The fact that all the priests of the Church were dark mages no longer bothered Baek Yu-Seol.
A dark mage who committed crimes was different from these dark mage priests, who had simply lived their lives as clergy.
Dark mage priests?
It wasn't a strange concept.
Religion in this world was incredibly diverse, with very little in common between different doctrines and beliefs.
Some religions even permitted murder, making them fundamentally different from Earth's religions.
The Divine Moon Church's practices were particularly unique. They worshipped the Twelve Divine Moons and sought to gain mystical powers through their faith. As a result, many people seeking power and fame were drawn to the church.
Even in the original game, dark mage priests often appeared as members of the Divine Moon Church. In fact, Professor Raiden, the representative dark mage spy of Stella, had even specialized in the subject of Divine Moon Studies.
"You're a mage from Stella, but you seem to have no prejudice."
"Contrary to your reputation as the 'Dark Mage Slayer,' you're surprisingly calm."
"I only kill dark mage who've committed crimes. I have no reason to attack innocent ones."
"Hmm... It's nice that you trust us, but don't assume every Gray Divine Moon Church priest is trustworthy."
"...Are there other branches of the Gray Divine Moon Church besides this one?"
"Of course. You know that Dark Mage Cult Leader who's been causing a fuss lately? He's practically the holy sovereign of the Church."
Baek Yu-Seol had no idea.
But then again, the mysteries surrounding the Dark Mage Cult Leader had never been fully unraveled in the original game, so it made sense he was unaware.
"Well, we've cut ties with all of that and live our lives here, but just be cautious."
As Baek Yu-Seol conversed with the dark mage priests about the Gray Divine Moon Church, he slowly observed the temple.
'Why does a place like this even exist?'
The interior structure didn't resemble a church at all. There wasn't a single human worshiper in sight; almost everyone there was a dark mage.
He couldn't tell how devout their faith actually was, but he couldn't understand why they maintained the pretense of a church while essentially functioning as the mafia of this region.
Pretending to be a church and hiding their true nature didn't make much sense, considering no one could even approach this temple to begin with.
This is strange.
Baek Yu-Seol narrowed his eyes.
This wasn't a simple temple built to worship the Twelve Divine Moons. He didn't have concrete evidence, but for some reason, he felt strangely certain of it.
'It feels almost like…'
"We've arrived."
At those words, Baek Yu-Seol looked ahead. A massive door loomed in front of him. It was covered in ominously grotesque patterns.
"So, the priest who once pursued the Witch Queen is inside here?"
"That's right. It's been a while since we've come here ourselves."
"A while…?"
"We need to pray first, so step aside for a moment."
When the two priests stood side by side in front of the door, Baek Yu-Seol took a step back. Panallet, feeling uneasy, hid behind Syclen.
Creak… Creak… Creak…
A bizarre sound, like wood being scraped, came from the priests' mouths. Baek Yu-Seol couldn't quite understand it, but it seemed to be some kind of prayer.
Vroooom!!!
As their chanting continued, the magical glyphs carved into the door began to glow with a gray light, and soon the entire door started to shimmer.
"Let's go in."
"What? The door didn't even open."
However, Baek Yu-Seol confidently walked up to the still-closed door. As Syclen followed him, a flustered Panallet reluctantly trailed after them.
Squelch!
The moment Baek Yu-Seol touched the door, he disappeared as if passing through a wall.
"Wow…"
Panallet exclaimed in awe and quickly followed Syclen.
When Syclen's body passed through the door without issue, Panallet tried to follow but—
Thud!
"Ouch!"
She banged her forehead hard against the unyielding door and fell to the ground, clutching her head.
The two priests looked down at her and spoke.
"...Not being able to pass through this door means you must be a witch, right?"
"We have no intention of attacking you, especially since Baek Yu-Seol holds goodwill toward us. But once this matter is over, you'll have to leave immediately."
The priests gave a chilling, firm warning before entering the door themselves. In a panic, Panallet grabbed onto the edge of their robes.
Swoosh!
To her surprise, she managed to enter the door along with the priests.
The priests looked shocked, but Panallet smirked, raised her middle finger at them, and clung to Syclen.
'What the hell is this?'
Baek Yu-Seol, who had entered first, frowned at the eerie atmosphere around him.
What is this?
The space was dark and dreary.
Instead of gray, the magic circles glowed a deep red.
Dozens of candles were arranged atop the magic circles, casting flickering shadows.
"This looks like… some kind of witch ritual."
"No, it's not just some ritual. This is definitely a witch's curse circle."
"A curse circle…?"
"You know those old stories about sticking nails into dolls to curse someone, right? This is an advanced version of that. Witches nowadays are smarter and more sophisticated, they use techniques that ensure high success rates for curses."
Hearing the unsettling explanation, Baek Yu-Seol turned his gaze toward someone sitting at the edge of the magic circle.
The figure was cloaked in a navy-blue robe that concealed their entire body and sat with their head bowed low. They didn't even glance in Baek Yu-Seol and Syclen's direction and almost resembled a lifeless corpse.
"The world is full of people with complicated stories. Especially those involved with witches, they often seem to struggle against their fate."
"Witches, you say?" Syclen frowned as the priest nodded and elaborated.
"You're all rather peculiar too, aren't you? A witch hunter who fell in love with a witch. A witch who grew fond of a witch hunter. And even a human who fell in love with a witch and chose to become a witch hunter."
Hearing this, it was clear. None of the people involved here were ordinary in the slightest.
"And that prophet over there is no exception. She… was originally a witch herself."
"A witch?!"
When Panallet shouted, the priests gave her a sharp look.
"So, a witch is working as a witch hunter?"
"Something like that. It must have been a difficult choice. That's probably why she's hiding out in a place like this."
"Difficult choice…?"
Baek Yu-Seol frowned, finding it hard to believe, especially since he had seen too many similar cases around him. The priest closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Defying one's fate is not as easy as you think. It requires an exceptionally strong will."
"Or… the intervention of an even stronger will."
In Syclen's case, it was clear he had defied his fate through his own strong will.
But what about Baek Yu-Seol and Panallet?
"And what about you two?"
"Uh… well…"
Neither Baek Yu-Seol nor Panallet could answer easily. Could they truly say they had forged their own destinies?
"I'm… not sure."
"Then you may have been changed by someone else's strong will. Whether that's fortunate or unfortunate, no one can say."
"I…"
"I try to shape my own fate… but I don't think I've been very successful."
"Then it's likely that, while you possess a strong will of your own, you're also being influenced by an even stronger will."
"An even stronger will…"
Baek Yu-Seol felt he might have an inkling of what that 'stronger will' could be.
It was as if, for the first time, he could faintly see the path he needed to take and what he had to do.
"Heh… how amusing."
Startled, Baek Yu-Seol lowered his stance as the voice came from ahead.
"It seems you're not dead after all."
At Syclen's joking remark, Baek Yu-Seol nodded with a serious expression.
The figure in the navy-blue robe slowly lifted their head and made eye contact with Baek Yu-Seol.
"What… is this?"
Their clear eyes made it hard to tell if they were a boy or a girl. While their nose and mouth were concealed by a veil, it was easy to guess they were quite young.
But those eyes—
The gaze was unmistakably that of someone who had lived for centuries.
Baek Yu-Seol, having encountered countless beings whose true age far surpassed their appearance, recognized it immediately.
"A child loved by the stars has come all the way here… The world is full of surprises, isn't it?"
"…Are you saying I am loved by the stars?"
"Yes. Do you not know? All the stars in the night sky are watching you… Doesn't their piercing gaze feel overwhelming?"
Baek Yu-Seol looked up instinctively.
"What…?"
Though the space had felt dark and enclosed, to his astonishment, the ceiling was completely open.
The night sky was filled with countless stars.
The sky was so dazzlingly bright that it was puzzling why the starlight didn't seep into this place.
"This place is beyond the reach of the stars' gaze. To survive as a prophet, one must escape the sin of 'revealing heavenly secrets.'"
"Revealing heavenly secrets…?"
"Yes."
As Baek Yu-Seol gulped dryly, the figure who called themselves a prophet raised the corners of their eyes, speaking with a hint of amusement.
"This is the Star Archive."
The Star Archive—in other words...
… The Constellation Project.
"We prophets read the past, the future, and the present from that place. Your past and future are no exception... just the same."
"Do you know… anything about my past?"
He was deeply curious about the past Baek Yu-Seol, the one who had existed before arriving in Aether World… the other Baek Yu-Seol.
But the prophet shook their head.
"Heh, if I had read everything about you, I would have died long ago."
"Then… what is it that you know?"
"I know that there is a woman you are desperately searching for. And… I know her location. Everything."
Baek Yu-Seol's pupils widened in shock.
The prophet chuckled gleefully, pointing sharply to the center of the magic circle with an outstretched hand.
"So, why are you hesitating? I prepared this magic circle in anticipation of your arrival… how much longer do you intend to keep me waiting?"
Still bewildered, Baek Yu-Seol nodded and approached the magic circle. Just as he did, the prophet barked sharply:
"Take off your shoes!"
"…Yes."
What an annoyingly particular prophet.
But without their help, finding Scarlet would be impossible, so he obediently followed their instructions.
"Scarlet! Oh, Scarlet! The woman you happened to fall in love with is none other than the blood-soaked Witch Queen! How fascinating, tragic, and repulsive all at once!"
As the prophet raised both arms, the candles blazed up, and an ominous red glow began to seep from the magic circle.
"You! You know this already, seeking her comes with a price!"
He didn't.
"You've prepared for it, haven't you?"
He hadn't.
"What exactly was I supposed to prepare…?"
"Alright, let's get started immediately!"
"Wait, what? Hold on a second—!"
Ignoring Baek Yu-Seol's response entirely, the prophet abruptly began the ritual, clapping her hands to complete the magic circle.
"Ugh?!"
A nauseating sensation, as though his entire body was being crushed, swept over him. Baek Yu-Seol squeezed his eyes shut and clutched his forehead.
"Focus! Think of her, the one you love, and the one who loved you in return!"
'Ughhh…!'
Despite the searing pain, which made him curse the prophet internally, Baek Yu-Seol mustered superhuman resolve to visualize Scarlet's face.
'Please, please…!'
Squeezing his eyes shut and concentrating on Scarlet with all his might, Baek Yu-Seol suddenly felt his body become weightless.
His eyes shot open.
"Gasp!"
He instinctively sat upright, his face twisting into a strange expression of confusion.
"...Huh?"
The sound of chirping birds reached his ears.
Chirp, chirp!
A refreshing breeze brushed past him.
A clear blue sky.
A sprawling green field stretching endlessly into the distance.
"What is this? Is this… where Scarlet is supposed to be imprisoned?"
It seemed like something had gone terribly wrong with the prophet's spell.