The bonfires lit up the night with the gloomy faces of the men in uniform, they covered their whole bodies with warm coats and their rifles and swords in the tree trunks.
They have similar gloomy faces except Sergeant willo who looks a bit better. His eyes looked towards the source of the light from the bonfire with thought content floating in the air.
He recalled all his mistakes in the past. As a Sergeant, he didn't expect that his first assignment would be something so much worse than he could have ever imagined.
About three years ago, before Sergeant Willo was locked up behind bars. He still remembered what happened as if it could be displayed vividly right before his eyes, in the darkness of the dark night, the caravan with its many horses and passengers finally ended up with screams and fresh blood scattering in all directions.
They, the attackers were a group of black hooded men with swords engraved with ancient writings. They killed anyone alive and left Willo while taking all the loot, that should be the custom of the bandits, but if it was the bandits, Sergeant Willo and the soldiers should have at least been able to fight back a bit and allow some of the soldiers to escape, but there was no one left but Willo.
When he somehow survives and returns to the city, he then reports everything he saw. Reported that a group of mysterious bandits with black hoods had massacred all of its soldiers.
but what happens next? What Willo gets then becomes something worse, he is suspected of being a member of the hooded bandits only for the reason that he is the only survivor from death. It had crushed all of Willo's hopes, he who had harbored hatred for the hooded bandit felt helpless as he could do nothing but stare into the void behind the iron shackles.
What happened this time, Willo felt that this was very similar to what he was experiencing, the only difference was that the despair he was experiencing had spread to various people.
As Willo looked at his fellow soldiers, someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was Mr Burnet, his current employer, the man he had to protect.
"Sergeant Willo, I want to talk to you."
"Of course my lord, you can ask me anything."
Willo then looked at Kyle. From what Willo knew, high society was usually quite cold to commoners, they only cared about their money and business, even though his experience of meeting such people wasn't much, but he at least had some sort of conclusion of his own, but Mr. Burnet looks different, he looks like a normal person, or at least on some occasions Mr Burnet looks like one.
The man didn't look arrogant but Willo knew, his posture and body movement habits showed how Mr. Burnet was no different from the high society that Willo had met while on duty.
Maybe because Mr burnet was in the same situation, he tends to talk to people like Willo a lot, it's actually quite amazing for a kid younger than him to be able to act normal in a situation like this. Really circumstances can always change a person.
"Sergeant, have you ever heard of the customs of the undead?" Kyle asked with a serious looking face.
"In the officer academy, we did learn how to fight the undead, the undead are weak to light magic and the habit of the undead is to kill any living thing. against them. From what I can see, the soldiers I lead are mostly brought in from a prison due to escaping during the first mission or disciplinary issues, they don't have much experience except for me."
"That's enough. Furthermore, have you ever seen such a large undead? From a book or rumor?"
Willo then shook his head, he blinked his eyes for a moment when he realized the master he had to protect looked like he was trying so hard to live even though there was not a shred of hope that he could think of.
It took about two regular knights to fight weak undead, it was still possible even if they didn't have light magic. Meanwhile, to fight the undead army, it was clear that an elite knight complete with a light magician was needed, but sometimes in some expeditions it could end in failure.
Then is there a way to fight the undead monsters with the accompanying storm? Of course there was no way, not even to escape, what lay next to them was the treacherous territory of the Theocracy, so many uncharted places it was very possible to get lost, or at least Willo and his army didn't have a complete map. the map that was brought was actually only filled with forests and cliffs along with the main path that had been covered by the undead monsters.
With a forced voice, Willo then suggested something.
"Mr Burnet, our only hope is to stay here. When Captain Harold notices something suspicious, and with you having business with him, a rescue team will definitely be dispatched here, then they might have a way to deal with that monster."
Yes, for a man of importance like Mr Burnet, that kind of reaction has to happen. If the military made a mistake with the death of a business partner, things would definitely end badly, so of course the military wouldn't allow it. Willo who has a bit of experience can realize that. However, Mr Burnet seemed to have other thoughts.
"But before help arrives, we may end up here. Don't you notice, there aren't any animals around here, they have completely run away. Some might be killed by those undead monsters, and if the information you said is correct, those undead monsters will most likely continue searching for the living, it will eventually end with the undead monsters reaching us."
Willo then looked around, he then realized something, what Mr Burnet said was completely true and made sense. Even though he had only heard what Willo had said, the conclusion he had drawn that monsters were looking for the living sounded strangely accurate.
Willo then tried to fix his mind, if he continued to see despair, he would never be able to use his head.
"You're right, the undead monster will probably never stop before getting to its prey, but that's very strange, why did the undead monster suddenly appear?"
"Exactly, that is really very strange. Just a while ago, before we entered the ruins, the weather was still normal, but then it was immediately filled with a storm, why did this happen?" Kyle said it reluctantly with a confused face.
He was stroking his chin like someone who was thinking about something, as Kyle continued to do that, Willo recalled something from his experience.
"Sudden appearances would usually involve the assembly of heretical sects, devils, or some sort of evil organization. My friends from the military academy would sometimes tell me that, that when I was a captain, something dangerous like that would sometimes come before my eyes, it would often involve some kind of bloody sacrifice. Maybe that's what he meant."
"Bloody sacrifice? Then an undead monster like that should have appeared because of the sacrifice, this would explain everything."
Just as Kyle said that, Willo's eyes began to pay attention. Kyle's face changed now, he looked sad when he saw his fellow soldiers, Willo didn't understand why this happened, he still couldn't understand this reaction.
Just as Kyle was concluding about the sacrifice, his expression changed, does that have something to do with it? Is he thinking about something and what is he thinking? All the questions swirling in willo's head at this time. But that was then answered when Kyle stood up and approached the purple fire.
Kyle lifted his leather shoes then kicked into a pile of burning wood, floating in the air then scattering, the only light in the dark night now only moonlight remained.
All the knights including Willo are now shocked, they all then pay attention to Kyle who is trying to stand on the rock.
There was a lot of hesitation showing from his posture, it looked like an academy student trying to explain something in front of the class for the first time, full of doubt and no confidence, but a few seconds later as the breath started to be exhaled, the confidence somehow emerged from nothingness, As if it was someone different or someone who had recalled a long buried ability.
With confidence and will, Kyle then opened his mouth.
"Gentlemen, I want you to pay attention to what I am about to say. I have heard that all of you are former criminals. Is that true?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Kyle then continued.
"Then you are a bunch of sinful humans who have lost your honor as knights. Lost in the dark without feeling guilty, you are cursed humans that everyone hates."
Those were cruel words, but even so no one wanted to reject them when death was right in front of their eyes. They start to remember their sins when their heads are down, feeling lost in the dark and with no turning back.
"However, all that honor in the first place was useless. The honor of chivalry is nothing more than a piece of trash."
Everyone's eyes began to sharpen, Emotions began to form and anger began to appear.
"So, I want to ask you a second time. How many times have you been to the goddess church, and do you have faith in the goddess?"
Someone who had lost his composure started screaming, he was trying to deny what Kyle was saying.
"What did you say?! Even if we are sinful humans, we still believe in goddesses, why do you doubt us?"
"Precisely because of that, this is your chance," Kyle said with his face downcast, the wind picked up and his coat started to fall.
Everyone who was full of anger now turned to confusion. They looked at each other with emotion slowly fading away, eyes of despair nowhere to be seen and their focus completely shifted.
Kyle in a low voice continued what he wanted to say.
"I have heard everything, among you there are murderers, robbers and gamblers, but there are also those among you who are in prison just for running away from duty to help the villagers."
Is that true? Willo couldn't be sure. He didn't have enough time to learn about other people's pasts, and even if he wanted to, Willo would of course reject the thought since he felt guilty himself too, the only logical reason why Kyle would find out was of course from captain Harold or even major carmila. There was a lot of chance that such talk could happen, also there would be no benefit to Kyle if he lied in a situation like this, so everything Kyle said was most likely the truth.
Lifting his hands then placing them to his chest, Kyle seemed to close his eyes, he blinked for a moment then looked up at the storm.
"This world is indeed cruel, and you are also a bunch of criminals. But in the eyes of the goddess, nothing is impossible, sins can be forgiven and peace can come. Look at that, the source of evil, if that undead monster somehow kills us, it will still be looking for other prey and then it will reach the city, killing any children, old people, women, or any of your living relatives. Are you guys going to let that happen? I don't want that to happen and I'm sure the goddess won't like it either."
Lightning flashed brightly above the sky, the monster's screech grew louder and louder which sent leaves flying. Kyle, who looked sad, couldn't hold back the tears that started to flow, but they were only a few small drops but all of that then completely disappeared.
"This is the blotting out of sins, if we sacrifice for justice because of the goddess, all our sins will be forgiven. This is a holy battle to fight evil."
Everyone's eyes lit up, this was an opportunity, this was an opportunity, all of them didn't believe that their past sins would be forgiven, but what Kyle said was a sweet truth. By fighting evil, there will be a lot of good, that's the key.
Willo's eyes started to open, his mouth couldn't speak because he didn't know what he wanted to say, It was as if his heart and mind had merged. All calculations are useless, miracles may happen, yes that's right, it is foolish for humans to think of religion and miracles with their limited minds, all body and soul must surrender to the goddess. Or at least that's what Willo was thinking right now.
Everyone's eyes that were despairing just a moment ago were now burning by the majestic holy fire, the appearance of a hero in legend, everyone thought of that when looking at Kyle. Each of them then opened their mouths then shouted.
"This is a holy fight!! We are saints!!
"We are saints!!"
"We are saints!!"
"We are saints!!"
"We are saints!!"
"We are saints!! They are the source of evil and we are saints!!"
Everyone said that with excited faces. Words that kept repeating and getting louder every second. These criminals have now turned into saints who eradicate evil and protect everyone.
"Everyone, sacrifice your lives to fight that monster and believe that a miracle will appear. We are saints!!"
While Willo shouted that along with the others. Kyle now looks like his face is lowered, his gaze is starting to go blank and his expression is starting to disappear, but of course what Willo saw must be a mistake, however, if, as a human who has limited thinking, trying to understand the holy hero blessed by the goddess, namely Kyle with logic of course It just couldn't be done, so he would never again believe in what he learned at the military academy. This was completely a miracle and not the logic of a human with limited knowledge.
And with that, the holy battle will begin.