Just before the conversation between Gilgamesh and the withered lord ended a few hours ago, he shared something important: "My enemy's apostles are on the move. They are desperate, so they will try to eliminate anyone of importance to me through foolish methods."
"They will attack?"
"Well, that God, if he has the ability to see the future, knows perfectly well that the future changed drastically with my presence in this world. Unlike any other human, he can't manipulate me, let alone kill me so easily."
Gilgamesh held his wine glass and said, "That's why he'll try to change the game board. Now, instead of killing me, something he'll find impossible, he'll try to get rid of the minor nuisances in his path by eliminating my potential wives, subordinates, and friends. He will take care of removing important pieces that would lead me to him and destroy him. So, I want to make sure everyone is aware of this."
The withered lord nodded, looked at Gilgamesh, and asked more directly, "My lord, didn't you say the apostles are very weak and would take time to act?"
"That's true, but remember that it wasn't predictable in that God's plan, and his apostles were likely in motion long before even you were born. He should have some puppets lurking in the world, and we won't know until he personally comes looking for us."
"I understand, my lord; I will keep everyone alert."
...
Village of Bonna
Greyrat Residence
Paul was training with his sword while Sylphy took care of their two growing daughters. She used to visit this house frequently after Rudeus's departure.
"Hey, Sylphy, would you like a glass of orange game juice?" Zenith asked as she approached with a glass of game juice for their son's little friend.
However, at that very moment, a thunderous explosion rang out not far from their location, followed by a huge cloud of black smoke rising into the sky.
Boom!
"What was that?!" Sylphy, like everyone else, was startled and rushed out of the house.
Paul quickly sheathed his sword and furrowed his brow. He was ready to investigate, but from the corner of his eye, he saw several black shadows moving at almost indescribable speed towards his family.
"Be careful, Zenith!" Paul shouted in a panic, but just as he was about to move, a sword's edge was at his throat.
"Be cautious, sir; we are not the enemy." A cold voice sounded behind Paul, making him freeze in his tracks. His clouded eyes steadied, and he saw several knights in black armor beginning to surround his family. However, their approach was different; instead of harming them, they were protecting them.
"Who are you, and what's going on?!" Paul broke out in a cold sweat because he didn't sense the presence of these unknown figures, but their armor indicated they were from the Asura Kingdom.
"My name is Aric, King of the Sword in the Golden Lion's Edge technique. We are under attack by a hostile individual who seeks to kill that half-elf girl." Aric pointed at Sylphy as he felt the strong energies emanating from a distance.
Paul, taken by surprise, frowned and shouted, "That's nonsense! Why would anyone want to harm a simple girl?"
"Perhaps she is a girl in your eyes now, but in the future, she may become someone much more important. Maybe that's not her destiny, and she ends up being the mother of an incredibly powerful child. The statistics that you, as a simple knight, can see blind you to what will happen in the future. Stop interfering in the battle of two beings who can see the future and stay out of it."
Aric ignored Paul and instead walked toward Sylphy. He gazed at this green-haired half-elf girl and said, "Your parents are fine. You were lucky that they were attacked when a Class Emperor magician with different magics was nearby; otherwise, a tragedy would have occurred."
"My parents were attacked?!" Sylphy asked, suddenly panicking. She immediately wanted to go to their aid, but a strong hand held her back and advised her, "Listen carefully, child. We have come to recruit you personally to become a student at the Tower of Mages in Ars, for reasons we still don't fully understand. Perhaps that caused the future to change, prompting a powerful being to attack directly to kill you."
"That doesn't make sense. She's just a child, and you are complete strangers..." Zenith fell silent when she saw the knights' gazes; they too were confused.
If even they didn't know what was happening, it meant that something was going wrong, and if something went wrong, not only they but everyone in this village would die.
"So, if the enemy is over there, what are you doing here?" Paul looked at the knights with some consternation and said, "No matter what you intend to do, I have to warn the people in the village who have taken refuge far away."
"Our captain will face the enemy; he is a Sword Emperor and is accompanied by ten Kings of the Sword. If they can't eliminate the enemy, our only option is to flee with Sylphy while we inform our lord.
"How can they be so strong?" Paul asked, confused. The magnitude of these people's strength made no sense. He could say with certainty that there was no more than one Sword King, and that was Ghislaine, who was in the city.
How could there be so many incredibly powerful beings, and all of them serving a single person?
"This doesn't make sense, but I still have a job to do here." Paul made a decision, put on his shirt, and looked at Zenith. "I'll be back!"
...
In the house where Sylphy's parents were, they were just recovering from what had happened only seconds ago.
"What is happening?!"
Kaelen furrowed his brow deeply.
"Within the possibilities, according to our calculations and future predictions, there are several timelines that flow around each of our lives... In that regard, some beings are born with the ability to see the future, and my lord is one of them. Some time ago, through a twist of fate, he became an enemy of an ancient being who can see the future and different timelines, just like him."
Kaelen clenched his teeth and told these desperate parents about what was happening. "In a way, that ancient being has a unique ability to enter the minds of any living being in this world and deceive us to the point of turning us into enemies of my lord. Those who now believe in the ancient lord's word are known as the apostles. My lord is a threat that can end the ancient lord, so the way to weaken my lord's power is through the murders of those who could be his potential wives, allies, and those who could pose a threat to the ancient being's survival."
"Are you saying my daughter is a target?" Laws panicked; he had witnessed that attack, and it was not something he, a simple hunter, could stop. He was sure that if it weren't for Kaelen, he and his wife would have died. "