Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 145

The Second Battle with Arsen (1)

1

Around the time when stories about Luke’s exploits and the righteous black mages were becoming a hot topic in Bless,

equally astonishing rumors were rapidly spreading in Brenden, the capital of the Symphonia Kingdom.

“I heard the Holy Sword Valiant has been found?”

“Hey, isn’t it a fake?”

“No! Marquis Albain and other prominent scholars and mages have verified it; it’s the real deal!”

The story of the Holy Sword Valiant, which Rakan had used, was enough to make the hearts of young knights who revered him flutter.

However, there was also equally shocking news.

“I heard that Lord Rakan broke the Holy Sword before he died?”

“What?”

“According to my friend who works in the Royal Knights, the Holy Sword had a memoir engraved on it, expressing his indignation at being deceived by Carno de Barok and Meister Arsen of the Veritas Magic Tower.”

“What exactly was Lord Rakan deceived about? Aside from being backstabbed by Carno’s rebellion?”

“That too, but it turns out that Seymon, whom he killed with his own hands, wasn’t such a bad guy after all.”

“Really? If that’s true, this is a huge shock, isn’t it?”

Until now, the people of the Rodisia Continent had viewed Seymon as the incarnation of the Demon King and had continued to curse and revile him.

But suddenly, they were told that he wasn’t the Demon King, causing a moment of confusion.

Along with the rumors about the Holy Sword and the memoir, the contents of Seymon’s diary were also revealed.

“He was tainted by darkness because of his fiancée’s death….”

“Carno and Arsen were at fault then.”

“Oh! Isn’t it romantic? He fought against the continent to avenge his beloved.”

While the women were shedding tears over Seymon’s love, young people secretly pursuing republicanism paid attention to Seymon’s ideas and policies.

“Certainly, he must have been a terrifying Demon King from the perspective of the high-ranking nobles. They say he took their land and distributed it to the people….”

“Looking at the abolition of the class system and land distribution, he was a visionary ahead of his time.”

“Could it be that the black mage thing is also a lie? Even the official records don’t show him using undead or anything like that?”

“Maybe it was exaggerated to frame him. Such things happen all the time, even now.”

“I guess so.”

It was a common tactic to frame someone or spread rumors to eliminate political rivals.

Most of the people who heard the rumors were astonished, but there were also those who were not.

They were the elves or their half-bloods.

They had heard the truth from their ancestors long ago, so they couldn’t help but be cynical about people’s reactions.

“See? What did I tell you? I said that the hero Rakan was wrong. You all denied it and were ready to kill me, but now you look ridiculous.”

At the words of the elf female employee working at the information guild, the guild members scratched their heads with embarrassed expressions.

“Ugh, well, that’s how it’s been known until now….”

“Don’t make excuses and go home and kick your blankets.”

However, not everyone believed all the rumors that had started spreading recently.

Unlike the common people, there were quite a few people who distrusted the rumors.

They were mostly priests or people who were just as dogmatic.

They claimed that the memoir was fabricated and that Seymon’s diary was also unreliable.

“But the majority of people are more inclined to believe it than not.”

At Hudson’s report, Luke asked, inwardly pleased.

“Why is that?”

“Carno de Barok has been criticized and reviled for forcibly usurping the throne. And in the case of Arsen, the Veritas Magic Tower is under suspicion for secretly researching black magic.”

“Indeed, that’s true.”

As Luke nodded, Hudson continued to speak.

“Moreover, the elves have long been defending Seymon and criticizing Lord Rakan. Meanwhile, among young intellectuals, there has been a movement to change the aristocratic view of history.”

In addition, people recently were showing more interest and attention to the new and stimulating rather than the mundane.

The development of science, including magical engineering, and the influx of new technologies, knowledge, and cultures through trade with the southern continent had influenced the changes in people’s thoughts and ideologies.

Therefore, the sensational rumors were more believable than the old, stale knowledge.

“It seems that the fall of the Barok Empire, the emergence of new nations like Liviana and our Symphonia Kingdom, and the reforms of the Holy Empire are also contributing to the changing situation on the continent.”

‘So, people’s perceptions are changing in line with the changing world?’

To survive, to become the master of the new era, it was right to listen to different claims and ideas and keep pace with the new order.

The reason why the feudal system had taken root on the continent was because in the past, when lawlessness and violence were rampant, nobles and knights took up swords to protect the land and the people.

‘But now is the time for the feudal order to end. There is chaos, but it cannot be compared to the time when lawlessness and violence were rampant.’

Luke predicted that in the future, those who held knowledge and information, and those who captured people’s thoughts and moved their hearts, would move the world, not those who wielded swords.

‘Of course, such a world won’t come so soon. But the future will surely be such a world.’

Luke had transcended over 500 years.

It was unintentional, but thanks to that, he was able to see a different era and new cultures from the past.

‘Then what will it be like 500 years from now? The bleak future that Karen spoke of has already disappeared….’

Luke was lost in his imagination when suddenly, he felt an ominous energy from the east.

The energy, colder and more eerie than the winter chill, was so intense that it made his whole body shudder.

‘This gloomy and evil energy is definitely…!’

“Your Majesty?”

Hudson tilted his head at Luke’s hardened expression when Erewin burst into the office, delivering an urgent report that had just arrived via magical communication.

“Your Majesty, Enbury City is under attack by an unidentified monster!”

Enbury City was a gateway city about 20 kilometers east of Brenden.

Although its population was small, it was a city that defended Brenden, so a considerable number of soldiers and Gigantes [large, humanoid war machines] were stationed there.

Hudson couldn’t help but be surprised that such a place was suddenly attacked.

There was no information about signs of attack from other countries or rebellions.

But unlike him, Luke seemed to know who the attacker was.

‘Gritting teeth, Arsen!’

He had come. He was calling him out.

And it was true.

Arsen was attacking Enbury City to lure Luke out.

He had judged that fighting in Brenden, where the best elites of the Symphonia Kingdom were gathered, could be disadvantageous to him.

As such, Arsen was determined to eliminate Luke this time.

Anyway, Luke, who thought that he could not avoid it and should not avoid it, jumped up from his seat.

“Your Majesty, are you going there yourself?”

At Erewin’s question, Luke nodded and said.

“It seems that he is someone I have to deal with.”

“…Do you perhaps know who that monster is?”

“Yes. It’s Arsen, the founder of the Veritas Magic Tower. A monster who has not died for the past 500 years.”

Thud!

Erewin was shocked by Luke’s answer.

She had also heard the story of what happened in the Zhuge family from Hwangbo-sung, who had traveled to the southern continent with Luke.

At that time, Arsen, who had appeared as a lich, had almost caused the Zhuge family to be destroyed and Luke to die.

It was said that he had barely survived thanks to Nanda, a high monk of the Arahan Order, but that the monster had reappeared!

“No! If you must go, please take the Royal Knights, no, the Central Army Knights with you!”

Erewin vehemently tried to stop Luke from going to Enbury City alone.

It was certainly unfortunate that Enbury City would be destroyed and soldiers and citizens would be sacrificed while they hesitated.

But it was much better than Luke going and dying.

To Erewin, Luke was not just a lord she served.

He was a prophet who would bring new changes to the continent and hope to the elves.

He was the person chosen by her teacher, Erenes, in her will, and also someone she personally admired.

Therefore, even if she was criticized for being selfish, she wanted to prioritize his safety above all else.

“Your Majesty is the pillar of Symphonia. If something were to happen to you….”

Luke chuckled at Erewin’s agitated and worried dissuasion, who rarely showed her emotions.

“Do you think I will lose to that monster?”

“I don’t think you can win.”

It had only been a little over a year since Luke had gone to the Zhuge family.

In the meantime, there had been various events, such as the founding of Symphonia, but how much could his skills have improved?

A lich, an immortal monster.

She did not believe that he could defeat a being who had been cultivating the power of darkness for the past 500 years.

“It’s good that you’re worried about me, but sometimes you should also learn to trust the lord you have chosen.”

There was one variable that Erewin had not taken into account.

The power that Luke had recently gained from the Holy Empire.

Luke thought that he could defeat Arsen with that power granted by God.

And he knew that he had to go now.

Arsen’s atrocities would not end with Enbury City.

If he delayed, the monster would surely completely destroy Enbury City and attack other cities.

Even if he defeated the monster, it would be a loss for Luke.

The longer it was delayed, the greater the damage would be, and the lower the people’s trust would be.

“Court mage, you are to summon the Royal Knights and the Central Army Knights with Marquis Rogers.”

As Luke’s will seemed so firm, Erewin had no choice but to give up.

“Understood. But please take this with you.”

She handed him the Holy Sword Valiant, which had been placed on one side of Luke’s office.

The sword, which scholars including Marquis Albain had finished analyzing and researching and returned, had lost its life as a weapon when the hero Rakan broke it.

“Will this really be of any help?”

“The orichalcum [a mythical metal] that was the material for the Holy Sword has the property of amplifying magic and aura on its own. It won’t be of much help, but it will be much better than an ordinary sword.”

“I see. I’ll take it.”

Luke, who had received the broken Holy Sword, immediately disappeared from the spot using teleportation magic.

The only one who went with him was Hwangbo-sung, who stood like a shadow behind him.

2

Flash—! Kwaaaang!

“Kuaaak! Save me!”

“Keeeek!”

Enbury, a gateway city with 20,000 soldiers and 50,000 citizens.

A disaster suddenly struck this gateway city, which was enjoying its second golden age since the founding of the Symphonia Kingdom.

A skeleton wearing an ash-colored robe appeared in the sky, and then, emitting black magic like dark clouds, it summoned thousands and hundreds of wraiths from within.

The wraiths and the dense magic wrapped around the skeleton and transformed into a terrifyingly huge monster.

A pair of wings, two pairs of long arms, and goat-like legs with a long, snake-like tail.

The Ghost Spirit Armor Gorgos.

It was one of Arsen’s moves that had driven Luke into a crisis in the southern continent, but the citizens of Enbury had no way of knowing that.

“Keh. Keh. Keh. I. will. bestow. the. blessing. of. death. upon. you!”

Kwaa-ang!

Every time Arsen swung Gorgos’s long arms, buildings and houses turned to dust.

The black magic that was constantly manifesting in the air indiscriminately massacred people who were fleeing in fear.

In an instant, one-third of Enbury’s city center was destroyed and ablaze.

The soldiers of Enbury, who had been flustered by the sudden attack, hurriedly launched a counterattack.

Led by Baron Howl, the commander of the Enbury Defense Force, the Gigantes unit surrounded Arsen’s Gorgos.

“Don’t rush in recklessly! Distract him and buy as much time as possible for the people to evacuate!”

Baron Howl, who had gained experience on the battlefield as a member of the Iron Fist Knights during the Milton Kingdom era, instinctively felt that they were facing an opponent they could not handle.

So, instead of rushing in recklessly, he focused on buying time.

Fortunately, the Gigantes riders followed his command well.

They did not get scared or excited by the monster’s terrifying attacks, and they did not stop swinging their greatswords, pulling back, or throwing spears.

While dozens of Gigantes were causing a distraction, the artillerymen brought out their cannons and added their strength.

“Fire! Cover our Gigantes!”

Bang! Kwakwakwang!

About a hundred cannonballs poured towards Gorgos from all directions.

However, neither the desperate attacks of the Gigantes nor the artillery barrage had any effect on the monster.

They were all neutralized by the shield magic that Arsen had deployed.

“Ugh, where did such a monster come from…!”

Baron Howl, who was frustrated, shouted at his retreating subordinates.

“Don’t retreat! The safety of your parents and siblings depends on you!”

Frankly, Baron Howl himself wanted to run away.

No matter how he looked at it, this monster was an existence they could not stop.

But he did not retreat.

If he ran away like this, his wife and children in the city would be in danger.

The same was true for the other knights and soldiers.

Most of the city’s residents were their families and relatives.

That was why even the lowest-ranking soldiers did not try to run away easily.

Those from the streets destroyed by Gorgos were even more so.

Having witnessed their acquaintances being buried alive under the destroyed and collapsed buildings, and their parents and siblings burning to death in the flames of black magic, they rushed at Gorgos with tears of blood.

“Die, you monster!”

“I will avenge my family who died miserably by eliminating you!”

Five Gigantes approached, breaking through the dark bullet barrage that Arsen was firing.

Their shields and armor were instantly tattered, but they did not care and rushed in, swinging their greatswords.

“You bastard!”

“Die!”

They seemed to be attacking in a fit of rage, but the five Gigantes riders were thinking as they charged.

Instead of blindly swinging their greatswords, they focused on one area and stabbed their gigantic auras into it.

Whether it was because of their persistent attack, Arsen’s shield magic was momentarily shattered.

“Keh. Keh. Keh, not. bad. at. all!”

Arsen, with a sinister smile, lightly swung Gorgos’s hand.

Ziiing—!

Sharp black streaks were drawn in the air, and then the torsos of the five Gigantes were simultaneously cut diagonally.

Of course, the riders inside were all killed instantly.

“Ugh! It’s a real monster!”

“Where did such a monster come from?”

“W-we can’t handle it!”

When the five fighting riders were swept away by a single attack, the morale of the knights plummeted.

In the face of Arsen’s absolute combat power, their strong sense of duty, as well as their fiery desire for revenge, were fading away.

Then, Baron Howl roared and stepped forward.

“Don’t be afraid! Reinforcements will arrive soon! So, until then, focus on preventing that monster from advancing any further!”

With Baron Howl, a Sword Expert of the highest level, leading the charge, the riders who had regained their senses attacked the monster again.

“Insignificant. Flies.”

Arsen, sneering, instantly charged towards the incoming Gigantes.

Without using black magic, he swung his long arms and tail, crushing steel armor and stomping on the Gigantes with his feet, shattering them.

Crack! Boom!

“Kuaaak!”

“You damn bastard!”

“Damn it! Let’s die together, you!”

Baron Howl and the Gigantes riders were truly brave.

They fought against Gorgos, disregarding their own safety.

Some riders even clung to his arms or legs, sacrificing themselves to create openings for their comrades.

They even tried using the Great Transcendence Technique [a powerful, high-level combat technique], but it was not enough to face Gorgos.

In the end, the Gigantes unit at Enberry Gate was annihilated without even inflicting a proper scratch.

‘Ugh, am I the only one left!’

Baron Howl shed tears of blood as he looked at the countless, horribly broken Gigantes of his allies before him.

The monster, standing on top of the crushed Gigantes, arrogantly flicked his hand as if it were nothing.

‘My greatsword is broken, my left arm is gone, and my armor is almost tattered….’

Though he hadn’t fallen, the Knight-class Gigantes that Howl was riding was also in poor condition.

However, instead of running away, Baron Howl charged towards Gorgos with his half-broken greatsword.

“Long live the Symphonia Kingdom!”

‘Huh?’

Arsen felt a strong determination from the charging opponent.

He saw Howl’s Gigantes, which had rushed right in front of him, trying to pierce the core engine with the broken greatsword.

Baron Howl was planning to self-destruct!

“Heh. Admirable. Loyalty.”

Gorgos moved like lightning.

Thud!

Just before Howl could destroy the core engine, Gorgos’s right arm pierced through the Gigantes’ chest.

The Gigantes, with its rider dead, slumped like a puppet with its strings cut.

“Wooooooo!”

“Commander has fallen!”

“All-out attack!”

Although it ended in failure, Baron Howl’s last desperate fight was enough to instill a fighting spirit in the soldiers.

The artillery fired shells like crazy, and the soldiers shot arrows, knowing it was futile.

The regular knights on horseback charged towards Gorgos, channeling their aura into the tips of their spears.

“Heh. Heh. Heh. Such. Pointless. Actions.”

Arsen, who received the soldiers’ fighting spirit with a sneer, extended Gorgos’s right hand and chanted a spell.

“Receive. The. Reaping. Of. Fear. And. Death. Death. Invader!”

From the magic power that bloomed from Gorgos’s right hand, dozens, hundreds of gray moths appeared and flew towards the knights and soldiers.

As the moths danced, powder fell from their wings.

The moment the powder touched the bodies of the knights and soldiers, they began to melt like candle wax.

“Aaaagh! W-what is this!”

“S-save me!”

In an instant, thousands of soldiers were poisoned and killed by the poisonous powder spread by the moths.

The remaining soldiers stopped attacking and were horrified by the gruesome and horrific sight.

The moths flew over their heads and began to dance again.

“W-we’re doomed!”

“Damn it!”

The moment fear and despair arose in the soldiers’ eyes, a clear and resonant chant echoed from the sky.

“Burn everything with the heat of the sun. Absolute Flame!”

Suddenly, a hot flame flew and began to burn away all the moths and poisonous powder.

The one who unleashed the flame was a majestic silver Gigantes.

The soldiers, who had been cowering, let out cries of joy.

“It’s the Avenger!”

“His Majesty has arrived!”

From among the soldiers, a cheer of hope erupted, instantly erasing the despairing lament.

Unlike them, Arsen opened his mouth with a fierce glint in his eyes.

“Luke. De. Rakan!”

“You’re pathetic and despicable, Arsen. If you want to kill me, you should come directly. Why are you harming innocent citizens and soldiers? Am I that scary?”

Luke’s voice, echoing through the Avenger’s communication device, made Arsen raise his voice in anger.

“You. Speak. Carelessly. With. That. Mouth! Who. Is. Afraid. Of. The. Likes. Of. You?”

No sooner had Arsen finished speaking than he swung Gorgos’s hand towards the Avenger Luke was riding.

The black streaks that had sliced through five Gigantes in an instant flew towards Luke like lightning.

However, Luke easily blocked the black streaks with his greatsword imbued with golden aura.

“Do you think you can eliminate me with this much?”

Arsen inwardly frowned at Luke’s taunt.

‘His skills have indeed improved!’

Arsen had sensed that Luke had become stronger than when they had met at the Zhuge Family last year, as Luke had consecutively defeated the guardians he had painstakingly created, Hiros and Baymon.

The reason he felt intense anger towards Luke and decided not to let him live any longer was because he was constantly growing stronger.

He had become an existence that could no longer be ignored, no, should not be left alone.

“If you’re going to attack, you should do at least this much.”

Woo- Woong!

The greatsword, brimming with golden aura, seemed to vibrate, and then the Avenger disappeared from its spot.

The Avenger appeared above Gorgos’s head the moment Arsen flinched.

Under Luke’s control, the Avenger unleashed fast and powerful swordsmanship.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Arsen, flustered, hurriedly deployed shield magic to block the attacks.

Then, a series of explosions and flames erupted between the two of them.

‘This is the latter part of Gold Sword?’

Arsen knew that Luke had mastered the latter part of Gold Sword [a powerful swordsmanship technique].

He had watched the fight with Hiros through a magic crystal ball.

However, the swordsmanship he was displaying now was more refined than what he had seen then, and its power was much stronger.

‘It was worth pushing Grand Duke Gregory.’

The night before leaving the Holy Empire, Luke had sparred with Gregory for about two hours.

He had tried to refine his swordsmanship and find weaknesses by facing him, who had a deeper understanding of the latter part than he did.

Although he hadn’t learned much in a short time, he had been able to grasp one thing.

‘It shouldn’t end with just swinging the sword. It must be made to move as if it were alive.’

The Gold Sword of the Sword Saint Yeon Garam, which had been passed down to the Southern Continent, and the Gold Sword of the undead monster Hiros, made from Rakan’s corpse, had that feeling.

Even the latter part of Grand Duke Gregory, which he said was not yet complete, had a different vitality from his own swordsmanship.

‘Like an angry, raging torrent, like a storm of thunder and lightning, I must infuse the sword with unrestrained vitality.’

To do so, he must not follow the path taken by those who had awakened the latter part.

It was necessary to take a different approach and create a different form.

Luke’s swordsmanship was not yet on par with Gregory’s.

Naturally, it was no match for Hiros, who had Rakan’s swordsmanship directly injected into him, or the Sword Saint, who had developed it in the Southern Continent.

‘But I am strong. I can create my own path and my own swordsmanship with my own abilities!’

The latter part of Gold Sword was largely composed of 8 parts, and 64 parts in detail.

Depending on how they were applied or fused, thousands and tens of thousands of variations could be created.

“There is no need to try to learn or understand all of those numerous variations. Your Majesty, you just need to refine your swordsmanship in a way that suits you.”

Grand Duke Gregory had advised him like this after their sparring.

Luke was able to feel that advice more deeply as he fought against the powerful Arsen in a real battle.

‘Yes, to complete a masterpiece, one must sometimes know how to discard useless parts.’

Rather than dazzling splendor, a concise and fast attack.

Rather than an elegant combination, a single, powerful blow.

The latter part that Luke had refined to defeat Arsen was taking shape.

Arsen, who had been frantically blocking and dodging the greatsword attacks, suddenly felt a different scene unfolding before his eyes.

‘What is it? Why a meteor…?’

A star that stretched across the sky.

That star, which burned itself white and fell to the ground, emitted a dazzling flash and hot flames towards Arsen.

Boom-!

The moment the Avenger’s greatsword touched the shield, the explosion that occurred with a pure white flame cut off Gorgos’s left arm.

‘No!’

‘Did it work?’

Unlike the flustered Arsen, joy appeared on Luke’s face.

However, at that very moment, the Avenger’s greatsword snapped in half.

It had been hit by a Black Spear that Arsen had launched at the last moment while blocking the meteor.

However, from Luke’s perspective, this was not a loss but a relief.

If he hadn’t blocked it with the greatsword imbued with golden aura, the Black Spear, condensed with Arsen’s magic power, would have pierced through his chest armor and torn his body apart.

‘That skull is not easy to deal with after all.’

‘You! Today, I will definitely turn you into a pile of bones!’

Luke and Arsen, having finished their opening exchange, glared at each other.

In the ruins where hot flames were rising, the battle between the two, bound by a bad fate, began in earnest.

Clang! Clang!

Boom! Boom!

Luke and Arsen fiercely exchanged attacks.

Unlike before, Arsen was mainly attacking, and Luke was mainly defending.

There was a reason why Luke could not take the initiative even after landing a critical blow in the opening exchange.

It was because of the city’s citizens.

More than half of Enberry City was still standing, and many of its citizens had not been able to evacuate.

This meant that Luke had many weaknesses.

In fact, Arsen was thoroughly exploiting that point.

He deliberately deployed wide-area black magic, not only preventing Luke from attacking him but also targeting his weaknesses.

Whenever Luke tried to use Meteor Sword again, he would notice it like a ghost and interfere.

“Tch, you despicable skull!”

“Heh heh heh. The. Descendant. Of. A. So-Called. Hero. Is. Still. The. Same.”

The soldiers, seeing the once-dazzling armor of the Avenger becoming increasingly tattered, realized that Luke was in considerable trouble.

The reason why the king was struggling was simple.

It was because of them, and the many people still left in the city.

“This is not the time to just stand by and watch!”

“Yes, we need to make it easier for His Majesty to fight!”

While Luke was holding out, the soldiers of Enberry rescued and evacuated people who were trapped under collapsed buildings or in the flames.

“Hurry and run away! You must leave the city quickly!”

The young officer who was sending people out of the city ran to the Mars Order’s temple nearby.

He had seen a group of people evacuating in that direction.

He burst into the temple and saw that more people than he had expected were kneeling before the statue of Mars [the god of war in this setting].

The bald priest standing in front of them was frantically chanting prayers and performing an exorcism.

The officer frowned at the sight.

“What are you doing here? Evacuate out of the city immediately. Hurry!”

“Do not interfere! Are you trying to taint the ritual?”

“Ritual or whatever, just run away quickly! Don’t you know what’s happening outside?”

The officer jumped up and down, and the bald priest frowned.

“I know. The incarnation of evil has descended.”

“Knowing that, you’re still….”

The officer was about to retort when the bald priest raised his eyes and raised his voice.

“Do you think you can survive by running away? What we need now is faith and courage. If we combine them, the god of war, Mars, will descend and cut down that evil spirit in one blow!”

‘Damn it, is he a fanatic?’

The officer frowned.

He was also a believer in the Mars Order, but he did not believe in the descent of gods.

If the gods were so interested in the affairs of the lower realm, he thought they would have descended countless times by now.

Clang!

“Heeik! What are you doing?”

The bald priest was terrified as the officer drew the sword he had at his waist and pointed it at him.

“Can’t you put that away! Do you want to be punished by the heavens?”

“Shut up! I don’t care about heavenly punishment! If you hinder His Majesty, I will get rid of you first!”

“Look at this blasphemer!”

Just as some zealous believers were about to rush at him,

Boom—!

“Aaaagh!”

A fragment of black magic that Arsen had launched shattered the roof of the temple.

The impact caused the main beam to collapse, and the statue in front of the altar was smashed.

If Mars, the god of war, had seen this outrageous sight, he would have surely been enraged and appeared with his divine sword.

However, Mars was busy with other matters, and he did not appear before his pitiful lambs.

“Cough, cough! Evacuate quickly….”

The officer, covered in dust, stopped scolding.

The bald priest was the first to run away, and the believers were screaming and following behind him.

“Tsk, what pathetic fellows.”

There were always such people everywhere.

They just used their meager knowledge and status to deceive and confuse the people.

‘Those kinds of people should be rounded up and exiled to the border so they can’t run rampant.’

The officer shook his head, picked up a believer who was buried under the rubble, and left the temple.

The sounds of the battle between the king and the monster were getting closer and closer.