Chapter 45: I’m Not the Culprit (3)

‘Why is this guy suddenly appearing here?’

Evan suppressed the urge to scream.

An old man whose entire body was white, as if bleached.

Purity.

True to his name, from head to toe he was white, even draped in a white robe, exuding an aura like a sage.

“…I am not the culprit.”

A man who had abandoned even his own name to remain a knight for the Kingdom of Demisia.

Facing him directly, the pressure was no joke.

He was just standing with his hands behind his back, staring.

Evan forced his mouth open.

“Nor am I the mastermind.”

“Evan stopped it! He’s a hero!”

Lapis shouted proudly.

Purity stared intently at Lapis.

For just a brief moment, Lapis flinched—it was palpable.

The intense aura was too much for a Sin that hadn’t even awakened yet to handle.

“Hero.”

Purity murmured.

“It is not yet time. The time for a hero to arrive has not come…”

A line he occasionally uttered in the game.

-A hero has been born!

-Not yet, not yet—it is not time.

Recognition came in a single moment.

When Purity’s pure white robe was stained red.

…So this was the time. My successor is you.

An intense final death.

It remained one of the game’s famous scenes.

Evan shook off the thought.

That wasn’t what mattered now.

“I am neither the culprit nor the mastermind. I was merely caught up in the incident by chance. Our identity will be guaranteed under the name of the Alkart family.”

“…Alkart.”

Purity’s white eyes fixed on Evan.

“You are that man’s blood.”

“Yes.”

“You resemble him.”

A brief impression.

Purity no longer paid attention to that part.

Closing his eyes tightly as he looked at the split corpses.

“You have disposed of a troublesome pest that had been sleeping for a long time.”

His tone shifted slightly.

Like praising a subordinate’s achievement.

“Furthermore, you prevented a major incident that nearly occurred in the Colosseum… I offer my thanks.”

Purity opened his eyes.

“I will reward you.”

“Pardon?”

“Follow me.”

Purity turned without another word.

He could have just vanished, and no one would say anything, yet he walked on purpose.

Given that he was acknowledging the merit of saving the country, he didn’t seem like an enemy.

Purity, at least, was not the type to harm someone who acted for the nation.

‘He won’t suddenly turn and kill me, right?’

…How much money do I have right now?

Could I rebuild this Colosseum?

Not that I’m scared—compensation for damages is just good manners…

That was when it happened.

“Wait a moment.”

“…?”

The shrine maiden spoke.

The Veil of the Night Sky, which had protected the entire Colosseum, was lifted, and sunlight poured in.

Wiping the blood trickling from her mouth, the shrine maiden said.

“I will help the injured before we go.”

***

Purity, fortunately, said nothing more.

He simply nodded in understanding and headed to the palace first.

‘Ah, right. Felix.’

He nearly left him behind.

Evan tended to Felix.

He immediately fed him two recovery potions.

There were no priests in the Kingdom of Demisia, so this was the best option.

He had improved it to enhance the body’s regenerative power itself rather than immediate effects.

It would be optimal for Felix, a current knight.

“Ugh…”

“Are you alright?”

About ten minutes had passed.

Felix groaned as he awoke.

“My arm… there’s no sensation.”

“It’s temporarily numb from pressure. It will return with time. The nerves are unharmed, so rest assured!”

“Nerves, what?”

“I mean the important parts are undamaged.”

Evan answered vaguely.

Felix understood vaguely.

The shrine maiden was kindly helping the other injured.

Encouragement to not despair and move forward, since she could read fortunes, was a bonus.

“Aegis. Are you alright?”

Aegis had been staring blankly at where Purity had left.

When Evan sent a questioning look, Aegis gave a bitter smile.

‘Ah.’

“Purity… he truly has the dignity befitting a king.”

He roughly understood.

Aegis was a runaway princess seeking freedom.

A princess, in simple terms, was a king’s daughter.

Having seen much, new emotions would arise.

Her princess nation no longer existed.

It had completely lost its former name and fallen to one of the empire’s noble families.

…But that wasn’t what mattered now. “Dead Bear! Let’s go!”

Waaah.

No. 5, now crying like a bear, staggered after Aegis.

Using alchemy to lift the collapsed Colosseum debris was possible but consumed much mana.

Using No. 5 was more efficient.

‘Unnecessary thoughts should be erased.’

Aegis shook her head.

She had long abandoned being a princess.

She was angry seeing Dexter, but that was solely because he deviated from her sense of good and evil.

Absolutely not because she couldn’t let go of her princess identity.

Purity wasn’t the only one lost in deep thought.

Lapis.

She too was immersed in many thoughts after seeing Purity.

‘One of the strongest people…’

Unlike Duke Alkart, who thoroughly hid and controlled himself to the point his realm couldn’t be accurately read, Purity did not hide.

Achievements piled like a tower on pure white paper were felt.

The achievements he had built and the path he would continue to build.

Before him, Lapis did not feel insignificant.

Lapis’s tower was ‘born complete.’

Power to build, achievements, strength to advance—all predetermined.

That didn’t improve Lapis’s mood.

How could humans, not born like her, become so strong?

‘That human is the same.’

Lapis looked at the shrine maiden helping people.

The shrine maiden was instilling courage in a warrior who had lost an arm in the accident.

-You can move toward a better place.

-Can I… can I really do that? But my arm…

-Receive treatment separately later.

Evan glanced over and casually created an artificial arm to hand over.

The warrior shedding tears.

Truly.

‘It’s unpleasant to watch.’

Lapis approached the shrine maiden.

The shrine maiden smiled softly at Lapis, who trotted over.

Slight bloodstains remained on her nostrils.

Her body felt considerably strained.

If the barrier had been maintained just a bit longer, tears of blood would have flowed from her eyes.

“Why do you make such sacrifices?”

“?”

“You… every time you use your ability, a bit of your lifespan is shaved off. Right?”

“Well. Humans are born running toward death from the moment they’re born.”

“You show a better path through such sacrifices, but if those people don’t follow, don’t you get angry?”

Humans are the type who, after being kindly taught something good, interpret it arbitrarily, take strange paths, suffer all kinds of damage, and then rage, asking why you planted strange hope in them.

Lapis had felt this directly, so the shrine maiden, who had lived far longer, must have felt it even more.

It was incomprehensible in many ways.

Lives worthless except for Evan.

Worse than the vegetables or fruits Lapis liked.

“Not at all.”

Yet why make such sacrifices?

When all that returns is death?

“I only hope. I… sow seeds. Hoping they grow into prettier flowers. That’s why I read fate and guide toward a better direction.”

“…Just hoping?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that too foolish? Making every sacrifice and just hoping for a good outcome…”

“Fate is not absolute. It must not be absolute.”

The shrine maiden closed her eyes tightly.

A face that seemed free of worry.

It only confused her more.

“That… seems too much like being a pushover.”

“Shouldn’t there be at least one pushover in this world? I am satisfied with a single seed.”

Osera once called this the Flower of Hope.

The belief that someday, fate would bloom like a beautiful flower.

“I always only hold ‘faith.’ Haven’t you had something you believed in at least once in life?”

“…Faith.”

The word faith.

This single word didn’t feel bad.

“Is your god hope?”

Lapis’s question.

The shrine maiden instinctively knew this was the last question.

As an adult, she should answer well.

To this pitiful, frail child born with a massive fate.

“Well.”

The shrine maiden had no faith.

It was more accurate to say it no longer held meaning.

From the moment she learned [Celestial] magic and constellations unfolded in her eyes.

The sky, stars, herself, and countless ‘gazes’ overlooking the entire world.

From that moment, the world was a chessboard to the shrine maiden.

All she could do was present paths so the chess pieces could move according to their own ‘choices.’

“I do not believe in a god.”

The shrine maiden whispered.

“I only believe in hope.”

This was the only struggle the shrine maiden could manage.

***

The aftermath was handled well.

Alchemy proved useful in many ways.

However…

“What? Why use such power when you can do it with strength?”

“Are you a heretic?”

“KHAHAHA! Injuries? They’re medals of honor!”

‘These idiots with noodles in their heads…’

Evan looked at the Demisia knights with disgust.

Knights and warriors in name, but just barbarians.

Fortunately, his eyes didn’t easily reveal emotion.

Otherwise, his inner thoughts would have been fully exposed.

‘…I should mind my own business.’

He had handed Dexter and Don Quixote over.

Punishment: execution.

They would die.

An unchanging fact.

In this country, lives without warrior-like honor held no value.

So before they died, he asked if they knew about the missing persons.

-W-We know nothing! K-Kidnapping someone here…! Who could possibly do that!

-It’s impossible without at least the king’s level!

‘These guys aren’t the culprits?’

Then who?

Was there someone capable?

There were candidates.

The Kingdom of Demisia had poor public order.

If asked why with so many knights, it was because there were even more retired knights, warriors, and mercenaries.

Were they the culprits?

Something didn’t fit…

“Evan, Evan! We’ve arrived!”

Lapis cautiously tugged his sleeve.

She had vomited blood once more from sand winds on the way, prompting this reaction.

Readjusting the sleeping Skoll and Hati in his arms, Evan looked up.

“Fortunately, it’s open.”

“He said to come in earlier.”

Nodding at Lapis’s words, he stepped through the main gate.

Just in case, he had No. 5 lead.

Whoooosh—

A cool breeze brushed his cheek.

Inside the gate, crossing some kind of ‘aura,’ his vision changed.

A pure white castle. As if made of marble, not allowing a single speck of dirt.

If Purity had a castle, wouldn’t it look like this?

The only space not white was the garden right ahead.

Cold weapons Purity had amassed by defeating and breaking enemies.

Swords, axes, spears, bows, etc.

Every type of cold weapon was planted without exception.

The number alone seemed several hundred.

Selling just one would make a fortune.

‘But that’s impossible.’

The Garden of White Arms.

This was Purity’s domain, where weapons of comrades who fought alongside him were also planted.

Who would dare have the guts to steal Purity’s weapons?

His epithet, King of White Arms.

A knight who reached Sword Master by mastering over a hundred weapons at a high level.

‘…Wow.’

Wouldn’t touching them cut your hand?

Gulp.

Evan unknowingly swallowed dryly.

“Is there a weapon you like?”

A man in a white robe slowly walking out from the castle.

Purity gazed at Evan with white eyes.

“Choose. Any one.”

“…Any one?”

“It is only natural to reward a hero who saved the country to this extent. I will give any.”

From all these?

‘Hmm,’

What to do.

A sword or spear?

Cool, but I’d probably hurt myself.

A shield?

Not bad.

The safest.

Or something with strong one-hit power like a mace.

‘01.’

The moment he saw a nearby sword, his body stiffened.

Because he saw a skull pierced by the sword.

It looked like an ordinary skull.

But Evan, an alchemist, could tell.

This skull,

Hadn’t been dead long.

-Missing persons keep appearing.

Words floating in his mind.

He slowly scanned the area.

Not one skull, but many.

All recently dead.

As if something had been dug out, the crown of the head was neatly cut off.

“What is the matter?”

Evan slowly raised his head.

The owner of this garden.

The one with authority to invite guests.

Purity.

“If there is a problem, I would like to hear it.”

He was still gazing at Evan with white eyes that revealed no emotion.