Chapter 105 – #5. Delen and Black and White (8)
“You worked hard.”
“Ah, what a hardship. Working hard.”
Among the guards guarding the solitary cell, the man who had been harassing Delen walked out. The sweltering smell was enough to tell what he was doing inside, but the guards were silent and took a formal example.
“May the light continue to be with you, Heretic Inquisitor.”
“Ah, yes. Enough then.”
Heretic Inquisitor. Even before the war, those who were a symbol of fear and the power of the church. A person who leads dozens of paladins and hundreds of soldiers to search out and punish heresy. The person in power standing shoulder to shoulder with the knight commander, the highest position a paladin could attain, was the Heretic Inquisitor.
The reason Delen was not executed was because he was in the eyes of the powerful. There were definitely people in her world who had talents like her, and there were few people who had looks like her. But she had never seen a woman with both talent and looks. When her very rare merchandise came in, those in power enjoyed her quiet confinement instead of executing her. There was a popular belief that mana users’ pussies were very special, but they already knew that was true, and that’s why they kept Delen alive.
Without even knowing that it was a huge mistake.
…
1 year. A year has passed since she was imprisoned. The Church believed in one ‘medicine’ and imprisoned Delen.
Just one year and one day later, Delenn killed fifteen of her jailers and escaped. Ironically, she killed the same number of people as her first murder.
After that, an urgently dispatched investigation team identified the cause. She obviously broke the divine power, but how did she escape. Did someone help
The conclusion was Delen’s arbitrary action. She escaped using her mana, not her divine power.
“I can’t believe it.”
The inspector general put on a shocked expression. Although divine power is subtly similar to mana, it is a distinctly different quality. Just because they have the same two limbs doesn’t mean that monkeys and humans are the same. Divine power and mana, which have completely different properties, cannot be handled at the same time.
That meant that her prisoner, Delenn, gave up all of her divine powers she had accumulated over the course of her year and practiced her mana anew. Although he was a soldier, not a knight, the fact that he had reached such a high level that he killed 15 guards who knew how to handle holy power made his heart flutter. In just one year, how…
“Monster…”
The monster is set free. A monster with great evil in the Church.
“Send a pursuit party right away.”
“Yes? The pursuit party has already departed, Captain.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? Knights!
…
…
…
Dellen. Criminals relentlessly pursued by the Order. A slayer whose number of paladins alone exceeded three digits. Even so, he is a deceiver who wears paladin armor as if to ridicule the Order.
The bounty on Delen was astronomical. She became famous for being the first to place a bounty on the Order. The church, which has a ruthless hunter called the Heretic Inquisitor, couldn’t handle it inside and put up a bounty. That fact alone drew public attention.
The church’s relentless pursuit and the bounty hunter’s relentless hunt. Delen was once again transformed into a monster, but he couldn’t kill everyone. She was gradually getting tired. The smell of her blood was so familiar that her sense of smell couldn’t even recognize it. As she tested her limits day after day, her level rose rapidly, but in the end, when she died, everything was meaningless.
“Haha…”
It’s hard to breathe. My legs are shaking. Eyes gradually close I am sleepy.
‘Now… Is it the end?’
Delenn felt the end approaching and recalled the past passing by like a kaleidoscope. It was pointless for her to even think about where she went wrong. She was just proud of the fact that she did not give up and resisted injustice until the end.
Jerk, jerk…
‘Two people… Only two… You’re overconfident.’
Four legs approaching innocently. Judging by the weight of their steps, one was a man and the other a woman. No matter how many people die, only two. Delenn decided to use his last strength to make the two of them companions on the road to the underworld.
As the two approach, Delen is about to run away.
“Wait. Lower your weapon. I’m not your enemy.”
The man’s low voice made Delen’s body stop. No, Delenn actually had no intention of stopping. But his body no longer listened. He took a step with all his might, but it was only there.
Smack!
Falling on the cold ground, Delenn felt himself fading away from consciousness. She tried to remember as much as possible the feeling of her now, which might be her last. Two unfamiliar voices pierce my ears.
“I think this person will die if left alone.”
“I know.”
What, you don’t even know who I am?
“Um, should I live?”
“Looks like you’re being chased.”
Delenn could not understand the intentions of the two innocently trying to save the person in front of her eyes. As the war dragged on, people’s morale rapidly deteriorated, and it was natural for people to rummage through their pockets rather than try to save a fallen person.
Doo doo doo…
The sound of horses’ hooves echoes the ground. The two responded.
“It’s a paladin.”
“It’s coming this way. It’s a movement to chase someone. Come to think of it, there was a celebrity being chased by the church…”
“Oh, that woman? Her name was… Delenn. Hmm.”
Uncovered identity Delenn was sure they would hand him over to the Order. A bounty is a bounty, but there is no reason to dare go against the church. It was madness not to cooperate with the angry cult. You will live a life pursued until you die.
‘Ah… Finally, the end…’
Delenn, who had managed to squeeze out the strength she was really sucking into and even retaining her hearing, eventually lost her consciousness. Without hearing the last words of the two men and women.
“Mummy. Get ready for battle. Snipe me from the tree.”
“Okay. That’s what I wanted.”
…
“Ah…”
Something like that happened, Aris gave a brief impression. Delenn was the most famous of the party members. Although she had a notorious reputation, there were too many vindictive people in the church now, so Delen’s fame wasn’t all that bad.
Aris didn’t know anything about her outside because she lived in the Colosseum, and after she heard the story, her eyes lit up as if she had seen her again. Delenn smiled shyly. Of course, now Delen acted like a nice older sister, except when dealing with her church. As if she grew up like a flower in a greenhouse. It was impossible to guess her horrific past by looking at her innocent appearance.
“It’s all an old story.”
“…Isn’t it currently in progress?”
Aris looked at the ground that was stained red with blood and said. She moved far away, to this place she camped, but the scent of her blood was still strong as she carried the wind.
“It’s different. Back then, I just faced them alone like an idiot without a purpose. But now…”
Dellen glanced at the party members. Aris, Gina, Mira, and the hero. Delenn, who gave the hero a particularly long gaze, smiled lightly.
“Because I’m with stupidly nice people, and my goals are completely different from before.”
“Really? What’s your current goal?”
“Love.”
Dellen, who spoke softly on purpose, winked at the only hero who understood what he was saying. The warrior laughed. Aris, who had not heard, asked again.
“I’m sorry, but what?”
“Well, if you haven’t heard, I won’t bother to tell you. As time goes on, you’ll know it naturally.”
“Hmm.”
Aris wondered, but Delen did not answer. Aris, shrugging her shoulders, brought up another topic.
“Come to think of it, I have something to apologize for.”
“Huh? An apple? What?”
“When I first saw you, you called me Paladin-sama. Come to think of it, you might have been offended…”
Dellen reached out and pressed Aris’ lips with her index finger as she spoke. I don’t know what the reason was, but the look of Aris with only her eyes wide open was very cute. Delenn smiled and said.
“Unpleasant? Not at all. Aris, do you know why I keep wearing paladin armor?”
“Hmm? Hmm… Well?”
“Ha, did you hear what I was saying?”
Aris tilted her head as if she had no idea. She had an air of knowing as she looked around her. She didn’t know herself, so Aris asked Dellen for her explanation.
“Why?”
“Yes, of course, because I am a paladin.”
Delen’s words sound like a pun. But Delenn never said empty words without substance. She thinks Aris for a moment with a serious attitude.
While recounting her past, Delenn consistently criticized the Order. Their evil deeds, corrupt faith, and rotten powerful men who even interfere with the self-cleaning function. She was a constant critic of the entire corrupt Hirak Church. That means…
“Ah, I see.”
“Huh, do you think you know?”
Delen wasn’t the only one against the Church. There was a hero party where she acted with Dellen and became an accomplice, and there were many people who recognized Dellen and cooperated with her. Ironically, many of them were devout believers in the god Hirak.
For Delen, everything was the complete opposite. She herself and her faithful followers are the true Cult of High Iraqi, and those who claim to be the Cult and pursue Delen are corrupt forces of evil.
‘It’s really fun.’
Delenn laughed. It was a strange relationship. How did you get so many similar people together? He himself is a wanted criminal who is being chased by the Church. Aris was also in a position to be chased because he had escaped from the Colosseum. Gina was originally a wandering gypsy, and Mira was a half-elf abandoned by both humans and elves. The hero who embraces them is also a stranger from another world. He was obviously not welcome anywhere.
‘There’s a certain level of getting together.’
But she thought so, and a smile was drawn on Delen’s face.
“Then, Paladin Delen.”
Delenn, who had not yet disarmed her, looked at Aris who had called for him.
“First night of vigil, thank you for your hard work.”
Looking at the party members entering the sleeping bags, Delen winked instead of answering. Her face, as always, had a light smile on it. As if all the wounds of the unfortunate past had been erased.
…
…
However, Delen’s face, standing guard alone in the dark, was expressionless and heavy.
She was wearing a mask of laughter to cover the wounds in her heart that hadn’t healed yet. The healing of that wound was a story in the distant future.
