Chapter 128

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Demon Hunting (2)

Yuel Razian’s letter was straightforward:

「I heard you’ve gained two stars.」

「Congratulations.」

「I heard you’re heading to the Outland. Before that, how about joining me for some demon hunting?」

That wasn’t a summary of the letter, it was the entire thing. The rest of the paper? Blank.

It was reminiscent of the famous mathematician who once said, “I have proven it, but the margin is too small to write it here.” If that mathematician had seen Yuel’s letter, he would’ve likely filled its vast empty space with an entire thesis.

That’s how much blank space there was—just three lines of text written on a large sheet of paper.

Fortunately, flipping the page revealed a map with several symbols drawn on it, and beneath them was a postscript:

「I’ll keep it brief to save time.」

「Show this letter to a nearby church, and they’ll guide you. I’ll be waiting.」

Najin did as instructed.

With Yuel’s letter in hand, he headed to a church in the adventurers’ city.

The moment the nun there saw the letter, her eyes widened as if they might tear apart. “P-please wait here for a moment!”

The nun hurried off, returning shortly with a priest.

The elderly man examined the letter, his expression mirroring the nun’s. He, too, immediately contacted someone else.

This chain reaction repeated several times.

Najin discovered something new that day: clergy, who usually seemed so calm and unhurried, could move incredibly fast when necessary.

Within hours, a carriage arrived in front of him. The priests who disembarked wore robes adorned with crimson embroidery—Inquisitors of the Starblood Sect.

“Are you Najin?”

After asking a few questions and verifying the letter, the priests bowed their heads deeply to Najin, displaying deference one might show a superior.

“We are here to escort you. Shall we depart now?”

Najin boarded the carriage.

They’d offered a ride—why refuse? As he climbed aboard, the inquisitors nervously watched him.

“Um, Sir Najin?” At some point, they started addressing him as “Sir Najin.”

“Yes?”

“When and how did you receive this letter?”

“It arrived this morning in the mail.”

Najin’s answer made the inquisitors turn pale. Later, he would learn why.

Yuel’s letter had not passed through the usual channels of the Starblood Sect. Instead, it had been delivered directly to Najin’s mailbox.

This was a significant problem for the Starblood Sect.

Normally, someone of Yuel’s stature—an Executioner of the Sect—would act only through the organization. Even personal communications were typically handled via the Sect.

Since Executioners, along with the Archpriests, represented the Sect itself, their actions and words could easily be interpreted as the will of the entire organization.

Thus, Executioners, Incarnates, and Lighthouse Keepers were expected to be exceedingly cautious in their conduct.

Despite that, Yuel Razian wasn’t cautious, nor did she care about what others thought.

Her attitude was simple: “Why should I care? If it’s not illegal, I don’t see why I should bother.” That time, her proposal to Najin was entirely her own initiative without and consultation with the Sect.

So what? If the Executioner decided something, then who could argue?

All the Sect could do was accommodate. That was why the inquisitors treated Najin with such reverence.

“We’ll make your journey as comfortable as possible.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“No need to thank us. You’re the guest of the Executioner, after all. It’s only natural.”

In their eyes, the boy before them was an esteemed guest of Yuel Razian. Regardless of her intentions, that’s how her letter was interpreted.

Of course, Najin had no way of knowing any of that.

‘Demon hunting, huh. Sounds interesting.’

– It does. I’m curious what kind of demon it’ll be.

The inquisitors accompanying Najin were tense, but Najin’s expression remained calm and composed.

‘This is a good opportunity.’

To him, Yuel’s proposal was indeed a great chance. Before venturing deep into the Outland, it was an opportunity to stretch his muscles and test the changes his body had undergone after acquiring his stars.

As the carriage moved, Najin conversed with Merlin, seeking answers.

‘Why does the Starblood Sect hunt demons?’

– Their patron deity despises demons.

‘Are there people who like demons?’

– Hmm, it’s less of a dislike and more of an… abhorrence? Hatred? Contempt? Anyway, she’s a woman who wants to eradicate every last demon from the world.

Merlin stroked her chin thoughtfully.

– Nowadays, they call her the “Thorned Martyr,” which sounds tame, but back in my time, she was known as “She Who Foams at the Sight of Demons.” Other names included “One Who Bathes in Demon Blood and Flesh,” “Demon Slayer,” and “Evil Shall Perish.”

Those were rather extreme titles.

As Najin blinked, Merlin continued.

– Arthur and I hunted demons because they were a threat to humanity. She, on the other hand, hunted demons simply because she hated them. Of course, she had her reasons.

‘What reasons?’

– She used to be a princess of a small kingdom called Raffelli, or something like that. Her country was destroyed by demons. Most of her people became demon contractors, and the rest turned into demon worshippers.

Najin vaguely recalled reading about it in history books.

Raffelli—a kingdom annihilated by demons roughly a thousand years prior Its downfall was often cited to justify the need to eradicate dark mages and demon summoners.

‘That’s a good reason to hate them.’

– Right? But the interesting part comes after that.

‘What happened next?’

– She killed them all.

Najin nearly exclaimed aloud but managed to suppress his voice. Merlin chuckled at his reaction and elaborated.

– Around thirty thousand, if I recall. She personally killed every single demon contractor from her kingdom, even the ones who fled abroad. Over the course of ten years, she hunted them all down without leaving a single one alive.

Not a single one left standing…?

When that blood-soaked saga ended, she ascended to become a constellation. Although Raffelli had fallen to the demons, it wasn’t remembered as a demon-worshipping nation in the annals of history.

– She cleansed it with their blood. From the corpses of countless demons and their worshippers, a star was born. Raffelli became a holy site.

Truly, it was the birthplace of a star.

– When Arthur and I were fighting the Demon King, I glanced to the side and saw this stranger stabbing him in the gut. I asked, “Who are you?” She just said, “Demon. Kill.” So I figured, “Ah, an ally,” and we fought together.

Merlin shook her head in amusement at the memory.

– A crazy girl, really. A butcher. A pitiful soul who knows nothing but killing demons.

‘How did someone like her become the patron deity of the Starblood Sect?’

– Her teachings were simple. Ask the guy sitting across from you, it hasn’t changed much in a thousand years.

Najin turned to the inquisitor seated across from him.

“May I ask about the Starblood Sect’s doctrine?”

“Of course.” The inquisitor smiled broadly. “Kill demons. Burn anything connected to demons. Uproot the entire species from this world. Whatever your status or past sins, our deity doesn’t care. She only asks one thing of you…”

The man pounded his chest over his heart. “As long as your heart beats, slay demons.” A faint madness glimmered in his eyes.

– See? I doubt she intended to create a religion. She just wanted to kill demons and gathered followers because she couldn’t do it alone. That naturally evolved into a religion.

Merlin’s tone turned somber.

– I suppose it’s because so many people have lost loved ones to demons. That kind of hatred makes for a powerful faith. That’s why the Thorned Martyr remains their patron to this day.

‘The Thorned Martyr’ was her official title as a constellation, but those who lived during her era called her something else…

– The Fire That Burns for a Thousand Years.

Merlin added that the fire would continue to burn until every last demon in the world was reduced to ash. Her expression, for once, was distant and reflective.

– Well, I guess it’s not so different from me.

She smiled faintly.

– I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I’ve slit the Witch of the Nether’s throat.

After several days of travel, the carriage stopped at a city on the Outland border, Baldornos—a forgotten city of a forgotten kingdom.

Originally situated near the Outland’s edge, Baldornos had been swallowed up by the border’s expansion 300 years prior. During the event, nearly 70% of the city was consumed by the Outland, and every resident vanished without a trace.

Though the buildings remained intact, the city was rendered uninhabitable. Baldornos became a ghost town.

For dark mages, however, “uninhabited ghost city” was synonymous with “perfect hideout.” Its proximity to the Outland made summoning rituals easier. Naturally, Baldornos became a prime location for such activities.

The Starblood Sect was well aware of this.

They kept a close watch on Baldornos, and when traces of black magic and demon summoning were discovered, it was deemed a significant threat.

Significant threats required an equally significant response.

The Sect’s asymmetric power—Yuel Razian.

Her deployment to Baldornos was recent, and thus laid the backdrop for the operation.

“So that’s how it is.”

“Yes. Allow me to explain the operation.”

Najin listened attentively and nodded.

“Originally, the only personnel dispatched here was the Executioner. The plan was for her to handle the purge alone, but circumstances changed.” The inquisitor began outlining the plan, pointing to the map. “Lady Yuel will enter from the rear gate, deep within the Outland side of Baldornos. Sir Najin, you’ll enter through the front gate.”

According to his explanation, Najin’s role was straightforward: enter through the front gate and eliminate any dark mages encountered along the way. Meanwhile, Yuel would do the same from the rear gate, with the two meeting near the Outland’s boundary.

‘Simple enough in theory.’ Najin raised his head.

He gazed at the shimmering barrier that marked the boundary between the Outland and the continent. Though the city beyond the barrier was blurry and difficult to discern, its sheer size was apparent.

‘It won’t be as easy as it sounds,’ Najin thought as he stretched his body.

“When you’re ready to proceed, let us know, and we’ll signal Lady Yuel to begin—”

“I’m ready.”

“Pardon?” The inquisitor, who had been busy preparing holy water and blessed silver weapons, blinked. All Najin had done was casually stretch, making no visible preparations. “Sir Najin, with all due respect, Baldornos is effectively part of the Outland. Entering it will accelerate the deterioration of your body. Without adequate preparation—”

“That’s our concern. It doesn’t apply to him.” One of the inquisitors cut his subordinate off, gesturing toward Najin.

Najin responded by holding up his palm. Two stars materialized and glowed above it.

“Ah.” The inquisitor let out a short sigh. Then, without hesitation, he knelt on one knee and bowed his head—not to Najin, but to the patron deity of the Starblood Sect, who he believed was watching from the heavens.

In response, a constellation of eight stars—the Thorned Martyr’s—lit up in the sky.

“Sir Najin?”

“Yes?”

“I recommend covering your ears.”

Najin blinked, puzzled. Looking around, he noticed all the inquisitors had already knelt and covered their ears. Though confused, he followed their lead.

It didn’t take long for him to understand why.

Moments ago, one of the inquisitors had prayed to their deity, notifying her of the operation’s commencement. That prayer was relayed to her champion, Yuel Razian.

They were to start the operation.

With the signal received, Yuel moved.

Far beyond the Outland’s boundary, at the opposite end of the vast city, she stood at the rear gate. Though the distance between them spanned the entirety of Baldornos, Najin could feel her movement.

Not because his senses were particularly sharp, but because her movement was simply too immense.

Screeeeeeeech!

A bone-chilling screech filled the air—like the wails of tormented souls. It echoed across the Outland’s border, cutting through the city and spanning thousands of meters to pierce Najin’s eardrums.

The sound came first, the phenomenon followed.

The massive barrier separating the Outland and the continent quivered violently. Beyond the rippling boundary, though blurred, it wasn’t hard to imagine what was happening.

The city was being dismantled…

By a single person, and a single sword.