By Zephyria 
Bai-Sak.
It was a playful insult Oasis used to refer to Elvin Brooks. It meant something like ‘tall guy.’
So, none of us took Oasis’s sudden divine revelation seriously. We just thought he was playing another prank, trying to let us know he was doing well. But now, I wondered what kind of situation had led him to desperately call out Elvin’s name only to be unable to continue.
That the gods might be under attack.
I recalled the overwhelming terror I felt when I first met Oasis, the goosebumps that covered my back. The Soho Cheon-nyeo and Thousand-Faced Devil I saw were merely experts on par with me. Could they truly tear Oasis apart? I couldn’t believe it even a little.
Yet, when I thought about it again, if I, who had now swallowed two-thirds of the Ninth God, were to meet Oasis, I would surely have a different impression than before. I felt I could contend with the God of Records now. I felt a competitive spirit against the Dragon. How different could Oasis be?
The Demonic Cult was a religion that revered the Heavenly Demon as a god.
Could it be that the Heavenly Demon the brainwashed Imperial Knights were shouting about was one of them, one of those two?
But it was also a strange thing. To decide one of them as the Heavenly Demon without even establishing a hierarchy?
Gano Paquin’s eyes, which had been wide open, narrowed. He habitually took out a booklet, opened it, flipped through a few pages with trembling hands, and then rubbed them together, using his palm as a paperweight. A faint, light green haze rose and disappeared on the blank page.
“…If I knew that… I would have suggested going to where the first or third one was from the start. The gods… this continent was created by the mingling of all our powers, so we cannot pinpoint each other’s exact locations. Even my current energy covers all records from Biban to the Empire.”
“The last time I saw him was eighty years ago. He always lived on the west side of the continent, and I on the east, so… I knew he often hung out with The Ninth, but… I just figured they were both a bit off their rockers.”
That’s right. The Sun God had also said the same thing before, stating he couldn’t pinpoint the Ninth God’s location. …Then was it also because of that that the Sun God couldn’t determine my location? Even before meeting the God of Records, I was already in such a… god-like state?
My mind was a mess, and I was deeply troubled. The Dragon, who had been pondering with me, covering his chin with both hands, then roughly scraped his face and suddenly lifted his head. The Dragon roughly pulled Gano Paquin’s arm and spoke again in a sharp voice.
“This is going to hell. Gano, take me with you.”
“…Where?”
“Wherever it is, I think we need to capture those who were vassals of The Ninth. If not for anyone else, I owe them a debt.”
“A debt?”
“Monsters. The Ninth seemed a bit unmotivated, so I bestowed stigmata upon his vassals that allowed them to communicate with monsters. I have to go and take that back.”
“Gasp.”
Mage Boulder sprang up from his seat, then sat down with a loud thud. I thought he would never pick his opponents, but it seemed the Dragon was still difficult to deal with. It would be fortunate if he only extended his reach where he could.
Benjamin, who had clenched his fist under the round table, quietly cheered, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Was he happy to be accompanying the Dragon even in this situation? I pondered quietly and took a breath.
Whether I swallowed The Ninth’s origin or not was a matter for later.
First, finding them remained unchanged. The Dragon said he didn’t care, but I couldn’t stand by and watch this continent, which Ruben was supposed to rule and where my kin and friends stood, be turned upside down.
If that were to happen, then I…
Thwack.
I was suddenly hit on the back, causing me to lurch forward. Hugh Benson, who was sitting next to me, waved the hand that had hit my back in the air, pretending to be more hurt, and exclaimed.
“Stop daydreaming and get up. Let’s get ready to go.”
“…”
How did he know what I was thinking? I watched him for a moment, then pulled my chair back and stood up.
Thump!
Then, this time, a stronger fist landed on my back. It was Benjamin.
I was dumbfounded and looked at him. Benjamin grinned broadly, nodding his head. His touch was clearly filled with personal feelings, yet he was smiling like that, so I couldn’t say anything.
When was he getting revenge for something from so long ago? Dumbfounded, I eventually just laughed it off.
❖ ❖ ❖
How much time had passed while gods argued?
The sun that had risen from the sea was already casting a reddish glow over the mountains. The contaminated mana that had pooled in this mine was all due to the influence of the Sixth God, who had ceded his domain to The Ninth and moved it down the mountain. Now, those energies would gradually dissipate.
As soon as we stepped out of the tunnel, Spiritus easily concealed the energy that had enveloped her. She emerged dressed like a seasoned mercenary. The way she naturally walked close to Leon showed she had experienced mercenary life for many years.
How could I refuse when a god wanted to follow? I was simply satisfied that we had gained one more strong companion.
The wind that swept along the path blew across the dry, empty ground. As always, Hugh Benson gave a brief briefing on the next task and the path ahead.
“First, we need to escort the Knights back to the Empire. Even though we’re short on time, let’s go to the Grimesbane front. If we can get an update on the Empire’s situation there, we’ll get it. And register the Duke.”
“Mm.”
“We also need to check if Wesley Kiadris has visited Sierren even once since then. If we can get any news about our Prince or the others, that would be good too…”
Then, as always, Gano Paquin cut in.
“I can find out once we reach a place where humans gather.”
“You must tell us without filtering. Alright?”
“Hah… I’m a god, you know. Don’t you trust me?”
“Do you expect me to?”
Spiritus’s expression was peculiar. Watching the two bicker, I couldn’t tell if she was exasperated or annoyed by Benjamin and Boulder trailing behind her. I considered saying something myself, but I didn’t particularly want to hear anything, so I stopped.
The old town beneath the Duchy of Grimesbane mines was not far.
The city, presumably inhabited mainly by miners, seemed more prosperous than I had imagined. Most buildings were made of stone and remained intact. The buildings, which were whiter and cleaner than the dusty ones, were mostly single-story and surrounded by stone walls about 2 meters high. Both the castle walls and the fences seemed to have been erected to ward off small monsters.
Smoke was rising in the distance. Was it a fire lit by the Knights? The thought that they might have found something to eat made me worried again.
They must have been starving for a long time, but would it be alright to eat? It’s a world with Healing Artifacts, and they are all martial artists, so there shouldn’t be any major issues. But when I remembered children who died from indigestion after suddenly seeing food after starving… I shook my head to dispel the troubling thoughts.
Five Knights, standing at the collapsed section to the right of the tightly closed city gate, greeted us warmly.
“Lord Ernhardt, you have arrived?”
“Lord Kamael is waiting for you.”
“We are relieved to see you seem unharmed.”
“Thank you for saving us.”
“Thank you!”
It felt a bit awkward that they recognized me so readily, even though I hadn’t formally introduced myself to them.
“Yes. Thank you for the welcome. Um, have you eaten?”
“We agreed that eating immediately might be too much of a strain on the body, so we decided to eat after consulting with a doctor and receiving treatment. Do you know when we will be departing…?”
The Knight answered my unspoken question perfectly. I knew from experience, having gone through war, but how did these Knights, who shouldn’t have gone hungry, know all this? I felt both pity and admiration.
Hugh Benson answered the Knight’s question.
“We are scheduled to decide after meeting Lord Kamael. We won’t keep you waiting long, so don’t worry.”
“Yes. We look forward to your guidance, Lord Benson.”
After their polite greetings, we moved on. I suddenly became curious and walked alongside Hugh Benson.
“Do they know all of our names?”
“They’re from the Imperial Knights. Even if they’re ignorant, they all have the Nobility Yearbook memorized. They know me because I introduced myself, and they probably recognized you and Benjamin just by your appearance. It’s convenient to travel with people whose faces are their IDs.”
“Ah…”
“Elvin probably doesn’t know. Leon, Boulder, or even those two. They just assume it’s because you’re traveling with us.”
“I understand.”
As we walked towards the center of the old town, there were more collapsed buildings than intact ones. Traces of fierce battles were occasionally visible. After the city walls fell, people must have come here to establish a temporary front line. Trolls must have fallen here, and Ogres must have attacked over there.
At the same time, I could read the signs of monsters that were more focused on capturing people than destroying buildings. Ordinary monsters do not act with such patience.
If Spiritus hadn’t given those wicked Demonic Cultists the ability to communicate with monsters, this wouldn’t have happened. But then again, from the Dragon’s perspective, how would one distinguish between good and bad humans…?
Lord Kamael stood in the middle of the town, right beside the fire that was burning.
Her dark chestnut hair, which came to her shoulders, was damp with sweat, and her face was covered in dust. She looked significantly dirtier than before, as if she had wandered and searched everywhere, but her expression was bright.
“You have returned safely.”
“Yes. What about the task I entrusted to you?”
Mage Boulder, who had been watching from behind, subtly gestured for permission and cast Clean Magic over her and the people standing around her. Kamael, who nodded her thanks with a slight nod, stood in a proper posture and reported to her superior.
“We have completed the extermination of the Monster Variants that were in the old town first. Since it’s better not to leave the bodies of the Variants behind, we created five temporary incinerators and burned them. The number of rescued Knights is currently confirmed at 402, of which 183 are from the Imperial Palace, 68 from Withrow, 140 from Grimesbane, and 11 others.”
“Others?”
“Yes. They were mercenaries protecting merchants who had come to Grimesbane to purchase weapons.”
“…Mm.”
The number of Knights belonging to the Imperial Knights was smaller than expected. Just as I was about to sigh, wondering how many had been captured, Lord Kamael stepped two paces to her right, revealing a Knight standing behind her.
“And during the opinion gathering, there was a Knight who wished to speak directly to Lord Ernhardt.”
“It’s been a while, Lord Ernhardt.”
To my surprise, it was a familiar face.