"Zero Order. No, Surna. What exactly is your purpose?"
After repairing the sealing formula and with the heaven’s door closed Rudger had lost the omnipotence he had shown before.
Even though just losing the exhilaration that made him feel like he could freely fly through the sky brought an imnse emptiness, Rudger suppressed it with desperate patience.
That wasn't what was important right now.
"The fact that you've co this far ans you want sothing from too. So tell . What is your purpose?"
"Why hide it? The reason I ca here is, of course, because I have business with you."
While saying this, Surna observed Grandel who was lying soundly asleep on the shadow bed despite all this chaos.
"And when an old acquaintance is leaving, I wanted to send them off. Although it seems that wasn't necessary."
"You said that in the distant past, you fought with Saint Arkenis at this place on this land."
"Yes."
Looking at the craterwhere it was now difficult to find traces of the past, Surna muttered in a bitter voice.
The aftermath of Rudger and the subjugation force's battle was enormous.
Starting with the crater, all the surrounding mountains and forests had been blown away.
Beyond the level of needing to redraw maps, if not careful, it could have even caused tectonic shifts.
The fact that this didn't happen was purely because the Elental Lord of Earth poured its power into preventing the ground from collapsing.
It seed the Elental Lord of Earth had withdrawn after finishing its work.
"In history, it is said that the Great Demon Surna disappeared after being defeated by Saint Arkenis here. Of course, it was also said that the Saint herself died as a result of that battle."
"That's the history known to the public. More precisely, it's a fake arbitrarily fabricated by the Holy Nation of Bretus."
Surna waved the sword in hand.
"As you've seen, the power I possess as an Apostle cannot create such a land of death. The sa is true for Saint Arkenis. Yet not a single living being has lived in this crater even after hundreds of years."
"So it was due to the power of sothing other than a demon or a saint."
"That's the power of a god."
Surna recalled the event of that day as he spoke.
"The battle between and the Saint, as always, didn't result in a proper outco. Arkenis was too strong for to kill, and conversely, Arkenis had no intention of killing ."
"What?"
When Rudger looked at him as if surprised, Surna gave a bitter smile.
"Yes. It's worth being surprised. To think that the great demon Surna was, in fact, spared by the Saint and continued to live. Surprising but true. Although Arkenis was a saint of the Order, unlike the Order's will, she didn't try to resolve everything with judgnt and purification. Rather, befitting the na of a saint, she tried to embrace with love and compassion."
Surna's voice was steeped in nostalgia for the past.
"She loved all life."
"Was it Lunsis who intervened in that battle?"
Surna nodded.
"To think that the Saint, who should prioritize his commands above all else, had no intention of killing a demon. So that day, Lunsis committed one action."
"What did he do?"
"Nothing much. Just stuck a finger into the cage."
That was the expression, and in reality, Lunsis' action might have only been using one finger.
But the aftermath was by no ans small.
To punish the Saint who wouldn't listen to him and to eliminate the Apostle, a remnant of a fallen god, Lunsis directly interfered with this world.
Tearing through dinsions and directly exercising his power through that opened rift.
"That's how this crater was created. From his perspective, it probably wasn't even equivalent to pressing down with just one finger."
Even though it was just that much, this land was covered in death.
It beca a place where life couldn't live or survive for nearly a thousand years.
"I see. This is not the aftermath of a battle, but......"
"A trace of judgnt."
Surna let out a low laugh.
"But on that day, as the price for interfering with the world, Lunsis beca unable to exercise power in the world again. It ans even breaking the rules and cheating is only forgiven once. Because that rule wasn't created by Lunsis alone."
"So that's why he beca anxious. Because he realized the possibility that humans, whom he believed to be his limbs, could betray him."
Saint Arkenis abandoned her given duty: the extermination of demons.
The Saint, who should have dedicated her life to serving with that as her life's purpose, did not kill the demon.
Enraged, Lunsis directly punished the Saint and even tried to kill Surna but Surna didn't die.
Instead, the trace remained on this land.
The problem was what ca after.
"Lunsis ca to realize. If even the most faithful Saint abandoned his will, what about other humans? You can tell just by looking at how the Holy Nation operates now."
The Holy Nation of Bretus wielded its authority throughout the continent, but that glory wasn't sothing that would continue forever.
Even the current authority was ultimately just borrowed, wasn't it?
Moreover, as the price for exercising power in the world, Lunsis could no longer wield that power.
"From that day, the power of the holy knights and priests was greatly reduced. The supply line of holy power was drastically cut."
Reduced holy power. Reduced strength. Reduced authority.
What sprouted at the end was human desire with survival instinct as its soil.
The Holy Nation developed greed.
God exists, but he cannot exert influence on the world.
Then, aren't those who have taken the position of god's proxy essentially the most noble beings on this continent?
"When there's no tiger on the mountain, the fox becos king. That fits perfectly."
"And a very cunning fox at that."
The Holy Nation of Bretus interpreted the doctrine as they pleased to suit their taste and acted to fulfill their desires.
It was natural for a corrupt religion to quickly walk the path of decline.
Although power decreased, they didn't reach the stage of collapse because the holy power they wielded was real.
But what about from Lunsis' perspective, watching all this?
Lunsis, who couldn't trust humans, wanted to replace the Holy Nation that didn't move according to his will.
But he knew that even if he removed them and placed others in their stead, the result wouldn't change anyway.
So Lunsis thought to create a human vessel that could hold his power and directly rule by making that vessel a puppet.
"The identity of that vessel is the illegitimate child of the holy imperial family and the man with the greatest talent in history. Heathcliff van Bretus. The man standing before now."
"So that's how it was. But even the holy emperor wasn't stupid. He and his children knew I would be a threat to their position. Beyond that, they even knew that Lunsis' will resided in ."
"Knowing that, they tried to eliminate you. Pretending not to know, pretending it was for the sake of god."
From Lunsis' perspective, the Holy Nation of Bretus was no different from a dog that bit its master.
But in a situation where Rudger had disappeared from the Holy Nation and couldn't be traced, Lunsis had to maintain the position of proxy, even if it wasn't to his liking.
But that too was now over.
Because Rudger, who had been hiding well until now, had finally revealed his identity.
"From Lunsis' perspective, he must be desperate. The existence of the holy grail, whom he had been searching for so desperately and thought might have died sowhere, appears so clearly like this."
"Did you know that and try to use ?"
"I didn't know from the beginning either. It was just at the stage of suspicion. It was in the imperial capital that I beca certain."
"......Basara."
The demon sealed in the stump of the World Tree, who died after being played by Surna's sche.
Though revived again, an apostle who was completely annihilated by Rudger's hand.
"What exactly is your purpose? Revenge against Lunsis?"
"Isn't that obvious? I've co this far for that because I'm a demon."
"There were plenty of opportunities before. Then why didn't you do it?"
Right away, 500 years ago.
Before the Empire was born, the past kingdom sought a way to counter the Holy Nation of Bretus by joining hands with the elves.
They gathered relics and grew a new World Tree, preparing for so experint.
What interfered with that was Basara, or more precisely, Surna who controlled him from behind.
"That was bound to fail. If I hadn't interfered then, we would never have been able to overthrow Lunsis again. The opportunity itself would have been completely closed."
"Is it different now?"
"That's why I'm helping you, isn't it?"
Surna spoke to Rudger.
"Heathcliff. I know you've prepared sothing in the Holy Nation of Bretus. For a very long ti, you've laid various things under the surface of the Holy Nation."
"......"
"Of course, it's the sa for . I too have been preparing for a very long ti. So that they wouldn't notice, like water seeping drop by drop into the cracks of a rock."
"So what do you want?"
"I can't tell you what I want yet. You still have a few more things to do now. Isn't that right? Professor Rudger Chelici."
"......"
"When you throw off all those shackles and co to Bretus, then I'll tell you my real purpose."
"What I have to do......"
"To achieve what you want, you must leave no room."
No room must be left.
Surna's words felt quite heavy to Rudger.
"You still have hesitation. If you don't cut it all off, your lingering attachnt will grab your ankle at the crucial mont."
"......"
"You know your business better than anyone. I'll be on my way first. I look forward to the day we et again in the Holy Nation of Bretus, where all this will co to an end."
With those words, Surna disappeared from the place as if vanishing.
The end of all affairs.
Rudger, left behind, stood still for a while, pondering the words Surna had left as he departed.
When Rudger returned to Leathervelk, the atmosphere of the city was much quieter than before.
The fact that the city, which had been in chaos due to the incident caused by Nirva, had quieted down ant that the citizens had regained stability.
But Rudger felt that this peculiar silence was sowhat disturbing.
Like watching the calm before a storm.
Rudger gently laid Grandel, whom he had carefully carried, on the bed in her room.
Breathing heavily, Grandel was now recovering her damaged soul.
Although it would recover on its own if left alone, Rudger couldn't just leave it, so he gave a few instructions to the people of Royal Street.
Upon hearing the news of Rudger's return, the Owens mbers gathered in one place.
"Owner."
While Violetta was inwardly relieved that Rudger had returned safely, she showed signs of anxiety due to the recent unsettling news.
"Recently, the city has......"
"I know. No need to explain."
"......Are you really okay?"
Rudger didn't answer.
He prepared to head to Theon even before finishing his preparations.
"Brother. You're not really going to Theon?"
"Yes."
"It's already problematic to go back suddenly, but to go in the current situation......"
"I have things to finish. Now I really can't postpone it anymore. So I have one last thing to tell you."
One last thing to tell?
At those words, the Owens mbers felt a strange sense of unease.
"As the founder and leader of Owens, I hereby dissolve [U.N.Owen] at this mont."
"What? My lord! What are you saying!"
Seridan asked in surprise.
"Your talents have already blood sufficiently. Now, instead of following and engaging in dangerous work, you can each walk the path you desire."
"That's......"
"It must be bewildering to hear this suddenly. But know this one thing clearly. Being with is no different from risking your life. Rather, even ten lives would be insufficient. Even if you die, a stigma that lasts a lifeti will be engraved on your na. Are you still okay with that?"
"......"
"There's no honor or glory in this death. It's just a dog's death. Forget a tombstone, your corpse would be buried in mud."
The Owens mbers fell silent when they realized Rudger had made a serious proposal.
No matter what was said here, words uttered without proper ti for serious consideration would not carry weight.
Rudger knew this too, which is why he gave them ti to think and decide.
"I respect whatever choice you make."
Even if that choice is to run away.
Rudger left without saying those following words.
None of the Owens mbers could stop Rudger until he completely disappeared.
The only person who followed Rudger out was Sedina Roschen.
She had been quite anxious about not being able to assist him during the ti he was gone.
Rudger didn't particularly stop Sedina.
When he finally returned to Theon the students and other teachers who passed by one by one were startled to find Rudger.
What in the world have you been doing? Are you okay?
People who were about to ask such questions beca silent the mont they saw Rudger's expression, which looked as if he had been here all along.
Thus, Rudger returned to his office without receiving anyone's interference or annoying questions.
Although quite so ti had passed since he vacated his seat, the interior was spotlessly clean without a speck of dust.
Sedina had co here every day and consistently cleaned it.
Rudger sat at his desk in the office as if trying to reminisce about that day before.
Sedina stepped aside to be considerate of Rudger.
'Although teaching was an unintended start, it wasn't without fulfillnt.'
Rudger slowly rose from his seat and stood by the window.
How many minutes had passed?
A commotion began to drive away the stillness from beyond the door.
-J, just a mont! Who exactly are you people......!
At the sa ti Sedina's voice was cut off, the office door burst open with a bang.
And what barged in were knights wearing black uniforms.
It was the Night Crawler Knights of the Imperial Security Bureau.
The silver-haired woman who stood at the forefront approached Rudger with clicking footsteps.
"Rudger Chelici."
State Guardian Terina Ryanhowl glared at Rudger with cold eyes.
"I arrest you on charges of impersonating a Theon teacher and murdering a cardinal of the Holy Nation of Bretus."
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