Chapter 495: The Burned City

The well… The well…

In the sealed underground of the slave camp, Oliver sat leaning on a glowing orb he created with magic. He’d stood his Quarterstaff against the wall, filling his stomach with a Calorie Bar.

He was hungry. The difference now, however, was that instead of shoving food down his throat, he ate slowly. Carefully, like during a chemistry experiment.

The reason being his right arm. More precisely, his right arm that had been burned by a demon.

Twinge…

As he ate the Calorie Bar, a brief but intense pain surged from his right arm. As expected, the pain became sharper each time he filled his stomach. It wouldn’t be wrong to say it was more painful.

Whenever Oliver ate enough to stave off hunger, the pain worsened. Then, when his hunger returned, the pain slightly lessened.

Oliver, as if experimenting on his own body, ate the Calorie Bar piece by piece, figuring out how much food was bearable and recording it in a notebook.

This way, he believed he could endure more.

‘Hunger, burning pain… Do I need to record this too?’

Oliver pondered as he looked at his shadow under the light.

The shadow subtly showed signs of life. Sometimes it even wriggled on its own.

It wasn’t surprising. Though unintended, by channeling his hunger into it, Oliver had given the shadow life, turning it into a creature.

An amorphous creature without a shape.

The problem was it had been extinguished once by the flames created by The Burned One.

‘Or was it not extinguished?’

Oliver speculated. It was a plausible thought.

Given the nature of shadows closely tied to practitioners. For instance, Fen’s shadow.

Despite being infected with countless diseases, severely damaged, and drained of energy, Fen’s shadow persisted until Fen decided to remove it.

Moreover, his shadow absorbed the emotions, magic power, and vitality of the Flesh Cook who had transformed into a dragon, as well as several of Fen’s creatures. So it wasn’t impossible.

After all, in dark magic, ingredients are as important as the practitioner’s skill.

‘Hmm… Should I observe it for now?’

Oliver made up his mind. Although it was an unintentional creature, it intrigued him.

He was especially curious to see what form this creature would take, given that it was made from his own shadow.

Creatures reflect the nature of their creators. Since Oliver couldn’t fully understand his own nature, he wanted to observe the creature to learn more.

‘You’ve come.’

As he was wrapping up, a woman’s voice broke the silence.

It was Joanna’s voice.

‘Yes, Knight.’

Oliver placed the notebook in his pocket, picked up his Quarterstaff that was leaning against the wall, and stood up.

‘Was I not being too demanding by summoning you?’

‘Not at all. I wasn’t expecting it, though.’

Oliver recalled the morning when he visited the Holy Knights’ branch to meet Joanna. He met her under the watchful gaze of other knights and priests, exchanging formal greetings.

Just as they were about to part ways, Joanna offered a handshake, secretly passing a small note as she did so.

Without a word, Oliver accepted the note, confirming the time and place of their meeting.

‘Why didn’t you expect it?’

Joanna’s sudden question caught Oliver off guard. Why didn’t he expect it? Perhaps, it was due to her attitude when they first met on the New Continent.

She had seemed withdrawn and evasive. But now, that air was gone. Instead, there was a strong aura as if she had made a determined decision.

‘Well… But, are you sure it’s okay to come out like this? I appreciate it, but won’t others find it odd?’

‘Don’t worry. Everyone knows I occasionally patrol the slums. Thanks to this mission, they even cut me some slack.’

‘Ah, I see… Speaking of which—’

‘—I reported everything truthfully.’

Joanna interrupted, suddenly blurting out her thoughts.

‘…’

‘What happened in the abandoned mine. I reported everything as it was to my superiors. They imposed a gag order on the matter, fearing it would cause confusion. I agreed to it… I apologize.’

Before Oliver could ask, Joanna disclosed the information he was curious about, then apologized.

Oliver wasn’t sure how to react.

‘No… Since I agreed to keep quiet, there’s no need to apologize. I was just curious.’

‘Thank you for understanding.’

Oliver tilted his head, puzzled by Joanna’s change. She seemed more resolute. She appeared stronger now, but also vulnerable in a different way.

She looked better than when they met here for the first time, but in another sense, she seemed precarious.

‘Knight.’

‘Yes.’

‘May I ask what happened after I passed out? I’m curious how I survived since I didn’t manage to defeat The Burned One.’

‘The demon seemed impressed by you, Oliver. It only burned about a quarter of the City before leaving. It also spared my life.’

She was sincere. Though not telling everything, her words were truthful.

‘Is that so?’

‘Yes, it seems the demon decided to spare the City after witnessing your bRavely… Truly, thank you for saving the City.’

Joanna adjusted her posture, then gave Oliver a polite, sincere bow of gratitude. It felt overwhelming.

Oliver tried to dismiss it, saying he was just doing his job, but Joanna was firm.

‘No, Oliver. Whatever the reason, thanks to you, the damage to the City was minimized. You deserve to be thanked.’

Unable to argue further, Oliver accepted her gratitude. Her emotions brooked no opposition. It seemed clear something was troubling her.

‘Thank you for saying that… Is this why you wanted to meet me?’

‘Partly, but there’s also something else.’

‘What is it?’

‘I have two questions to ask, one thing to tell you, and a gift I want to give you.’

Joanna was direct, as if she had prepared in advance. Her curiosity piqued his interest.

‘What do you want to ask?’

‘What happened to the child?’

Joanna hit him with the question.

‘The boy, about fifteen years old, who was taken to the Martel Research Institute under the Life School for experiments… Do you know what happened to him?’

‘…’

‘I’ve always wondered, shamelessly… Can you tell me?’

Joanna asked with a light of resolve beyond just sorrow and fear.

After a brief hesitation, Oliver spoke.

‘I received help and saved him.’

‘Help?’

‘Yes, someone I knew helped me back then. Thanks to their assistance, we saved him with minimal trouble. He’s safe now, under their care. I even received a letter from him.’

‘…Ah.’

Joanna closed her eyes, letting out a soft noise, either a sigh or a groan.

Though outwardly calm, the tension and fear clinging to her began lifting, revealing deep gratitude, relief, and joy from her heart.

Wiping around her eyes, she spoke up.

‘Thank you so much for telling me. Really… Thank you.’

‘It’s nothing special, really.’

Oliver replied, thinking of Colin.

The boy who believed him to be a savior.

The boy whose body had swelled like dough was terrified of going to hell after death, begging Oliver to save him. But there was nothing Oliver could do.

All he could do was hold the boy’s hand, ask his name, and give him a confession.

He had no qualifications to do even that. As the memory resurfaced, a surge of emotions arose that defied explanation.

Whatever those emotions were, it seemed they showed on his face, as Joanna stayed silent.

Oliver decided to change the subject.

‘You mentioned you had two questions. What’s the other one?’

‘Actually, I’ve wanted to ask since the abandoned mine, but… Did you ever visit the orphanage I used to live in?’

‘Ah…’

Oliver recalled what he had said to Joanna in the abandoned mine and sighed. He decided to be honest.

‘Yes, I happened to visit the area… I apologize for doing so without permission.’

‘No need to apologize.’

Joanna replied sincerely, then cautiously asked.

‘Are they… Are they doing well?’

‘It’s been some time since I visited… But when I was there, they seemed fine. The children were bright, and the headmaster and staff were kind.’

‘…When I received my transfer orders from Randa to this place, I got an additional instruction.’

‘What was it?’

‘Not to write letters or maintain contact with the orphanage… Of course, any letters from the orphanage were also withheld from me. They said personal feelings were hindering my duty as a Holy Knight.’

It was quite ironic. Although late, Joanna had strived to fulfill her duties as a Holy Knight to the best of her abilities. Yet, she received such words.

Then again, the duty of a Holy Knight could vary depending on one’s perspective.

‘All I could do was hear indirect news from other Holy Knights. They said the Church had cut the orphanage’s funding.’

‘…’

‘They were in real danger for a while, but then an anonymous donation from Randa saved them.’

‘That’s a relief.’

‘Yes, I was so happy when I heard… Was it you, Oliver?’

Joanna asked, not out of mere curiosity but to confirm her suspicions. How did she figure it out?

‘Hmm… Does it matter who helped?’

After some thought, Oliver responded. He didn’t mind if Joanna knew, but at the same time, it didn’t seem necessary. Keeping the donation anonymous through the city, he preferred it to stay that way.

Understanding his mindset, Joanna didn’t question further. She was just grateful.

It made sense—if Oliver hadn’t stepped in, Joanna would have failed to protect both the boy taken by Martel and the people at the orphanage.

Though she still had many questions, she felt she wasn’t in a position to ask. Not yet.

‘Are you okay, Knight?’

‘Ah, yes… I’m fine. Please, again, thank you.’

‘For what?…’

‘Just for everything.’

‘Hmm… Is it alright if I ask you something now?’

Joanna nodded.

‘On my way here, I checked the nearby slums. It seems their situation is dire at the moment.’

‘The fury of the Great Fire is directed at the Red Ones. The police, military, and we Holy Knights are trying to contain it, but retaliatory assaults and murders are happening sporadically.’

Oliver nodded in agreement. Even the newspapers in this City speculated that the Red Ones had been behind the Great Fire, and retaliations with assaults and murders were common occurrences. But what concerned Oliver the most was something else.

‘There’s talk of relocating all the Red Ones outside the City. Is that true?’

‘…Yes.’

Joanna hesitated but nodded.

‘It’s been under discussion for a long time. The idea of expelling the Red Ones. It’s because Red Ones became illegal slaves and most of them fell into poverty… It was just a suggestion before, but now it’s gaining momentum due to the Great Fire.’

Hmm… Oliver wasn’t sure how to react. The Red Ones’ black magicians acted for revenge but ended up endangering their kin even more.

Or was it because he had interfered? His thoughts grew complicated. Yet, aside from that, another question came to mind.

If he hadn’t interfered and let The Burned One burn down the entire City, would the Red Ones living in the slums have been safe?

It seemed unlikely. The slums were still part of the City. If the entire City burned, the slums wouldn’t have been spared either.

‘Is this decision final? Is there any way to stop it?’

Joanna shook her head, showing both sadness and regret.

‘I’m sorry… But it’s difficult to stop it now.’

Oliver silently agreed. He had expected as much.

Especially after they had sacrificed Kenny, who had founded Prometheus Corp to appease the many who had lost their homes and wealth to the Great Fire. There seemed no way to prevent the expulsion of the Red Ones.

Even Oliver, who usually struggled with such matters, could understand that.

If there was any way to stop it, it would probably involve killing all the non-Red One citizens in the kingdom.

But even that wouldn’t solve the problem as the army would eventually step in.

Paul Carver, the City Ministry of Internal Affairs Director’s words were true. Problems like this were extremely difficult, making Oliver acutely aware of his own shortcomings.

‘Do you know where they’ll be sent?’

‘No, that’s under the jurisdiction of the governor-general’s office… But it likely won’t be a good place. They won’t be allowed to take much with them either. So, the Red Ones are discussing among themselves what to do.’

‘How do you know about this?’

‘I’ve become acquainted with them after helping them a few times.’

Ah, Oliver immediately understood. Joanna had provided them with supplies using her own money and donations while patrolling the slums to help maintain order.

‘Hmm…’

Oliver made a soft sound as he searched his coat. Soon, he found what he was looking for.

‘Please take this.’

Oliver handed over a bankbook. It had Landa Bank printed on the cover.

‘What’s this?’

‘I met the Prince today. Prince Albert gave it to me. As a small token of thanks.’

Joanna opened the Landa Bank book. Seeing the amount inside, she covered her mouth in shock.

‘Is… Is this really?’

‘Please take it. I don’t really see it as my money anyway.’

‘But—’

‘—I took on this task for Lieutenant General Philip, not for the Prince. So I don’t have any reason to keep that money. Moreover, he gave it to me for saving the City, so I believe it’s only fair you receive it. Besides, I don’t have any use for it, but you do. So please, accept it.’

Oliver urged her, and after some hesitation, Joanna tightly held the bankbook.

‘Thank you… So much.’

‘You deserve it as well- What is that?’

Oliver asked as he saw Joanna, after putting the book away, taking out something else.

In her hand was an old book.

‘It’s a scripture.’

Oliver glanced at the book in Joanna’s hand. As she said, it was a scripture she had returned to him in the Cathedral.

‘This is the gift I wanted to give you. To return it… Would you please accept it?’

After looking at the scripture, Oliver saw Joanna’s emotions. She had a mix of guilt, repentance, and fear that he might reject her offer. But she seemed determind to bear that fear. It was rather beautiful.

‘I’ll gladly accept it.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. I was considering buying a scripture anyway.’

Oliver received the scripture with his left hand, the same one he used to hand Joanna the bankbook. As he was about to put it into his coat, Joanna grabbed his hand.

She was showing determination, earnestness, expectation, and hope.

‘Knight?’

‘You asked me something when we first met here.’

‘I did?’

‘You came to consult with me… You said you felt sad because you couldn’t feel anything…’

‘Ah… Yes, I felt sadness toward myself because I couldn’t feel anything for a child mourning the loss of his family. It was selfish of me.’

‘You don’t need to be sad.’

Joanna spoke with resolve.

‘I shouldn’t be sad?’

‘Yes. That’s my advice to you. Because you think and act.’

‘I don’t quite understand what you mean.’

‘Humans are inherently insensitive to the emotions of others. Especially in today’s society. It’s almost inevitable.’

She was genuine.

‘It’s especially true for people we don’t know or who are far away. Emotions are a limited resource after all.’

Oliver couldn’t disagree. As a black magician, he understood more than anyone how limited emotions could be.

‘But still…’

As Oliver started to respond, Joanna tightened her grip on his hand. He felt her emotions through her touch.

‘They say a person’s true character is shown in their actions, not in their words, thoughts, or beliefs.’

She squeezed his hand.

‘I may be foolish, but there’s one thing I know for sure. You acted to save the child in danger and crossed the sea to check if something was wrong with you. Meanwhile, you saved the City and were willing to offer your money to help those in need.’

‘…’

‘Perhaps you struggle to empathize because you’ve been through difficult times.’

‘…Or perhaps it’s not that at all?’

Oliver doubted. He couldn’t trust himself more than anyone else could.

‘Then, I’ll believe in you. No matter what happens, I’ll trust, support, and help you.’

Joanna made a promise, smiling stronger than anyone else.

***

“Isn’t it incredibly deep and endless?”

Late at night, a Holy Knight belonging to the First Step branch of the New Continent was exploring an underground tunnel, leading a group of servants.

According to Joanna’s report, the tunnel was dug by the Eternal Child, Fen, through a creature, yet its depth and complexity were beyond what one could imagine.

‘It’s practically a maze.’

At that moment, another Holy Knight issued the same order.

“Hey, not that way! Be careful. The tunnel goes up and down, and if you lose your way, you’re in real trouble!”

Heeding the warning, the Holy Knights redirected themselves properly, maintaining their distance.

The reason for the Holy Knights’ visit here was to verify the demon summoning site Joanna had mentioned.

They arrived as soon as they received the report, but the deep tunnel, the complicated terrain, and the traps set up along the way had slowed them down.

It was hard to believe how Joanna could have reached the summoning site in such a short time.

‘Well, we’ll find out soon enough.’

As the Holy Knight had predicted, the group soon reached their destination.

Upon arrival, the Holy Knights used Holy Power to illuminate and survey the area. It was truly a massive underground chamber.

Who would have thought they would dig this under the city? It made my skin crawl.

However, that fear vanished like melting snow when I saw the horrifying remnants of the ritual in the center of the chamber.

Just as Joanna had described, around the Red Ones’ traditional totem lay hundreds of burned bodies, their charred remains scattered everywhere.

The worst sight was a girl, her legs torn apart, in an unspeakable condition, surrounded by blackened human figures bowing as if in prayer, making the whole scene even more disgusting.

Even though I’d been a Holy Knight for six years, I’d never seen anything this horrifying.

Could that be why? It made me think this space might not be real.

“Sir Knight, I’ve taken all the photos.”

A servant holding a camera reported.

The mission was to take photos, examine the surroundings, leave the scene intact, and report any oddities.

Now, it was time for the Holy Knight to move.

As the Holy Knight took a step, something wriggled on top of the pile of hundreds of burned corpses.

Could it be gas swelling up inside the decaying bodies? But they should all have been burned!

While the Holy Knights were suspicious, they drew their weapons, preparing themselves. But at that moment, a man suddenly shot up.

He was a Red One, holding a small child in his arms. One of his legs was a jumbled mass of flesh, and his skin was a mottled, bleached mix of colors.

“Aaaah!… Aaaahhhhh!!”

The Red One who had risen from the corpse pile howled as if his world had collapsed.

The alarmed Holy Knights tried to use Holy Power to subdue him, but the Red One swung his arm first, causing the heads of the Holy Knights, including the servants, to be chopped off from their bodies.

Dizzying vision. My head thudded to the ground, and I could only see things upside down.

The Red One Black Mage was howling like a beast, letting out an inhuman screech as he desperately pleaded with the dying boy in his arms.

“Don’t die! Aaaah!! Please don’t die…!! You damn god!! AaaAHHH!!”