The burning village was a real-time scene of slaughter.
The dying villagers were not humans but beastmen.
"Argh!"
"Die!"
Soldiers clad in chainmail over white tunics were committing indiscriminate slaughter.
On their chests, patterns seemed to reveal their affiliation—an emblem of the Red Sun.
"Kill them all! Do not spare a single one of these heretics!"
Bodies fell, spears dripped with blood, and the ground was transformed into a river of crimson.
Amidst the raging inferno, Evan von Orleans, the person responsible for this massacre and the commander, watched with a benevolent smile.
"Knight Commander Evan, it seems like the clean-up is almost finished."
"Good job. Gather the heretics' corpses in one place and burn them all."
Having given the order for soldiers to burn everything, Evan, with a serene demeanor, shifted his gaze upwards.
The sky, blackened unlike the blazing inferno, was adorned with countless unknown stars.
And on the other side, three moons stood distinctively, watching Evan.
"What a truly beautiful day."
From the moment he decided to become a holy knight, guided by the light that emerged from his dreams, 40 years had passed.
He had admired every existing light in the world.
Of course, the flames that purified these heretics were also beautiful in their own right.
"Knight Commander, a message has arrived from the Holy Kingdom."
At the soldier's call, Evan, who had been enjoying the lights, turned around.
Taking the communication device handed to him by the soldier, Evan immediately spoke.
"This is Evan von Orleans, Inquisitor of the Third Heresy from the Holy Kingdom."
-Sir Evan, you've worked hard.
The voice that reached him belonged to Godric Hunt, the person known as the real power behind the Holy Kingdom and called the Dedicated Sage.
Though he was said to be approaching his 90s and considered frail by the world, Evan couldn't imagine Godric turning into dust.
He was the one who wielded the Kingdom's power and held a firm grip on it.
"It's been a while, Your Grace."
-How are things progressing?
"We are at the final stages."
-You, Evan, have been dealing with rather trivial matters personally, haven't you?
"In the name of the Goddess, I cannot differentiate between great and small tasks. I am simply performing my duties."
-Indeed, Evan, you are as reliable as ever.
After exchanging perfunctory greetings, Godric got to the point.
-It's about the recent movements of the Dark Mages.
"What happened?"
-Luna Pendragon has appeared.
Luna Pendragon.
The legendary witch who had operated in the past, the third daughter of Eve Millennium.
From the moment of her birth, she was marked by a prophecy as a creature that would grow into a monster.
And she happened to be the Black Mage that Evan was in charge of dealing with.
"Although it had been quiet for a while, it seems she couldn't resist emerging."
-This time, may his name guide her to proper purification.
In the Holy Kingdom, there were only four Aura Masters and Inquisitors responsible for dealing with heresy.
Evan, the Knight Commander, was one of them.
"May his light guide her."
.
.
.
.
"Do you know how bored I was because you didn't come out of the academy?"
Advancing without hesitation, Luna approached and spoke, her demeanor unchanged from when I saw her last at the Morche's Nest. I cautiously surveyed my surroundings and tensed my body.
There was no real need to be on guard against Luna. After all, I was a Dark Mage just like her.
But I couldn't help but react reflexively.
"Huh? Say something, Adrias Cromwell. I followed you all the way here just to see you."
"Why did you follow me?"
"You killed Kyle."
Listening to Luna's calm words, I was left speechless.
Was the situation more dangerous than I thought, even though I believed there was no need to be wary?
'She confirmed that I killed Kyle.'
With her abilities, she could have easily confirmed my actions.
What was puzzling was why she decided to confront me directly.
Kyle wasn't an important figure from what I knew, so her direct involvement didn't make sense.
'If I knew that she would move, I would have been more careful.'
Her appearance was unexpected.
"Why aren't you saying anything? It's boring."
"Yes, I killed Kyle."
There was no need to hide the truth that was already out. And I was unashamed.
It wasn't like there was a clause that forbade Dark Mages from killing each other. Of course, killing a fellow member of the assembly of mages might complicate matters a bit.
But the assembly wasn't established to foster a sense of belonging, to begin with.
In any case, when I nodded my head in agreement, Luna grinned and spoke.
"I know, right? More importantly, why did you come all the way here? Did you come to have fun?"
I wanted to ask that myself.
Why did she chase after me?
Judging by her reaction, she didn't seem hostile. So why did she pursue me, who had killed Kyle?
"I came because there's something I need to find."
As she answered and looked around, the attention of many people focused on her.
Although her appearance made her stand out, she was also famous.
The reason for the lack of fuss was that this place wasn't part of the Empire.
'The perception of Dark Mages in the Grandis Kingdom isn't as negative.'
Of course, illegal activities were prohibited.
But it wasn't always illegal to practice dark magic, so long as one didn't engage in criminal acts. It was even welcomed in an environment where the power of Dark Mages was seen as valuable.
"What is it that you're looking for? Can I come with you?"
"Before that, let me ask one thing. Why did you follow me?"
"I was bored. Also, Hegel told me to report back."
Hegel told her to report back?
If she was speaking this openly about it, it seemed like a screw had come loose somewhere.
"Since I answered, can I come with you?"
Honestly, I wanted to decline.
Even if the Grandis Kingdom was far removed from the Empire, it wouldn't be good if word got out that I was with Luna Pendragon.
'I doubt she'd listen even if I refused.'
With her personality and behavior, she would likely ignore my refusal.
I might as well bring up the subject.
"Sorry, but I'd like to travel alone."
"What? Do you have any idea how long I waited for you? I'm coming with you!"
Luna Pendragon was a skilled mage, known for her unpredictable abilities like an Aura Master. Despite her capricious nature, she was skilled enough that even Aura Masters didn't necessarily scare her.
I didn't want to needlessly create trouble with her.
'Anyway, there probably isn't anyone here who knows me...'
As I kept refusing, I realized that I didn't know what unpredictable action she might take, so I eventually nodded my head.
But if she's coming with me, then there should be something in return.
"Since you're following me, I have a condition."
"A condition?"
"I want to receive a Soul Imprint from you."
At my words, Luna's expression momentarily twisted in a grimace, and she seemed to be lost in thought.
"That's bothersome..."
"Your following me is bothersome to me as well. I'm asking for a fair exchange."
First, I had to make a big demand.
Making a big demand first would increase the likelihood of her agreeing to smaller requests later.
Soul Imprint was a technique currently only possessed by Luna Pendragon and maintained by her.
The complexity of the process aside, it was a technique only she could use. But its effectiveness was undeniable.
From the materials required to the method itself, and the complexity of being a technique exclusive to Luna, it was something that required enough skill to endure the process.
If one asked why I dared to make such a request, it was because I saw an opportunity in Luna's erratic behavior.
'Just poke at it. If it doesn't work out, then never mind.'
But seeing Luna's thoughtful expression, hope oddly sprung within me.
Was she genuinely contemplating this?
After a long pause, Luna looked at me again, her face scrunching up as if dissatisfied with something.
"Soul Imprint is too bothersome."
Seeing her repeat the same words, it seemed that the task was quite troublesome.
But somehow, I felt like there was a chance, so I became more impatient instead.
"Just hear me out. If it's too much trouble, then let's do this."
"How?"
"In exchange for you following me, I'll do one thing that Luna wants. However, it has to be something within my capability."
Upon my proposal, Luna, who had been sporting a sulky expression, thought deeply and then spoke.
"Fine, I'll do that."
"How?"
"Be my friend."
"What?"
It was such an unexpected request that I was left speechless.
"Once you become my friend, I'll give you a Soul Imprint. If you're my friend, it won't be a bother for me to follow you, right? And I can give you a Soul Imprint for my friend!"
It was hard to follow Luna's line of thought, but when I thought about it, it was actually a gain for me.
Under the guise of being a friendly acquaintance, I could receive a Soul Imprint.
"Understood. I'll be your friend."
"Great! Now Adrias Cromwell is my friend!"
At Luna's words, I couldn't help but look around.
Thankfully, it was night and there weren't many people around. If we were in a crowded place, it would have been embarrassing.
"Friend! I have something I want to ask!"
"Yes, go ahead."
"After seeing you kill Kyle, I was curious. How did you suddenly become so strong?"
Luna asked me with an innocent expression.
"Recently, the you I saw wasn't strong enough to kill Kyle. I'm curious how you became so strong in such a short time. Since we're friends now, can you tell me?"
"I put in effort."
"Really? I see."
Did she believe that?
As I talked with Luna, I felt like my own sanity was slipping away.
I pointed towards the inn I intended to go to.
"Shall we start by getting our rooms?"
Luna nodded, and I sighed inwardly before making my way to the inn.
Something felt a bit odd, but Luna didn't seem to be someone I needed to be fearful of.
Even if she's going to give me a Soul Imprint, I couldn't thank her enough.
As we walked towards the inn, it seemed that quite a number of gazes were fixated on us. It appeared that Luna's appearance and reputation attracted more attention than I expected.
The gazes followed us even after entering the inn.
The inn was a combination of a tavern and a restaurant, and the noisy crowd fell silent when they saw Luna standing next to me.
"Two rooms and a meal, please."
"Yes, of course. Would you like to have the meal first?"
"Food first!"
Luna exclaimed, resting her chin on the front desk.
The way she kicked her legs seemed like a dog wagging its tail.
The innkeeper gave an awkward smile and gestured towards a table on the side.
"If you wait there for a moment, I'll bring the meal to you."
Sitting at the table he pointed at, I tried my best to ignore the uncomfortable stares directed at us and observed Luna instead.
Her complexion was almost pale enough to make you wonder if she was unwell. Snow-white hair and eyebrows gave her an almost fairy-like atmosphere.
And her eyes, which shone with a spectrum of colors like opals, added an air of mystery to her presence.
"Oh, right."
Luna looked around naively, taking in the surroundings of the inn before pulling something out from her pouch.
"A communication device?"
It was a communication artifact.
Who was she trying to contact?
Click.
"Hey, Hegel! It's me, Luna."
―Luna Pendragon, you contacted me quite early.
Hearing the voice from the other side of the communicator, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
What could she be doing right now?
"Yeah, I just met Adrias Cromwell. As expected, Adrias killed Kyle, just like we thought!"
―... Don't tell me the person beside me right now is...
"Yeah!"
I couldn't believe it. I wonder how dumbfounded Hegel must be.
After a short silence, I felt Hegel finally part his lips from the communicator on the other side.
-Adrias! Is he beside you?
Presented with the communication device by Luna in such a peaceful manner, I wasn't sure how to respond.
I decided to take the communicator she offered and responded, "This is Adrias."
-Is it really? I'm a bit surprised.
Hegel's honest expression conveyed a sense of camaraderie.
I was genuinely taken aback myself.
-Since we're here anyway, let me ask one thing. Did you also kill Lanox recently?
Considering Hegel's question, I decided to lie.
It didn't seem like a good idea to create a rift between us at the moment.
"I'm not sure who Lanox is."
-I see. Well, considering he lived in the Krates Mountains, you wouldn't have any reason to go there.
Thus, an awkward atmosphere settled in as silence wrapped around us.
With the food arriving just then, Luna and I focused on our meal, disregarding Hegel's presence.
-It's unfortunate that you killed Kyle. He was my comrade.
Hegel's words seemed rather indifferent.
More like a warning than a genuine expression of regret.
-I can't really blame you for something that's already happened. You must have had your reasons to fight him, considering he's already gone.
"Was Kyle your subordinate?"
-Subordinate? Well, as I mentioned earlier, you could say he was a comrade.
Whether he was a subordinate or not wasn't really important.
For now, I didn't feel the need to compete with Hegel.
He was rather troublesome in many ways, and I certainly couldn't currently match up against a Warlock of his caliber.
"I'd like to apologize first. At the time, there was a possibility my identity could have been exposed, so I had to use excessive force."
-That's fine. Like I said earlier, I can't blame you for someone who's already dead. But there's one thing that's regrettable.
"Regrettable?"
-Secretly planting people as Academy professors is quite bothersome. Unfortunately, due to the recent incident, security checks have been heightened, so you won't be able to attempt it again. Your master, Charon, essentially lost his information channel under Jester's influence.
Why is he extending his words this much?
Judging from the expression of regret, he seemed to be hinting at something he wanted from me.
-So, speaking of that, Adrias.
Hegel's voice, which had been slightly distant, suddenly rang out clear within the bustling tavern.
"Would you like to join the Assembly?