It was too late for Delphine and Simon to go by their traveling name because they are now being recognized. They are now being known for their bravery and strength to defend the citizens and fight the night creatures. The holy city was such a well-respected place that the citizens are willing to spread the news of everything that has happened. It is genuinely possible that Delphine's name would be told in tales and historical stories about the world. The innkeeper was already suspicious about the two demon hunters and what is next for them on the path ahead.
"Well, I just want you to have this. But don't worry, we might come back if we are interested," Delphine said.
"You killed that bastard creature. This entire city is open to you!" The innkeeper said.
"Oh, thank you," she said. Then, Delphine holds out the key and places it on the table where the innkeeper was staying at; a whole bunch of other people was staring at Delphine and Simon, but they no longer looked at them as strangers.
In their eyes, the two demon hunters were actual heroes for their city and believed that they were sent by God to save them from the darkness.
"My God is with you, Ebony Knight," the innkeeper said. Then, Delphine bows her head and goes to the front door as Simon follows her from behind.
The innkeeper felt a sign of satisfaction and relief while seeing Delphine and Simon walked out of the inn. He felt proud that those two hunters were not people to bring harm to him or any of the citizens of Gisbourne. Then, Delphine walks back to the cathedral to be met by either bishop Chandron or Edward, the priest. She walked to that place and started to be greeted by the people acknowledging her and thanking her for saving them. She was not expecting to be welcomed with such praise by the people, but she was just glad to see them safe and protected.
Delphine stands before the steps to the cathedral's entrance as bishop Chandron, Edward, Harry, Sid, and a bunch of other knights began walking outside with a large bag of coins. It was a massive surprise for her to receive so much money after lifting the deadly curse of the holy city.
"So you're leaving us, then? Have you recovered enough?" Edward asked.
"I'll be fine. I just need some rest. Thank you for all your help, father," Delphine said.
"Not at all! You're the one who helps us. We owe you our thanks. And I also believe Chandron is out here because he wants to speak with you," he said. Then, Chandron strolls towards Delphine because of his age, and unlike the priest, he offered the giant bag of money to the ebony knight.
Then Chandron said to her, "I can see it in your eyes. You've experienced Hell and conquered the night creature within our cathedral. Perhaps it was all worth it in the end. You've proven yourself both in strength and deed. To lift the curse of Gisbourne, you've given everything to protect the church and the citizens. Now it's up to you to decide what to do with your mastery of the sword. Because of your bravery, we offer you a thousand gold coins, do with it as you please."
"Thank you, bishop. I appreciate it," Delphine said. She then takes the giant bag of coins and puts it inside her pocket, and she takes a few steps back.
"We are honored to have someone like you here. And we are twice as honored to let you visit here again," Chandron said. And so, Delphine turns around to walk out of the city and never forget the faces of the people whom she gave her life to save.
"Farewell. If I ever come back here, it will be to relieve myself and listen to tales of triumph while drinking as much wine as I can," Delphine said. Then, the bishop and the priest nodded their heads and went back inside the cathedral and continue what they always do.
While standing beside the cathedral entrance, Harry left Sid behind and decided to walk towards Delphine before she can make it out of the city. For some strange reason, Harry began to find some connection with her even though he despised her ever since she came to the holy city.
"Hey! Delphine!" Harry said. She turns around, and Simon began to feel himself shrinking despite being so close in leaving Gisbourne.
Then, Harry lifts Delphine's hand and shakes it with his hand; he somehow felt more reliable than before as he got to congratulate her.
"Well, I guess that's all the medicine I need. It's against my principles to let a classy girl get away too easily," he said. Delphine started to be a bit confused by the way he was acting because he was not feeling welcomed with her being around.
"Come back again. Don't get yourself killed, Delphine," Harry said. She nods her head in agreement, and she turns around and heads for the entrance of the holy city.
Simon continued to follow her and not question the logic Harry and Sid were having all of a sudden. He believed it was a very odd way to say goodbye to someone they had just known for about three days. And so, Delphine and Simon left the holy city of Gisbourne and continued their path on the long, dark road that went on and on. As they walked, they began to feel as if everything was coming back to normal, and they would never reflect on their past mistakes. Delphine continued to lead the way as Simon stayed behind her, and the noon was already upon them.
They had all kinds of places to explore and all sorts of forests to find themselves in. Then, Delphine started to catch a long glance at the misty mountains after walking for about a mile away from Gisbourne.
"Wow, those mountains are huge. What are they?" Simon asked.
"They are the misty mountains of the baltic lands. I've managed to catch a glimpse of those mountains a bunch of other times when I was little," Delphine answered.
"Oh, I've been to the Baltic lands before. A bunch of nordic people is said to be born there," he said.
"Most of them are barbarians and Vikings. They have an odd concept of justice when it comes to committing crimes. They say that if you go to war and wish to be in paradise, you must die with your sword in your hand and be welcomed as a brave warrior. Of course, I don't follow the Viking religion because even though I know who Odin is and who his sons are, I never believed in Valhalla. However, I do admit the bravery and honor they put themselves into are very stunning. I can't turn away from what I've always believed in just to follow another religion because I've always believed that there is a Heaven and a Hell."
"Wait a second. What's the difference between Valhalla and Heaven?"
"When you die and go to Heaven, you're welcomed by God and all of his angels. You are welcomed with open arms by the son of God and the father of many nations. You are then roaming around freely as the gates of Heaven are open to all who repent and believe in the one true God. When you die and go to Valhalla, you're welcomed by Odin All-Father and all of the valkyries. Unlike Heaven, you feast with all the warriors who died in battle and have to fight each other to be a more powerful warrior. The ones who win will be the first in line to fight at Ragnarok, the end of time for the nordic gods."
Simon may not have known the difference between both paradises, but he did see the difference between those who had their interpretation of how the world will end. Delphine started to walk ahead on the long trail, and Simon refused to be left behind during the times to come. He never wanted to find himself fighting at considerable personal risk but wanted to be near Delphine to see it all through. It was during the noon that Delphine was already prepared to be walking forward some more instead of stopping for some air. He began to know that there was something in that cursed mountain calling for Delphine to come closer to it.
Delphine and Simon continued to walk on the long, dark road and felt no sense of exhaustion to be relaxing. She knew that she wasted enough time in Gisbourne and never knew that her next goal would be more intense than the last goal. She would most likely die and enter the afterlife as a cursed woman, but that is not happening on her watch. For now, they had nowhere else to go except that they had to continue following the long trail.