Marquis Rodrick, upon hearing the news from the capital, began dreaming of new ambitions. However, the one responsible for triggering the situation had no time to concern himself with such political matters.
The priest of the Salvation Church, Ravier, finally caught his breath after reaching a remote area far from the capital.
"Whew... I never thought I'd endure such a humiliation."
The exposure of groups planning uprisings during the civil war was of no concern to him—that wasn't his mission.
However, the interference of Count Fenris had ruined parts of his plans. His existence had been exposed, and he had lost the crusaders he was researching.
"Count Fenris... because of that wretch..."
The revelation of his and the crusaders' presence had brought the Salvation Church into the public eye. Worse still, members of the Juana Church, including what appeared to be temple knights and even a bishop, had been present.
"How on earth did he know about me and the church?"
His preparations were far from complete, yet he had been forced to reveal the full extent of his power. This was undeniable evidence.
Even as Ravier moved, his thoughts remained in turmoil.
"If he knew about us, why had he stayed quiet until now?"
Count Fenris clearly knew his name and that of the church, yet until now had shown no sign of being aware.
No matter how much he pondered, it made no sense, driving him mad. Then, the pain in his arm disrupted his spiraling thoughts.
"Ugh... this wound..."
Grinding his teeth, Ravier glanced at his injured arm. It appeared to have healed on the surface, but inside, energy still rampaged. The wound would reopen with even minor strain.
Though he needed to calm the energy within, now wasn't the time. He had to find a safe place, as pursuers could appear at any moment.
"Reaching the southern region immediately might be too much..."
The southern region, where the duchy was located, would be the safest, but it was too far. For now, he needed to treat his wounds and recover his strength.
After days of traveling through desolate paths heading south, Ravier made a decision.
"I'll head to Albemarle County."
It was the nearest royalist estate. Though part of the royalist faction, the county also harbored duchy safehouses. He could hide there for the time being.
As he carefully navigated mountain trails, Ravier suddenly stopped and scanned his surroundings.
"They've already caught on and are pursuing me..."
The wind's flow felt unnatural. The insects had gone silent. The heavy atmosphere seemed to press in on him.
Fwoosh!
As Ravier gathered his energy, black energy enveloped his body once more.
At the same time, figures in dark robes and masks appeared from all directions.
Slender, sharp-eyed, and numbering around ten, they exuded a dangerous, blade-like presence.
Surveying them, Ravier sneered.
"Elves, is it?"
They were just one of many groups pursuing him. This time, it seemed the elves closest to the area had caught up.
The leader, distinguished by pulling back his hood, spoke.
"Judging by your aura, you're from the Salvation Church. We'll be taking you alive. Surrender quietly."
"How insolent for a race of slaves."
The elf's eyes narrowed at the comment. Allowing their kin to remain enslaved was a source of great shame for the elves, but their mission outweighed such grievances.
"I won't waste words. Tell us where your kind and your base are located."
Ravier shrugged and laughed.
"Do I look like an ordinary follower to you?"
"What?"
"If you wanted to capture me, you should've sent someone stronger."
Fwoosh!
The black energy around Ravier surged even more powerfully.
There was no need for him to reveal his demonic form as he had against a Master-level opponent like Ghislain.
The elves' expressions hardened at the display of power.
"He's at a bishop's level. Everyone, be cautious."
At their leader's warning, the elves summoned spirits and launched an attack.
Boom!
The forces clashed with overwhelming intensity. Though the elves were all mid-level spirit summoners and had numbers on their side, Ravier didn't need to unleash his full power to match them with strength comparable to a 7th-circle mage.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the isolated wilderness, yet another battle erupted between these two groups.
Neither Ravier nor the elves could have imagined they were being watched.
— Master! That guy's fighting again! He's fighting!
The Dark, which Ghislain had set to tail Ravier, was relaying the situation in real-time.
Though Ghislain had returned to his estate with the Dragon Heart, he continued to receive updates on Ravier's movements.
When he heard Ravier was in a fight, his curiosity was piqued.
"Fighting? Who's he fighting? Did Marquis Branford's pursuit team catch up to him?"
Marquis Branford had dispatched a pursuit team immediately after hearing Ghislain's report. However, they had already lost Ravier's trail.
— No! It's elves! They look like spirit summoners!
"Elves? Spirits?"
— Yes, elves! But their spirits don't seem like my friends. They feel different.
The Dark, more interested in the spirits than the current situation, noted the difference. Ghislain nodded, murmuring to himself.
"Elves... I think I know who they are."
— What? You know them?
"Yeah, someone I've met."
— From your past life, right? The elves in our estate are all a bit... dim.
"True enough."
In his past life, there were individuals with deep animosity toward the Salvation Church. They were so vehement in their hatred that others often found it bewildering.
Seeing this now, it was clear that their enmity had existed long before.
"Are her restrictions still in place? That's unfortunate. If she could move freely, Ravier would've been reduced to a pulp immediately."
Ghislain chuckled, recalling the elf he had met in his previous life.
Known as the "Guardian of the World Tree," she possessed immense power. It was fortunate for the Salvation Church that she was currently restricted.
Had she acted directly, Ravier wouldn't have had a chance to escape.
"How's the fight going?"
— The fight is so much fun to watch!
"...Give me the details."
— They're no match for him. The spirits can't even break through his aura.
— Oh, two of them are dead already.
— Five are dead now.
— Wow, one of them's putting up a good fight though.
— ...They're all dead. That guy's strong. Even with internal injuries and a missing arm, he's this powerful. You were good to fight him, Master.
Thanks to the Dark's vivid updates, Ghislain could picture the situation in his mind.
"The elves must have a hard time operating openly."
If it had been a different member of the Salvation Church, the elves might have captured them easily. But Ravier was a high-ranking powerhouse even within the church.
To capture him, they would need stronger forces moving in greater numbers, which was difficult without drawing human attention.
If humans spotted elves, they would likely try to enslave them.
"What's he doing now?"
— He's on the move again.
"How long can he hold out?"
— Not long. He hasn't been able to treat his wounds properly, so he's barely hanging on. I doubt he'll last much longer.
"Hmm... I need to get even the smallest clue out of this, even just another safehouse."
— His energy is dwindling, and he's getting farther away. I can feel the connection weakening.
The Dark's true consciousness resided within Ghislain. With its energy fading, the link was naturally growing weaker.
"Hold on as long as you can."
— Got it.
Still, the revelation that the duchy and the Salvation Church had been allied from the start was a significant find.
It meant Ghislain could prepare for both the church and the coming tribulations simultaneously.
Unaware that Ghislain was monitoring him through the Dark, Ravier continued moving his weary body after killing the elves.
"Whew… to think I'd suffer like this..."
He needed to find a hideout, treat his injuries, and recover.
While it was unlikely the elves would continue pursuing him openly, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
Now that his identity had been exposed, the royalist nobles would certainly take action against him.
Moving as cautiously as possible to leave no trace, Ravier took far longer to travel, but it was a necessary precaution.
No matter how powerful he was, fighting continuously in his injured state was not an option.
"Finally here."
Draped in a robe stolen from the elves, Ravier slipped discreetly into Albemarle Castle.
This place housed one of the duchy's secret groups, originally tasked with stirring unrest during the civil war. He planned to hide there for the time being.
However, upon reaching the duchy's secret organization disguised as a trading guild, Ravier was shocked.
"What… is this...?"
The building was nearly destroyed, as if a great battle had taken place. Debris littered the area, and blood stained the surroundings.
There were no civilians in sight—only knights and soldiers.
"H-how... could this happen...?"
Ravier couldn't make sense of the situation. Without a traitor, such a disaster was inconceivable.
How could every hideout he visited be completely obliterated?
The stunned Ravier quickly attracted the attention of the knights. One of them pointed at him and said, "Who's that? Why would anyone come here? Suspicious. Bring him over."
By now, most territories had received dispatches via the fastest couriers, informing them of the duchy's secret organizations and their monstrous activities.
Civilians had been evacuated, and rumors of danger spread. It was suspicious for Ravier to approach so casually.
Soldiers began moving toward him at the knight's command.
"Hey, come with us."
Ravier remained silent.
"What's wrong? I said come with us."
A soldier reached for Ravier's arm, only to grasp an empty sleeve.
The soldier paled and shouted,
"It's him! The one from the notices! He's the one-armed man!"
Thud!
Before anyone could react further, the soldier's head exploded.
The knight blew his whistle sharply.
Fweeeeet!
At once, all nearby knights and soldiers mobilized.
"Seize him!"
"It's the same guy who rampaged in the capital!"
"Kill him if necessary!"
Black energy surged around Ravier.
"You pests..."
Fwoosh!
The black energy pierced through the advancing soldiers. The knights were few in number and were quickly eliminated.
'I need to escape.'
Soon, reinforcements from the castle would arrive. He could kill them all, but it would only make things worse.
'I can't afford to expend more power here.'
He had no way of knowing how many were hunting him. If stronger knights and more soldiers arrived, escaping would become increasingly difficult.
On top of that, the elves were also tracking his movements. He needed to conserve his strength.
Ravier turned and fled, his rage growing as he ran.
"Argh! How… how do they know everything?!"
There was no doubt. The royalist faction knew the exact locations of their hideouts and was systematically attacking them.
To make matters worse, it seemed a bounty had been placed on his head.
At this rate, reaching the southern region was impossible. The routes would surely be blocked.
To escape, he needed someone to help him.
"Count Fenris… it must be that bastard."
Ravier was convinced that the Count, who knew his name and identity, had leaked all the information.
"I'll kill him. I'll kill him no matter what."
Grinding his teeth, Ravier moved toward another desolate area. For now, he had to survive if he wanted his revenge.
Hiding in the wilderness, Ravier pondered his next move.
"The southern routes must be blocked. And the nearby hideouts are probably destroyed too. In that case…"
There was one location, unrelated to the duchy, prepared specifically by the Salvation Church for their grand plans.
However, he was hesitant to go there. If pursuers tracked him to that place, it would be disastrous.
And if that location had already been discovered, going there would be pointless.
As he chewed his lips in frustration, Ravier suddenly shook his head.
"No, that's not it. That place wouldn't have been exposed yet. The royalist faction is targeting places prepared by the duchy for the civil war."
The location was unknown even to their enemies. No one knew what they were doing there.
If it had been exposed, there would already be chaos.
"I have no choice but to go there…"
To recover his strength and move again, he needed a safe place to hide. With no suitable hideouts nearby, Ravier changed direction, heading east.
Aware that Count Fenris might know parts of their plans, Ravier moved with extreme caution.
Eventually, he arrived at a small village on the eastern route.
The cheerful sounds of people laughing and chatting filled the air—a peaceful place.
Watching from a distance, Ravier observed the village for a long time before finally laughing.
"Of course, they didn't find this place."
This was a location the church had prepared with utmost secrecy over decades.
Not even Count Fenris could have known about it.
After surveying the surroundings one last time, Ravier slowly approached the village. For now, no one seemed to be following him.
Meanwhile, the Dark relayed everything to Ghislain.
— He's been running for a while but just entered some small village.
"A village? For someone on the run?"
— Yeah, just a little village. Maybe he's planning to rest before moving again. Or maybe he'll kill everyone in the village before leaving.
"Where is this village?"
Ghislain spread out a map as the Dark diligently described the route.
When Ghislain pinpointed the location, his face hardened.
"This place…"
He recognized it immediately. It was a site that had become infamous in his previous life.
During the time of tribulations, it was a portal endlessly spewing forth otherworldly monsters.
It was the place known as the "Rift."
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]