Count Beerton was troubled.
‘What on earth is going on?’
A moment ago, darkness swallowed the sky.
In the darkened sky, stars lost their way, and countless red dots appeared in their place.
Count Beerton knew the meaning of this ominous sign well.
The problem was what came next.
‘Wh-when did…!’
An uninvited guest appeared beside the count.
It was a being covered in darkness from head to toe.
The moment the count faced the being, his entire body stiffened.
He wanted to run away, but his body wouldn’t obey. He struggled to breathe, his heart filled with fear and anxiety.
Still, the count endured, exerting all his strength.
He felt that if he lost focus for even a moment, something terrible would happen.
‘What in the world is that being!’
As the unknown being appeared, the knights collapsed. They crumpled to the ground like puppets whose strings had been cut.
“……”
All the fallen knights were no longer breathing.
They were already dead.
It was the same for the Paladins of the Church.
The situation where they had clashed swords moments ago felt like a fleeting dream.
It had happened so quickly.
‘Could it be the Empress of Darkness…?’
Count Beerton’s first suspicion was the Empress of Darkness, a famous legend.
A being of 7-star caliber who had nearly engulfed the continent in the distant past.
More importantly, had not Count Beerton himself witnessed the strange phenomenon a moment ago?
It was exactly the same as the signs he knew.
‘…Has the calamity truly resurrected?’
He wanted to turn his head and confirm with his own eyes at once.
But he couldn’t.
The dark power emanating from that being seemed to control even his breath.
The count did not possess high Holy Power like the priests of the Church. He was closer to an ordinary human.
Yet, it was powerful enough to instantly kill even Paladins.
What if an ordinary person like himself turned their head here?
It was clear he would die immediately.
The count was not so mad as to risk his life in such a situation.
‘Yes, whether it’s the Empress of Darkness or not, what does it matter?’
Even if it wasn’t the Empress of Darkness, it was undeniably a being of comparable stature.
But why was he being left alive?
Count Beerton was puzzled by this.
That being had annihilated knights and Paladins, yet he, standing right beside it, was unharmed.
Was it deliberately not killing him?
It was a reasonable suspicion.
‘Could this also be a trap by the Church…?’
But soon, the count shook his head.
It seemed the Church was unaware of what was happening now.
Moreover, wasn’t the Titan Priest also showing a pained expression, as if injured?
The Titan Priest’s reaction alone proved they absolutely did not know.
– Filthy wretch! Have you truly betrayed humanity!
The Titan Priest had clearly shouted that.
But now, only despair filled the priest’s face.
Captain Gerard, who had urged the priest to flee, had also lost his strength and stopped in his tracks.
‘It wasn’t a trap by the Church….’
If it were a trap, Titan and Gerard shouldn’t have reacted like that.
If all those reactions were an act, then they would possess chilling talent.
‘Was I mistaken?’
The count thought the Church was trying to frame him as a heretic and swallow the kingdom.
But in reality, it wasn’t like that.
He had cleared up one misunderstanding about the Church, albeit belatedly.
However, the misunderstanding about Count Beerton remained unresolved. The count also insisted he was innocent, but that damned priest wouldn’t listen.
– Don’t open that filthy mouth!
Seeing Titan not listening to him drove the count to madness.
He had never betrayed humanity.
He hadn’t made a pact with that devil-like being, nor had he summoned it.
He could swear on the sky.
But they didn’t believe his words.
In the end, the count gave up trying to explain.
His attention was no longer on the Church.
He decided to focus solely on escaping the current situation.
‘Can I even survive and get out of here?’
His priority was to escape this hellish place immediately.
The only fortunate thing was that the monster still didn’t seem intent on killing him.
‘Why…?’
He was so curious about that.
He even began to suspect, as the Titan Priest had said, whether he had indeed summoned that being.
He remembered hearing stories once.
That demons appear to those who earnestly desire them.
‘It doesn’t matter which way it is.’
He decided to believe so.
‘Shall I try checking once.’
With courage, the count turned his head.
“Kch!”
His throat burned.
The amount of oxygen passing through his throat instantly decreased.
‘Damn it!’
Just turning his head was incredibly painful.
The count’s face turned a deep red, and tears of blood streamed from his eyes.
“Please.”
With all his might, the count barely opened his mouth.
“Please… save….”
Fortunately, the monstrous being granted the count’s wish.
The ominous aura disappeared, and he could breathe through his mouth.
“Haa… haa.”
“Count! How dare you do this and expect to be unharmed!”
But Gerard, the captain, saw the monster sparing the count.
Captain Gerard was convinced that the count had summoned the monster.
“Count, you heretic-”
But that became Captain Gerard’s last words.
*Swish-*
Red lines were drawn across the captain’s body.
A moment later, red blood gushed out, and his body was torn into pieces.
“……!”
The monster had mauled Captain Gerard’s body in an instant.
One second.
No, it wasn’t even one second.
In that time, the monster had killed Captain Gerard.
Upon Captain Gerard’s death, the Titan Priest finally came to his senses.
The Titan Priest picked up the captain’s sword lying on the ground.
“Krugh! How dare you defy the Church-”
But the Titan Priest also couldn’t finish his words. And like Captain Gerard, his body was torn into pieces.
The few knights and Paladins who had barely managed to stay alive also had their bodies ripped apart.
It happened in an extremely short span of time.
The blood gushing from the corpses soaked the banquet hall.
The count was the only survivor.
“……”
The count was deeply shocked by the monster’s overwhelming power.
But the shock didn’t last long.
‘Yes, this is an opportunity…!’
He saw a glimmer of hope, perhaps of survival.
After all, the monster hadn’t killed him.
Wasn’t he the only one still alive right now!
Moreover, he could feel the monster withdrawing its power on its own.
‘…I can see it now!’
He could finally see the blurry form of the monster.
However, he couldn’t keep looking at it.
Just looking at it for a moment sent a shiver of fear down his spine.
The count saw the monster clad in pitch-black armor. It had an aura as if it had walked out of the abyss.
“Kch!”
That was the limit of the time the count was allowed.
He had a premonition that if he tried to look longer, it wouldn’t end with tears of blood.
Though he only glanced at the monster for a moment, the count didn’t miss the sword on its back.
‘It was definitely a sword, wasn’t it?’
He suddenly noticed that the monster was carrying a sword on its back.
A sword that was entirely black.
For some reason, his heart was captivated by the sword.
‘…….’
Why did that sword catch his eye?
He didn’t know.
But a desire to possess that sword bloomed within him.
‘Yes, I can’t go back anyway.’
He had already come too far.
His eyes, which moments ago were filled with despair and fear, changed.
The monster could have killed him at any time, but it didn’t.
In other words, he himself was safe.
If he could only wield that monster, would being branded a heretic matter?
‘The Church will have to bow to me instead.’
He might even engulf the entire continent, not just the Sail Kingdom.
The count’s deliberation was not long.
If he could obtain the monster’s power and that sword….
If he could do that, he was prepared to do anything.
The count’s gaze had completely changed.
“Ah, my new master-!”
With eyes filled with madness mixed with desire, he knelt before the monster.
“I dedicate my body and soul to you! I swear to obey only you!”
He pledged allegiance in a posture of respect to his lord.
“So please… please grant me power! I will stake my all and follow your will!”
Beerton showed his sincerity with utmost loyalty.
Perhaps impressed by his loyalty, the monster approached the count and handed him something.
At the same time, the darkened sky returned to its normal state.
* * *
The swarm of skeletons that charged at the Royal Knights was quickly overwhelmed.
Not just any knights, but the Royal Knights.
Mere 1-star Skeletons were nothing before the knights.
Were they flustered by the knights’ overwhelming firepower?
The remaining skeletons began to retreat.
In response, a knight of higher rank shouted.
“Do not pursue! Maintain the formation!”
Normally, they would have pursued, but the Princess was in the procession.
The knights maintained their formation with their shields raised.
But the next problem was the next one.
Through the retreating swarm of skeletons, one being slowly revealed itself.
It was wearing a robe, and it was no ordinary monster.
As it approached, its true form could be discerned.
“Lich…!”
One of the Royal Mages shouted.
A Lich is an undead monster that can use magic.
More importantly, as if to prove it, the Lich held a book in its hand.
It was undoubtedly a tome filled with evil dark magic.
“It’s a Lich! A Lich has appeared! Everyone protect the Princess!”
A Lich is a 4-star monster.
It was a monster on a different level than the 1-star skeletons from moments ago.
At the Mage’s shout, the knights heightened their alertness.
At that moment, the Lich opened the book and began to write something.
“The Lich is about to use magic!”
The terrifying aspect of a Lich is its ability to cast magic from a distance.
“Fireball!”
One Mage unleashed an attack spell towards the Lich.
The fireball shot by the Mage flew towards the Lich at high speed.
The Lich slowly raised its hand.
And blocked the incoming fireball.
The Mage was taken aback by how easily the monster blocked it.
After blocking the attack, the Lich continued to write something with its hand.
What incredible dark magic was it preparing to cast?
“Cast a shield before the Lich attacks!”
The Mages quickly switched from offense to defense.
“Shield!”
They cast shields in preparation for the Lich’s attack.
But nothing happened.
‘What is it?’
The hands of the monster wearing the robe were still moving.
‘Perhaps it’s not magic.’
Still, with a sliver of hope, the Mages maintained their shields.
This was not the time to conserve mana.
Then.
“……!”
The sky turned dark.
A dark sky where red dots began to appear instead of stars.
“……!”
The knights fell into confusion.
Lennon was in the same situation.
“It’s dangerous, Princess! We must return to the palace immediately!”
Lennon shouted to Princess Irena.
But the Princess’s voice was calm.
“Lord Lennon, even if we return to the palace, will we be safe?”
“But this is clearly a calamity-”
Princess Irena raised her hand and cut off Lennon’s words.
At that gesture, Lennon also fell silent.
Indeed, what Princess Irena said was also true.
If these signs were indeed a calamity, there would be nowhere to run.
‘Is this truly the duty of royalty?’
Lennon marveled at Princess Irena’s composure.
Perhaps the Princess was also scared and trembling.
It was natural for anyone.
But the Princess now showed no signs of it and did not flinch at all.
Come to think of it, she had remained calm even when the battle just occurred.
‘As if she knew beforehand.’
Of course, she wouldn’t have actually known beforehand.
What was certain was that Princess Irena was trying her best to fulfill her responsibilities.
Lennon felt a sense of pride in serving such a Princess.
Still, as a knight escorting her, he had to ensure her safety.
If he wasn’t going to retreat the knights, he needed to find those who could help the Princess.
“Then we must at least mobilize the adventurers within the kingdom!”
“As Lord Lennon says.”
Princess Irena granted Lennon’s suggestion.
Adventurers typically do not interfere in state affairs. However, when facing danger, the story changes.
And now, it wasn’t just the kingdom in danger. The entire continent was in peril.
Lennon asked a Mage for communication magic.
And then, he issued an order to mobilize adventurers from the Adventurer’s Guild, in the Princess’s name.
While Lennon was busy, Princess Irena continued to gaze at the sky.
‘Is this the power of the Great One?’
Irena continued to gaze at the sky in admiration.
While Celia’s power was great, the power of the Great One was on a different level.
She didn’t know the exact power, but she was certain that the current situation was the Great One’s doing.
‘To think she can even handle a 7-star calamity…’
It was truly amazing.
Princess Irena’s entire body trembled.
It was a mixture of respect and awe for a being of overwhelming power.
Princess Irena smiled slightly. Her heart felt a little lighter.
With such help, she couldn’t afford to mess up.
After all, everything happening now was like a play.
For Irena, who knew the story of the play, it was an easy task to simply follow the script.
Unlike Irena, who knew the story, the knights did not.
The knights and mages felt immense fear and dread from the current situation.
Had the calamity from the past truly returned?
If so, why did it appear?
Would the continent not be destroyed?
Endless thoughts and worries bred fear.
As these thoughts continued, someone made a mistake.
“It’s because of that bastard! That bastard must have summoned the calamity!”
A knight in the front shouted.
Certainly, as that Lich wrote something, strange phenomena occurred.
With that grumbling, the knight charged forward with his sword drawn.
Dying in this state or dying when the calamity struck and the world ended would be the same.
He thought it was better to bet on the slim chance of survival.
“If we just kill that guy, everything will be alright again!”
“Stop!”
Someone tried to stop the knight, but they couldn’t prevent his actions.
“I just need to kill this bastard!”
He raised his sword high, activated his aura, and slashed down at the monster before him.
*Clang-*
But the sword bounced off with a clear sound.
“Wh-what?”
The sound indicated that the attack hadn’t worked.
“Hieek!”
At that moment, the fearful knight turned around. He tried to escape immediately, but…
“Gk…!”
A bony hand pierced through the knight’s chest and protruded.
“What is….”
The Lich’s hand had pierced through the knight’s torso.
The knight died instantly.
But that wasn’t the end.
The knight’s body, which had fallen to the ground, began to melt. As his flesh and organs melted away, his remaining bones slowly floated into the air.
A grotesque Royal Mage murmured.
“It’s not a Lich…!”
The bones that floated into the air coalesced and transformed into a skeleton.
The skill of Corpse Revivification is impossible for a Lich.
That was definitely a skill of an Arch Lich.
“It’s not a Lich! It’s an Arch Lich!”
It was a complete misjudgment.
Only then did they realize the gravity of the situation.
The knights became agitated, and their morale plummeted.
But this was the moment for the Princess to step forward.
“Everyone! Do not be alarmed! We still have hope!”
Princess Irena shouted with all her might, encouraging the knights.
“There is someone who will help us! He will defeat the evil Arch Lich.”
At Princess Irena’s cry, Maru stepped forward.
However, the knights looked at Maru with disbelief.
Maru’s equipment was clearly inadequate for facing an Arch Lich.
His torso was clad in leather armor, yet his face was covered by a steel helmet.
It was a subtly unbalanced appearance.
Could he really face an Arch Lich?
However, there was no fool who would voice their disbelief.
He had come to help the Princess. To mock such a person would be a betrayal of honor.
Maru didn’t care what the knights were thinking.
He simply moved forward and drew his sword.
And he murmured softly, so only he could hear.
“Click-”
(Judgment of Light.)
White light emanated from the sword Maru held.
“Holy Power!”
Holy Power enveloped the sword.
The amount of Holy Power gradually grew larger.
Eventually, an overwhelming amount of Holy Power shot out as light, filling the street.
Maru swung the sword enveloped in Holy Power. Then, a large amount of Holy Power was fired towards the Arch Lich.
Everyone closed their eyes due to the vast burst of light.
The light was so bright that it blocked people’s vision.
Maru noticed this moment, when everyone’s vision was blocked, and sprang forward.
His target was Necros, the Arch Lich ahead.
“Click.”
(Go.)
Skeleton Paladin ‘Maru’ spoke first.
“Click.”
(Understood.)
Arch Lich ‘Necros’ replied.
Their conversation was simple and clear.
Even with Maru’s powerful Holy Power, it was naturally impossible to subdue Necros.
Besides, they were on the same side, so there was no need to subdue him.
Necros nodded and slowly disappeared.
Necros walked backward leisurely, but no one saw him do so.
The street was currently filled with Maru’s Holy Power. The sacred light blocked people’s vision, making it impossible to see.
A moment after Necros disappeared.
The sacred light that had filled the street began to gradually diminish.
When everyone finally opened their eyes, only Maru, holding his sword, was visible.
Rennon was surprised by Maru’s nonchalant appearance.
‘…Just how powerful is he!’
More importantly, the Arch Lich was nowhere to be seen.
‘Could he have defeated the Arch Lich?’
Judging by the situation, Lord Maru had undoubtedly eliminated the Arch Lich.
Lennon had heard from the Princess that Lord Maru had once worked as a Paladin, but he hadn’t expected him to be such a skilled individual.
‘To obliterate an Arch Lich with just Holy Power…!’
And in one blow.
Lennon paid homage to Maru’s power.
In reality, it was just that the light had blocked their vision and Necros had disappeared, but no one knew the truth.
“Ah! The sky!”
And the darkened sky returned to its original state.
“A miracle has occurred!”
The knights exclaimed.
The Arch Lich was dead, and the sky had returned to normal. It was truly a miracle.
The knights and mages present were moved.
At the same time, cheers were heard from behind the knight order.
– Wow!!
These were the people who had been chased by the skeletons.
They had hidden behind the knights and witnessed everything that had just happened.
Not only them.
There were also people who had been drawn by Maru’s holy light.
Some of the cheering people began to praise Princess Irena.
“Long live Princess Irena!”
“The Princess is our hero!”
Most importantly, hadn’t the Princess herself ordered the defeat of the evil monster?
Although Maru had defeated the Arch Lich, the Princess was ultimately responsible.
Thanks to that, the praise for Princess Irena continued to spread.
“Long live the Princess!”
Those who joined later also began to cheer for her.
“Long live Princess Irena!”
For the praising populace, there was a glimmer of hope.
They believed that Princess Irena truly cared for her people.
That she was someone who hadn’t run away in a dire situation but had protected them to the end.
What would a kingdom led by such a person look like in the future?
People hoped for a happy future.
“Long live Princess Irena! Long live! Long live!”
Their hopeful shouts showed no signs of stopping.
Perhaps it was an earnest desire to ignore the hardships that lay ahead.
