Eugene led Nol all the way to the church's parlor.
This place had been converted into Eugene's temporary office. Nol noticed the incongruous desk and the excessive number of magic candles.
Besides Eugene, there was a young knight standing guard in the room. Nol recognized him at a glance—it was Manley, the knight they had rescued in Whitebird City. He had recovered well. One couldn't tell he had been so gravely injured.
Seeing a familiar face lightened Nol's mood.
If it were just Nol by himself, he might have been on high alert. But now, with Teest swaggering up to Eugene's desk, taking liberties to sneak peeks at the documents, Nol couldn't muster up any nervousness.
"Please." Eugene gestured towards the sofa in the meeting area. A teapot floated by itself, pouring a cup of hot tea for Nol.
"No need. It's late. Please speak directly," Nol said dutifully, playing the role of the "Dragonblood Hero Drake" from his impression. He couldn't deny there was a bit of joy in treating his temporary "superior" this way.
Out of the corner of his eye, Nol saw Teest plopping down in Eugene's office chair, stretching his neck to look at the documents on the desk. There was a map with many letters and manuscripts on it. Teest was nearly reaching for a cup of tea to drink while he read.
"We have noticed your outings and are aware that you are volunteering to deal with the corrupted monsters," Eugene began straightforwardly. "Your vigilance is also high. You neither go to the places where knights are stationed nor let our people witness the scene… We can only speculate that your method of dealing with corrupted monsters is very special."
"I like to act alone," Nol said. "I ran out on my own. If I involve others, precious time would be spent explaining."
"As for special, I don't know what you mean?"
Nol was genuinely puzzled. Teest dealt with the bodies entirely using the methods of the Temple of Life. Before this, Nol had only heard a few "last wishes" from the corrupted—nothing more.
The content of those last wishes was very similar—confused pleas for help, expressions of pain and despair, murmurs of wanting to see family. It was normal human sentiment—nothing out of the ordinary.
"The abandoned house in the east of the city, the space under Colt Tower, the cobblestone path in the city center, the mill on Fluorite Street… Tonight, you've dealt with four corrupted monsters, right?"
Eugene continued with a smile, "The corruption of the Demon King is very stubborn, and even after being thoroughly purified, that land will be somewhat colder than other places."
"The places you've cleaned are as warm as normal land. Do you mind telling me how that is?"
Nol: "..."
He had been careless. Indeed, he hadn't known this detail about the temperature difference.
A few steps away, Teest lifted his head, innocently looking towards Nol, his head shaking like a rattle. [Honey, do you think the former me would have been so kind as to help clean up corrupted monsters?]
At that moment, Teest was on tiptoes, peeking at scrolls on a shelf. As he turned his head, the stack of scrolls he was secretly fiddling with almost collapsed. Fortunately, the Mad Monk was quick and managed to steady them in time.
…Before Nol could pass this buck, his "only Pope" preemptively set up defenses, ready as if beating the drum to pass the blame. This relationship of faith was really too healthy.
Nol tried to discard the thought of "spouses are like birds of the same forest*" from his mind. Eugene wasn't an easy man to deal with, so he decided to be a bit more honest. "I really don't know how I did it."
*The line following after is: When disaster strikes, they fly separately. It's a proverb used to describe a situation where a couple may seem to be close and committed, but when a serious challenge arises, they may abandon each other and act selfishly.
"Don't know, huh…"
There wasn't much disappointment in Eugene's voice. He casually changed the topic. "The background of all temporary knights has been checked except for yours. You and I are both children of God. It's better not to keep too many secrets."
He lifted the teacup, the moss-green color of his eyes floating at the edge of the cup.
The inevitable still arrived.
Nol launched the [Bloodline Suppression] that stemmed from the dragon without hesitation.
Merely affected by the aftermath, the young knight inside the room stumbled, almost falling in place. Eugene, being the target, didn't even shake the hand that was holding the teacup. He lowered his gaze, set the cup down lightly, and clapped his hands twice.
"No wonder you are also called 'Drake'." Eugene's tone was somewhat relieved. "Another person with dragon's blood. That's a good sign."
"So that's how it is." Nol said, "Many people still have concerns about mixed bloodlines, which is why I hide my identity on normal days. I change my appearance every time I take on a task."
"I understand your worries." Eugene nodded, his posture relaxed. "Your bloodline is as outstanding as your appearance, but indeed, both can bring trouble."
"You don't mind? The duty of the Investigation Knights is clearly to eradicate monsters and the darkness."
"As long as you are willing to exert effort for Lady Tilia, that's enough. In the eyes of the Goddess, nobility and commonality are equal—there is no difference between monster mixed-blood and human pure-blood… Wasn't the Dragonblood Hero from two hundred years ago also a hero among humans?"
Eugene cast a heating spell on Nol's tea, causing the cool tea to steam once again.
Interesting. As devout believers, Knight Eugene and that Sean had completely different interpretations of the "rules". Nol was somewhat surprised. Eugene wasn't as difficult to communicate with as they had imagined.
"Then I'll just say it—the anomaly in the purification might be due to my special bloodline. Dragon's magical talent is stronger than humans. Perhaps my purification is more thorough."
The timing was right. Nol gave the excuse he had prepared in advance.
"Perhaps." Eugene said, "You may go back now, Mr. Drake. I look forward to your performance. May your life be full of vitality."
"May the Goddess forever bless you and me." Nol nodded, and Teest, having completed his snooping, hurried back to his side.
The young knight Manley moved to the door, politely opening it first.
Could the anomaly be related to that [Lost Last Wish] skill? Nol walked on, thinking to himself.
Those corrupted people had expressed their grievances fully before death, removing their resentment? …No, this line of thought was too reminiscent of ancient Country C style. Nol doubted it was that simple.
Teest curiously turned his head to spy on Eugene's actions.
Whoosh!
A flash of sword light came from behind Nol.
It brushed past Teest's temples, stopping within two fists' distance of Nol's shoulder. Teest dodged just in time, or else he would have lost a large tuft of hair.
Nol stopped but didn't turn around. "Captain Eugene, what's the meaning of this?"
"I just sensed hostility and surveillance near you," Eugene answered nonchalantly, his expression revealing no ripples of emotion. "That feeling didn't seem like you… Ah, perhaps it's still too late. My judgment was flawed."
"You didn't dodge." Seeing Nol continuing towards the door without a word, Eugene casually added.
'That's the reflex of an office warrior. Even if you were to stab at me head-on, I wouldn't be able to dodge,' Nol muttered to himself internally but still didn't turn back, nonchalantly responding—
"You are a knight favored by the Goddess. You wouldn't attack someone from behind."
"Hahaha, indeed!" Eugene swiftly sheathed his sword. "I hope we will have the chance to work together."
No, my family likes to dump corpses in front of the Evergreen Church. I guess you wouldn't accept this. Nol took heavy steps, walking towards the midnight corridor.
[We need to stay away from him,] Nol thought to himself after leaving the room.
[He really is a troublesome guy. Just now, I only cursed him in my mind.] Teest internally ranted nonstop. [Worthy of the renowned Chosen One.]
[Do you know his prophecy?] Nol became interested.
[Only the higher-ups of the Temple of Life know.] Teest snorted. [Next time you can inquire about it from that Annakin. I am also curious.]
[Mm…]
At the same time, inside Eugene's office.
"The Chosen Ones and servants of the Temple have all had their identities confirmed," Eugene muttered as he scrolled through the scroll. "In recent years, no new oracles have emerged…"
But that Drake was clearly not an ordinary person. Eugene prided himself on his intuition. The feeling he got when he faced Drake was no different from when he faced other powerful Chosen Ones… In fact, Drake seemed even more exceptional.
…Could it be that the Goddess didn't favor him? Drake was evidently a decent pantheist.
…Or was it that Drake wasn't as simple as he appeared on the surface?
Right, the hostility he sensed earlier was almost inexplicable… Standing there, Drake seemed like the mix of two extremes of good and evil, exuding a very inconsistent aura.
Eugene drew his longsword, and the firelight turned its blade into a mirror. Eugene gazed at his own puzzled eyes reflected in it.
…It should also not be a Supplement Demon. The Eternal Church didn't have the capability to obtain a fresh, complete dragon corpse to make potions. If they dared to do so, the angry dragons would have flattened the Eternal Church long before.
Eugene thought hard but couldn't come up with an answer.
In the end, he could only pull out the battle force arrangement chart, placing Drake under the close watch of the Investigation Knights.
"You should rest early," Knight Manly reminded him. "After all, tomorrow you have to…"
"Thank you for the reminder. I remember." Eugene cut him off.
...
The next day, outside the city.
After returning yesterday, Teest boasted about the intelligence he had gathered—
On the big shared bed, Nol pretended to be asleep with his eyes closed. Teest crawled under his blanket, chirping non-stop inside the bulging blanket.
Indeed, he had gathered quite a bit of information, such as the multiple conflicts between The Manor and Eternal Day City, and the rough battle plan of the Investigation Knights' mission.
As Nol expected, Eugene's arrangements didn't include a "negotiation" phase. What they couldn't understand was the absence of an "investigation" phase as well.
The Investigation Knights were unable to confirm the location of The Manor, only knowing that it was on the edge of "Brick Shadow", and for some reason, divination magic had no effect on it.
Through the captured Siren Fischer, Nol knew the approximate location of The Manor. He had planned to find an opportunity to reveal it to the Investigation Knights, but who would have thought that Eugene would lead the team out of the city so directly, appearing exceptionally confident.
As a temporary knight, Nol was given a horse and was currently squeezed on it in tandem with Teest. To avoid the horses getting too dissatisfied, Nol even kindly used gravity magic. Aside from his back being entirely covered by Teest, warm enough to be irritating, the situation was still under control.
[Are the Investigation Knights always this confident?] Nol asked. [Or is it that they are just accustomed to acting first?]
[No, Eugene Malloy is a very cautious person.] Teest rested his chin on Nol's shoulder, lazily hooking the reins with his fingers. [He would only make a move when he's certain of the target. He probably got the news from some other channels.]
With the addition of temporary knights, the expedition force was a full two hundred and ten strong. Each member of the Investigation Knights troop was elite, and this force was equivalent to an elite combat group of a large guild.
Eugene led them to a stop on a vast grassland.
He galloped out of the formation, stopping before the crowd, ensuring that everyone could see him. Nol curiously leaned closer to Teest, their heads cocking as they observed intently.
"In the midst of last night, the Archbishop has returned with the results of the divine revelation," Eugene said in a loud voice, as the rustling sound of the morning grass surrounded them. "Even the most powerful divination cannot pinpoint the exact location of The Manor."
"Surely, you must have noticed something special about The Manor recently. Its members come and go without a trace, and with The Manor's activity, the occurrence of the White Nights has increased more than tenfold… This is a very dangerous adversary. Listen well, everyone. Underestimating the enemy on the battlefield is a grave mistake."
"Eh? No divination results?" Damori exclaimed in surprise. "Then where do we go?"
Confusion wasn't exclusive to him. Aside from those like Sean who fully trusted in the Temple, the rest of the temporary knights were more or less puzzled, and whispers began to spread.
"To resolve the issue of The Manor as swiftly as possible, I have decided to request the Goddess's mercy."
After two minutes, Knight Eugene spoke again. "I will make a sacrifice here, to let the omnipotent God guide us and reveal the way to us."
Nol clenched the reins in his hand, and behind him, Teest's body tensed up slightly.
A direct request to God? What does that mean? A magic trick, or truly summoning a god?
Nol's mind rapidly sifted through various divination spells, his gaze unflinchingly on Eugene. The rest of the temporary knights gradually fell silent, looking toward Captain Eugene with reverence.
Eugene smiled at everyone and waved to his own team. Two knights approached on horseback. They stopped, one on each side, flanking Eugene squarely in the middle.
With a swish, Eugene drew his longsword.
In the early morning, everything was dim and hazy, as if a thin veil of gray-blue was draped over all things.
The pale light of the sword pierced through this softness, and Eugene's actions were decisive—he thrust the sword directly into his own chest.
Simultaneously, the knight to his left swiftly drew his sword. Two swords pierced through the armor, and Eugene's upper body was marked with a cross made by the swords. His body was penetrated, and blood gushed out rapidly.
It soaked the armor and the horse's fur and drizzled onto the grass. Eugene himself didn't move; his face quickly turned pale, but his smile remained unchanged.
The scene fell into utter silence.
[There's definitely no magic like this in my 'Tahe'.]
[He avoided the vitals, but he will die from blood loss soon.]
Nol and Teest almost simultaneously voiced their thoughts internally.
[This is more like black magic that requires a sacrifice…] Nol was about to add something to his mind when suddenly both of them heard a rustling system noise.
[Attention….. Player Teest, please… hold the person next to you...]
[Attention... Player Teest, please… hold the person next to you...]
[Attention... Player Teest, please... hold the person next to you...]
The system's voice was distorted and stuttered, faint to almost non-existent. Teest hesitated for less than a second, then fiercely hugged Nol, with such force as if to embed him into his body.
Seeing the system's abnormality for the first time, Nol didn't dare act rashly, cooperating with Teest's movements, pressing close to him.
In the next instant, he thought he knew the reason for the prompt's trigger.
The air nearby suddenly became immensely heavy, and something… almost like a vision, surged from all directions. The feeling of being watched by a pride of lions on the grassland, amplified a million times, was probably close to what Nol was feeling now.
…Something, something extremely powerful, cast its gaze upon them.
The wind stopped, and all bird and insect noises vanished, the breathing of hundreds of people around was barely audible. In this terrifying silence, Eugene curled his lips upward. With his arms drenched in his own blood, he reached out to the void, as if yearning for an embrace.
"O beginning of the world, sovereign of all things, Supreme Goddess Tilia."
He called out with a voice full of joy.
"Please guide the way for your devoted knight. Let your loyal sword slay the enemy… Please tell me the location of The Manor."
The feeling of being watched persisted for a dozen seconds before gradually disappearing.
The next second, Demori, a few steps away, let out a suppressed cry of surprise. Sean dismounted and knelt to pray on the spot—
In the early morning sky, an emerald green meteor descended from the heavens. It trailed a long tail, slowly falling towards a certain location in the Brick Mountains.
Amidst the pool of blood, Eugene ignored the two swords in his chest and performed a proper knight's salute. "Praise be to Your Grace."
His complexion was paler than fresh snow, looking as if he might fall off his horse at any moment.
The knight to Eugene's left quickly acted. With two puffing sounds, the blood-covered swords fell to the grass. The knight on his right immediately cast a prepared healing spell, dousing Eugene with a healing potion that soaked him through.
Knight Eugene then caught his breath. His face was still frightfully pale, but his breathing gradually returned to normal.
Meanwhile, the emerald meteor at the edge of the sky had just vanished.
"Rest for ten minutes, then advance towards The Manor," Eugene instructed. "The Goddess watches over us. We will surely prevail!"
"Yes!!!" Dozens of temporary knights erupted in cheers. Even the nominally faithful Damori's cheeks were flushed with excitement.
Passing through the forest-like raised arms, Eugene's gaze fell on Nol's direction. "Drake" responded to his look seriously and calmly.
At this moment, the tumult within "Mr. Drake", or Nol's heart, was perhaps only known to his templar knight.
[That location is absolutely fine.] Nol muttered frantically in his mind. [That was definitely not normal magic just now. I didn't feel any magical fluctuations, but the location indicated by that meteor is indeed correct, matching exactly with where the siren is located… Teest, do you know this spell?]
This might have been their closest encounter with the so-called "God".
Unexpectedly, Teest didn't respond to him excitedly. The Mad Monk remained silent, both in body and spirit.
[Teest?]
[I was thinking about the system prompt just now.] Almost half a minute later, Teest finally responded. [It wanted me to stay as close to you as possible.]
Nol was stunned. The impact of the "divine" intervention was so great, he almost forgot this detail.
[I have an interesting hypothesis.] Teest stroked his chin, his tone a bit… peculiar. [Do you remember the curse on me? The one left by the Lich.]
[Of course, I remember.]
[Deceiving God with unworthy means, God will no longer watch over you. There's a line in the system description of "God's Forsaken" that says this. And that candle said, God must also absolutely obey the rules of the system.]
Teest took a deep breath, his tone losing its usual lightness.
[That is to say, "God's Forsaken" isn't only binding me. With this curse, God is equally unable to watch over me.]
[Nol, was the curse placed by the system really to "curse" you and me?]
The author has something to say:
Here it comes!!! The story is in the middle phase, gradually filling in the gaps~
System: Urgent request, stick together! (voice breaks)
Kinky Thoughts:
Making an erratum. For those who have been reading along, note that God's Abandonment is now changed to God's Forsaken as I think that sounds better. Earlier chapters have been fixed to correct this change.