The traitor said it was salvation.

Belnoa silently looked down at her feet. Something that had been a human was clutching her ankle and crying tears. The muck that flowed down spilled like blood.

It was saying something.

Due to the mumbled pronunciation and distorted language, she couldn’t understand, but at the very least, it was far from a plea for life. Rather, it was the opposite.

It was begging to be killed.

“…What is this?”

Belnoa didn’t consider herself a righteous person. She was merely standing on the battlefield following Chloe’s lead, without any grand ideals about saving people. It would be nice if she could save them, but in unavoidable circumstances, Belnoa definitely draws the line.

If necessary, she discards. She also makes choices based on necessity. She doesn’t hold any great belief about needing to save everyone. Thus, she could easily close her eyes and look away from the current scene for her own survival.

Close her eyes, keep her mouth shut, and move forward, brushing off that hand.

“Is this, salvation?”

Eventually, her voice escaped.

Because she couldn’t understand at all. Because she could never accept those words, Belnoa spoke with a trembling voice.

“There’s no way this is salvation…”

“Child.”

The traitor interrupted Belnoa’s words.

“As I said, I don’t particularly expect you to understand. I have no intention of imposing my values on you. I won’t rewrite your definition of the word ‘salvation’ nor deny your beliefs.”

A soft voice.

Like a faithful priest of the Church of the Holy Grail offering prayers to God, there was even a sense of sanctity in her whisper.

“Do you want to? Do you want to deny it?”

She smiled while looking at Belnoa.

“Do you want to deny my beliefs? Do you want to prove that the salvation I spoke of is wrong, that it isn’t right, that it’s a mistake? Go ahead if you want. I have no intention of stopping you.”

The traitor, Gletus, smiled.

In response to her laughter, a presence was felt deep within the temple. Kugukung, the temple trembled with sounds.

And what was felt was a gaze.

Belnoa felt goosebumps all over her body.

In the shadows of the temple, from places where her sight couldn’t reach, all sorts of ‘something’ were staring at her. As if they were ready to pounce at any moment.

“Will you try?”

Belnoa let out a short breath.

She shook off whatever was clutching her ankle. Leaving behind the sorrowful voice of the thing that had once been human, she stepped forward, eyes fixed on the experimental table filled with those things.

“…There’s nothing.”

“You give up quickly. So bland.”

As if expecting a fight, the traitor sighed in disappointment.

“I don’t particularly like children like you.”

She continued walking.

“You have neither a noble belief nor an unyielding mind, nor anything of worth. I don’t find value in children who don’t shine. The same applies to you.”

A voice devoid of emotion.

“They are children far from essence. Unbeautiful children. Those who have lost their pure light and become tainted. Those stained with reality are filthy. They will never surpass the limits.”

The traitor sighed.

“Therefore, they are worthless.”

It would be better to extract only the essence.

Muttering that, the traitor turned her head and glared at Belnoa. Belnoa felt an eerie chill from the traitor’s gaze, which was scanning her.

“Originally, I would have dismantled you.”

Nevertheless, she continued speaking.

“Right now, I don’t particularly want to do that.”

A simple whim. Or perhaps, interest in a child reminiscent of an old companion. The traitor narrowed her eyes.

“You’ve planted something amusing in your soul, child.”

The traitor could see it.

The piece of the Holy Grail embedded deep within Belnoa, the cup of miracles she had created in the past. Remembering the days when she researched to create that cup, the traitor smiled faintly.

The fact that she had planted that cup meant…

It was the same as having been chosen by Cardi.

Cardi. Cardi van Armiel.

With deep nostalgia for that person, Gletus slowly opened her mouth.

“Is Cardi doing well?”

“…Yes?”

Belnoa blinked.

The name of an unexpected person came out from an unexpected person’s mouth. Why was that old man Cardi being mentioned?

“Cardi, you know. The Ashen-Haired Handsome Elf.”

“Handsome…? That old man?”

“Old man? That’s a funny word. Well, he does have an old man vibe. He used to ramble on with useless stories about his past experiences.”

Ah, I think I know what it is.

Belnoa slowly nodded.

“That’s what you call kids these days, huh…?”

“Yeah, that. That saying has been the same for a thousand years, huh? Truly a funny person.”

The traitor chuckled.

Listening to her words, Belnoa realized Cardi was older than she thought, and that he was hiding many things… but she decided to set those questions aside for now.

“If you have any stories about that person, please tell me a little more.”

The traitor whispered as she walked on.

“Just to prolong my whim a bit longer.”

So that I can be here as a senior rather than a disaster before you.

2.

They succeeded in repelling the Braver.

The shadow fell apart and the barrier surrounding Artiya completely collapsed. Raniel leaned against the wall, taking a long, very long breath.

Gulk!

She spat out a fragment of bone that had been rolling around in her mouth. When she probed with her finger, she could feel a broken molar. A jagged, rough surface.

Of all things, it was her molar that broke.

“Damn it.”

What a crappy situation, she muttered as she held the broken molar and pulled it out. With blood oozing thickly, Raniel let out a short groan.

The healing power of the hero reflecting within the body is less effective than external wounds. It would take some time before a new tooth would grow back.

‘…What if I end up needing dentures?’

The fear of genuinely becoming old made Raniel tremble her shoulders briefly. No matter how you look at it, getting dentures in your 30s… no, even in your 20s, isn’t that too sad?

The method of taking a cost is really rough.

Feeling those thoughts, Raniel relaxed her body. The recoil rushing in made her whole body ache. The costs were erratic, and she couldn’t tell from where they were being collected.

‘I just want to rest…’

But there was no chance for that.

Before encountering the Mage Knights who would soon come in, she had to show a decent appearance. She had an obligation to be perfect. She straightened her rumpled clothing and wiped the blood from her mouth.

Pouring potions into her mouth, Raniel blinked many times. Finally, a little light returned to her previously dilated pupils.

“You’re having a tough time too, Kelharlem.”

Staggering, Raniel approached Kelharlem and lightly slapped his cheek. Although she poured a lot of potions for emergency treatment, his injuries were not shallow.

Blink.

Kelharlem, who had barely regained consciousness, slowly opened his eyes. Blinking, he looked at Raniel who was slapping his cheek and slowly spoke.

“…Is that you, Raniel?”

“It’s Rania. You idiot, it’s Rania.”

What if someone heard?

Muttering that, Raniel plopped down next to Kelharlem. It was the center of Artiya. A place where the ruined city could be seen at a glance.

“I’m sorry.”

“…What for?”

“For this city. It’s your hometown. I kind of wrecked it a lot while fighting that shadow.”

The city viewed from the center was filled with traces of battle. Buildings that had at least retained some shape were destroyed by rampant spells, and had crumbled to a point that their form could no longer be recognized.

“You really don’t have to apologize.”

Kelharlem forced a smile.

“I should be grateful for the fact that you saved me. I won’t blame you for it. And…”

“And?”

“After all, shape doesn’t matter.”

Kelharlem let out a long sigh.

“Even if it collapses and becomes something that’s no longer there, I can still see it. At least I remember it. I think that’s enough.”

“That’s a nice sentiment.”

Raniel smirked, a hint of laughter escaping her lips.

After staring at the ruins for a moment, Kelharlem opened his mouth.

“You’ve received help again.”

“Well, considering the opponent, I guess I had no choice.”

If Kelharlem was a Braver who had lived for a hundred years on the battlefield, the enemy was a mage who had lived for over a thousand years. Losing was only natural, and with an appropriate word of consolation, Raniel tried to encourage him… but…

“Hearing that from you feels a bit deceptive, leaving me with a strange feeling.”

“Even a consolation feels deceptive. What do you mean by deceptive?”

“Think about it. You’re just thirty…”

“Twenty.”

“…”

“What.”

Kelharlem looked at Raniel with a frown. Seeing Raniel proudly shout she was twenty without changing her expression, Kelharlem muttered inwardly, ‘That’s terrible.’ He certainly didn’t say it out loud.

Not necessarily to appease the savior, but because he could easily predict what would happen if those words were spoken.

‘Probably…’

Raniel would logically argue ‘the reason she was in her 20s,’ and that appearance would undoubtedly be quite ugly. It’s exhausting to live in a world where only beautiful things exist. There’s no reason to drag out the ugly.

“…Just a mere twenty-something girl, huh.”

At that point, Raniel nodded with satisfaction as Kelharlem continued.

“You go ahead and smash everything by yourself, then say something like ‘it can’t be helped because I’ve lived differently’ and that’s why it feels deceptive.”

“Well, that could be true.”

Raniel shook off her seat and stood up.

She could feel the presence of the Mage Knights entering the city. Just as she was about to suggest getting up…

“Still, it seems we didn’t gain nothing.”

Kelharlem took something out of his robe pocket.

What he took out was something he had snatched from the Braver. He handed it to Raniel, and the mage who had lived for a hundred years said.

“I tried to keep up with a century’s worth of experience.”

3.

The land for those who do not believe, Alkeia.

The temple and the workshop of the traitor there were massive and complex. Each section of the workshop was blocked by a great door, and there were summoned beasts stationed at every door.

Corpses, summoned beasts, and traces of many experiments.

The more Belnoa walked, the more she had to stifle her chuckles.

‘…Didn’t they say they lost all the beasts four years ago due to Galahal?’

That meant everything here was only made by her in just four years. Looking at the countless summoned beasts in sight, Belnoa had to swallow dryly.

The traitor, Gletus.

This was the one who was evaluated as someone capable of forming an army by himself… perhaps giving birth to a new calamity. Belnoa had to realize that those words were not false.

Creak, creak.

Sounds came from all around.

Things that had gone awry, things that had strayed were everywhere. Borrowing the traitor’s expression, the ones closest to essence were screaming from all sides.

Their screams do not reach God.

In a land forsaken by God, the only one listening to the screams of the humans was the broken saint who longed for salvation.

“Isn’t it a beautiful sound?”

And the broken saint does not perceive their screams as screams.

“It’s a sound filled with the most earnest desires. No matter how much you crush every organ that can produce sound, they struggle to make sounds. That’s why it’s so intense.”

Belnoa did not listen to her words.

Because it was something she did not want to hear.

Belnoa simply did not take her eyes off, collecting information. Someday, a day would come when she would reach this place again, and that information would surely be helpful then.

That was all she could do right now.

After a long walk, she arrived at the end of the temple. At the end of the temple was a long slope leading up, and there stood three Carapace Dragons digging up the ground to guard it.

Kagakagak!…

The end of the abyss, the path to the surface.

The traitor brought Belnoa all the way there. Without touching her even a little.

“You just have to follow that way.”

She waved her hand lightly.

The squirming Carapace Dragons all stopped. The Carapace Dragons, which had come towards the traitor, lowered their massive heads, and the traitor turned around to meet Belnoa’s gaze.

Tap.

She took one step closer to Belnoa.

“The stories you told were enjoyable. If you get the chance, will you convey this to that person?”

What she handed over was a worn-out letter.

A letter that hadn’t been delivered for many eons.

“It’s better not to check the contents. If someone other than that person opens it, they’ll encounter a terrible sight.”

“…Understood.”

“It’s a subject I’d be embarrassed to show, so you figure it out.”

Muttering that while smiling, the traitor appeared to be just an ordinary woman. Belnoa felt unease from that smile, reminiscent of Chloe.

“And.”

Tap, she stepped closer again.

Stopping right in front of Belnoa, she reached out and grabbed Belnoa’s wrist. It was a hand she could easily shake off if she wanted, but Belnoa couldn’t do that.

“Someday, child.”

She caressed the dragon scales that had formed on Belnoa’s hand. It was a trace of shadow sorcery. While touching that trace, the traitor let out a wistful smile.

“Your moment to choose will come.”

From that smile.

From that voice, Belnoa felt discomfort.

“I hope you don’t regret it in that moment. Do not forget that it is not God you should pray to, but yourself.”

Advice from a senior who walks the path before you, not a disaster.

Before that serious advice, Belnoa didn’t know how to respond. What stood before her was a disaster. A truly terrible disaster, yet… at this very moment, it didn’t feel that way.

“Chase what is not a reality. Only then can you shine brilliantly…”

Muttering that, the traitor gently pushed Belnoa.

“Go.”

She waved her hand.

“Once you cross over this hill, don’t look back and run. No matter what comes up from below… if you get caught, that’s the end.”

Belnoa noticed that the traitor’s fingers were trembling and her gaze was gradually losing focus. It was as if she were being consumed by madness.

“If you get caught, you will die.”

She smiled.

“Hurry along. Before my whim runs out.”

This is the last episode registered.