Will

Pernok sat in a room where sunlight seeped in, draped in pure white cloth.

Two weeks had passed since the battle with Klein.

Pernok had been restrained by the priests and confined in the Grand Temple.

All his equipment confiscated, he’d spent all day only gazing out the window, as they said he must stay here until the situation was sorted out.

Since they sent water and food inside on time, it wasn’t a bad environment for Pernok, who needed to recover his body.

‘It seems like it’s almost time for them to come.’

From a few days ago, the quality of food had begun changing.

It seemed to indicate they’d finished the Dawn Temple incident and shown intent to treat Pernok properly.

Exactly two days later, Pernok’s prediction hit the mark.

“Did you rest well?”

A woman fresh as sunlight entered inside.

The Holy Kingdom’s absolute being who wore a veil so he couldn’t tell what she was thinking at all, yet possessed a soul radiating brilliant light.

High Priest Arisha sat across from Pernok while wearing a subtle smile.

“Thanks to you, I’m spending boring days.”

“There was content to investigate, so I briefly committed rudeness.”

“I retrieved the temple’s sacred relic and drove out the darkness. Should I be treated like this despite that?”

“But there’s no record of you entering here.”

“I entered here under an alias before the incident broke out. Isn’t the name Moroso written down?”

“Well. I couldn’t find it even searching with my eyes wide open?”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Pernok shrugged and poured water to drink.

“So, have your suspicions about me cleared?”

“Usually it’s not easy to act confident before me, but you have special aspects.”

“If you’d talked without confining me, I would have treated you courteously too, which is truly regrettable.”

“Those words aren’t wrong either. But can’t we establish a good relationship from now on?”

Pernok curled up one corner of his mouth.

“What does the Holy Kingdom’s High Priest lack to address a mere mercenary so highly?”

“Is that so? To my eyes, you look truly special.”

“If you wear that, does it show you something?”

“It shows things that can’t be seen.”

At that moment, there was a faint ripple from inside the veil.

He felt the strange sensation of his body being swept over in an instant, but there was no sign of mana moving.

‘Not easy to gauge.’

Even knowing she was an S3 Magus, he felt no power flowing from her flesh despite her soul’s brilliant light.

It felt like facing an endless wasteland.

“Even when you drove out the darkness, I believed you.”

“…?”

“Because what dwelled in your hands was truly clear and pure.”

In that brief interval, she’d even grasped the artifact.

“I didn’t tell the priests. Please think of it as my small sincerity.”

“I particularly wasn’t planning to hide it.”

“Hoho, then may I ask one thing?”

Meeting Pernok’s eyes, Arisha asked.

“Did you truly kill the darkness that made the Silver priest rampage?”

That day’s incident was.

Pernok had pursued Klein and ran into the Silver priest.

During the difficult match, thanks to rampaging Klein fighting a death match with the priest, he could finish the darkness.

That was what had been officially recorded.

“The priest was also a rotten bastard. But with my strength, it was impossible.”

“Certainly, even adding your mana and that pure power wouldn’t have matched the Silver priest. Unless you hid something else…”

When Pernok gazed indifferently, Arisha smiled and averted her gaze.

“…There isn’t such a thing. Thank you for the answer.”

“What will happen to Dawn Temple?”

“The priests of each temple are tracking down all those involved in this matter together with Dawn’s Head Cleric. Since there’s much they hid, it will need quite some time, but those who committed sins will receive appropriate judgment. Ah, and Dawn Temple is grateful for retrieving the sacred relic and wishes to host Guild Master Pernok.”

“I’ll visit once when I have time.”

Then Arisha straightened her posture and bowed her head with her hand on her chest.

“This matter is entirely the Holy Kingdom’s fault for failing to manage the priests. The Pope views this matter sadly and is also sincerely grateful for the courage Guild Master Pernok showed. Therefore, he instructed us to give the guild master maximum convenience.”

“Convenience?”

“Within the range the Holy Kingdom can do, we wish to help with three things.”

“Is that the Pope’s will?”

Arisha raised her head and grinned.

“Not knowing what you might want, I also implored for this myself.”

As Klein said, Arisha was different from conservative priests in some way.

But that aspect didn’t greatly stimulate his nerves. Because even as high priest, she appeared courteous and trying to maintain boundaries.

‘She said she wanted to establish temples outside.’

If she’s going to do something, she’s someone who’ll make it big.

[The darkness draped before you is far thicker and more ominous than the darkness that swallowed me now. If the sturdy shield called the Holy Kingdom is added, wouldn’t it be a fight worth trying?]

It felt like hearing Klein’s phantom voice.

As those words said, to unfold a frontal confrontation with Illumina’s First Prince backed by the Rakis Empire, his current forces had something lacking.

There was no guarantee the Holy Kingdom would be dragged into war.

But what if when they viewed him as a benefactor and he was cornered, they offered enough help to extend a hand?

‘When she learns I’m a bastard, like Rezhen’s Salavan, there’s a possibility the high priest will also join with me.’

Since her inner thoughts were hard to read, he couldn’t be certain.

But if the high priest revealed the ambition to establish temples outside to make the Holy Kingdom prosper even more greatly, she wouldn’t turn away from a nation that might become an allied country.

At least if a Light Temple was established in that nation, the high priest might actively step forward to help.

‘However, showing my hand early isn’t good. If I recklessly brought in power I can’t handle, there’s a possibility my forces would be swept away as is.’

She was a Magus surpassing Ruin.

If by chance the high priest had a change of heart, Pernok’s forces could be devastated.

Magi who dominate a nation are such existences.

They fundamentally possess the greed that likes to choose which side to attach to by weighing momentary emotions, judgments, and benefits, and clutch it in their hands.

‘I’ll need procedures to confirm if she’s a trustworthy opponent.’

Three opportunities.

While pondering how to use that defenselessness that somehow seemed to test him, Pernok spoke.

“I’d like to use the Genesis Library.”

“Understood.”

At the answer that was too refreshing, Pernok merely gaped his mouth for a moment.

“You’re the Holy Kingdom’s precious guest. You may view the library. But only for today. You can’t take books out either.”

Arisha grinned.

It was hard to read the intent of permitting entry without hesitation to the Holy Kingdom’s greatest library that only the Pope or those equivalent could enter.

But if they’d let him in, there was no reason to decline on this side either.

“I’ll be careful.”

Before he knew it, to Pernok whose manner of speech had become courteous, Arisha laughed while covering her mouth.

“When I face Guild Master, it’s like seeing a rose with thorns.”

That’s what he wanted to say.

“Will you go now?”

“If possible.”

“I’ll guide you.”

Arisha readily stood, opened the door, and released Pernok’s restraints.

Pernok followed Arisha deep into the Grand Temple.

When she placed her hand on the thick door and recited something, the door opened while scraping the floor.

“Only for today.”

Pernok entered the Genesis Library.

All kinds of books that couldn’t be found even in Rezhen were orderly inserted.

Among them, what caught his eye was the untitled journal the previous Pope had seen.

When he carefully unfolded the old journal, the phrase appeared.

[In an era when magic hadn’t arrived. On that day painted with human greed and selfishness when even Calamities weren’t born, Heaven bestowed grace. We called it Radiance.]

A brief explanation about Radiance was written.

Probably the previous Pope tried to find Radiance following this fairytale-like words.

‘Clues to find the Saint’s remains…’

Several places were already empty.

‘…They’d already smuggled it out.’

He couldn’t know what content was written that led them all the way to that tomb Klein guarded.

But there was no need to care anymore.

After Klein burned Origin at the cost of his life, even the remaining Radiance had all disappeared.

The Saint’s remains would now rot and decay with time like other bones.

Thud!

He closed the book and searched other bookshelves. He hoped there might be books recording content related to Origin or Radiance, or matters from even further before.

But there was no content he wanted.

Just as the previous Pope realized that power’s identity after encountering Origin, no records from before Radiance were stored at all.

‘The other guys would be disappointed.’

Though not recorded in this land, special things continuing their lineage still remained.

Like the races that survived beyond hundreds of years like Tunnel Folk, Horn Tribe, and Scale Tribe, he believed records of that ‘era’ where his retainers and Pernok stayed during life also existed somewhere.

Pernok, who examined the Genesis Library until the day waned, came outside without hesitation.

* * *

From the day after visiting the Genesis Library, Pernok’s treatment became cordial.

Tasting all kinds of delicacies, he even received guests who came from Dawn Temple.

Around when his body returned to top condition, Pernok gathered his luggage and exited the Grand Temple.

To Arisha, who personally saw him off, Pernok left meaningful words.

“Soon chaos will come to the continent. Every nation will enter a time of choice. I’ll expect the two remaining opportunities to be used for the Holy Kingdom and me.”

Arisha smiled gently and clasped her hands.

“I’ll also pray that on that day, you’ll be safe, Lord Pernok.”

Pernok lightly bowed and turned around.

Using the identification token the Holy Kingdom gave, he crossed the castle gate and climbed a mountain ridge fairly far from here.

Reaching the middle, a small cave appeared.

Inside the cave travelers occasionally used to avoid rain, a previous guest was waiting.

“It’s been a month!”

It was Armin and the children.

Everyone welcomed Pernok with clean appearances.

“I wanted to come out quickly, but because my body hadn’t recovered, it took a little time.”

“Being safe is best. So, what did the High Priest say?”

“She seems to want to establish good ties, but her inner thoughts are hard to read, so I’m postponing for now. After all, there was Klein’s matter too.”

Armin, who read the children’s expressions darkening for a moment, tried to ask brightly.

“For now, shall we go to my house? Let’s share the piled-up stories, yes?”

“I’m sorry, but the schedule here was greatly delayed. There are places to go, so let’s share feelings next time. And give this to Kelt.”

Pernok took out a thick book from his luggage.

“Things about Origin and Radiance. I also wrote down a few records about the previous ‘era’.”

“Could this be…”

“You may look too. But you mustn’t be caught.”

Armin, who recalled the Silver priest and Origin, nodded with a heavy expression.

“Don’t worry. If a day comes when I record this in the Holy Kingdom, it must be such an era without any danger.”

“Give my regards to Kelt.”

“Haha, understood.”

Then Pernok looked back at Marco and the children.

“You guys have a place to go with me.”

“But first, isn’t there something you should say?”

“Hm?”

“Your name! It’s not Per!”

Pernok grinned.

“Right, I’m Named’s guild master, Pernok.”

“You’re also the Illumina Kingdom’s bastard.”

Pernok eyes widened in surprise, but Armin and the children including him were calm.

“I heard it from Klein.”

“You even did memory transmission?”

“Don’t worry. Everyone here is on your side. Even if we betray, it’s not like we have anywhere to go.”

Armin quickly added.

“Now I’m also someone sharing records together, do you think I’ll say foolish things? I’ll keep my mouth shut, so don’t worry, Your Highness.”

When even the children chimed in responding, Pernok ended up laughing.

“You’re quick to handle things.”

“I learned by watching you. More than that, where are we going?”

Klein probably entrusted the obsidian to Marco thinking highly of this adaptability.

Pernok smiled and answered.

“The place where the descendants are buried.”

* * *

Pernok, who sent Armin to Kelt, took the children and crossed rough mountains.

Tracing Klein’s memories, he reached the place the previous Pope attacked first.

In the place where sunset seeped, gravestones with names written still remained.

All were descendants of Lord of Despair who inherited Origin.

“You know Lord of Despair, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, you understand well what’s sleeping inside you.”

“The abyss. The essence of darkness.”

“Will you inherit it?”

Though he inherited Klein’s memories, he still hadn’t accepted the abyss.

Marco fiddled with the ring still too large to wear on his finger and nodded.

“The process of accepting the abyss will be complex, they say. But Klein said if you help, it’ll be easily resolved.”

“I’ll have to refine from the foundation so Origin settles stably inside you. Then the growth that stopped will restart too. Same for those kids stimulated by you.”

“Good. Then may I make one request?”

“What is it?”

“Take me and the kids along.”

Pernok looked around at the children with stiff expressions, then asked Marco indifferently.

“While knowing what I’ll do from now on?”

“I’m prepared for getting blood on my hands. But it’s too much for just us. When facing bastards like the Silver priest, I don’t want to run away. If I learn under you, couldn’t I become like Klein?”

Pernok, who met Marco’s earnest eyes, nodded.

“Orders are…”

“Absolute obedience!”

Pernok shook his head from side to side and grinned.

“We’re moving all the Saint’s remains and the gravestones here to my resting place. From now on, that place is your home.”

“Home…”

Finally the children smiled.

“Got it!”

The children who answered energetically used Origin to load all the gravestones and Origin’s traces left here onto the cart.

* * *

Around when they crossed the border pulling the cart and arrived at the demon beast mountain range.

One cry shook the continent.

“Illumina’s star has set!”

It was news of King Illumina’s death.