Chapter 414: The Monster of Doctrine

A different front line far away from Arche, the royal capital of the Gharast Kingdom. A road leading to the puppet city of Philos. The death snow piled up, painting the road in white.

It was very rare for merchants to pass through here. There were no traces of ruts to be seen. There were no monsters trampling around either since, perhaps, there were little prey.

Therefore, the only thing staining the whiteness was the footprints of sturdy military boots.

This place was no longer quiet.

More than 2,000 soldiers advanced through the snow, cutting through the silence. The banner of the Heraldic Order was held by them. Its appearance, waving in the wind, sometimes looked like a roaring flame, perhaps because of its color.

The general who led them was Saleino, who was a strong believer of the Heraldic religion. Those who worshipped him also joined this quest. Their outfits made them look gallant.

However, it was not their greatest enemy, the Great Holy Church, that they were trying to wield their swords against. Nor were they going to face some kind of evil demonic being.

The enemy was their brethren who shared the same faith…but had different principles.

Should they accept the current system created by Saint Matia and acclaim the hero named Lugis? The answer was no. That’s the reason why they wielded their swords.

They walked together on the same path because of their faith, but because of that faith, they went on different directions.

No one was saying to withdraw or suspend this mission. Everyone realized that they were in an irreversible situation. In other words, they had advanced to the point of no return.

That’s why they continued to stain the snow with their insignia flag without saying a word.

「…Lord Saleino. Excuse me. The death snow has stopped falling. We’ll be able to resume our march soon.」

A faint voice echoed inside the tent during a long break. It was a man’s voice, whose tone sounded androgynous.

Saleino nodded at his words and moved slightly. The weight of the armor he wore fell on his entire body. His muscles screamed slightly, and his bones made weird noises.

Although he knew that he wouldn’t be the same as he was in the past, Saleino couldn’t help but smile bitterly in his heart, thinking that he had aged this much. This would probably be the last time he’d be able to pretend to be on the battlefield.

No matter if he won or lost.

The man serving Saleino opened his mouth while offering him some freshly boiled water. The way he spoke seemed extremely friendly and informal considering he was talking to an important figure in the Heraldic Order.

「I’m surprised that Lord Saleino came to the battlefield in person. 」

I thought you’ll be staying in Garoua Maria. Saleino responded after showing his distorted deep wrinkles.

「That’s impossible, Bernard. I have no choice but to step out. If I don’t step out, no one will move forward.」

Saleino let out a hoarse voice and spoke, as if laughing. After he said those words, he realized that growing old was something he hated.

Whether it was Saleino or the elders who worshiped him, they used to work hard to protect the doctrine, sometimes even shedding their own blood, for the sake of the Heraldic Order.

For that reason, Saleino had done some shady things, and like now, he had taken lives while wearing his armor. The nostalgic past momentarily reflected behind Saleino’s eyelids.

But that was a long time ago. The Heraldic Order was also beginning to change its appearance.

From reason to emotion. From planning to impulse. The doctrine about respecting knowledge had not been entirely lost, but Saleino felt the current organization had turned into a completely different creature.

Saleino reflected about this. He believed that humans were always slaves of greed and fear. That’s why they were able to survive and build a civilization despite being so vulnerable.

If they lost those traits, humans would no longer be that different from wild animals.

Therefore, the Heraldic Order believed in knowledge and believed in good calculations. It supported this belief as a path to human prosperity. Why did that start to change?

There was no doubt that the culprit was the hero traitor named Lugis. That was one of the factors that changed the tide.

But that didn’t mean it was all about that man. There was only a limited amount of change that one person could make. Actually, the seeds were already there. That man was just the one who started to sprout them all.

Suddenly, Saleino looked at the palm of his hand. He thought that his fingers, once hard and thick, had become much thinner.

When he was young, Saleino had ambitions that he couldn’t grasp in the palm of his hand. But what about now? How many things could he hold in that hand?

「…Bernard. You’re still young. Why did you decide to come with me? 」

Among young people, there were many who viewed Lugis as a great hero. The hot-blooded young men in particular seemed to like people who did reckless things.

The attendant called Bernard caressed his chin with a long, slender finger, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. But then he began to answer Saleino’s question with ease.

「It’s probably because Lord Saleino’s interpretation suits my nature. I’m afraid I won’t be able to look at the future. If I don’t forsake my reason and calculations, I’ll figure out the future with greater clarity, for better or for worse. 」

Hearing that, Saleino nodded positively since it seemed like an appropriate answer. It was good for Bernard to have a temperament that didn’t fool him but suited him instead.

Perhaps many of those who followed Saleino had similar underlying reasons.

There could be profits, there could be calculations. But in the end, what would happen to their roots? Saleino just couldn’t get used to the Heraldic religion led by Saint Matia and that hero called Lugis. The older he got, the harder it became to change.

But between him and the Saint. No one knew which one was in charge. Saleino lifted his wrinkled cheeks and clenched his fist.

The form of his doctrine or the form of the Heraldic religion shown by the Saint and Lugis. Which of these would lead the Heraldic Order to prosperity? Which one was the truth?

Only history could choose the truth. Saleino believed that only the truth could survive.

If history were to choose him again, then he would have to take down the city of Philos and finally put an end to the person known as Lugis.

But only if history chose him. Only if such a fate followed him.

…The old and the new. One or the other had to be wiped out.

Organizations were constantly undergoing destruction and regeneration. Sometimes it was necessary to separate parts of the body in order to remove unnecessary parts.

Otherwise it’d just become too large and unable to move while still harboring conflicting opinions. That would be fine in normal times, but now was not the time to be relaxed.

Moreover, if the doctrine just valued reason and knowledge, then the current system was not good for the growth of the Heraldic Order. Regardless of what most thought, Saleino had a firm determination.

Of these over 2,000 soldiers, Saleino was probably the only one who had such thoughts. The only person who had any understanding at all was Bernard, his attendant.

Perhaps some people had the same thoughts on the surface, but there were many cases where the roots were completely different.

No matter how far he went, Saleino was a monster of the Heraldic doctrine. He was willing to do anything for his beliefs.

That’s why the organization called Heraldic Order had continued to exist even though it was on the verge of collapse in the past.

Saleino looked out through the gap in the tent. The death snow subsided slightly and stopped falling. His soldiers were now fully capable of marching.

He equipped himself with a dagger for self-defense on his waist and wore a cloak over his armor. Saleino took a sip of hot water, letting out white breath from his mouth. Beyond his distant vision, he imagined the city of Philos.

「Well then, shall we grab this chance? 」

His cheekbones looked clustered and twisted.

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