Chapter 647: The Tale

Dark Magic as a discipline was generally avoided.

The first reason being its origin as a derivative of magic, casting an image of inferiority to traditional magic.

The second reason lay within the nature of the discipline itself.

Because Dark Magic used people as raw ingredients.

This wasn’t a metaphor.

Emotions, life force, body parts, organs, even whole corpses were used as materials in Dark Magic.

As a result, most people viewed Dark Magic negatively, often picturing Dark Mages as those who live alone in dismal, remote places.

However, paradoxically, Dark Mages preferred to settle in crowded cities rather than in isolated areas.

As mentioned earlier, the raw materials for Dark Magic were people, and cities had the highest concentration of people.

So, regardless of the nature of the discipline, Dark Mages typically established themselves in cities.

But, if you were to ask whether there were no Dark Mages outside cities, the answer would be no.

Because in this world, there are exceptions to everything.

One such exception to this rule was in the central continent.

This place had not been swept up in the wave of industrialization and its cities weren’t as developed. In certain ways, Dark Mages held more influence here than in the United Kingdom or Gallos.

Despite the unsuitable environment for Dark Magic, it thrived due to the weaker presence of traditional mages and law enforcement.

The primary reason was the lack of powerful mages or governmental authorities who could check the Dark Mages’ power.

For centuries, the central continent remained divided due to the Pied Piper, who roamed freely, abducting children. As powerful mages migrated away, Dark Mages filled the void.

Because the place was so desolate, Dark Magic, a discipline for the downtrodden, could relatively flourish here.

It was a situation bordering on dark comedy.

That would make one wonder.

Does this mean that Dark Mages in the central continent are weaker than those in crowded cities like the United Kingdom or Gallos?

Oliver’s answer to that was simple.

No.

Rooooaaaaar!!

Graagh!

Screeech!!!

Oliver, along with Pandora and the Blind Old Woman, observed a battle occurring in the distance.

A Zombie Golem made from the corpses of dozens of bodies charged forward with overwhelming weight, crashing into the military forces equipped with machine guns.

Even hundreds of bullets fired at once couldn’t stop the Zombie Golem, and soldiers were either sent flying or crushed into mincemeat by its massive body.

The formation collapsed in a single blow.

Through the gap, agile Zombie Puppets and zombies made from wolves slipped in to expand the mayhem.

Boom!!

In that moment, a flash of magical light shot out from the distant forest as a massive fireball arced toward the zombies and exploded directly above them.

The fireball, when it landed on the ground, shot flames upward, instantly turning the zombies to ash with its intense heat.

“Move! The village will catch fire!”

In the midst of the sudden bombardment, someone shouted as the Dark Mages faltered.

A Dark Mage who specialized in curses led a unit of fellow Dark Mages and cast curse spells on each other.

As their bodies absorbed massive amounts of life force and emotions, their skin turned a dark reddish hue, their bones and muscles swelled, and they became giants.

In that state, the Dark Mages began smothering the fires with the earth they overturned.

Hissss…

The flames noticeably weakened under the wave of dirt.

Yet, just as the flow seemed to favor the Dark Mages, a massive black shell fell from the sky, disrupting the magical light that was about to strike from the forest.

It was a counterattack by fire-specialized Dark Mages, their magic overlapping with ongoing spells and causing a massive explosion.

Now it was somewhat clear why the surrounding kingdoms were anxious about the Dark Mages.

At this level, they could certainly pose a threat to smaller kingdoms without major cities.

Take, for instance, Gallos. After the Flesh Cook’s disappearance, the influx of struggling Dark Mages from the central continent had caused major havoc.

The soldiers lost their rear artillery support and their morale visibly plummeted, pushing them back, while the giants and beast-like Dark Mages surged forward as if in a frenzy.

Oliver watched the scene unfold from afar and asked,

“Were the Dark Mages the ones who attacked first?”

“Yes… although it’s because Roderick, the Inquisitor-General, suddenly appeared with the Holy Knights and soldiers. But if this keeps up, things could get really dangerous.”

This was the point where further bloodshed would make reconciliation impossible.

Oliver agreed.

The sudden flare of a brilliant yellow light was the proof. Accompanied by the screams of Dark Mages and the sight of severed limbs flying through the air.

The Holy Knights, who had been lying in wait in the forest, were now on the move.

In a well-coordinated formation, they advanced swiftly past the retreating soldiers, directly confronting the rushing Dark Mages and striking with their Holy Power-enriched blades.

Slash!

When the twenty swords moved as one, the Dark Mages who had charged like a wave were not only stopped in their tracks, but began to get pushed back, with blood spraying in all directions.

“Advance.”

The twenty Holy Knights advanced slowly in a line, and the Dark Mages, seeing this, conjured fire spells and unleashed numerous projectiles toward them.

But they were all melted away by the Holy Power emanating from the Holy Knights.

The ease with which their dark magic was neutralized left the Dark Mages in shock.

A few refugees, apparently allied with the Dark Mages, joined in with regular firearms and magical weapons, but they were just as ineffective.

Ordinary bullets couldn’t penetrate the Holy Knight’s enhanced armor, and magical bullets, infused with lightning, fire, or toxins, had their power drastically diminished by the Holy Power, rendering them almost useless.

The Holy Knight, well aware of this, slowly and steadily advanced without breaking formation, brushing aside the numerous futile fire attacks.

In the process, any Dark Mage or refugee who came into contact with them was cut down.

‘Only their numbers may be smaller, but they are still no match for the Holy Knights…’

This painfully obvious fact hit Oliver again.

After all, Armand had approached Oliver for help not because of a lack of fighting power, but because he found it too inefficient to hunt down Dark Mages individually throughout the vast Gallos.

Naturally, this raised a question in his mind.

It was obvious even to the Dark Mages in the central continent.

That it was dangerous to confront the Holy Knights as a group and that dispersing would be safer.

‘So why were they gathered in the first place?’

Oliver finally speculated on what should’ve been evident from the start.

While the situation seemed weird, given that the Pied Piper was causing chaos again and things were tense, it still didn’t make sense.

No matter how desperate things were, they surely understood this, too.

As Oliver pondered this point, Pandora tugged at his sleeve.

“Father, the area is fully surrounded, not just here. If you plan to act, you should do so now.”

Oliver understood what she meant.

With his Warlock’s Eye, Oliver had already grasped the situation.

The area occupied by the Dark Mages and refugees was completely encircled by Holy Knights, divided into units of twenty.

Though their numbers were small, making the encirclement thin, the Holy Knights’ skill meant it was unlikely it would break.

If anything, there was a higher chance those inside would be trampled to death underfoot.

Just like the women and children who were already being crushed under the feet of the retreating crowd.

This was indeed a tough situation.

Things had snowballed far too much to stop it with words alone.

Even Oliver, who was often oblivious, could see that much.

The only way to calm this chaos was with a power greater than the Holy Knights.

But the problem was that Oliver didn’t want to do that.

“If this continues… many will die.”

Pandora muttered as she watched refugees get trampled by fleeing Dark Mages.

“Do you know them?”

“I came here with them, so yes, I do know them.”

Pandora replied.

Hearing her answer, Oliver picked up on her emotions.

Sadness, regret, and helplessness.

If the Holy Knights, who were lying in ambush, suddenly moved, the damage would be incomparable to what’s happening now.

Oliver pondered for a while and then turned his gaze to the Blind Old Woman.

“Ma’am…”

“Yes…”

“Do you still stand by your decision from earlier?”

Was she still willing to persuade people despite the risk of being captured herself?

The Blind Old Woman nodded.

“Of course.”

“Good to hear.”

***

Roaar! Kyaaang!

A beast, its body covered in black fur, let out a howl as it charged forward, only to get instantly cut down by a Holy Power-enforced blade with an embarrassing scream.

The beast, sliced through as if it were butter, died a meek death, and after it drew its last breath, its body reverted to that of a human.

The Holy Knight glanced down at the repulsive sight before moving ahead with the others.

‘If it’s so easy… why has it taken this long?’

The Holy Knight pondered despite being in the midst of battle.

The battlefield disparity was clear, and despite this, he couldn’t understand why they hadn’t apprehended them sooner.

The Holy Knights’ inability to properly manage the central continent was due to its vast size, inconvenient transport routes and rugged terrain, not because the Dark Mages were strong.

From the start, the power of Dark Mages meant little to the Holy Knights.

That’s why Dark Mages relying on sheer numbers, like this situation, weren’t difficult to deal with at all.

Cockroaches are a pain because you don’t know where they’re hiding, not because they’re hard to kill.

Even so, Inquisitor-General Roderick remained cautious, constructing a siege and dragging out the time.

He even brought along someone controversial within the Pater Church.

There was a deep purpose to it, no doubt, but that didn’t mean the dissatisfaction wasn’t real.

Why involve Dark Mages in our affairs?

But the situation changed. After a sudden order for everyone to gather was issued, they heard news that the Dark Mage they had reluctantly worked with overstepped his bounds, and the long-awaited command to attack arrived.

Whether it was part of Roderick’s plan or just a coincidence didn’t matter; it was an opportunity either way. The Holy Knight decided not to waste this chance to wipe out every single Dark Mage.

For their Father in heaven, they would purify these blasphemous beings!

Just as the Holy Knight raised his sword to swing again, he felt a dark and dense force surge up in the distance.

It was like tar flowing backwards, and something black and grotesque began to boil up.

Both the Holy Knights and Dark Mages froze at the sight, and just as if it had been waiting for this moment, a horde of creatures poured out.

Toy soldiers carved from wood, nutcrackers, clowns wielding scythes, giant teddy bears, an old man draped in sacks, a giant with a deer’s head, monkeys clutching cymbals, and more.

They looked like a twisted mix of a child’s dreams and nightmares taken to the extreme, unsettling and eerie.

The Holy Knight thought these must be the Dark Mages’ last resort.

But it didn’t matter. They were still just dark magic.

As always, the Holy Knights invoked their Holy Power as soon as they saw the creatures.

The holy power given by God, the power to purify everything.

And as that power began to shine brilliantly, the world’s darkness started to retreat, and every unholy thing…

“Huh?”

***

“What, what’s happening?!”

A Dark Mage being pinned down by a Creature yelled out.

It wasn’t just him.

In the midst of the fleeing crowd of Dark Mages, dense, tar-like darkness shot up out of nowhere and from within it poured countless creatures.

Some Dark Mages thought someone had unleashed their hidden trump card, but then the Holy Knights invoked their Holy Power.

Be it magic or dark magic, it was an absolute power that nullified everything.

But to their surprise, the creatures didn’t vanish. They stood there unscathed.

At that moment, a battle cry of mixed emotions rang out in unison from both Dark Mages and Holy Knights.

While they didn’t know the details, it became clear that the Holy Power was ineffective against these creatures.

These creatures could fight against the Holy Knights!

The Dark Mages, emboldened by this fact, began to change direction, but the creatures turned their heads and instead attacked the Dark Mages.

They aimed rifles, stamped down with hoofed hands, and held scythes to throats.

Thanks to their position, numbers, and incredible agility, within moments, hundreds of Dark Mages who had been running away were subdued without much resistance.

What on earth was happening?

Then, someone walked forward.

A gaunt face, a bandaged right arm, and a Quarterstaff that made a tapping sound.

“De… Dave…?”

“The New Finger.”

“Dave.”

“Dave the Woodsman…!”

A murmur spread like ripples from those who had seen Oliver, drawing the attention of everyone present.

It didn’t matter whether they were Dark Mages fleeing from the Holy Knights or Holy Knights chasing the Dark Mages.

Oliver continued walking forward, releasing creatures from his shadow as he went, stopping right at the borderline between the Holy Knights and Dark Mages.

“Is Inquisitor-General Roderick here?”

Oliver spoke toward the forest beyond the Holy Knights.

His voice, though not very loud, was clear and unyielding.

The previously captivated gazes now followed toward the forest, and soon, a large middle-aged man slowly emerged from the trees.

“Ah, so you were here after all. Why are you here? I was worried you’d been kidnapped by the Dark Mages.”

Inquisitor-General Roderick spoke with a clearly insincere tone.

But it didn’t matter that much. Oliver already knew.

“Your concern is appreciated, Your Highness. But I wasn’t kidnapped, so there’s no need to worry.”

“But you still haven’t answered my question. Why are you here?”

“I’m here to persuade the Dark Mages to surrender to the Pater Church peacefully. And I’ve succeeded.”

Oliver gestured toward the Blind Old Woman beside him.

The Dark Mages recognized the Blind Old Woman and tried to say something, but the creatures growled and silenced them immediately.

“We beg for mercy from the Pater Church. We’ll accept any terms, just please don’t kill us.”

The Blind Old Woman spoke as she had promised Oliver.

She would leave herself and everyone here at the mercy of the Pater Church’s decision, but begged them not to harm anyone.

While the situation might have been sudden and confusing, Roderick showed no signs of surprise.

He simply exuded an air of interest and desire.

“You know this isn’t the purpose for which I invited you here.”

“Didn’t you say we could talk about it later? This method worked in Gallos too.”

“Yes, I said we could talk later, but isn’t it a bit late for that now?”

Roderick restated his intentions, prompting Oliver to step closer.

Some of the Holy Knights tried to block Oliver’s path, but Roderick stopped them.

Oliver stood before Inquisitor-General Roderick.

“Wouldn’t now be a good time to have that conversation?”

“Out of curiosity, what would happen if I said no?”

“That would make things… difficult.”

“Would it trouble you much if you broke the promise with the Dark Mages?”

“No, it wouldn’t trouble me, but it would cause difficulties for Your Highness, the Holy Knights, and the Pater Church.”

“Oh… why do you say that?”

“If these many Holy Knights get held back by just one Dark Mage, Your Highness, wouldn’t that damage the Pater Church’s reputation? That wouldn’t be good for governance.”