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Chapter 5
“Why did you hide the fact that you could use magic?”
“I’m not great with people, so I usually don’t talk much about myself.”
“You’re right. Including myself, no one in the village really knows anything about you. Since I couldn’t protect the village alone with just my divine power, we needed someone who could wield aura against the beasts. That’s why I never asked what kind of person you were. You seemed to have many secrets, and if the villagers were to find them out, I thought you might leave.”
“In other words, you’re saying you don’t need me anymore?”
Instead of answering, Rizel simply smiled sweetly.
“Where is the magic amplification medium you use when casting spells?”
“What are you even talking about…”
Aris tried to deflect, but Rizel pressed on, her voice filled with certainty.
“Do I really need to explain this? Whether it’s a mana stone or something else, I’m talking about the item that amplifies your magical power. Where is it?”
“I don’t know? It’s probably somewhere.”
Rizel scoffed at Aris’ evasive reply.
“Why won’t you explain?”
“Isn’t it stupid to reveal something that could be a weakness?”
“That’s not it, is it? The real reason you can’t answer is probably because you don’t have an amplifier.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“That’s enough, Priestess Rizel. Step back.”
A massive man stepped forward in front of Rizel.
“I am Lucam, Commander of the Holy Knights of the Frost Order.”
“Commander?”
Lucam paid no mind to Aris’ muttering and spoke in a grave tone.
“Reveal your true nature, enemy of the Order. Your mere existence is a sin. You are a vile and unholy being—more depraved than a demon. You filthy Derkayd. I shall judge you here and now.”
Aris blinked blankly at his words, then let out a short laugh.
“You don’t hold back, do you? Still out here hunting Derkayd? Does Rashvalen know about this? Seems like one of their agents is with you.”
“Does that mean you acknowledge you are a Derkayd?”
Lucam only heard what he wanted, and Aris snapped back.
“Does it matter whether I admit it or not? You people never listen to what I say anyway! You never did! You’ve always ignored others!”
But they didn’t answer. They simply swung their swords at Aris. All of them—people she had seen earlier that day. Followers of the goddess, hiding behind the noble excuse of “relief supplies,” had come here to hunt.
Derkayd.
All humans live under the protection of the Frost Goddess. She is revered as their guardian deity, guiding them to a life of peace and abundance through the whispers she bestows upon priestesses.
But a hundred years ago, beings not mentioned in the goddess’s prophecies appeared. Among them were the monsters now called “beasts,” and the other were humans with wings on their backs who appeared around the same time. The Frost Order, calling them unknown beings, named them Derkayd.
Derkayd were human, but unlike others, they weren’t bound by the goddess’s limitations. They could cast powerful magic without any amplifier or medium. Even priestesses who conveyed the goddess’s prophecies could not foresee their future.
They were humans who existed outside the goddess’s dominion. Because of this, the Frost Order viewed them with hostility, and people feared their extraordinary power. As a result, Derkayd were shunned and persecuted. For the past century, most have hidden in the shadows of society, rarely revealing themselves.
Having such unusual powers made them easy to exploit. And since their numbers were small, even if they were superior beings, they couldn’t oppose the collective power and judgment of the majority. In extreme cases, radical members of the Order hunted them. Though it had seemed like things were calming down, they were clearly still carrying out such actions in secret.
Aris clicked her tongue inwardly. Though she tried not to use magic, she had no choice if she wanted to survive in a place like this. How could anyone go hunting in a beast-infested forest with just a gun and a sword?
Getting caught by Rizel was only a matter of time. But even if her identity was exposed, there wasn’t much Rizel could do in a village surrounded by such a forest except maintain the protective barrier. Aris hadn’t worried—until now. She didn’t think Rizel would go so far as to bring holy knights here.
“So you weren’t just a kind-hearted priestess after all.”
Aris smiled bitterly, recalling how Rizel had devoted herself to all the village’s matters.
“That’s right. I help humans. That is my mission as a servant of the goddess. But you’re not human.”
“I am human.”
“Then what color are the wings that stretch away from the Frost Goddess’s grace and toward the sky, Derkayd?”
“I am human…”
“Oh, and you should be thankful. I had repeatedly requested support from the central temple with no response, but when I mentioned you, they immediately sent the Holy Knights. Thanks to you, I can finally leave this village.”
Rizel gave Aris a cold look and raised her hand. Following her gesture, Lucam signaled, and the knights resumed their assault on Aris. She blocked the incoming sword strikes, clicking her tongue. Using magic in this state would be foolish. If others saw her wings, the price to keep them quiet would be high.
“By the way, a Rashvalen agent happened to arrive in the village on the same day. Just like you said, it would be troublesome if Rashvalen found out. So I sent her alone into the forest to die—but she somehow survived and came back.”
If that’s the case, shouldn’t that woman be suspected of being a Derkayd too? Aris felt it was unfair. Fending off another blade filled with aura, she pointed at Lucam.
“Sorry to interrupt this whole dramatic confrontation, but I’ve got a question. Are you the only commander?”
“Yes. Since this is a Derkayd hunt, it required someone of my rank—”
“No, I mean—if you only brought one commander and 20 elite knights for this, that was pretty careless.”
Lucam was about to ask what she meant when a metal canister rolled in with a sharp clanking sound.
“?!”
Everyone’s attention shifted for a moment. The canister popped open with a click and spewed out thick smoke at high speed. Tear gas.
Unable to see even a foot ahead, the knights were overwhelmed, eyes tearing and noses running. In the chaos, someone grabbed Aris by the arm and pulled her away.
“This way!”
Not knowing who it was or their intent, Aris followed without resistance—anything to escape the situation.
“Are you okay?”
After they emerged into cleaner air and had run some distance, Aris finally saw the face of her rescuer.
“Mirea… cough… Jane Stir?!”
Mirea handed her a water bottle in response to her confused question. Aris washed her face and finally cleared her vision. Mirea wore a similar outfit to earlier, armed with two swords at her waist, a handgun in her coat, and several other weapons strapped on.
They were now beneath the embankment near the village fields.
“Good thing you’re okay. The Order’s movements were suspicious—I had a bad feeling. So I was hiding nearby, and I guess my hunch was right. Ah, I mean, it’s not ‘good’ that this happened, but… you know what I mean.”
Aris glared at Mirea, who was scanning her up and down.
“Who are you? What are you after?”
“Wow. That’s how you talk to the person who just saved your life?”
Mirea pointed her sword at Aris lazily.
“I’m not trying anything shady, so relax. You’re in trouble, right? I’ll help you.”
But Aris knocked Mirea’s sword aside with her own, her eyes cold.
“Why?”
Aris dropped her formal tone, and Mirea casually followed suit.
“I couldn’t just stand by and watch those Order bastards hunt a Derkayd. Did you forget already? I’m with Rashvalen. That’s short for the Rational Association for Sapient Life. And Derkayd are sapient beings, aren’t they? Unless you’re not as smart as a human… in which case, I’ll just leave you.”
“You’re helping… for that reason?”
“What’s wrong with helping someone just because they’re a person?”
Mirea’s voice wavered slightly—maybe she felt a bit guilty. But Aris didn’t reply, as if her question hadn’t meant much.
“So, what exactly can you do to help?”
Mirea nodded and peeked over the hill. The knights were stirring again—tear gas no longer effective. She crouched next to Aris and scanned the terrain.
“I can open a path for you to escape.”
“Escape isn’t good enough. If there are witnesses, that’s a problem. I need to eliminate the knights.”
Mirea let out a big sigh.
“I figured you’d say that. That’s why I went through the trouble of tagging along with the Order to this village. But seriously, do you have to kill them?”
