Episode 335
“The Golden Dawn Society? Valencia?”
The Dawn Society was an organization once led by Zeke’s mother, Laura Agamemnon, and the former Arc Paladin, Fav Valencia.
So when Zeke learned that the Pope was not only the head of a group with a similar name, the Golden Dawn Society, but also bore the surname Valencia, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Beatrice glanced at Zeke and spoke, “Let’s go down. I’ll explain everything.”
Zeke followed her down a hidden passage beneath the stone sarcophagus. The secret tunnel stretched on for quite a distance.
“Your Holiness, is this passage an emergency escape route?”
“Yes, it is. The previous Pope informed me about it. Currently, we’re using it to discreetly meet with the Golden Dawn Society.”
As they walked through the passage, Zeke noticed a massive door ahead. The iron door bore the same emblem that Fav had once crafted for the underground tomb.
“An emblem different from the usual Sun Church’s symbol.”
Curious, Zeke asked Beatrice, “Your Holiness, do you know what this emblem signifies?”
Beatrice nodded, “This was the emblem used by the Church of Light, which worshipped the God of Light before the current Sun Church.”
Zeke recalled seeing this emblem on the Ark as well. “If the Church of Light used this emblem… it might symbolize the God of Light, or perhaps the Creator God.”
Though Zeke wasn’t well-versed in theology, he could make this much of a guess. He decided to ask Arina, who was knowledgeable in theology, for more details later.
Beatrice infused the emblem with power, and the door opened on its own. She gestured for Zeke to follow.
“This way.”
Zeke followed Beatrice up the stairs. To his surprise, the secret passage led out of the papal residence and connected to the outskirts of the Bardoka Holy Kingdom. It was also linked to an old warehouse basement, allowing them to emerge unnoticed.
Once outside, Beatrice skillfully removed her clerical robes and changed into plain clothes she had prepared in advance. With a touch of magic, she turned her hair brown, transforming her appearance from a pope to an ordinary woman.
“This way, Sir Zeke.”
Zeke followed Beatrice out of the warehouse. The area was a bustling market used by commoners, unlike the well-maintained streets and facilities frequented by clergy and nobility. The market was chaotic and noisy, especially with rumors of approaching monsters causing panic. People exchanged fearful whispers, spreading ominous tales.
“They say other cities have already been burned to the ground.”
“Does that mean we’re in danger too?”
“Come on, if it were that bad, the high-ups would have fled already! If they’re still here, it must be safe!”
“Don’t be stupid. Those people can use teleportation magic to escape to another country overnight. That’s why they’re still holding out.”
As the citizens tried to shake off their anxiety with nervous chatter, Beatrice’s expression darkened. Yet, she steeled herself and walked resolutely into a dilapidated building in the market alley.
It looked like an ordinary general store, but Zeke immediately sensed it was a front. The woman posing as a shopkeeper was a mage, and the man who seemed to be the owner was a trained knight. They eyed Zeke warily as Beatrice brought him in.
She raised a hand to reassure them. “It’s alright. He’s here to help us. Open the second floor.”
At Beatrice’s command, the mage disguised as a shopkeeper activated a hidden magic circle. The pile of logs in one corner of the shop rearranged themselves to form a staircase.
Beatrice led Zeke up the stairs. At the top, he was surprised to find a room filled with maps of the continent, situation boards, and various documents plastered on the walls.
Beatrice turned to Zeke with a smile. “Welcome to the headquarters of the Golden Dawn Society, Sir Zeke.”
Caw! Caw!
The ominous cries of crows echoed in the air. Below, rows of soldiers marched forward, their armor clinking with a sharp metallic sound.
Mounted knights shouted at the soldiers, “Keep your ranks!”
The banner they carried, depicting a wolf’s face, fluttered in the wind. The endless procession of troops filled the sacred kingdom’s highway.
Currently, only one place on the continent could muster such a large force at once: the Rom Empire.
At the forefront of the Rom Empire’s 13th Legion, the Scorpio Knights advanced. Leading them was Deputy Commander Carlito Luciano, clad in artifacts from head to toe.
He was the one who had previously tried to capture Zeke with Siemens, only to suffer a defeat and lose his forces, barely escaping with his life thanks to Rahim, the leader of the Six and a spatial manipulator.
Despite nearly losing his position due to that defeat, Carlito managed to retain it through his political acumen and persuasive skills. He had volunteered to bring additional troops for the Emperor’s campaign.
Beside Carlito rode a massive man, reminiscent of a barbarian, who sat on his horse with his eyes closed, deep in concentration. This was Gillian Apex, the commander of the Scorpio Knights.
Unlike Carlito, Gillian was a typical warrior with no political skills. As a result, Carlito, despite being less skilled as a knight, handled the external affairs of the Scorpio Knights.
Gillian Apex devoted all his time to training, aiming to break through the final barrier to becoming a Black Knight. Without Carlito’s persuasion, he would never have joined the previous campaign.
‘It’s fortunate that the idea of gaining new insights on the battlefield convinced him.’
The Scorpio Knights continued their march toward the border region of the Holy Kingdom, where the Emperor’s forces were stationed.
As they crested a hill, they saw tens of thousands of soldiers camped on the plains at the border. Silver wolf banners, symbolizing the Emperor, fluttered everywhere.
Carlito swallowed hard and entered the Emperor’s camp.
‘Why is it so quiet?’
Upon reaching the camp, Carlito sensed something was amiss. A camp housing such a large army should never be this silent. Even in a well-disciplined camp, there should be the sounds of construction, cooking, or at least soldiers chatting. But there was nothing—only an eerie silence that sent shivers down his spine.
Dismounting, Carlito inspected the camp. Peeking into a tent where soldiers were supposed to be, he found them sitting blankly or muttering to themselves, lying down with vacant eyes.
The soldiers, devoid of any vitality, whispered to themselves, staring into space. They were far from normal.
‘Damn it, are they all addicted to soma or something?’
As Carlito shivered at the unsettling sight, a mage in a black robe suddenly appeared before him.
“Ah! What the—! You scared me!”
Startled, Carlito stepped back. The mage’s face was hidden under a deep hood, but his lips were black as coal, and his nails were pitch black. His skin had a bronze hue, and though he moved, he didn’t seem alive.
“His Majesty summons you both.”
The mage’s voice was raspy and chilling, sending shivers down Carlito’s spine. He recalled the bloodline users of the Nostra family and the dark mages of the Abyss he had encountered while working with Siemens. They had seemed strange, but compared to the Emperor’s army and this mage, they felt almost human.
‘The Emperor’s pursuit of immortality has led him to surround himself with such unholy and dangerous beings.’
Carlito had joined this campaign to secure his position, but he couldn’t shake his unease. Initially, he had tried to align himself with Julius, who was connected to Siemens, but when that fell through, he had no choice but to try and curry favor with the Emperor by joining this expedition.
Rumors about the Emperor and his entourage were so unfavorable that other knight orders were reluctant to participate in this campaign. In the end, the Emperor set out with only his personal guard and soldiers.
Watching this, Carlito had hesitated until the last moment before persuading Gillian to follow the Emperor.
‘I’ve heard the real target of this campaign isn’t the monsters but the Holy Kingdom. If the Emperor survives this ordeal and maintains his power, expanding territorial wars starting with the Holy Kingdom… it could be a real opportunity for advancement.’
Carlito prided himself on his keen eye for opportunity. As the second son of a low-ranking baron, he had risen to his current position by seizing the right chances, so his confidence was not unfounded.
Though it felt like a gamble, he believed that if he navigated this moment correctly, he could envision a new future for himself.
Steeling his nerves, he entered the Emperor’s tent with Gillian. But once inside, Carlito regretted his decision for the first time in his life.
The tent was a scene of utter horror. Cultists with black lips and nails were extracting blood from living people, mixing it with various substances to create a bizarre concoction.
The sorcerers of the cult were more sinister and terrifying than even the darkest of warlocks, performing unspeakable taboos without a second thought, like demons in human form.
These cultists were tirelessly concocting horrific elixirs using human ingredients right within the emperor’s tent.
“Ugh.”
Even Kalito, who prided himself on his strong stomach, felt dizzy and nauseous from the stench of blood and the acrid potions wafting through the emperor’s quarters.
Gillian, who had been keeping his eyes closed, now opened them to take in the ghastly scene.
Just then, the sorcerer who had been guiding them gestured for them to follow. “This way, please.”
Kalito and Gillian passed through the hellish landscape of the tent, moving deeper to where the emperor resided.
Inside the emperor’s tent, countless vials and blood-drawn magic circles littered the space, along with scrolls scrawled in an indecipherable language.
Incense burned continuously from a censer, its strange aroma threatening to drive anyone mad.
The emperor lay on a bed, surrounded by a dozen cultists. Though hidden by curtains, the tubes connecting him to numerous vials made it clear how dire his condition was.
“Is that the knight of the Celestial Bow?”
A voice suddenly emerged from beyond the curtain.
Startled by the emperor’s clear and commanding voice, Kalito immediately knelt. “Your Majesty! I am Kalito Luciano, vice-captain of the Celestial Bow Knights. I have arrived with Captain Gillian Apex and our knights at your command!”
The emperor was silent for a moment before speaking again in the same clear voice. “Kalito. Yes, I remember you. You were the righteous one who took on many challenges on behalf of Gillian, who could not speak.”
In truth, Captain Gillian was mute, a fact known to very few. Most simply thought him reserved, as Kalito handled most external affairs.
Kalito was taken aback that the emperor remembered this detail. “Y-yes, Your Majesty! You remember me?”
“Indeed, I do. You were a young man with keen and wise eyes. It has been twenty years since I bestowed your title.”
Kalito was nearly moved to tears by the emperor’s recollection of his name and the time of his knighthood.
Then he snapped back to reality. ‘Has the emperor’s condition improved?’
Though he couldn’t see the emperor’s face, the voice was strong and authoritative, more so than he remembered from the knighting ceremony two decades ago.
‘If the emperor is recovering, this could be a great opportunity for me.’
The horrific scenes he had witnessed earlier were already a distant memory. Kalito was solely focused on how to maximize his advantage.
The emperor then addressed Kalito. “Kalito, my old friend. Can you and your companion Gillian rid the Holy Kingdom of the monsters that threaten it and save its suffering people for me?”
The emperor spoke of salvation as if it were nothing, leading Kalito to a single conclusion.
‘Even if his health is improving, the emperor is still mad.’