A group of eerily beautiful men and women, dressed in dazzling ceremonial outfits, stepped into the grand castle of the former Hillidar County one by one.
Nobles of the Night.
Heirs of fresh blood hunting humans.
The beautiful men and women who entered the castle were vampires following the Apostle of Fresh Blood.
“Hmm, not a single human around.”
“They said they cleared out of the castle since last night. They probably fled to nearby villages.”
Wanting to quench their thirst with the blood of a pure maiden, their desire called out to them.
Like sneaky little devils, the beautiful vampires revealed their sharp fangs.
But they dared not act.
The Apostle of Fresh Blood had forbidden all acts of bloodsucking and such.
The vampires following Ariel suppressed their desires, remembering the orders. After all, they had hunted humans in other cities, so it wasn’t that hard.
“Hillidar County… No, it has become the Marquisate of Hohenberg.”
“Ah, the hero’s family. Who would have thought we would step into the territory of the house that produced heroes?”
Following the beautiful men and women were strange figures wearing black hoods.
Eerie magic.
The stench that spread with every step they took.
The Apostles of the Disaster God entered the entrance. The vampires stepped back, disdain evident in their reactions, due to the peculiar stench radiating from the Apostles.
“The hospitality of vampires is utterly lacking. By the way, where is Ariel?”
“She will appear on time! Just wait quietly!”
Though they had the Earth Mother Gael as a common enemy, trusting each other was hard to expect.
The reason was simple.
They were believers following different gods.
Even though they were collectively referred to as the ‘Forgotten God’ by the Empire and Holy Kingdom, the faiths worshipped by the cultists were as diverse as the constellations scattered across the night sky. Therefore, even among the same cult, it wasn’t uncommon for them to snarl at each other like sworn enemies.
“Everyone, be quiet. The Seer will enter soon.”
A fierce wind whirled through the castle.
And at the same time, a bewitching woman, as captivating as obsidian, appeared.
Ariel Spellada.
With the host of the meeting making her entrance, the tense atmosphere began to ease.
The vampires lowered their heads, casting glances filled with reverence. Meanwhile, the Apostles of the Disaster God eagerly anticipated the welcoming of the Disaster of Innocence, considered a mere false prophecy.
“Could the Disaster of Innocence actually exist? I absolutely can’t believe it.”
“Ariel Spellada…! If you are deceiving us, you better be prepared!”
Among the attendees of the meeting were several Apostles who had not responded to Ariel’s call.
Unbelievable.
It could be a cunning trap laid by the vampires.
They questioned whether the Disaster of Innocence truly existed. The very being they called the ‘Seer’ also seemed suspicious, especially since the Apostle of Fresh Blood adored and revered her.
Despite the suspicious gazes directed towards her, Ariel maintained her composure.
She had confidence that when the Seer appeared, the foolish Apostles would kneel and prostrate themselves in submission.
“The little bugs hiding in the mundane world have gathered here. Quite a crowd.”
Crickety-crack.
The tightly shut door swung open.
And a gray-haired man scanned the gathered crowd inside the castle before speaking up.
Bugs.
Starting with a curse, he proved his typical violent nature.
Was he trying to seize the initiative with a rough provocation?
No, that couldn’t be it.
The man’s voice carried genuine contempt towards the Apostles of the Disaster God.
“Did you send away all those who were residing in the Hillidar family’s castle as I told you?”
“Of course. I cast memory-erasing spells on the humans so they wouldn’t suspect a thing.”
Edanant nodded at Ariel’s answer and moved forward.
The Apostles of the Disaster God, who had been rigidly observing the situation, finally spoke up.
“How dare you call us bugs!”
“Are you the Seer chosen by the Disaster of Innocence? You don’t seem all that impressive!”
They extended their hands, cloaked in flames.
Activating their divine status, they summoned sharp weapons into the air.
The hostility surged.
They were now surrounded by the divine statuses of the Disaster God.
Provoked into action, the Apostles unleashed their own divine statuses against Edanant, each filled with murderous intent, appearing ready to obliterate him without leaving a scrap if he didn’t apologize for his rudeness.
“You’re just hiding in the darkness, scraping by for your miserable lives, like bugs.”
Edanant raised one hand.
Responding to his call, the Divine Status of War seized the air around them.
Screeeeeeeech!!!
The sound of metal clanging, as large and small metal pieces stuck together and fell apart in an uproar, filled the air.
Simultaneously, countless weapons filled the air within the castle.
Siege engines, capable of smashing castle walls, along with many firearms prepared for war, appeared out of nowhere. The Apostles, marked for execution like condemned prisoners, swallowed their screams as they faced the Disaster of War.
“Is this the Disaster of War?!”
“The divine status that radiated from the Apostle of Fresh Blood is definitely real…!”
Hundreds of weapons were deployed. The sight of Edanant wielding them like extensions of his own body left the Apostles in shock.
If he lowered his raised hand, they would all unleash their fire.
They would die.
Fear and dread seemed to bind their bodies completely.
Could they really win if they all banded together?
The Apostles, unable to outright assert against the Seer wielding the Disaster of War, abandoned their resistance, losing their fighting spirit at the spectacle of the continuously expanding divine status.
“Ah, such an intense divine status…! You truly are the Seer leading the Ascension of Evil.”
A vampire with flowing black hair exclaimed in hot admiration and knelt.
“I humbly meet the Disaster of Innocence.”
“No way, could it be true that the prophecies of the priests foretold the real existence of the Disaster of Innocence…!”
The Disaster of Innocence.
Four calamities that would lead humanity to ruin.
Witnessing the Disaster of Innocence right before their eyes, the Apostles knelt in worship, just like Ariel.
For the cultists facing a life-and-death crisis due to the Empire and Holy Kingdom’s retaliation, Edanant was nothing short of a savior. Therefore, the Apostles met the sight of the Disaster of Innocence with bowed heads, accepting the Seer of Cult.
“I will topple the Earth Mother Gael from the throne of the Creator Deity. Cooperate with me.”
The command was simple yet clear.
The fall of the Creator Deity.
He spoke of nothing but one single purpose.
He made no promises to resurrect the gods of the cult that had been cast out of faith. He merely proclaimed his intention to topple the Earth Mother from the throne of the Creator Deity.
Nonetheless, Edanant’s proclamation was akin to salvation for the Apostles.
“I will follow the teachings of the Seer!”
“If it means I can take revenge on them… I’ll obey any command!”
They had a chance to tarnish the Creator Deity.
The time had come to take revenge on the oppressive and persecutory followers of the Creator Deity.
The Apostles of the Disaster God instinctively sensed that the Ascension of Evil was near, filled with strong conviction. Their eyes overflowed with the thirst for revenge against the Creator Deity.
“The Seer, huh? What a worthless being that won’t help the world at all…”
The Empire and Holy Kingdom had ruthlessly persecuted the Apostles of the Disaster God, collectively spilling blood through slaughter and human sacrifices across the continent.
The beings before them were no different.
No, they would have taken the lead in slaughter and human sacrifices.
They accepted the role of the Seer merely because they needed an evil for necessary purposes. After successfully casting the Earth Mother down from the throne of the Creator Deity, they planned to sweep away these worthless bugs that wouldn’t benefit the world at all.
‘…Ludmilla?’
While pondering how to maneuver the gathered Apostles, a massive presence was felt.
Despite the bizarre transformation of its energy, it was undoubtedly that of the Red Dragon.
It was absurd.
Had only a few hours passed?
Ludmilla, who should have been in the Imperial City by now, somehow arrived at the Marquisate of Hohenberg.
He must not let Ludmilla discover the scene.
If the Second Imperial Princess, who tolerated no misdeeds, were to catch wind of it, all plans would go awry.
“Ariel.”
“Did you call, Seer?”
The shifting tension radiating from Ludmilla was unsettling.
Worried about the worst-case scenario, Edanant ordered Ariel to disperse. He couldn’t comprehend why Ludmilla, having fiercely chased after them simply because they briefly left the Imperial City, was here.
Could she have found out?
No, that couldn’t be it.
If she had realized the truth, she would have launched fireballs at Hillidar County without a second thought. Given how Hillidar County remained silent, it seemed she hadn’t completely discovered them yet.
‘Why on earth! Just because I briefly left without saying a word, she chased all the way to the Marquisate of Hohenberg…?’
Edanant could only suppress a voiceless scream, shaking his shoulders.
Clink.
Suddenly, a sound arose from the ring box he had kept in his pocket.
With a mixed reaction of annoyance, Edanant pulled the ring box from his pocket. He had no idea that Ludmilla’s objective was the Hohenberg family’s wedding ring; he merely considered the wedding ring an annoying trinket.
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