Chapter 90: The Wicked Aura

The merchant caravan had crossed the western borderlands of the Countdom.

This was the route leading inland toward the Kingdom Capital.

If they followed the road straight ahead, they would soon reach the Andor Marquisate.

Rolten, Evan, and Beron—wearing a deep hood over his robe—were at the very rear of the caravan.

‘Things aren’t going very well.’

Evan recalled Beron’s memories.

The incident that occurred in the village, and the moment when Beron was chosen.

The villagers had definitely done something wrong.

What they considered a custom was deemed evil by the Order, who passed judgment.

Of course, they had either been unaware or deceived.

Evil born from ignorance.

But it was a situation where taking sides was impossible.

Neither side had done well.

‘But if that was the reason Beron became the chosen one, then it was certainly dangerous.’

If the village had gone the way the chief wished, and he had become the chosen one, things could have escalated further.

In the end, it seemed to have resolved somewhat peacefully.

Still, dealing with it so brutally was problematic.

As if they had wanted a sacrifice.

Even here, Evan felt a sense of discord.

‘There’s something important I’m missing.’

Pushing aside the uneasy feeling, Evan immediately began thinking about the next steps.

‘But the future is the problem. The Holy Union won’t sit still. We have to shake off the pursuers.’

Beron had killed Paladins using the power of the chosen one and fled.

Evan was certain the Order would never tolerate that.

‘Since he’s a witness from the village, we have a surface reason to secure him. But I don’t want to hand over the chosen one’s power to them.’

Beron’s chosen one power was Living Armor—a living armor that maximized his strength.

However, it seemed that the Living Armor drained the user’s vitality when activated.

And in moments of rage, it exploded uncontrollably, making the user lose control—a major downside.

If left unchecked, it would become a problem.

He needed to develop control to prevent it from becoming a disaster while cultivating the power to manage it.

Though accompanied by risks, the power surged explosively in an instant.

‘Even though it’s his first time using it, he was able to take down Paladins.’

There was plenty of room for growth.

Moreover, if he wasn’t evil, he could probably control it well.

‘Rolten should know this for now.’

Evan asked Beron leading questions to share the information he had gathered with Rolten.

Beron openly admitted he was being chased.

No, he didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it.

But it also felt like he wouldn’t have said anything unless asked.

Rolten, wary of the eyes around them, spoke to Evan.

“Evan, you said we have to meet with the Marquis, right?”

Evan snapped out of his thoughts.

“Yes. Besides the Andor Marquis, we need to meet two more of the Four Founding Retainers.”

“I know that too. But it looks difficult right now. Look over there.”

Rolten pointed to the base of the mountain range.

In the distance, the Order’s forces were lined up.

It seemed they were closing in on this spot.

“The pursuers are already behind us.”

“Yeah. They’re probably after this guy.”

Beron sat expressionless, like a cold doll, when Rolten glanced sideways.

“Evan, there’s no other way. I’ll take him and go first. You meet with the Marquis.”

“So we split up here?”

“Yes. At this pace, we’ll be caught by those chasing us soon.”

“Where do we meet then?”

“When you reach the Marquisate Capital, come to the Ignis Guild. It’s the adventurers’ guild operated by the Count Kerthen Household.”

“Understood. See you there.”

“Alright. Be careful. Good luck.”

Rolten quickly moved forward, taking Beron with him.

Evan watched their backs and slowly walked along with the merchant caravan.

***

The borderlands of the Andor Marquisate.

Among them, Marbel—the largest border city—was famous for being a major commercial route.

Even now, the long line of merchants stretched far ahead.

They seemed intent on passing through Andor Marquisate and entering deeper into the Kingdom.

But something caught Evan’s eye and disturbed him.

“That one’s a heretic. Take him away!”

“What? What did you say! You crazy fools! Let go!”

The Holy Union’s pursuit squad from Belyum had already taken positions ahead of the merchant caravan at the border zone.

Thorough inspections followed.

‘They must be looking for Beron. I hope we passed through safely.’

It was Evan’s turn.

Suddenly, a Paladin conducting the inspection saluted.

“Isn’t that the young master!”

“Oh, savior of the Order. The hero who judged the heretics.”

The clerics also greeted Evan in unison.

Though their attitude puzzled him at first, Evan soon understood.

‘Since the false goddess incident, their behavior has become far more respectful.’

They looked at Evan with eyes full of reverence and awe.

Evan decided to respond accordingly.

“No, I just did what was right.”

“Haha, you’re humble as well. You have the virtues of a true hero.”

One of the priests nearby approached Evan, eyes shining.

“I’ve really wanted to meet you! Your exploits are a hot topic in the South. You’re a hero. The entire South and all the Orders want to invite you.”

Hearing that, Evan tilted his head in surprise.

It was true that he had left a mark, but he hadn’t expected the rumors to spread so fast.

“All over the Southern Region? Isn’t the news too fast?”

The priest smiled brightly.

“The Holy Union in Belyum is connected to all Orders in the South. The moment your exploits reach Belyum, you can be sure everyone knows.”

Evan felt a surge of caution listening to the priest.

‘It’s fine from a positive perspective, but once you’re marked, it’s trouble.’

Thinking it over, he realized why they could exert such power even abroad.

The Holy Union, though called a union, was practically a powerful conglomerate uniting all southern Orders.

Considering their connections to both the Holy Empire and the Kingdom, their power was truly formidable.

From Evan’s rough knowledge, the Holy Union was divided into the North and South.

The central region maintained neutrality and eased tensions between the two.

‘If we turn the Holy Union into an enemy, it means opposing most of the Southern countries.’

Though there might be ways to get Northern support, Kerten County’s location was closer to the South.

Without strong Northern backing, it would be suicide.

‘If I get involved, things will only get complicated.’

No matter the reason, he would try to resolve things peacefully with them.

Maintaining neutrality was the best approach.

Although his heroic image was accidental, it could be used as leverage.

‘I should make good use of it.’

Evan smiled and responded to them.

“I’m honored that you think of me so highly.”

“No, not at all! It’s no exaggeration! Please visit the South sometime!”

“Ha ha, I’ll consider it. But what brings you here?”

Evan subtly questioned them to gauge their movements.

At that moment, a cleric nearby, overhearing their conversation, answered on behalf of the priest.

“We came urgently after receiving a report. Those Lamakria People caused trouble again. You’ve seen the Nervan Cult and Lamakria involvement yourself.”

They were referring to the time he faced the false goddess.

“Our Holy Union has launched a massive crackdown. The South is currently investigating the Lamakria People. Since their nature is linked to heresy, this incident made us realize they’re a potentially dangerous group.”

That was a dangerously extreme stance.

Evan pointed out their problematic view.

“Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“Young master, don’t worry. We’re trying to resolve things as peacefully as possible. We handle it with strict scrutiny and investigation, so please don’t be concerned.”

The cleric spoke firmly, and it seemed their mindset was already deeply ingrained.

The Lamakria People had been branded as evil.

Changing such long-established values would not be easy.

From this, Evan anticipated a future conflict with them.

“Understood.”

“Oh! And young master, be careful. The entire Marquisate is filled with a wicked aura. Something feels like it’s about to happen… And with the heretic who took down a Paladin on the loose, it’s worrying.”

“A wicked aura?”

Evan received unexpected information.

‘Beron must have been the one who took down the Paladins.’

But he hadn’t expected them to detect this evil aura.

It seemed the Order had gathered a vast amount of intelligence.

“This is serious. I’ll inform my father immediately so we can provide assistance quickly. This area borders Kerten County, so support should arrive fast.”

“Oh! We’d be very grateful if you did.”

“Well then, I have business to attend to. I’ll take my leave.”

Evan decided to hurry. Something didn’t feel right.

Between the Lamakria chosen one awakening and the wicked aura engulfing the Marquisate, it all seemed suspicious.

It was hard to believe it was mere coincidence.

As Evan bid farewell, the clerics and priests each offered blessings in the names of their gods.

“May the grace of Goddess Eris be with you.”

“May the protection of Isis be upon you.”

“The blessings of Goddess Freya!”

Watching them, Evan clicked his tongue.

‘So many different gods exist. And their followers unite under a single purpose.’

He couldn’t help but feel this was dangerous.

But more than that, the situation at hand felt urgent.

‘I need to meet Rolten and then the Andor Marquis before anything happens.’

Something suspicious had already been underway for quite some time.

***

“Damn it! Run!”

Rolten and Beron were fleeing from an ambush.

Those chasing them were not the Order.

A suspicious group wearing deep hoods over their robes.

They moved swiftly and possessed an indescribable strange power.

A chilling, murky energy of dark magic.

Black auras surged from their bodies.

They were sending warnings of danger.

‘An organization?’

Rolten pondered about the pursuers before realizing he had no choice but to stop.

“Did they predict all our movements? Luring us here.”

Suspicious figures blocked their way ahead.

More than a hundred pursuers approached from behind.

And each one wielded dark magic.

“Beron, I can’t fight while protecting you. Survive on your own.”

Drawing his sword, Rolten summoned an aura.

A sharp gleam slowly formed.

Blue energy began rising from his entire body.