Chapter 27 “Guided by Faith” – (1)
(I)
“…May you rest in eternal peace.”
The High Saintess of the religious nation, Serion, Marina Vergard, trembled as her hands quivered. In front of her lay a neatly arranged set of someone’s remains.
The pristine white skeleton, damaged either from poor preservation or severe shock during transport, had visible marks all over. The neatly arranged silver armor beside it signified that the owner of these remains had once been a Holy Knight of Serion.
-“…These are the remains of Donovan, a priest who was killed by the Ancestor Vampire in Ermaile, then resurrected as an undead. Now, his magic has completely dissipated, and he’s reverted to an ordinary corpse.”
Despite Marina not asking any questions, Isabella Morden, the head priestess of Serion, who stood behind her, provided an explanation about the skeleton.
“….”
Listening to Isabella’s explanation, Marina forcibly steadied her trembling hands and reached out to the remains of the devout priest, the Holy Knight Donovan.
Though it was an unpleasant task, to confirm the Ancestor Vampire’s involvement and uncover the details of the incident, she needed to examine the magical remnants lingering on the bones.
“Hoo….”
Taking a deep breath, she gripped the thighbone of the corpse. And from it, she sensed a trace of a person’s magic that shouldn’t have been there.
“This is….”
What she felt at her fingertips was deep, dark magic, akin to an abyss. The magic was so repulsive that even touching it felt sickening, and in an instant, it pierced her heart, eroding her sacred power.
“…!!”
The massive, overwhelming magic began to choke her heart. Cold sweat poured from her body, and all her senses became heightened. Her vision flickered, her muscles spasmed, and her limbs twisted unnaturally. Then, nausea surged within her.
“Ough, ugh, uweeek….”
Eventually, Marina vomited everything inside her. As the disgusting, black bile left her body, the abnormal sensations slowly subsided. At the same time, she felt the dark magic that had been invading her gradually dissipate.
“Cough, cough, cough….”
“High Saintess! Are you alright?!”
The head priestess, Isabella, rushed to support Marina, who had collapsed to the ground. In the empty temple, Isabella’s voice echoed with concern. Marina waved her off, signaling that she was fine.
“I-I’m fine….”
As her body recovered its equilibrium, Marina grabbed a nearby chair to help herself stand. She stared at the remains of the Holy Knight with a disgusted expression.
‘There’s no doubt….’
The ominous, forbidden magic that could corrupt even a devout priest to this extent, capable of reviving the dead as slaves—this dark magic was vast and wicked beyond comparison.
This wasn’t the magic of an ordinary necromancer.
It was something far greater, surpassing necromancers.
And within the thousand years that Marina had lived as an Exiled Angel on earth, only one being had ever wielded such a terrifying power.
“Elzerba….”
A thousand years ago, Elzerba, a vampire who assassinated a princess of the Kingdom of Avilia for unknown reasons. Only she, who once faced an army of nearly 100,000 soldiers alone, could possess such magic.
“She’s awakened at last….”
After risking her life to analyze the lingering magic on the remains, Marina confirmed that this was indeed Elzerba’s power. From its nature and intensity, it was clear that, after her long imprisonment, Elzerba had returned at full strength without any loss of power.
“…The disaster has finally been unleashed.”
Elzerba, who had shattered a seal personally created by Astira, the goddess of the heavens and earth whom Serion worshipped.
A vampire so unprecedented that, without the help of the now-extinct sorcerers and without an elf as a spy within the Avilian government, they would never have been able to capture her.
No matter the reason, this news of the calamity’s release was far from welcome, and High Saintess Marina shuddered at the thought.
“…Filled with rage, she has already annihilated two cities, including the capital of Avilia Kingdom.”
“…That’s no surprise.”
At the head priestess’ report, Marina let out a deep sigh.
Having been sealed for a thousand years, it’s no wonder Elzerba would be furious. Whether she even retained her sanity was a question. A thousand years ago, she possessed the same intelligence as a human, but now, it was feared she may have devolved into a mindless monster, beyond negotiation.
The head priestess, Isabella, continued her report in a calm tone.
“…Therefore, the current Prime minister of Avilia has requested our aid. He mentioned that help is desperately needed.”
“The Prime minister….”
The Prime minister of Avilia Kingdom.
The elf who, a thousand years ago, had helped Marina seal Elzerba, and the one who deceived her as a spy, Lillianel Greenfield.
Whatever Elzerba’s grievances, she would surely target Lillianel first, given the betrayal. Lillianel was likely unable to sleep at night, tormented by fear.
Before Elzerba had been completely sealed, she had even vowed that if she were ever to awaken, she would come for Lillianel first. For Lillianel, gathering an army capable of standing against the vampire had become an urgent priority.
Among all nations, the religious state of Serion, famed for its prowess in dealing with monsters, was essential to this effort.
It had been Marina herself, after all, who had delivered the decisive blow during Elzerba’s sealing a thousand years ago.
“High Saintess, what shall we do?”
“….”
However, when the Chief Saintess inquired about their decision to provide support, the highest authority of Serion, Marina Vergard, merely closed her eyes in silence.
‘…Can that elf really win?’
Various thoughts crossed her mind.
Even with Serion’s help, could the Kingdom of Abilia truly triumph against Elzerba?
A thousand years ago, they had sheer luck, support from the sorcerer nation of Tenma, and the one-of-a-kind divine seal of the goddess. But now, none of that remained.
Moreover, the military power of the Kingdom of Avilia had not advanced; in fact, it had either stagnated or deteriorated compared to a thousand years ago.
‘…Lillianel, you never could have foreseen this situation.’
Lillianel, who stifled the kingdom’s “development” out of fear of sudden “change,” and the hero who served by her side.
For the past thousand years, they sought only wealth and power. The seal of Elzerba must have gradually faded from their memories.
And now, suddenly, they had no power to stop Elzerba. No matter how they resisted, the future of Avilia looked bleak.
Perhaps, it was the karma of Lillianel and the hero, who had ignored Marina’s “advice” from a thousand years ago—advice she had given, even breaking Serion’s law of non-intervention in foreign politics.
“I did tell them back then….”
Marina let out a deep sigh.
Defying the natural order—no heavenly god would look kindly upon that.
As long as Lillianel Greenfield and the hero remained in the kingdom, the blessings and help of the earth god Astira would be difficult to expect.
Even if they revealed the secret they’ve been hiding, it was uncertain whether it could change the outcome.
“….”
But Serion and Marina Vergard were different. They were not like the Kingdom of Avilia and its foolish officials.
Serion had long embraced the phrase, “Nothing lasts forever,” and had prepared for a day like this ever since that fateful day a thousand years ago.
As the religious nation in charge of battling monsters, they had continuously honed their holy magic. They strengthened their faith and constantly expanded the number of believers to earn the blessing of the goddess Astira.
After hardship comes light.
As a result, Serion received a divine oracle 500 years ago.
A revelation from the heavens, capable of purifying all the evils and monsters of the world.
“…Isabella, how long until ‘that’ is ready?”
“Hmm, about two more months.”
“Two months, understood.”
The implementation of the oracle, which could possibly be the key to dealing with Elzerba, was still two months away.
If the oracle was fulfilled and the holy magic accumulated over the millennium was utilized, defeating the unparalleled vampire might not be a mere dream.
“Isabella, I want you to lead the Holy Knights and support Avilia.”
Thus, the Kingdom of Avilia must not fall just yet.
If they were to be destroyed, Elzerba’s next target would be Serion itself.
With two months left until the oracle could be realized, Avilia had to hold on and act as Serion’s shield.
“Understood, Grand Saintess.”
In response to the order to support Avilia, the Chief Saintess bowed her head.
“I will depart immediately. May Serion be blessed by Astira.”
“…May we be blessed.”
Now that the decision had been made, there was no time to waste. Isabella, the Chief Saintess, promptly exited the temple to assemble the support troops.
Now, only Marina remained in the central temple of Serion.
“….”
She pulled out a small gospel from her robe and opened it to the first page.
There, inscribed, was the divine oracle from 500 years ago—the moment she had been waiting for, the chance to reattach the “wings of the angel.”
──── When the faith of a billion souls is amassed upon the earth, a light of hope will descend from the heavens and purify all evil.
Simultaneously, it would be the day when they could teach the arrogant and invincible vampire what true power was.
Fifteen hundred years ago, for reasons unknown, Marina Vergard, an angel exiled from the heavens and now the Grand Saintess of Serion, quietly closed her eyes and prayed to the goddess she believed in.
“…May the blessing of Lady Astira be upon all matters and beings.”
…Soon, the time for the Holy War would approach.
(II)
“…May the blessing of Lady Astira be upon all matters.”
In a small territory called Rieli, located a day and a half’s journey from the capital, the lord Chris Evergrit offered heartfelt prayers at the temple once again today.
Ever since the sudden invasion of an orc army nearly destroyed his territory twenty years ago, he had prayed daily to the earth god Astira, asking that monsters would never invade again.
He prayed that, even if they did invade, he would be able to defeat them safely.
He prayed for peace and safety every day.
“….”
Initially, the prayers had been a lighthearted suggestion from an acquaintance, but they had become an indispensable part of his daily routine.
…The psychological stability gained from heartfelt prayers and confessions had become essential.
Missing even a single day made him feel anxious.
“Dad! If that’s the case, why not just move to Serion?”
…Suddenly, he recalled the teasing words of his second daughter.
Now, Judith Evergrit, chosen as a companion of the hero and engaged in fierce battles against demons, filled him with pride. Thinking of her, the daughter he cherished deeply and the pride of their modest territory, brought a smile to Chris’s face.
“Spending my twilight years in Serion wouldn’t be so bad….”
Following Judith’s suggestion, retirement and pilgrimage sounded appealing.
…And to enjoy such a happy retirement, he must do his best to be a father and lord his daughters could be proud of.
“…I’ll get up now.”
After greeting the priest, Chris left the temple dedicated to Astira. Having spent a long time in prayer, the sunset cast shadows outside.
“Ha….”
Stepping out into his territory, Chris let out a deep sigh.
Despite his lengthy prayers, his mind remained troubled.
…The Progenitor vampire, which had annihilated Ermaile and the capital, was rumored to be near his territory, and he was in a non-cooperative position against that monster. This situation left him feeling uneasy.
Two days ago, upon hearing the shocking news, he hurriedly closed the Teleportation Hub, but the capital was just a day’s ride away. If the vampire decided to, it could destroy this place at any moment.
He considered whether he should bow to the monster, but he doubted that a creature known for indiscriminately slaughtering people would spare him just for showing submission.
More importantly, as the father of the hero’s companion Judith Evergrit, and as the lord of Rieli, he swore never to kneel before monsters.
—Never yield to monsters!
—Cooperation is out of the question!
—Even if it costs us our lives, we must fight!
—The hero and Miss Judith will surely help us! We must protect our territory!
—The goddess will protect us!
“….”
Moreover, the residents he consulted yesterday shared his sentiments, so Rieli would avoid any dealings with that vampire.
…They all agreed that they would rather die honorably than join hands with evil.
“We need to end the evacuation quickly….”
However, if they were to confront that monster, there was no chance for victory in such a small territory.
Thus, he had started the evacuation of the elderly and infirm to a nearby quiet village, hoping that once it was completed, he would feel somewhat relieved.
“….”
Now, all that was left was to reinforce defenses, set traps, barricade the area, and stock up on supplies. He could only pray that the vampire would take no interest in their little town.
…As he returned home, burdened with worries and concerns, he suddenly heard someone call out.
-“My lord!!”
“Huh?”
-“It’s urgent!”
From a distance, a soldier clad in chainmail rushed toward him.
A middle-aged man with unkempt hair covering his eyes.
It was none other than Edmund, the captain of the territory’s guards.
“…What is it?”
Chris asked as he noticed the urgency on Edmund’s face. The guard captain was sweating profusely as he hurriedly replied.
-“M-Monsters! Monsters have invaded!”
“What?!”
…Chris’s heart sank at that news. He grabbed Edmund by the collar and shouted.
“Monsters?! What kind of monsters? Is it the ‘Progenitor vampire’?!”
Monsters have invaded?
Could it really be the Progenitor vampire?
So soon?
Was it because he had refused to cooperate?
He still had no support troops, and he lacked any information about that creature.
What should he do?
…He had resolutely decided to endure the destruction of his territory, but upon hearing of the monster’s invasion, the forgotten fear surged throughout Chris’s body.
“W-Wait….”
However, Edmund’s next report somewhat eased Chris’s mind. The guard captain’s rough voice came through.
-“It’s not a vampire; one undead creature has appeared near the walls.”
“U-Undead creature…?”
Upon hearing those words, Chris’s tension evaporated all at once.
Just one undead creature was merely a zombie.
Even an untrained ordinary person could kill a zombie, so his worry had been unwarranted.
“Just take care of a zombie or something like that! Be flexible!”
No matter how dire the situation was, Chris exploded in anger at the guard captain, who was reporting the invasion of a single zombie.
-“W-What do you mean? It doesn’t look like an ordinary zombie.”
Captain Edmund waved his hands and continued his report.
-“It’s wearing a pristine maid outfit and carrying a large greatsword. It looks like a typical zombie, but with its equipment, it appears far from ordinary.”
“A maid outfit and a greatsword?”
Chris furrowed his brow.
The fact that it wore a maid outfit could imply it was a maid who had turned into a zombie, so he wasn’t overly concerned about that. What bothered him was the weapon it carried.
“A greatsword? Have there ever been zombies that wield weapons?”
Typically, zombies were reanimated corpses that lost their self-awareness and acted solely on instinct. Though Chris had lived as an adventurer in his youth, he had never heard of a ‘zombie’ using weapons—skeletons, perhaps, but not zombies.
-“Anyway, it seems to be quite a special entity, so you should see it for yourself, my lord.”
“…Understood.”
Chris nodded at Edmund’s remark about it being “quite special.”
A suddenly appearing maid zombie wielding a greatsword.
One could not rule out the possibility that this unique entity was somehow connected to the most significant threat to Rieli—the Progenitor vampire.
…As the lord, it was his duty to confirm any potential threats to his territory with his own eyes.
“Let’s go.”
Chris followed Edmund.
(III)
-“That’s the zombie!”
Upon reaching the fortress walls that safely surrounded the territory, Chris saw a zombie clad in a maid outfit. It was dressed in an elegant maid uniform and carried a large greatsword, scanning various parts of their fortress walls.
Chris narrowed his eyes.
‘Is that truly a zombie…?’
Its outfit and skin were far too clean for a zombie.
With its cute appearance, delicate hands and feet, and the behavior suggesting some level of intelligence as if it were searching for something, it seemed closer to a human girl than a mindless zombie, aside from its blue skin.
…But that made it even more unsettling.
‘A zombie that mimics a human…?’
He felt a dissonance amid the impossible contradiction, which left a feeling of discomfort. While he didn’t know if it was related to the Progenitor vampire, it certainly appeared to be a monster that shouldn’t be left alone.
Chris shouted to the soldiers on the wall.
“What are you doing? Chase that monster away!”
…Having nearly faced destruction once before, Rieli had no tolerance for monsters. At Chris’s firm command, the soldiers collectively drew their bows. Then, dozens of sharp arrows were aimed at the maid zombie.
“Ah?”
It seemed the zombie noticed this as it tilted its head, observing them. A chill ran down Chris’s spine at the sight of its red eyes, but he hesitated not a moment in signaling the order to fire.
“No monsters can enter our territory! Shoot! Turn it into a pincushion!”
As they had always done against monsters lurking around, the soldiers of Rieli unleashed a flurry of arrows at the maid zombie.
Whoosh.
With the sound of arrows slicing through the air, dozens of sharp projectiles flew toward the zombie. All that remained was for it to become a lifeless body, unable to move as a porcupine.
“Hmph.”
“…!!”
However, the zombie merely scoffed at the incoming arrows. Then, with a swish, it drew its massive greatsword.
“Hah!”
With a powerful swing of the grotesque sword in front of it, an overwhelming force of wind rippled toward Chris on the wall.
“Ugh…?!”
—Whoa?!
—Everyone, hold on tight! Don’t fall!
The tremendous gust created by its sword caused Chris and the soldiers to stagger, scattering the arrows that had been aimed at it.
…All fifty arrows were deflected with a single swing of the sword.
“What… this is ridiculous….”
Chris’s expression hardened at the nonsensical scene before him.
How could a zombie wield a greatsword?
How could it deflect arrows just with wind pressure?
…His reasoning began to unravel.
“Hey, human.”
“…!!”
Then, a spine-chilling voice came from below the wall. To his disbelief, the maid zombie was speaking to them.
It was using human language.
A monster.
A zombie, no less.
“Th-This is impossible. How can it speak human words…?”
Chris’s legs went weak as he witnessed yet another shocking event. The expressions of the other soldiers around him mirrored his disbelief; they all looked as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
…The maid zombie below the wall raised its greatsword and spoke to Chris and the soldiers of Rieli.
“…You definitely attacked first.”
“W-What…?”
It was just a single sentence, but an indescribable chill and fear wrapped around Chris’s heart. Was this what it felt like to be in front of a predator? What they faced was clearly nothing more than a low-level monster—a ‘zombie’—but his instincts screamed at him.
Run away.
“W-What in the world…?”
A zombie that spoke human language, wielded a greatsword, and could deflect dozens of arrows effortlessly.
It exuded an overwhelming charisma.
…Chris Evergrit, lord of Rieli, stared blankly with his golden eyes at the zombie slowly approaching the city gates, murmuring to himself.
“What in the world is that…?”
Whatever it was, it certainly didn’t seem like a friendly monster.
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