CHAPTER 175

Inside the empty prison, someone's voice of prayer echoed.

It was a stone floor transmitting the cold of winter, yet there was a man kneeling devoutly.

Bishop Pierre, kneeling, recited prayers while looking at a small window in the prison.

"...Dragulia was aiding in this matter."

Günter, watching from outside the window, frowned at Pierre's last words.

One may not believe everything he says, but Bishop Pierre was also a person deeply connected to the current situation.

"Is there any reason for someone bound by an oath to do something like that?"

"Now it seems it's my turn to ask questions."

Pierre, finishing his prayer, was slowly rising.

The bishop of the Vatican, who returned to Mosiam to finish unfinished business.

A faint morning light lingered behind his suddenly rising figure.

"Did you inform Bayezid's novice?"

"What do you mean?"

"The solemn will of God. The blade of the faithful who defeats evil."

Pierre's gaze in front of the window was sharp.

Instead of futile attempts like interrogation or torture, Pierre and Günter had decided to exchange questions and answers.

Answering Günter's question honestly, Pierre was now about to ask one question according to the agreement.

"I'm asking if the Northern Orthodox Church taught Vlad the essence of the Trinity."

"..."

Yesterday's dark dawn.

In the fog-filled city, there was the solemn will of God rising.

Even Pierre, who had prepared the spell, was surprised by the straight and high pillar of light.

"You should have divided what was meant to be divided. Your actions of breaking away from the main church are nothing but the whim of nobles, right?"

Therefore, Pierre couldn't help but be suspicious.

Because what Vlad showed yesterday with his sword was too remarkable to be attributed to the improvisation of a mere knight.

The essence of unity, which couldn't be achieved without learning, was clearly embedded at the tip of the novice's sword.

"If you wanted to sell something, you should have sold indulgences instead. If you give away the essence of the church like that..."

"We have not taught him."

"...You haven't taught him?"

However, his anger was misdirected.

As Günter said, the Northern Orthodox Church had never taught the essence of unity to outsiders.

"Then perhaps Andrea?"

"Bishop Andrea is not an exorcist. He wouldn't know our techniques."

There was a result, but no cause.

Pierre had clearly witnessed the unity of the worlds at the tip of Vlad's sword, but apparently, there was no one who actually taught him.

Then who exactly guided Bayezid's novice on that path?

'Does this make any sense?'

The essence of the Trinity, which could only be used with a legitimate origin.

For that essence to stand alone, there had to be a foundation supporting all worlds.

'If there's no proper support, it's an unusable technique…'

Pierre's divinity, Nibelun's mystery, Vlad's aura.

And the lowest source supporting them all.

Pierre had no idea which world belonged to the bottom.

But one thing was certain: the novice's world had originated from someone much more knowledgeable than he had expected.

Otherwise, there was no way Vlad's light from yesterday could have cut through the evil tree who defied the natural order.

※※※※

The room was filled with warmth from the fireplace, yet Jean's lips, lying on the bed, were still pale blue.

Vlad could not relax his stern expression as he listened to his breathing becoming increasingly shallow as his lips turned blue.

"Is it about three days left now?"

"Probably. The commander is also doing his best to find a solution."

The children infected by the curse showed common symptoms as they died.

Deep sleep, same dream, and gradually decreasing body temperature.

They fell into an endless sleep when the sun rose, only to wake up shivering when it set. None of the children lasted more than a week.

And today marked the fourth day since Jean fell under the curse.

'Lord Andrea entrusted the young deacon to me.'

Thinking of Andrea, who had entrusted the young deacon, Vlad couldn't help but feel melancholic.

He should have finished off that damn tree somehow.

If he had done so, Jean wouldn't have fallen back into sleep now.

"..."

Yustia looked at Vlad, who couldn't leave Jean's side, with a worried expression.

Even though he needed rest, Vlad, who was consumed by self-blame, was clearly blaming himself.

"Don't blame yourself too much. No one could have done as well as you if they had faced that situation for the first time."

Nibelun, who stood awkwardly at the door, nodded in agreement with Yustia's words, but Vlad, the person in question, just looked down at Jean without saying anything.

"Are you busy?"

"Hm!"

Suddenly, Günter's voice broke the silence in the room.

Even Nibelun, who stood at the door, didn't notice his presence, but the attention of the three people was suddenly focused on him.

"No."

"In that case, can we have a brief talk, just the two of us?"

Although well-groomed, Günter's slightly disheveled hair hinted at his concern.

But Vlad's bloodshot eyes were no less unpleasant to look at, so the two who shared the same concern didn't hesitate to have a conversation.

"First, I apologize. The reason we tried to forcibly take custody of Jean was because we believed that we could break the curse with our own strength."

Vlad and Günter, coming out into the corridor, exchanged cautious glances.

Though their first meeting might have been a bit off, they were now in a position where they needed to solve the same problem.

"I admit my shortcomings. A much bigger problem has emerged than I anticipated."

"I understand."

"Good. Then can we consider the issue between us resolved here?"

"There are more pressing matters at hand."

If you were in a position like Günter, there would be no need to explain the situation to Vlad, who was just a knight.

However, Vlad of Shoara was the one who had injured the tree of the Qliphoth, an act that held a certain level of respect in Günter's eyes.

"The situation is more serious than I thought. We'll soon be sealing off the city. I plan to issue an evacuation order and clear the area."

"And what about Jean?"

"That's the problem."

The cause of the illness plaguing not only Mosiam but also the Barony of Utman was undoubtedly the tree of the Qliphoth.

Though their motivations differed slightly, Günter and Vlad agreed that they needed to deal with that damn tree once and for all.

"The hole through which the tree escaped has become a space beyond the reach of the divine will. It means that it cannot be reached physically."

The hole in the cemetery investigated by the Holy Knights was like an endless abyss.

It looked like an entrance, but it was ultimately a deception.

You will never be able to reach the tree of the Qliphoth through that hole, which is as intangible as the faint fog surrounding the city.

"So, what do we do? Do you have no solutions at all, commander?"

"Not entirely."

With that statement, Günter began to scrutinize Vlad closely.

There was an air of reassurance and confidence in his gaze, as if only those with certainty and alternatives could emit such an aura.

"How old are you this year?"

"Why the sudden...?"

"It's important, so answer quickly."

The question was ordinary, but the confidence that followed was remarkable.

It was the kind of momentum that only those with certainty and alternatives could exude.

"I'm twenty."

"Now, your current age."

"Twenty, but I'm two months short..."

"So, you're still nineteen."

Vlad, as per his habit in the back alleys, tried to age himself up, but in front of the leader of the Northern Orthodox Church, it was out of the question.

"Close call."

To be at such a level when he was not yet twenty was remarkable.

Günter's expression showed his disbelief at Vlad's young age, but in the current situation, being still a teenager was oddly fitting.

"Why suddenly ask about age?"

"There's still one entrance open, you see."

The tree of Qliphoth, which is still eating away at the young deacon and the barony, does not belong to this world, so it cannot be physically reached, and it is already hidden in the dark and cannot be revealed.

However, Günter had found the only way to communicate with that tree.

"It was a curse that only affected children."

Günter gestured toward the room where Jean lay.

"And conveniently, before me, stands a knight who straddles the line between youth and maturity."

And this time, addressing Vlad.

Before Günter stood a knight who, despite being mature enough to be called a young man, still gave off a strange impression of youth.

"You might be able to get to that tree through a dream."

"······!"

Vlad remembered the dreams he had in Mosiam at Günter's words.

The darkness that felt like his mother's embrace and the distant flickering of a bonfire.

The dream he had escaped with the help of the voice was undoubtedly similar to the dream Jean had.

"And that entrance would likely only allow someone as young as you to pass through."

"....I understand."

At Günter's gesture, a Holy knight standing in the corridor swiftly approached and opened the box he was holding.

Inside the box was a blunt-looking syringe along with shimmering black liquid.

"This is the curse extracted from Jean. It's not perfect due to the urgency, but with this, your world can be connected to Jean's."

Günter's prediction was accurate, and Vlad, having experienced it, nodded quietly.

All entrances had dimmed, but as Günter said, there was still one entrance that could reach the tree.

That entrance's name was Jean.

Young deacon and the tree of Qliphoth were still connected through the realm of dreams.

"I won't force you."

The black liquid shimmering inside the syringe looked ominous, akin to the tears of a woman searching for her lost child.

It would be false to claim that Vlad wasn't shaken upon seeing that familiar color.

"Very well. I'll go."

But Vlad decided not to hesitate in grasping the syringe.

Even now Jean, trembling like the person standing on the edge of a precipice, would need some light to rely on.

"Now, I can truly repay the Bishop's trust."

"Understood."

Confirming Vlad's resolve, Günter nodded.

Well, one must have this level of resolve to build such a reputation at a young age.

"I'll prepare properly and return. Please wait for a moment."

With Günter's gesture, the door to the room opened again.

Yustia and Nibelun, who had been waiting for him with puzzled expressions, were there.

And there lay Jean, still exhaling faint breaths.

"Ha..."

With a brief sigh, Vlad walked toward the bed where Jean lay.

He reached out to hold the hand of the young deacon again.

The hand of Jean, now held again, felt slightly colder than before.

Perhaps it was a small hand that would freeze forever after three days.

※※※※

Time was of the essence, resolve was hardened, and preparations were complete.

With that, all that remained was execution.

Vlad, lying next to Jean, closed his eyes while listening to the prayer that Günter recited himself.

Next to Vlad, who was already lying in bed, were the Holy knights and priests carefully chosen by Günter.

Though he didn't open his eyes to confirm, Yustia was likely reciting the prayer with them as well.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, a dull, heavy sensation at the nape of his neck.

With that sensation came a feeling as if he were being sucked in, causing Vlad to clench his teeth.

The strangely warm feeling reminded him of his mother's embrace, but the chill running through his blood was constantly making Vlad shiver.

"Ugh..."

As quickly as the warmth had come, the horrifying sensation subsided.

Opening his eyes, the first thing Vlad saw was pitch-black darkness.

Jean beside him and the prayer he heard all disappeared into the darkness.

"....Seems like I've arrived at the right place."

The bonfire he had seen at that time was not visible, but Vlad felt that he had come to the right place and quietly took a deep breath.

"Hmm?"

Surrounded by nothing but darkness, there was something slightly different this time.

Raising his head, Vlad saw a single light.

It resembled a starlight piercing through the black clouds.

-If you've lost your way from there, follow the light I'm sending.

Günter hadn't burdened Vlad alone with everything.

For Vlad, navigating through the cursed world, Günter willingly offered to be his guide. Perhaps even now, he is quietly reciting prayers by Vlad's side to maintain the starlight.

"Ugh."

Vlad, still feeling the chill in his body, couldn't relax his tense muscles.

However, upon seeing a hand suddenly emerge from the darkness, Vlad froze once again.

[I told you to run away.]

Accompanied by the sudden hand was a familiar voice.

Recognizing the voice, Vlad couldn't help but smile faintly.

"What can I do? I have debts to repay."

[After all, knights are famous for not listening.]

Vlad had received the gratitude and sworn an oath. 

The voice standing in the dark had no choice but to wake up Vlad, who came back to fulfill his promise.

[Let's go. I'll guide you.]

"It feels refreshing to hold your hand directly."

Vlad, amazed by the fact that he was now touching the voice he had only heard, chuckled.

The voice, seeing the young lad, couldn't help but laugh along.

[Silly boy.]

The two worlds that had finally come into contact were holding each other like that.

Just like when they first signed the contract, the starlight in the night sky was shining on them.

※※※※

Every world in this realm is noble, yet none can solely protect themselves. 

If you are where you need to be, if you are standing at the right moment, do not hesitate.

That will be my second rule.

Do not hesitate to follow your oath and become the torch that illuminates the darkness, my knights.

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