Myths Reawakened

“Nonsense!” A sharp rebuke interrupted Wayne. From the group of the Church of Heavenly Father, a middle-aged man in a white robe stepped forward. He was the Archbishop of the Londan church. Bluntly, he said, “I don’t know if the knight speaks the Goddess of Death’s oracle, but I know that the mortal world has mortal laws, and all churches have signed an agreement that we cannot arbitrarily use our power to interfere with it. That is true fairness.”

“To my knowledge, the Church of Heavenly Father was once the greatest injustice upon the world,” Wayne huffed sarcastically. “You controlled all power, and the fact that the Papal State still stands is the best proof of that. Without your interference, the country would’ve transitioned into a constitutional monarchy long ago.”

The Archbishop’s eyes twitched. The Death Knight was right about that, but the Papal State had its own problem. Managing a large estate was challenging. Moreover, the Papal State was exercising considerable restraint, and the current Pope was considering separating the church and the state. The tides of change were unstoppable; even the Church of Heavenly Father had to reform.

All the church leaders present knew the truth of the agreement. Their fight in the past had been too intense for any faction to bear, so they went from clashing in public to clashing in secret. Once they had accumulated enough power, or when their friction escalated to a certain point, there would be another large-scale war of faiths.

“I come to Londan for three things only: fairness, fairness, and fairness!” Wayne mocked the Archbishop before addressing the followers, “You must do everything in your power to uphold fairness. Refrain from using supernatural power according to the agreement, and when you encounter resistance that stops you from achieving fairness, find my servants. If they can’t do it, they will come to me.”

He surveyed the followers. “Any question?”

Yes!

They exchanged glances of confusion. Finally, one of them stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “Lord Knight, it’s not that we don’t believe you, but... is this truly the Goddess’s oracle?”

“What, do you think you understand death better than I do?”

...Well, no. After all, you’re actually dead.

“Mortals cannot comprehend Death’s oracle. I don’t blame you, but don’t parade your ignorance before me. Go, follow the oracle. Time will prove everything to you.”

He wasn’t just lying. He could guarantee that while the oracle was false, death was indeed serene and fair, and his insight stemmed from his understanding of death. Quoting the Nelson family’s motto: other people’s wives are better, but prioritize your own children—

Bah, wrong quote.

It was that the gods had no concept of good and evil. Every one of them had two aspects. The key lay in how followers interpret them. Wayne read serenity and fairness in death, and as the Death Knight, if he said that was an oracle, it was.

If anyone disagreed, take it up with the Goddess of Death and tell Her that the Death Knight said so.

“Go. Serve the Goddess well. When you die, you’ll be rewarded.” Wayne waved his hand. His undead hound roared, forging a path across the cemetery through the mist to let the followers leave.

Though confused, the followers still chose to trust him. The Death Knight was the Goddess’s exclusive knight. He might deceive anyone, but not them. They would return to start the preparation, first approaching the Free Mage Alliance for funding, then opening five detective agencies and law firms to provide aid to the denizens of Londan.

They left in a daze. Never had they even considered that their faith would turn out like this.

One of them turned back halfway and bowed to Wayne. “Respected Lord Knight, I received information a few days ago that the High Reverend of the Church of Nature is planning your capture. The intel comes from the higher-ups of the church and is reliable.”

The loud, confident warning made Silvia’s eyes twitch. Which fool leaked the information? Didn’t they feel embarrassed to make such a crude attempt at manipulation?

It couldn’t be Sidney or Simone. Then it had to be those two fools.

Goddess, they were a real embarrassment!

“I understand. Leave now, and remember to avoid going about at night.” Wayne waved to dismiss the follower, and once they had all departed, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Dear guests, do you have anything else to say? If not, I have something to tell you...”

“I, the Death Knight, do not like fighting. I despise senseless violence most of all!”

“But I don’t mind getting blood on my hands to carry out the goddess’s oracle. Londan is too corrupt. If you’re too noble to get involved in the sinful side of the city, please don’t interfere with our devotion to uphold justice and bring fairness to the residents.”

...Fairness? You just want to recruit more followers!

None of the participants bought it. Only children believed in right and wrong. Adults knew that order was more important. The Death Knight’s forceful demand for justice would only muddy the already turbid water of Londan, and the residents would pay the price in the end.

However...

What did that have to do with them?

The members of the Free Mage Alliance took their leave first. Those without faith weren’t going to actively involve themselves in the conflict. Then the Church of Heavenly Father followed. Death wasn’t an enemy of the Heavenly Father, nor was the Death Knight an evil god’s servant.

The members of the Church of Darkness stayed to observe. Death was an ally of Darkness. While they might not participate in the battle directly, they had to make their support clear.

That shifted the pressure to the Three Goddess Alliance.

Dick and the slim mage from the Church of Moonlight focused their attention on the Church of Darkness. The Death Knight was too powerful, and the Darkness Knight could be hiding in the shadows, too. They should not make meaningless sacrifices.

Silvia hesitated. As the former leader of the Palis surgical strike unit, she had faced the Death Knight more than once. Her hunch told her that this Death Knight was ninety percent a fake, easy to take down despite the formidable appearance.

However, she was reluctant to make the bet in case the ten percent possibility turned out to be true. The church had just lost one High Reverend; they couldn’t lose her, too. Just wait a little longer. Reinforcements from headquarters were arriving soon.

The forces of the Three Goddess Alliance withdrew in an orderly fashion, and the members of the Church of Darkness bowed to Wayne before disappearing into the night.

Everyone was exercising restraint; Wayne, too.

“How mature...” he muttered, turning his horse to leave.

Suddenly, he sensed a disturbance. He had Do and Bo hide in the mist while he rode alone toward the woods. It was shrouded in such deep darkness that the dim moonlight couldn’t penetrate, and even the pervasive mist left it untouched. The entire forest was like an abyss of void, swallowing everything that passed.

At the source of darkness stood a towering figure in black armor with a cloak covering his entire body. His face was hidden under a black iron mask, seamless without showing even his eyes.

The Darkness Knight.

Wayne’s dormant supernatural sense sounded a warning. This person was extremely dangerous.

“Death Knight, Londan isn’t your territory. You overstepped.”

“Who are you?” Wayne tried to identify the voice, but failed. It was low, booming, and somewhat hoarse, like the voice of someone with throat cancer.

“You may not have seen me before. I am the chosen knight of Darkness, the Darkness Knight appointed by the goddess herself.”

...What? Calling yourself the Darkness Knight in front of me, Wayne?

The sudden development left him flabbergasted. He had been considering changing his name, only to discover that a similar title was already claimed.

How annoying. He wanted to negotiate for a trade of faith. Perhaps he could be the Dark Knight going forward, and this person could be the Death Knight.

He wisely didn’t voice the thought, of course. He knew it wouldn’t end well.

The Darkness Knight observed Wayne coldly. He didn’t act like a renowned veteran, but rather a rookie. Given that there was another Death Knight in Palis, this Death Knight was most likely a fake. However, the thick aura of death around him couldn’t be faked. They were simply two different Death Knights.

Had the Goddess of Death expanded the roster, preparing to form a squad?

The Darkness Knight didn’t have an answer. He himself had only become the goddess’s knight by meeting extremely harsh requirements. One goddess was unlikely to have two knights walking the mortal realm.

Neither of them spoke. They simply watched each other.

Then suddenly, Wayne gripped his sword, and the Darkness Knight prepared for battle—as if they had reached an unspoken agreement or sensed a change in the atmosphere.

The silhouetted trees swayed. A ray of light shone down to cut the two knights’ meeting gazes.

Wayne turned to one of the large trees, his heart clenching.

That feels familiar!

What are you doing here, Master? That’s the Darkness Knight, and I’m supposed to be his ally, the Death Knight. You should be hurrying back to work overtime in your office!

Wait, Master, are you strong enough to solo two knights?

The Darkness Knight was looking the same way.

“High Reverend...” he murmured.

The consciousness hidden in the forest quickly retreated, while the two knights remained motionless.

After a moment.

“I’ll handle this.”

They said at the same time.