TFSAWE - Chapter 251: No Ordinary Demon (Patreon)

After a long chase, I finally found Latvan. But of all times, demons had to appear now. As the demons emerged in the peaceful town, the temple knights surrounding Carl shouted at him.

"Master Carl! Please give us permission to intervene!"

Upon hearing their words, Carl lowered his head. If the temple knights left to protect the town, who would protect him? Carl, too, had spent his time at the temple on the outskirts, facing demons. Therefore, he knew that the demons flying towards him were of intermediate level and would return to their world once they had their fill.

Thus, there was no need to waste the valuable manpower of the important knights to save the useless townspeople. Besides, Latvan, whom he needed to capture immediately, was right in front of him.

"Not yet. Please wait."

Latvan appeared to be preoccupied with his own thoughts. It didn't matter which way he chose. If he ran to the town, Carl could follow him and capture the weakened Latvan after he confronted the demons. Escaping to the mountains wasn't a bad option either. It would be an excellent scene to shatter the trust that still lingered for Latvan within the knights. The former commander is fleeing and leaving behind the people seeking help.

While Carl wondered which path Latvan would choose, a sudden roar of a larger demon echoed. When Carl looked up to find the source of the sound, a chill ran down his spine.

"That is..."

It was Heksa, the demon that had appeared here before. The problem was that it was much larger and more grotesque than Carl remembered. As Carl watched the bell tower of the village crumble, which Heksa had tried to perch on, he snapped out of his reverie.

That is no ordinary rampaging demon.

Not to mention that Latvan was nowhere to be found, and even the elite knights who followed him had abandoned the temple knights. In the end, it was just a bunch of knights with no coordination. The Imperial 3rd Knight Order under Prince Leon had only been blocking them and hadn't launched an attack, so their incompetence had not been exposed. But it was impossible to face that demon.

How long could a knight order without a proper commander withstand Heksa's attack? While thinking so, Heksa took flight again. The demon's eyes were fixed on the temple knights. Carl desperately shouted, trying to gauge whether the knights would attack or not.

"All troops, retreat!"

Upon hearing his words, the eyes of the knights next to him widened. The temple knights were retreating even before they fought against the demon. The temple knights only turned their backs to the demon to save their injured comrades. But retreat? The faces of the knights contorted. Their honor was becoming more pathetic than the stones scattered on the ground.

Watching the hesitant knights falter, Carl grimaced and turned his head. If Heksa targeted them instead of the village, it would be their annihilation here. Carl tightly grasped the attire of the High Priest that he was wearing.

"How did I end up here?"

He couldn't die in a place like this. He wanted to live in glory with the High Priest and the new saint until his last breath.

After running for a while, Carl looked back.

"Damn it!"

Some knights followed the order to retreat, while others, in defiance, ran towards the village. After rushing towards Latvan, they headed towards the village together. Carl observed the scene, pausing everyone, and assessed the situation.

"If Latvan fights Heksa instead of running away, that would be fortunate. If he fought and fell against Heksa, it would be acceptable, or even if he didn't fall but weakened, they could capture him.

Time passed in this manner. From afar, Carl noticed Heksa becoming increasingly anxious. If things went well, Latvan might drive away the undead like this.

That was problematic. If that were to happen, the people in the village would undoubtedly start to believe and follow Latvan. Only then did Carl set the knights in motion. The temple knights who entered the village easily dispatched the faltering undead.

Latvan was still engaged in combat with Heksa. As Carl approached him, he saw people carrying injured knights and rushing into a building.

"They seem to be crowded inside."

Before Latvan returned after dealing with Heksa, Carl had to mesmerize the people. As if he were the one who had sent all these knights. Inside the building, Carl witnessed an explosion-like surge of divine power swiftly healing the knights.

At that moment, he knew. It was the power of the Saintess.

Having experienced it for a long time, Carl could easily recognize it. He saw where the power originated. Compared to Evelina, she was incredibly plain and thin, a frail woman.

This woman is the new Saintess.

"Saintess."

Carl grabbed the woman and pulled her along.

“I finally have the honor of meeting the Saintess."

"N-No, let me go!"

The woman tried to free her captured wrist. The knight who had recovered thanks to her glanced at Carl and firmly gripped his sword.

"Iris Yang!"

"Stop her!"

Temple knights who followed his orders surrounded them. Looking at the increasingly despondent Iris, Carl spoke.

"We will escort you to the Grand Temple, Saintess."

So that you never come into contact with any danger in this world.

For my sake.

***