ALL NOVEL Chapter 402
Moon’s Saint.
Sun’s Saint.
The leaders of the opposing religions slowly approached each other.
Naturally, the holy knights from both sides parted ways. No holy knight could dare stop the two, who were nothing less than representatives of the gods.
“Lady Karina, approaching recklessly…”
“It’s okay, Renny.”
Karina smiled reassuringly at the worried Renny and resumed her steps.
Renny, with a perplexed expression, could only follow Karina, glancing at the back of her head. She had a duty as a guard to stand by her side since she had no idea when danger might strike. A knight on the opposite side also guarded the Moon’s Saint.
Eventually, the two saints stopped about three steps apart.
They gazed at each other in silence.
Neither side voiced any words, but the two could exchange their opinions without speaking. They both wanted to convey the same message.
It was Karina who first broke the silent exchange with words.
“Do we really need to fight?”
“Lady Karina?”
At this bewildering statement, the holy knights murmured. For the knights who had only learned that heresy meant death, Karina’s words were shocking.
The knights of the Kalon Church, who had fought against heretics for a long time, found it difficult to accept the idea of fighting those who served gods other than Kalon.
“We don’t need to fight.”
The Moon’s Saint, Luna, supported Karina’s statement.
“Luna? But…”
“We’re not fighting because we want to. Right, Mikael?”
The knight, who was questioning Luna, looked at her with a perplexed expression and nodded.
Indeed, this battle was not something they wanted.
“…That’s true.”
“So, I believe it’s better to set aside our fighting spirit and resolve things through conversation.”
“I agree. We have no reason to fight.”
“But…”
“Renny. Think carefully. What do we gain by fighting?”
Renny fell silent, pondering Karina’s words. After a long pause, she finally spoke.
“If we don’t win, it’s all over for us.”
The holy knights nodded at Renny’s words.
A battlefield where they must kill each other. It felt as if there were almost no choices. After all, toys cannot go against the will of their master.
Thus, the holy knights raised their weapons again at Renny’s answer.
“Everyone, lower your weapons.”
“Lady Luna? But…”
“Can a knight refuse the command of the saint?”
“…I obey. Everyone lower your weapons!”
The holy knights of the Moon could not go against Luna’s orders. When Karina also issued her command, the knights sheathed their weapons and could only look at each other awkwardly.
“Is your name Karina?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“I am Luna.”
“Luna… What a beautiful name.”
The two seemed to forget that this place was a battlefield as they casually introduced themselves. In disbelief, Renny facepalmed and shook her head.
‘You can’t make this stuff up.’
Regardless of the reactions around them, Karina held Luna’s hand and said.
“We met merely due to a twist of fate, with no ties whatsoever. We are just the same humans who worship different gods.”
Karina was sincere.
What reason was there for humans to hate and fight each other?
Different religions?
Shouldn’t they just respect each other?
They weren’t propagating evil like the Harpas Church or the Agares Cult; they were merely people who believed in their own gods. Therefore, Karina wanted to resolve this situation not through fighting, but by other means.
“If we don’t fight, we might be able to end this peacefully.”
“But we’re just toys.”
Karina quietly took Luna’s hand and placed it over her heart. Between her buried hand, Karina’s heartbeat echoed against Luna’s palm.
“Luna, doesn’t your heart beat?”
“…No.”
“Then you’re not a toy. You are a living human.”
“But ever since we were captured, we’ve been toys…”
“…There must be a way.”
“…We’ve been trapped for too long. That monster would never let us go…”
Luna rebutted Karina’s words with a sad face.
She didn’t want to be a toy suffering for endless years.
But what meaning did her, and even the knights serving Diana, have against an existence they could not dare to resist?
Even their god could disappear with a single whim of that Observer.
After a brief silence in response to her despairing answer, Karina made a suggestion.
“What if we postpone the fight?”
“Pardon?”
“Even if we might not win, can’t we at least put up a resistance?”
‘Resistance?’
Luna unknowingly glanced back at the Moon’s Holy Knights. The knights seemed prepared to follow her commands at any moment, quietly awaiting her orders.
“We are also resisting with all our might so as not to become the Observer’s playthings. Can’t you join us?”
Karina extended her hand to her again.
‘There’s no basis for this. I’m just voicing my hopes. But…’
Something that wants to reach out even if it can’t touch it.
Isn’t that hope?
Luna couldn’t help but feel conflicted.
Hadn’t she already spent ages in despair?
‘I don’t want to live as an outsider’s plaything anymore.’
Regardless of her will, she had suffered at the hands of the outsider out of mere interest. Who would want such pain? Luna clenched her fists and lowered her head.
“…Lady Luna.”
“…We don’t want to be playthings of the outsider any longer.”
Thoughts that had been buried deep within her heart flowed out through her lips after hundreds of years. At her declaration of will, Karina smiled gently.
“Thank you for saying that.”
“But… what should we do? Is there a way?”
“Don’t fight, just wait. Johann will likely have this situation in mind…”
At the confident tone in Karina’s words, Luna could only cock her head in confusion.
“Johann? Who is that?”
“He’s the one up there on the tower, placing a bet with the Observer. He’s also my lover…”
Karina blushed with a shy smile. Luna stared blankly at her, then shifted her gaze towards the tower.
‘He’s betting with the Observer? Is that even possible?’
A bet with the Observer, of all things?
The very idea that it could happen left Luna and the holy knights looking up at the tower in astonishment.
It was something no one had ever even considered.
“So please wait a little longer. Johann will show us a way to escape the Observer’s grasp.”
In Karina’s words was an absolute trust in Johann.
The firm belief that he would somehow deliver them. Renny couldn’t help but chuckle at her appearance.
“You’re too deep into your love.”
————-
[What’s this! Not fun!]
“A draw, huh? How interesting.”
Isn’t this the charm of the game? An unexpected conclusion that no one saw coming. I gazed down at Karina with satisfaction for bringing about that conclusion.
I should meet her expectations as well.
Bringing back one more team wouldn’t be too difficult.
If they just moved as I envisioned.
[I’m not having fun here!]
Who would have thought this brat would whine so much?
I let the Observer’s complaints slide as I turned my attention back to the battle between the two religions.
Is it just the witches’ battle that remains?
The battle’s outcome would determine the victory of the game.
Unless a demon intervenes, there shouldn’t be more variables.
Considering that they hadn’t shown themselves until now, it was likely that they wouldn’t appear until this game concluded.
After all, since they hadn’t appeared, I had practically already won this game.
Whether Elisa won or lost, I had already scored more points on my side.
[This doesn’t count!]
“Don’t make excuses.”
[The winning side should take the points!]
“There’s still one team left.”
[Whether they win or lose has nothing to do with me!]
“Isn’t it enough to have enjoyed a good spectacle? In the end, the length of it will matter, and it’s not too late to think after we see the final fight.”
I calmed the Observer and began watching the battle between the witch and the wizard, precisely the lich.
Come on, Elisa, show me the magic you learned from Hecate!