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Over half a year had passed since that battle in the Arena, and the Laine Empire had suffered unprecedented devastation.
But their defeat did not come on the battlefield.
With the revelation of the Magic Dragon's true nature and Arthur Laine's sacrifice once again, the entire Laine was plunged into chaos and bewilderment.
The more fervent the faith, the greater the damage caused by its collapse.
In that half-year period, the number of suicides in Laine exceeded one million, the majority being military personnel, especially within the Laine's Paladin Legion, which suffered extreme losses.
Knowing that suicide would condemn them to Hell, these Paladins still chose such an extreme method.
Facing the accountability demands of other Kingdoms, the evidence of countless war crimes, and the evil consequences of years of human supremacy, they found themselves unable to atone.
Aside from going to Hell, they had no other way out.
