Corruption.
✦ ✦ ✦
Considered a symbol of blasphemy, this curse was one of the most feared among those living on the continent.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was for no other reason.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was because of the nature of corruption itself.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was especially malevolent.
✦ ✦ ✦
The moment one was cursed, a mark in the shape of an inverted cross was branded onto their body.
✦ ✦ ✦
At the same time, countless misfortunes befall them, and their soul becomes corrupted, unable to rest even in death.
✦ ✦ ✦
In other words, the moment the mark was engraved, they were forsaken by the Gods.
✦ ✦ ✦
It made no difference whether a person marked themselves or not.
✦ ✦ ✦
The mere symbol of corruption was powerful enough to strip them of the Gods’ blessings, so it was not strange for them to fear this curse as creatures of this land.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera’s expression contorted as he witnessed the scene before him.
✦ ✦ ✦
The soldier with the mark branded onto his body was convulsing on the ground.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...What happened?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Norn responded to his subdued question.
✦ ✦ ✦
“We still don’t know exactly what happened. From what I heard, a soldier who was on guard duty heard a scream and found him in this state when he rushed over.”
✦ ✦ ✦
The soldier’s condition was severe.
✦ ✦ ✦
His eyes were bloodshot and glazed over, and foam was dripping from his mouth.
✦ ✦ ✦
His trembling hands were constantly reaching for his own neck, and the other soldiers were holding him back.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera’s gaze shifted to the soldier’s throat.
✦ ✦ ✦
There was an inverted cross.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was embedded on his throat like he was branded.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘...Were there no signs?’
✦ ✦ ✦
Norn’s words complicated his thoughts.
✦ ✦ ✦
The first reason was that they couldn’t identify how the corruption had entered.
✦ ✦ ✦
The second reason was that the atmosphere around them was going unruly.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera’s keen hearing picked up on the surrounding noises.
✦ ✦ ✦
— Corruption, it’s corruption…
✦ ✦ ✦
— How... why…
✦ ✦ ✦
— W-we’re going to be cursed too. Our souls will be damned! We’re damned!
✦ ✦ ✦
What was contained in the murmuring voices was deep fear and anxiety.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘This is not good.’
✦ ✦ ✦
Fear was a highly contagious emotion.
✦ ✦ ✦
Moreover, its vile nature meant that it wouldn’t easily fade away once it started to spread.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘If we don’t fix this quickly...’
✦ ✦ ✦
A very difficult situation would unfold.
✦ ✦ ✦
The spreading fear among the group was directly tied to a decline in morale.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera clenched his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped forward.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Everyone, step back.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Thump—
✦ ✦ ✦
The knights who had been restraining the marked soldier trembled and stepped aside.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera restrained the soldier’s body and began to unleash his divinity.
✦ ✦ ✦
Whaaaaak—!
✦ ✦ ✦
A brilliantly radiant golden flame burned the stigma engraved on Vera’s forearm.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Calm down. We have a sign of the blessing here.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera spoke as he covered himself and the soldier with his divinity.
✦ ✦ ✦
There were exclamations from everywhere, but Vera had no time to pay it any mind.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘...This is terrible.’
✦ ✦ ✦
The stigma embedded in his neck was far worse than he had thought.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Uh-ughhhh...”
✦ ✦ ✦
A breathless sound came from the soldier.
✦ ✦ ✦
Red tears started to roll down from the corners of his widened eyes.
✦ ✦ ✦
His body had already reached its limit and was screaming in pain.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera added more divinity.
✦ ✦ ✦
He knew that this would deepen the soldier’s agony, but he had no other choice.
✦ ✦ ✦
The only known cure for corruption on this land was to force divinity into that mark.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Hang in there. The heavens will not forsake you, so please bear it a bit longer.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Kugh...!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Smoke billowed from the soldier’s neck.
✦ ✦ ✦
A creepy, hissing noise filled the air.
✦ ✦ ✦
To explain it in other words, it was as if the mark itself was screaming.
✦ ✦ ✦
Those who saw this scene all thought the same thing.
✦ ✦ ✦
The mark was retreating.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was a scene where heavenly grace was washing away the corruption.
✦ ✦ ✦
However, unfortunately, their thoughts were far from the truth.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera clenched his teeth.
✦ ✦ ✦
Cold sweat started to flow down his forehead.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘It’s resisting.’
✦ ✦ ✦
This was not any ordinary corruption.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was more intense and systematic, a higher-level corruption different from something that just happened to flow in.
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera realized it immediately.
✦ ✦ ✦
Alaysia had not been silent.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘Was she aiming for this...?’
✦ ✦ ✦
She had spread a more covert and threatening corruption within the barracks and waited for the right moment.
✦ ✦ ✦
In a situation where everyone on this continent was targeting her, she had used spreading fear in groups as a weapon.
✦ ✦ ✦
This happened because they lacked information.
✦ ✦ ✦
Even though he intensified his divinity, the mark simply wouldn’t retreat.
✦ ✦ ✦
It didn’t take long for those present to realize that something was wrong.
✦ ✦ ✦
— Why, why isn’t it disappearing?
✦ ✦ ✦
— It’s an Apostle’s divinity! That’s the divinity of his Stigma!
✦ ✦ ✦
Unease arose from them again.
✦ ✦ ✦
That unease intertwined with each other, giving rise to a deeper fear than the one they had before.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘Damn it…’
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera felt a throbbing sensation in his head.
✦ ✦ ✦
If things continued in this way, all their efforts would be in vain.
✦ ✦ ✦
Not only would he be unable to save this soldier’s life, but the growing distrust in his divinity would also completely lead their morale to rock bottom.
✦ ✦ ✦
Something had to be done.
✦ ✦ ✦
He had to erase this stigma and instill their confidence in his divinity.
✦ ✦ ✦
His thoughts expanded rapidly.
✦ ✦ ✦
His nerves were overheating.
✦ ✦ ✦
Even in that state, the solution didn’t come to mind. Vera’s expression crumbled.
✦ ✦ ✦
Tap—
✦ ✦ ✦
The sound of a cane echoed through the murmurs.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Please make way!”
✦ ✦ ✦
A very familiar voice followed.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was the voice of Rohan.
✦ ✦ ✦
Everyone’s eyes turned towards the source of the sound.
✦ ✦ ✦
Shortly after, silence filled the air.
✦ ✦ ✦
Tap—
✦ ✦ ✦
It was the woman, carefully walking as she was led by Rohan’s hand, who had created this silence.
✦ ✦ ✦
Tap—
✦ ✦ ✦
The woman was clad in pure white, exuding a beauty as if she alone was from a different world.
✦ ✦ ✦
It wasn’t strange for someone to be stunned by her appearance which could make one lose their sense of reality.
✦ ✦ ✦
The murmurs died down.
✦ ✦ ✦
Also, a possibility was strangely forming.
✦ ✦ ✦
Tap—
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee approached Vera.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Would you mind stepping aside for a moment? I heard the situation on the way here, so let me try.”
✦ ✦ ✦
She spoke with an elegant smile, and Vera suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
✦ ✦ ✦
An obstinate relief, without any basis, began to loosen him up.
✦ ✦ ✦
This emotion was unavoidable for Vera, who had been struggling by himself until just a moment ago. The situation was complicated enough to make his head hurt, and he was the only one able to handle it.
✦ ✦ ✦
In such a moment, even someone as stubborn as Vera couldn’t help but be moved when offered a helping hand.
✦ ✦ ✦
To put it another way, Renee, who just brilliantly appeared now, looked like a hero from the stories in Vera’s eyes.
✦ ✦ ✦
Realizing belatedly that his expression had dazedly relaxed, Vera regained his composure.
✦ ✦ ✦
He slowly stood up and made way for Renee, who was approaching him.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...Please help him.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Leave it to me.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Following Rohan’s lead, Renee approached.
✦ ✦ ✦
She knelt down on the bare ground.
✦ ✦ ✦
The scene that followed was an unquestionable moment of a miracle.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Guh, gah…”
✦ ✦ ✦
The soldier took heavy breaths.
✦ ✦ ✦
And then, Renee then invoked her divinity.
✦ ✦ ✦
A pure, white light similar to her own warmth began to spread.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Now, take slow, deep breaths.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee reached out her hand.
✦ ✦ ✦
Over the soldier’s chest, her hand moved towards his neck.
✦ ✦ ✦
The soldier, who was strangling his neck, began to regain his breath little by little at that movement.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ugh... hoo...”
✦ ✦ ✦
The trembling hand hesitantly reached for Renee’s hand and grabbed it.
✦ ✦ ✦
He knew it instinctively.
✦ ✦ ✦
He knew that this was the only lifeline that would keep him alive.
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s okay. You’re doing great.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee spoke with a small smile, and the soldier slowly nodded his head.
✦ ✦ ✦
Though it looked shaky and painful, the action clearly showed that the soldier was listening to Renee’s words.
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee maneuvered her divinity very gently.
✦ ✦ ✦
Slowly, she overlaid her own divinity over the ominous energy she felt.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘The mark is stubborn. If I try to push it away, it only reacts more aggressively.’
✦ ✦ ✦
Vera would have had no choice but to push it away regardless of the consequences, but fortunately, Renee had another way.
✦ ✦ ✦
‘I need to use my power.’
✦ ✦ ✦
This mark was prepared ahead of time.
✦ ✦ ✦
Rather than clumsily trying to remove it, it would be much better to erase it completely.
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee began to spread her divinity more intensely.
✦ ✦ ✦
The success rate was not important.
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee and the authority she wielded did not align with the word possibility at all.
✦ ✦ ✦
While weaving her power with her divinity, Renee spoke to the soldier so he wouldn’t lose his consciousness.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Now, where are you from, soldier? Since you can’t speak, respond with a hand gesture when I call out the name of a country. Hit the back of my hand with your right hand if I’m correct and with the opposite hand if I’m wrong. Got it?”
✦ ✦ ✦
The soldier tapped the back of Renee’s hand with his right hand.
✦ ✦ ✦
Renee continued speaking with a smile.
✦ ✦ ✦
“So, this is the barracks where the eastern army stays. Since even the three armies of the Empire are staying here, let me start by asking that. Are you from the Empire?”