I entered the hall of the temple.
The interior was truly enormous.
At the far end of the long and wide hall stood the gigantic star, the divine vessel of the main god Apeon.
Beyond it, the statues of the seven gods lined up.
The seven gods are depicted as male and female deities, but the main god Apeon has no statue.
As the god of creation, the main god must not be served in human form.
Even though I didn't have a religion in my previous life, I still approached the main god with a reverent heart.
After all, I am only human, so my heart felt heavy.
The reason I fought was so that my family and all its mbers could live happily and, further, to avenge my house and my parents.
If I lived halfheartedly, I would only be victimized again.
The targets of my revenge were the richest and strongest in this world.
Those who had destroyed countless houses to amass wealth and seized power with that money.
We started at the very bottom, so we had to rise even higher.
Until then, we had to make sure no one dared to assault us recklessly. That was the path I was on.
The grand duke's wealth and power would be beyond imagination.
Even after all our growth, we wouldn't pose much of a threat to the grand duke.
So, I still had far to go.
I sat down in front of the divine vessel of the main god Apeon.
I sat there for so ti.
When my father passed away, he said,
He thought that the changes in
must have been the will of the god.
Those words remained in my mind for a long ti.
Was my coming into this world not a coincidence?
If it really was the will of god, why was I brought here?
I had said I would beco a hero—was that also part of the god's plan?
Could it be that I was here to stop the grand duke's ambition?
If so, then what was the grand duke plotting now?
And what would beco of this world because of it?
I tried to shake off those spiraling thoughts.
Maybe it was just because my heart was heavy.
But to keep dwelling on unanswered questions was re idle distraction.
I just needed to live as I always had.
Step-by-step, toward a better life.
Defeating those who tried to get in my way.
I cleared my mind, shook off my thoughts, and emptied my head.
And I continued sitting in silence.
Tap, tap. Tap, tap.
The footsteps resounding in the temple ceased.
"You're human too, young lord."
Tuji and Uson ca inside.
The brothers stood beside
and prayed devoutly to the main god.
Then Tuji spoke.
"Our father said this during the war. When your heart is troubled, nothing beats simple labor."
"Thank you."
"Young lord, you've left a clear precedent that future generations of ours will rember. What happens when those who serve the god fall into corruption."
I nodded silently.
Tuji and his brother also sat beside
and gazed at the main god.
Tuji was right.
To see another's blood is to be left with a residue in one's consciousness that does not easily settle—a new, freshly carved scar upon the heart.
But as the residue settles and you grow accustod to the scars, even the vivid mories begin to fade.
That's why mindless physical labor is the best healing thod.
Perhaps I should build a small temple in the new territory.
Doing it step by step, with my own hands and sweat.
I stood up from where I sat.
So did Tuji and his brother.
"If you head northwest, Allen will be mining ore. He's probably extracted a lot by now, so please move those minerals to the port."
"Understood."
/ / /
I arrived at the treasury of the order.
It was a huge room located on the fourth basent level of the temple, and far more wealth had been amassed there than I'd expected.
These were treasures accumulated by the order over hundreds of years—profit from its enterprises, and personal possessions earned by Priests for healing the noble houses.
There were about a hundred locked cabinets.
Inside were the Priests' personal assets, while behind a heavy iron gate, mountains of the order's treasures were stacked.
There were over three hundred gold bars.
Converted to gold coin, about 100,000 coins' worth.
If you included gems, it exceeded 150,000 coins.
Swinging my greatsword, I cut open each lock and checked every cabinet.
Each urn overflowed with gold coins and gems. Among them, there were also diamonds.
I took out everything, leaving nothing behind, stacking it in the vault behind the iron gate. Donnie eventually ca to help.
"That's quite the wealth, isn't it?"
"I intend to return it to the world."
Donnie only smiled silently.
He knew, too, that this wealth was not ours.
I did not attack the order for its riches—and certainly not for the blessing bestowed by the god upon the Priests.
There were many ways to put this treasure to use.
Part would go to the new order, and the rest could build schools for commoners, or even to train Holy Knights.
"How are things at the port?"
"Five out of twenty-one ships have fled, and the rest are just watching for now. They probably aren't sure what's happening."
"Our ship is all right, isn't it?"
Donnie replied with a troubled expression.
"About that... I think it's gone down."
"Gone down? Why?"
This was unexpected.
There's little point in sinking the ship.
"When the signal flare went up, the enemy tried to land. Around then, one of their ships approached ours and threw a torch onboard. We sent two n and seized one of their ships in return."
This was done under the Priests' orders.
They simply followed the prearranged plan without considering the situation.
Priests who know nothing of strategy or tactics.
"And the cargo?"
"There was nothing we could do."
Donnie shut his mouth with a grim face.
I had nothing more to say.
I was planning to leave the [cargo] behind on this island.
Three n would fall to the rage of the Priests, but I still intended to give their families a way out.
It was a matter left up to the order's decision.
But the ship had sunk.
The viscount's and baron's families.
rchant leader Goro and Deputy-Commander Geroz.
Three houses had assaulted us—The viscount's wife drove her own father to death; the baron, his cousin.
rchant leader Goro committed an unforgivable cri.
Their deaths did not faze , but what sin had the children committed?
I couldn't lock them away for life, and if they grew up, they might seek revenge, so perhaps it was better this way.
Perhaps I'd been lost in thought.
Donnie deftly changed the subject.
"I thought it was a waste to use the magic stone, but seeing all this treasure, I realize there's no way to move it without it."
"We can just get more magic stones in Ta-iki."
"Should I bring over the divine ore as well?"
"We should—tell Allen to bring the ore he dug out over here. He's strong enough to bring a lot in one trip. That's all we're taking."
"Understood. Ah, I saw a strange ship hiding at the rocky islet northwest of the order. It looks like soone's co to confirm the order's situation firsthand, just as you said."
It was the ship of the Landan Viscount's family.
The key question was whether Landan himself was on board.
/ / /
All the treasure was gathered into one place.
I set aside ten urns of gold coin separately in the vault—they were for the security company captain and his n.
While I was taking a short break,
I heard grumbling voices from above.
"What! We could just take this to the port—why drag it all the way underground?"
"Enough talk—just get down here."
"Hey? Did you just kick my butt?"
"It just hit my foot, that's all."
"You punk! You think I can't tell the difference between bumping into my foot and being kicked?"
Thwack—
"See that? See? He's flat out kicking my butt! Ugh! Really wants to die!"
"Sorry. I slipped."
"Don't lie! Sorry doesn't cut it!"
"Then you kick , too."
"My foot can't reach! Curse you!"
"Oh dear, look at them."
A huge bundle burst forth from the staircase.
Usually, you'd lay out straw on a cot and spread several thin blankets on it, but the divine ore was wrapped up in those blankets and tied together—ten bundles joined together.
That's how the load beca so massive, yet—with his smallish build—Allen brought it all down at once.
It must have been five tis Donnie's weight, but Allen lifted it effortlessly.
"Why did you even co here?"
"Mm, just set it here."
Thud—
Donnie and Allen set the divine ore bundle down.
The guy looked around.
"What do you do here?"
"How much ore is left?"
"I think about seven-tenths is still left?"
"We'll co back for the rest later. Allen, head back, gather what's left, and go straight to the port."
"So what's this place for, then?"
"It's the Priests' cetery."
"Why are you in a cetery?"
"Priest Roman's master is here."
"I see."
Allen wrinkled his brow and headed for the stairs—but just before he went up, he twisted around.
"There aren't any coffins?"
"They're cremated. The urns with the Priests' ashes are kept in those cabinets."
"I see."
Allen glanced at the cabinets. There were urns inside that had once held gold coins.
The guy looked a bit suspicious as he climbed the stairs.
Donnie laughed and grabbed the pile of divine ore Allen had brought.
Even with Donnie's strength, it didn't move easily, so I joined him, and together we moved the bundles.
"Did you find your master's urn?"
"Not yet. I'll look for it when I go out."
I placed the divine ore in front of the gold bars.
If the treasure was scattered, it might not shrink properly, so it was all packed tightly together.
I put the Shrinking Magic Stone on top.
A green light began to spread.
Soon, all that vast fortune shrank as if it had vanished.
Again, I put the treasure into the leather pouch.
Then Donnie and I left the temple.
Donnie went back to Allen again, hoping to move even a little more of the divine ore.
I headed straight to the Priests' cetery.
There was a separate cetery for ordinary Priests; I was going to the storage site for the ashes of Priests who'd been executed and burned.
As expected, the ossuary was abandoned—completely unmaintained, with wild weeds everywhere.
So urns were even broken.
I entered the ossuary, fenced off with barbed wire.
It felt like stepping into a chicken coop. Countless urns were placed on endless wooden shelves.
Walking slowly, I looked at the ashes to my left and right.
Even at a glance, there must have been over 2,000 urns.
That many people had been executed by the order.
With no naplates, only roughly scrawled nas on the urns.
Because Priest Roman was apprehended imdiately upon returning to the order, he hadn't even confird his master's ashes.
Whooo—
As I walked, I felt a chill.
Sothing was gathering around .
I stopped and looked toward the far end of the ossuary.
There was no one—just a narrow room piled high with dust, and yet a strange wind was blowing.
Was it a soul?
I could sense sothing moving around .
It was a peculiar sensation I'd felt once before.
Maybe it was the elental's perception, but I felt deep grief and resentnt.
But, no—it didn't feel like the elental.
I had never felt the souls of the dead before.
Was it the divine power infused into my body?
The searing grief slowly faded, replaced by a sense of comfort.
They must have been watching. So many Priests' souls wrongfully killed.
I straightened my posture and gazed at empty air.
Then I recited silently.
'You may return to the embrace of the god now. The god will gladly welco you and lead you to peaceful rest.'
Amazingly,
I felt the wind gradually recede.
Were they really souls?
I had felt sothing similar once, deep below the gladiator arena.
Back then, it was like hearing the screams and wails of dead trapped in hell.
I walked on, slowly.
At the far end of the ossuary, I found the urn I was searching for.
The ashes of Priests most recently executed.
Gwyn.
A na scribbled haphazardly on the urn.
But a gentle warmth lingered in that urn, as if its owner was watching over .
I took the urn out and brushed off the dust.
I would move the rest of the ashes later—I was planning to return to this island once or twice more anyway.
I also had to prevent the order from rebuilding.
Holding the urn, I headed to the port.
Allen and Donnie were going down via a detour to avoid the fire.
There were still Priests on the bridge.
The fire that began at the port had spread into the forest to the right and was now moving toward the temple.
If left alone, it would surely engulf the massive temple.
I headed straight for the bridge.
Sparks flew viciously through the air. The temple security company still had the Priests surrounded.
"So, was your plan to live a life of treason?"
"I'll kill every one of you!"
"The Priests who left for the continent will return with an army! Begging won't save you!"
The Priests were screaming themselves hoarse.
They'd realized, too, that things were dire.
They'd realized why I had gone to the temple.
Security company captain Kaishil approached.
I spoke to him.
"I left plenty behind—take it with you."
With just those words, I crossed the bridge.
"May the god's punishnt befall you!"
"The god will never forgive you!"
"He's the devil who set fire to the temple!"
The chaos of the Priests sounded like a desperate wailing.
Why would they not regret, not repent?
Why would they not accept that the god had forsaken them?
Security company captain Kaishil would take care of them.
Whether to kill or to spare them.
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