In a land that acknowledged and worshipped multiple Gods, being labeled a heretic meant being abandoned by all deities.
In simple terms, in a society centered around faith, it meant one wasn’t even considered human.
Thus, those branded as heretics had no place to live.
In a society built around urban life, where would a heretic find a place?
They would either become outlaws or flee to other lands like the oasis villages in the West or the border lands of the East.
Of course, such a journey would be anything but easy, and one would have to risk their life.
One scholar, who faced this reality, once said that the witch hunts and heretic hunts, which spread like wildfire, were the cause of many bandit gangs.
However, he, too, was branded a heretic and burned to death, making it easier to turn a blind eye to this truth.
Being labeled a heretic originally meant believing in a concept that opposed the faith that served as the continent’s foundation and worshipping idols.
In other words, cultists were those rejected by all Gods and were thus religiously defined enemies, making them true heretics in every sense.
In fact, aside from cultists, the term heretic was flexible and arbitrary.
Anyone who lived in this land, unless they were extremely devout or exceptionally naive, would know this.
In principle, heresy outside of cults should have been rare, but the world doesn’t always operate in a righteous or straightforward manner.
The term ‘witch hunt’ didn’t emerge for no reason.
How many people on this continent had the courage to kill those who were called witches in the true sense?
Wizards were several times more dangerous in their own domains, and if someone actually tried to kill a witch in her haven, they would most likely end up dead themselves, leaving no brave souls left to speak of.
And why kill a witch who simply stays in her haven, immersed in her research?
Of course, there were witches who did not fit this mold.
Among cultists, there were still witches who sustained themselves by consuming the hearts of children, yet the church did not eradicate them.
For whatever reason the church provided, it was always justified.
If one were to see the true nature of the church’s witch hunts, it would make one nauseous.
Of course, such events no longer occurred easily nowadays.
But that didn’t mean they didn’t happen at all.
The world is inherently unjust, and that injustice is always harsher on the weak.
All such injustice is what branded Audin as a heretic.
‘Father, have you abandoned me?’
Audin questioned countless times, even trying to abandon his faith.
Yet, God never once took back the evidence of his love from Audin.
The blessing given by the God of War, his divinity, remained firmly within Audin.
That was true when he was expelled from the church and remained true even now.
If he were truly a heretic and forsaken by God, it would have been logical for the divinity to disappear immediately.
But it hadn’t. The divinity remained.
Thus, even the church, having no way to remove the existing divinity, could only end with a ban.
This was the true meaning behind Audin’s words when he confessed he was a heretic.
"You’re a heretic."
That was the church’s verdict on Audin.
Why?
Before, he had vaguely understood but turned a blind eye to it. Now, he clearly recognized the truth but still didn’t want to face it.
The label of a heretic was sometimes determined for the church’s benefit or political advantage, separate from the teachings of the Gods.
Audin himself was one of those symbols.
A talented individual who didn’t fulfill his duties as an inquisitor and ultimately stood against the church.
As he spoke to Encrid, Audin lowered his gaze and looked at the reins in his hands. He saw the illusion of blood dripping from them, falling to the ground.
The same hands that committed countless wrongs, arrested the innocent, and inflicted unjust punishment.
‘Do not forgive my sins.’
Audin recited the opening line of his morning prayer, a prayer that had not changed since he abandoned his role as an inquisitor.
Hearing Audin’s words, Encrid lifted his head, which had been slightly lowered.
Encrid had been deep in thought throughout the journey, lost in his own mind, hardly speaking.
With his gaze distant, as if staring into the void, a light entered his eyes, and he turned to look beside him. That’s when his and Audin’s eyes met.
Rem also turned to look at Audin.
His eyes seemed to say, ‘What nonsense is this bear spouting now?’
Encrid sat straight in the saddle, holding the reins, yet his trapezius muscles were relaxed, giving him a loose posture.
Sitting like that on horseback suggested exceptional riding skills.
The horse was moving at a light canter, the autumn breeze delivering a pleasant coolness, while the sun’s rays were slightly harsh.
The ground was covered with yellowed grass that crunched beneath the hooves.
What was the name of this land?
Encrid brushed aside such trivial thoughts and spoke.
"Is it curses you want? Then I’ll give them to you."
At first glance, it seemed like a callous remark.
Someone had just revealed a lifelong secret, and this was the response?
"Curses? Leave that to me. Hey, you bear, what kind of curse would you like?"
Rem chimed in gleefully.
Perhaps it was fortunate that the word ‘youngest cub’ hadn’t slipped out.
Audin was momentarily at a loss for words.
He had expected Encrid’s reaction while speaking.
After all the time they’d spent together.
He knew—Alright, fine. And? So what?
That’s what he thought Encrid would say. Someone who knew the rumors but didn’t care.
But Encrid’s response was slightly different.
Curses? He would curse him? Why was that the reaction?
"Weren’t you seeking to be cursed?"
Encrid spoke again, and it was only then that Audin realized something small but crucial.
A flash of understanding from a brief exchange.
‘Did I want to be cursed?’
Encrid must have roughly grasped why the rumors had spread and why Audin stayed with the Border Guard.
But why did he confess to being a heretic?
Did he wish for someone to curse him, to punish him?
God had not given him punishment. Thus, he considered himself yet to be punished. Audin, with his pure and absolute faith, truly believed so.
He thought he had received no punishment.
"Self-punishment isn’t a good hobby."
Encrid’s indifferent tone continued.
"What do you mean by self-punishment? Just curse him already. He wants to be cursed, right? You honey-eating bear, who hides in trees and gets stung in the eyes."
Rem had been practicing creative insults recently, but today’s attempt was a dismal failure.
"That’s not it."
"Yeah, I don’t think so either."
Ignoring the nonsensical ramblings of the barbarian, Audin didn’t respond.
The Captain was right. What he was doing was self-punishment.
The scriptures stated that one must not defile the body given by the Father.
Was that teaching only referring to the physical body?
What about the mind? The soul? The heart?
Audin never neglected to train his body, but he did not treat his mind the same.
He constantly lashed himself.
Was it intended as penance? A path to spiritual growth?
No.
Audin repeatedly tore apart and crushed his mind and soul, recalling his past sins, without rhyme or reason.
Why, if asked?
Because he felt he must.
Although he could never be forgiven for his past sins, he still needed to inform the Father of his wrongful deeds.
It was a silent plea for punishment.
Yes, that was it.
"Ah."
Audin let out a low sigh. His deep voice resonated through the air.
Had the Father once again granted him a lesson?
Self-punishment stood in direct opposition to the teachings of the scriptures. Wasn’t it, therefore, a step down a misguided path?
Hence, it was something he should not do.
‘I will never release my divinity.’
At least, not for himself. Even in the face of death, Audin would never do so.
It wasn’t a matter of seeking redemption, for he dared not hope for forgiveness.
The divinity, sealed within him by the ban, surged at his realization.
It tried to burst forth from this enlightenment, but Audin calmed his heart and suppressed it.
If he released the ban, the divinity that had accumulated would erupt like a flood, but that would never happen.
Audin reaffirmed his resolve.
This was not power to be used for himself.
With the sound of hoofbeats, an eagle flew overhead.
Keaaah.
Encrid thought it sounded like a Whistle Dagger, and at the same time, Rem remarked.
"If that was a confession, then I’m a Westerner."
"Yeah, and I’m a Continent-dweller."
Encrid added.
Audin smiled as usual.
It was a rough show of consideration, meaning, ‘We already know you’re not really a heretic, so stop bothering with sarcastic remarks.’
And hearing it even from his crude barbarian brother indicated just how long he had been with them.
Kaaar!
An eagle’s cry was soon followed by a beast’s roar.
The resonance was different. One was clear and evoked reverence, while the other was unstable and unpleasant, like discordant noise.
In the distance, a few harpies flapped their wings.
They weren’t far, but not exactly close, either.
Near the Capital or the Border Guard, monsters rarely roamed freely, but in areas where the safe roads were not yet established, there were more sightings of monsters and magical beasts.
When monsters or beasts were driven out and concentrated in one place, they would sometimes form a colony.
The displaced would gather and create a group.
There were only a few harpies, but if left alone, they could become troublesome.
And since it would take only a little effort to deal with them, there was no reason to ignore it.
"I’ll go."
Rem spoke, and Encrid nodded.
For an ordinary traveler or merchant group, they would be a considerable threat, but not for Rem.
As the barbarian from the West kicked the horse’s belly and rode out, the sound of hooves striking the ground sent up clouds of dust.
With no rain for days and the dry air, dust filled the vision.
Audin, who had been staring blankly at the dust particles, finally spoke.
"I was an inquisitor."
If confessing to being the subject of the rumors had been self-punishment, then this was a true confession.
"I see."
And Encrid’s response was the same as before. Audin spoke of his past to Encrid. It wasn’t a long story.
Audin condensed his life into a few simple and clear lines.
Orphan, a priest he considered a father, doubts gained from judging heretics, and the life of turning away from the church.
He omitted his reasons for coming to the Border Guard and the insights he’d gained along the way.
Encrid thought Audin lacked a talent for storytelling.
"Oh."
Encrid neither empathized nor offered any comfort. He simply accepted it as it was.
After all, what right did Encrid have to say anything?
What could he do? Tell him to live a proper life going forward? Or warn him never to make such a mistake again?
Who was he to say such things?
As an inquisitor, Audin had led several people to the church’s prison.
Revealing that fact, he pondered.
Were they truly sinners?
Now, he believed they were not.
So why had he captured them?
As he spoke, he felt his thoughts becoming clearer.
It was strange.
Though Encrid did not empathize, he listened intently, without missing a word.
Seeing that, as he spoke, he felt a little lighter.
"The corruption in the church isn’t your fault."
Encrid’s words weren’t empathy or comfort, just a simple fact, but Audin couldn’t bring himself to agree.
Whether the church was corrupt or not, his sins would not disappear.
It was similar to how Encrid approached life.
Everyone said it was impossible, but since he declared he would become a Knight, he simply lived as one.
Audin followed his own heart because that’s how he felt.
Everyone viewed life differently, and each person’s values varied.
Encrid had no intention of correcting or blaming someone else’s thoughts.
If his own way was right, would imposing it on someone else make it right for them too?
Who could say? It was impossible to know. Therefore, it wasn’t something to force upon anyone.
Everyone lived by their own will.
Of course, Audin wasn’t so weak-willed that a few words could sway him.
If he were, he wouldn’t have developed such skills.
Resolve, will, determination.
Without those, crossing barriers and moving forward would have been difficult.
Through his conversation with Audin, Encrid realized something about a sword technique he had been struggling with.
Resolve.
To be firm and steadfast.
Had he been too impatient upon glimpsing a fragment of talent?
Seeing the ferryman’s assistance, had he become conceited about his own skills?
Recently, Encrid had been stuck at a point in his Wave-Blocking Sword, a technique that added counterforce, and instinctively tried to find a way around it, drawing on the various sword techniques he had learned.
He had even resolved to find a solution before returning to the Border Guard, but that wasn’t the answer.
Rushing wasn’t necessarily the right path.
‘The method isn’t wrong.’
It was just not right for his current self.
For someone else, the detour might be the best path.
Everyone lived according to their own methods.
The Wave-Blocking Sword would follow its own path too.
He always contemplated his techniques.
As they made their way back under the autumn sun, there wasn’t a drop of rain, so there was no need to seek shelter in caves.
They passed through Zaltembock, lightly sparred with mercenaries eager to test their skills, and since Encrid’s presence became known, the mayor and nobles visited day and night.
"You won’t behead me, right?"
One asked, trembling as he looked at Rem.
Despite his efforts at the banquet, the rumors persisted.
Ever since losing his parents to nobles when he was a child, he was said to split the heads of any noble he saw with his axe.
"Damn it, why would my parents be killed by nobles? I’m a Westerner, and there’s no concept of nobility in the West."
Rem felt wronged, but he didn’t bash the noble before him out of spite.
There were no bandits, but whenever they encountered clusters of monsters or beasts, they didn’t just pass by.
When they saw such things, they would stop to stretch and engage.
"I’ll send you to the Lord!"
Watching Audin fight a few times, Encrid picked up some of his martial techniques.
It wasn’t bad learning. Having live practice and an excellent teacher nearby.
Rem occasionally chastised him, but it was routine.
"By now, a Knight should understand with just a word. It’s frustrating."
Though it was hard to judge the outcome if it were a real duel, Rem still had to say his piece.
He wasn’t wrong.
With such experiences, they returned to the Border Guard, and Encrid resumed his usual routine.
Days of training and sparring.
As Krang said, it was time to eat well and live well to build up strength.
And Encrid formally announced the founding of a Knight order within the Border Guard.
"The Mad Knights? Why that name?"
Krais shook his head, but by then, it was already an official title.
This matter spread farther and faster across the continent than they expected.
The founding of a new Knight order? It had been so long that no one even remembered when it last happened.
And along with it, rumors about the key forces forming the Border Guard spread.
Thanks to the efforts of Rem and Audin.
Thanks for the Chapter Bro!!! :DD
Thanks for the Chapter.
Is it updated regularly? Also what is release schedule
Creo que he leído el manhwa, talvez lo esté confundiendo.. 🤔