Night had not been long in coming, but darkness and silence had already enveloped the forest once again. The thick darkness and the sound of the wind blowing made the atmosphere even more gloomy. The waves of fire that lit up the forest began to die out, leaving only embers glimmering faintly on the ground. The previously rampaging undead had now turned to ash, scattered by the night wind. There was no longer any reason for Moirai to stay there. The Flamming Birds, who had lit up the battle with their flames, began to disappear, returning to void. "All hail Acashic...," he said quietly, almost as a whisper.
Moirai continued his journey, following the thread of light the butterfly had left behind. Step by step he travelled, through the forest that now seemed quieter and full of shadows. The undead were still roaming around, but their numbers were drastically reduced due to the previous battle. Whenever Moirai encountered undead, the swing of the halberd and the chanting of prayers could be heard, freeing the lost souls from their suffering to their promised destiny.
After his encounter with some undead on the road, the thread of light that showed him the way suddenly disappeared. "If that thread disappears, that means..." Moirai immediately picked up his halberd and prepared in a fighting stance. In the darkness of the night, the silhouette of a knight appeared with broken armour, a dull sword, and blood splattered on his body. The knight began to approach, preparing to attack.
Moirai's heartbeat quickened as the knight approached, although his face looked cold, his hands continued to tremble at the sight of the undead. "Oh, poor soul, I give you my prayers and hopes for the destiny the Goddess has promised you..." the touch of Moirai's fingers made flames ignite in his halberd, emitting a dim light that illuminated the surroundings. The clang of sword meeting halberd echoed through the trees, the smell of rotten blood mixed with wet soil wafting through the air.
Quickly, Moirai swung his halberd. However, the knight easily dodged the attack. A counterattack ensued; with a swing of his sword, the knight tried to slash Moirai. As the knight's sword glided towards him, time seemed to slow down. Moirai could feel every second passing by as he dodged nimbly, his steps agile and well-trained.
The longer the battle went on, an atmosphere of darkness suddenly emerged from beneath the undead armour. The grass instantly withered, the leaves of the trees fell, and the light of the burning fire began to fade. Moirai realised that the undead he was fighting this time was different. "I didn't expect to meet a vengeful soul like you," he thought.
"How many grudges did you hold until you became like this?" Moirai asked, while taking a stance to attack. He attempted to stab the undead with his halberd, the clanking sound of iron continuing to be heard. Attack after attack was launched, but the undead were able to neutralise most of Moirai's attacks. Moirai's halberd swings attempted to wound the undead; a few strikes managed to land, but the wounds soon healed and new flesh formed.
Moirai took another swing, preparing for the next attack. On the other hand, the undead were also preparing, taking up battle positions. Quickly, Moirai struck the undead hard, causing the armour the undead was wearing to crumble and shatter. The sword that the undead was holding slipped away. Seizing the opportunity, Moirai kicked the sword away, reducing the undead's resistance.
Even so, the undead was still thrashing about, trying to tear and attack Moirai. With his halberd, Moirai stabbed right into the undead's heart. The sound of flesh being torn apart and the splashing of rotten blood stained his robes. The stench of decay stung his nose, but Moirai stood his ground, making sure his attack finished the fight.
The fire that was supposed to burn the undead did not work. Burning flesh always regenerated easily, and the black aura emanating from the undead's body devoured the flames from his halberd.
"O my Goddess, grant your faithful servant the strength to show lost souls the destiny you promised. All hail Acashic." The embers grew larger and hotter, quickly burning the undead and turning them to ash. "May your soul find its way to the destiny promised to you," Moirai said.
The dark aura that enveloped the area suddenly disappeared. The previously withered grass became lush after being exposed to the warmth of the smouldering fire. The sound of raindrops began to be heard, enveloping Moirai's body with a wet and cold sensation as he stood looking at the ashes mixed with puddles of rainwater. "I'm sorry... I could have helped more properly," she said softly.
Dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and wind and storms began to blow through the trees. Puddles began to appear in various places, shrouding the forest in the darkness of night. With only the embers in his halberd, Moirai continued to walk through the darkness, searching for lost souls. The sounds of moaning, screaming, and chanting could be heard throughout the storm. The burning ashes either dissolved with the water or flew away in the wind. But one thing was certain, Moirai was trying to give a proper farewell to the lost souls.
For hours Moirai wandered in the forest, defeating countless undead. The storm that had battered the forest began to die down, and Moirai looked around him to make sure he hadn't missed anything. "I think it's all done," he said, snapping his fingers. Sparks appeared that formed a small butterfly. "I know you've worked hard, but can you do me one more favour?" The butterfly swirled above her head, as if signalling that it was happy to help. The butterfly then led the way in the darkness of the night, leaving a thread of light between the trees. Moirai followed the thread of light.
The darkness of the night began to subside. After walking for a while following the butterfly, a large gate was finally visible in the distance. At the same time, the storm that had been raging earlier began to subside. "I wonder how much time has passed..." Moirai thought as he approached the gate. A guard who had previously given out permission cards was seen standing guard in front of the gate. "Well, well... look who's here. What about the undead, Knightwalker?" the guard said sarcastically.
"Everything has been taken care of. Those undead shouldn't be coming for some time," Knightwalker replied, handing over his pass. The guard looked at Moirai with a cynical gaze, but could only sigh and check his pass. "As you wish, Knightwalker. I'll see for myself tomorrow. You may enter now," said the guard, throwing the pass into the rubbish bin.
Moirai entered the gate. Unlike earlier in the day, only a few carts were seen wanting to enter the city, but the guards remained busy. Amidst the bustle, a guard waved at Moirai. "Oyy... Knightwalker, how was the mission? Did you succeed?" the guard asked with a warm smile.
"This mission is over, I was about to report it to the guild," Moirai said.
"Is that true? Finally, the gloomy days are gone... It's helped us a lot, you see. Usually when we patrol at night, we encounter hordes of annoying undead. But thanks to you, things might be easier, kekeke," laughed the guard.
"By the way, you can come with me. My house and the guild are in the same direction," the guard offered. Moirai heard the offer and felt bad, trying to reject it. "No, no. You must be busy with... some things. I don't want to disturb you."
"Oh, come on, I insist. After all, my shift is over, isn't it, boss?" said the guard as he greeted the guard Moirai had met earlier.
"You better shut your mouth and get the hell out of this place," the guard said in an emotional tone.
"You heard that right? Let's go," said the guard as he led the way. Moirai who had no other choice could only sigh and walk together with the guard.
"Why are you being nice to me? Have we met before?" asked Moirai suspiciously.
The guard just smiled at Moirai's words. "Hmmmm, where am I going with this story? When I was a kid... you could say I owed it to the Knightwalkers. They came bravely, swinging their swords. It was so cool. I dreamed of being like them," said the guard.
"But that was a long time ago. Being Lord Hoffen's soldier is my pride, and that's enough." Moirai was silent and nodded at the story. "Ho, where are my manners? My name is Nolan, nice to meet you, Moirai the Knightwalker," said the guard, inviting a handshake. Moirai looked at the handshake for a moment and accepted it. "Nice to meet you, Nolan," Moirai said.
As they continued to walk, some merchants were still selling their wares, and a propaganda poster was seen on the wall. Moirai paused for a moment, looking at the image of a demon being beheaded by a knight. "Hey Moirai, do you often encounter demons out there?" the guard asked.
"Quite often I guess," Moirai replied.
"Hmmmm, well I also meet them often, but not in a good way. I... I can't imagine I'm still alive right now," said Nolan as he looked at his hand.
"This hand has done more bad than good. Until now I don't know how I can atone for my sins. The screaming, the swearing, it's all still ringing in my head, Well, that's an old story, and now a new beginning begins," the guard said as he looked around.
"That's good," Moirai said. "You're a sane man, Nolan. You have no idea how many war crazies I've met out there. Ughh," Moirai said as he closed his eyes, imagining the bitter sensations of the past.
The city was still bustling, though not like before. Noises and crowds of people were still visible in various parts of the city. The citizens who used to trade and walk in the city were now replaced with soldiers marching and carts travelling through the city.
"Day and night activities are so different, aren't they? The guards and soldiers began to gather here to begin patrols and carry out the orders given by Lord Hoffen himself," Nolan said.
"Rumours are circulating that a peace conference will be held, but I don't know if that's good or bad news. Have you heard the public sentiment in the capital? They really hate demons," Nolan said, sighing.
"I'm worried, really worried. Public opinion is pushing for something bad to happen," Nolan continued.
"That's bad," Moirai replied. The shouts of encouragement from the soldiers accompanied them. "They seem excited, unlike me, there are times when you're excited and times when you're not," said an exhausted Nolan, who occasionally yawned.
Step by step they travelled together, the sound of the soldiers' cheers and encouragement filling the air. When they reached an intersection, the two had to part ways.
"This is it, Moirai. See you another day," Nolan said with a smile, waving as he began to walk away.
The noise of the town square began to fade. Merchants were seen rolling up their wares, and the neighbourhood residents returned to their places of rest. As Moirai walked towards the guild, the city lights began to fade, the dimly lit atmosphere and the night breeze enveloped Moirai leaving a cool and calm atmosphere.
Shortly after entering the guild, a warm atmosphere was felt. The aroma of coffee from the reception desk wafted across the room. The sound of laughter and jokes could be heard at various tables. Moirai moved his feet towards the reception desk.
"Welcome to the guild, how can I help you?" said the receptionist. "I think the receptionist from earlier has gone home," Moirai thought. "I want to report the completion of the mission, can you help me?" Moirai asked.
The receptionist smiled. "Sure, can you give me the paperwork?" Moirai reached into his robe pocket and retrieved the request paper.
"Oh, isn't this a special request from Lord Hoffen? No one wants to take this job. Thank you, you helped a lot of people," the receptionist said warmly.
She recorded the mission completion report on a paper while checking some documents a few times. "Okay, uhhh, can you tell me your full name, sir?"
"My name is Moirai, Moirai von Mammosa," he said.
"Von?" said the receptionist in confusion.
"Hmmm? Any problems?" asked Moirai.
"No, no, hehe. Here's your reward, sir. As agreed, you will get 2 gold and 50 silver for your services. The remaining payment will be paid after I submit this document to the guards for patrol, probably in two days," explained the receptionist as she handed over a bag of money.
"I see, thank you," Moirai said.
"No problem, it was a pleasure working with you, sir," said the receptionist.
Moirai walked out of the guild, leaving the warm atmosphere to the cool night breeze. A few voices could still be heard in the city, but the silence was more dominant. "The inn should be around here, I think it's that way," Moirai said to himself.
Back inside the guild, the receptionist was going through some paperwork while drinking the hot coffee beside her. She noted, stacked, and checked every ink on the paper. "Hey Lana, anyone here?" asked someone who had just come in from the front door.
"O'Neil? Where have you been? I've been busy organising this and that, and you've been hanging around," Lana said in a spoilt tone. O'Neil sighed at that and sat down beside Lana to take care of some paperwork.
"Ehehe, thank you~. By the way, where did you come from so late at night?" said Lana while sipping her coffee. " Wowhhh... drinking coffee at night is really good."
"I have something to take care of with Lord Hoffen. He said, 'keep an eye on him, report any incidents related to him', something like that," O'Neil replied as he sorted through the files.
"Is that person named Moirai, white-haired and all that?" asked Lana.
Hearing that, O'Neil made a face of surprise and disbelief. "Huh? How did you know? I was only told this afternoon."
"Well... that person actually reported for mission completion, and after I checked, his name really doesn't exist in the guild records here. So I think he's a newcomer. You should have met him when you were on duty here, right?" explained Lana while playing with her coffee.
"I didn't know then either... Huh... that guy makes things complicated," O'Neil complained.
Lana stood up, carrying several baskets of documents. "Well, that's your business, your problem, nothing to do with me. I'm going out for a bit, to deliver the guild report to the patrol group today. They shouldn't have left yet."
"Watch out for the robbers out there, you're the only weakling in the entire city, I don't want to be bothered by the trouble you cause, you got it," O'Neil said in a mocking tone.
"Which crazy robbers are robbing in the frontier city? As it is, they've already run off with the cowards of the capital. Adios, O'Neil," Lana said as she left O'Neil in the guild.
"That woman... where was her courage back on the frontlines. Ugh... what a beautiful day," O'Neil lamented.
The evening breeze blew through the city streets, the moonlight and chill of the night returning to Moirai. He stopped in front of the fountain, looking right and left for something. In the distance, a house stood out from the rest. Without hesitation, he swung his steps towards the house. Sure enough, it was the inn he was looking for, Erloy.
Moirai moved his feet towards the old wooden door. As soon as he pulled the door open, a screeching sound was heard, followed by candlelight from within. "Oh Rai, you're back... what took you so long?" said Terresa while reading a book in the inn's dining hall.
"Terresa? How have you been? Did you find any good stuff?" asked Moirai as he approached and sat in front of Terresa.
"Well... I bought some books. I'll go back there tomorrow after studying the magic in these books. Well, how was your mission, Rai? Everything good?" said Terresa as she pushed a bowl of sandwiches towards Moirai.
"I just finished the undead extermination mission. I got some coins out of it, too," she said as she showed Moirai the bag of gold and silver coins.
"Undead? That was an easy job for you, wasn't it?" said Terresa in a teasing tone.
"Well... actually, if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to take that mission. I have a bad memory with undead," said Moirai while taking a piece of bread.
"You? A priest has a problem with undead? Well... everyone has traumas. But why did you take it? You could have taken an easier mission, right?"
"I didn't believe it at first, but in the end I had no choice. If the undead are allowed long to continue walking in this world, there will only be accidents that make excuses for the lost souls to return to the world. In other words, more undead would appear. So I took it, like killing two birds with one stone," Moirai said.
"Huh? Whatever you say... Well, I guess the rumours about the upcoming peace conference made the mercenaries start leaving. I asked the bookstore keeper I met and it turns out that almost all the mercenaries from other cities have left this place, only a few of them are still around," said Terresa.
"Well, I can't blame them. War sometimes brings opportunities for one to earn money, I mean a lot of money," Moirai replied.
"By the way, Rai, what about your destination to the capital? Would Lord Hoffen allow it?" asked Terresa curiously.
"Unfortunately that's a bit impossible," Moirai said. "Lord Hoffen told me that the empire is banning outsiders from entering the empire. My only chance now is to wait until the peace conference is successfully held in the capital. Only then can I go deeper into the territories," Moirai explained.
"I see, the people of the capital are a bit insane. They uphold a sense of unity. Life there feels so utopian, big buildings, happy and prosperous people. However, if there are problems related to demons and such, they go a little crazy, no, very crazy. The cheering, the cursing, the brutality... Ugh, the thought of it makes me sick," Terresa said while taking a piece of bread.
Hearing that, Moirai looked at Terresa blankly. Terresa, who realised this, made an embarrassed and misguided face. "Wh-what? Why are you looking at me like that? Is something wrong?" asked Terresa in embarrassment.
"What are your plans now, Terresa? You're different from me, you have an identity. Don't you have any plans to go?" asked Moirai.
"I have nothing left, Rai. Things like money and positions in Umo are just for my pride in the village. Do you know what I thought after I got all that, Rai? I imagined how the villagers would look when I went home, kekeke," Terresa replied with a bitter smile.
"But that's just the past. Now I probably want to go around looking for magic, because that's the only thing I have left in me," Terresa said as she munched on her bread.
"I see... Well... at least you have dreams, right," Moirai said with a faint smile.
"What a beautiful dream,..."