The chase through the forest dragged on, shrouded under the cover of darkness.
I was an expert-level swordsman, renowned for my exceptional footwork.
Yet, even after several minutes, I couldn't catch up to that person. This was unbelievable.
Of course, if we continued at this pace, I would eventually catch up. However, the fact that they could maintain such a distance during the chase indicated that my opponent was no ordinary individual.
The forest, with its sparse trees and bushes, was far from an ideal running ground.
No matter how determined the person was to escape, there was a limit to what they could achieve unless they were superhuman—or unless they had also reached the Expert level.
My assumption was inevitably proved right.
There was a sign that the person was about to stop in a clearing. Without hesitation, I entered the open space and continued the pursuit.
It was a night where clouds obscured the moon, leaving only a faint silhouette visible.
From the contours of the figure, it appeared to be a woman. Another notable point was that her ankles were twisted grotesquely.
Her white bones jutted out, blood dripping.
It was a horrific sight. Such injuries could only be a result of movents far beyond the body's limits.
It was a scene I had seen sowhere before.
The terrible horror of a being pursuing its goals without regard for its own body.
It was a cri committed only by those utterly devoid of basic human ethics. And as far as I knew, only one person would do such a thing.
I finally uttered the na of the person I suspected.
"......Mitram."
With a creaking sound, the girl's head turned 180 degrees.
Her neck was twisted, deeply wrinkled, yet she showed no concern. She rely borrowed the girl’s mouth to form a repulsive smile.
"Long ti no see, Ian Percus."
With those words, the girl's body rotated like a toy. Only then did her body and head align.
The girl inspected her body's condition by twisting her neck, producing a cracking sound.
No, it couldn't be her body.
No matter how devilish, I knew Mitram would protect her own body. It was hard to believe that the battered, torn form before was truly hers.
And I was certain of this because there was clear evidence that the body did not belong to Mitram.
"...So, it's Mari's body."
It was one of the missing persons, Mari. She was the girl who loved apples.
Although I had seen her face only in childhood, she still retained the innocent look of that young girl. Realizing this, a fiery emotion surged up my throat.
Nevertheless, I did not act rashly.
With my mind clear, searching for the right mont, I slowly brought my hand to my waist.
Seeing my tense expression, Mitram chuckled and burst into laughter.
"Didn’t I tell you I wouldn't leave you lonely, Ian Percus? Unlike the Imperial family and nobles, I definitely keep my promises. Anyway, it's an honor to et you..."
"What have you done to Mari?"
Mitram, who had been playfully greeting , widened her eyes at my icy question.
Then, grotesquely tilting her head, she examined with exaggerated curiosity.
Left, right, each tilt was accompanied by the sound of creaking bones.
"It’s strange. I thought she was just a re resident of the territory... Did you have a connection with her? Aha! Did you perhaps have feelings for her? Pfft, I'm willing to serve you in a special way with this body..."
"I'm asking what you've done... you bastard."
Mitram narrowed her eyes at my repeated question, spat out through gritted teeth.
The girl spoke with a smile on her deathly pale face.
"You still don’t understand, even after seeing this? I bestowed a few blessings upon this frail body. Wouldn't this also be a grace from Arus? Ah, Immanuel... is that how you say it? Anyway, it was sothing like that."
It was blatant mockery.
Living up to her title as the Priest of the Evil God, she skillfully ridiculed the Heavenly God. Her vile words, especially since she spoke through Mari’s mouth, grated on my nerves.
With great effort, I restrained the urge to imdiately throw my hatchet.
I still had many questions for Mitram.
"There was soone who saw you in the forest."
"Oh, that man. Maybe I should have killed him back then. Unfortunately, that was right after the success of the artificial cultivation, so I had no strength left..."
The girl tapped her lips with her index finger before continuing, then let out a snort.
"...Well, it doesn’t matter. It's fortunate to et you anyway. Let's consider it fate."
I imdiately drew my sword from its sheath.
It was becoming harder to hold myself back.
This connection to the Dark Order was now clear. The Dark Priest herself ridiculing in front of my eyes was the most obvious evidence.
This made even more confused.
Right now, there was no reason for Mitram to reveal herself. At best, it would give a chance to bring in reinforcents to subdue the Dark Order.
Was this also to lure ?
The Percus territory could be a diversion, with the true conspiracy elsewhere. Such a possibility was worth considering if I didn’t have the letter from the future.
However, according to the letter, the Dark Order's conspiracy was unfolding in the Percus Territory. Thus, it had to be considered a confird fact.
Whatever Mitram was scheming, it must be sothing she had worked on for several years.
So, the likelihood of suddenly changing plans was not high.
When Mitram revealed her identity to , her defeat should be inevitable.
No matter how formidable Mitram was, she wouldn’t be able to withstand the combined might of the Empire and the Holy Nation.
That should be the result, yet this girl still said it was ‘fortunate’ to et .
That troubled , so I had no choice but to choose conversation over confrontation for the mont.
"'Fortunate'? Did you an 'unfortunate'? Once your true identity is exposed, both the Empire and the Holy Nation will rush to kill you."
"Pfftt, hahaha! You're quite the joker, Ian Percus... Empire? Holy Nation?"
Despite my reasonable threat, Mitram only giggled and laughed.
Her attitude suggested she found my threat utterly ridiculous.
Unable to understand the source of her confidence, I had to close my mouth for a mont.
"Even if you possess the Dragonblood Script, what use is it when you are so blind? Whether it's the Empire or the Holy Nation, which place doesn’t have rotten roo… Aaaa!"
Mitram clapped her hands together, an expression of sudden realization crossing her face.
"That's the only way it could be! You're from the Percus family, right?"
This comnt seed odd for soone who consistently addressed by my full na, 'Ian Percus,' in every sentence.
When I narrowed my eyes slightly, Mitram burst into a fit of laughter.
"Oh, poor Ian... Fate has finally caught up with you. After all, destiny is an inescapable law."
"...What nonsense is this?"
"Even if I don't do anything, you'll soon face it. I'm really looking forward to your reaction at that ti."
Saying this, the girl rubbed her hands together, as if she couldn’t wait any longer.
It was as if she was eager to reveal the truth but held back.
She began to stride towards .
"The truth is always close by... rely hidden by so corrupt power."
At that mont, my sword glead with light.
With a swift motion, the blade cut through the air and reached the girl's throat.
However, Mitram only gave a seductive smile.
The girl continued walking, the blood-red line on her throat lengthening with each step.
Mitram gently touched my cheek once she stood before .
Up until then, I had to remain on high alert around Mitram, bewildered.
Should I kill her right now?
Or should I wait until she reveals more information?
Mitram chuckled and whispered into my ear.
"Ian Percus, open your eyes... see how irrational this world is. It has such a dreadful restriction, where one's social status is dictated solely by birth, and one's life purpose is predetermined!”
"So, is that why you exploited orphans and kidnapped indebted people for your experints on the living?"
"Oh, certainly. But we compensated them, didn’t we? Exploiting orphans and tornting those in debt, isn’t that what nobles also do? They don’t even pay them."
There was nothing more to hear.
At that mont, as I judged, I tightened my grip on the sword's handle.
The girl's hand clamped down on my wrist with surprising strength, startling .
It felt as if my bones might be crushed.
I gritted my teeth, suppressing a groan.
My earlier assumption, based on her shattered legs, that she lacked physical strength, was clearly a mistake.
Had I used my hatchet, I might have easily defeated her. However, strangely, Mitram's words had an unsettlingly compelling force.
Our eyes t at a close distance.
"Rules, laws, ethics... They are re illusions crafted by power. Who can change the world by following these regulations step by step? They were created to prevent change!"
"Do you think your cris will disappear just because of that?"
I shouted, my heart brimming with revulsion.
Every ti Mitram's lips moved, Mari's once innocent face appeared twisted in her expression. The girl who could no longer enjoy apples had beco a puppet of the Evil God.
Mitram, shaless as a Dark Priest of the Dark Order, grinned wickedly, tightening her grip on my arm.
"......You have talent,” she whispered sweetly in my ear. "How aningless are status and regulations? Your track record proves it. What seems strong is actually so close to falsehood."
At this point, my patience reached its limit.
I had extracted all the information I could from Mitram. Beyond this, all I got was a lecture on the doctrine of the Dark Order.
It was ti to silence her annoying tongue. As my eyes flicked to the hatchet on my hip...
"I'll give you a chance. If you join the Dark Order, you'll be given at least the position of a pri…est… cough?!"
With a thud, the blade struck Mitram's chest and bounced off.
The sword, glowing with a blue light, was soon soaked in crimson blood. The unexpected strike didn't stop at inflicting only a fatal blow.
The blade twisted and pierced through, causing the woman to collapse backward onto the ground. With a thud, the woman's body fell backwards and landed on the ground.
Only now did I see the ash-gray hair of the person who had done it.
With a joyful heart, I called out her na.
"…Seria!"
How did she, who was so afraid of ghosts, muster such courage?
Curiosity struck , but Seria, unusually, didn't respond. She just continued to stab Mitram, who lay fallen.
Mitram seed to find joy in this situation, laughing even as blood flowed profusely from her body.
"Hahaha! Is she your partner, Ian Percus?! If you join the Dark Order, I'll give you a replica that looks just like her... Cough?!"
Thud, Seria's blade plunged into her once more.
Seria began chanically stabbing Mitram. Even Mitram, who initially laughed, eventually fell silent. It seed she could no longer endure the blood pouring from her body.
Even as Mitram's strength waned, Seria continued her assault, her actions relentless and silent.
No, it was more like she used all her strength to slash down on the girl's body with the knife held in reverse. Each strike sent waves of blood surging from the girl's body.
"Uh, Seria...?"
I was about to say there was no need to go so far, even against Mitram...
"...She must die."
Seria spoke with a chilly tone, her eyes devoid of emotion, fixed on the bloody corpse.
"Trash, bitch in heat! How dare you to... to Senior Ian... a-a ghost like you! Die, die, even if you're already dead, die again!"
Only then did I realize why Seria had overco her fear of ghosts. Thus, I remained silent.
However, I once again affird my determination.
I must never let her find out about my relationship with Senior Delphine.
Absolutely never.
With that resolve, the next day, upon returning to the mansion, I faced another problem.
Now, Ria seed to be acting /genesisforsaken
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