The steeple of the cathedral, shrouded in dawn fog, rose black.
From the recent preparations for the coronation ceremony to the uninvited guests who permeated last night, the stone walls of the cathedral were filled with thick darkness like skin.
The stains caused by the fog and moisture that had fallen overnight were still intact.
The soil in the basement of the cathedral, under the stone walls, was unusually mixed and wet.
Gallo bent his knees and swept up the pile of dirt.
There was a strangely damp smell of iron.
"...I don't know how this was processed, but it's like blood."
His index finger was stained with only transparent moisture, but Gallo, who had experienced many battles, sensed the fishy blood more astutely than anyone else.
"I can feel the darkness here, too."
Terence slowly examined the stone wall.
The stains, which looked like irregular watermarks, revealed a strange regularity at his fingertips.
"What about these unstable waves... It's the way warlocks do."
The faint marks, which were almost indistinguishable to the eye, continued along the entire stone wall.
"Look. The entire cathedral is already in one magic circle."
Terence noticed the scale of the huge gin and felt a sense of distance.
"He intends to sacrifice all those who attend the coronation."
His voice cracked low.
On that day, hundreds of thousands of people gathered at this place.
The magic that is completed by a large-scale massacre cannot be perfect.
Even if he succeeds, Jason's intentions will never be realized in their perfect form.
"Theo...?"
At that moment, Theo, who was with him, suddenly walked past Gallo and Terence to one side.
He felt a bitter aura permeating from somewhere.
He stopped in front of a pillar of pedestal.
It was a core structure that rose from deep underground roots and connected to the cathedral's hall.
"...Please check other seats as well."
When he dug under the seat, he found a lump of heirloom that was difficult to recognize.
It was the camouflage of an animal. It becomes a medium for black magic that turns back time.
Terence split it with a dagger. Inside the shriveled stomach was a goat's horn.
The same was found under the other columns that supported the cathedral.
"Wait."
Medea, who had been staring at them for a moment, raised her hand and pointed to the horns.
Each of the five horns was engraved with a dark red intaglio.
At that moment, when they carefully examined the intaglio letters, everyone was at a loss for words.
MEDEA.
A huge darkness that could not even be distinguished from malice or obsession was aimed precisely at Medea.
"You bastard..."
The moment Theo picked up the horn buried under the seat, without anyone having time to stop it.
His body twisted as if convulsing with deep malice and madness.
"Sir Theo, if you touch it...!"
"Whoa!"
Soon, Theo patted his waist and let out a moan.
Even his vision was blurred by the surging evil aura.
"No, that's ridiculous..."
"Be careful, Sir Theo. It is extremely opposite to holy power."
Terence warned. Theo's lips were as white as a blank sheet of paper.
"Huh, huhu..."
He gasped in pain and straightened upright.
Since Theo awakened as a paladin, had he ever experienced such a strong malice?
He was finally able to realize why the goddess and the temple had not been able to eradicate the darkness even after their victory.
"That's why, because I'm so strong..."
"Get out of the way, Sir Theo."
Gallo tried to dig up the wet dirt with his hands.
"If you destroy the magic circle, you can't activate magic. Isn't that right?"
However, no matter how much he scooped it up, it only deepened the pit and could not destroy the camp.
This is because even when the wet soil was lifted, the soil continued to spring up like a swamp.
"Gallo, don't you even know that your stomach and these horns are stuck here? It's a magic circle processed with black magic. It can't be damaged so easily."
Terence rubbed his temples.
"...This is not enough. There must be a separate device that actually operates the magic circle."
If the trail along the wall is an outer circuit that surrounds the entire cathedral, he said, there will be a focal point in the center that ignites magical power at once.
Medea paused.
"Everyone goes up."
The statue of the goddess was trapped in a red line that she saw in the broken pieces.
"I think I know what that center of gravity is."
***
After a while, Medea and the others entered the Interior of the cathedral.
At the end of the Red Road. On the altar was a statue of the goddess who looked down on everything.
Although it was not as huge as that of the central temple, its delicate expression and majesty were exactly as seen in Medea's flashbacks.
"When the magic works, what happens after that?"
"The magic is cast as the sacrifice closest to the center of gravity is caught in it."
The seat overlooking the statue was the place where the Imperial crown was presented at the coronation ceremony.
If Cesare were to receive the crown, he would be the first to be sacrificed.
Even at the moment of turning back time, she felt the malice that he would never forgive the man who took over his wife's side.
Terence's face became serious.
"If this is not lifted by the coronation..."
But.
Even if Rachel's fake oracle is exposed, Cesare is still caught up in Jason's black magic.
"Your Highness, what should you do? We don't have any relics in our hands right now that can dispel this black magic."
All the relics that are powerful enough to resist the darkness of this ancient era are kept in the central temple.
And now, the central temple has long been taken over by Rachel and the warlock.
"Brother, just, I'm going to go find Castullo right now and kill him. That's fine."
Gallo gritted his teeth and said. But Terence shook his head.
"He drew a magic circle and even offered sacrifices. And since he's designated the target, it's already started. Even if the caster dies, this magic will continue."
Terence turned to Medea.
His voice was mixed with nervousness.
"Your Highness, the coronation must be canceled. We can't solve this. Even if there is a reason to destroy the cathedral and rebuild it..."
"First of all, please check again whether there is a relic in this cathedral."
"...Yes, Your Highness."
The subordinates who nodded at Medea's command scattered.
"Theo, you have to go too."
Medea said to Theo, who was standing behind her in a daze.
If there were a holy relic, it would help him detect its aura.
"Even if you were to find a holy relic, do you think it would be possible?"
Theo's voice was hoarse.
His gaze turned to Medea's belly, which was slightly swollen.
"This place is no longer... There is no hope."
With a desperate expression, he lowered his head.
The darkness he had personally experienced a while ago dragged down his last hope.
"There is no goddess. If she exists, why and how do we do this..."
Is there really a Goddess?
If She is in charge of all this, why did She put His Holiness the Pope, the leader, and so many of his associates to death?
Why did you allow your homeland to fall into the hands of those wicked ones?
They have only been wandering in the air like blind sheep.
Theo's face darkened as all hope dried up.
"Your Highness, you must leave Katzen."
His eyes lit up when he raised his head.
"Never...."
"I will serve you for the rest of my life, anywhere where no one knows."
"..."
Medea stared at Theo.
The young man's clear eyes contained only her.
The fact that she was the object of his eyes was a surprise even to Medea.
Just three years ago, Medea defeated his revolution and shattered his beliefs. She even forgot for a moment that the young man in front of her was the boy who had shot hatred at her.
"...If you run away, where can you go?"
Medea picked at the corner of her mouth, and a self-help laugh broke out. The boy's faith still remained naive; he did not know the world.
"You can call me cowardly. But it was the Princess who personally taught me that risking my life for a futile cause would bring no benefit."
Theo persuaded her with an earnest voice.
"Your Highness and the baby, I will sacrifice my life to protect both of you. That's why..."
"That's ridiculous. If anyone hears it, they will know that you are confessing your love."
"Your Highness-'
Theo paused. His face turned red. However, he did not deny Medea's words.
"I couldn't protect His Holiness, the leader, or anyone else. But as for Your Highness, I will risk my entire mission to protect it."
If the goddess does not want to protect her, he will take her place.
He was willing to dedicate his life to her.
Rustle.
At that moment, both of them raised their heads at the sound of popularity.
It was Gallo.
They could tell from the way he didn't try to kill the footsteps at all, and from the way he glared at Theo as if he were going to kill him.
A snort erupted from Gallo, who was excited.
"Sir Theo, if I had known I would be hit in the back of the head like this, I would have let you lose that arm."
Gallo sneered.
"So, are you okay with sacrificing Her Highness Medea for the sake of that worthy lord? How can we stop this profound evil?"
Even though the conspiracy was discovered at the scene, there was not a trace of shame on the face of the handsome paladin.
"The Holy Nation and the Old Church are over. All the forces that could stop them have collapsed, and you have failed."
Theo stared at Gallo and Terence's hands, who returned empty-handed.
It meant that they could not find any holy relics in the cathedral.
"There is absolutely no way to stop this!"
Theo retorted harshly.
In the face of the great darkness, he felt helpless.
"Even the goddess failed to destroy this evil. What else can we do? Tell me, tell me!"
In the face of the remnants of evil that even the omniscient god could not burn to the end, all he could do was take his master and run away.
Theo looked up.
He looked up at the statue standing in the center of the cathedral with resentment.
"If there were a Goddess, would he have abandoned her agent like this?"
"..."
"So, I too want to protect Your Highness. After all, it seems like the only person in her heart is the First Prince."
A spark sparked in Theo's eyes.
It had a brighter light than the flame of revolution that he had once cried for, and the flame of salvation that he firmly believed in.
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