NOVEL NEXT Chapter 231: Execution (2)
As the elder quietly murmured, he felt the hair on his body stand on end.
‘A mighty mana… It flows smoothly like a stream, yet also holds the power of a raging current.’
He wondered what kind of mana had been accumulated to give off such a mysterious sensation.
Out of respect for the strong, the elder took a step back.
“…So be it. However, causing a disturbance under my jurisdiction does not absolve the crime.”
“We’ll discuss that under my jurisdiction. It’s about time now.”
At his words, the elder snorted and turned his back.
“Let’s return. Follow behind.”
“Just a moment.”
Ray rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a piece of cloth.
He wrapped it around Soyeong’s forearm, tying it tightly, effectively stopping the bleeding.
Though he couldn’t provide proper treatment due to the lack of time, this makeshift bandage should be enough for her to recover on her own.
Soyeong looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“…Why?”
Until that moment, she had always dealt with her issues herself.
Everyone in the Guardians was used to this, so receiving help wasn’t something they naturally accepted.
Instead of answering, Ray gave a slight reprimand.
“Lately, you’ve been slacking, even losing to an old man like him. When we get back, I’ll tell Hongyeong to increase the training intensity.”
The elder, overhearing this, felt his pride sting.
As the elder coughed to show his displeasure, Ray smirked and moved on.
“Your hearing is sharp.”
Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain, a sharp, sword-like aura pierced through him.
Was this some sort of initiation?
Looking around, he noticed numerous people gazing at him, each emitting a formidable aura.
The fiery stares of the men were not to his liking.
He responded to their unwelcome welcome with his own mana, causing those around him to flinch.
Advancing through the crowd, he saw Hael and six others standing in front of a large rock that jutted out behind them like a giant tooth, including the middle-aged man who had guided them earlier.
With everyone’s eyes focused on him in silence, Ray scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“If you called someone here, shouldn’t you say something?”
Triggered by this, Hael asked,
“…What do you want to do, causing such a commotion?”
“I told you. To take you outside.”
“Us? What exactly are you planning to do outside?”
“Umm… Something like saving people?”
“I can’t make heads or tails of what you’re saying.”
As the conversation didn’t flow smoothly, another middle-aged man at his side jeered,
“Not understanding the greater purpose, you’re stuck on trivial matters. Such a foolish young one.”
At his words, Ray just shrugged.
“Thinking that living in this secluded place, cozy and well like domesticated animals, was the grand purpose. Even young beasts escape their cages when the time is right, but what’s this? Not even as clever as a stubborn calf.”
“Such a brazen kid. I commend your courage to come this far. But you must know when to show and not show your audacity. A careless move could cost you your neck.”
“I can handle myself. If you want, test me.”
The middle-aged man clenched his teeth.
He clearly had a knack for riling up people.
A woman who had been silently observing intervened,
“Now, now, calm down. What’s the point in fighting like this?”
“It’s meaningless to fight with a child.”
At her words, the middle-aged man backed off indignantly.
As the situation calmed down a bit, the composed woman asked,
“Do you think you can get us out of here?”
He pondered for a moment.
There were about 15 days left until the waterway closed.
It wasn’t impossible to get out, but there wasn’t plenty of time either.
“It will be tough, but let’s try.”
“…Before deciding, I have one more question.”
“Ask away.”
“Why did you come to this remote island to take us out?”
“I need the lineage of heroes for what I’m about to do.”
His words caused the atmosphere in the room to chill.
The woman, with a serious look in her eyes, asked gravely.
“Is it for a war?”
If it had been war, it would have ended a long time ago.
As he shook his head, there seemed to be a slight sense of relief.
“It’s not about using force. What I need is the learning ability inherent to the lineage of heroes.”
“Our learning ability?”
“Yes. The ability to learn faster than anyone else and make it one’s own. That’s what I need.”
“So, we, blessed by the gods, are perfect for this task?”
“That’s right.”
Despite the clear explanation, there was still reluctance to accept it.
What exactly did he plan to do that would even interfere with divine providence?
Seemingly aware of their thoughts, Ray continued in a murmur.
“Even if one leads to tens of thousands, those tens of thousands are also one, and one is all. Even if hundreds die and become one, ultimately, there’s no difference in weight.”
The crowd fell silent at his words.
“Ah, what’s the difference between first and last? In the end, it’s all part of the axis. If the past cannot overcome the future, and the future cannot change the past, then trying to judge between them is foolish and malicious. Look, in this way, two are one, and one is two.”
As his endless chanting stopped, someone spoke up.
“…That’s from the scriptures of Goddess Priyas.”
“It contradicts your way of life directly.”
It meant that even though everyone is different, dying only makes them the same.
Yet, these people indulged in death to become stronger, condemning those who judged the superiority of force as foolish and malicious, as depicted by the goddess.
He spoke with conviction.
“This is wrong. Fighting like roosters, taking away each other’s strength and life. It’s time for a change.”
“……”
He then released the divine power that he had been suppressing through mana.
Whoosh!
A gentle breeze swept through the room, and the powerful yet comforting divine power of the saint pressed upon the surroundings.
As the golden aura rippled vividly around him, the eyes of those around him filled with astonishment.
His white hair and blue eyes now glowed with a holy aura; he was no longer a child but a true saint.
The divine power radiating from his body was so dizzying that the dawn outside began to shine brightly through the window.
“In the name of Goddess Gaia, as a saint, I command you. Leave this island.”
“Ah, what to do now…”
Iriel, looking bored, murmured as she lay in a shabby shack.
Hours had passed since she lay down, and it felt as though sores were starting to form on her skin.
At first, the bugs crawling over her had been a bit of fun, but she had even grown accustomed to them.
Being warned not to get caught meant she couldn’t make any rash moves.
While she lay still, gazing at the large treehouse, she sensed a presence beside her.
It was Heukyeong.
“Lady Saint, you were here. I’ve been looking for you for a while.”
Her face was smeared with filth, indicating that her mask must have been quite dirty.
“What’s the matter?”
She asked, holding her nose, and Heukyeong bowed his head in response.
“The Saint has ordered me to escort you.”
“See, he worries about me, even though he doesn’t show it.”
She spoke with pride about something she hadn’t done herself.
Ignoring the Saint for a moment, Heukyeong, who had gone to the nearby stream to wash his face, observed the sunrise and remarked,
“It’s almost time.”
“I know. But what exactly is he planning to do…”
As she readied herself to gather divine power, she sensed a tremendous surge of it emanating from the large house.
Iriel sniffed the air, recognizing the familiar aura of her homeland after a long absence.
“It’s been a while since I’ve felt this!”
“Hmm…”
Heukyeong was also soothed by the sensation.
The immensely heightened divine power was intoxicating.
An ordinary healer or priest exposed to it would become immediately addicted.
Such was the power and uniqueness of the Saint’s divine energy.
Iriel straightened up, a broad smile spreading across her face at the pleasant scent.
“It looks like it’s finally starting.”
“What, what is this…”
“Are you claiming to be the Saint?”
Their tone had significantly shifted.
From regarding him as a mere impudent child, they now perceived him as a Saint of Goddess Gaia!
“This is the extent of my recommendation. Having invoked the name of the Goddess, I am prepared to take you by force if necessary. That is the holy and divine will of Goddess Gaia.”
Ordinarily, he would regard the name of the Goddess as less significant than the remains of a pig, but in this moment, he spouted lies with ease.
For them, lacking the Eyes of Truth like the Elves, discerning Ray’s true intentions was impossible.
His impeccable method acting thoroughly deceived them.
“…So the Goddess perceives it that way.”
“This complicates matters. We need to engage in a thorough discussion about this. Deciding hastily could lead to dissent among us.”
“I wonder what the Spirit Tribe Leader will think…”
Their demeanor transformed instantly upon the invocation of the Goddess’s will.
Ray gestured toward the window.
“If you are worried about the people, that is unnecessary.”
Dozens of individuals stood outside.
“We want to go outside!”
“We don’t want to kill our friends anymore!”
“Please consider it, just this once!”
The voices filtering through the window all expressed a longing to venture beyond the sea.
The success of quietly nurturing favorable sentiments towards the outside world was evident.
A triumph of indoctrination.
And yet, despite the sizable crowd gathered, their expressions remained largely unmoved.
“…Even if it is the Goddess’s will, the Spirit Tribe Leader’s decision still prevails.”
“Spirit Tribe Leader?”
Intrigued, he inquired, and Hael gestured toward a massive stone door.
What was initially mistaken for a mere rock was intricately carved with various patterns.
“He has been in meditation behind that door. It has been three years to this day. Since he decreed a ban on entry and exit until his emergence, we have been left with no choice but to wait.”
“Three years locked away in there?”
What in the world could he be doing all this time?
Staring at a wall and playing patty-cake?
Even a renowned monk would have burst out after three years of wall-gazing meditation.
Ray looked at the rock and knocked on it, infusing mana.
Knock. Knock.
“Are you there?”
The crowd gasped at his seemingly insane action.