Chapter 598
I'll Tell You an Old Story. (3)
Ereneth gazed at Julien with trembling eyes.
‘You…’
If he were truly the Adversary, this wouldn’t be happening. The Adversary wanted to eradicate humanity. He would never fight to protect people.
But look.
That man had fought against the Rift and against the Salvation Church. And now, he was not afraid to fight against a dragon.
There was not a trace of selfish desire in him. He was devoting everything solely to protect people.
That was the very image of the Hero she once fought alongside.
‘Savior.’
In the old war, the Hero had also been called the Savior.
And when she had gathered information about Julien, she had learned that he was called the same even in the Kingdom of Turian.
That was why she felt even more confused. She could no longer be certain that this man was the Adversary.
It hurt.
That face kept dredging up old memories.
Suppressing those thoughts and emotions, Ereneth spoke coldly.
“No matter how strong you are, you cannot defeat him. There’s a reason why dragons are called the strongest creatures and the supreme beings.”
At her words, Ghislain nodded in agreement. He had fought a dragon in his past life and knew well of its power.
Himself, Julien, Jerome, Parniel, Aiden.
Five out of the Seven Strongest on the Continent had led entire armies against one, yet they had all struggled against Arterion’s overwhelming might.
And there was still a story that needed to be confirmed. It had to be sorted out a little more.
“Julien, we can’t just let you go fight a dragon alone.”
“It’s fine. The dragon will come for me as well, so I’ll handle it myself.”
“Why do something that fun all on your own? If you’re going, we’re all going.”
“……”
“Ereneth, why are you and that dragon so certain that the Adversary has returned? From what I’ve heard, didn’t he already die in the war long ago?”
“Yes, he did die.”
“A dead man can’t just… come back to life.”
Ghislain trailed off. As he said the words, something came to mind.
He, too, had died with a grudge and then returned to life.
Technically, he had gone back to the past, but still.
Ereneth answered with a calm expression.
“The Adversary’s death is certain. But before he died, he foretold his resurrection. He placed a curse on us.”
“No matter what kind of prophecy he made, isn’t it strange to believe it so blindly?”
“We thought it was just a curse born out of resentment as well. But in the end, we actually fell under his curse… And only now has it been lifted. That is why the dragon and I are finally able to move.”
Everyone fell silent, merely shifting their eyes.
They wanted to believe it somehow, yet it still sounded like an absurd tale.
Ghislain also found it difficult to speak with confidence on this matter. After all, he had only seen a few glimpses of it in his dreams.
Vanessa, the mage, simplified the situation.
“So, basically… A long time ago, Lady Ereneth and the dragon fought against the Salvation Church… They killed their king and won… But that king prophesied his resurrection… And now he’s back, right?”
“…Yes.”
“And that’s why the Salvation Church believes in that prophecy… They’re searching for their king… And Lady Ereneth and the dragon are also looking for him to kill him again?”
“…Yes.”
Even people brainwashed by a cult wouldn’t believe a prophecy this blindly. Especially from a mage’s perspective, it seemed even less credible.
So, she proposed a more rational hypothesis.
“Uh, um… Isn’t it a bit of a stretch to believe he’s resurrected just because a curse was lifted? No matter how powerful a curse is, it would naturally fade over time.”
Ereneth nodded. She had thought the same way once.
So she presented another basis for her claim.
“Even if the Demon God’s thoughts were sealed, they wouldn’t completely disappear. They’ve already spread across this world. I don’t know all the details, but… I know that his existence has long since become part of this world.”
“…What do you mean?”
“The only people who can wield that power spread across the world are the members of the Salvation Church. No one else can see or even sense it.”
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
It was common knowledge that the Salvation Church used a unique power. And according to the mythology Ereneth had shared, that power came from the energy left behind by the Demon God.
But what did that have to do with the Adversary’s resurrection?
Ereneth, however, continued speaking in an even tone.
“The stronger the Adversary becomes, the stronger that power spread across the world also grows. After all, he is the one who bears the purest essence of the Demon God within his soul.”
Her gaze grew distant, as if reminiscing about someone from the past.
“And those connected to him are affected as well. The first are those who use the power of the Salvation Church. The second are those cursed by him.”
Now, people finally began to nod in understanding. Whether or not the Salvation Church’s power had grown was unclear, but the fact that the restriction had been lifted, allowing the dragon to move, was solid evidence.
But then, shocking words flowed from her lips.
“The third… is the Rift. If you investigate, you will surely find that something is abnormal.”
“……”
Everyone’s expressions hardened.
Jerome and Vanessa, in particular, reacted intensely.
Recently, anomalies had been occurring within the Rift, prompting all the mages to gather and study it. Yet, they still had no explanation for what was happening.
But if what Ereneth was saying was true…
Jerome unconsciously muttered to himself.
“The Adversary has resurrected, and as his power grows… the Rift is experiencing anomalies?”
Ereneth turned to Jerome.
“What kind of anomalies?”
“Ah, the Rift, which we had been suppressing with a magic circle, has slightly expanded.”
She nodded, as if she had expected this all along.
“I see. The Rift is influenced by the Demon God’s power. The Adversary must have been building his strength somewhere. That would explain why he has remained hidden until now.”
It seemed that Ereneth’s certainty about Julien was now turning into doubt.
Jerome questioned her.
“This energy from the Demon God… Is it really something we can’t perceive? How is that possible?”
Jerome was a 8th-Circle Mage. He was more attuned to the world's energies than most.
Yet, in all his years, he had never sensed such an unusual force.
Ereneth nodded.
“The energy that has spread throughout the world is beyond our perception. But it does exist. Everyone knows that the Salvation Church wields an unnatural power.”
“Then how can the Salvation Church use it?”
“I don’t know. They must have their own methods.”
“Hmm…”
“Think of it like spirits. Those without affinity cannot perceive them at all.”
That explanation made sense to Jerome.
The power wielded by the priests of the Salvation Church had never been fully understood.
They drained life force from people, yet their abilities were distinct from necromancy.
Even Helgenik had been unable to determine its true nature.
If it was derived from the Demon God’s energy that had spread throughout the world, then it would make sense just as ordinary people used mana.
“Hm…”
Ghislain fell into thought.
He had reached a level where he could briefly glimpse the flow of the world, yet even he had never seen anything resembling the Demon God’s energy.
Perhaps his level was still too low, or perhaps there was another reason.
Either way, he couldn’t deny that the energy existed.
After all, the priests of the Salvation Church were using it just fine.
A brief silence passed before Ereneth swept her gaze over everyone and spoke.
“I believe that should cover the general background. I understand that it’s difficult to accept, especially with myths intertwined. Even I don’t know the full truth. But one thing is certain: the Adversary has returned, and his influence is growing stronger.”
“……”
Several people glanced at Julien.
If they applied everything they had just heard to him, the pieces fit together perfectly.
Julien was growing stronger faster than anyone else.
But they quickly pushed that thought aside.
There was no way someone like him could be the Adversary.
Ghislain was also certain that Julien couldn’t possibly be the Adversary.
In his dreams, he had seen someone who resembled Julien, and that person had been the Hero.
Even if he had been reborn, the chances of him becoming the Hero again were far higher than him turning into the Adversary.
Just look at him now fighting for the people like a true Hero.
Then… who was the Adversary?
Ghislain glanced around cautiously before shutting his mouth.
‘Ugh, this is annoying. Why does he have to look so much like me?’
— Master! That’s totally you! Just be honest and beg for forgiveness! Say you’re giving up on world domination!
‘Shut up.’
In his dreams, the Adversary had looked like himself when he used Dark’s power.
They resembled each other so much that even Dark had pointed it out.
Ereneth had also attacked him the moment she saw him.
Only after experiencing Dark’s energy firsthand did she acknowledge her mistake, but didn’t that mean the Adversary and Ghislain were incredibly alike?
Ghislain couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.
Because of those damned dreams, he had been feeling extremely confused lately.
Everyone remained silent, lost in thought.
What Ereneth had revealed was shocking, but it had certainly helped clear up some questions about the Salvation Church.
While they were all immersed in their own thoughts, Jerome suddenly seemed to come to a decision.
“Um… Actually, there are some records about the Adversary.”
At those words, Ereneth’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What? There are records?”
“Yes. Our Magic Tower has passed down information regarding the Salvation Church and the Adversary. Though… rather than the Salvation Church, it simply refers to a great darkness that covered the world.”
“What kind of records?! What exactly is written?!”
Ereneth’s eyes burned fiercely as she stared at Jerome.
He swallowed hard.
“Well… I don’t know the details. I just know that the Founder of our Magic Tower developed a spell specifically to counter the Adversary. The one I used on Gartros before that’s the spell.”
“What else?”
“Uh… That’s it? Other than the instruction to always use that spell whenever we encounter the Adversary… That was our Magic Tower’s mission.”
“Who was the founder of your Magic Tower?”
“No name was ever recorded.”
Jerome’s master and the previous successors had all lived in secrecy for a long time.
All they had done was pass down their mission from generation to generation.
At first, Jerome had hesitated to speak about it.
After all, this was a secret his Magic Tower had guarded for centuries.
But Ereneth’s story had aligned too perfectly with the old legends of the Tower.
It could no longer be considered a secret.
That’s why he had chosen to reveal it.
Yet, Ereneth’s reaction was strange.
She stared at Jerome and asked again.
“Are you absolutely certain? There were no other records?”
“Yes, truly, nothing else.”
Everyone once again regarded Ereneth with suspicion.
Just moments ago, she had claimed she didn’t know why the records had been erased.
So why was she suddenly so fixated on them?
Sensing their skepticism, Ereneth shook her head and spoke.
“I only asked because I wondered if it was a record left behind by someone I knew from that era. If so, they would have been one of my comrades. I just… wanted to see an old memory.”
Jerome opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it again.
He knew that the Founder of the Magic Tower had been a companion of the Hero and the Saintess.
But for some reason, it felt like this wasn’t the right time to mention it.
Ghislain also eyed Ereneth suspiciously.
She was still hiding something.
‘She’s not someone who’ll talk under pressure.’
Even getting this much information was already significant.
In his previous life, she hadn’t shared anything at all.
What kind of secret was so important that she was protecting it so fiercely?
It had to be something related to the war from a thousand years ago.
But Ghislain didn’t bother pressing her.
‘This information is enough for now.’
The rest he could uncover in his dreams.
His dreams were clearly showing him glimpses of that war.
But there was still one thing he needed to know right now.
Ghislain looked at Ereneth and spoke.
“Alright, most of my questions have been answered. If I have more, I’ll ask later. Finding the Adversary won’t be easy, so for now, we should focus on stopping the dragon.”
“Yes. Stopping the dragon is more important than anything else right now.”
“But… I’m a little curious about how that war ended.”
“I already told you humanity won. That’s why we were able to thrive as we do now.”
“I get that… but what happened to the Saintess and the Hero? Weren’t they both cursed?”
“They… used all their strength to purify the Demonic Abyss and seal the Demon God’s corpse.
Because of their sacrifice, the Salvation Church lost its land and was forced into hiding.”
“I see. That’s exactly the kind of thing you’d expect from the Saintess and the Hero.”
Everyone nodded.
Two people who sacrificed themselves for the world they were deserving of all the praise they had received.
It seemed like the conversation had come to an end.
But then, Ghislain suddenly asked.
“Where was this Demonic Abyss? Does such a place still exist on this continent?”
At his question, Ereneth hesitated.
She remained silent for a long time.
After hesitating several times, she let out a deep sigh and finally answered.
“That place… is somewhere all of you are familiar with.”
“Where? We’ve never heard any rumors or legends about a place like that.”
Ereneth turned to the massive map on the wall and pointed at a location.
“The Kingdom of Ritania’s…”
Everyone’s gaze followed her fingertip.
When they saw the location she was pointing to, their expressions hardened.
Ereneth’s voice echoed in their ears.
“…Forest of Beasts.”