Karnak, Monarch of Death

Relfiana, like Leoslav, was also saved and returned to the embrace of the goddesses. It didn't exactly look like salvation, which was a downside, but the fact remained that both souls had ascended.

"I guess we can deal with the others like this from now on."

Serati let out a deep sigh as Karnak looked pleased with himself, having found an appropriate solution. Why did that man look so evil, even when doing something good?

That's a talent too, really...

With their business finished, they left the forest before the night deepened, heading toward the nearest village.

The closest settlement was a farming village called Feselden. Upon arrival, Karnak's party immediately headed for the local temple. Inns were only profitable in large cities with a lot of trade, so they were typically nonexistent in rural villages.

That was why travelers passing through the countryside would usually seek shelter in temples. Of course, priests could not exactly charge believers, so travelers would give a suitable donation in exchange for food and a place to sleep. The temple in this village was dedicated to Latiel, the Goddess of the Sun.

An older priest, who appeared to be the temple head, greeted the party warmly. "Welcome, travelers from afar."

"May we stay for a night?"

"Of course, the Temple of the Sun is open to all."

After exchanging simple greetings, Karnak's party entered the temple. Inside, a few young priests were present. They were, in every way, the typical priests of Latiel.

However, the moment the doors closed and outside eyes were blocked off, their attitudes changed all at once.

"Ooooh!"

"We greet the saintess!"

Suddenly, they all prostrated themselves and began bowing fervently toward Serati. That was right. In truth, this place, disguised as a temple of Latiel, was actually one of the Twilight Cult's branches.

Serati returned the greeting with an awkward smile. "Ah, um, n-nice to meet you all..."

Beside her, Drel blinked.

—Saintess? What's this now?

—I'll explain later.

—Why is there so much to explain? I've already heard so many explanations...

—Well, that's what happens when you commit a lot of sins.

Following the Twilight cultists' guidance, they unpacked their belongings inside the temple. During that time, some of the cultists turned to Milia with delighted expressions.

"Oh!"

"Miss, you must also be in disguise as a priest of Latiel like us!"

Milia felt like crying. I'm not... I really am one.

Not only was she a real priest, but she was also an inquisitor specializing in dealing with cultists. It was a complicated feeling. When she thought of her duty, she felt she should strike these heretics down with divine judgment right that instant, but she herself was standing at the pinnacle of heresy.

Having felt so proud earlier for fulfilling her priestly duties, the sense of her fall was that much sharper now. "Phew..."

"Hm? Why the sudden sigh?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I'm just a little tired."

"Just wait a little while longer. The meal will be ready soon."

As it was a rural temple, the menu was simple. It was nothing more than bread, potato soup, and some pickled vegetables.

The branch leader of the Twilight Cult, disguised as the temple master, bowed repeatedly. "We are ashamed, Saintess, but the world is in chaos these days, and our food supply is poor."

Serati quickly expressed her gratitude, waving it off. "What are you saying? This is a feast."

Varos and Karnak exchanged whispers beside her.

—They're all about the saintess here, while the pope's left out in the cold.

—Who cares, as long as we get a hot meal.

The meal was tastier than expected. Of course, the packed lunches they had been eating were a luxury in themselves, but nothing compared to the warmth of freshly cooked soup.

As they filled their stomachs, Karnak asked, "Have you heard any news about the current state of the empire?"

He had previously ordered the Twilight Cult to gather information about the war. Even if it was a rural village, they should have at least some news.

However, the response was unexpected.

"Oh, you mean the empire?" The branch leader nodded and replied, "I heard it's fallen."

***

Karnak's group continued north toward the imperial capital. As they drew closer to Thea Krahan, the aftermath of war grew more apparent. Signs of battle and destruction were scattered everywhere.

They saw ruined villages and cities, as well as rotting human corpses. The number of refugees heading south increased daily. They were people desperately trying to survive. Through them, they were able to gather more accurate information.

What the Feselden branch leader said was true. The capital had already fallen. It had happened five days ago. The imperial knights, considered the strongest in Lacania, had suffered an almost total defeat, and the 1st and 2nd Legions that defended the capital had been crushed.

After that, there was no one left to stop the forces of the Black God. The towering walls of Thea Krahan had become a miserable ruin. Even the thousand-year-old imperial palace had burned down. The emperor had fortunately escaped the capital, but his whereabouts afterward were unknown.

Karnak was bewildered. "How did this happen?"

It wasn't that he was surprised the imperial army had lost. Honestly, he had expected they would lose.

The empire's strongest forces, Diogres Kolon and the martial king Batalok, had turned traitor. The only trustworthy faction left, the Tower of Dawn, had been purged by the emperor himself. Meanwhile, the imperial magic tower and the Kretas Knights, who were practically puppets of the cult, had been placed in key positions.

With things like that, how could the empire possibly win? The reason Karnak was surprised was that the forces of the Black God had moved far too quickly. The army of Giyen Ren was already sizable. Adding Batalok's and Diogres' forces had created an army of tens of thousands.

For an army of that size to reach the capital should have taken at least ten days under normal circumstances.

For them to arrive at the capital so quickly meant that they had handpicked an elite force to form a separate strike unit, personally led by the martial kings and archmages.

Varos, who had been listening beside him, asked with a puzzled expression. "So, you're saying Giyen Ren just launched a blitzkrieg. Is that really so strange? If there's a way, it's possible to carry out, isn't it?"

"There was no reason for him to rush like that, that's why." Karnak tilted his head. "Why was he in such a hurry?"

It was a war they would win anyway. Now that Diogres and Batalok had turned against the empire, there was no way the remaining imperial forces could defeat the army of the Black God. In other words, Giyen Ren only needed to calmly press the entire army toward the capital. There was no need for him to split his forces to hastily take the capital first.

"So I thought we still had some time left..."

There was no reason for them to move like this unless some unforeseen variable had occurred. But why? What could have happened to make them move in such a hurry?

Suddenly, Karnak realized what that variable was. "It's because of me."

***

Beyond a space of endless darkness lay a pitch-black void where up nor down could be discerned. Two figures, Giyen Ren and Emil Strauss, stood in this absence.

Looking around, Emil let out a sigh of relief. "We've secured the darkness."

This place was, in fact, the innermost sanctum of the Cathedral of Katera, one of the three main temples in the capital. It was also where the priests across the continent had sealed away the collected Shadow of Doom.

At first glance, it looked like an endlessly stretching void, but in reality, it was simply an enormous vault. Of course, it was so vast that it would rival any structure on the continent.

"They really have gathered a lot." Clicking his tongue as he examined the sealed darkness, Giyen Ren continued. "The priests of this era can't be underestimated."

It was proof of how diligently the priests of the seven goddesses had fulfilled their duties. A faint smile touched the lips of the elven archmage, but it couldn't be discerned whether it was a sneer or touched with regret.

"If they had done this back when they faced Lord Tesranach, they wouldn't have fallen so easily." Turning to Emil, Giyen Ren asked with an expression that showed he still couldn't understand. "But was there really a need to hurry this much?"

"Of course." Emil answered without a hint of hesitation. "Leoslav and Relfiana have not returned."

The news of Leoslav and Relfiana's defeat reached Emil immediately, and it would not have been a significant problem had they simply been defeated by the imperial forces.

It might have caused some setbacks in Tesranach's plans, but those could have been adjusted later. The problem was that they had been defeated by Karnak.

"Their souls did not return to Lord Tesranach. This is a serious problem," said Emil.

The fact that Tesranach's spell had not functioned properly meant that Karnak had likely captured and bound their souls. If the souls of the two fallen popes had been taken, then the plans they knew regarding Tesranach were likely to have leaked.

"In that case, the first thing he would aim for would be the Shadow of Doom here in the capital, wouldn't it?" Emil already had an idea of what method Karnak might use. "If he scatters the Shadow of Doom everywhere, how long do you think it would take to gather it again?"

"Well, that's true, but..." Giyen Ren still wore a look of dissatisfaction. "But that's under the assumption that he can break Lord Tesranach's spells, isn't it?"

Giyen Ren was honestly skeptical. No matter how much Karnak was hailed as a hero of humanity, the Evil-Slaying Mage, in the end, he was still just a human. Could he truly possess such incredible power?

At the very least, it seemed Tesranach and his avatar believed so. In truth, Tesranach had shown a particular interest in Karnak for some time.

For a brief moment, curiosity flickered in Giyen Ren's mind. "Just who is this Karnak, really..."

But that thought quickly passed. It was due to an intangible voice echoing from the depths of his subconscious.

—Seek not to know.

A powerful mental suppression made him forget he was ever even curious. Right, it doesn't matter who he truly is.

What mattered was the sacred duty he had to carry out. "So, what should we do now?"

"Nothing in the plan has changed. Only the order has shifted slightly." Tesranach's avatar continued calmly. "We simply need to continue paving the way."

***

The capital of the empire, Thea Krahan, had fallen. The vast reserves of the Shadow of Doom, once sealed within the capital, had also fallen into the hands of the Black God's cult. At this point, it would hardly be surprising even if the sky turned pitch black and something enormous dropped from the heavens declaring, "I am Tesranach!"

Even the great Karnak could only look on in bleak resignation. "Wow, so... what do we do now?"

One thing was certain. It was too dangerous to head for the capital as things stood. For now, Karnak's group hid within a nearby Twilight Church outpost. He ordered the followers there to gather information while they assessed the situation.

During that process, they came across a rather strange rumor. "The other cultists aren't gathering at the capital?"

The cult forces in the north were led by the Martial King Beltia and the Fallen Sea Pope Valeria. The cult forces in the east were led by the Fallen Sky Pope Rigail and the Fallen Fire Pope Splendia.

It appeared that they were still too busy ravaging the empire to care about anything else. That was not all. Even Giyen Ren and Diogres, who had taken the capital, split off portions of their armies and sent them southward.

It made no sense. Why had they not summoned Tesranach when their goal was already achieved?

A triumphant smile crept across Karnak's lips. "I see now! They still haven't surpassed the faith of the church!"