TSMMT Ch 55

The Divine Answer

How strange.

Akra furrowed his brow and stroked his chin. Ever since Dianna Brienne entered the prayer room, he remained lost in thought.

[Akra] "It is strange……"

[Priest] "What is strange?"

The priest accompanying Akra asked.

[Akra] "A faint trace of evil lingers somehow."

[Priest] "An evil presence? Could it be the mark of an evil apostle?! We must destroy them immediately!"

[Akra] "No, that is not it. It can't be……"

Did the scent of blood drift from the young man? The presence was faint, not strong. Suspecting a mistake, Akra stared repeatedly at the slave knight.

Yet the young man radiated absolutely nothing. The aura definitely originated from Dianna Brienne.

During the past Taillach festival, their paths had crossed. Akra had marveled at the pure divine energy surrounding her. Yet within that energy, a faint trace of evil drifted from Dianna. It was so weak that it bred uncertainty.

The ominous slave carried no such taint, so why did a devout follower radiate both pure and evil energy simultaneously? Just then—

[Akra] "Huh?!"

He lifted her gaze. A powerful divine presence descended.

[Priest] "What is happening?"

[Akra] "A powerful divine presence has descended!"

Akra spoke the truth. The priests began rushing around in confusion.

---

Why on earth did this happen? To make matters worse, why did Akra, who possessed an exceptional sensitivity to divine power, have to be here?

Dianna cursed the coincidence. Attracting the priests' attention right now brought no advantage.

[Dianna] "Um, a flowering tree must have been inside here somehow."

She forced a smile, but Akra refused to dismiss the event so easily. Tears filled his eyes as he gazed at the noble believer who had experienced a divine revelation.

[Akra] "God has answered your prayers. O God!"

The priests dropped to their knees and began to worship. Dianna stood awkwardly in place. Meanwhile, her eyes met Guiscard's.

Feeling embarrassed for some reason, she brushed away the petals accumulating on her body. Guiscard stared at her with a blank expression.

[Akra] "Lady Brienne. Did God grant you a divine revelation?"

Akra finally regained his composure and questioned her.

What did he say? Well…

Dianna recalled the prophecy delivered to her after her return to the past. She considered revealing it but quickly changed her mind.

How could she declare that Panborough would meet its ruin because of the young man standing right before her? Would they even believe her? Even if they did, who knew what the future held?

[Dianna] "I wanted to make a choice, so I asked God if it was right."

[Akra] "……."

[Dianna] "It involves a personal matter, so I can't share the details. In short, I had to choose between the easiest but wrong path, and the correct but difficult, tedious path that takes a long time. I asked if choosing the latter was the right decision."

Akra studied Dianna. No falsehood showed in her silver-gray eyes. She spoke the exact truth. She offered a self-conscious smile and spoke.

[Dianna] "This is the right choice."

The realization brought relief; the path she intended to take was indeed the correct one.

Dianna touched a petal. The soft, moist texture felt wonderful, allowing her to smile brightly for the first time in a long time.

However, she overlooked the complications that would follow.

---

[Crowd] "Ah! No! You must not leave this place."

Was "Ah!" a basic exclamation for everyone here? No matter how patient she was, she felt sick and tired of their constant gasping.

Dianna surveyed the priests and knights surrounding her. Spotting her face filled with complete disapproval, Akra spoke in a soothing tone.

[Akra] "I beg of you, My Lady. Please remain in a safe place. A massive horde of monsters has just emerged near the southeastern temple where you intend to go."

[Dianna] "The location is far away."

[Akra] "It is out of the question!"

Dianna understood their motives perfectly. They wanted to report her existence to the Holy Kingdom, questioning whether she was a saintess. The priests refused to allow even a single shred of danger near a woman who might be a saintess.

[Dianna] "Have I committed a crime against the temple? You possess no right to force me."

[Akra] "My Lady! True faith doesn't require you to plunge yourself into hardships to refine it."

He shouted in distress.

Look, I am telling you I am not a saintess.

Saintesses and saints displayed holy stigmata from the age of ten. She stood far apart from such things.

[Dianna] "I have resolved to proceed."

Her firm response triggered an emergency among the priests. Their behavior suggested she had already become a saintess in their eyes.

[Dianna] "My father permitted this journey. Lord Akra, you know well that the destination is not fundamentally dangerous."

Her voice was sharp. Confronted by her unwavering determination, Akra’s resistance softened.

[Akra] "True. Since His Majesty the King and the Second Prince are also present there, it shouldn't be dangerous."

What? Wait, why is Philip there?

She opened her eyes wide.

[Dianna] "I shall depart immediately…… right this second."

[Akra] "What? Wait a moment, My Lady!"

Her face turned pale. She had explicitly told Philip to return. He had even promised to go back! So why was he there?

This invasion of monsters differed completely from past events. Why did Philip ignore her warning? His life was in mortal danger this time. Dianna knew exactly what would transpire.

In her past life, the King of Panborough suffered a crushing defeat during the monster subjugation in the Dracel duchy. It was an utter disaster. The King barely escaped with his life.

---

[Philip] "Father, this way!"

Scratches covered his face. Philip gripped the King's hand as they fled. A scream echoed from right behind them, indicating that a monster had dragged away one of the knights guarding them. A sickening crunch followed as something chewed.

[Crowd] "Aaaah!"

Elsewhere, the horrific sound of teeth crunching through flesh rang out. Death treated everyone equally. Everyone ran desperately, stripped of dignity, seeking nothing but survival. Only the remaining shred of chivalry among the knights kept the King alive.

[King] "Duke Dracel, if I survive, I shall never leave you in peace……"

A massive invasion of monsters had struck the Dracel duchy, the homeland of the Queen. Although the royal couple lived as enemies, the King had felt obligated to show respect to his father-in-law, Duke Dracel, for the Queen's sake. However, Duke Dracel had underreported the scale of the monster horde.

Perhaps the Duke's men had their own excuses. Yet their failure to conduct proper scouting led to this horrific disaster. If his army had fought properly even once to gather information, such a crushing defeat might have been avoided.

Not only did Duke Dracel downplay the numbers, but he also failed to identify the types of monsters. Furthermore, after promising to support the King from behind as reinforcements, the Duke's forces retreated.

Indeed, unlike the steadfast Count Kilcos, Duke Dracel was a coward. Because monsters rarely appeared in his territory, the standards for becoming a knight were incredibly loose. A disorganized mob—that phrase perfectly described Duke Dracel's army.

As if the gates of hell had burst open, a bizarre variety of monsters pursued the royal army instead of the retreating ducal forces. No matter how well-disciplined the royal troops were, they couldn't withstand the overwhelming number of beasts. It was an outright slaughter. Though the brave knights reduced the enemy numbers significantly, the royal forces remained the prey. If Philip had not intervened, the King would surely have met death.

The King ground his teeth in pure humiliation. This was an absolute disgrace. The King never anticipated such a miserable defeat.

Did that blundering fool, Duke Dracel, fail to summon other reinforcements?

Rage boiled within him. Simultaneously, questions arose regarding these bizarre creatures. Why did the monsters appear?

Is this Herya's curse?

The King thought in that instant.

[Philip] "Father, danger!"

Philip raised his sword and sliced through the monster's tongue as it tried to ensnare the King. Blood sprayed everywhere.

What kind of beast possesses such a long tongue?

In that moment, the King turned around.

[Philip] "Father!"

Nothing remained behind them. Not a single knight guarding them survived. Instead, a massive frog-like monster groaned, clutching its severed tongue. Its rolling eyes fixed a glare upon them, like a horror from the abyss. Humanoid and beastly monsters followed close behind, and despair gripped the King.

Ah, this is the end. There is no escape. I am going to die. Die……

Philip gripped his despairing father's hand and sprinted forward. He ground his teeth. Unlike the King, Philip wanted to live. He wanted to survive and see Dianna's face once more. However, as lizard-like monsters closed in right beside them, He believed death was certain.

[Dianna] "Guiscard!"

Just then, a voice echoed through the air. Had the benevolent God granted a blessing because Philip yearned to see Dianna? Why did her voice ring out? And why did she call the slave's name?

Simultaneously, a white, glowing sword severed the neck of a lizard monster poised to swallow them.

The strike resembled a pure beam of light. The King and Philip widened their eyes at the man wielding the glowing blade. The black-haired young man stood before them, blocking the path with his sword. A faint light shimmered at the tip of his blade. It was an aura!

[Philip] "Why is that fellow……!"

He muttered in a trembling voice.

Appearing like a hero, the slave knight glanced at the King and Philip before charging forward at incredible speed, slicing through the beasts. Although only a single warrior had arrived, his presence completely halted the monsters' advance.

Guiscard swung his blade with a velocity too fast for the eye to track. Suddenly, he leaped to an immense height and drove his sword straight into the head of the giant frog monster, clutching its severed tongue. Blood erupted like a fountain, yet the sight no longer felt horrific.

Philip and the King watched the astonishing spectacle unfold.

[Dianna] "Your Majesty, are you unharmed?!"

A woman's voice cut through the air, and they looked up as if beholding a savior. In truth, she was exactly that. Dressed in pure white and riding a snow-white horse, the woman looked like a goddess to their eyes. Behind her stood holy paladins and knights bearing the crest of the House of Brienne.

Ah, we are saved.

Relief finally washed over the two men as they gazed at their savior.

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