Chapter 27

Chapter 27 – As a Hero

Beyond the barrier lay calamity. There were no living beings. Only death roamed freely through the land.

Chedre stared at the headless undead wandering past the huts, his gaze fixed and unblinking.

To be stopped here, with the destination right in front of us, he thought bitterly.

The situation was suffocating. He exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair. That something like this could happen in the South, a place where such disasters should never occur, was impossible to accept.

Undead that did not die even when their heads were severed. Soldiers who, once attacked, rose again as undead themselves.

The idea that being attacked by the undead caused one to become undead in turn was unheard of. It was only natural that the morale of his troops had plummeted in an instant.

“Your Grace, it is not too late,” one of his subordinates said from behind him, voice tense. “Would it not be wiser to retreat now?”

Chedre frowned deeply. Retreat. As a knight and as a member of the imperial family, it was an option he could not accept lightly.

Yet neither he nor any of his soldiers possessed divine power. The temple, too, had reported that all the holy knights stationed nearby had been wiped out, leaving no one able to offer assistance.

…If we weigh the situation logically, retreat is the best option, he admitted to himself.

Even so, retreating would not be easy. Undead surrounded them on all sides, making movement itself perilous.

It was a perfect stalemate. It had been a mistake to come here without proper preparation. Frustration and unease churned within him.

He had come upon hearing reports of a strange, unexplained phenomenon, intending to rescue any surviving civilians and escort them to the priests. 

But the moment he arrived, there were no living people left.

Only undead, wandering endlessly in search of living flesh to tear apart.

The despair of witnessing that reality firsthand defied words.

He was rubbing his face dryly, exhaling another frustrated breath, when the air suddenly began to heat.

The heat was so intense that breathing became difficult. Chedre hastily covered his mouth with his hand.

What is happening, he thought. He immediately activated a protective spell and ushered his subordinates into a nearby hut.

Outside, the world turned into an inferno in an instant. In the air floated an enormous magic circle, easily at least sixth circle in complexity.

From it poured down a torrent of hellfire, blazing with overwhelming heat. Undead engulfed in flames writhed and screamed as they burned. It felt like witnessing another hell layered atop the first.

Staring blankly at the scene, Chedre noticed a woman walking calmly through the chaos.

She wore the Holy Knights’ uniform, white fabric embroidered with gold thread. Her hair was jet black, her eyes the color of fresh blood.

Yet her face held no emotion at all. The sight sent an involuntary chill down his spine.

…It is like seeing a demon god wearing a Holy Knight’s uniform, he thought.

As she drew closer, her features became clearer, and she smiled at him.

The moment he saw that smile, his gaze was captured against his will. By the time he realized it, she was standing before the hut where he had taken shelter.

“I offer my greetings to the great son of the divine,” the woman said, dropping to one knee.

Chedre inhaled sharply.

That form of greeting was reserved exclusively for the emperor. He was merely a duke. Why would she address him in such a way?

As confusion swirled through him, the woman remained kneeling and introduced herself.

“I am Erin Ferr, First Commander of the Holy Knights (Paladins),” she said calmly. “I am here to escort Your Grace to the temple. We must move at once.”

Turning slightly, Erin flicked her fingers toward the undead still staggering nearby, igniting them in flame. She watched until they collapsed into ash, then slowly turned back to face Chedre.

Perhaps she noticed the confusion on his face. Erin simply met his gaze with a gentle smile. She did not look like a holy knight sworn to protect the divine.

Her arrival made the hours of isolation he had endured feel almost embarrassing in hindsight.

Inside the temple, Chedre stood silently, gazing back outside. They had made it in without a single casualty, yet the area beyond was still a sea of flames born of Erin’s magic.

He shifted his gaze to Erin. She was speaking with the holy knights over a map, issuing instructions. As he watched her, he felt a presence beside him and turned his head.

The man he met eyes with made him flinch.

The resemblance to Perios was uncanny. The only differences were the green eyes and slightly gentler tilt of his gaze.

The man was smiling, yet the look he directed at Chedre was unmistakably hostile.

Was it because he had been looking at Erin? Startled, Chedre glanced around. The other holy knights seemed unfazed, as though this behavior was nothing new.

The commander and her subordinate alike have terrifying gazes, he thought.

Chedre looked back at the man and offered him a mild, reassuring smile. All he had done was look at Erin. Surely this was a silent warning not to direct his attention toward her.

But he had no particular interest in her. It seemed only fair to make that clear.

The man saw Chedre’s smile, then turned away and headed elsewhere.

“Your Grace, we are truly relieved that you arrived safely,” the high priest said, approaching carefully.

Chedre greeted him warmly.

“On the contrary,” Chedre replied. “I hope my presence has not hindered your efforts.”

“Not at all,” the high priest said earnestly. “Simply knowing that you came to aid us in such a dangerous place is a great honor.”

Chedre did not respond immediately. Had it not been for Erin, he would have remained isolated until he wasted away.

“…If not for Commander Erin, I would not have arrived safely at all,” he said quietly.

“That is not so,” the high priest replied. “Your Grace’s safety alone is a great comfort and source of courage to us.”

The words soothed him more than he expected. Chedre answered with a smile.

“Pardon the interruption,” a voice said.

Erin stepped between the high priest and the duke.

“Your Grace, if it is not an imposition, I would like to speak with you alone.”

“It would not be an imposition at all,” Chedre replied.

“Thank you,” Erin said with a polite bow.

She led Chedre to a reception room.

They exchanged no words along the way. The silence made Chedre uneasy, and he stole a glance at her.

He could not tell what she was thinking, but her expression was solemn and focused.

Her steps halted only once they entered a room that appeared to be a private study used by the priests.

Chedre followed her lead and sat in the chair she offered.

Erin took the seat opposite him and studied him quietly.

Chedre Perios, the only brother of Emperor Perios.

Just as the rumors say, his temperament is the complete opposite of Perios, Erin thought.

Aside from the violet eyes, there was nothing similar. With his dark blond hair and openly gentle expression, he bore no resemblance to the emperor.

If Chedre had been born the eldest, the history of the empire might have turned out very differently.

“Actually playing politics feels awkward, Erin reflected.

She had never cared for anything beyond revenge. Laying groundwork to take vengeance on someone other than Gabriel felt unfamiliar.

Especially because it was something she had never done before.

As Erin’s silence stretched on, Chedre’s gaze grew increasingly suspicious.

He is wary, she noted. It would be easier if he spoke first.

After offering him an imperial greeting upon their first meeting, Erin had never explained why she had come for him.

Now they were alone, and still she said nothing. His suspicion only deepened.

But this was exactly as Erin intended. She merely watched him, waiting for him to speak first.

After a moment of silence, Chedre finally opened his mouth.

“…First of all, thank you for saving us,” he said.

“I merely fulfilled my duty as a holy knight,” Erin replied with a smile.

His brow furrowed further.

I cannot read her at all, he thought. What is she thinking?

Chedre prided himself on understanding people. Yet even as Erin smiled, her eyes felt empty.

It was as though she were openly signaling that she wanted something from him, yet what that something was remained completely unclear.

In the end, it seemed the only way to learn her intent was to ask directly.

“Then why did you ask to see me alone, Commander?” Chedre asked. “What is your reason?”

“There is something I wish to ask of you, Your Grace,” Erin replied.

“A request,” he echoed.

“I intend to make you a hero,” Erin said calmly.