(G: another huge chapter 4167 words. More than 2x the usual, so another 3 parter.)
“Ah, welcome. I’ve been waiting for your visit for a long time.”
Darkana, the capital of Lyriam.
A hidden sanctuary that only the saints of the Telmere Church could enter.
Erman, walking gracefully through the ancient cave, heard an old-fashioned woman’s voice in his ears.
“…Are you Nirhil, the devil of legend who brought the emperor to his knees?”
“You dare utter my name? The saints of this era are quite exceptional. It feels like watching Telmere in his prime.”
The cave was ominous, with stagnant, rotten water pooling in places. A statue of an unknown woman lay there.
As he gazed upon the statue of the Emperor’s Nightmare, said to have been sealed by Lionelta, the Angel of Death, at the end of the Age of Emperor and the beginning of the Holy Age, Saint Erman spoke harshly.
“That kind of thing is irrelevant. I came here to make a deal, not to waste time exchanging small talk with a devil in a filthy, damp place like this.”
“For someone seeking a deal, your words are rather sharp. I suppose a priest wouldn’t understand a woman’s feelings… You truly know nothing. Hehehe.”
“It’s revolting that a creature who has lived for over a thousand years would speak of women. So, tell me—do you want to make a deal or not?”
“You seem to be in a bad mood. Where did you leave that little sister of mine who was always by your side?”
The Nightmare ignored the saint’s blunt tone, and asked about the Turbid Desire, Arnhil. Judging by the faint amusement in her voice, it was clear she had no intention of agreeing to any deal unless he indulged in this trivial chatter.
“If that’s what you mean, its playing around in my office right now.”
“Playing? Are you saying she just simply threw away her own kin—whom she hasn’t seen in five hundred years—just to amuse herself with some trivial game? Ah… does blood and kinship mean to a devil like us? Are we nothing but insects.”
Erman furrowed his brow in discomfort, while Nirhil, clearly pleased by his reaction, let out a laugh that echoed endlessly through the cave.
“Saint Erman, you truly are fun to tease. Fine, I’ll give you the deal you want. I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time.”
A lively voice rang out, as if a child were bubbling with excitement before receiving a long-awaited gift.
Erman, swallowing discreetly at the thought of finally getting to the point, cleared his throat and turned toward the legendary devil, beginning a bold negotiation.
“There is only one thing I want. In exchange for releasing some of your seals, I will corrupt Julius Tapnel, the kingdom’s strongest heretic inquisitor. That is my request.”
“Corruption, you say? So you’re proposing a wager?”
“Yes, a year-long wager between a legendary devil and the strongest heretic inquisitor. Doesn’t that sound interesting?”
“Hehehe… It certainly does. But I’ve watched this Julius from my cave, and he isn’t the type of man foolish enough to accept a bet with the devil. I’m sorry, but I doubt I could win.”
With a disinterested tone, the black energy in the cave slowly began to seep into the statue of the woman.
Saint Erman snorted at this. Seeing Nirhil behave like a noblewoman playing coy over the price of a bargain, he threw out his next card without hesitation.
“But the woman Julius Tapnel loved more than anyone else… it would be a different story if you had Cecil Lionelta’s body.”
“…Hah. Cecil Lionelta? Isn’t she your daughter? Are you saying you want to bring your dead daughter back to life?”
“Yes. I want to save my beloved daughter, even if it means making a pact with the devil.”
The saint smiled bitterly, gripping his right hand so tightly that it seemed it might burst.
The voice of the nightmare watching him grew even more mysterious.
“Then, you have come to the right place. With my power, I can twist providence and bring back your daughter and Julius’s wife. You can make Cecil Lionelta come back from the dead. However, the revived Cecil will be reborn as one with me.”
As if in warning, the devil’s words, which tickled his heart, penetrated the saint’s ears. Erman, who had already made up his mind, shook his head once before pointing out Nirhil’s words.
“No, you are wrong. I don’t want some doll that puts a devil in my daughter’s body and brings her back to life.”
“…Then why are you trying to make a deal like this?”
“I have only one goal. By twisting time, which is Rom’s providence, through the power of heaven and the power of the void, I will make the death of my daughter, Cecil Lionelta, something that never happened.”
“…However, your revived daughter will not welcome this.”
“It doesn’t matter whether a doll made from a c0rpse like that objects or not. I will definitely achieve my goal.”
“For me, it’s not that pleasant to go back in time either. What if I refuse the deal?”
“That’s not possible. Don’t pretend otherwise. I already know that you wanted the man named Julius from the moment you opened your eyes in the void. In fact, isn’t it you who wants Cecil’s existence more than anyone else?”
“…Arnhill, that dastardly thing is running its mouth as it pleases.”
As if dissatisfied, the jet-black statue of a woman shook slightly, and Saint Erman’s smile grew even deeper.
“Only one year. It may only be a moment, but it will be more valuable than the thousands of years you have lived so far. What do you think? Would you like to do business with me?”
“…I can’t refuse anyway. Because, like you said, I have been longing for this moment since the moment I was born.”
Erman smirked at those words.
Nightmare secretly sighed at the way he spoke, as if he were not a human being but a devil.
The foolish children of Rom always had a petty habit of trying to complicate things.
‘Hmph, I don’t like the name High-ranking Devil.’
Because they share the same name, aren’t they caught up in fights with low-level devils and treated the same way?
Recalling the image of Saint Telmere with his shining hair, Nirhil scoffed with its nonexistent mouth.
‘That arrogant guy. He should have been killed back then, too.’
A large, neat hand stretched out in front of her as she recalled a trivial old story.
She looked at the pure white hands that clearly showed he was a priest, and finally, she quietly asked Erman a question.
“But indeed, if all you want is to rewind time, why do you have to do something like this? Perhaps you are just a poor man. Could this be a gift for Julius Tapnel?”
“Heh, it might very well be a gift. It will be the last time of his life, so why not give him a parting gift like this?”
“…I can clearly see your petty thoughts. Do you think he will interfere with you?”
“That fool will never go along with my plan. If time rewinds, the existence of Julius and Leira will disappear from this world.”
“……”
“To solve a problem, the cause of the problem must be eliminated. When time goes back, Julius will no longer exist, and my daughter Cecil will be revered as a saintess whose name will remain in history.”
“I have nothing more to say. Indeed, it will be interesting to see whether things turn out the way you want.”
‘Hehehehe…’
It happened in a place overflowing with evil.
A bargain between a saint and a devil.
It was their secret story, glimpsed through the cracks of time.
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