Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 400

“…”The moment he faced the huge door, it felt as if the emotions he had carefully kept in check began to distort once again.

Iris stepped back and just quietly watched Arendt.

At the end of the uncomfortable silence, Arendt finally spoke up in a sharp voice.

“What on earth are you trying to do?”

“It’s a pleasure to have met you with whom I can share memories, but I never forgot for a moment that we were enemies.”

Iris answered leisurely.

“Plotting schemes is only natural in a hostile relationship.”

From her unbearably gentle voice, a thick, lingering malice could be felt.

“So open the door, Sir Arendt.”

A voice that seemed to whisper with temptation followed.

It seemed as if a beautiful python had seduced a man and was slowly strangling him.

“Aren’t you at least a little tempted? It’s a chance to witness with your own eyes the true history you’ve always been so curious about.”

“…”

Arendt stayed silent.

As she said, it might have been a welcome thing.

Because it would prove that the blasphemous theory he had long insisted on alone was, in fact, not wrong.

But what lay hidden beyond the door was also a deadly trap.

‘The truth doesn’t always bring good results.’

If the old seal were to be broken, the hidden curse of history might surge forth like a tidal wave, destroying everything that Arendt had tried to protect.

“Come on, Sir Arendt.”

A soft, urging voice dug into his ear.

“…How annoying.”

Arendt stared into space for a moment, then an irritated voice escaped his lips.

Arendt strode toward the door and placed both hands on them. Beneath the light cast by the spirit, his fingertips, frozen red, came into view.

‘Shit.’

Arendt bit his lip, realizing that he was hesitating in an uncharacteristic way.

His heart pounded.

While his stomach churned from an instinctive rejection, an inevitable anticipation stirred deep inside his heart.

The scent of blood rose from deep within his throat.

His breathing was a little out of whack.

He couldn’t tell if it was because of his injuries or because he lost his composure.

‘Focus on your role.’

Arendt quickly calmed his mind.

‘Because it’s something that needs to be done.’

Arendt calmed his breathing by taking a few deep breaths and put strength into his fingertips.

An unpleasant creaking noise filled the dark passageway, and debris and dust rained down from the ceiling.

The door with the sun and moon carved side by side slowly opened. A strange light poured in through the gap, and the fresh air, unusual for a place so deep underground, brushed against his nose.

Arendt squinted his eyes involuntarily at the sudden light.

‘This light is…’

It wasn’t that unfamiliar.

Luna, who had been playing between Arendt and Iris, flew into the open door first.

Arendt’s gaze naturally followed the spirit, and an exclamation soon burst out of his mouth.

“Ah…….”

Iris took a step closer to Arendt and whispered in a tender voice.

“Isn’t it a wonderful sight?”

Normally, this would have been a point where he would have refuted her words with a sarcastic remark, but Arendt was unable to say anything.

It was a very spacious space, so much so that it was hard to believe it was underground.

A dome-shaped ceiling arched overhead, and on the floor, white and black stones, each originating from different points, were arranged in harmonious patterns.

At a certain point, the black and white stones began to intermingle, creating a beautiful spiral pattern that continued until reaching the center of the circular space, where they finally paired together.

And atop them, two statues quietly stood in place.

“…”

The two gods, strikingly alike like twins, gently spread their arms as if to embrace everything, welcoming their long-awaited visitors.

And on the high ceiling…

Arendt looked up as if possessed by something.

A pair of butterflies shimmering with iridescent colors fluttered past Arendt’s eyes.

A white snake with curious eyes cautiously watched Iris at her feet, and small figures that looked like fairies from old fairy tales hid themselves between the statues of Luce and Chernion.

Even in the midst of all this, some fairies could not suppress their curiosity, so they stuck their small heads out and quietly watched Arendt and Iris.

It was a fantastic sight, something he never thought he would ever see in his life.

Luna, who had entered first, was fluttering its wings cheerfully, circling around the large bird-shaped spirit as if it was happy to see it.

“…This is ridiculous.”

Arendt muttered vainly.

The light and clear air that did not match the underground were all due to the energy emitted by these spirits.

“This is the final resting place for the spirits remaining in the human kingdom.”

Iris explained kindly.

“In the land occupied by God Luce, this is the only place that still maintains balance. The spirits that failed to find this place would have been helplessly destroyed.”

Unlike the splendid exterior, it was a quiet space with no decorations and only statues of gods.

But it wouldn’t have been quiet.

Surely, at some point in the past, there must have been so many people and spirits that there was barely any room to step.

Humans, elves, dwarves, and even beastfolk and small creatures who came seeking healing, and perhaps even dragons as well, coming here to soothe the boredom of their long lives.

Although they may have been of different races and ages, at least before God, they would all be equal and could regain their original form.

‘Behind this damn stage…’

There really existed a fantasy world that was like a fairy tale.

“Where did we leave off earlier? Oh, right. Lord Luce said that a new rule was needed, and Lord Chernion and everyone else agreed.”

Iris bent down and stroked the white snake spirit.

“I’ve said it briefly, but their meeting lasted a very long time. After Lord Luce first spoke, the discussion didn’t end until I had lived three thousand years as a human. After all, it wasn’t an issue that could be decided easily. The gods, lost in thought, temporarily neglected their duty to look after the world. In the meantime, the number of people visiting this temple gradually decreased.”

As if the spirit had been waiting, it quickly climbed up Iris’s slender arm.

“I am the one who sealed this place that almost no one visits.”

Iris, holding the snake spirit in her arms, got up and slowly walked towards the two statues.

“The discussion was bound to be long. The absolute good, the standard for all life, who would take on that heavy position… That was a very important issue. The most likely candidates were the primordial twin gods, Lord Luce and Lord Chernion.”

Her voice telling the old story took on a dreamy tone.

The sound of a long robe dragging still followed like a ghostly presence.

“And finally they came to one conclusion. Since no one can be said to be greater than the other, they decided to take turns guarding the world for a hundred years each.”

Iris, with her back to Arendt, stopped a few steps ahead of the statues of God Chernion and God Luce.

Arendt just quietly watched her back.

Iris cautiously reached out and released the snake spirit onto the Luce statue.

Then, as if it had found its place, the spirit quickly dug into Luce’s arms.

“The first two times, the promise was kept. But the third time, Lord Luce refused to give up His seat.”

Iris, who had released the spirit, gently stroked the cheek of the Chernion statue.

“It was the moment when Lord Luce broke the rules and the primordial twin gods first parted ways in their intentions.”

“…I didn’t think you would retreat this quickly.”

Jin muttered in a bewildered voice, sweeping her messy hair aside.

Perhaps they were afraid of getting caught up in the fight between Nikephoros and Lexion, but their decision was made sooner than expected.

Jin, who had been thinking for a moment, spoke.

“Rita, do you have any idea where that damn apprentice knight and the little one from the shadow tribe went?”

“They seem to be completely outside my range of perception. I think they may have entered the palace.”

Rita, who had been by her side the whole time, answered briefly.

“And one more thing. Roger has already withdrawn, but I don’t sense any presence from Ain.”

“…”

Jin frowned slightly at those words.

“Was he ambushed?”

“Yes. It appears he has fallen into the enemy’s hands.”

“Ugh, a useless guy.”

Jin, who had been grumbling irritably, turned her gaze towards the sky again.

After enduring several attacks from Nikephoros and the constant attacks from the priests and Jiklin, Lexion’s barrier was now shaking as if it would break at any moment.

‘It doesn’t seem like there’s much point in holding the front line.’

Jiklin was in a slight dilemma.

Normally, commanders would not go to the front lines, but it seemed as if Luce’s legion had gone mad, leaving their subordinates behind and engaging in battle themselves.

Ironically, the tactic they chose was definitely effective.

The Hero and elf captains were growing increasingly tired as time passed, but in comparison, the knights and warriors were retreating from the front line with relative ease.

‘I thought there was some kind of ulterior motive…’

The reason she ordered them to pursue the enemy’s tails was because she was concerned that they might have some hidden agenda since they decided to retreat so quickly.

‘Judging by how things look, that doesn’t seem to be the case.’

If they could take over this palace, they would be able to achieve whatever they wanted.

Finally, Jiklin, who had made up her mind, issued the order once more.

“Just leave the ones running away! They’re nothing but small fry anyway.”

The Lucain Kingdom was already in their hands. She was quite dissatisfied with the fact that she had not been able to secure the royal family properly, but there were more important things to do at the moment.

“Once the barrier breaks, enter the palace immediately! Then kill everyone you meet!”

Just then, a lightning bolt split the dark sky and struck the half-broken barrier.

The quick-witted Rita stepped forward and covered Jiklin’s ears with her hands.

Then, a loud noise arrived a beat later than the light, shaking the surroundings. Jiklin reflexively closed her eyes, then opened them again and raised her head.

A sly curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.

The cracks carved into the barrier were expanding further, just like an eggshell just before a chick hatches.

It seemed that Lexion was so desperately fighting against Nikephoros that he didn’t have time to pay attention to that.

“Now…”

Almost at the same time as Jiklin let out an innocent exclamation…

“It’s done!”

The thick barrier shattered with a loud noise.

At that sound, the warriors and knights who were fighting against the Chernion Cult also quickly looked up to check the scene.

The remnants of the barrier scattered like stars, then soon vanished without a trace.

“Captain!”

Glenn, who had cut down the charging priest with one stroke of his sword, quickly called out to Laius.

Laius’ face hardened as he happened to see the same thing.

Although they had fully prepared themselves for this, the situation they had never wanted had come to pass.