At the same time.
Lakeside Town Church.
Marshal and the other knights gathered in the church, pacing back and forth with furrowed brows.
Ever since waking up a few days ago, he had noticed that his memory seemed to have many gaps.
He couldn’t recall what had happened in the past few days at all.
But that wasn’t the main issue.
The main issue was the news that had come from the Order Church.
The Order Church had been completely destroyed by demons, and the fate of the Pope and the other high-ranking bishops was unknown. For their remote branch of the Church, this was undoubtedly a devastating blow.
“Still no contact with the Church headquarters?!” Marshal frowned, his voice filled with anxiety.
A knight beside him trembled as he replied, “The magical communication has been cut off for several days now, but we’ve sent out several messengers. It shouldn’t be long before we get more specific information about the headquarters…”
“Damn it!”
Marshal slammed his fist on the table, gritting his teeth, his eyes flickering with unease.
Once again, he thought about the blank spots in his memory from a few days ago. He had a strong feeling that something had happened here on the night the Church was destroyed.
It was even possible that the events in Lakeside Town that night were connected to the Church’s annihilation.
In an instant.
He recalled what his attendant had told him about those mages from Winter Spring Valley.
“It must have something to do with them!” he muttered through clenched teeth, his face darkening.
In a flash.
He stood up abruptly, his voice low and menacing:
“Gather all the soldiers. We’re heading to that inn. I’m sure we can extract some information from those mages!”
With that.
He gripped the hilt of his sword, pushed open the door, and strode out.
But just at that moment.
A gentle breeze swept through the room, extinguishing the candles and sending a chill down everyone’s spines.
A voice slowly echoed in their ears.
“I thought that erasing part of your memories would make you behave, but it seems some people’s nature never changes.”
Instantly.
Marshal felt a shiver run through his entire body.
A bone-chilling coldness surged up from within him, enveloping his entire being.
He swallowed hard, trembling.
And there, in the room behind him, appeared a figure cloaked entirely in black, with a large hood covering their face, revealing only a faintly cold smile on their lips—like a specter from the depths of hell.
In that moment.
A flood of memories rushed back.
Marshal instantly recalled the memories that had been erased a few days ago.
He turned his head sharply, and the figure before him overlapped with the one they had encountered when they stormed the Winter Spring Valley mages’ inn.
Thud—
His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, his face filled with terror.
“It’s you… it’s you…”
The other knights trembled as they gripped their swords, their memories flooding back as well. They felt an overwhelming chill freeze them in place, unable to move an inch.
Lynn’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Don’t worry, Marshal, I won’t kill you. Although the Church’s headquarters have been destroyed, the Church’s influence across the continent hasn’t been completely eradicated. You’re proof of that, aren’t you?”
Marshal stammered in fear, “I see now… that demon… the Demon Lord is… is…”
The wind howled, lifting Lynn’s cloak, revealing nothing but darkness beneath the hood.
“There are some things you’re better off not knowing, Marshal. Do you know why I’m here today?”
Marshal trembled as he tried to crawl backward, his voice shaking. “What… what do you want?”
Lynn took a step forward, his head tilted slightly. “I know you, Marshal. When the bishops weren’t around, you were the one who truly controlled Lakeside Town. You’ve exploited the townsfolk plenty, haven’t you? So, I’m willing to give you a chance to atone for your sins…”
Marshal murmured, “A chance to atone…”
Lynn slowly extended his hand and said, “I’ve always despised oppression and control, and I’ve spent my life fighting against such order. But I’ve come to realize that unless you’re more ruthless, more cunning, than them, you’ll never win.”
“And now that I possess the power to look down upon all living beings, I’ve also realized that concepts like good and evil can be reshaped by power.”
He gazed at his hand, where a sinister energy danced on his fingertips.
And in that instant.
Marshal finally understood what he intended to do.
“No!!”
Terror erupted in Marshal’s eyes as he scrambled to his feet, turning to flee toward the door.
In that moment, he knew…
Lynn wanted to…
wanted to twist his…
But before he could reach the door, a tendril of dark energy pierced the back of his skull.
His pupils instantly glowed with an ominous black light.
Lynn’s lips moved softly as he said, “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt much. I’ve just altered some of your perceptions. From now on, you’ll be the most upright knight in Lakeside Town. You’ll help others, fight against evil, hold fast to your beliefs, and always protect the weak…”
Thud—
Marshal collapsed to the ground, his body twitching, his mouth mumbling incoherently, his eyes vacant.
Threads of dark energy shot out, piercing the foreheads of the other knights in the room.
Thud—
Thud—
One by one, the knights fell to the ground.
Lynn stepped over their bodies, slowly walking toward the exit, his voice ethereal and dark.
“You’re all irredeemable scoundrels, a mockery of this world. But I won’t kill you, because you still have some use.”
Lynn raised his head, gazing into the dark night.
His fingers twitched slightly, then clenched into a fist.
He knew.
No matter whether his intentions were good or evil, the methods he had just used were a profound betrayal of the ideals he had always upheld.
But sometimes, you have no choice.
Because he knew.
Some people can never be eradicated.
You kill one group, and another will rise to take their place. They are endless, vicious, and greedy.
And once you leave, everything will return to how it was. Your momentary act of justice might even bring greater disaster to this place.
They are not the root of the problem.
Lynn took a deep breath.
And this was also one of the most important reasons why he was so determined to slay the gods.
Because as long as the gods existed, this cycle would never be broken.
He had tried, and he could say this with certainty.
And this was what made their positions fundamentally irreconcilable, with no room for compromise.
...
The next day.
“Lady Nanako, Mr. Lynn, come out quickly! It’s so strange! It’s really strange!!”
Elina rushed into the inn, clutching her staff, her eyes wide with astonishment.
She pointed outside, panting, and said,
“The knights and priests from the Church seem to have changed! They… they’re actually opening the granaries and helping the poor people in the slums!!”
Nanako, who had been holding a small bowl and spoon, her head bowed as she tried to think of an excuse to explain the gold coins to her disciple,
suddenly perked up at Elina’s words and exclaimed,
“What?!”
Elina repeated, stunned, “They’re opening the granaries and giving out food!”