Chapter 29: The Birth of the Holy Maiden

At the extreme endgame of the game.

A world mostly destroyed.

Jijoncheonma and Gohyu often crossed paths; Hyunseung Lee and Nam Tae-min met quite frequently.

And whenever they did, small conversations inevitably took place.

“Hey, Jijoncheonma.”

In a world where Abyss raids were meaningless.

With hundreds of Abyss Gates appearing all over the continent every single day.

Spending the whole day surrounded by Abyss Monsters, hunting relentlessly—such brief exchanges were truly welcome.

“OH.”

“Are you going to keep playing this game?”

“Of course.”

“…You really are crazy. With so few NPCs left and the content reduced to nothing but hunting, what’s fun about continuing?”

‘Why do this… there’s no reason.’

It was already part of Hyunseung’s daily routine.

Even without a reply from Hyunseung, Nam Tae-min kept chatting as if it was nothing unusual.

“Anyway, who the hell designed this game’s difficulty like this… Even if everyone works together, it’s not enough. So why did they create groups like Heuka?”

The worst criminal organization, Heuka.

And the players who threw themselves into it for the sake of infamy.

“If only it weren’t for them, the world wouldn’t have fallen apart this badly.”

Those scoundrels created mines and instead of tackling the Abyss, they only sabotaged.

Not only disturbing public order but even killing important NPCs.

If it weren’t for Heuka, the world wouldn’t have collapsed so easily.

“Well, there are other reasons too.”

It couldn’t all be blamed on Heuka.

If only the Empire hadn’t fallen into civil war.

If only the cursed Throne War hadn’t broken out after the old emperor died, leaving the position of the absolute ruler vacant.

No, more than that, the biggest regret was…

“If the Holy Kingdom hadn’t fallen so easily, the situation would have been much better.”

The abundant Holy Power of the High Priests was the only way to purify the Abyssal Curse.

Of course, there weren’t many priests with that level of holiness, so the help might not have been significant.

But… even the faintest glimmer of hope felt different from having none at all.

“No one expected the Holy Kingdom, lacking a unifying force, to collapse so quickly.”

That was the problem.

A damn unifying force.

Some sacred existence that could gather the weakening church once more.

“If the Holy Kingdom had such a being, things would be much better now, don’t you think, Jijoncheonma?”

“It’s just a meaningless hypothetical.”

“…Wise and simple answer.”

The conversation ended there.

From afar, Abyss Monsters were gathering again.

The Holy Kingdom had fallen, everything else was perishing, but at least this place—

Imenia—must be protected.

Hundreds of Fireballs rose above Jijoncheonma’s head as he stood up.

***

A spacious room inside Yongjuseong.

A single bed in the center, and lying on it was a girl.

Irina.

She had fainted from the sudden outpouring of immense Holy Power, her body unable to endure.

It wasn’t a serious injury, just mild exhaustion causing unconsciousness.

So, there was a different problem.

The tense standoff between the Imperial Sword Saint and the Cardinal surrounding the Holy Maiden.

“The Holy Maiden will return to the main church with this old man.”

At Cardinal Herald Guggenberger’s words, Vitalianus Mahel, the Imperial Sword Saint, stepped forward.

“That girl will come to Imenia with me.”

A fierce war of nerves between the Holy Kingdom’s renowned Herald and the Empire’s Sword Saint.

Meanwhile, Hio sighed.

“This situation is really complicated.”

First, surviving against Vitalianus’ sword was nothing short of a miracle.

Going up against the Sword Saint would be an instant defeat with no question.

Though he possessed two top-tier skills, his problem lay in his frail endurance and defense compared to his overwhelming attack power.

His stats were abysmally low.

The Sword Saint’s stats were notoriously absurd.

While players could only buy up to 500 points per stat at the Point Shop, Vitalianus’ strength, agility, and other stats easily surpassed 600, with many estimating he approached 700.

If he decided to charge, even reacting would be difficult.

“That’s lucky… but a Holy Maiden, huh.”

Thanks to Irina’s sudden awakening, she survived, but the shock was the same.

There were no Holy Maidens in the world of Ventair.

Since the death of the last Holy Maiden, no one had inherited such Holy Power.

But seeing her dying friends, Irina underwent extreme stress and awakened.

She radiated immense Holy Power.

Everyone present couldn’t help but acknowledge the pure and warm light she emitted.

Those touched by the light felt their hearts swell with holiness and bowed their heads, tears flowing.

All united in blessing the birth of the Holy Maiden.

“It’s not that no Holy Maiden appeared before, it’s just that we failed to notice.”

That realization carried profound meaning.

“Perhaps… there are more like Irina than we thought.”

Countless talented individuals who never saw the light and vanished in vain.

Hio had already discovered such light twice—Irina and Claire.

‘What kind of changes would these two bring?’

While Hio was lost in such thoughts, the Cardinal and Sword Saint’s debate continued.

“Hahaha… Sword Saint, didn’t you feel it? This child is the Holy Maiden chosen by the goddess. It’s only right to entrust her to the main church.”

“Before that, she is a citizen of the Empire under the protection of our great Emperor.”

“You intended to kill that citizen.”

“Killing? I only meant to subdue her.”

“No, Sword Saint. If not for that magician stepping in, you would have certainly slain the Holy Maiden.”

With Irina between them, Cardinal and Sword Saint stood opposed without an inch of compromise.

“Do your duty, Sword Saint. Your mission isn’t to investigate the cause of this incident.”

“Then all the more reason to take this girl. She is deeply involved in this matter.”

“She is a sacred child filled with immense Holy Power. She must go to the main church to learn how to control her strength.”

“The Empire has temples too.”

“Don’t compare them like that!”

Neither budged.

Seeing no progress, Hio intervened.

“…I think both of you are mistaken.”

He sighed softly, took off his hat, and sat on the chair beside him.

“I am Irina’s protector.”

In truth, Hio had just happened upon her on the street, but somehow, that made him her protector.

Anyone could see that he was currently the one protecting Irina.

Their gazes turned to Hio.

“So, magician, you insist on keeping this girl with you?”

At the Sword Saint’s words, Hio shook his head.

She was the first Holy Maiden in decades.

Irina needed to learn to control her power.

She had to learn and grow stronger, becoming a beacon of hope in a world drowned in curses.

So, Irina must—

“Go to the Holy Kingdom.”

Cardinal Herald Guggenberger was a trustworthy man.

If Irina went with him, she could fully establish herself as the Holy Maiden of the Holy Kingdom.

“Of course, Irina’s will is the most important.”

At Hio’s words, Herald smiled kindly while the Sword Saint glared stiffly.

“…Magician. Shall we continue our unfinished duel?”

“Let’s not take it out on each other.”

“Refusing now?”

“I’m a powerless magician.”

“That’s the most insincere lie I’ve heard recently.”

Vitalianus slowly stirred a fighting spirit.

As the world’s strongest, he had no hesitation in his actions.

But he was stopped by Cardinal Herald.

“You’re right, magician. Maintain the dignity of the Empire’s star. Hahaha…”

“Sword Saint.”

Just as Vitalianus was about to respond to Herald, “Hmm.”

Irina, who had been unconscious, slowly opened her eyes, drawing everyone’s gaze.

“Child, are you awake?”

“You’ve come to your senses. You must come with me.”

“Irina, are you okay? Do you remember?”

Caught off guard by the concentrated attention, Irina thought for a moment then looked at Hio.

“Magician… what about my friends? Are they okay?”

“Oh, your friends.”

Hio smiled reassuringly.

“Thanks to you, they’ve all returned to normal. They’re still unconscious, lying in the Saint’s Sanctuary.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Feeling much calmer, Irina finally looked around.

Two people were looking at her with intense expressions.

“Um, magician… who are these people?”

At Irina’s question, Herald stepped forward as if he had been waiting.

“Don’t worry, child. This old man is Herald Guggenberger, a priest of the Holy Kingdom.”

Not to be outdone, the Sword Saint followed suit.

“I am Vitalianus Mahel, a knight of the Empire.”

Taking it further, the Sword Saint said, “Come with me to the Imperial Palace.”

“Child, don’t mind this scary knight. Come with me to the Holy Kingdom.”

“You are a citizen of the Empire.”

“Before that, you are the Holy Maiden chosen by the goddess.”

Before their quarrel could restart, Hio cut in.

“Irina, what do you want? To go to the Imperial Palace or follow the priest?”

All eyes focused on her in an instant.

Nervous and confused, Irina spoke in a slightly timid voice.

“I want to go with the magician.”

“…Huh?”

“I want to follow the magician.”

Surprised by her unexpected answer, Hio put his hand to his forehead.

“I’m going to need to explain a bit.”

***

In the end, the Sword Saint lost the power struggle against the Cardinal.

“Lost” was an odd word for the Sword Saint, but there were multiple reasons behind it.

First, despite explanations, Irina stubbornly insisted on following the magician and ultimately chose Herald.

Even without Hio’s persuasion, Herald looked kinder and more comfortable than the intimidating Sword Saint.

And more importantly, Vitalianus himself didn’t want to clash fiercely with the Cardinal.

If he truly wanted to take Irina, he could have done so without resistance.

The Sword Saint, rumored to reach the heavens with ease, would have no trouble against a Cardinal of the Holy Kingdom.

Normally, he wouldn’t have wasted words, just forcibly taken her.

But he didn’t because—

“Don’t cause trouble. It’s an imperial command.”

There was an order from the Emperor.

To avoid confrontation with the Holy Kingdom if possible.

Beyond the order, the most important reason was another one.

The Sword Saint’s true interest lay elsewhere.

More curious and concerned about someone other than the Holy Maiden.

“…Magician.”

The one who brought excitement to his boredom.

The person who stirred his fighting spirit after over ten years.

The mysterious magician whose true identity was unknowable.

In fact, this was a more pressing and important matter to the Sword Saint.

Still, there was one thing he refused to concede.

“Tom, Jadin, and Hardy must be investigated.”

Those three needed to be thoroughly examined and their backers identified.

Even friends of the Holy Maiden could not be exempt.

“Don’t treat them as criminals.”

That was already a great concession from the Sword Saint.

At least they hadn’t hurt anyone or committed serious crimes.

“If they cooperate sincerely with the investigation, the matter will be resolved, and they will be released. What happens afterward is their own business.”

“Yes! Thank you so much, Sir Knight!”

The conclusion was swift.

With the Holy Maiden’s custody decided to be the Holy Kingdom’s, the rest was easy to overlook.

Now the most important matter was settled.

Vitalianus’ gaze turned to Hio.

“Magician.”

The hunger of a predator slowly rising in his cold golden eyes.

What looked like madness was in fact endless fighting spirit and desire.

After a long stagnation, he sought a strong opponent to elevate himself.

“Are you ready for a duel?”