Chapter 34

Dehitri had a dream.

Under the brilliant sun, he opened his eyes in a palace above the clouds.

Having read the holy scriptures as regularly as eating, Dehitri realized that this place was the afterlife of Heaven's Faith, 'Heaven'.

"So, I am dead."

He felt proud.

Indeed, there was merit in serving God with a pure heart.

It was regrettable that he hadn't caught the manticore.

But wasn't it because of his brothers' care that he had reached Heaven?

Now, he just had to wait for the angels blowing trumpets...

Then, someone appeared before Dehitri.

"A woman?"

She was a beauty beyond words, like an exquisite piece of art.

Overwhelmed by her beauty, Dehitri instinctively knelt.

"My lord."

The woman smiled faintly.

Dehitri had guessed correctly.

She was the lord of Heaven's Faith.

"I am pleased to see you in person, Dehitri. However, this place is not yet where you belong."

"...Pardon?"

Dehitri was confused by the goddess's words.

"Didn't you call for me, my lord?"

"What are you talking about? Who died because of a manticore's claw piercing their belly? So, you're saying I sent the manticore to kill you?"

"???"

Dehitri did not fully understand the goddess's words.

Literally, it was impossible for him to understand.

It was like a dream or recalling a distant memory; the goddess's language did not fully reach Dehitri.

She was the greatest mystery of the universe itself.

Therefore, Dehitri selectively remembered her somewhat inappropriate, casual tone of speech.

"I am not taking you in."

"But my lord!"

"Your time has not yet come, my child. There is much left for you to do."

"Left for me to do?"

"Spread my will far and wide. Help the weak, perform good deeds. And..."

The goddess said with a transcendentally beautiful smile.

"Support my apostle, Ian, with all your might."

"Ian...? Are you talking about the wizard Ian?"

"Yes. That is what your goddess desires."

Dehitri's consciousness gradually faded.

...

When he opened his eyes.

"You're awake!"

"Brother! Are you conscious?"

Many knights surrounded him, alternating between prayers and tears.

Among them.

A young wizard, covered in sweat, said with a grateful smile.

"How does it feel to come back from the dead?"

'Ian...!'

Upon seeing Ian, Dehitri realized.

The great lord of the heavens had sent the wizard Ian to save him...!

Dehitri eagerly grabbed Ian's hand.

Caught off guard by suddenly being grabbed by a man, Ian was startled and panicked.

"Oh, why would you do something that would send you to hell...!"

But to Dehitri, whose eyes had rolled back, nothing else was visible.

In fact, Ian was the only one who minded such things.

After everyone witnessed the miracle performed by Ian.

"Wizard Ian! You! By the command of the great one, you have saved me!"

Ian smiled awkwardly.

Well, he couldn't deny it.

The reason Ian could use holy magic was that the goddess of Heaven's Faith had lent him her power.

So, he just agreed.

"Yes. She said that Dehitri has much to do and must be saved."

"!!!"

Dehitri was shocked.

Ian's words matched exactly with what the goddess had said!

Though it was actually a result of Ian's rough improvisation, Dehitri would never believe that.

This was a clear revelation from God.

Dehitri tried to get up and kneel.

Everyone stopped him, fearing his intestines, which Ian had barely kept in, might pop out again.

"Wizard Ian! You are an apostle sent by God!"

"... Pardon?"

"A humble servant meets the apostle!"

Others, including Ian, were puzzled by Dehitri's declaration.

Suddenly an apostle of God?

Everyone knew Ian had performed an amazing miracle, but calling him an apostle of God for just that seemed insufficient.

That's how divine magic worked.

No, that's how magic itself worked.

If the divine powers lent a lot of their strength, an outstanding result was produced, and without it, there's no gain at all, whether it was magic or divine magic.

Ian's divine magic was indeed exceptional, but... that might have been largely because the recipient was Dehitri.

Gods were perceptive, showing more zeal in healing their own followers.

In other words, it was a result of a combination of Ian's divine magic and Dehitri's faith.

It was impressive, but not to the extent of making a fuss like Dehitri...

'He must have seen some hallucinations while hovering between life and death.'

'That's understandable. Let's take good care of him for a while.'

Understanding the situation, the knights just humored Dehitri.

Dehitri kept talking nonsense about Ian being an apostle of God, but no one paid much attention.

Chasing the escaped manticore was more urgent.

"We couldn't finish it off?"

"...I'm sorry, Elder."

"What's there to be sorry for? It's my fault. I should have fought alongside you..."

The manticore had fled with injuries.

When a giant monster decides to escape, it was impossible to chase.

"Kek kek kek. I knew it."

The wizard Mani acted as if she knew it all along.

Her demeanor was extremely annoying.

When you're frustrated, the last thing you want is someone beside you making it worse.

"Mani! If you hadn't cast your magic..."

"Ian would have been in danger."

"..."

With just one sentence, Mani silenced the knights.

Indeed, a display befitting the greatest intellects of the era.

"Don't be too discouraged. Didn't we prepare weapons coated in poison just for such occasions?"

The knights nodded in agreement.

It would have been great if they could have killed the manticore in one go, but since things had gone awry, they had to resort to Plan B.

The plant poison magic prepared by Mani would steadily sap the manticore's strength.

"Let's head back to the village."

Elder's suggestion surprised the knights.

"Are we letting it go?"

But Ian understood Elder's words perfectly.

It was because, through conversation with the manticore, an entry in the summoning tome had been updated.

Carnivorous monsters hunt humans when injured. Humans are an easy, plentiful, and delicious prey. - Demonite

"It's going to hunt humans."

"..."

Ian's words silenced the knights.

The manticore's destination was clear.

It was definitely heading towards a human settlement.

It wasn't just out to find food.

As a cunning and cruel creature, the manticore would likely seek to devour humans in revenge.

Simply to inflict pain on the knights. It was an act of retaliatory killing.

"Elder. I'll release the birds to chase after the manticore."

"Are you sure? You might be putting yourself at risk."

Ian slowly shook his head.

Ian had grown to detest the manticore to the point where he wouldn't be able to sleep without seeing it dead.

"Now that I know it's no ordinary bastard, we have to see it through, don't we?"

Ian's response brought a pleased smile to the faces of the knights.

Normally, the knights were not fond of wizards, but Ian was an exception.

How could they hate a comrade and brother in faith who had studied the scriptures with them?

"Thank you, Ian."

"I'll join as well!"

"As long as you don't overdo it with the heroics, that's fine."

"What?"

The knights burst into laughter.

They had wounded the manticore and saved Dehitri's life, so the battle was a victory for the knights.

It was a moment when tension could slightly ease.

But the monster was still alive.

"Oberon. Take the birds and follow the manticore's trail."

[I'll do just that!]

At the wizard's command, the birds took off in unison to track the monster.

After a brief rest, the knights re-armed themselves and resumed the hunt.

As Elder and Ian had predicted, the manticore set off to attack a nearby homestead.

This was a retaliatory attack, intending to send a message, "Dare to disturb me, who has been living in hiding all this time? I'll make you regret it!"

The monster's mindset was shamelessly clear: if not hunted down, it would hunt humans whenever bored.

However, aside from how evil the manticore was, it was better to prevent the homesteads from becoming victims.

"Monster!"

At dusk.

Farmers returning home from the fields were attacked by the manticore that suddenly leaped out of the forest.

The manticore launched its tail, whipping out venomous stings.

The venom, containing a paralyzing agent, was a terrifying weapon that instantly impaired physical abilities upon contact.

"Yikes!"

Farmers struck by the venomous sting helplessly fell to the ground.

A young farmer ran towards a fallen farmer instead of fleeing.

"Father!"

Clutching a rake in his hand, the young farmer blocked the path of the manticore.

"Get out of our village! You monster!"

With all the courage he could muster, the young man shouted at the monster.

It was truly remarkable courage.

Wasn't that line supposed to be used by an injured protagonist who had sneaked into the village?

The manticore, not expecting resistance from the young man, circled around him with a creepy grin.

It could kill him right away, but the manticore was a naturally born bastard of evil, delighting in tormenting humans...!

"Kuhuhu. Is that man your father?"

"!"

"I have a good offer for you. Kill that father of yours and bring him to me. Then, I'll spare all the others."

The young man was shocked and looked around.

There were many farmers fallen in the field.

To exchange the lives of his father and those farmers...?

"You're not a fool who can't do math, are you? Ten humans versus one human. Which side will you choose to save?"

The manticore's words were lies from start to finish.

No matter what choice the young man made, all the farmers would die.

There was never any intention to spare them.

It just wanted to watch humans struggle, suffer, and die in agony.

However, humans driven to the edge lose their judgment and become desperate.

"What are you doing! John! Just do what the monster says!"

"Shut your mouth! You f*cking idiot! You believe what the monster says?"

"Who are you calling an idiot! So, we should all just die here together?"

Humans raised their voices and argued among themselves, not hesitating to hurt and blame one another.

The manticore laughed uproariously at the scene.

Yes, manticores were troublemakers.

An embodiment of chaos, a joker without makeup, and someone who loved grandmothers.

The stress from being beaten by the knights was instantly relieved, and the manticore felt good.

"Do you think I would heed the enemy's words!"

So when some young man swung his rake, it didn't really spoil its mood.

It would have been pleased if the young man had actually killed his father, but since he was smarter than expected, it couldn't be helped.

"Is that so? Then die!"

The manticore swung its forelimb with a laugh.

Just then.

Whoosh!

"Aaaargh!"

An arrow flew from the forest, piercing the manticore's eye precisely.

Elder, having thrown his bow and rushed out, struck the manticore's forelimb with his longsword.

"Santiago Knights! Prepare for battle!"

The knights quickly surrounded the manticore.

Only then did the manticore realize it had been too complacent.

"You filthy bastards! Do you want to die!"

The manticore contorted its face and roared, trying to intimidate its enemies.

But the adversary was a group bound tightly by faith and conviction.

"In the name of the heavens! We have come to condemn you, you vile monster!"

"I will sever your head and offer it under the glorious sun!"

"Argh! Get lost! Disappear from my sight!"

The knight order persistently maintained their encirclement.

Those close to the manticore would retreat, while those further away advanced.

Proving their long history of hunting monsters, the knights coordinated their movements fluidly like water.

Meanwhile, Ian annoyed the manticore from a distance with his babbling, scratching at its nerves.

"Idiot. What difference does it make if you just babble with your mouth?"

"Shut up! Wizard!"

In fact... this was all a wizard could do.

Wizards were essentially known for their big mouths.

But if a few words could manipulate the opponent's emotions, couldn't that also be considered magic?

"So what can you actually do? Besides threatening to make me disappear, what can you do?"

"I'll chew your head off thoroughly...!"

"Uh-huh. Can't chew, can you? Can't break the encirclement, can you? You're destined to die here, aren't you?"

"Argh!"

As Ian distracted the manticore and the knights maneuvered... the plan progressed.

The knights led the manticore to a wheat field (not where a wife awaits)[1]. In the field, freshly sown wheat seeds were just beginning to sprout.

[A/N: There is another popular novel called 'My Wife Waited in the Wheat Fields.' Though I don't know if this sentence is a reference to that novel or just something from KR in general.]

And here, there was an experienced plant wizard.

"[Children of the green! Grow!]"

As Mani chanted, the sprouts grew at a terrifying pace, entangling the manticore's limbs.

"This petty trick!"

The manticore exploded in rage but couldn't easily escape nature's net.

Grass was inherently tough.

Living grass was even tougher.

That's why soldiers call the persistently growing weeds the green monster.

"Hah! Try to break free if you can, you monster!"

Mani confidently shouted.

The manticore couldn't break free from the net of wheat stalks.

Mani's plant poison had already sapped much of the manticore's strength.

It was a death sentence.

"Now! Brothers!"

The knight order pulled gourds from their bosoms and threw them.

Inside the gourds was tree sap distributed by Mani.

It was the sap that served as material for fire arrows.

"Ian Eredith! It's your turn!"

Eredith, renowned as a fire wizard, had taught her disciple how to wield the mystery of fire.

Fire magic is notoriously difficult to get started with, but Ian cheated his way through that part.

Ian flicked his fingers towards the manticore.

A classic move for a fire wizard.

The weather was clear today, and the mystery of fire joyfully danced across the field.

It was a perfect day for fire magic.

"[Flames! Ignite!]"

The low ignition point tree sap burst into flames.

Covered in sticky sap, the manticore trapped in the green net, blazed fiercely.

Burning at the stake.

A fitting punishment for a monster that harmed humans.