had served was fake, and when he exposed the fact, he was dismissed from the church and all his records were erased.

But after that, Gordon’s traces were still unknown. Could it be that I am really possessed by the thoughts of the Great Devil… … Have you set out on a journey to spread evil? To get revenge on the church that abandoned him?

‘… … No, that can’t be possible.’

Gordon’s realization that Elgar was a ‘fake’ seemed to have nothing to do with the Great Demon. If that were true, then Illenia, whom he had met earlier, should have been possessed by the demon as well.

Moreover, if Gordon had been possessed by the Great Devil, there was no way his other colleagues would have stayed silent. Wouldn’t Cyril and Melissa have made purifying or sealing Gordon their top priority, rather than creating ruins or magic towers?

But after thinking about it carefully, I had a vague idea of ​​where Gordon might have gone.

“… … .”

A guess that came to mind after hearing the nickname ‘Gordon, who turned his back on the light’. Of course, I still only had heartache… … Kadim decided to check it out later when he had the chance.

When I came out of my thoughts, I saw Archpaladin staring at me. A look in her eyes that wants her to explain how she knows about Gordon. However, Kadim had no intention of revealing her detailed story.

“I heard you well. Then, as promised, I will let you know if I find out anything from the Magic Tower.”

“… … .”

Explain your relationship with the person you asked about, that wasn’t in the terms of the deal. Hendark nodded reluctantly, showing a look of regret.

At least I got a clue about what happened after I left in the first round, and about the priest. Now it was time to go get a clue about the wizard. I had to find the records of Melissa, a genius girl wizard who had a habit of recording everything meticulously.

There were still some matters to discuss with the paladin beforehand. Kadim decided on a method of contact after obtaining information, and asked that the Elgar Church’s intervention be prevented for the time being. He also briefly mentioned other matters.

“That demon you killed. We needed his blood to deal with the wizards, but we’re in a bit of trouble. “Is there anything that can help destroy the magicians’ vain efforts?”

‘Mysterious species’ devil’s blood gives a buff that increases resistance to mysteries such as hexes and magic. Kadim planned to collect the blood to prepare for conflict with the wizard, but his plan was foiled as the demon evaporated without a trace.

Of course, the need for blood was their own business, and it was ambiguous to hold the paladin responsible for it. However, unexpectedly, Hendark obediently gave something to Khadim.

“Still, I have something to give you. Take this. It’s a holy relic called the ‘Lamp that Burns Jet-Black’, and if there’s a conflict with a wizard, lighting it will be of great help. However, it will break if you use it twice, so use it only when absolutely necessary… … .”

Hendark took out a small lantern and handed it to him. Kadim accepted it and examined it, and soon sensed the effects of the holy relic and realized how it could be helpful.

And that realization led to another realization.

“Did the Elgar Order know what magic the magicians used?”

“… … That’s right. It’s not a widely known fact, as the aura is faint and difficult to detect. However, high-ranking paladins and bishops like me are extremely sensitive to the aura of the devil… … .”

Kadim sneered.

“How ridiculous. Aren’t you guys so crazy about hunting demons and heretics? Then why do you just leave those who openly use ‘magic’ alone?”

“that… … “It is consistent with the reason I am not hostile to you.”

Because I am not sure that we will win safely without major losses, and even if there is small damage, it will be of great help to the country.

“… … It was not for nothing that the former emperor granted autonomy to the Free Cities Alliance. It was impossible for the church’s paladins alone to handle the demons of the entire continent… … . Even if a little of the devil’s energy was used, wizards who only recycled that energy to subdue devils were a necessary evil that could not be destroyed… … .”

Hendark mumbles a few words as if making excuses.

Even if I added this or that, it was the same as saying that in the end, I gave in to reality and broke my religious beliefs. Perhaps because he was having a hard time thinking to himself, his voice crawled into a rat hole and his face showed a look of repentance.

However, it was an answer that made enough sense to Kadim.

This too was ultimately a question of power. All problems can be solved with strength, and if there is a problem that cannot be solved, it means that strength is not enough.

So, I had to keep building up my strength.

… … Until the Elgar Church broke even their religious beliefs and made them untouchable.

There was no more conversation to share. Hendark summoned the light horse again. The light horse, which had been summoned again after being cut by an axe, raised its front paws and shuddered at the sight of the savage.

– Whiuuuuung! Whiuuuung!

“Whoa, whoa, calm down… … . Whoa, whoa… … .”

“… … .”

The moment of farewell. Hendark prayed for good luck and a blessing in Elgar’s name. After hearing those words, Kadim felt very uncomfortable and wondered whether to tell this to the paladin.

The fact that ‘Elgar’ is fake is true.

If you really see through the truth, you will realize that it is also true.

But the eyes in the sky were shining too brilliantly to speak without thinking. The stigmata were also Elgar’s blessings, so he didn’t know what kind of distortion would come into it. Helplessly, Kadim swallowed the words stuck in his throat and asked another question.

“Hey, one last question.”

“Well, tell me.”

“You probably know the corruption of the Elgar Church better than I do, so why don’t you leave there? No matter how hard you try to lead the church down the right path, there won’t be many people who can help you.”

“… … .”

“Is it because of the mighty power and blessing of Elgar?”

Archpaladin closed his eyes.

He had a smile that was bitterer than a poisonous plant on his lips, and he covered his face with a helmet to hide his dark face. She sighed and slowly shook her head. I barely managed to get an answer out in a voice as faint as a meteor falling from the sky.

“Even if all around is covered in the darkness of night, the stars must shine in their place. Only then will someone see their light and find their way… … .”

*

It’s been a while since the people of Quirn escaped from the blockaded village, and they are on their way to escape again in a panic.

“Go quickly! There is no time to hesitate! “If you go slowly, you won’t be able to find even a single bone, so everyone hurry!”

“Mom, my feet hurt… … . I have no strength in my legs… … .”

“Just hold on a little longer, baby… … . Just a little further… … .”

“Chief! Well, can we all go back to the village together for a moment? Because I was in a hurry, I couldn’t even bring a spoon… … .”

“Don’t be stupid! If you want to go back and die, go and die alone! Do you think the Paladin will take care of the situation if we visit for a short time?”

From time to time, people came forward who wanted to go back, but the village chief firmly rejected all of their suggestions. The villagers sighed deeply, but had no choice but to comply with the instructions.

The village chief chewed his lips anxiously as he watched the procession following him.

It had to be that way. If he was riding a shining horse, he must have been a paladin of the Elgar Church, a powerful high-ranking paladin at that. If he unleashed his power, it would cause a massive natural disaster, but he had no idea whether he could completely avoid the aftermath by moving at such a slow pace.

I could guess why the Paladins had come. The Empire was once again revealing its ambitions and trying to completely swallow up the Alliance.

In that case, the Paladin’s first target was likely to be ‘Vestana’, where the Alliance’s core power, the Magic Tower, was located.

Therefore, the evacuation procession was heading in the opposite direction. In the end, if war breaks out, there will be no safe place anywhere in the alliance territory… … In any case, the village chief decided that it was important to avoid immediate disaster.

“Everyone, hurry up! We have to go faster to get away from the Paladin safely… … .”

But unfortunately, the prediction of the village chief, who had already written a war story in his head, was wrong.

Dugugugugu, dugugugugu, dugugugugugu!

The sound of horse hooves shook the sky. A faint light rose in the sky again. No one now regarded that light as a good omen. People’s faces turned pale like dried wax.

“Seo, it’s a paladin… … .”

“A paladin came after us… … .”

“Everyone, everyone run away!!!”

“Aaaahhh!!!”

“Aaaaaaaaa!!”

The paladin was coming towards them, not Vestana.

The village chief closed his eyes tightly. Oh no, you saw us. It was clear that they wanted to destroy the witnesses first before attacking the magic tower.

Now it’s all wrong. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn’t escape. She sits down in despair and tries to just submit to destruction… …

Dugugugugu, dugugugu, dugugugu… … .

The light flashed across the sky like a meteor and disappeared into the west.

And then he never showed up again.

““… … ?””

People blinked and looked at each other. After a while, I secretly looked at the village chief as if asking for an explanation, but there was no reply. He also had no idea what was going on.

At that time, a huge spirit suddenly appeared from the bushes.

“What is it? Why is everyone gathered here?”

“… … .”

“Are we going on a picnic to commemorate our escape from the village?”

Kadim, the Atalain mercenary who had set out to kill the demon, appeared in front of the village chief with a bewildered expression.

“Hey, mercenary? How did you get here… …? Did you kill the demon already?”

“… … I didn’t kill it. I just chased after it, and it crawled into the ground and died.”

“T, that can’t be… … Ah, no, more than that, have you seen the paladin by any chance, mercenary? The messenger of death who came to destroy that alliance… … .”

“… … No. He didn’t come here to destroy the alliance. He came here because he had business with me. After he finished his business, he quietly went his own way.”

The village chief’s eyes flashed as if they were about to pop out. She shook her beard as if she couldn’t believe it, and then asked back in a voice full of tremors.

“Well, then, could it be that the mercenary achieved victory after a fierce battle and drove that powerful paladin back to the empire?”

“… … .”

How can my words be interpreted like that?

Kadim gave a bewildered look without answering. However, the village chief, who was already deeply misunderstood, could not control his surging emotions and suddenly shouted:

“Look here, everyone! This man has defeated the wicked demon and defeated the mighty knight! Now you can all return to your village and rest in peace!! Right now, before your eyes!! A great hero stands here, who stopped the war without paying any price and saved our homeland!!!”

““… … !!!””

The eyes widened in shock and then slowly turned bright red. Regardless of age or gender, the eyes looking at Kadim were filled with astonishment and admiration.

Kadim stared blankly at those gazes and thought to himself:

“… … .”

If I had known that he would talk nonsense like that, he would have just locked me in the tent.