Dekan, Master, and Their Entanglement with the Holy Kingdom

Under the large tree in the backyard of the Lord's Mansion.

At midday, the sunlight wasn't very strong; only the thin air allowed sunlight to filter through the leaves and shine on Dekan and Cornelia.

"Phew, that's a wrap."

Dekan leaned against a tree, leisurely basking in the sun.

Cornelia was sitting beside him.

The two were as relaxed and carefree as when they were playing with cats on the hill behind the school.

This time, however, they moved Countess Lisilina to the backyard to sunbathe with them.

They spent a considerable amount of time here, finally using [Blood Purification] to evaporate the blood from Countess Lisilina's body.

Just like when I gave Viscount Augustine, the boss of the Wild Mountain Ancient Mansion, physical therapy.

Whenever Dekan uses [Blood Purification] to wake Lisilina from the pain, Cornelia will knock Lisilina unconscious with [Blood Investigation Ledger].

In the sunlight, Countess Lisilina was as easy to lull to sleep as a baby.

One of them was responsible for anesthesia, and the other for treatment. After dozens of treatments, they finally completely Purification the vampire count.

When a Blood Race's blood is completely depleted, no matter how strong her regenerative abilities and vitality are, she will not be able to heal her injuries.

Clearly, [Blood Purification] is also a countermeasure card against vampires.

Seeing that Dekan and Cornelia had finished their work, and that Countess Lisilina had completely stopped moving, the lord, who had been hiding in the manor, finally came out and walked to Dekan's side.

"Priest... is this vampire already dead?"

"The lord inquired."

"Yes, of course, you can rest assured, Lord."

Dekan answered with a calm smile.

His professional smile, so like that of a seasoned professional, made the lord feel incredibly at ease.

Earlier, after Dekan and Cornelia successfully took down all the vampires in the manor, they prioritized waking the lord up.

Theoretically speaking, once the mind control practitioner loses consciousness, the abnormal state of the controlled person is relatively easy to remove.

However, the abnormal status effect inflicted by Countess Lisilina requires high-level Purification magic to be easily removed.

Their class is a major weakness for Dekan and Cornelia.

However, they also have their own methods.

Sometimes physical methods are far more effective than magic.

Cornelia is a master of power magic.

Thus, the lord had a big bump on his head and was finally lucky enough to recover from Countess Lisilina's control.

While under mind control, the lord felt dazed and confused, as if he were having a nightmare, but he had a general impression of what had happened.

Once he regained consciousness, he quickly understood the situation without Dekan trying to persuade him.

Without a doubt, it was this strange priest and the nun who was inseparable from him who rescued the Lord's Mansion and saved the city-state.

Despite their wicked ways and methods, the lord knew exactly how to treat the two men.

After all, he is a person who can distinguish right from wrong.

Moreover, let's set aside the question of whether these two are partners in justice.

At least no one with a death wish would dare to mess with them!

Without a doubt, these two are even more terrifying than the vampire countess who gave him nightmares!

"What about those vampires locked in the basement...?"

The lord asked somewhat hesitantly.

He certainly hoped that these two masters could help him deal with these potential problems as well.

But seeing that Dekan and Cornelia wanted to take a nap and enjoy a slower pace of life, he didn't want to force them.

That was the only way I could ask so politely.

"Why not just send those few to the Holy Rite Church in the city-state for disposal?"

Dekan raised an eyebrow and asked with some doubt.

He and Cornelia only intended to kill the boss themselves to prevent any unforeseen complications.

However, they really didn't want to slowly redeem these elite monsters with their massive health pools.

"Your Excellency, I no longer wish to trust the Holy Rite Church in this city-state."

As the lord spoke, his expression turned to one of intense resentment.

"Then why do you believe me? Aren't I also a priest of the Holy Rite Church?"

Dekan asked.

"No, you are different. You and High Priest Kevin are both priests from the North. You are both truly noble priests, worthy of trust."

Upon hearing the lord's reply, Dekan was taken aback.

Then I got a little more serious.

He hadn't expected this unexpected twist to occur even after the mission was over.

Dekan realized that he wasn't a native priest, but rather someone from the Holy Capital?

Could it be that when he tricked some prisoners in the dungeon by saying he was "High Priest Kevin's close friend," it was actually true in the backstory?

What kind of blessed mouth is that?

"Please convey to me as much information as you know, such as the issue of the Holy Rite Church branch in this city-state."

Dekan began to probe the lord for information.

"..."

The lord fell silent, seemingly hesitant to speak.

"Please feel free to tell me. I won't let anyone else know what you told me, and I will take full responsibility for anything that happens."

Dekan was particularly concerned about this intelligence. He gently patted the lord on the shoulder and looked at him with a solemn expression.

The Shadow World Mingming has already ended.

However, he can continue to gather intelligence.

This suggests that the story of the Holy Kingdom may be far from over.

Furthermore, Dekan strongly suspects that the [Wild Mountain Blizzard Mystery] they entered last time and the [Secret Tale of the Withered Sacred Rite] this time are set in the same world.

If this can be verified.

Therefore, it is very likely that Dekan will enter the Shadow World related to the Holy Kingdom in the future.

Generally speaking, the Shadow World that most challengers enter is randomized.

They may challenge the Shadow World many times, but they will never enter the Shadow World with the same background.

However, some challengers may enter several interconnected Shadow World in succession.

It's as if these challengers and the world's background have some inexplicable entanglement!

Rather than them getting into this Shadow World by chance, it's more like certain fixed Shadow World chose them!

Dekan hadn't sensed anything when he entered the Demon Academy and the Wild Mountain Ancient Mansion.

However, once inside this Shadow World, Dekan's feelings were extremely intense.

He seems to genuinely have some connection with the Holy Kingdom.

The lord sighed, clenched his fist as if he had figured something out, and said in a low voice:

"Actually, it's not just a problem with the Holy Rite Church in this city-state; the Holy Rite Church throughout the south are like this. I think the root of the problem lies in the Holy Capital."

Dekan: "The Holy Capital?"

The Holy Capital the imperial capital of the Holy Kingdom, located in the south-central part of the Holy Kingdom.

Lord: "Rumor has it that the northern part of the Holy Kingdom is currently embroiled in a war with the demons, while the south seems indifferent, and the Holy Capital is doing nothing."

"This attitude is very much like abandoning the people of the North; they only care about protecting themselves."

"And now I understand that the Holy Capital hasn't abandoned the North; rather, it's indifferent to the safety of all its citizens! The same applies to the South!"

"But to truly protect us, we need you priests from Lunn's lineage who come from the north."

"You're supposed to be fighting the demons in the north, but you're also coming to the south to defend against the Blood Race. The Holy Capital will drag you down sooner or later!"

The lord grew more and more agitated as he spoke, seemingly determined to finish his sentence even if it risked losing his head.

Upon hearing the lord's reply, Dekan nodded.

"Lord, thank you for your honest and courageous words. I have a few more questions I would like to ask you."

"Please feel free to ask!"

After further questioning, Dekan roughly figured out the background story before the beginning of this Shadow World:

High Priest Kevin was sent to the south many years ago by Cardinal Lunn to guard the seal of the Marquis Roderick.

Recently, rumors about Blood Race were heard in the north, so a priest named Dekan was dispatched to the south to assist High Priest Kevin in defense.

As soon as Dekan arrived in the city-state, he heard news from the town that "Kevin is missing and the bridge is broken."

Next, the priest Dekan followed the knights who had come from the town seeking help from the city-state, thus beginning this Shadow World...

Dekan now understood why, when High Priest Kevin had an accident in the town, only Dekan, the priest from the city-state, went to investigate.

Because the priests of the Southern Holy Rite Church are truly inactive.

"Don't worry, I will report the situation to Lunn."

Dekan had realized that he was a priest of the Lunn lineage, so he revised his wording.

As far as Dekan knew, Lunn was the youngest Cardinal in the Holy Rite Church and a key figure on the Northern Front.

Dekan never expected that his identity was not that of an ordinary priest.

It has thighs, though.

Will we encounter this guy named Lunn in the future Shadow World...?

"Cardinal... Lunn..."

Just as Dekan was pondering this, he suddenly heard his Master's murmur in his mind.

"What? Master, you've heard of this name?"

Dekan responded with a thought, much to his surprise.

"No... I don't remember... but I seem to have a vague recollection; I might have had contact with this person."

The Master seemed to be trying hard to recall.

The name Lunn stirred up her memories, and it seemed that she was piecing together fragments of those memories.

However, memory is like a damaged module; the key points cannot be found, and only some fragments that were originally insufficient can be pieced together.

Her memories, like her soul, were fragmented and incomplete; there were some things about herself that she simply couldn't recall.

She had absolutely no recollection of the first half of her life, as if it had been completely severed from her memory.

The only things that remain relatively clear are her most important memories from before her death, and her culmination of knowledge.

"I'm certain I've seen this human Lunn, before!"

Finally, the Master seemed to have made a discovery and excitedly conveyed his thoughts to Dekan.

"!"

Dekan was also somewhat excited, not expecting that in the third Shadow World, he would successfully find clues related to his Master's background.

"... So it seems my entry into the Holy Kingdom's Shadow World is indeed related to you?"

"Dekan asked."

Since Master has seen Lunn, it means that Master has been to the Holy Kingdom in the present world.

But that must have been a thousand or ten thousand years ago.

This means that the timeline corresponding to this Shadow World is actually thousands or tens of thousands of years ago in the present world.

It's a story that happened in ancient times.

"No..."

The Master suddenly refuted Dekan's words, causing Dekan to frown slightly.

Why is it sometimes true and sometimes false?

If it has nothing to do with you, then what does it have to do with me?

However, Dekan only heard his Master continue speaking:

"My arrival in the Holy Kingdom's Shadow World... is also related to you... I've seen you before... while I was with Lunn..."

The Master's words exploded in Dekan's ears like a thunderclap.

"How is that possible...?"

Even with his brain working at full speed, Dekan couldn't understand his Master's meaning.

How could he possibly have any connection with the Holy Kingdom!

What connection exists between him and Lunn, and between him and his Master?

"Look."

The Master tried his best to share a fragmented picture pieced together from his memory with Dekan.

Dekan gradually began to feel his Master's memories.

It was an extremely blurry picture.

It appeared that two people were conversing in a large hall, surrounded by indistinct bystanders.

Of the two main figures, one looked solemn yet somewhat weary.

That figure must be Lunn.

Another figure appeared to be talking to Lunn.

Although the image is blurry, it's easy to see that this is exactly what Dekan looks like!

Dekan stared at the scene as if he had seen a ghost.

The only difference between Dekan and the current Dekan is that the Dekan in Master's memory has golden eyes.

From the Master's perspective, she was standing right next to Dekan.

He was all too familiar with Dekan's golden pupils in the image; Dekan looked exactly like that when his Master possessed him.

But here's the problem.

In the scenes from his Master's memories, even though his Master was alive and right beside him, why did his pupils turn gold?

"Impossible! How could I be in another location in the Holy Kingdom!"

Dekan felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.

The Master's memories must date back a thousand years, or even ten thousand years.

There should never have been Dekan back then.

Moreover, even if Dekan enters a Shadow World related to the Holy Kingdom and meets Lunn.

That's the Shadow World too!

The Shadow World is a parallel world that replicates the real world, another world, and world history!

It's completely different from the present world!

If this is the Master's memory in the present world, then it can only mean that Dekan really did exist in ancient times!

"Could it be that I'll be traveling back to ancient times someday?"

Dekan asked, puzzled.

"Impossible. Even a tenth-level being couldn't reverse cause and effect across ten thousand years."

The Master answered very affirmatively.

She has a clear understanding of the limits of the power system within this worldview.

"..."

Dekan and his Master remained silent for a long time.

They completely ignored the lord who was waiting in the courtyard of the Lord's Mansion.

For them now, figuring out this problem is more important than anything else.

"Then there's only one explanation,"

After thinking for a long time, Dekan finally conveyed his thoughts. "The Holy Kingdom, me, and you, Master, are inextricably linked to our past and present lives."

It's not by chance that he will meet his Master.

It is an inevitability.

These complexities can likely only be resolved in other Holy Kingdom Shadow World.