Chapter 138: Dark Mage

"Sigh, that fucking bastard."

Spitting out a vulgar curse, Findenai gritted her teeth and regulated her breathing.

She discarded her axe and drew another one from her waist since her first axe blade had been cleaved off perfectly.

She felt like she should have at least carried a cigarette with her.

Although she did have a case of cigarettes in her pocket, they weren't something she would like to put in her mouth in this situation.

After all, they were a luxury item meant to be appreciated thoroughly, their taste and aroma savored perfectly.

Eventually, Findenai gritted her teeth again and took a deep breath after holding back her impulses.

Her opponent's attacks were fierce, making the fight more challenging than expected.

And having the Great Warrior among them made a stark difference, compared to when he was absent.

However, Findenai realized that it wasn't just because of the Great Warrior's skill.

Growl!

A demonic beast resembling a black panther charged from the inside of the forest. Its long fangs poised to shatter her head completely.

However, Findenai, who had already sensed the danger in advance, swung down the axe she had raised high.

Crash!

The demonic monster's skull was smashed, blood spurting all over the ground.

The Great Warrior's strength was undoubtedly formidable.

However, ever since he was defeated by Deus, the amount of power he could unleash was no longer to the point where he alone could control the entire battlefield.

Their roles were now reversed.

Instead of Horua lending his strength to the Great Warrior, the Great Warrior was now lending his body to Horua.

Under the command of Horua, the master of the Marias Great Forest, the demonic monsters fought alongside the Marias tribe and protected them.

Moreover, his flames also possessed a mysterious power that ensured that the forest didn't burn down due to carelessness.

Nobody on this battlefield had experienced anything like this before. Moreover, Findenai was the only one who had fought against a guardian deity before.

It was on the day she first met Deus Verdi, while they were trying to cross the Norseweden mountain range.

Actually, it would be difficult to even call it a fight. It was more like a single blow from the Mountain Lord had knocked down Findenai, who had dared to strike Deus, who could control souls.

It was an enormous power that one could never dream to overcome— A majestic figure exuding greatness.

At the very least, Findenai knew that the Mountain Lord and Horua were of the same kind. But that didn't mean they were equally overwhelming.

It's more like a deity incarnate in a human body.

Findenai glanced over her shoulder towards the center of this battlefield, towards the open field that lay beyond the trees.

The Great Warrior was dominating the battlefield with his flaming spear.

And the only one who was engaged in a head-on confrontation with him was the Knight Commander, Gloria.

No matter how skilled Findenai was, interfering in their battle recklessly would be dangerous even for her.

Even taking her skills into consideration, compared to the both of them, her equipment was somewhat lacking.

Gloria, clad in a crimson armor that covered her entire body while wielding a greatsword that was worthy of being called a treasured weapon, faced off against the Great Warrior Valkzar, who was practically naked, but had received protection through the guardian deity's power that was far superior when compared to any armor.

"Huff."

However, even so...

If Findenai wished to simply remain standing here, she wouldn't have fought for freedom while being oppressed by the Clark Republic.

Findenai had never knelt down to anyone in her life. Perhaps it was something one would only witness after death.

"Ghost Lady, are you there?"

At Findenai's call, a wind mixed with mana blew in.

While Deus was in the mountainside village, the Dark Spiritualist stayed by Findenai's side to assist her whenever she was in danger.

"I'm going to jump in there now. Can you support me?"

Although she was unable to see the Dark Spiritualist, their desires were aligned.

Findenai then checked the protective barrier that was now enveloping her. Being a Dark Mage, the Dark Spiritualist had a low proficiency when it came to casting protective magic on others, but it was better than nothing.

Seeing this, Findenai took a deep breath, gripped her axe tight, and retrieved a club hidden near her waist with her other hand.

Swish!

"Master Bastard!"

The club extended into a long axe. She took deep breaths and while gripping an axe with each hand, she stepped forward.

"You should only come out a bit later."

She couldn't waste any more time.

Even if she couldn't bring the war to an end, at the very least, Deus Verdi should show up only after she managed to rescue Illuania.

It was so that he, who always remained calm and composed, wouldn't become like the other Dark Mages. That was their earnest wish.

"I'll end this quickly."

Through an unexpected partnership, Findenai and the Dark Spiritualist charged towards the Great Warrior.

***

"You Fools! Flee now!"

The Great Warrior Valkzar had now become someone who could no longer be labeled as a mere human.

Deities couldn't harm humans as they wished. For those who protected nature, humans were a part of that nature.

However, Horua had abandoned his position as a guardian deity.

After throwing away his responsibility, he lost his power. However, he still remained formidable against humans as his power was originally immense.

Upon hearing the unknown roar, whether it came from Valkzar or Horua, the Royal Army had no choice but to retreat.

At that moment, demonic monsters poured in from all directions, and the warriors from the Marias tribe utilized the forest to employ hit-and-run tactics, with the Great Warrior as their center.

Unlike the times when they could simply push forward, it was difficult for the heavily armored Royal Knights to maneuver freely in the dense forest. It was hindering their movement.

The retreating Royal Army had no choice but to withdraw for now to allow them to regroup.

"It feels like we're not fighting just against the tribal people, but against the entire Marias Great Forest."

Gloria discarded her crimson Royal Knight armor as it had melted due to the flames and high heat and only had bandages covering her body.

Even Lucia, who was carefully treating her, sighed heavily.

"It's not just Valkzar who's the problem anymore, is it?"

"Oh, you mean Horua? It does make me wonder if there's really anyone in the Great Forest who can defeat that being."

"......That person said that Horua has abandoned his title as a guardian deity, so he'll practically cease to exist with time."

"When will that be?"

Gloria asked bluntly, but of course, Lucia didn't have the answer for that.

Even Deus Verdi would find it difficult to predict when that immense power would run out.

"He can freely manipulate fire throughout the forest while making sure it does not burn. Even the Archmage wouldn't be able to pull off such a feat."

The biggest problem was Horua's flames.

He could spread his flames throughout the forest, shaping the battlefield as he desired, but at the same time, it caused no harm to the forest itself.

Just a gesture from the Great Warrior would make the flames that seemed eternal vanish.

The fire was aiding the enemy.

The situation was infuriating to the point of absurdity.

With their limits as humans clearly evident now, Gloria bit her lips, racking her brain, trying to think of their next strategy.

The people who had been slaughtered mercilessly were innocent civilians from her country.

So, she couldn't simply let them go like this.

As Gloria reviewed her fight against the Great Warrior, she forced down the bitter taste rising in her mouth and asked Lucia.

"Come to think of it, what about that person?"

"That person?"

"I mean, the Soul Whisperer's maid."

"Ah..."

Lucia's complexion darkened momentarily. Gloria had anticipated such a reaction, but she still needed confirmation. Findenai was the only person who had come to her aid when Gloria was overwhelmed by Horua's strength.

With her distinctive free-spirited movements and equipped with the Hand of Hemomancy, the Maid fought the Great Warrior tenaciously until the end.

Eventually, after both of her axes melted away, Gloria jumped in to save her, before any fatal wounds could be inflicted.

"I finished treating her before you. However, she won't be able to participate in the next battle."

"...That's expected, but it's a shame."

Although Gloria had seen Findenai fight in the Palace before, she felt it wouldn't be easy to find a warrior of that caliber.

Especially since her movements became faster as the battle continued and her senses as sharp as a beast's. It reached a point where even Gloria felt chills upon witnessing it.

At that moment.

Swish!

A man entered the tent through the dampened entrance. His mere presence cooled the heated bodies of everyone present inside, those who were burning fiercely due to Horua's flames.

His dampened hair, soaked by the pouring rain, gave off an oddly ominous vibe.

And then...

"Kyaaah!"

Knight Commander Gloria shrieked as she hastily covered herself.

Having lived only wielding the sword and being the woman who had become the King's strongest sword, apart from what she had read in the novels written by her friend, Lucia, she knew next to nothing about relationships between men and women.

Wrapped only in bandages, she hastily covered her body. However, from their first encounter, the Soul Whisperer's gaze remained unchanged.

His eyes did not waver.

Any other man might have turned away, however, his gaze was fixed firmly on the Saintess.

"I have finished sending them off."

It was a short yet concise statement.

Ignoring the fact that the man before her could see her friend half-naked, Lucia clasped her hands together hearing that statement.

"You've worked hard."

"It is my assistant Owen who has worked hard. I would like to request treatment for him. Please be careful with his fingers in particular."

"Understood."

During the several-day-long sending-off ceremony for the deceased, Owen had continuously played the piano, with only brief breaks in between.

He now laid inside the tent in a state of exhaustion.

"But it seems like the battle is not over yet."

Deus was surprised that the war, which he thought would end quickly now that the Great Warrior was weakened, lasted longer than expected.

Gloria hastily covered herself with a blanket and responded with a hint of shame.

"It's because of that guardian deity, Horua. I had a hard time dealing with him as he fled into the Marias Great Forest."

"So, he escaped in the end."

Deus nodded lightly after getting a rough understanding of the situation, and then posed another question.

"But where is Findenai?"

"......"

"......"

A momentary silence filled the tent.

Witnessing that, Deus immediately furrowed his brows and somewhat issued a command.

"Take me to her. Now."

* * *

"Damn, you came back so fucking early."

Findenai greeted me with a hoarse voice as she looked up at me. The tips of her white hair seemed charred, and her entire body was wrapped in bandages.

She seemed to have been inflicted with burns, but it seemed that the wounds wouldn't leave any scars on her thanks to Lucia's Holy Power.

However, it looked like she had now exhausted all her energy, as she didn't even have the energy to rise.

[It's... over now.]

The appearance of the Dark Spiritualist, who was sitting quietly beside her, was also concerning. Since Horua could even attack the soul, her body looked feeble and blurred, which seemed precarious.

"Master Bastard, I haven't lost yet. If I go back into the battlefield now, I'll certainly win."

[That's right. So, you can just sit still and remain here.]

I stared at the two of them without saying a word before finally speaking up.

"Why did you two fight until you reached such dire conditions?"

"..."

[...]

The two remained silent, refusing to speak. In the face of such explicit silence, I asked them once again.

"Speak up."

Despite that, silence still lingered.

When I glanced at the Saintess who had followed me, she also lowered her head and remained silent.

It felt like a lump had formed inside my chest. The more I saw Findenai and the Dark Spiritualist so enervated, almost like they would collapse at any time, the more I felt like something inside my chest was going on a rampage, threatening to burst out.

Such emotions were new to me.

Unsure of how to relieve them, I slowly conjured my mana.

"Should I retrieve one of the deceased and interrogate them?"

The chilly mana gradually dominated the inside of the medical tent. If they truly wished to remain silent, I would simply step outside the tent and seize a soul for interrogation.

However, at that moment, a woman with half her body burnt, entering through the edge of the tent, appeared before my eyes.

Her energy seemed to have been drained away, and she looked like she would fade away at any moment. She slowly approached me, not with her usual confident stride, but by crawling towards me.

"Illuania?"

Why was her guardian spirit here?

And at the same time, the three other women flinched.

I felt like my head started to heat up.

For the first time, the emotions that I had considered faint before, were now starting to sway me.

"I will no longer repeat my question. So, speak up."

"I-I understand! Please conceal your mana first! See, the other patients are scared of you!"

After seeing that my condition was unusual, Saintess Lucia immediately spoke up.

Though she explained it with utmost caution, almost as if she was tapping on a stone bridge1, ultimately, I could only arrive at one conclusion.

Hoping that I wouldn't enter the battlefield, the Great Warrior had kidnapped Illuania.

"Master Bastard, just stay still for now. I'll take care of this...!"

Findenai hurriedly rose from her sick bed to grab my hand, but I brushed it off.

"Wait! Please wait! If you intervene, it will put that person in danger!"

It was the Saintess who blocked my way, but I grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her aside.

[Deus, uphold your principles. Don't become like Dante, the other Dark Mages... or me.]

Although the Dark Spiritualist spoke tearfully, I ignored her as well and stepped outside.

Shwaaaa.

Amidst the heavy downpour, I looked up and spoke.

"Pass this message to Gloria."

My voice was so calm that it even surprised me.

"Until I come out, do not bring the army near the forest."

Then, without hesitation, I strode towards the Marias Great Forest in the distance.

My pace gradually became faster.

With tightly clenched fists, I felt the fluctuations in my emotions start to fade as they touched the principles I held as the Soul Whisperer, not as a Dark Mage.

However, I held no regrets.

"That forest now belongs to the dead."

With that, I headed into the depths of the forest all by myself.