When the battle at the Cold Dew Villa came to an end, Rushta's restlessness and chaos were spreading under the night sky. The Twelfth Month Square was filled with people. Duke Durot's statue stood in the middle of the square, sitting on his Earth Dragon 'Lonely Flame'. He held a longsword in his hand, and the longsword 'Azalea' was pointed forward.
Under the cold gaze of the statue of the Demon Slayer Knight, all the ambitious and scheming people in Rushta were ready to make a move. It was as if a grand performance was about to begin, and all that was left was for the curtains to be pulled open.
As if to make a note of this, a loud voice was heard from afar. The harsh voice was like two sharp metal files ringing in one's ears.
"The noble master will return to the world to save and cleanse all this filth!"
In the epic of the Pale Poem, the angel Eroma killed the evil god Fredrich and perished together with the Army of Dusk. After her death, her blood flowed into a lake. Twelve centuries later, someone found her shield in the lake. The Flame King, Gretel, built this city with the shield as his name. In the Cruz language, Rushta represented holiness, justice, and victory.
The Secret Society's followers claimed that the Empire was notorious for its brutality. A thousand years later, Eroma would return to this land and punish the evil Queen.
This rumor was baseless, but it was widely spread under the Queen's rule. The people believed it as if they had hypnotized themselves.
Seti was mixed in the crowd. The hot air was coming from all directions, mixed with the stench of sweat and feces. Her hair was wet and stuck to her pale cheeks, but the girl did not notice it. She just stared at the center of the square without blinking.
In the middle of the crowd, the Secret Society's disciples, who were dressed in thick cloths, formed a circle. In the middle of the circle, the ground of the square was crisscrossed with scarlet patterns. The fresh blood from the lambs was smeared on the pitch-black stones like thorns from hell. It quietly emitted an aura as if a bloody storm was about to arrive.
However, the people did not seem to notice it. A buzzing sound echoed in the square. The followers were chanting and praising a mysterious name.
"Eroma!"
"Eroma!"
A powerful and oppressive aura filled the air. The crowd was in an uproar. Then, someone shouted as if he had gone mad. The fanaticism soon spread. The crowd seemed to be possessed. Everyone raised their arms, sweating profusely and shouting at the top of their lungs. Seti was soon separated from Al in the crowd, but she did not realize it. She raised her arms as well, and a ring of fire seemed to be reflected in the depths of her blue eyes.
She seemed to have found a quiet place in the crowd. She saw the archangel holding the Sacred Sword step out of a white light. The angel swung the sword in the direction of the Empire's palace and the palace............. Seti saw the evil Empire burning............ nobles screamed and the Queen in the flames...
She saw her brother who had lost his life in the war in the south. She saw that hateful war, and she saw all the people who had created this pain — the people in power she hated, and even the people who were indifferent and numb. They were all turned into ashes in the flames.
...... is.?.....................
"That's right. Burn them all!"
A voice echoed in her mind.
"Burn those damned rulers!"
"Burn those fat nobles to death!"
"Burn those heretics!"
"Burn it all, this evil and filthy world!"
Seti saw someone pulling her from behind. "Arl?" She came back to her senses. She turned around and saw a disciple of the Conclave standing behind her.
The other party's entire body was covered in a thick black cloth. Only one of his eyes could be seen, shining with an icy cold light.
For a moment, Seti thought that she had seen a poisonous snake. She instinctively took a step back.
"The bishop is looking for you."
"The bishop is looking for me?" Seti was stunned for a moment before she remembered what Al had told her in the afternoon. She looked around but did not see her lover. "Where's Al?" she asked.
"You will find him after the ceremony," the disciple said coldly.
Seti did not dare to say more. She knew the consequences of disobeying the bishop. She nodded silently and followed the disciple out of the crowd.
The two of them walked into a shop near the square. It looked like a bakery. The outline of an oven could be vaguely seen in the dark room, but several tables had been overturned. The floor was a mess. Behind the overturned tables stood several Conclave members in the same attire. The bishop was standing in the middle of them.
The bishop was a kind-looking old man. His wrinkled face seemed to glow with kindness. His sparse white hair covered his bald head, and under the shadow of his hair, there were a few age spots that looked like dirt.
When he saw Seti, he nodded gently and said, "Good evening, Seti."
"Good evening, Your Excellency," Seti said, looking a little uneasy.
"Don't be nervous, my child. I have something to tell you."
"Your Excellency?"
"We just received the news not long ago. Since it's related to you, as a believer of God, I believe you have the right to know." The old man narrowed his eyes, and an unknown light flickered in his blue-gray eyes.
Seti was stunned for a moment. He didn't know what was related to him and why the Bishop would come looking for him.
"Do you want to hear it?"
She nodded.
"It's about your brother's murderer."
"What?!" Seti's eyes widened like a frightened cat, and her hair stood on end. Her brother was recruited into the army because of the Empire's war against the South, and he died in a foreign land. The priests of the Conclave told her that the culprits were the nobles who rashly started the war out of greed. She had always regarded those people as murderers, but now the bishop told her a different story.
"There is no secret, my child. But you should know that your brother was killed by the Erouine. Do you know who was the commander of the Erouine?"
Seti paused for a moment and shook her head. Although she was not a country girl, she did not know much about the war that happened thousands of miles away from the Empire. In fact, she did not even know where the war took place. All she knew was that her brother died in the war.
"That person is the Count of the Erouine Kingdom. His territory is in Tónigel."
"Those greedy nobles again." Seti gritted her teeth.
The bishop sighed and continued, "My child, what I want to tell you is that you've seen him more than once in the past few days."
"Wh … What?" Seti was stunned.
"Those people from the Erouine Kingdom are staying in your hotel. Do you remember now?"
"It's … It's them."
The bishop nodded and confirmed Seti's guess. Then, he looked at Seti silently. The girl seemed to be a little uneasy. Her brows were furrowed and she seemed to be thinking about something.
"What are you thinking about, my child?"
"I … I don't know, Bishop. What should I do?"
"If you want revenge, that's fine, my child. But it's dangerous for you …"
"I'm not afraid of danger, Bishop," Seti replied with a trembling voice, "I … But I don't know what to do …"
"You want revenge?" The bishop's blue-gray eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of gray.
Seti hesitated for a moment, but the image of her brother appeared in her mind. She nodded firmly.
"But if anything happens to you, have you thought about your sick father, my child?" The bishop asked kindly.
"A … Alcra will help me take care of my father …"
"Alcra, I know this young man. He's your lover, right?"
Seti's face was gloomy. She lowered her head and nodded weakly.
The bishop's face was hidden in the shadows, but there was a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
"If you want revenge, you won't be able to do it to Count Tónigel, my child," the bishop said slowly. His voice was low and hoarse as if it contained magic. It opened Seti's Pandora's box little by little. "But you can do it to the people around him, just like how he killed your family …"
"And this count just so happens to have a fiancée with him …."
…
Seti did not know how she managed to get there from Rushta. She stumbled along the main road that was used for carriages. Not far from her was the familiar woodland and the riverside that shimmered under the moonlight. Old Kent's hotel stood on the other side of the bridge. It looked like a hazy shadow under the night sky.
Seti was used to the scenery on both sides of the road, but at this moment, it felt strange. It was as if there were countless pairs of malicious eyes hidden in the forest. They stared at her through the gaps between the trees without blinking.
The sound of owls chirping in the distance was faint. Occasionally, the sound of wings flapping could be heard from the forest. It was the sound of winged creatures hunting voles in the forest.
These noises made her shiver. She felt like a wandering soul wandering aimlessly in the wilderness.
As she got closer and closer to Old Kent's hotel, the outline of the wooden and stone building gradually emerged from the darkness. The signboard and window frames that were immersed in the darkness gradually lost their blurry colors and became clearer under the moonlight.
Seti walked slower and slower.
She reached into her pocket with trembling hands. There was a bottle in her pocket. She held the bottle, and the cold porcelain made her heart skip a beat.
She gasped as if she was holding her own fate.
The bishop's words appeared in her muddled mind.
"Think of a way to make that woman drink this bottle of poison. You're the hostess of the inn, you'll have a way to make them submit. Old Kent won't be at his inn tonight, so this is your best chance."
"See, it's not difficult and it's not dangerous. Once you have your revenge, the church will save you."
Seti's teeth chattered. She did not know when it started.
Her mind was in a mess. On one hand, she was thinking about the guests who stayed at the Cat and Beard Inn. On the other hand, she was thinking about her brother who died in Erouine. Sometimes, she could not help but think about Al. The young man looked at her with his unique sarcastic expression. "Aren't you going to avenge your brother, Seti? Why are you hesitating?"
"But it will bring trouble to Uncle Kent."
"After tonight, the empire will cease to exist. No one will trouble Old Kent."
"No, where are the Erouine people?"
"Be honest, Seti. You are afraid. Look at your pale face and trembling fingers. Where is your courage when you are facing your enemies? "
"No, I'm just …"
The two voices mixed in Seti's mind like two saws, giving her a headache. She wanted to stop and take a breath, but the two church members behind her did not give her the chance. They pushed her forward and said, "Go, Seti.
"Go, Seti. Don't disappoint the bishop or your brother. We believe in you."
Seti did not dare to look back. She felt that if she hesitated, something terrible would happen. The way the two men looked at her reminded her of the wolves she saw in Brockan when she was a child.
They were cold and fierce.
She hesitated until she reached the front door of the hotel. The door was closed, but she knew that Old Kent would leave the key under the carpet in front of the door when he left. Trembling, she bent down, wanting to fumble for the brass key. But at this moment, a slightly curious voice came from behind the door.
"Who is outside?"
The voice was light and rhythmic, full of musical notes. It was as if the owner of the voice had put all of her curiosity into it.
Seti froze as she recognized the voice. It belonged to the merchant girl who was easy to talk to.
… …
(Author's note: I recommend a good DND online game novel called "The Creed of the Scoundrel in Online Games". The story is interesting and the setting is rigorous. It is said that the setting of the game world is more than 100,000 words long. The updates are very good, and I strongly recommend everyone to read it.
The introduction of the book: First, be kind to others. Second, be kind to others. Third, help those in need. This is the creed of the Scoundrel Baggins in "The World".
The setting of this book is from DND. It is guaranteed to be updated at least 6000 times a day, with occasional updates ranging from 10,000 to 20,000.)
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