Ghislain watched Forisco, whose eyes were wild as he shouted, and couldn't help but admire the sight.
'How has he managed to restrain himself all this time?'
Forisco had always used his position to commit every conceivable misdeed. But since gaining the reputation of a saint, he had been forced to act virtuous. Now, as soon as he found an opportunity to assert his true nature, it burst forth.
"Quickly, drag them all out! Show them the might of the 'true' church! These wretches will face divine punishment!"
At Forisco's enthusiastic command, the temple knights surged into the building.
The structure was large, as it was a place where people from various religious orders gathered to perform acts of service. Though it was likely full of people, Forisco showed no concern.
'Hmph, what can a bunch of lowly spies even do?'
As far as Forisco knew, this was merely a group of spies pretending to engage in charity. While they might have basic combat skills, he didn't think they could stand up to the temple knights.
Temple knights, while not as adept in holy power as priests, still wielded some holy energy. Combined with their significant combat prowess, they were essentially self-healing warriors.
There was no way mere spies could defeat them.
As Forisco pondered how to make the execution as grand as possible, a sudden crashing sound interrupted his thoughts.
Clang!
"Huh?"
A temple knight crashed through a second-story window, falling to the ground. Forisco tilted his head in confusion.
"What's going on?"
Perhaps there was someone unexpectedly strong inside? Forisco was still trying to make sense of it when loud noises began emanating from within the building.
"Aaaah!"
"It's a monster!"
"Kill it quickly!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The commotion grew louder, accompanied by the sounds of things breaking and smashing.
Forisco, always quick to sense danger, began backing away. His instincts, which had saved him from countless crises, kicked in.
"Why is it so chaotic to deal with just a volunteer group?"
Bang!
Suddenly, the door shattered, and a temple knight's corpse was flung out. Forisco retreated further.
"Grurrrr..."
The corpse, grotesquely swollen, emitted a beastly growl. Its clothes were shredded, and its bloodied body was a horrifying sight.
"What the… what is that? A-a monster?"
Forisco gasped in horror as the creature advanced. The temple knights guarding him stepped forward, swallowing their fear at the sight of the unfamiliar monstrosity.
But it wasn't alone.
"Grurrrk!"
One after another, monsters emerged, dragging the bodies of other fallen temple knights. There were dozens of them.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
More creatures leapt from the windows—over ten of them. Including those breaking through the doors, there were now more than thirty.
Ghislain frowned at the sight. Unlike other locations, the number of monsters here was unusually high.
This was enough to rival the forces of a well-trained estate's knight order.
Moreover, these monsters were different in another way.
"Grurrr..."
They lined up as though forming ranks, unlike the other creatures who had recklessly attacked with no strategy.
'Are they a more advanced version?'
In his previous life, there had been instances of monsters retaining their reason.
These creatures were undoubtedly a refined version of the earlier ones.
As Ghislain narrowed his eyes, analyzing them, a sound echoed from inside the building.
Ding.
The noise carried a strange magic vibration.
'That sound…?'
Ghislain flinched, startled, as the monsters began to move.
"Graaaah!"
With beastly cries, dozens of monsters charged. Forisco, terrified, shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Stop them! Stop them!"
Only ten temple knights remained, far too few to hold off such numbers.
Even so, they gritted their teeth and summoned their holy energy, knowing they couldn't flee.
At that moment, Ghislain intervened.
Boom!
"Graaaah!"
Ghislain stepped in front of the temple knights, spinning once as a dark red energy erupted around him, instantly obliterating the monsters' bodies.
'Weaker than I thought.'
The monsters' strength was proportional to their original capabilities. While they appeared to be following some kind of command, their power was lacking. It seemed they had been ordinary people before their transformation.
Even so, they were still stronger than most novice knights.
As the monsters disintegrated into pieces, Forisco burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha! Count Fenris is a Master!"
Realizing that one of the kingdom's strongest warriors was present, Forisco felt no need to flee.
Ding.
"Grurrr…"
The monsters preparing to charge again froze as the bell rang once more.
A man emerged from the building.
With pale skin and long, unkempt hair, he was gaunt and haggard. He seemed bewildered by the situation, muttering to himself.
"How… how did they know to come here? Of all times, this happens when I'm here…"
Ghislain squinted at the man, his expression sharpening. He recognized him from his previous life.
As the memory clicked, Ghislain smiled and spoke.
"So, you're here, Ravier."
The man, Ravier, frowned as he looked at Ghislain.
"You… know me?"
"Of course. I know you well."
Ghislain's expression turned oddly nostalgic.
Ravier had been one of the hidden powerhouses who stood against Ghislain in his previous life. His unusual abilities had left a strong impression.
After staring at Ghislain for a moment, Ravier asked.
"You must be Count Fenris?"
"That's right."
"So the rumors of you ascending to Master are true. To think you've slain the 'Crusaders' so effortlessly."
"Crusaders? Is that what you call those monsters?"
In his past life, Ghislain had simply killed them on sight, unaware of what they were called. He had only learned Ravier's name just before killing him.
Ravier nodded solemnly.
"Yes… They willingly sacrifice their lives despite the inevitability of death. How noble they are. They are not unworthy of being called Crusaders."
"Using people as experimental subjects and calling it noble… quite the embellishment."
"It's a necessary sacrifice for a great cause."
Ghislain tilted his head slightly, pondering Ravier's words. Until now, he had assumed the duchy was responsible for creating these monsters.
But Ravier's words suggested otherwise.
Feigning ignorance, Ghislain tested him.
"Are you the one who created them?"
Ravier shook his head.
"I began the research, but now many others are involved."
"So, you were the one who started it. I guess I'll have to hunt down the rest and kill them all."
Ghislain smirked, provoking Ravier, who twisted his lips in a mocking grin.
"Count Fenris, you've grown so arrogant just because you've become a Master. You know nothing of our power."
"No, I know very well—Ravier, the Arbiter of Salvation."
Ravier's expression twisted in shock.
Very few people knew about their existence. For Count Fenris, someone with no apparent connection to their group, to know not just their identity but his specific title was deeply unsettling.
Forisco, overhearing their exchange, shouted in a panic.
"The Church of Salvation? Th-th-those heretics! Kill him at once!"
But the temple knights didn't move. They could tell this wasn't a conversation they should interfere with.
Ravier ignored Forisco and fixed his sharp gaze on Ghislain.
"Even the kingdom's intelligence network doesn't know about us. How could you possibly know? And my title… Who are you?"
"Why? Are secrets exclusive to your kind? I have my secrets, too."
"You insolent—"
Ghislain smirked, his demeanor calm and unbothered.
In truth, he didn't know much about the Church of Salvation. The cult, symbolized by a blazing black sun, had emerged during the Tribulation. With so many people in despair, it had quickly gained followers.
At the time, neither Ghislain nor the other nobles of the continent paid much attention to the cult, dismissing it as a minor heresy. Only the established religious orders fervently opposed and persecuted its members.
'Back then, we thought they sided with Duke Delphine to escape persecution. Turns out, they were already allied by this point.'
Ghislain's interest in the cult only grew after the One-Year War began. When Lutania fell to him, hidden strongholds and agents emerged across the kingdom.
Among them, several were affiliated with the Church of Salvation. From that point onward, Ghislain had made a point to eliminate them whenever they appeared.
Ravier was one of the powerful figures revealed during that period.
'I should've looked into them more closely back then.'
In his previous life, Ghislain's focus had been on Duke Delphine. He had assumed the church was merely a minor ally of the duke, so he hadn't prioritized gathering intelligence on them.
He had figured that taking down the duke first and dealing with the cult later would suffice.
But then he lost the war and died, leaving him no chance to investigate further.
'Well, I can start now.'
Ghislain grinned and pointed his sword at Ravier.
"If you're an Arbiter, that must mean you're pretty high up in the hierarchy. I'm curious what secrets might spill out of you. I'm quite skilled at interrogation, you know."
"It's not yet the 'Day of Promise,' but… it seems better to risk it and eliminate you here."
Ravier's eyes glowed red, and a black energy began to emanate from his body.
Ghislain noticed and smirked.
'So, they had this kind of power even back then. Why were they hiding?'
The black energy surrounding Ravier wasn't mana. It felt closer to holy power.
The Church of Salvation was sometimes called the Black Order because its energy, while resembling holy power, had a distinctly ominous nature.
During its early days, this energy caused much controversy. People were terrified of the church's priests, but since it wasn't dark magic, there was no legal pretext to persecute them.
In peaceful times, the nobles and established religions wouldn't have tolerated the church. But the Church of Salvation had expanded cleverly, exploiting the chaos of the Tribulation.
'The "Day of Promise"… could it be related to the Tribulation?'
Ghislain couldn't shake the feeling that the church's emergence was tied to the calamities of that era.
Having experienced the miracle of reincarnation, Ghislain had developed a habit of meticulously analyzing every possibility and clue.
He was now convinced that the "Day of Promise" wasn't about the current civil war.
"Well, I'll figure it out as I kill them, one by one."
Boom!
Ghislain's eyes turned red as a dark red mana erupted from his body. Recognizing Ravier's power, he charged in without hesitation.
Ding.
"Graaaaah!"
Ravier rang a small bell, and the remaining monsters surged toward Ghislain.
Ghislain swung his sword at the advancing creatures.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
These were the same creatures he had easily cut through earlier. But this time, he felt resistance, as if his blade was tearing through thick steel plates.
The black energy surrounding Ravier had enveloped the monsters, shielding them.
As a result, Ghislain's sword only managed to slice through a few of them. Taking advantage of the opening, the remaining creatures swarmed him.
Ravier smirked darkly at the sight.
"For someone rumored to be a Master, you're disappointingly weak. Were the stories exaggerated?"
Ding.
Ravier rang the bell again, unleashing a wave of energy far stronger than before.
The black energy around the monsters intensified, causing their bodies to swell even larger.
Before Ghislain could fully unleash his mana to fend them off—
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the monsters exploded, sending a towering pillar of black light into the sky.
Ghislain's body was completely engulfed by the explosion, vanishing without a trace.
Forisco and the remaining temple knights collapsed in terror.
"W-what is… what is this…"
Forisco stammered, unable to form coherent words. To think Count Fenris, a Master, could be so easily and utterly destroyed.
"W-what are they… what are these monsters…"
The black pillar of light, blazing high into the sky, exuded an overwhelming power that Forisco couldn't fathom or even approach.
Even more unsettling was how the black energy felt eerily like holy power. Forisco couldn't reconcile the idea of such unholy energy existing.
Ravier gazed at the black pillar with cold detachment.
"The fact that we were hindered by someone like him… ridiculous."
His face twisted in annoyance.
Their activities were being pursued. After such a public display of power, he knew he wouldn't be safe. They would undoubtedly send trackers after him.
And with such an incident in the heart of the capital, the nobles wouldn't sit idly by.
"Tsk… This failure was caused by some upstart. I'll have to retreat for now…"
As Ravier turned to leave, the black energy enveloped his body. He planned to flee the scene quickly.
He didn't spare Forisco or the temple knights a second thought.
Just as he was about to teleport away, a voice called out near him.
"Leaving so soon?"
"…?"
Startled, Ravier turned his head.
"You…"
He couldn't finish his sentence.
Ghislain, wearing a feral grin, was swinging an Aura Blade directly at him.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]