The stone gate, carved out of a massive boulder, was not meant to be opened by human strength. It was fine to regard it simply as a piece of rock, to prevent intruders from opening it.

But Suetlg definitely heard it.

The sound of the stone door twisting and moving!

“Ugh. . .!”

Johan’s forearms swelled as the giant stone wall began to slowly roll to the side. Suetlg couldn’t close his gaping mouth.

“My goodness, oh divine. . .”

A miracle that even a wizard like Suetlg would seek the divine!

Johan, sweating profusely, pushed the door open.

“Fortunately, it’s open. We are lucky.”

“. . . . . .”

“Suetlg-nim? snap out of it.”

“. . . . . .”

Regaining his senses, Suetlg quickly gave an order.

“Ensure the mercenaries cannot enter. The fewer eyes, the better. I’ll only take my slaves inside.”

“Are you sure? It would be okay for me to go alone.”

“No. That would be too unfair to you. I’ll protect my own body. And. . . don’t worry about secrets. Their mouths are special.”

Suetlg’s slaves had undergone a special procedure, something Johan had guessed. Deciding to ask later, Johan spoke softly.

“How suspicious are you planning to be?”

“Enough that the mercenaries shouldn’t see. In exchange, I swear to repay you properly, in the name of Ipaël River.”

“I always liked the Ipaël River.”

Johan and Suetlg exchanged meaningful smiles. Whether it was a pagan temple or anything else, if there was something useful, they would surely take it.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

━𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞.

━𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬. . . 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐧.

━? 𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧.

━. . .𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞, 𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐟. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.

━𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐒𝐢𝐫.

“A corridor. . .!”

Johan and Suetlg, having entered through a passage behind the stone wall, marveled at the expansive hallway before them. To find such a well-constructed building hidden within these remote mountain cliffs was astonishing.

Alongside the corridor stood statues they had never seen before. Suetlg commented on each one as they passed.

“A pantheon. During the ancient Empire era, people worshipped many gods. Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Well, it’s possible to believe, isn’t it?”

“. . .Your lackluster reaction takes the fun out of it. Anyway, they must have hidden here to pray. Look at this. Isn’t it beautiful? This god might have been a warrior deity.”

“Or perhaps the god of drunken brawlers. . .”

Suetlg scowled. After hearing Johan’s words, the statue indeed began to look that way.

“But, Suetlg-nim.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t you think the strange behavior of the goblins is related to this pagan temple?”

“It might be, but it’s too quiet for that, isn’t it? I don’t sense any presence. It might be unrelated.”

━𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐥.

Karamaf let out a low growl. In response, footsteps emerged from the darkness, and three figures appeared. The zealots, clad in peculiar religious robes, held torches.

“Ugh!”

“I-Intruders!!”

The zealots seemed more frightened than Johan and Suetlg. From their perspective, they had encountered armed intruders unexpectedly.

“How did you get in here!”

Suetlg empathized with their reaction. Honestly, he would have thought the same in their shoes.

A well-hidden secret door. Under normal circumstances, it would have taken days to open it, by which time those inside would have noticed.

“. . .I understand why you’re surprised. Attack them!”

Regardless of the opponent’s surprise, an attack was necessary, especially since those dwelling in such a pagan temple couldn’t be sane.

“How dare these corrupted ones!”

The zealots, enraged, drew short swords from their waists. Sensing an evil aura in the flickering shadows, Suetlg shouted in astonishment.

“Be careful! They have magical aura!”

Suetlg’s slaves, though not as strong as Johan, were skilled swordsmen. As they clashed with the zealots, they immediately disrupted their balance and aimed for vital points.

However, the zealots appeared to be less skilled in sword fighting. As their swords met, they floundered. But as Suetlg said, they were imbued with magic.

A ‘thunk’ sound was heard as a sword slashed a zealot’s throat, but he did not fall. The shadow quickly spread over the zealot’s body, wrapping around the neck to prevent bleeding.

The zealot’s eyes reddened, and his face darkened.

“I shall not die. . .”

While the slave hesitated, Johan’s mace flew in, blowing the zealot’s head off.

“. . . . . .”

“Doesn’t he come back to life?! He’s dead!”

“Wait. . .!”

Johan crushed another frozen zealot’s head. Whatever magic they had, it seemed to withstand only slashed wounds, so decapitation was more effective.

“No need for such brutality if they’re not trolls!”

“Ah. Should have said so earlier.”

“■■■! ■■!”

As they finished off the zealots, goblins appeared from the other end of the corridor, wearing metal armor and wielding spears, looking quite formidable.

‘𝘚𝘰, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥.’

━𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐥!

Johan lifted his mace, soaked in goblin blood from this campaign. Sensing its ominous aura, the goblins flinched.

“Come.”

With those words, Johan, like an avatar of violence, charged at the goblins.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“How could the strike force possibly!”

The wizard, with a face mired in confusion, was ready to flee.

All the zealots in this secret temple were in turmoil, including their leader, the wizard.

A sudden ambush, a frantic fight. . . anyone would have to brace for the worst. The intruders were few, but there was no way to know that.

“Where do you think you are going?”

“We must escape.”

“But didn’t Nahra-nim promise to protect this place?”

Nahra, the god of shadows and blood, had existed since the ancient Empire but was now forbidden in most places. Already disliked by other churches, Nahra’s teachings were excessively cruel and barbaric.

“He is protecting us!”

“If he’s protecting us, how did the strike force get in here!”

“Gods can be capricious at times. Just shut up and follow!”

The wizard looked at Zirbo with annoyance. He would have discarded him long ago if not for his status. Among those in the temple, Zirbo was the most useful.

The illegitimate child of the Abner family!

Illegitimate children were treated worse than younger legitimate siblings. It wasn’t hard to entice such a disgruntled man into joining the cult.

Although Zirbo had little to offer, his access to other nobles was crucial. He couldn’t be discarded yet.

“Even if the strike force follows, they won’t enter here. I’ve unleashed the shadow monster. It’s a kind of revelation from Nahra. Move!”

“Under. . . Understood.”

Zirbo prepared to follow the wizard but looked nonchalant.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰. . .’

Initially tempted by the wizard, Zirbo now doubted his reliability. What if they were shot by the blind with arrows outside?

Perhaps it was better to reveal his identity and surrender.

Slap!

“!”

Sensing his thoughts, the wizard lashed out with his whip. The black whip writhed as if alive, leaving the ground where it passed pitch black.

“Didn’t I tell you to move?”

“I-I said I understood.”

“Move? Where?”

Johan entered the room, growling, covered in the blood of his enemies. His exposed eyes blazed with a fierce fire.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

Johan, who had killed goblins indiscriminately and headed to the wizard’s chamber under Karamaf’s guidance, encountered a monster he had never seen before.

A four-legged monster as if draped in dark shadows!

But upon closer inspection, parts of the creature resembled a goblin. It was unclear what had been done to the goblins, but the mere sight of it exuded an evil aura.

“Give Johan the silver sword!”

Suetlg shouted sharply. Then, a slave hurriedly pulled out and threw a sword. It was a blade coated with silver.

Indeed, silver always works against evil beings.

Johan grabbed the sword and viciously slashed the monster’s torso.

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐤!

The blood from the monster’s torso made a noxious sound as it burned the ground. Johan clicked his tongue at the creaking durability of the silver sword.

“What a weak weapon. . .!”

“What are you talking about?! That’s a sturdy weapon! What are you doing, help Johan!”

“Don’t come! It’s better to fight alone.”

Fighting the monster with these uncoordinated allies was more of a hindrance.

‘𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯? 𝘐’𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘣 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵. . .’

The greatest strength of the shadow monster was its unknown identity. Whether beating it was effective, or if it was safe to touch it. . .

This was what hindered Johan’s charge.

Sensing Johan’s hesitation, the monster grew increasingly ferocious. Johan made up his mind.

‘𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.’

Facing an unknown enemy, his most confident attack was indeed the Seal Retriever.

Suetlg was neither someone to distrust nor to accuse. Above all, they both held too many of each other’s weaknesses.

Johan fiercely threw the silver sword at the monster, whipping its long forelegs.

“What are you doing?!”

Thud!

Synced with the monster’s scream, Johan charged forward. In his hand was another longsword, the ancient Empire’s famous sword, <𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫>.

𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞━

With each flash of the sword, the monster convulsed and bled. The embedded silver sword shone brighter, inflicting more damage on the creature.

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐩!

Johan spat. The Seal Retriever seemed to shake off the monster’s filthy blood, becoming clean again.

Suetlg said,

“. . .By the name of the Ipaël River, I swear to silence about what I just saw.”

“You don’t need to swear for me to believe.”

“. . . . . .”

At Johan’s words, Suetlg almost burst into emotion, momentarily forgetting his age. This young knight had a talent for moving people in strange ways.

Though the sword’s story was unknown, its rare use implied a significant past.

And yet, he wielded it without hesitation. . .

“So, what is this monster?”

“I don’t know everything. It seems to have done something to the goblins. . . Hurry! We mustn’t lose the wizard.”

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

“■■. . .”

As soon as he saw Johan, the wizard attempted to recite a strange spell. At that moment, Johan’s Seal Retriever flashed and beheaded the wizard.

The shadows and spells protecting the wizard’s body were torn apart in one strike, killing him.

“Well done!”

Suetlg admired it. Although there was never anything good in having long conversations with wizards, those who encountered wizards always inadvertently heard such words.

Those who handle magic deal with the deepest secrets and mysteries. The voices of those who know the truth inevitably have more persuasive power than ordinary people.

But Johan, seemingly uninterested, beheaded him right away. It was a refreshingly good judgment.

“I-I am the son of Countess Abner! I demand a fair trial. The Abner family will not forgive you for touching me!”

“?!”

“. . .Kill him!”

Suetlg coldly ordered. Then, the slaves following him swung their swords. In an instant, the nobleman’s b*stard was reduced to a bloody heap and fell.

“The wizard, I get it, but why him?”

“Because he saw your sword.”