Chapter 59: Sloth (2)

Desert.

Some nameless village.

Only the sparse residents called it by a name.

A tiny village not even recorded on maps.

Still, a few dozen people lived there.

The nearby land was barren, but there were plants that grew by consuming mana, and rare wanderers who visited.

“No one is here.”

“Really no one?”

“Yes. No one visible right now. There are a few…… but most are dead.”

Such a village had been completely annihilated.

Evan listened to Felix’s report with an expressionless face.

Even Felix, who was speaking, was trembling slightly, yet Evan showed no tremor.

As if he had predicted all of this!

As expected, amazing.

Felix looked at Evan with admiring eyes.

Evan was worth pledging loyalty to as a knight.

It wasn’t for nothing that knights joined famous border counts or dukes.

Admirable. Someday, I too like you……..

***

As admiration bloomed vigorously in Felix’s heart.

No, fuck.

Evan’s expressionless face.

No, precisely, he cursed inwardly with a face stiffened from tension.

I just said let’s go a bit……!

I’m exhausted!

Truthfully, they could just go like this.

Who would blame Evan for ignoring and leaving?

No one.

Lapis, who would say it’s fine as long as it’s Evan.

Aegis, who was just sleeping.

No. 5, a golem born from Evan.

Additionally, Felix, who swore loyalty as a knight.

They wouldn’t doubt no matter what was said, but still, people have consciences.

Should at least contact Innocence?

It was a village on the outskirts of Demisia, but still within Demisia’s territory. Since it happened in this desert, it was better to show some concern.

And, something feels off.

People have intuition.

Should it be called an inexplicable unease.

A strong premonition that he had to go here.

“Lapis.”

“Mmm. Yes?”

“Please follow me. Felix. We’re entering the village. Escort me.”

“Understood! Young master!”

Felix pounded his chest thump thump.

“Trust only me! I’ll cut down anyone who comes out!”

Please don’t let a situation arise where you have to cut.

Evan swallowed a sigh.

Yes. No choice.

Just look for now.

“No. 5. Prepare.”

Thump thump!

No. 5 nodded.

Evan glanced at Aegis.

Aegis was still fast asleep.

Snore-

..Now even snoring.

Really just leave her.

Evan got off the carriage.

No. 5 automatically placed Evan on one shoulder.

“Me too! Me too!”

Lapis on the opposite side.

No. 5, with both on his shoulders, walked thud thud.

The village only exuded a chilling feeling.

Despite it being the hottest time in the desert.

“Uuuuum.”

“Lapis. Can you gather the bodies with threads?”

“Yeees!”

Heave-ho! Lapis spread both arms.

Threads extending in all directions went to every corner of the village, gathering all the bodies.

……This?

“Evan!”

Lapis gathered the bodies and tilted her head as if strange.

“Everyone’s hearts are missing!”

All had their hearts gouged out.

Because cleanup wasn’t done properly, other organs were fully visible.

Ugh.

Stomach.

Evan waved his hand.

“……Wrap them all in threads and bury them.”

“Yeees!”

“Why only the hearts?”

Felix stroked his chin as if strange.

“There’s no monster that eats only hearts……

“…Probably not a monster.”

“If not a monster, who did this horrific thing?”

“Evil god worshippers or such, right?”

“They were all subjugated. After remnants were found, the knights and Lord Innocence personally cleaned up. None should remain.”

Then who?

Evan pondered briefly.

A thought flashing by.

Black mages.

They were said to be hiding in Demisia.

Said to have infiltrated sparsely, evading Demisia’s eyes.

“Black mages?”

Felix’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t thought of it.

“But what’s the difference between black mages and evil god worshippers?”

No.

“To put it simply, evil god worshippers revere gods, black mages mainly handle yin-attribute mana. They’re condemned as criminals for using magic without basic common sense or restrictions.”

“So bad mages.”

If you say that at the magic tower, you’ll be called an ignorant ironhead.

“……Yes. Not wrong.”

He was about to say but held back.

What if his eyes roll and he swings the sword.

Knights aren’t like that, but.

Absolutely not because scared.

Just in case, worried.

“Evan. Evan.”

Lapis tugged Evan’s sleeve.

“There’s something underground.”

“Underground?”

“Yes. But if we go down, it seems we’ll get buried, what to do?”

The bottom did look unstable.

One wrong touch, thud, it collapses.

Evan nodded.

“Just happens to have plenty of mana, and I don’t want to drag time. I’ll finish quickly.”

“……Nem?”

Lapis blinked as if what does that mean.

Tap tap.

Tapping No. 5’s shoulder, it put Evan down automatically.

Evan, on the ground, knelt on one knee and placed both hands on the ground.

The sand floor hot enough to feel sizzling.

Finish quick.

[Analysis]

Grasp the materials or composition below.

Understand, decompose.

And reconstruct.

Rumbleeeee!

The sand began splitting to the sides as if parting.

He felt his mana manipulation skill had improved more after the battle with the witch.

Thanks to that?

Work that would have required more focus before proceeded easier than thought.

“Wow.”

“What.”

A bit excessive.

As if an earthquake, sand patter patter falling, the ground below opened.

When the view below was properly revealed, Evan removed his hands.

His palms were red-hot from the heat.

Won’t this burn?

“E, Evan! I’ll blow on it! You can’t hurt!”

Lapis grabbed Evan’s hands and blew hu! hu! with her small mouth.

No, will that cool it.

Speechless, but Lapis looked so worried, he endured for a moment.

This damn frail body.

Need to get stronger soon.

Though doubtful if possible.

As he poured recovery potion, Felix came after checking below.

Admiration in his eyes.

“Young master.”

“?”

“To save one person, you even sacrificed your hands?”

“??”

..There’s a person below?

Why?

Evan looked down.

Just in case, staff firmly fixed to his body.

Underground.

“Uwa. Hungry.”

A boy lying on the floor.

The boy with pitch-black tanned skin was chewing chomp chomp something like a cactus in his mouth.

The boy’s and Evan’s eyes met.

The boy, seeing Evan, slowly let out what he was chewing and muttered.

Huh?

“God?”

“God? What’s below?”

Lapis looked the same.

“……Evan.”

“?”

“Did you really know and save him??! As expected, Evan! I believed!”

“???”

No. Please.

Explain?

Wait.

Evan flinched the moment he saw the boy’s face.

The feeling when seeing Lapis and Frey.

No, why are you here again?

Sin of Sloth.

He who hadn’t grown yet, conversely dying.

Was in the underground of a village where people were completely wiped out.

No.

Why are you coming out from there?

Innocence.

His condition was incomparably good.

No refreshment like now in his life.

The whispering voice in his head was gone,

The impulsively rising emotions had subsided.

In this state, yes.

It might be possible.

To reach the sky with this one sword.

Ascension.

Beyond Sword Master, the realm called 9th hierarchy.

He was already at a level called transcendent, but there was regret in reaching the ascendant realm.

Part of that path began to show.

Pilgrimage path.

The path Innocence wanted to walk but ultimately gave up.

Fragments of the realm that would elevate him to ascension and perfect him began to appear.

……I was in a good mood.

Cracks began to form in such a peaceful heart.

It could be called irritation.

Bugs.

Things that infiltrated and nibbled away while Innocence’s mind was broken.

Such things began mixing into Innocence’s senses.

Innocence’s senses, already recovered, enveloped all of Demisia.

Minor like bugs might escape, but those accumulating yin mana like black mages couldn’t evade him.

Not even trying to hide.

They seemed to know Innocence’s state had reached severe.

Yes.

Not wrong.

If not for Evan, Innocence would have been no different from terminally ill now.

Even finding minor ones, he probably wouldn’t have cared.

With his ancestor’s brain plugged in, already not quite Innocence.

It wouldn’t be strange to be called a living undead.

They don’t know my state yet.

Then it was fine.

They wouldn’t know anymore.

Innocence briefly closed and opened his eyes.

In that moment, his vision changed.

“Oooooo! God! Bestow upon us…… Huh?”

“What. Who’s standing up there?”

Before he knew it, Innocence stood on a tree.

A tree already rotten and decayed.

A dead tree rooted in the desert.

But that massive thing, comparable to the world tree, was hidden by an unknown barrier.

Though even that was already torn.

“W, wait.”

“Innocence?”

“It’s you.”

Innocence looked down at them.

The expressionless eyes from when he first met Evan.

“Dare infiltrate my country, trash-like scraps.”

“How……..

“W, wait. That, isn’t that aura?!”

“We heard he couldn’t use it anymore……!”

“Fortunate.”

Innocence said sincerely.

“If not for him, I would have died without finding you.”

“Wai…….”

“You die here. Prove your usefulness with that.”

Innocence raised his sword.

In that moment, the world dyed white.

An aura intense enough to illusion that.

Pure white,

And pure white.

A solitary white that allowed no other color.

Innocence.

The knight of all white.

It was the name given from the moment he swung his sword.

A sword that makes the sword, the world, the enemy all white.

Kill, I will protect my country with blood. And under my color, your blood won’t even stain

“Tear you to pieces.”

The black mages couldn’t see the scenery after.

The moment Innocence slashed down.

Pure white filled the world.

That day,

Countless witness accounts poured in of a white pillar soaring to the sky.

Black mages.

They left no survivors, not even a trace.