novelraw Chapter 145
Chapter 145
Mother wanted to entrust me, the leader of the Kyros Church, Leviathan, with command of this mission. But I thought differently. She was far more suited to lead than I was.
After all, Mother knew much more about the estate and its people.
Instead, I and the senior members of the Kyros Church set a condition: if a "Child of the Demon God" appeared, we would act separately.
Mother readily agreed, knowing that only we could defeat the Child of the Demon God.
There was one more thing. Mother had a special request for me.
'...This was a little surprising, though.'
Even now, when I recall that moment, a small smile crosses my face.
Mother looked at me and spoke clearly.
'Church Leader, you must ensure the safety of Revelof above all else.'
Her eyes held a fierce resolve, as if declaring war. Yet, her words were filled with deep care for her child over anything else.
As Revelof Holden, her firm words touched my heart. Still, I felt a pang of guilt. She spoke like that because she didn't know my true identity.
At that moment, I noticed Grandmother smiling slightly. Not only that, she added to Mother:
"Don't worry. The Church Leader is more concerned about Revelof's safety than anyone else."
It was true, but her words made me feel even guiltier toward Mother. Wouldn't it be better to be honest with her? I worried she might feel I had ridiculed her by doing this later.
While I was thinking that, the carriage arrived at the Temple of Rovel.
Holden's knights opened the door for me. I thanked them and entered the temple.
'I'm tired.'
I wanted to go in and sleep right away, but I couldn't.
"Church Leader! You're back!"
"I-I was waiting!"
I wasn't sure how long they'd been waiting, but all the officers were there to greet me---even Zain and Troy. I guess it's because I left without notice and didn't return until morning.
"I was surprised when you suddenly disappeared! You didn't even tell us either!"
Zain, in particular, grumbled as he approached. I tapped him on the shoulder and said,
"Sorry for worrying you. Let's go inside first."
After all, I'm sure the senior members will need some explanation about this as well.
***
I headed to the reception room with the senior members. As we sat down, I felt a bit strange.
'We already have so many people.'
Before I knew it, there were eleven senior members of the Kyros Church, including me. While I was reflecting on this sense of newness, Alphius brought me a cup of warm herbal tea.
"Thanks, Alphi."
He returned to his seat, and I took a sip. I looked around; the senior members all stared at me like a mother bird.
And then, there was Grandmother, who had just returned from the Holden mansion.
"Master, have you been home?"
"Oh, yeah. That's right."
"No one's saying anything right now but it's chaos out there! There's a barrier over the entire estate! No one can leave! Even the portals are down!"
Zain turned to me.
"Now's not the time to be so calm!"
I looked at him and slowly spoke up.
"Why do you think I went home?"
"Well..."
Zain hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth slightly. To think they only noticed now. I sighed inwardly and continued speaking.
"In about fifty-five hours, the Holden estate---including Rovel---will be attacked by the Demon God."
"...What?"
Zain's eyes widened, and Troy's mouth dropped open.
"Church Leader, what are you talking about?"
"I mean exactly what I said just now. The reason for this situation is... I killed too many of the Demon God's children. It might have been fine if they were lower-ranking ones, but the real problem is that I've also taken down quite a few high-ranking ones."
Apart from Zain and Troy, the other senior members didn't react much, as if they had already anticipated this day would come.
Only Zain and Troy looked visibly shocked.
"...I didn't expect the Demon God to attack us like this."
This never happened in the original story either. Maybe it's because, when I played the original game, I was traveling the world as 'Terdius'.
But unlike the original, in reality, I had been staying at various Kyros Church temples.
Among them, Rovel was where I had spent the most time.
'Still, I should've considered that something like this might happen someday.'
-Child, this isn't your fault. It's all my fault.
Kyros spoke to me in an attempt to console me, but his words didn't really resonate.
'How is this your fault? If you think about it...'
It's the system's fault. But I couldn't bring myself to say that to Kyros.
'It's all that Demon God's fault.'
-Yeah, that's right. It's not our fault.
Kyros responded, sounding slightly relieved. That was good.
After my brief exchange with Kyros, I continued briefing the senior members about the Demon God attack.
"I went to Holden Manor to report this incident to the Lord of the estate. I'm largely responsible for the estate being attacked after all."
I explained everything that had happened at the Holden mansion---the alliance between the Holden family and the Kyros Church to fight this disaster. I summarized the meeting, and the senior members, along with Zain and Troy, took it in.
"Damn it. So this is how it all turned out."
Zain muttered under his breath.
I patted his shoulder.
"It'll...probably be okay."
I wasn't entirely sure, but I wanted to believe that things would work out. The Kyros Church had over 100,000 followers, and both I and the senior members had grown significantly stronger.
"Anyway, let's go over our plan for when the attack begins."
I outlined the positions everyone would take on the day of the attack.
Grandmother and Sasha would guard the gathering place for the people of Holden Estate, Rovel.
As the most skilled swordsman among us, a renowned Sword Master known across the Continent, Grandmother would calm the people's fears and give them hope.
'Besides, if the Demon God's children attack Rovel, Grandmother will have to stop him.'
Meanwhile, Sasha, who wasn't as strong in combat, would take care of the people inside the temple.
Fortunately, neither Grandmother nor Sasha had any objections to my decision. On the contrary, they seemed satisfied with their roles.
"The rest of the senior members, except for Grandmother and Sasha, will each take charge of towers on the walls."
The wall had eight towers---one for each senior member.
"When the attack begins, report everything happening in your section so I can respond accordingly."
'Abel isn't the strongest, but through training, he's become capable of handling mid-level monsters...'
Just like during the previous simultaneous gate incident, I told everyone to notify me immediately if the Children of the Demon God appeared.
"Then, where will you be, Master?"
Zain finally asked.
"I'll be at the Elwin's Clock Tower."
This was something I had discussed with my mother beforehand. Elwin's Clock Tower was the center of Holden Estate, and from there, Rovel was clearly visible.
In other words, it was the perfect vantage point, allowing me to join the battle quickly, no matter which direction it broke out from.
Meanwhile, Mother planned to personally lead her knights. Her orders would be relayed to the Kyros Church officers stationed in each tower and then passed on to me, ensuring smooth coordination.
Once we had covered everything, I asked if the senior members had questions.
"There's nothing else you want to ask?"
"No."
"Good."
With no further questions, it was time to wrap things up and disperse.
"There's still time before the attack of the Demon God, so take it easy today. Starting tomorrow, let's prepare the temple to accommodate as many people as possible."
Our plan was to prioritize sheltering the weak, but ideally, it'd be better if we protect as many people as possible.
"Clear out unnecessary items and store them away. The garden, too. I feel bad for Sasha, but the statues need to be put away for now."
"I'm fine, Church Leader. Life comes first."
Now that I had Sasha's approval, I gave the order to have the statues cleared away.
Kyros's Blessing's protective barrier covered the entire temple, from the entrance to the gardens. If we allowed people to stay in the gardens as well as the buildings, we could shelter even more than we had originally planned.
"Alright, that's it."
I told them to contact me or come to my office if they had any further questions, then left the reception room.
At that point, I was completely drained. With great difficulty, I made my way to my office.
I wanted to collapse onto my bed right away, but first, I forced myself to take a quick shower.
Then, finally, I let my fresh exhausted body sink into the mattress.
The moment my head hit the pillow, I passed out.
***
I woke up.
I had no idea how long I had been asleep.
For some reason, I felt as if I were floating in darkness.
'Is this... a dream?'
I couldn't tell whether I was in a light sleep or lucid dreaming because I was too tired.
Rumble---
Just then I heard the sound of something collapsing.
At the same time, a sudden light appeared, pulling me in.
'Is this really just a dream?'
Just when I had that thought, I found myself not just in darkness, but in a world completely engulfed by it.
And then I saw it---Rovel.
Or rather, what was left of it. The entire city was in ruins.
For some reason, I was floating in the sky, looking down at the devastation below.
'...What is this?'
But my own condition didn't matter at that moment.
The scene unfolding beneath me was horrifying. Countless bodies littered the streets of Rovel. A significant portion of the buildings had collapsed.
It was as if a war had swept through.
Among the dead, I recognized many familiar faces---believers who had frequently visited the temple.
'What on earth...'
As I stared in shock, my gaze was forcibly turned.
And then I saw myself.
Revelof. Standing atop a crumbling building, covered in blood.
The cognitive dissonance glasses were shattered. Mace was nowhere in sight.
Blood dripped from his forehead, and his right arm hung limp, as if broken.
Opposite to him seemed to be the one who had put me in the half-dead condition, but strangely, it was as if someone had put a mosaic on their face. It wasn't even visible.
And then, it happened.
Something spread its black power toward me to kill me---it was the very power of the Demon God that any of his children could use.
The energy of the Demon God stretched out in the shape of a sharp sword to kill the other me.
But the other me didn't move. No---he couldn't move.
And then---
'No!'
A desperate scream rang out as someone shoved the other me aside.
Shhk---
The Demon God's energy pierced straight into that person's heart.
The person who had saved the other me---
Was my grandmother.
Notes
Novelupdates 150 Votes Challenge
Current Progress- 140/150
Just 10 more to go!