—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The pitch-black space, devoid of all color, evoked a nauseating sense of otherworldliness.
It was only natural.
The Disaster God of War had descended upon the mortal realm.
Just being in the presence of her divine visage sent shivers down his spine.
An oppressive weight pressed down on him, making even breathing feel burdensome.
He raised his head, his body trembling with tension.
The girl seated on the throne of corpses smiled benevolently.
-For a stingy miser, you’ve prepared quite well. I commend you.
Her long, flowing red hair evoked the image of a raging inferno consuming a battlefield.
Her eyes were a deep, inky black, like gunpowder.
War.
The harbinger of humanity’s eventual demise.
The Disaster God, who treated a battlefield filled with screams and bullets as her royal court, and a pile of mangled corpses as her throne.
He looked up at the calamity, disguised in the form of a beautiful girl.
“How have you been?”
-Not bad. I was a bit bored after the Racial War ended… but thankfully, things have become interesting again.
Was she referring to the conflict between the Valtarian Empire and the cult forces?
Or perhaps the fierce power struggles still raging across the continent?
Either way, it was terrifying.
He felt a sense of unease at Lierre’s genuinely amused smile.
“I have a question.”
-Very well. I’m in a good mood right now. I’m pleased with the offerings my loyal apostle has presented.
The items he had painstakingly transported in the cart were gold and silver treasures provided by the Holy Kingdom.
Gleaming gold coins.
Precious jewelry adorned with beautiful gems.
They were more than enough to satisfy her insatiable greed.
As if to prove this, Lierre showed a keen interest in the treasures.
Just as war was a foolish act driven by greed and desire, the Disaster God possessed a deeply avaricious nature.
“The Calamity of Tyranny and the Calamity of Famine… I want to know the whereabouts of the calamities that were vanquished in the distant past.”
Perhaps it was due to the ominous prophecy that they would one day descend upon the mortal realm and bring about humanity’s destruction.
Fearing the prophecy’s fulfillment, countless heroes had made noble sacrifices to vanquish the calamities.
And they had elevated the Earth Mother Gael, who had taught them how to defeat the innocent calamities, to the position of the one true god.
‘What a ridiculous story. The noble deeds and sacrifices made to protect humanity have now become the cause of the world’s demise…!’
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
It was a paradox.
Everything was paradoxical.
The sacrifices and efforts made to safeguard humanity had ironically hastened the world’s end.
Because with the vanquishing of the calamities, the world gradually lost its sustainability.
-Tyranny and Famine are likely being used as puppets by the Earth Mother, that damned bitch.
“What?”
What did she mean?
Puppets?
Were they not vanquished or sealed?
He had always believed that Tyranny had been defeated by the heroes of the Evelas Empire, the predecessor of the Valtarian Empire.
And that Famine had been sealed by Bellatiel, the adopted daughter of the Earth Mother, hailed as the supreme archangel.
But that was not the truth.
What he had believed to be true was nothing more than a smokescreen, cleverly crafted by someone.
The Calamity of Tyranny and the Calamity of Famine had become ghosts of the distant past, but they had not met their final demise.
He gasped, his breath catching in his throat as he listened to Lierre’s explanation.
-If the innocent calamities had truly been eradicated, the concepts of tyranny and famine would have vanished completely.
“……”
-But tyranny and famine are still being perpetrated across the continent, even at this very moment. Foolish masses are still suffering under tyranny, and those whose hopes for tomorrow have been stolen by plagues and natural disasters are languishing in famine.
“…That’s true.”
He crossed his arms, lost in thought.
Lierre watched him silently, a curious expression on her face.
“Why didn’t the Earth Mother seal Tyranny and Famine?”
-Because it’s safer to use them as puppets, their true nature completely erased, than to seal them away somewhere in the world. The Earth Mother is a coward who prioritizes her own safety above all else. She must have set up numerous safeguards in preparation for the day the calamities might break free.
He, along with countless others, had been deceived by the Earth Mother.
And Tyranny and Famine were being controlled by her.
How much of this could he believe?
He eyed Lierre suspiciously, her expression unreadable.
-Hmph! How dare you, Edanant! To question my oracle! If you don’t want to face the wrath of the underworld, offer me those sweet macarons you presented last time!
“You liked them that much?”
-Well… they were a bit cheap and sugary, but not bad.
“I’ll bring you a mountain of macarons when I return to the Empire.”
As soon as he gave his promise, Lierre, who had been standing on the throne of corpses, jumped up and down in delight.
It seemed that assuming the form of a child had also regressed her mental age.
Perhaps he should have just offered macarons instead of gold and jewelry.
Next time, he would only bring macarons.
“…Wait a moment.”
-What is it, Edanant?
As he was momentarily lost in trivial thoughts,
A question he absolutely had to ask Lierre unconsciously escaped his lips.
“Then what happened to the Disaster God of Death?”
-He’s alive, of course.
“No…! I saw him perish! He’s definitely dead!”
-I told you, Edanant. Innocent calamities cannot be eradicated. They merely disappear from the world for a time.
He had seen it with his own eyes.
The final moments of Death as he was consumed by the Earth Mother’s divine power.
The Scepter of White Night.
Hadn’t it been used to break the Demon King’s immortality?
Even the author who wrote the story had declared in the final chapter that the absolute evil had been vanquished by Maximilian and Beatrice.
So he couldn’t accept Lierre’s words.
-That deceitful bitch tricked you all… no, she tricked you.
Why?
The question rose to his throat.
But further questioning was not permitted.
The inky black shadow that had greedily devoured the surrounding colors began to recede.
-Edanant.
The Disaster God seated on the throne of corpses spoke.
-Free the innocent calamity trapped as a puppet. To prevent the world’s end… we must shatter the world established by the one true god.
“I would love to, but… I don’t know where the calamity is or how to free it.”
-Calamities are drawn to each other. You will meet soon. Perhaps you have already met.
“……”
The questioning ended there.
The Disaster God vanished.
Only the mountain of corpses that had served as her throne remained.
He stood there, dazed, as if he had just woken from a dream.
But the gold and silver treasures that had vanished in an instant confirmed that it had not been a mere illusion.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Ludmilla worried that the cult forces might attack the Valtarian Empire.
She had become extremely anxious due to their repeated assaults.
Perhaps the Earth Mother had answered her prayers.
Nothing had happened while she was away from the capital.
The princess sighed in relief upon hearing the paladin’s report and turned back.
However, her expression was somewhat gloomy, perhaps because she hadn’t been able to meet Edanant despite traveling all the way to the Boemon Kingdom.
“E-Edanant!”
“…Ludmilla?”
As she spread her fiery red dragon wings,
Ludmilla miraculously encountered Edanant, who had just returned.
It was a completely unexpected reunion.
Ludmilla’s gloomy face brightened instantly.
“Are you alright?! Didn’t you fight Hero Maximilian… your own brother?!”
“Word travels fast. The rumors have already reached the capital.”
A life-or-death battle?
That was a bit of an exaggeration.
No,
It was a huge exaggeration.
If the Warmonger and the Hero had truly fought with all their might, the Boemon Kingdom would have been completely wiped off the map.
Edanant sighed at the exaggerated rumors, but he smiled faintly as he looked at Ludmilla, her face filled with concern.
“I’m fine.”
“Y-You… always make me worry!”
The princess pouted, expressing her displeasure.
Edanant responded with a troubled look.
“I had no intention of causing you any worry. But it seems things always turn out that way.”
“First, it was Sword Saint Regnas, and now Hero Maximilian… It’s always one thing after another.”
Ludmilla turned away after confirming Edanant’s safety.
It was a sign of her frustration, expressing her desire to avoid the man who constantly caused her worry.
He had to appease her somehow.
Instinctively sensing the impending danger, Edanant reached out and embraced Ludmilla from behind.
He pulled her close.
Their clothes rustled as their bodies pressed together.
Ludmilla was startled.
“E-Edanant…!”
“I’m sorry… for always making you worry.”
She hadn’t expected him to be so bold.
Ludmilla’s face flushed crimson at Edanant’s sudden display of affection.
Her red eyes fluttered.
She seemed ready to breathe fire at any moment, as if to release the heat concentrated in her face and chest.
“Ah…! Uhhh! U-Ahhhhh!”
Ludmilla’s shoulders stiffened.
And instead of fiery flames, strange moans escaped her lips.
“……”
Meanwhile, the silver-haired saintess cautiously extended her hands.
Crackling bolts of lightning danced between her slender fingers.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Those two are the calamities