“Grand Hall…?”
I descended and looked around, and the sight of the grand hall was shocking.
In the front, there were countless seats, and despite being underground, the ceiling was high.
The enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling illuminated the place brightly.
The walls and ceiling were decorated with symbols that seemed to have some meaning, and at the very front, there was a massive stage.
“What is this…?”
I sighed quietly, furrowing my brow.
The contrast with the area above was so stark it was almost overwhelming.
At the same time, I began to understand why we hadn’t been able to gather any information about the Evil God Cult.
“I never imagined they’d hold their gathering in a basement…”
Even if it were underground, I thought it would be just a small meeting, but I never imagined it would be on such a grand scale.
I cautiously began to look around.
As I surveyed the area, I realized there were a lot of people here.
Out of curiosity, I started counting the people sitting in the seats, and I quickly confirmed that there were more than 200.
There were also people standing, so the number was even larger.
And they looked very diverse.
I saw beggars, ordinary-looking people, magicians in robes, farmers, and all sorts of people sitting in the seats.
Afterward, I looked around a little more and then stood by the door, waiting for Bliss and Artorius to come down.
The wait didn’t take long. Not long after, I heard a faint sound coming from the door.
“Do I really have to say we’re married?! What a terrible thing this is! I have a woman I care about!”
“Be quiet! Do you think I wanted this? I didn’t choose this either, you know?!”
Bliss and Artorius were bickering.
The once faint voices grew louder as time passed.
Soon, the door opened, and the two appeared.
“Oh my, what is this?!”
“What in the world is this?!”
The two clergy members exclaimed the same thing as they looked around the grand hall.
“Hmm.”
I cleared my throat, and they both turned and looked at me.
“Ruina?”
“Ruina?”
They called my name in unison.
Are they actually getting along well?
“It seems you two made it here safely.”
“Yes, luckily, we were able to get in without being caught.”
Bliss came over and spoke to me.
“I never thought they would create such a vast space… How did they do it?”
“Probably the work of a magician. With earth magic, something like this would be possible. But creating such a large hall underground for a gathering is highly suspicious.”
“I agree. Why would they go to such lengths to hold a gathering in a place like this?”
“They must have had a reason for it. But there sure are a lot of people here.”
Artorius mumbled as he looked ahead.
“We should wait until the gathering begins.”
“Yes, we should. It’s already suspicious, but we need to hear the gathering first and make a judgment.”
Artorius nodded in agreement.
We then went to the corner of the hall and spent some time chatting.
After some time passed, the surroundings began to get noisy, and as we looked around for the source, we found it on the stage.
“Who is that…?”
Someone was stepping up onto the stage.
“That person is…!”
Unexpectedly, the person climbing onto the stage was someone familiar to me.
It was Wolff, the man with brown hair and a saint-like face.
It was surprising.
The last time I saw him, he didn’t seem like an important figure, but now it looked like he was the one leading the gathering.
Could it be that the religious event I saw him at before was this?
“That person… Is he the one from the hunt?”
“I think so. His name was Wolff, right?”
Bliss and Artorius seemed to recognize him as well.
As we were caught off guard by his unexpected appearance, Wolff stepped onto the stage and walked to the center.
Once he reached the center, he stopped and faced the crowd.
The noise around us gradually quieted down.
“It looks like it’s about to start.”
We all stopped talking and focused on Wolff.
As the grand hall fell into silence, he began speaking loudly.
“Greetings, my beloved followers! I sincerely welcome you all to this gathering!”
“Before we say anything else, let us offer a prayer to our Lord, the ‘Forgotten God’!”
At his words, everyone began to pray.
We, too, followed suit.
We had no choice but to blend in to avoid drawing suspicion, so Bliss and I quickly mimicked the people around us.
While pretending to pray, I glanced at Artorius…
For some reason, he stood still, arms crossed, doing nothing.
“Artorius? What are you doing?”
“Praying to a god other than Naias? I cannot commit such sacrilege!”
“Stop talking nonsense and pretend to pray. If you get us caught, be ready for the consequences.”
“Fine…”
At Bliss’s sharp words, Artorius reluctantly began pretending to pray.
After a brief moment, with everyone’s hands joined in prayer, Wolff began speaking again.
“Everyone, how have you been? Are you at peace? Or are you facing hardships?
I, too, walked through the marketplace to get here today. I walked through the market, saw the people, and talked with them on my way here.
The marketplace is a truly special place. It’s where people’s livelihoods come from, and it’s also where new encounters happen.
Whenever I walk through the market, I always feel alive. If I stand still in the market, I can hear the voices of many people.
The sounds of people selling goods, buying goods, chatting about their daily lives, and sometimes even arguing over prices. All kinds of sounds fill the air.
When I hear these sounds, I feel like I’m part of the scene. And in those moments, I truly feel alive.”
That didn’t seem too strange, did it?
It sounded more normal than I expected.
“However, recently, when I walk through the marketplace, the lively, bright sounds are gone. All I hear now are dark, gloomy sounds.
Sighs, crying, complaints, screams… bad noises that keep growing louder and more frequent each day.
I think everyone knows the reason for this.
It’s because the situation in Viln is getting worse.”
“They gave us letters so that we could write, and they taught us magic so that we could protect ourselves.
However, our God did not foresee that this would be the starting point for humanity’s downfall.”
Wolf shook his head slowly, his expression one of sorrow.
“Hmm… I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”
I heard Bliss murmuring from the side. Seeing her focused expression, I thought about speaking to her, but the intensity of her concentration made me hesitate, fearing that I might disrupt her focus.
I turned my attention back to Wolf’s words.
“Having received so much from the God, humanity’s body was protected, and the resources for survival were abundant. At first, everyone lived a life of prosperity, happy and content.
But not everyone cheered. Amidst the celebration, there were some who trembled with anxiety.
They knew that this abundance would not last forever.
So, they sought food to prepare for when the abundance would end.
Sadly, their wish was not granted, for the resources were communal. And seeing this, a thought began to form in their minds: they wished everything to be their own.
This was when greed arose in humanity.
Some humans, realizing their greed, moved quickly. They incited others with words, sowed conflict, caused chaos, and secretly stole resources to satisfy their own greed.
Among them, those with power used their strength to dominate the weak, forcing them into submission and making them their property.
This was the moment when class structures arose in humanity.
But their greed did not stop there. They continued to steal, take, subjugate, and control, repeating the cycle.
And as time passed, their wealth and power grew. Eventually, they came to own everything in the region.
Seeing this, they declared themselves kings and claimed the region as their own.
This was when the concept of nations came into being.
Despite gaining so much, humanity’s greed knew no bounds. It grew louder in the ears of the kings, urging them to acquire even more.
Thus, the kings began to raid other nations to amass even more wealth.
This was the moment when war broke out among humans.”
Wolf paused, falling into a moment of silence, as if he were catching his breath.
After a brief pause, he began to speak again, his voice filled with sorrow.
“Meanwhile, our God, who had witnessed the bloodshed brought by the tools and magic He gave us, was horrified.
He was deeply disappointed in humanity.
The qualities He once loved in us had vanished, overtaken by greed.
But despite this, our merciful God did not abandon us. He sent prophecies or, at times, came down Himself, trying to restore us to the purity we once had.
Yet, despite His efforts, the majority of humanity remained trapped in greed, and no matter what He did, nothing changed.
Frustrated by humanity’s unchanging nature, our God finally gave up on us.
It was then that He left us.
And that was the moment our Cult of the End forgot the name of God.”
At that, Wolf lowered his head deeply, as though ashamed of something.
A gasp from the audience broke the silence, indicating their shock.
After a moment, Wolf slowly raised his head again and, with a voice filled with simmering anger, he continued.
“Despite the unprecedented event of God abandoning humanity, the foolish humans failed to recognize it and continued writing the bloody history of our kind.
War, war, and more war.
Humanity began writing history with war as their pen, using blood as ink.
The history of horrific and cruel sins.”
With that, Wolf fell silent.
The auditorium, once filled with his loud voice, became eerily quiet.
Then, after a pause, he shouted with a voice full of fury.
“Everyone! This is the history of our humanity’s sin and transgressions!
Does it not resonate with you? Then look at the empire you live in! The imperial family and the nobles are proud of the empire’s glorious history, but what is the reality?
Three hundred years ago, the empire destroyed the Beast Kingdom, the ruler of the plains, slaughtering the beastmen and enslaving them!
Two hundred sixty-five years ago, the empire destroyed the Sky Fortress of Arcadia, the kingdom of magic with the best technology on the continent, ridiculing and trampling on their knowledge and history. And Arcadia was a neutral country!
Is that all? Two hundred years ago, the empire, in collusion with the Demon King’s army, betrayed and destroyed the Kingdom of Draken, once a protector of humanity, using the most despicable method of betrayal!
And now the empire has been at war with the demon army for two hundred years!
Where is the glorious history in all this? Where is the proud history in any of this?
What have we gained from it all? Honor? Resources? Land?
None of it!
What we’ve gained is more enemies and the constant threat of war!
The royal family of Chamber, the blue wolf tribe, is now entering the Demon King’s army, seeking revenge!
The descendants of the mages of Arcadia are creating magical tools to bring down the empire!
And Redros Gladius, the once protector of humanity and the greatest swordmaster, is now a Duke in the Demon King’s army, aiming his sword at humanity!”
He clenched his fist tightly and shouted.
“Despite all the growing enemies and uncertainty, the emperor of the empire continues to push for war, dreaming of a unified continent!
They already control half the continent, yet their greed insists that half is not enough!
And so, they order the common people to bring them the other half!”
Is it okay for the nobles to hear this?
Wolf’s criticism of the emperor and nobles was clear and cutting.
Suddenly, I remembered that Bliss was from a noble background, and I turned my gaze toward her, trying to gauge her reaction.
“How dare he speak such nonsense…! Who is protecting whom…!”
As expected, Bliss was glaring at Wolf, her brows furrowed.
I shifted my gaze to Artorius.
Surprisingly, Artorius, unlike Bliss, said nothing, just watching.
After confirming their reactions, I refocused on Wolf’s speech.
“I ask you all now!
Who is starting these wars?
Who is it that fights at their command?
Who lives and dies by their orders?
It’s YOU!
The emperors and nobles start the wars, but it is YOU who are sent to fight, to suffer, to live and die!
You are the ones who are sacrificed to satisfy someone else’s greed and commands!
And now, look at the situation in Vilrn!
Who is enjoying prosperity while everyone else is suffering?
It is the lord and his inner circle, isn’t it?
Then I ask you: where did their wealth come from?
It came from YOU!”
Wolf pointed at the crowd.
“They collected the money from the goods and produce you cultivated with your own hands!
All under the pretense of letting you live on your land!
But now, what is their reaction? How are they treating you?
While you starve and suffer, what are they doing?
I’ll tell you! They are ignoring you completely, living fat and happy, using the wealth they’ve created off your backs!”
Why has it come to this? How did this happen?
There is always a cause and effect in every incident, and in every negative event, there are sinners who caused it!
Now, let me make it clear who those sinners are!”
Wolf took a deep breath, then looked directly at us, shouting loudly.
“Who are the sinners?
They are the rulers, who, trapped in greed and arrogance under the guise of class, fill their own pockets at the expense of others!”
Wolf pointed upward, his voice booming.
“Who are the sinners?”
“Even though you know that, you are falling into the sin of sloth, not resisting, and submitting yourselves!”
Wolf shouted, pointing at the people.
“Who are the sinners?”
He pointed at himself and shouted.
“It is we humans, who have fallen into many sins and created this situation!”
He raised his voice again.
“Let us all repent together!”
He spread his arms wide and began to shout.
“Change your lazy selves and become diligent, and seek out your rights!
Take up weapons, fight against absurdity, and judge those in power who have fallen into arrogance and greed!
Stop thinking that it’s impossible because your strength is weak—act! Stop praying! No one will help you just because you pray!
Of course, it may be impossible alone. But together, we can do it!
Just like how water, when gathered, forms a great lake and a sea, if your strength unites and becomes one, your power will be so great that no one will be able to ignore it!
Brothers and sisters of the Evil God Cult, let us destroy the empire! Those who have taken our rights are the rulers of the empire!
How much longer will you endure? How much longer will you tolerate unfair treatment and cower?
Let us take back our rights from those who have stolen them from us!
If the state disappears, the class system will disappear!
If the state disappears, war will also disappear!
And if class and the state disappear, we will return to the time when humanity was equal, the time when we could not live without each other, the time when we were weak.
Our God will come to us again and lead us!”
“I can’t stand this anymore! This author is a heretic!”
Bliss, unable to bear it any longer, stood up abruptly and began walking toward Wolf.
“Wait, Bliss! Not yet!”
I quickly grabbed her wrist.
If she went to Wolf now, everything we had done so far would be in vain. And the rage in her eyes—if I let her go now, it seemed like she would do something reckless.
“Ruina, let go! I must punish this traitor who has insulted the Emperor, my father, and Naias right now!”
“He’s still speaking!”
“That nonsense isn’t worth listening to!”
While Bliss and I were arguing, Wolf continued his speech.
“Brothers and sisters! The day of reckoning is near!
Tell the faithful around you! Tell them that the time has come! Inform them that war is beginning!
The glorious start of our war will be here, in Vilrn! On that day, we will break down the lord’s castle of Vilrn and share all its resources!
That day will be the first step in our glorious war to reclaim our rights!”
[Waaaaaah!]
The faithful who had been listening to Wolf began cheering loudly.
“Brothers and sisters! For a new beginning, the old must be ended!
The world we live in is sick!
So now, let us destroy the old world and move towards a new one! Let us move toward a world where no one is hungry and everyone is equal!
Our God will be waiting for us there!
Now, brothers and sisters, let us move forward! Let us move towards where the God is!”
With an impassioned gesture, he continued walking forward.
“God is waiting for us.”
He stopped and, with his arms wide open, shouted.
[Waaaaaah!]
As soon as his words finished, everyone stood up, clapping and cheering.
Thunderous applause and cheers poured down on him.
However, some did not stop at just clapping and cheering.
[God is waiting for us!]
Among those clapping, some began repeating the words in voices full of happiness and emotion.
[God is waiting for us!]
At first, only a few people were repeating the phrase, but it spread like an infection, and the number of people repeating it began to grow.
[God is waiting for us!]
The voices grew louder and louder.
[God is waiting for us!]
The sound was so loud it echoed throughout the auditorium.
Everyone was united, saying the same thing. The overwhelming sight left us speechless, and we could only quietly watch in awe.
“Ruina, something’s wrong with the people…”
Looking down, I saw Reina nervously clutching my sleeve with her small hand.
Her restless demeanor and expression showed she was frightened.
“It definitely doesn’t seem right.”
Snapping back to my senses, I pulled her into my arms.
And I thought to myself.
The Evil God Cult… something’s wrong.
“It’s a bit dark in here.”
As she said, the space was a bit dim. Despite its vast size, there were very few light sources.
The only sources of light in this massive cavern were candles. They were likely placed along the walls, and they were the only things illuminating this huge cavern.
So, it was vaguely dark. The candlelight wasn’t bright enough to fully light up the entire space. The center, where light couldn’t reach, was still shrouded in darkness.
But the candles allowed me to get an idea of the size of the cavern.
I hesitated as to whether I should go in. Maybe it was because of the candles, but this place felt unsettling.
Honestly, the atmosphere wasn’t that great. The sight of dozens of candles burning in such a huge space was mysterious but at the same time eerie.
The faint light from the candles and the surrounding darkness created a creepy atmosphere.
“Let’s go in.”
But Agnes, seemingly unconcerned by such things, walked in without hesitation. I immediately followed her.
And the moment I stepped into the cavern behind her, a pungent odor hit my nose, causing me to grimace.
“Ugh! What’s that smell…?”
I pinched my nose and took a step forward.
At that moment—
Squish.
I heard the sound of stepping into a puddle, followed by a feeling of something wet on my shoe.
“Water… in this underground place?”
Startled by the sudden sensation, I looked down to check what I had stepped on.
“Dein.”
But at that moment, Agnes called out to me.
“Find a way to light up the area, quickly.”
“Why suddenly?”
“Now!”
Her voice sounded unusually urgent. Confused by her behavior, I nodded.
“Alright.”
I raised my divine power and cast a light spell.
As soon as I used the magic, divine energy gathered at my fingertips. Soon, a bright sphere of light formed at my fingertips.
I gently sent the sphere upward, and it began to light up the surroundings.
The light from the sphere began pushing back the surrounding darkness, making the parts that were hard to see due to the candlelight now visible.
Confirming that the spell had worked, I turned my gaze down again to see what I had stepped on.
And I couldn’t help but be shocked.
Beneath my feet was a red puddle.
I panicked. What I had thought was just a water puddle turned out to be something else.
It was a red pool of blood.
“Agnes! Look at this!”
I called her in a panicked voice and, turning from looking down, I scanned the surroundings.
And when I looked around, I couldn’t help but be horrified.
The first thing that caught my eye was the floor, stained red in many places. Then, I saw something else.
“What is this…?”
There were dozens of limbs.
“This can’t be.”
I muttered blankly. It felt like my mind had stopped due to the shocking situation. My emotions weren’t conveyed properly. Only confusion was reflected on my face.
I looked around.
At that moment, dozens of figures entered my line of sight. No, let me correct myself. The moment I looked around, dozens of bodies entered my sight.
I muttered in confusion.
“Why…?”
In this vast cavern, there were dozens of corpses scattered everywhere.