Audin, through introspection, confirmed the restraints placed upon his body.
Soon, a vivid image of golden chains tightly wrapped around his entire being came to mind. Due to his previous use of Divine Power, the thin cloth covering the chains appeared worn and tattered, yet the chains remained intact.
The chains were his own, while the cloth that covered them was a restraint imposed by others.
As he revisited these restraints after so long, memories from the past surged like a flood.
These were moments he had deliberately avoided.
"Defending heresy, is that what a confessor is supposed to do?!"
The first to speak was the enraged, corrupted bishop.
"I held you in high regard because you believed in the God of War. Hah!"
Another priest's words came to mind.
"What will you do now?"
There was also the one who had taught him and led him to this place.
He was the former pope, a man who could glimpse into the future despite being blind.
He had stepped down from the papacy just ten days after assuming the position.
"This is not the place for me, brothers and sisters."
After casting aside his authority, he had confided in Audin.
"I stepped down because I felt I wouldn't live long in that position."
Though the reason seemed absurd, he added that it was a conclusion drawn from glimpsing his own future.
The memories intertwined, but in any case, when the man who had given him fatherly affection despite having no blood ties asked the question, Audin had been unable to easily open his mouth.
It was right after he had become a sinner for failing to fulfill the duties of an inquisitor.
"Do you not know what to do?"
"Kneeling, Audin responded,
"Yes, I have lost my way."
"There is only one place for a shepherd who has lost his way."
The former pope, who was like a father to him, spoke in a stern tone.
"I must go to that place in the underworld, shrouded in darkness."
Audin replied again.
Judging sin is the role of the God who governs the scales of the sun and the moon.
If one sins, they will be judged by the God of War.
Those whom the God of War condemns are imprisoned in the underworld.
This was part of the doctrine, words written in the Holy Scripture.
Audin served the God of War, while the former pope served a God with two faces.
One of these faces was the warden of the prison created by the God and the God of love, while the other symbolized radiance and divine light, the God of judgment.
Though these two divinities seemed entirely opposite, the Holy Scripture taught that they were originally one.
There was a God who, to bestow love, descended deep into the underworld prison.
He left the light contained within his body on the surface to illuminate the world.
Thus, one God became the warden of the underworld prison, symbolizing darkness and love, embracing the sinners.
The other became the one who punishes sinners with radiance and divine light.
"You are the one to lead the light of radiance."
Drawn by those words, Audin became the one who punished heretics.
The God of War had given him an exceptional physique.
During his time as a novice priest, Audin quickly transitioned to becoming a martial priest. Naturally, even as a martial priest, Audin was extraordinary.
"You are the first to delve so deeply into Valaf-Style Martial Arts and comprehend it."
His exceptional talent quickly led him to the divine.
The light of radiance and divine light descended upon his body through the God of War and the God of Battle.
"A miracle indeed!"
There was no one who refrained from such words. Everyone blessed him.
While training to become a Holy Knight, Audin was appointed as an inquisitor.
"Pray there, and there, temper your body and soul."
These were the words of the Archbishop himself. The Archbishop, who had an unusually sly appearance with his narrow eyes, instructed Audin to become a judge who would punish heresy.
Audin complied.
As an inquisitor, he decided to punish people with the light of radiance and divine light.
Then, during one of his missions, he punished the hidden son of a sinful bishop, taking his life.
After handling a few more tasks, Audin began to harbor doubts in a small town he had been sent to on the bishop's orders.
One person, accused of heresy, set himself on fire to prove his innocence.
Seeing the man burn himself, Audin instinctively felt that something was wrong.
Then, what was wrong?
Was it my faith in God?
Or was it the corrupt temple?
The Archbishop, drunk on power?
The man who claimed to have glimpsed the future and then abandoned the papacy?
Or perhaps...
'Is it the fault of the God who granted me strength despite my inadequacies?'
No, it wasn't that. It was simply that he had failed to understand the will of the Lord.
Doubt began to creep in. His faith wavered. The very foundation that made up Audin started to crack and crumble.
The dream of becoming a Holy Knight, to destroy evil and send demons to the Lord, to eradicate wickedness, shattered.
The tower built by faith collapsed.
"If you do not wish to punish with the light of radiance, then go into the darkness and hide yourself."
Following the words of the man he thought of as a father, or to be honest, simply because he no longer wanted to do anything, Audin imposed restraints upon himself.
And as if that weren't enough, some who handled Divine Power added several more restraints to Audin's body.
"I'm sorry, brother."
In that moment, there was a brother who would have given his life in his place.
"Why did you do it?"
And a sister, who had laughed with him just yesterday, now looked at him with hatred.
Without a word of excuse, Audin accepted the restraints, abandoned his position, and left the temple.
As he left, he vividly remembered the words spoken by the bishop he considered his father.
"The day your path becomes clear, you will step forward on your own."
"Is that a prophecy?"
"Prophecy? No, to be honest, I can't prophesy. It's more of a guess, a prediction. If I were to become the pope of a temple where there are more people who hate me than follow me, it's obvious that someone would come to kill me."
It was a confession from the bishop he called father.
"I can't know everything about a person's heart, but from what I've seen so far, I know a part of you. If it's easier for you to think of it as a prophecy, then do so. It doesn't matter to me. I'm just telling you what I know. On the day you step forward on your own, the Lord will gain the strongest shield to protect his child."
With those words, the bishop turned and left. He was accused of heresy six months later and was stoned to death. The only Divine Power he had was simple healing magic.
Audin heard this news another six months later.
The moment he heard it, Audin couldn't contain his boiling anger.
He wanted to rush to the temple and kill everyone.
But he couldn't.
That would have been like uprooting and burning the last remaining roots he had, even sprinkling water to erase the ashes.
Moreover, it wasn't what the bishop, his father, would have wanted.
'Lord, must I die quietly like this?'
He knew that he was here because he had killed the hidden son of a bishop.
He knew that he was here because, as an inquisitor, he had not punished those whom the temple had declared heretics.
Audin knew it all.
But he did nothing. He couldn't. His hands were meant only for striking and breaking.
Thus, he wandered until he found himself with the Troublemaker Squad.
At the point when he had given up on everything, he saw someone who had not given up on anything.
That man had faced Knights and survived, won wars, led a civil war to victory, and even when faced with demons, he did not stop.
The King of the East personally sought him out.
Audin pondered.
Could he avoid 'giving up' without breaking his vows?
Audin once again tried to pursue the same dream.
To be the shield and sword of radiance that destroys evil, to be the fist that acts on behalf of God.
So he sought to fulfill the duties given to him and walk the path laid before him, but there was still an unresolved issue.
He had sworn to uphold the restraints and could not break that vow on a whim.
Moreover, no one in the current temple would approve of him breaking those restraints.
The past tangled and twisted, eventually reaching the question he had been throwing at himself.
In a corner monastery of the holy city of Legion.
He had no parents from the day he was born.
"What is the reason for my birth?"
Audin had asked countless times. What was the purpose of this unnecessarily large body?
Even when he gained Divine Power, the question remained.
Was it to kill those deemed enemies of the temple, labeled as heretics?
That couldn't be it.
He had resolved to become the fist that destroys evil.
That was his goal, but there was a time when he couldn't achieve it.
He threw that time behind him. He temporarily forgot the past and looked toward a new sun, focusing on the tomorrow that was coming instead of the day that had passed.
"What did you say you would do when you became a Knight?"
Audin asked, and Encrid answered.
"A battlefield where children do not step foot, Knights who uphold chivalry, a world that reveres what is right—these are the things I want to create."
Ah, Audin cried the day he heard that answer. He prayed and wept in a secluded spot behind the barracks, trying to hide it from everyone.
Jaxon and a few others saw it, but they ignored it.
It wasn't the first time they had seen Audin cry while praying.
As he prayed, Teresa approached him. She waited patiently until his prayer was finished, then spoke.
"I believe my body and talents are insignificant. I tried to learn music to calm my heart, but it's not easy."
"Why do you strive to go further?"
"Because I want to follow the path I believe is right. I think that path lies beside that man. More than anything, I have a strong desire to protect this place."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it is. I want to challenge myself, prove myself, and contribute to the path that man is walking."
To set a purpose and act on it—that is the greatest light a person can possess.
It may not be sacred, but it is a light that will not fade.
Reciting words from the Holy Scripture, Audin nodded.
"I've heard you've selected a few members. Let's start some serious training together."
Audin said. Teresa briefly regretted sharing her concerns.
Just hearing the words 'serious training' gave her a sense of what was coming.
It would be the kind of training where being locked up in an underground prison might seem preferable.
It happened while she was selecting recruits for the company—people who were big, strong, and devout.
And then Audin realized that one of the restraints that had bound him had broken.
'The temple's words are always right, so do not defy them.'
Then perhaps he needed to return to the temple and make a slight adjustment to that 'rightness'.
If necessary, he would have to break the restraints.
But until he received permission, he would not break the restraints on his own. That was because of the faith Audin held.
Even if it meant his death, he would not break all the restraints.
He would only break them after telling the temple what was right.
Even if it was difficult and led to his death, he would do so.
Thanks to the dream shown by one person, another person's life had changed.
* * *
Ragna woke up from sleep and immediately noticed the change.
The cold air.
Breathing in and out.
The fallen leaves.
The swirling dust.
Everything felt several times more vivid and tangible than before.
Now, it seemed like he could reach out and snatch the axe from the ignorant barbarian sitting far away.
Though nearly twenty steps away, it felt possible.
Ragna extended his hand, clenching it in the air.
Of course, since it was neither a supernatural ability nor magic, the distant axe didn't fly into his grasp.
However, just as he reached out and made a grabbing motion, Rem suddenly gripped the handle of his axe tightly.
The two actions occurred almost simultaneously.
Seeing Rem's reaction, Ragna, the lazy madman, said:
"You crazy bastard, why don't you just back off?"
It was as if Rem had read what Ragna wished in his mind. Yet, it hadn't actually happened.
'This doesn't work.'
It felt like anything was possible, but there were still many things that couldn't be done.
He had realized something and surpassed a barrier, but there was so much more to learn.
Ragna recalled the duel between the King of the East and Encrid.
He hadn't taken a single step back, resisting the might of the Knight.
The King had held back significantly. Though it wasn't quite a lesson, he had helped Encrid by forcing him to exert all his strength.
Ragna had seen it all.
He saw the power flowing from the weapon the King held, accumulating in Encrid's sword. No, he felt it.
'Can you focus your Will and manifest it in reality?'
For example, could he have brought Rem's axe to him earlier, ignoring the physical distance?
'It's possible.'
But to do so, he would have needed to move his feet and close the distance.
He had failed only because he hadn't moved his feet and had just reached out his hand.
Naturally, Ragna also understood the principle of Intimidation.
Simply glaring at someone with killing intent and hostility wasn't enough.
It was about manifesting your Will into reality.
In other words, it was about communicating with your opponent through your Will.
Whether it was the sword at your waist, the spear on your back, or the fork you used to eat a steak, you had to convey that you could kill your opponent with whatever was in your hand.
'No, even a mere hand edge would suffice.'
He thought about the movement and subtly conveyed it to his opponent.
By doing so, the survival instinct would constrict the person's hands, feet, and heart.
That was Intimidation.
Ragna, now seated in the dining hall, experimented with a fork.
Once toward Rem.
"Has this bastard gone mad?"
Rem glared fiercely, displaying the savage nature typical of barbarians.
"Brother, please restrain yourself."
Audin said with a smile, though a small vein popped on his forehead.
Dunbachel coughed and backed away.
Teresa, with a frown, quietly recited part of the Holy Scripture while subtly pulling her tray closer, intending to use it as a shield.
Their friend, Lawford, was right beside them, trembling and holding on. Cold sweat dripped from his face onto his tray.
"You might scare someone to death with that."
The one known as the Shepherd of the Wilderness said. He discreetly unsheathed his sword just a little, revealing a black blade. The sword was named Idol Slayer. Ragna could see something etched into that sword.
They said it was a sword that devoured souls, a blade that severed the will of its target.
Ragna could sense a certain presence, but he couldn't determine exactly what was inside it.
To understand, he would have to wield it himself.
Next was Big Eyes.
Krais, unaware of what was happening, casually commented on how chilly it was today.
'Some people react sensitively.'
But not everyone does.
Could this be used to gauge someone's skill or talent? It seemed like a possibility.
Ragna dedicated himself to swinging his sword whenever he wasn't eating or sleeping.
The King of the East had been right before he left.
It was crucial to set the right path now.
Even though he felt an omnipotent sense of capability, any action required a proper process.
Could he split a mountain with his sword?
There's no such thing as a single stroke that can cleave a mountain.
'But I could kill the sorcerer who tried to split the mountain with magic.'
He divided and recognized what he could and couldn't do.
To that end, he repeated basic drills every day.
His body moved without rest until he was drenched in sweat, so much so that he would fall asleep snoring at night.
After repeating this routine for several days, Encrid, while unwrapping the bandages coiled around his hand, asked,
"When will you be ready?"
It was a challenge to a fight.
Ragna reflected inwardly for a moment and replied.
"Two days."
That seemed enough. Though controlling his strength was still difficult, two days would be sufficient.
It was insane talent.
For most, even after surpassing a barrier and reaching the level of a Knight, it would take at least three months, or even up to six, to refine their body again, but not for Ragna.
Even two weeks felt too long for him.
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