Chapter 120

The evil god slaughtered and devoured every human he encountered on his way to the North.

 

Caldeon’s group only learned of it when the evil god had just entered the northern region.

 

“As you can see from the map, only the villages along the route leading from the East to the North have been completely devastated.”

 

Fyoren continued, tapping the connected path on the unfolded map with his index finger.

 

“It’s as if someone walked along the road and killed every human they saw.”

 

At Fyoren’s explanation, the faces of Caldeon, Enria, and everyone else listening hardened.

 

“Could it be that the black mage is heading north?” Rahar asked.

 

Fyoren shook his head.

 

“That much we couldn’t determine. Everyone we sent to investigate said the same thing—that it looked like a land of death, with not a single living creature remaining.”

 

“Then you don’t even know whether the perpetrator is one person or several,” Tearen said.

 

Fyoren nodded once in response.

 

“Yes. Based on our investigation, the only thing we know for certain is that this unknown entity is moving toward the North.”

 

As if on cue, everyone’s gaze shifted to Caldeon.

 

Caldeon, who had been staring down at the map with a grave expression, lifted his head and spoke to Fyoren.

 

“Go to Arsen and check how many personnel are stationed in the border regions. Send the Grand Duke’s knights to the border immediately.”

 

“Yes, Your Grace.”

 

As Fyoren turned to leave, Enria asked, “Shouldn’t we go as well?”

 

Caldeon looked at her and shook his head firmly.

 

“You stay here. Rahar, Tearen, and I will go.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Me too?”

 

Rahar and Tearen looked confused at being named so suddenly, but Caldeon brushed aside their reactions and continued speaking to Enria.

 

“If the one responsible killed every human along the way, it may not be the black mage.”

 

At those words, the atmosphere sank instantly.

 

“Are you saying… the black mage summoned the evil god?” Roseanne asked with a stiff expression.

 

Caldeon nodded once.

 

“The possibility is high.”

 

“I suppose so. It would be difficult for a black mage alone to kill all the humans across that distance…”

 

“But Panz wasn’t sacrificed as the evil god’s vessel, was he? Can the seal be broken without a vessel?” Rahar asked, cutting in on Tearen’s words.

 

Instead of Caldeon, Roseanne answered.

 

“In theory, yes. The ancient texts say the seal itself can be broken even without a vessel to contain the soul. The reason the black mage chose my brother’s fire spirit as a vessel was probably because sealing the evil god inside a vessel would allow his sealed power to be fully released.”

 

“I see.”

 

Rahar nodded, finally understanding.

 

“Then does that mean the evil god is moving together with the black mage in a soul-only state, killing every human along the way?”

 

At Belona’s question, Roseanne shook her head and said she didn’t know either.

 

“He may have hurriedly found another vessel.”

 

At Tearen’s words, the original story flashed through Enria’s mind.

 

‘Ah… the black mage…!’

 

According to the original plot, the black mage eventually used his own body as the vessel to resurrect the evil god.

 

After his plans repeatedly failed due to the protagonists, he resorted to the final measure—sacrificing himself.

 

‘That could still be the case now.’

 

Since Panz, who had originally been intended as the vessel, could no longer serve that role after undergoing destruction and resurrection, it was highly likely that, just as in the original story, the black mage offered his own body to the evil god.

 

Enria carefully took hold of Caldeon’s arm and made him look at her.

 

“The black mage might have become the vessel himself.”

 

At Enria’s words, the eyes of everyone present widened.

 

The atmosphere, chilled as if doused with cold water, was broken by Roseanne’s cautious question.

 

“You’re saying the black mage became the vessel that contains the evil god?”

 

“Yes.”

 

As Enria nodded, Tearen asked with a slightly stiff expression if that wasn’t impossible.

 

“The black mage is the one who broke the seal of the evil god. He would know exactly what it means to become the vessel himself.”

 

“Right. No matter how insane he is, sacrificing himself to resurrect the evil god…”

 

Rahar nodded in agreement with Tearen.

 

At that moment, Belona suddenly interjected.

 

“No, I think it’s entirely possible.”

 

All eyes turned to Belona at once.

 

“Like Rahar said, that man is insane. After going through all that trouble to summon the evil god, he wouldn’t just sit by and watch him remain an unstable soul. He intends to use the evil god to destroy the Empire—so he might have used his own body as a vessel to stabilize him.”

 

At Belona’s words, Caldeon, who had been thinking deeply, looked at Enria and spoke.

 

“I’ll inform Graum for now. You should take Hayden and go to the spirit village.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

Enria looked at him in surprise, and Caldeon explained.

 

“If the black mage truly became the evil god’s vessel, then you and Hayden are in danger. An evil god who has devoured the black mage would inherit his desires in full.”

 

If the unknown entity advancing north was indeed an evil god who had consumed the black mage, then it would surely be moving with a single-minded obsession—to kill Enria and Hayden, whom the black mage had tried so desperately to eliminate.

 

At that, both Roseanne and Rahar nodded.

 

“If that’s the goal, then heading straight for the North makes perfect sense.”

 

Rahar asked where Hayden was now, and Caldeon replied that he was playing with the other spirits on the toddler floor.

 

Listening to their conversation, Enria fell into thought, recalling how Caldeon and Roseanne had defeated the evil god possessed by the black mage in the original story.

 

Strangely enough, she couldn’t remember that part at all.

 

She clearly remembered the ending—Caldeon and Roseanne joining forces to slay the evil god and save not just the Empire but the world—but how they actually defeated him was completely blank.

 

It felt as if that portion of her memory had been deliberately carved out.

 

Enria found it odd that she remembered most of the original story so clearly, yet only that part was missing.

 

That sense of unease soon led to another thought—perhaps this, too, was the will of the gods.

 

‘Maybe because so much has changed from the original story, the way the evil god is defeated will change as well.’

 

Thinking that, Enria concluded that Hayden—a fragment of a god—might be even more necessary.

 

She turned to Caldeon and said that she and Hayden couldn’t run away from this place.

 

“Hayden might be the key to defeating the evil god.”

 

Caldeon, who knew that Hayden was part god, let his eyes glint slightly at her words, while Roseanne and Rahar looked at Enria in shock.

 

“Enria, are you suggesting that Hayden fight the evil god?” Rahar asked.

 

“Hayden is still a child, Enri,” Roseanne added.

 

As Rahar and Roseanne insisted that it was a terrible idea, Belona—not Enria—suddenly spoke up.

 

“If his mother says that, then she must have a reason.”

 

She continued, saying that no one here was more worried about Hayden than Enria, and if Hayden’s own mother was saying this, then she must have something to rely on.

 

“Right?”

 

Belona asked Enria as if seeking confirmation. Instead of simply agreeing, Enria began to explain her reasoning.

 

“I think there’s a reason Hayden was born with both holy power and black mana. Of course, the power of Absolution is the core of the oracle he received—but I believe the ability to use both holy power and black mana was also given by the god in preparation for a situation where both would be necessary.”

 

At that, Tearen asked with a slightly puzzled expression, “Couldn’t that be because he was born to parents who use black mana and holy power, rather than something granted by the oracle?”

 

“If that were the only reason, wouldn’t there have been others before Hayden who could use both at the same time?”

 

“But children aren’t born at all between a saintess and someone with black mana to begin with…”

 

“Exactly. That’s why I think the god deliberately made Hayden be born as the child of Caldeon and me, and allowed him to wield both powers.”

 

Roseanne, who had been listening to Tearen and Enria, nodded in agreement.

 

“That makes sense. The fact that someone like Hayden was born in this generation—when the evil god has revived—must mean that he’s meant to use that power to defeat the evil god.”

 

“But Hayden is still young. Making such a small child face an evil god doesn’t sound like a good idea…”

 

Rahar trailed off, his face full of worry.

 

Enria smiled at him.

 

“Don’t worry. Hayden is definitely stronger than Caldeon.”

 

She had meant it as a considerate remark, hoping to ease their excessive concern—but the moment the words left her mouth, everyone’s gaze snapped to Caldeon.

 

They watched him anxiously, afraid he might explode in anger.

 

But instead of getting angry, Caldeon simply nodded once in agreement.

 

“My son is stronger than me.”

 

Everyone’s mouths fell open at the same time.

 

It was something no one could ever have imagined hearing from Caldeon—who had lived his entire life believing that he himself was the most noble and superior being in the world.