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Chapter 184

If I use this with too many eyes watching, I\'d be labeled a corrupted one for sure.

However, these weren\'t the only considerations. Being a demonic sword, it came with penalties.

Every attack had a low chance of triggering level two Frenzy or Confusion, and the probability increased as the battle continued. Mental Fortitude also decreased slightly, and critically, activating Fangs of Heaven Defier required chaos power.

Originally, it must have been a weapon designed to be used properly only by corrupting the character. However, for Ian, who carried a shard of chaos, this wasn\'t an issue.

Besides, his Mental Fortitude was high enough that a slight decrease wouldn’t even be noticeable, and he could endure any abnormal status with little trouble.

It was doubtful that anything could break through his resistance in the first place.

"That\'s a cursed sword, Ian." Mev\'s voice broke the silence.

The carriage had become quiet at some point, and not only her, but also Charlotte was looking at the black sword with a displeased gaze.

“It will surely have a negative effect on you?. And you’ll receive unnecessary misunderstandings too.”

"I know. Don\'t worry; I won\'t be consumed by it. And I\'ll only draw it when there are no witnesses," said Ian.

Ian added as he turned to Mev, “Unnecessary misunderstandings are already more than enough to be sick of.”

"If you say so...."

As Mev murmured and looked away, Ian placed the black sword back into his pocket dimension. The resonance vibrated in his grip.

What are you going to do if you don\'t like it?

Ian, who snorted, let go of his hand. The resonance of the black sword vanished as if it had been washed away. He lightly flicked his hand and soon looked up at the ceiling of the carriage.

“Before we cross the border, will we be passing through any mountains or valleys?”

"Yes, we will," Philip answered immediately. There was a rustling sound, likely him taking out a map.

Ian added. “Let’s look for an underground tunnel or cave. I don’t mind if it’s a monster’s nest. No, actually, that would be better. It would be deeper.”

"Fortunately, we will pass through several mountains and valleys for a while. After all, we are smuggling. But...."

Philip poked his head out from above one window and looked at Ian.

"Why do you need a cave or tunnel?"

"I need a secluded place away from your and the gods\' eyes."

"...?" Philip tilted his head.

On the other side, Thesaya also peeked her face out of another window.

Glancing at her dark green eyes, Ian spoke, “I’m going to seal a dark artifact.”

"....!"

To be honest, it\'s more like engraving, not sealing.

As Philip widened his eyes in surprise, Thesaya, who let out an exclamation, asked, "That one from before? Can I watch?"

“No. I’m going to do it alone.”

"How firm...."

“It’s probably because it’s dangerous. Just being near it could rob you of your spirit, and who knows what kind of strange phenomena might occur,” Philip added with a trembling voice, recalling a memory of almost being devoured by darkness.

Mev squinted her eyes and asked, “Are you sure you can handle such a dangerous ritual alone?”

“I’m fine. I actually feel more at ease doing it alone.”

While Mev sighed in concern, Charlotte nodded her head. “I’ll keep searching the surroundings once we enter the mountain path. It shouldn’t be hard to find one. The monsters are gathering, after all.”

“Then please do so.”

Ian stood up, grabbing a bottle of liquor and some jerky. As he climbed out the window and onto the roof of the carriage, he looked back at Thesaya and Philip.

“Get down. The elder of the House of Aynas shouldn’t be riding on the roof of a carriage.”

“Well, I won’t refuse then.” Thesaya smiled broadly and slipped back into the carriage window like performing a trick.

Ian turned to Philip and asked, “Aren’t you her attendant?”

"Ah, the roles have changed while you were sleeping. Now Charlotte is the attendant, and I am just a low-ranking guard."

"Oh, you\'re not riding?"

“Oh, you meant for me to ride? Understood.”

Philip fumbled as he turned around to open the carriage door. Ignoring Charlotte’s disapproving click of the tongue, Ian lay sprawled out on the carriage roof, gazing up at the sky. Dark clouds loomed, threatening to unleash rain at any moment, moving in tandem with the carriage as if to extend the murky darkness further.

***

Lu Sard, Glumir.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Viscountess Bellan, the acting lord of Glumir, sat in the carriage with a face as stiff as a statue.

Despite being on their way to the Labyrinth Mansion, which she hadn’t dared approach in a long time, she uttered not a single complaint. It was only natural.

Clank, clank.

Knights on white horses, clad in white robes embroidered with golden circles, escorted the carriage.

Riders on white horses, dressed in white robes embroidered with gold threads in a circle, were advancing while surrounding the carriage.

They pulled their hoods down so low that their faces were completely hidden, and even though they covered their bodies with the robes, their frames were enormous. Every time they moved or took a step, there was a metallic sound, indicating that they were wearing armor beneath the robes. The hands holding the reins were all clad in thick iron gloves.

Since stepping into Glumir, they hadn\'t uttered a single word. Yet, the Viscountess didn\'t dare to check their faces or ask their names. This, too, was only natural.

They were the Purifiers of the Order. Known as the Blades of the Radiant Goddess, they annihilated all darkness with no mercy or compromise. These bearers of terrifying rumors had come to Glumir. The Viscountess learned of their identities thanks to the priest sitting across from her.

He, too, wore the robes of the Order, but unlike the others, he showed his face. He wore a painted smile on his face and had a somewhat slight build, as if he wasn\'t wearing armor.

However, the Viscountess couldn\'t meet his eyes properly either. She believed that this priest, whom she had only heard about, was the infamous inquisitor. Otherwise, there was no reason for these notorious purifiers to follow his every command.

“There’s no need to be nervous, my lady.” The priest’s gentle voice broke the silence. The Viscountess forced a strained smile, “It-It’s not because of you, Father. I’m just afraid of setting foot in th-that cursed mansion.”

“I see.” The priest’s smile deepened.

Viscountess clenched her sweaty fists tightly. The moment she realized they were the Order’s Purifiers, she confessed everything she knew, as if giving a sacramental confession. It was clear they found out what had happened in Glumir; otherwise, only death awaited her. She had done her utmost to prove her innocence, and as a result, she was now in their company.

"Such..." The priest\'s smile slowly faded as he gazed outside the carriage. Near the Labyrinth Mansion, the ground had turned black, and rotting corpses emitting a foul stench were strewn about.

The Viscountess, barely suppressing her nausea, spoke, "They say the agent of the Great Platinum Dragon and the Red Knight are responsible for this. As I mentioned, they have eradicated all darkness from Glumir."

"Indeed. It is exactly as I heard," said the priest.

The priest, nodding while gazing outside the carriage, added, "How long has it been since they left?"

"Over a week."

"And you do not know where they went?"

"Of course not. They disappeared without a trace, leaving only a message."

"A greater darkness is coming...."

"Yes, that was their exact message." The Viscountess nodded, fidgeting with her hands.

Repeated verification. This man was certainly the inquisitor. Soon, the carriage came to a halt. As the Purifiers dismounted from their horses, the Viscountess hesitantly alighted from the carriage.

Any trace of its former beauty was no longer present in the mansion. The ground had turned black, walls crumbled in places, the garden plants were withered, and the mansion itself had vanished without leaving a trace. The scene was as ominous as it could be, as if it were revealing its true nature.

"As you can see... we\'ve left everything untouched. It\'s proof that we\'ve been freed from the oppression of the accursed demons. And also, it\'s a testament to the achievements of the agent of Platinum Dragon—"

“Is what I requested loaded on that cart?” The priest cut her off as he dismounted the carriage and turned to look behind him.

The Viscountess nodded, her gaze fixed on the approaching supply cart.

"Yes. It should be the corpse of the black knight I mentioned. Likewise, the Great Platinum Dragon...." The Viscountess stiffened mid-sentence.

Under the hood of one purifier, a golden glint flashed as they turned to look at her, as if displeased with her words. Her legs trembled as if she might collapse at any moment.

"Thank you for your guidance, Viscountess," the priest whispered.

Receiving her gaze, he smiled and added, "Could you leave the cart to us from here?"

"O-of course, Father...."

"Thank you. Then, you may leave now. From here on, we can handle it ourselves."

The Viscountess, bowing as if waiting for this moment, hurriedly climbed back into the carriage, not daring to look at the Purifiers standing in their robes.

Clip-clop.

Soon, the supply cart approached the priest. The driver, awkwardly bowing, climbed into the driver’s seat of the Viscountess\'s carriage.

As the Viscountess\'s carriage moved away, the Purifiers gathered around the supply cart immediately. The priest leisurely followed them, observing the remains of the black knight loaded on the cart.

The plate armor was torn and smashed beyond recognition. The corpse, charred and dismembered, revealed hints of scales.

The priest, noting the scale marks, finally spoke. "What do you think?"

"...At the very least, it\'s not a vampire."

One purifier spoke up, his voice quite young.

"There are traces of scales. It seems it was something entirely different."

A woman\'s voice followed, and another purifier responded to her words.

"Ian Hope must have known this one\'s true identity. That\'s why he hurriedly left the city. Contrary to what is known, it wasn\'t a remnant of the vampires. This creature was targeting him."

"Indeed...." The priest slowly nodded. He already knew far more than they did. The question was merely to see how much they had discovered.

Turning his body, the priest stepped into the mansion. Six Purifiers silently followed behind him. The once verdant garden was now withered, and the place where the mansion stood had sunk into the ground, resembling a ruined cave.

As the priest\'s eyes scanned the debris-strewn area, a golden light flickered in his eyes.

"At least, it seems certain that he possesses great power as rumored. Besides..."

Murmuring, the priest turned to look at the lined-up purifiers and added, "I do not sense the idol. It appears the Dragon Slayer has got the artifact."

"Just as expected...."

A faint sigh of understanding spread among the Purifiers. They were among the most extreme devotees of Lu Solar within the Order, deeply influenced by the priest\'s teachings and sharing his convictions. They believed that for the light to shine more brilliantly, the shadows needed to be darker, and that true faith flourished through trials and suffering.

They were among the few who knew that the Order subjugated the vampire clans.

"The Platinum Dragon, that hypocrite, has clearly revealed the ambition it had been hiding all this time."

Someone muttered, and another added, "It has indirectly defied the will of the Order through its agent."

The Purifiers each nodded in agreement. They neither trusted nor liked the Platinum Dragon. They believed that serving Lu Solar and performing her miracles should be the domain of humans alone. The ancient specter that once stood in place of the gods was an existence that should disappear.

"The testimony that the cursed sword was purified is surely a deception. Although the barbarian\'s God and the Stern Goddess favor him, he is only an agent of the Platinum Dragon, not under the blessing of the Radiant Goddess."

"Perhaps this, too, is the will of the Platinum Dragon, to create a false savior."

The priest listened to their words silently. There was no need for him to speak; waiting was sufficient. Though the Platinum Dragon was beyond their reach, but its agent was not.

Soon, someone declared, "We must eliminate the agent of Platinum Dragon."