It feels like some of the pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together.
The hero and the saintess sacrificed themselves to seal the Demon Realm.
However, for those who remained, leaving the Demon Realm unattended must have felt too dangerous. They needed someone to watch over what had now become the Forest of Demonic Beasts.
The founding king, the leader of the Shadow Knights, and the ancestor of Perdium family.
These three joined forces to establish the kingdom. It's likely that the ancestor of Perdium family was tasked with closely watching over the Forest of Demonic Beasts.
As time passed, the Perdium family fell into decline and became a margrave responsible for guarding the northern territories.
This seemed like the most plausible hypothesis.
"Hmm, then what exactly were the Shadow Knights?"
— I too do not know much. Only that they were another 'king' of this nation.
— They chose to conceal their true identity, becoming rulers of the night in this kingdom.
— Nothing, there's nothing. It is said that the people of that time deliberately erased all records.
Much information was lost. Even Berhem, the king of Lutania, did not know the true nature of the Shadow Knights.
The masked woman was incredibly strong. Moreover, as the founding king's companion, it wouldn't have been difficult for her to become another king.
Because of this, the royal family had spent generations focused solely on weakening the power of the Shadow Knights.
— The Shadow Knights had no interest in power. They were solely dedicated to protecting the royal family.
"Could it be... because of the holy relic?"
That was a similar speculation from before. It had seemed like the royal family was trying to hide the holy relic while the Shadow Knights were protecting it.
Many questions still remained unanswered. It was no longer something that could be dismissed as it was in the past.
If it was true that the 'Adversary' had been resurrected, then they would ultimately have to fight against him.
Still, Ghislain didn't feel particularly rushed. Through the dreams, he was gradually uncovering the truth, and in the process, growing stronger.
There seemed to be aspects he wasn't meant to learn just yet, deliberately withheld from him. Thus, he simply needed to wait patiently.
"At any rate, this means our family was deeply involved in the war a thousand years ago."
Learning the secrets of Perdium was also a major breakthrough. The lost vision of the family had been rediscovered.
Zwalter would undoubtedly be thrilled upon hearing this, though it would once again be tricky to explain how he'd found out.
"Hmm, I suppose I'll just say I developed it on my own... like I always do."
As usual, he could just gloss over it. No one had more information than Ghislain himself, so they wouldn't be able to challenge him.
For now, the Forest of Demonic Beasts was the priority.
The forest was far more important than he had initially thought. He had a feeling that all the secrets lay in that place once known as the Demon Realm.
"At first, I only got involved to make some quick money..."
But it turned out to be such a significant location.
Now he could understand why the Delphine Duchy had made such sacrifices in a past life to try to pioneer the forest.
The Forest of Demonic Beasts was, in truth, their holy land. It held the corpse of the Demon God and served as the source of power for the Salvation Church.
There were probably other objectives as well, but just knowing what he had uncovered so far was already satisfying.
He had always suspected that there was a reason why the duchy had been so obsessed with the forest across his lifetimes. Yet the exact reason had remained elusive.
"Come to think of it... that mark on the map must have meant something."
On the map he obtained in his past life, the central area of the Forest of Demonic Beasts was shaded in black.
Initially, he'd dismissed it as simply being an area without resources or an undeveloped zone. After discovering the duchy's schemes, he began to suspect some secret was hidden there.
Now he had an idea. It wasn't marked as unimportant or undeveloped.
"That must be... their most important location. Perhaps where the Demon God's corpse lies, or something along those lines."
Honestly, he didn't think there was literally a god's corpse there. It was likely a metaphorical expression or an entirely fabricated story.
But whatever it truly was, it was certain that something crucial to the Salvation Church was located there.
"I'll have to finish pioneering the Forest of Demonic Beasts."
The situation was different from when he first ventured into the forest. Now, he had the continent's strongest army, with superhumans and high-level knights in abundance.
His forces far surpassed those of the Delphine Duchy from his past life, and he also had knowledge of the records he had seen back then.
With proper preparation, they could clear it in no time.
All that remained was to successfully complete the dragon hunt.
Ghislain once again organized the newly discovered facts in his mind.
There were still many missing pieces, but he could uncover the secrets bit by bit. He believed the saintess's dream would guide him.
While he made the choices, the dream would reveal the paths available to him.
However, there was one part that nagged at him.
"The hero's companions united to found Lutania: the founding king, the leader of the Shadow Knights, and Perdium."
There was something in this story that didn't align with what he knew.
Among those figures, there was one that didn't belong—a mismatched presence.
Berhem had clearly said this:
— One of the three families that founded the kingdom!
In the 'three families' he mentioned, Perdium was absent.
— The founding king, the leader of the Shadow Knights' family, and the Delphine Duchy joined forces to establish this kingdom! The three families agreed to share equal authority!
In this version, Perdium was replaced by the Delphine Duchy.
— Thus, only the Delphine Duchy was granted the rank of duke in this kingdom. Moreover, the duchy had the authority to overthrow the royal family if necessary!
If Ghislain's hypothesis was correct, the authority meant for Perdium had been usurped by the Delphine Duchy.
Realizing this, Ghislain's eyes narrowed.
"The Delphine Duchy... what on earth are they?"
***
A frail-looking old man wiped the blood off his gloves.
In front of him lay dozens of corpses.
There were no signs of a proper fight or resistance. The wounds weren't even that large—just small cuts to their necks or hearts.
It was a sight that made it clear they'd been massacred in an instant.
While the old man calmly cleaned his hands, a group arrived.
The old man bowed respectfully.
"Though it is a humble place, please rest comfortably, Your Grace."
He was the head butler of the Delphine Duchy, who had been accompanying Ernheart.
Ernheart spoke with a gentle smile.
"How long will you keep addressing me like that?"
"To me, there is only one true grace."
At this, Ernheart burst out in hearty laughter. The old butler's loyalty was truly unwavering.
"Fine, who could argue against your stubbornness? But was it necessary for you to handle this personally? You could have just sent the knights."
There were twenty knights surrounding Ernheart. These knights had once served as the Duke Leinster's escort knights but were, in reality, temple knights of the Salvation Church.
They followed the high priest, Gartros, rather than Duke Leinster, which was why they hadn't lifted a finger when the duke had been killed.
To Ernheart's question, the old man bowed slightly.
"I have always managed Your Grace's chambers personally. It is only natural that I should handle this as well."
At this, Ernheart smiled quietly.
To him, this butler was more like a parent than his actual parents. Since childhood, the butler had been by his side, caring for him with utmost dedication.
The old man had always been meticulous, even preparing his sleeping arrangements. Ernheart could never bring himself to stop this habit.
"Yes, yes, you've always been like that. Still, don't overexert yourself. Stay by my side for a long time."
"I will keep that in mind, Your Grace."
For once, Ernheart's gaze softened as he looked at the old butler.
It was an uncharacteristic gaze for a man who had killed not only distant relatives but even his own cousins, wife, and children.
"I am not ready to embrace complete freedom just yet."
The words Ernheart uttered prompted the old man to bow his head even lower.
They were deep in the mountains, in a hideout once used by bandits. The bandits must have been well-established, as there were palisades and several decent wooden houses.
In the largest and most intact house, Ernheart, Gartros, and the old man entered alone.
The remaining knights either scouted the area or stood guard.
As Ernheart settled into a chair, the old man swiftly prepared and served a cup of tea. His thoroughness was remarkable.
Ernheart drank the tea with ease. Despite being fugitives evading the allied forces, they exuded an air of leisure.
Savoring his tea, Ernheart asked Gartros.
"What's the next step?"
"The news of our defeat has likely spread everywhere by now. If we head to the hideout, the surviving priests will gather there on their own."
"I see."
At the westernmost edge of the continent lies a quiet village. That place is the Salvation Church's final hiding place. The high-ranking priests who survived would naturally converge there.
Unfortunately, not all believers knew of its existence. It was a secret place passed down only to those with devout faith, who had worshipped the Salvation Church for generations, so only a few would gather.
Watching Ernheart leisurely sip his tea again, Gartros cautiously asked.
"Have more of your memories returned?"
"Yes. Slowly, my memories are seeping in. Memories from a thousand years ago."
"That's good news."
"But they are not mine. They are merely memories and powers passed down and arranged over a long time."
"...."
"I am myself. I walk my own path. Do not forget that, Gartros."
"...I understand."
A hint of unease flickered across Gartros's face.
Ernheart was a key figure in the Salvation Church. After painstaking research and interpretation of old scriptures and oral traditions, they had finally found him, awakening him to his mission.
Yet, even after realizing his mission, Ernheart was strangely unhurried. Unlike the others, he felt no urgency.
Moreover, he often made statements that seemed to deny his own identity.
For someone meant to lead the champion to find the king and cult's complete revival, Ernheart's demeanor was enough to drive Gartros to frustration.
Setting down his teacup, Ernheart asked.
"We tried to hasten the plan, but instead, many things were ruined. This means we must leave it to the natural course. The arrangements the king made are recorded in the scriptures. What is the next sign?"
Gartros took out an exceedingly worn book from his robes. With reverence, he carefully flipped through its pages.
After pausing on a particular page, he spoke.
"The White Dragon of the Apocalypse will appear. From that moment, the king's resurrection will be further accelerated."
"Hmm, I see."
Ernheart nodded indifferently.
He recalled a painting that once hung in his castle, Eclipse.
The painting depicted a grotesque creature that looked like a mix between a dragon and a serpent, trampling and devouring people.
After having a prophetic dream, he had commissioned a skilled artist to create the painting.
Ernheart enjoyed admiring that painting because it was tied to him.
On the day his fortress was seized, the Fenris forces surely saw that painting as well. But could they possibly connect it to the events that were to come?
No, they wouldn't. Only he knew that future.
Thinking of the dream, Ernheart grew curious again.
"How could a predestined future change?"
He didn't believe his dream was wrong. It was a divine revelation. Everything was unfolding exactly as it had in the dream.
But at some point, it had changed.
What could have caused it?
Could humans really alter the future?
Ernheart murmured to himself.
"The king and we made extensive arrangements. We brought down the dragons from the sky, crushed the elves and dwarves, hid the truth, and covered the eyes and ears of humans."
Everything had been perfect. All they had to do was wait for the promised day.
It was a predetermined, prophesied event.
Yet somehow, everything had become twisted and plunged into chaos.
And it was all because of one person.
"Duke Fenris."
The demon that appeared in his dream had overturned everything. He still couldn't believe that person had the power to alter a predestined future.
— You know something, don't you? This isn't the reaction of an ordinary person.
When Ernheart spoke of the dream, Duke Fenris had accepted it naturally.
It was as if he knew something.
That's why Ernheart couldn't help but be curious.
"Duke Fenris… just what are you?"
He had pondered this endlessly but found no answer. How could a mere human shatter a divine revelation?
Ernheart looked down at his own hands.
Crackle.
Black energy gathered briefly before dissipating. Was it because the king had yet to resurrect? It seemed more time was needed.
To fully awaken the power of the "Apostle."
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