Episode 119: Enemies (1)
“I never thought I’d run into those bastards so soon.”
A surge of exhilaration welled up from deep within, so intense that it made his entire body tremble.
“When I came back, I swore I’d find you two and make you pay.”
It was because of the information those two had gathered that Dorgo learned about the Haxen family. And because of that, Damian had been forced to kill his own family with his own hands.
“Even at this time, they were working for Dorgo.”
Those two must have a way to communicate with Dorgo. If he could get his hands on that, it might lead him to Dorgo’s whereabouts.
“Thank you for showing up in front of me. Truly, thank you.”
A smile crept across Damian’s face, unable to contain the joy that bubbled up inside him. He covered his mouth with his hand. He couldn’t let those two see the smile that had just appeared.
It would undoubtedly be a hideous and grotesque sight.
“Have the identities of the fiends been revealed?” Gwangmyeong asked Cheongyeom. Cheongyeom shook his head.
“All we know is that they’re made up of a dark knight and a black mage. There was only one survivor, so we don’t have much testimony.”
“Sir, didn’t you just say that the ‘branches’ of the Mandarin Kingdom were attacked? How is there only one survivor?”
The Holy Order was a widespread religion across the continent, with numerous branches within a single nation. It was strange that only one person survived when so many places were annihilated.
“That part is unclear to me as well. It’s impossible for just two people to cause such mass destruction. The survivor claimed there were two, but there might be more.”
Damian could confirm that part. The Hangar couple was indeed a duo. Their overwhelming destructive power came from a certain black magic directly taught by Dorgo.
“What about the central branch of the Mandarin Kingdom? Isn’t there a first-class holy knight there?”
“They were killed by the dark knight. Not just killed, but toyed with before being killed.”
Gwangmyeong’s expression grew even more serious at those words. A dark knight was a knight who used dark magic instead of regular magic. Considering the relationship between holy power and dark magic, a holy knight should have had the upper hand. Yet, they were defeated, which meant the dark knight’s skills were overwhelmingly superior.
“His Holiness plans to immediately form a pursuit team and dispatch them to the Mandarin Kingdom. However, since the enemies are not ordinary, we must send a corresponding force.”
“Is that why you called me?”
Gwangmyeong’s eyes lit up at Cheongyeom’s words.
“Does that mean the suspension on ‘Dazzling Pain’ has been lifted?”
”…Yes, it has,” Cheongyeom replied, looking displeased. In contrast, a broad smile spread across Gwangmyeong’s face.
“I must thank His Holiness. I’ll stop by the sect and then meet with him.”
As Gwangmyeong was about to leave, Damian asked Cheongyeom, “So, will ‘The Burners’ also be forming part of the pursuit team?”
Cheongyeom nodded at Damian. “Of course. How can we stand by when heretics have committed such heinous acts?”
“I want to join the pursuit team with The Burners.”
Both of their eyes widened at Damian’s request. It was a bold request, after all. This incident was a great embarrassment for the Order. Such matters should be quickly resolved or covered up before others find out. Yet here was an outsider, Damian, asking to join the pursuit team?
“Sir Damian, that’s an impossible request,” Gwangmyeong interjected, unable to hold back.
“This is a matter for our main branch to resolve.”
“I share Gwangmyeong’s opinion,” Cheongyeom said firmly. But Damian had his reasons for not backing down.
“To meet the Hangar couple, I must join the pursuit team.”
Damian knew the Hangar couple well, though not by choice.
“Hey, Damian Haxen! Our poor friend with nothing in his head! I genuinely feel sorry for you.”
“Oh, you… always so thoughtful. Worrying about such an empty shell.”
The Hangar couple would always come to Damian Haxen and spout such nonsense.
“Yesterday, we were lucky. Almost had to sleep on the streets, but we found a village!”
“You were right. We were really lucky. We got a place to sleep and some entertainment!”
“Ah, the human pig race was quite fun. You wouldn’t know, would you, empty shell? A human pig is when you first…”
Their topics were always nauseating. If he could, he would have twisted their necks right then and there.
“Back in the day, we used to attack the Order’s branches on his command. We needed souls steeped in holy power.”
“You worked hard back then. No matter how many souls we put in, the seal wouldn’t break.”
“We got tired halfway and decided to wait. When they send a pursuit team, we’ll kill them all to gather souls.”
If what Damian heard was true, the Hangar couple wouldn’t have fled far after attacking the branch. They would be waiting nearby for the Order’s pursuit team, ready to kill the holy knights and gather souls.
“No matter how much I want to, finding those two blindly wouldn’t be wise.”
Just knowing they were near the branch wasn’t enough to find them, and they were skilled at escaping. But collecting souls steeped in holy power was one of their main goals. They would be lying in wait, jaws open, to kill the holy knights.
In other words, to meet the Hangar couple, he needed to move with the Order. But with two of the Five Saints opposing, it was a difficult situation.
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that we don’t trust you,” Cheongyeom said, patting Damian’s shoulder in reassurance.
Suddenly, Damian opened a spatial pocket and retrieved Dawn from it.
Ziiing.
Dawn trembled slightly, as if protesting why it had been left alone for so long. Ignoring Dawn’s protest, Damian knelt on the ground.
“Sir!”
Cheongyeom looked genuinely surprised by Damian’s sudden action.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Though I am an outsider, I always carry the holiness of the divine in my heart!”
Damian feigned a voice full of righteous indignation.
“I am alive and breathing only because the divine has shown mercy! With every breath, I feel my existence and the grace of the divine!”
It was a lie. Breathing was just breathing; who would feel such nonsense?
“But those vile heretics have desecrated the branch… and insulted the priests who follow the divine’s will! How can you ask me to stand by and do nothing?”
Damian slammed Dawn into the ground.
Ziiing!
Dawn protested again, as if asking to be handled more gently. Damian ignored it once more.
“If you won’t allow it, I’ll go alone!”
Damian looked at Cheongyeom with eyes full of determination.
A brief silence fell between them.
”…Even so, I cannot allow it.”
Gwangmyeong broke the silence.
“I understand Sir Damian’s feelings, but when you look at it objectively, you’re still an outsider…”
“Sir Damian!”
Cheongyeom, tears in his eyes, embraced Damian. Gwangmyeong looked at Cheongyeom in surprise.
“I knew I wasn’t wrong about you! I knew you’d act this way!”
Damian had experienced what kind of person Cheongyeom was in his past life. Fierce, yet endlessly soft towards his allies, especially those with faith. That’s why Damian believed emphasizing his faith would win Cheongyeom over.
“I will ensure you are included in the pursuit team as part of ‘The Burners’!”
Cheongyeom pounded his chest with his palm, as if to say, “Trust me.”
“Sir, that’s a bit…”
Gwangmyeong tried to intervene, looking flustered. Cheongyeom glared at her and said, “What does it matter if he’s an outsider? He has such a devout heart. Rejecting someone like him is not what the divine would want. Sir Damian, come with me.”
“Yes, sir.”
The two of them disappeared down the path.
Left alone, Gwangmyeong could only stare after them, bewildered.
“He doesn’t seem that devout… Did I misjudge him?”
Cheongyeom led Damian to the building used by ‘The Burners.’ Inside, the sect’s holy knights were bustling about, likely preparing for the pursuit team.
“Attention.”
At Cheongyeom’s command, the holy knights halted their movements.
“Sir Damian here will be joining the pursuit team.”
The sect’s holy knights began to murmur among themselves. One of them stepped forward—a young man with bronzed skin and a muscular build.
“Master, may I ask one thing? Is it really okay to include an outsider in the pursuit team?”
Cheongyeom pondered for a moment before replying, “There will be opposition. The dissenting voices won’t be few.”
“Then why include Sir Damian?”
“There was a compelling reason.”
Cheongyeom clenched his fist, his face filled with emotion, his entire body trembling.
“Though Sir Demian is an outsider, he has proven himself as devout as any of us. He carries the grace and gratitude for the divine in his heart, and his anger towards the heretics’ attack is unmatched by anyone.”
“Ah, so that’s the reason…!”
The man immediately understood, and he wasn’t alone. The paladins of the “Burning Ones” nodded in agreement.
“With a reason like that, of course, we should accept him.”
“Exactly. As long as you hate the heretics, you’re one of us.”
It was typical of the “Burning Ones,” the simplest of the sects.
“Is it really okay to be this simple-minded?”
Even Demian found himself worrying.
In hindsight, it was this simplicity that led the “Burning Ones” to suffer the greatest losses during the War of Annihilation. Yet, they also saved countless lives, making it a complex issue to judge.
“Sir Demian!”
Agnes came running through the paladins, a rare smile breaking her usually stoic expression.
“I’m so glad we can work together again, Sir Demian.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
Demian’s words were merely polite, but Agnes reacted differently. She blushed and averted her gaze.
“To think Sir Demian feels the same way…”
As Demian gave her a puzzled look, a bronzed young man approached, extending his hand.
“My name is Paramon. I’m the first disciple of the master and a first-class paladin.”
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Demian Haxen.”
As Demian shook Paramon’s hand, he thought to himself, “Paramon? Could he be the Flame God General?”
The church’s master class wasn’t limited to the Five Saints. Many master-class paladins, known as the White Rank, operated across the continent. Among them was a White Rank known for his fiery presence on the battlefield, the Flame God General. Demian had never met him, as he had perished at the hands of another commander.
“Ah, right. Paramon, there’s something you should know.”
The master spoke to his disciple.
“What is it, Master?”
“Taking Sir Demian along will undoubtedly bring trouble. You must handle it well.”
Paramon nodded at his master’s words.
“I’m prepared. There’s no need to worry.”
“You’ll need to be even more prepared.”
Paramon tilted his head in confusion.
“There are three sects involved in this pursuit: our ‘Burning Ones,’ the ‘Dazzling Pain,’ and… the ‘Bound Wind.’”
At the mention of the Bound Wind, Paramon’s face hardened.
“Those insufferable… I apologize.”
“No need to hold back. I feel the same.”
“Those insufferable ones are joining? But the Bound Wind is already engaged in another mission.”
“Green Wind has nearly completed their task and has dispatched members. They’re conveniently close to the Mandarine Kingdom.”
Paramon ran a hand over his face.
“The Bound Wind is likely already at the devastated branch, conducting their investigation. If they see Sir Demian…”
“It’ll become incredibly troublesome.”
Listening to their conversation, Demian turned to Agnes.
“Why is the Bound Wind such a problem?”
Demian was familiar with the sect, led by one of the Five Saints, Green Wind. He had even fought against Green Wind and the Bound Wind before, but they hadn’t left a strong impression.
“Well…”
Agnes hesitated, looking troubled.
“You’ll understand once you see for yourself.”
Demian was left bewildered.
A few days later, when they arrived at the Mandarine Kingdom’s branch, he understood.
“You must be out of your mind! I want to crack open your skulls to see what’s inside! No matter your circumstances, the Bound Wind will not allow outsiders to join. We’d rather handle the mission alone.”
Demian finally grasped what she had meant.