"Unfortunately, among all the rats, which included some Eclipses, more than half of them, after only one use of 'Emperor's Crest', some went completely mad, some burst into Tainted corpses, and some even more miserable, exploded halfway through their transformation. But now it's different, the Light Bringer told me that the young man can perfectly utilize the power of 'Emperor's Crest', that enviable and damned talent! But"
"It doesn't matter, it's mine now!" The priest extended a hand and clenched it into a fist forcefully.
"The young man's talent and power will be taken by me and the Light Bringer. From now on, it's not just the 'Emperor's Crest', but all the legendary 'Emperor's Relics' that we will be able to wield their power, hahahaha!"
The priest let out a maniacal laugh, echoing in the sanctified Archive room of the church, a place symbolizing the "Hall of Knowledge", the irony of it all.
And looking at Durin, this once "rebellious" and "thorn in the side" knight, whose eyes are now utterly devoid of light, turned murky and dim, the priest felt an incomparable thrill.Th1s chapter is updated by n)ovel/\bin/\
This is why, even though Durin's little actions are inconsequential now, he still had to come here, ruthlessly expose Durin, then lay out his grand plan in its entirety.
Greatness requires witnesses, it needs an audience.
That's why Gralon won't kill Durin.
He even spared the captain of the knights.
After all, no matter what Durin does, he can't change the outcome now, so why not let himself continue to enjoy a little longer, this wonderful feeling of bestowing despair?
"Alright, get up, Captain Durin, rest assured, you are the finest knight under my command, how could I bear to see you leave the stage, only, as a punishment for your restlessness..."
The priest pulled out a small vial from his bosom and threw it in front of Durin.
"The medicine for your wife this month, cut by half, if there's a next time, just watch her turn into a Tainted corpse!"
Having done all this, the priest walked away, heading toward the Archive room's underground entrance, ready to meet up with Maria, ready to welcome his "rebirth".
And Durin, distraught on the ground, hadn't even managed to get up when a rapid ringtone sounded from his pocket.
When Durin answered the phone in a panic, it was Tamic's anxious voice that came through.
"Captain! The mistress's illness has suddenly worsened again! Where are you, hurry back!"
...
....
This seemed to completely ignite Durin's anger. He even started to lose his composure and let out a scream filled with frustration.
"Difficult to comply? Hahaha! Tamic, let me tell you, what annoys me the most is brats like you who think you're so smart, who dare to refuse my orders. What makes you think you can defy my command? Do you think you're so damn great? Do you think you know more than me? What do you know?"
"Tell me, what the f#ck do you know?!"
-------------------
Amidst Durin's raging shouts, Tamic didn't back down, nor did he get angry. He simply stood there, listening, and then gave Durin his response.
"Captain, I know that compared to you, and compared to many members of the Knight Order, I'm still very weak and have a lot to learn. I do admit that there are many things I don't understand. But the one thing I do understand is..."
"As a Knight, I must faithfully follow the teachings of the Goddess, and I must take Lady Suthia as my role model. I must protect those weaker than myself, I must prevent the spread and havoc of Tainted Miasma, and I must uphold my faith!"
"That's what I believe!"
The young knight stood tall, and the silver-gray Holy Cross on his Knight uniform seemed to faintly shimmer in the light, as if resonating.
Unfortunately...
"Hehehe, the Goddess? Teachings? Let me warn you, don't f#cking mention the word 'Goddess' in front of me! There is no Goddess in this world anymore! Even if the Goddess does exist, she has long fallen and f#cking mingled with the darkness!"
"In my heart, the Goddess of the Holy Kingdom from five hundred years ago is already dead. And on this land today, there is no more faith. The teachings and sayings you spout from Lady Suthia are nothing but a joke, you understand? A joke!"
Durin let out a hoarse and forceful yell, his entire face turning red. In the past, he had held onto hope, even if it was faint. He had imagined that Blackhole was only in its current state because it was remote, allowing that priest to exploit it. He believed that one day, the evildoer would face judgment and receive the punishment he deserved!
However, the result?
The result was that today, the priest had fiercely slapped his face, and even the direct followers of the Goddess, the "Light Bringers," had chosen to stand with that crazy sadist priest, all for the power of the "Relics," abandoning their faith.
At that moment, Durin truly felt like something in his heart had shattered.
Even the highest echelons of the Church had fallen so far.
Then what were these small fry like them still holding onto?
"Durin, I need you to apologize to Lady Suthia for your words just now!"
It was the first time Tamic had called Durin's name without adding "Captain" afterward.
A rare flash of anger appeared on the young knight's face. For Durin, for his captain, Tamic could endure anything, except for Durin's blasphemy against the Goddess, an insult to his faith.