“Cough, cough—”
The intense pain from his wounds sent him into a violent coughing fit.
He turned his head with difficulty, looking toward the door.
The person who pushed the door open was an elderly clergyman, dressed in the dark robes of the Twilight City Church Branch’s bishop, a cross-shaped holy emblem symbolizing the Church hanging on his chest.
The old man’s face was kind, but now it was etched with anxiety and worry.
His silver-white hair faintly reflected the light from the manacrystal lamp in the room.
“Brave! You’re finally awake!”
The bishop quickly approached, his brow deeply furrowed upon seeing Laurence’s pallid face and the bandages covering him.
“May the Holy Light soothe your pain… How… how could you be injured so gravely? With your strength, there are very few in Twilight City who could wound you to this extent! What on earth happened? Who, or what, did this?”
Laurence’s lips moved.
The words, “It was that Disaster Dragonkin I expelled,” were almost on the tip of his tongue.
It was the simplest, most direct answer.
It fit the Church’s expectations and would immediately secure him support and the power to hunt down the “Disaster Source.”
But just as the words were about to escape, the image of those sorrowful crimson eyes from his dream, along with Aurelia’s desperate, furious, and despairing question in reality, exploded in his mind at that very moment—
“Have you ever… truly tried to understand me? Captain?”
“You never even asked why…”
‘If she were meticulously plotting to deceive, if her purpose in hiding was to bring destruction, why would she expose that power—which should have been hidden at all costs—over such an insignificant wound, one that might even heal on its own?’
‘Just to stage a clumsy act of self-injury in front of me? That logic doesn’t hold up at all. It’s completely unreasonable.’
Seeing his struggling expression, his lips moving but no sound coming out, the old bishop thought he was still too severely injured, his mind not fully clear.
His tone grew even more urgent.
“Child, don’t rush. Speak slowly. No matter who the assailant was, anyone who dares to attack a God-Blessed of the Church near Twilight City will not be tolerated! Tell me, who was it? Was it a terrifying cultist? Or something even more dangerous?”
Laurence’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
An extremely complex mix of emotions flashed through his golden eyes.
There was the shaken feeling from being struck by her question, anger at his own weakness, the instinctive hatred for the Disaster, and… a fear of the unknown consequences that answer might bring—a fear he hadn’t even realized he harbored.
He opened his mouth.
Finally, under the bishop’s earnest, concerned gaze, he forced out a sentence.
“…It was a Corrupted God’s Artifact. It suddenly appeared near Withered Wood Forest west of Twilight City. Its aura was extremely well-hidden. I… was momentarily careless and was ambushed.”
After speaking, he leaned back heavily against the hard headboard as if all his strength had drained away.
He closed his eyes, no longer looking at the bishop’s expression.
He had actually lied.
Because of her sharp questions, because of that absurd and untimely wavering in his heart, he had lied to the Church, to a bishop who cared for him, to the duty he bore…
“A Corrupted God’s Artifact?”
Upon hearing this, the bishop’s frown deepened, the worry on his face increasing rather than lessening.
“That area is remote, but it’s not far from the city. How could a powerful Corrupted God’s Artifact capable of severely injuring someone of your strength appear there? And one that knows how to conceal its aura… This is no small matter!”
He immediately turned and issued a stern order to a fully armored Church Knight standing guard outside the door.
“Immediately relay my command! Increase patrol density in all areas around Twilight City! Dispatch half the knights to search for any residual aura or traces of Corrupted God’s Artifacts!”
“Simultaneously, investigate all suspicious individuals and unfamiliar faces in the city recently! Especially those with secretive movements or areas with special reports—none are to be overlooked! Ensure the safety of Twilight City’s citizens!”
“Yes, Bishop!”
The knight responded with a clank of armor and a firm voice, then quickly departed, his footsteps rapidly fading down the stone corridor.
The bishop turned back, looking at Laurence lying pale and silent on the bed, his eyes closed. His tone softened slightly.
“Brave, please rest and recover first. I will instruct several priests to use Divine Arts to rapidly heal your wounds. Regarding this attack, I will personally oversee the investigation.”
“If there truly is a powerful Corrupted God’s Artifact lurking nearby, or… if some other unclean thing is active in the shadows, the Church will absolutely not let it go!”
Laurence didn’t open his eyes, only giving a slight nod and a vague murmur of acknowledgment in his throat.
His mind was in turmoil.
He both hoped the Church’s investigation would find clues to the Disaster Source and felt a vague fear of that possible outcome.
‘If Aurelia, whom I gravely wounded to the brink of death, is in the city now… if she is found…’
Seeing him appear utterly exhausted, the bishop didn’t press further.
He whispered a few instructions to the priest quietly waiting nearby and prepared to leave.
However, at that moment, another Church Knight hurried to the doorway, holding a sealed letter with an ancient style, its closure marked with wax.
“Bishop, an urgent messenger from Shadowlight City has just arrived. This is for Sir Laurence… from the Holy City Papacy, personally addressed by His Holiness the Pope.”
The air in the room seemed to freeze for an instant.
A flicker of surprise crossed the bishop’s face, followed by even deeper solemnity.
He gestured for the knight to present the letter.
Taking the envelope bearing the Papacy’s unique seal, he cast a complicated glance at Laurence, who still had his eyes closed on the bed.
“Brave, a letter from His Holiness the Pope.”
The bishop’s voice held reverence as he gently placed the letter on the edge of the bed beside Laurence’s hand.
Laurence’s eyelashes fluttered.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Deep within those golden eyes surged shock, doubt, unease, and a sense of fearful foreboding he himself hadn’t detected.
He reached out with his left hand and picked up the letter from the Pope.
The first part of the letter was a response to the report from the Shadowlight City bishop.
The Pope mentioned the Shadowlight City bishop’s report concerning the “Dragonkin suspected of being tainted by Disaster” and “Laurence’s request for the issuance of a Pope’s Pursuit Order.”
However, the Pope’s wording was exceptionally cautious.
“Regarding the matter of the Dragonkin girl, the situation reported by the Shadowlight City bishop still contains unclear points. The nature of the power within her, the degree of corruption, her subjective will—all require further verification.”
“The Church’s actions should uphold the compassion and prudence inherent in the Holy Light. We cannot, based solely on appearances and suspected evidence, impose the ultimate punishment on an individual who may be acting against her will.”
“The Pope’s Pursuit Order is a matter of great significance with wide-reaching implications. It requires irrefutable evidence and thorough consideration. This matter is to be postponed for now. A decision will be made once more concrete facts are ascertained.”
A sense of indescribable absurdity struck him.
The target he had risked his life to verify, to hunt down—in the eyes of the highest authority in the Holy City, actually required more facts?
Then, the latter part of the letter shifted tone, becoming gentle and filled with expectation.
“However, the Shadowlight City bishop also reported that you awakened the severed thousand-year Hero’s Bloodline Inheritance in a moment of crisis.”
“This is a heaven-sent grace and clear proof of the mission you bear. I look forward to your early journey to the Holy City. The Holy Light will guide your path and grant you a more complete inheritance and mission. May the Holy Light bless you, Brave Laurence.”
The Pursuit Order was postponed.
The first reaction this knowledge brought wasn’t the anger or impatience he thought he’d feel, but a startling sense of relief.
Although that feeling of relief was immediately suppressed by him the moment it appeared, its very existence was enough to send a cold sweat down his spine.
‘What am I relieved about? That the ‘Disaster Source’ won’t be hunted with the Papacy’s full force for now? That she… might still have a chance for the truth to be uncovered?’
He didn’t know.
Perhaps… he needed more information.
Not just fragmented memories from his predecessor life, not just surface observations and instinctive hostility.
He needed to truly understand the Disaster Source, understand its nature, its methods of operation, its… possibilities.
Once this thought arose, it could no longer be ignored.
“…Bishop.”
Laurence took a deep breath, interrupting the bishop who was about to leave.
“Brave, what do you need?”
“This battle with that… Corrupted God’s Artifact,” he deliberately emphasized the words ‘Corrupted God’s Artifact,’ as if stressing something, “made me realize my understanding of these enemies in the darkness is still not deep enough.”
He paused, trying to make his voice sound more resolute, more like he was preparing for future battles rather than searching for some vague answer.
“Does the Church… the Twilight City Branch’s archive, have detailed records about the Disaster Source? Such as its modes of existence, sealing locations, disasters it has caused in the past?”
“Detailed records about the Disaster Source…”
The bishop stroked the silver holy emblem on his chest, pondering for a moment.
“Most archives of that nature are sealed deep within the Great Library of the Holy City, or scattered among secret collections in certain ancient dioceses and ruins. If you wish to consult them… I’m afraid you would need to go to the Holy City first and personally mention it to His Holiness the Pope.”
“I understand your urgency, Brave.”
The bishop spoke slowly, his tone cautious.
“The Twilight City Branch does not possess core archival materials regarding the complete records of the Disaster Source. However… this place has a long history and once dealt with an incident where Disaster Power endangered the lives of the entire city.”
But before Laurence could speak, the bishop suddenly changed the subject.
“However… right now, you should wait for your injuries to recover and proceed to the Holy City as soon as possible for the Coronation Ceremony. I believe His Holiness the Pope must have mentioned this in the letter.”
Seeing Laurence lower his head, the bishop’s tone became even more kindly.
“Brave, your mission is a bright future, the core of confronting threats.
The inheritance in the Holy City will reveal a broader picture for you and grant you greater power.”
“Getting entangled in obscure, hard-to-verify records of the past may not be the wisest choice for you at present. Your body and soul should first prepare to receive the complete baptism of the Holy Light.”
“The Bishop is right.”
Laurence spoke slowly.
“I was being somewhat… impatient. After being attacked, I kept thinking about immediately finding the enemy’s weakness, but neglected the fundamentals. As you said, going to the Holy City to obtain the complete inheritance…”
He lowered his eyelids, avoiding the bishop’s relieved gaze and hiding the complex expression that flashed deep in his eyes.
“It’s excellent that you think this way.”
The bishop nodded, a comforting smile appearing on his face.
“Please rest assured about Twilight City’s safety. The Church knights will conduct a thorough investigation. You just focus on recuperating and preparing to embrace your new mission.”
“Thank you for your concern, Bishop.”
Laurence gave a slight nod, showing a cooperative and grateful demeanor.
The bishop offered a few more words of advice about resting peacefully, then turned and left the room to arrange treatment and investigation matters.
The accompanying priest also left, leaving Laurence alone in the room, sitting quietly on the bed.
Go to the Holy City?
Accept the inheritance?
And then what?
Face Aurelia again with a stronger perception of the Disaster Source?
Execute judgment with the even more indisputable identity of the Brave?
But if… if she really…
‘…I need a more detailed answer. Just so I can act more decisively in the future, not to prove her innocence!’
He needed an answer that could quell the doubts growing wildly in his heart, or at least point him in a direction.
Whether it was to confirm her irredeemable nature, or…
No, it could only be to confirm her irredeemable nature.
He repeatedly emphasized this to himself, even though his current actions were already beginning to deviate from that initial, pure intent to kill.
But now he was “the newly-awakened Brave Laurence,” an honored guest of the Twilight City Church Branch, watched by countless eyes, both open and hidden.
His knowledge of this city’s underground world was also limited to the occasional, scattered rumors he’d heard in his predecessor life—almost starting from zero.
Rash action would not only likely yield nothing but could also expose his true intentions, inviting unpredictable trouble.
The bishop had already ordered a city-wide investigation; any suspicious move could be magnified and scrutinized.
‘The risk… is too high.’
He needed a more concrete plan, needed disguise, and needed patience.
Laurence slowly exhaled a breath tinged with the smell of medicine.
He folded the Pope’s letter and placed it by his pillow.
He lay back down and closed his eyes.
But in his mind, he began constructing the outline of a more detailed plan.
‘Once my injuries have recovered a bit tomorrow, I’ll start making discreet inquiries in places like taverns…’