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Chapter 210

Of course, he couldn\'t jump to conclusions. They could simply be paladins or knights of the church.

Clank, clank.

The heavy footsteps of the two as they entered the chapel snapped Luce back to reality. Forcing a calm smile, he clasped his hands in front of his chest.

"Glory to the Radiant Light...."

They stopped before him.

"Glory to the Radiant Light," came the low voices from under the hoods. Both were men. One seemed to be middle-aged with a beard, and the other a younger man.

"I\'m Luce, temporarily serving as a priest... And you are...?" Luce cautiously asked, looking from one to the other. But they remained silent, as if on cue.

Luce felt a chill run down his spine. He had heard that purifiers had the right to keep their names and faces hidden within the church. Simply remaining silent to a priest\'s inquiry while wearing those robes was as good as revealing their identity.

After a brief silence, the older purifier spoke. "We heard that the corrupted performed a cursed ritual in this church. Is that true?"

"Yes. It\'s true..."

Feeling his throat tighten, Luce glanced at the statue on the dais and continued. "However, the ritual was thwarted by the courage and sacrifice of many, and the Radiant Goddess\' blessing safeguarded Della Lu\'s statue. The darkness that plagued the city has been dispelled."

The older purifier looked up at the statue. His hood shifted to reveal a glimpse of his beard, nose, and cold eyes. A golden light, like a veil over his pupils, flickered as he murmured, "That remains to be seen."

As Luce swallowed dryly, the younger purifier turned and walked to the door. He barred it shut with a heavy clank.

The older purifier then sat in an empty chair and said, "Explain in more detail."

Frozen as he stared at the closed door, Luce\'s eyes flickered with inner conflict. He debated where to start and how much to reveal. Not speaking was not an option, nor was fleeing. Such actions would not merely end in disgrace.

The church\'s purifiers had the authority to execute corrupted priests immediately. The sentence was always death, and it was said they didn\'t hesitate to commit horrific acts in the process of unmasking a corrupted priest.

Naturally, if it was revealed to be a mistake, their status would be stripped, and they would spend the rest of their days as a low-ranking holy knight. However, such laws were rarely enforced properly. All of this, he had heard from the priests who were revealed to be corrupters. In hindsight, they were always cautious of drawing the church\'s attention. Therefore, the stories they told about the purifiers were likely not lies.

"Priest Luce?"

"Y-yes, I will explain...." Startled, Luce snapped out of his thoughts and began his explanation. Despite his internal conflict, his words were concise and straightforward.

"... Is that all? The Count, his guests, their knights, and soldiers stopped the ritual and drove away the darkness?"

Regardless, Luce couldn\'t trust them. Central purifiers arriving without notice to investigate the city\'s affairs were suspicious. In the past, he would have cooperated without hesitation, but now, having seen the darker side of the church, he couldn\'t. Revealing everything would only come after discerning their true intentions.

Luce nodded to the middle-aged purifier\'s question. "Yes. The Radiant Goddess and the Goddess of Prosperity blessed them."

"...." As the middle-aged knight fell silent, the younger purifier who had been standing behind him stared at Luce. His eyes, partially visible under his hood, were icy.

"You\'re not very good at lying." At the moment he spoke, the middle-aged purifier stood up.

Luce, holding his breath, looked at him. Beneath the hood, it seemed like an abyss.

"Corrupters cannot be defeated so easily. Only those trained to fight them or chosen by the gods can do so." The middle-aged purifier continued in a cold, steady voice after taking a breath.

"I\'ve already heard about a holy knight wielding crimson divine power. Why did you omit that part?"

"... One of the Count\'s guests is that person. And I did not see it myself. I was in the church at the time. It was someone else who saved me."

"A master swordsman with black eyes and black hair?"

"That... is correct. How did you know?"

The middle-aged purifier, a slight smile touching his lips, muttered. "... I see. We have come to the right place."

Luce\'s brow furrowed as he realized these men were looking for Ivan.

"Answer me, priest. Where is Ian Hope?"

"...?" But the middle-aged purifier\'s next words left Luce even more confused.

"Ian Hope? Who is that?"

"Don\'t play games, priest. You just said you met him."

"The one who saved me was Sir Ivan, not Ian Hope."

"Ivan...?" The middle-aged purifier paused before continuing. "Tell me everything you know about these guests of the Count."

"... I don\'t know much. All I know is that the ancient fairy Tensia Aynas and the holy knights serving her were among them."

"Aynas...? Why would a member of House Aynas...?" Now, the middle-aged purifier\'s voice held a note of confusion.

The calm voice of the young purifier behind him broke the silence. "... the mysterious fairy who was said to have been with them in Glumir. It appears that was an elder of the Aynas family. It was a piece of the puzzle that didn\'t fit before. Now, it all makes sense."

The young purifier continued under the gaze of the middle-aged one. "They found a surrogate. Someone to hide their true identity."

"Yes... that could be. Hiding behind the elder, pretending to be someone else. Indeed, a fitting act for a false prophet."

The ensuing conversation between the two was enough to make Luce stiffen. He recalled Ivan\'s last words, which hinted at a hidden identity and a false name.

"It seems you have some idea." The middle-aged purifier, now looking at Luce again, spoke up.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Luce opened his mouth to speak. "What is the true identity of that person? Why are the purifiers seeking him?"

"Ian Hope. His origins are unknown, but he was a mercenary on the frontier. Known for his black eyes and black hair, and as a master swordsman, he is said to be favored by the Northern barbarians, the Warrior God, and the Stern Goddess."

"Karha and... Tir En\'s...? Surely not."

A thought flashed through Luce\'s mind, and his eyes widened.

"... Are you saying that he is the Dragon Slayer of the North?"

"... That is one of his titles, publicly."

"By the Radiant Goddess, my goodness...!" A gasp of astonishment finally escaped Luce\'s lips.

At the same time, a realization swept through his mind, clearing all the doubts he had about Ivan—no, Ian. Now it all makes sense - his incredible combat power, his heroism in facing the corrupted ones alone, and even his favor with Della Lu. However, ?Luce\'s reaction seemed to have displeased the middle-aged purifier, whose voice turned even colder.

"But his true nature is entirely different from what is known. He is a false prophet created by the Platinum Dragon, a being that swallows darkness and spawns chaos."

"The Platinum...? Why would the church\'s saint create a false prophet?"

"That monster is not called a saint for being holy or honorable. It is a butcher of its kind, a tyrant that once ruled over humans. Despite this, the Radiant Goddess mercifully placed only a gag of sainthood on it."

"...."

"So, he must want to cast off the shackles of light that bind him. To cover the continent in darkness, allowing his true, bloodthirsty nature to be fully revealed."

Luce couldn\'t comprehend this at all. He stared blankly at the purifier, barely speaking. "But he... He defeated the beings of the void and saved the city before my eyes...."

"That was not an act of salvation. Darkness and chaos are his power. He wields a cursed sword and possesses dark relics. Thus, while he may appear as an apostle bringing light, he only births darkness and chaos."

The middle-aged purifier lowered his head. From beneath the hood, his dry eyes stared intently at Luce from a closer distance.

"Every place he has passed through has inevitably fallen into darkness, and greater chaos followed his departure. Even the dark clouds that cover the sky are a result of his actions. Do you truly believe all of this is mere coincidence?"

"...."

"I will ask again. Where have Ian Hope and his companions gone?"

Luce thought of Ian, Philip, and Mev. His mind felt like it was being turned upside down. The sword Ian wielded was indeed a cursed sword, even by Luce\'s judgment. Furthermore, it was true that Ian had concealed his name and identity.

Perhaps, as the purifiers claimed, he was a false savior and a harbinger of chaos. Yet, what stood out most vividly in Luce\'s mind at that moment were the eyes of the squire staring back at him in the darkness. Despite the fear and trembling, those brown eyes were determined to overcome it. That gaze couldn\'t have been false. Neither could the sight of Ian, battered but rising from the ashes to save him.

... Maybe I have already become a minion of chaos.

Recalling Philip\'s words about whispers one shouldn\'t listen to, Luce finally decided.

"I will tell you everything I know, purifiers. But as for where they went... I truly do not know."

He decided to trust what he had seen.

"They never spoke a word about their destination, nor did I ask. I merely treated them as benefactors who saved my life and the city. They left shortly after. That\'s all I know."

"...." The eyes beneath the hood seemed to bore into Luce\'s soul, the middle-aged purifier\'s pupils gleaming with a hint of gold.

"It doesn\'t seem like he\'s lying. Moreover, this one has not been corrupted." The voice of the young purifier standing behind him followed. Advancing, he glanced at the motionless Luce, resembling a frog in front of a snake.

"Can\'t you feel the blessing of the Radiant Goddess emanating from this priest, sir? He is simply..."

A slight smile curved his eyes. "... deceived, like many others."

"...." As the middle-aged purifier turned his gaze, the young purifier continued to whisper, still staring at Luce.

"Priest, if by any chance there is something you haven\'t yet told us—"

Clank, clank.

The closed door shook at that moment. The shaking quickly turned into a loud, insistent knocking.

Turning, the two purifiers heard a booming voice from beyond the door.

"Open the church doors immediately! This is an order from His Excellency, Count Morgan Westwood, the rightful ruler of Drenorov!"

"...." The two purifiers exchanged glances for a moment. The young purifier then stepped forward, unbolted the door, and swung it open.

"...!" Luce\'s eyes widened. Armed soldiers and villagers with pitchforks crowded the steps outside the church. Leading them stood Count Westwood and his retainers.

"Hmm...." The young purifier let out a murmur as the middle-aged purifier stepped forward, speaking in a cold voice.

"Regardless of your rightful rule over this land, you have no authority to interfere in the matters of the Church, Count."

"Normally, that would be true." The Count\'s reply was as cold as his gaze met the purifiers.

"But it has not even been ten days since corrupted priests defiled my land. Therefore, I trust no outsider priests whose identities are unverified. Not even those claiming to be from the Grand Church are exempt."

"How disrespectful of you to speak such words so casually. Do you know who we are?"

"I do not. Nor do I care to." The Count cut him off sharply and continued before the purifier could respond. "What matters to me right now is that unidentified outsiders are here with the only remaining faithful priest of this city, occupying the sanctuary dedicated to the Radiant and Prosperous Goddesses. All without my permission."

"You remain free because you were not our primary target, Count. But your innocence is not yet proven. Corrupt priests often grow their power with the support of nobles." The middle-aged purifier\'s voice was icy, and a golden light flickered beneath his hood.

However, the Count did not even blink."I have already sent a letter documenting all the events to the Grand Church. If I am guilty of any crimes, the Church\'s investigators will uncover them, not you."

"...." The middle-aged purifier and the Count locked eyes.

It was the young purifier standing beside the older one who sighed and broke the silence. "There seems to be a misunderstanding, Count Westwood. We are merely here to inquire about someone\'s whereabouts. Specifically, the whereabouts of Tensia Aynas."

"Aynas? They left this city five days ago. No one here knows their destination, including myself." The Count, speaking calmly, gestured toward his soldiers.

As they and the villagers behind them parted to make way, the Count\'s voice continued. "So, leave now. If you do not withdraw peacefully, I will consider you here to cause another tragedy."

"... I see."

The purifier clicked his tongue and then turned to his companion, whispering, "It seems we underestimated this western backwater. We can\'t handle this."