Chapter 105: Evan’s Summons

Kukukung!

“It’s collapsing! Fall back!”

A powerful spell flew in from somewhere and slammed into the castle wall.

The wall crumbled instantly.

The Dark Knights charged at the shattered wall.

But the Sacred Knights and Paladins blocked their way.

“We’ll hold this position. Stop them. Don’t let a single heretic escape alive!”

The Dark Knights, seeing members of the Order, couldn’t control their excitement and rushed in.

Their objects of hatred.

Whenever they saw them, they lost all reason and simply charged.

Naturally, to any outsider, the Dark Knights would seem nothing more than a deranged and wicked cult of zealots.

“Evil ones, the Goddess’s judgment shall descend upon you.”

Soon, the battle between the Sacred Knights and Dark Knights erupted.

One side fought with hatred and vengeance, the other with scorn and disgust.

Centuries of history-fueled conflict pushed their fight forward.

Holy Power, radiant and dazzling, burst from the bodies of the Sacred Knights, pressing down on the charging Dark Knights.

But the Dark Knights paid it no mind and continued their assault.

They didn’t care what happened to their bodies by their standards.

Any injuries could be healed at any time.

Even if an arm was severed, their armor would regenerate, restoring their bodies as well.

They had long since surpassed the boundaries of normal human understanding.

There were two watching this scene from a distance.

Jena, a priestess with pale teal hair flowing down past her shoulders.

And beside her, a silver-haired girl with crimson eyes.

The Sacred Maiden, Elise, was dressed in the order’s white ceremonial gown, radiating brilliance.

“Sacred Maiden. Please step back. It’s dangerous.”

Jena cautioned Elise.

Since Elise appeared younger than her, Jena felt a protective urge.

Elise shook her head and smiled brightly.

“No, it’s fine. I can protect myself.”

Jena couldn’t help but feel better seeing her bright smile.

“Just being by your side is an honor, Sacred Maiden. But may I ask, why did you give me this task?”

She was the Sacred Maiden of the Holy Union of Bellium.

Of all the Orders, her power and influence were unquestionably supreme.

She wielded power nearly equal to the Pontiff himself and could decide the fate of the south with a single word.

Of course, it wasn’t her will, but the Goddess’s, delivered through an Oracle.

Still, one could say only she could lead the Order’s future.

“Priestess Jena. This isn’t something I’m doing. I’m just following the Goddess’s Oracle. If we travel together, we’ll understand the Goddess’s will, won’t we?”

“Th-the Goddess…?”

Hearing that the Oracle involved her, Jena felt a heavy burden.

Just then—

Piiiii!

A bird’s cry echoed loudly from somewhere.

Jena turned her gaze behind her.

There, a mystical bird shaped like living fire was soaring across the sky.

Moments later, something collided, and the bird crashed inside the castle.

“Sacred Maiden? Did you see that just now?”

“Let’s go take a look too.”

“Huh?”

“Come on.”

“Th-then, what about rear support here…”

“It’s fine. The Goddess already said so. This battle is our victory. Let’s go.”

Elise pulled Jena along.

“Uh, ah, alright.”

Without understanding why, Jena entered the castle with her.

Not long after, she spotted Evan heading somewhere.

“Young Master?”

Jena felt glad to see Evan after so long.

She’d had to accompany him before to carry out the Shrine’s orders.

But her frequent visits to Evan, prompted by the Shrine’s deep interest, had caused trouble.

Once she refused all visits from the Shrine’s members, her interactions with Evan were cut off.

“To meet by chance in a place like this.”

“It’s Evan! Jena, it seems there was a reason the Goddess told you to be with him. Let’s hurry. Right now, you’re the only one close to Evan.”

“Huh? Um…”

Jena scratched her head, watching Evan’s retreating figure.

‘Why is this here?’

Elresel’s eyes narrowed as he watched the Phoenix’s egg.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

He’d thoroughly investigated the kingdom, but had overlooked such a variable.

No, even with common sense, the existence of something like this in the kingdom was unthinkable.

As Elresel pondered, he grew furious at Alpherion.

“King! You bastard, were you hiding this?”

But Alpherion remained silent.

He, too, had never seen something so bizarre in his life.

Elresel barely managed to suppress his growing headache.

‘Because of this, I nearly exhausted my soul in an unexpected place. It hasn’t been long since it awoke; while it’s still weak, the only option is to seal it quickly.’

The undying Divine Beast, Phoenix.

There was no choice but to seal an immortal being.

If that thing awakened, it would surely disrupt his plans.

Divine Beasts always sought to eliminate things that opposed the world.

Elresel began reciting runes to seal the Phoenix.

At that moment.

Everything—

Srrr!

The Phoenix suddenly vanished without a trace.

It was as if its very existence had been erased; not a single aura could be sensed.

“Where did it go…?”

Elresel, flustered, looked around.

“Who’s there?”

An intruder appeared.

Turning his head, he saw a member of the Count Kerthen Household behind him.

Elresel’s face twisted in irritation, but he immediately felt a sense of discomfort.

It was nearly impossible for him to miss someone’s presence.

‘Was it Evan?’

He found the young man’s presence suspicious.

But soon, Elresel shook his head.

He was in a terrible mood and feeling sensitive.

He knew he couldn’t make sound judgments in this state.

He always acted on information.

He tolerated nothing that strayed from his meticulously prepared intelligence.

And the Phoenix had thrown everything off course.

He needed to return, correct his data, and revise his plans accordingly.

He still hadn’t figured out why the Phoenix vanished so suddenly.

Such variables grated on his nerves.

“Young Master! It’s been so long!”

Just then, someone else appeared behind Evan.

Elresel clicked his tongue at the successive intruders.

He wanted to investigate further, but it would be problematic if his identity was discovered here.

He formed a massive spectral arm and climbed to the rooftops of the buildings.

Without looking back, he fled.

“Wh-who was that?!”

Jena, startled, asked Evan.

In their eyes, Elresel seemed to float unnaturally in the air.

But Evan, using the Eye of the Spirit, saw countless tentacle-like spectral arms.

Watching Elresel’s vanishing figure, Evan shook his head.

“Nothing serious. Just someone I haven’t seen in a while.”

Jena beamed, greeting Evan warmly.

“Yes! I’ve missed you.”

Her eagerness made Evan tilt his head in confusion.

Then he noticed a girl behind Jena, watching him intently.

Her striking looks and attire caught his eye.

“Who is that?”

As Evan looked past Jena, she finally noticed and introduced the girl.

“This is Elise, the Sacred Maiden of Bellium. She wanted to meet you, Young Master.”

With Jena’s introduction, Elise gracefully held her skirt in both hands and offered a noble curtsy.

“May the Goddess’s blessing be upon you. It’s an honor to meet you, Young Master. I am Elise.”

Evan looked surprised for a moment.

‘The Sacred Maiden of the South Holy Union sought me out?’

He never expected to meet someone of her stature in a place like this.

To encounter such a prominent figure of the Order on the battlefield—it was the last thing he expected.

Suspicion arose in Evan.

Even as a benefactor to the Order, there was no reason for her to seek him out.

“Sacred Maiden, what brings someone like you all this way to see someone like me?”

Evan went straight to the point.

Elise pouted, feigning offense.

“Really, that’s too much. Aren’t you being too stiff with me?”

Evan didn’t know how to respond to her rich expressions and high energy.

But before he could answer, Elise continued on her own.

“I’m just a humble servant of the Goddess. So please, relax.”

“…Alright.”

Evan replied awkwardly.

Even if she said so, as the head of the South Holy Union, and the central figure uniting all Orders in the south, she was someone he couldn’t treat lightly.

Elise flashed a radiant smile, then widened her eyes.

Her crimson eyes came into clear view.

“An Oracle has come from the Goddess, Evan.”

Suddenly, she rose on tiptoe, drawing her face close.

“ ”

Seeing her crimson eyes up close felt like gazing into a ruby.

“Please come to the South. I earnestly ask you.”

“The South?”

“Yes. The sacred land of Bellium. Please visit Seiram. I’ll be waiting for you there. Promise me.”

“Can you tell me the reason?”

Elise leaned back and shook her head.

“The details of the Oracle will be explained when you come to Seiram.”

“And if I don’t go?”

At Evan’s question, Elise pressed her cheek with a finger and pondered.

“Hmm. Then I’ll just consider that to be your fate, Evan!”

“…So, whether I go or not doesn’t matter?”

“To be precise, you’ll be the one missing out if you don’t listen!”

With those words, Elise smiled sweetly and turned away.

“It’s not just anyone—I came in person to ask, so I believe you’ll come. May the Goddess’s blessing be with you.”

Elise departed somewhere.

“S-Sacred Maiden!”

“Jena. What’s going on? Why are you here?”

Evan still wore a puzzled expression.

It was strange enough to run into both Jena and the Sacred Maiden, and now he’d received an Oracle as well.

From the circumstances, it almost seemed as if they’d come specifically to meet him.

Jena glanced at Evan, hesitating to speak.

She seemed unsure how to begin.

But after making up her mind, she spoke.

“The Sacred Maiden was already aware of this war. That’s why Bellium’s forces were deployed around the kingdom, and I came here to assist her.”

“So, the Goddess’s Oracle revealed not only that I’m here, but my exact location as well?”

“Yes. I couldn’t believe it at first, but now, meeting like this, I believe it.”

Jena herself seemed amazed by her own words.

“Meeting by Oracle’s chance, huh…”

Evan felt he needed to seek out Elise again for another conversation.

How did the Goddess’s Oracle pinpoint his whereabouts?

And just what, precisely, was the true nature of the Goddess in this world? He had so many questions.

“Then, Young Master, I’ll go now. I’ll see you next time!”

Jena waved and ran after the Sacred Maiden.

‘Time to wrap this up.’

Evan watched the two disappear and slowly turned his gaze toward where Elresel had vanished.