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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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Men and women of striking beauty, dressed in dazzling formal attire, arrived one by one at the castle of the former Viscount Hillard.
Nobles of the night.
Descendants of bloodlust, hunting humans.
The men and women entering the castle were vampires who followed the apostle of Fresh Blood.
“Hmm, there’s not a single human here.”
“I heard they emptied the castle last night. They must have fled to a nearby village.”
I thirst for the blood of a pure virgin.
Desire consumed them.
As if revealing their wicked intentions, the beautiful vampires bared their sharp fangs.
But they didn’t dare to act on their urges.
The apostle of Fresh Blood had forbidden all such acts, including feeding.
The vampires following Ariel suppressed their desires, remembering her command.
It wasn’t difficult, as they had already hunted humans in other cities.
“The Viscount Hillard’s territory… No, it’s now the Marquis Hohenberc’s territory, right?”
“The hero’s family. To think we’d set foot in the territory of the family that produced the hero.”
Following the beautiful vampires, figures cloaked in black hoods emerged.
A murky, dark aura.
A foul stench spread with every step they took.
The apostles of the Disaster Gods entered the entrance hall.
The vampires, with expressions of disgust, distanced themselves.
It was because of the peculiar stench emanating from the apostles.
“The vampires’ hospitality is quite appalling. By the way, where’s Ariel?”
“She’ll be here when the time is right! Just wait patiently!”
Although they shared a common enemy in Gael, the Earth Mother, trust and camaraderie were hard to come by.
The reason was simple.
They were followers of different gods.
The Empire and the Holy Kingdom collectively referred to them as “forgotten gods,” but the faiths worshiped by the cultists were as diverse as the constellations scattered across the night sky.
Therefore, it wasn’t uncommon for even fellow cultists to snarl at each other like sworn enemies.
“Silence everyone. The Pioneer will be entering shortly.”
A fierce gale swept through the castle.
Simultaneously, a woman as alluring as black jade appeared.
Ariel Spella.
With the arrival of the one who had called for the meeting, the volatile atmosphere gradually subsided.
The vampires bowed their heads, their eyes filled with adoration.
The apostles of the Disaster Gods, on the other hand, expressed anticipation at the thought of meeting the Harmless Calamity, a being they had dismissed as a mere myth.
“Could the Harmless Calamity truly exist? I can’t believe it.”
“Ariel Spella…! If you’ve deceived us, you better be prepared for the consequences!”
Among those present were apostles who had initially ignored Ariel’s summons.
Unbelievable.
Perhaps it was a cunning trap set by the vampires.
They questioned the existence of the Harmless Calamity.
And they found it suspicious that the apostle of Fresh Blood, known for her arrogance and self-importance, would hold another in such high regard, calling them “Pioneer.”
Despite the skeptical gazes directed at her from all directions, Ariel remained unfazed.
She was confident that once the Pioneer appeared, these foolish apostles would kneel and submit.
“The vermin hiding in the shadows have finally gathered. There are quite a few of you.”
Creak-
The tightly shut door opened.
A man with gray hair entered, his gaze sweeping over those gathered.
Vermin.
As if to prove his usual abrasive nature, he began with an insult.
Was it a calculated provocation to assert dominance?
No,
That couldn’t be it.
The man’s voice conveyed genuine contempt for the apostles of the Disaster Gods.
“You did clear out everyone from the Hillard estate as instructed, right?”
“Of course. I made sure to use mind control magic on the humans to eliminate any suspicion.”
Edanant nodded at Ariel’s response and took a step forward.
The apostles of the Disaster Gods, who had been observing the situation with stiff expressions, finally reacted.
“H-How dare you call us vermin!”
“Are you the Pioneer chosen by the Harmless Calamity?! You don’t look like much!”
They extended their hands, engulfed in flames.
They even activated their divinities, materializing sharp weapons in the air.
Hostility surged.
Edanant was surrounded by the divinities of the Disaster Gods.
The provoked apostles unleashed their powers, their eyes fixed on Edanant with murderous intent.
It was as if they were threatening to tear him limb from limb if he didn’t apologize for his insolence.
“You’re nothing but parasites clinging to life in the shadows. Pathetic vermin, that’s what you are.”
Edanant raised a hand.
Responding to his call, the divinity of War took hold.
Clank! Clank, clank, clank—!!!
A cacophony of metallic sounds filled the air as chunks of metal clanged and clattered.
Simultaneously, countless firearms materialized, filling the castle’s airspace.
Cannons capable of shattering castle walls, along with a vast array of firearms used in warfare, appeared out of thin air.
The apostles, facing a barrage of bullets like condemned prisoners sentenced to death by firing squad, swallowed their screams as they confronted the calamity of War.
“Is this the calamity of War?!”
“It’s the same divinity that emanated from the apostle of Fresh Blood…!”
Hundreds of firearms were deployed.
Edanant wielded them with ease, as if they were extensions of his own limbs.
The apostles watched in terror.
If he lowers his hand, they’ll unleash a torrent of fire.
We’re dead.
Fear and dread gripped them, threatening to consume them whole.
Could they possibly overcome this onslaught even if they joined forces?
Unable to confidently face the impending storm of lead, the apostles abandoned any thought of resistance against the Pioneer wielding the calamity of War.
The sight of the ever-expanding divinity had sapped their will to fight.
“Ah, such overwhelming divinity…! As expected of the Pioneer, the one who will lead the Ascension of Evil.”
The vampire with flowing black hair exclaimed in awe, dropping to one knee.
“We humbly greet the Harmless Calamity.”
“C-Could it be that the prophecies of the oracles were true, and the Harmless Calamity actually exists…?”
The Harmless Calamity.
One of the four calamities that would lead humanity to ruin.
Having witnessed the Harmless Calamity with their own eyes, the apostles, like Ariel, knelt and expressed their reverence.
For the cultists facing annihilation at the hands of the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, Edanant was their savior.
Therefore, the apostles, confronted by the Harmless Calamity, bowed their heads and accepted the Pioneer of their faith.
“I will dethrone Gael, the Earth Mother, from her seat of power. Lend me your strength.”
The command was simple and clear.
The downfall of the one true god.
He spoke of only one objective.
He didn’t promise to revive the gods of their faith, the ones ostracized by the dominant religion.
He merely declared his intention to dethrone the Earth Mother.
However, for the apostles, Edanant’s declaration was akin to salvation.
“We will follow your teachings, Pioneer!”
“As long as we can exact our revenge on them… We’ll follow any order you give!”
We can bring down the one true god.
The time for vengeance against those who had persecuted and oppressed them had finally arrived.
The apostles of the Disaster Gods, sensing the imminent Ascension of Evil, embraced the belief with unwavering conviction.
Their eyes blazed with a thirst for revenge against the one true god.
‘Pioneer, my ass. Useless bunch of good-for-nothings…’
The Empire and the Holy Kingdom had relentlessly persecuted the followers of the Disaster Gods for a reason.
They had bathed the continent in blood with their massacres and human sacrifices.
The ones before him were no different.
No,
They were probably the ones who had orchestrated those atrocities.
He had accepted the role of Pioneer out of necessity, acknowledging the need for a necessary evil.
Once he successfully dethroned Gael, he planned to eliminate these vermin who served no purpose in the world.
‘…Ludmilla?’
As he contemplated how to utilize these apostles gathered from across the continent,
He sensed a powerful presence.
It was a bizarre and distorted aura, but he recognized the divinity of the Red Dragon.
This is bad.
It had only been a few hours.
How did Ludmilla, who should be at the Imperial Capital, arrive at the Hohenberc marquisate?
He couldn’t let Ludmilla witness this scene.
If the Second Imperial Princess, who abhorred all forms of injustice, were to discover the truth, all his plans would crumble.
“Ariel.”
“You called, Pioneer?”
Ludmilla’s approaching aura was overwhelming.
Fearing the worst, Edanant ordered Ariel to disband the gathering.
He couldn’t comprehend why Ludmilla would chase after him to the Hohenberc marquisate just because he had left the Imperial Capital for a short while.
Did she find out?
No,
That couldn’t be it.
If she had discovered the truth, she would have rained fire upon the Hillard estate without hesitation.
The fact that the Hillard estate remained untouched meant she hadn’t uncovered his secret.
‘Why?! Why would she chase me all the way to the Hohenberc marquisate just because I left the Imperial Capital for a bit…?’
Edanant shuddered, stifling a silent scream.
Clatter.
The ring box in his pocket rattled.
Edanant frowned and retrieved the ring box from his pocket.
Unaware that Ludmilla’s objective was the Hohenberc family’s wedding ring, he treated it like a nuisance.
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