Episode 251: Destination (1)
After leaving the temple, Damian set his course towards the Holy Order.
He had decided to heed the advice of the Empire’s greatest swordsman and the Sword Saint.
There was much for Damian to do, and he couldn’t afford to be tied down by the Empire.
“I’ve killed Sla, so Pandemonium will definitely react in some way.”
Sla wasn’t just any villain; he was one of the most formidable figures in Pandemonium.
With someone of his stature dead, Pandemonium wouldn’t just sit idly by.
“I don’t care if they come after me. I can deal with them. But my family won’t tolerate it.”
Damian’s only weakness was his family. If Pandemonium were to target them, the mere thought made his insides twist.
“Staying by my family’s side to fend off Pandemonium is a poor strategy.”
He couldn’t just sit back and protect his family while Pandemonium plotted. That would be handing them the initiative.
Damian planned to take a more proactive approach.
“I’ll shake Pandemonium up once more.”
His aim was to create such chaos that Pandemonium wouldn’t have the bandwidth to focus on him or his family.
“To do that, I need to eliminate the Weapon Master as soon as possible.”
The Weapon Master was another formidable force, rivaling Sla in power.
If the Weapon Master fell after Sla, Pandemonium would be thrown into disarray, and their external activities would inevitably decrease.
However, there was a significant hurdle in this plan.
“The problem is how to reach that place.”
Previously, Damian had discovered the Weapon Master’s location by killing his disciple.
But the place where the Weapon Master resided was not easily accessible to humans.
“Perhaps the Holy Order might have a way.”
With that thought, Damian quickened his pace.
Time was of the essence, so Damian traveled day and night without rest.
Thanks to his relentless pace, he arrived at the main temple sooner than expected.
“Nothing’s changed here.”
Damian remarked as he gazed at the towering walls surrounding the main temple.
A wide moat encircled the walls like a river.
Damian crossed the bridge over the moat. At the end, two colossal statues stood guard at the gate.
“Halt. The main temple does not welcome strangers.”
The statues looked down at Damian and spoke. Damian retrieved the insignia of an Honorary Paladin from his spatial pocket.
The statues’ eyes focused on the insignia. After a moment, they moved their spears aside and spoke.
“Ah, Honorary Paladin Damian Haxen.”
“Identity confirmed. You may enter.”
These statues were not ordinary golems. They were powerful weapons, connected to the main temple through divine power, capable of handling any task swiftly.
“Go on inside.”
The statues urged Damian as he stood still. Damian addressed them.
“If there’s a paladin named Agnes, could you let her know I’ve arrived?”
Agnes.
The first disciple of the Blue Flame, one of the Five Saints.
And the first paladin Damian had formed a bond with after his reincarnation.
He couldn’t navigate the vast Holy Order alone. He needed assistance.
“Wait a moment.”
The statues’ eyes glowed again. Soon, they informed Damian.
“There is indeed a paladin named Agnes.”
“She is on her way. Please wait inside.”
Damian entered through the gate and waited. Soon, he saw a female paladin running towards him from afar.
“Sir Damian!”
Agnes sprinted at an incredible speed and stopped in front of Damian.
Her usually emotionless, almost cold face was now filled with surprise.
“How… how did you get here…?”
“That’s a rather cold greeting. It seems you’re not pleased to see me.”
Damian replied playfully. Agnes was flustered.
“No, not at all! I’ve always been waiting for you… I mean, the Order always welcomes you! I just thought you had become an Imperial knight…”
“Me? An Imperial knight?”
This was news to Damian.
“You won the Helian Tournament, didn’t you?”
“Knights from other nations can participate in the Helian Tournament. I just happened to win.”
“I heard the Emperor gifted you a sword.”
“I accepted it, but I never swore allegiance.”
“You became a teacher at the Imperial Academy.”
“That was just to capture Sla.”
Agnes let out a sigh of relief.
“Ah… I’m glad. I thought you had joined the Empire.”
“How could that be? My heart is always with the divine.”
Damian spoke without missing a beat.
His connection with the Holy Order was incredibly useful, so he needed to maintain it, even if it meant embellishing the truth.
“I knew it! Others claimed you had abandoned your faith, but I never believed them. I was sure you still held strong to your beliefs.”
“You truly understand me, Agnes.”
“N-not that well…”
Agnes blushed as she spoke.
“Oh, I almost forgot.”
Suddenly, Agnes knelt before Damian. He was taken aback and tried to lift her up.
“Why are you doing this?”
“I heard you killed the heretic Sla. You rid the world of one of the most heinous heretics and upheld the will of the divine. It’s only right to thank you.”
Agnes bowed her head deeply.
“Not just me, but all the paladins feel the same way.”
It seemed Sla’s death had shaken not only the Empire but also the Holy Order.
The Holy Order, known for its disdain of dark sorcerers, naturally reacted this way.
Agnes stood up and asked.
“But what brings you to the Order? If it’s because of me…”
“I’m here to have this repaired.”
Damian gestured to the sword at his waist, Dawn. Agnes’s expression darkened.
”…You’re here to repair the holy sword.”
“Is something wrong?”
”…No.”
Agnes replied with a hint of irritation. Damian looked at her, puzzled.
“It’s fortunate you came at this time.”
“Fortunate?”
“My master is away on a mission. If he saw you, he’d surely challenge you to a duel without a second thought.”
The thought sent a shiver down Damian’s spine. Knowing the Blue Flame’s temperament, it was likely true.
When Damian first visited the Order, the Blue Flame had attacked him out of curiosity about his skills.
At that time, Damian was only a middle-class swordsman, while the Blue Flame was a master-class.
“If you’re here to repair the holy sword, you’ll need to see Master Molta.”
“Shouldn’t I greet His Holiness first?”
“His Holiness entered a week-long silent prayer. It ends this evening.”
The Holy Father regularly engaged in silent prayers.
For a week, he would speak no words, eat nothing, and devote himself to prayer.
“Follow me.”
Agnes led Damian to the workshop within the main temple.
The Holy Order’s armory was renowned across the continent for its excellence. True to its reputation, the workshop was enormous.
Even more astonishing were the blacksmiths working there.
They were as short as children, yet their bodies were packed with rock-like muscles.
The blacksmiths were not human but dwarves.
The Holy Order’s faith extended beyond humans to other races as well.
These dwarves were descendants of those who had pledged themselves to the Holy Order at its founding.
“Young paladin, what brings you here?”
A dwarf approached them. Agnes greeted him briefly and spoke.
“We’re here to see Master Molta.”
“Do you have an appointment? I can’t let you in without one.”
“This person doesn’t need an appointment to see Master Molta.”
The dwarf eyed Damian skeptically, as if questioning the absurdity of the claim.
“This is Sir Damian Haxen, the wielder of the holy sword Dawn.”
”…What? Damian Haxen?”
Upon hearing the name, the dwarf’s eyes widened in surprise.
“If he’s the wielder of Dawn, he has the right to see Master Molta. Wait here for a moment.”
The dwarf disappeared into the depths of the workshop. Shortly after, something dark and furry emerged.
“Dawwwwn!”
A dwarf with a bushy beard and hair came running, tears streaming down his face.
“You scoundrel, Damian Haxen! Hand over Dawn at once!”
Damian, with a look of mild disgust, handed over the sword. Molta embraced it with both arms.
“Dawn! It’s been so long! Do you know how lonely I’ve been without you?”
The sword hummed in response, as if greeting Molta.
“Let’s see… Let’s check if you’ve been well and unharmed.”
Molta unsheathed Dawn. The moment he saw the nicks on the blade, his expression turned to stone.
“Demian Haxen.”
“What is it?”
“What… is this?”
“The blade’s chipped.”
Demian replied nonchalantly, causing Malta’s eyebrows to shoot up.
“Do you think I’m asking because I don’t know that? I’m asking how you managed to rough up Yeomyeong so badly that even this sturdy weapon got damaged!”
“It happened during a fight with Sla.”
“What? Sla?”
At the mention of Sla, Malta’s eyes widened in disbelief. He muttered to himself while cradling Yeomyeong.
“That wretched Sla… If it’s a monster like that, it’s a miracle the damage isn’t worse… It’s a relief it ended like this… Who would’ve thought my weapon could take down Sla…”
After pondering for a while, Malta looked at Demian.
“I’ll let it slide this time.”
“Oh, I’m so grateful I could cry,” Demian replied, his expression one of sheer annoyance. Malta’s temper flared again.
“That’s it! Yeomyeong, come back to me! I can’t leave you with someone like him!”
A low hum resonated.
“What? You refuse? Ungrateful brat! There’s a reason they say raising daughters is useless!”
Demian gave Malta a weary look.
“And you! Why did you only bring Yeomyeong now when it should be tempered every time it grows?”
“I’ve been quite busy lately.”
“Well, at least you brought it! Good job!”
Malta stroked Yeomyeong’s blade with a peculiar grin.
“Yeomyeong, you’ve grown splendidly in my absence… Once I work on you, you’ll be several times stronger than before… Heh heh.”
Demian glanced at Malta with a look of disgust, then turned to Agnes.
“Is he always like this?”
“Well… he usually restrains himself…”
Agnes avoided Demian’s gaze as she spoke.
“Master Malta, I have a question.”
“What is it? If it’s about how to care for Yeomyeong, you’ll have to wait.”
“That’s not it. You lead the dwarves who have joined the Holy Order, correct?”
“Yes, why?”
“Do you also have connections with dwarves in other regions?”
Malta paused to consider before answering.
“There are a few cities we have ties with.”
Dwarves lived in cities rather than kingdoms, and their cities were quite different from what humans imagined. They were hidden deep in mountains or caves and were much larger in scale.
“Do you have ties with the city of Bitgeumhammer?”
“Bitgeumhammer? Why do you ask?”
“I heard the name on my travels and was curious.”
In truth, it was a lie. Demian had never heard of Bitgeumhammer before.
The real reason he asked about Bitgeumhammer was simple.
The Weapon Master.
His next target was there.