Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 524

“Okay. You win.”The fragments that fell from the cracks scattered into shining dust.

“You’ve definitely won this bet. You’re absolutely brilliant. Should I give you a round of applause? Tell me your wish. I’ll grant it.”

Luce’s eyes began to fill with blatant hatred. An overwhelming pressure gradually gripped Arendt’s entire body.

“Applause is a must. Wasn’t it quite enjoyable to watch? Oh, perhaps it wasn’t all that pleasant.”

Breathing became difficult. The spotlight, growing hotter and hotter, seemed as if it had been influenced by Luce’s anger, and it felt like it would burn his skin at any moment.

“You underestimated the beings of this world far too much.”

But the more intense it became, the more the sneer on Arendt’s lips grew.

“We can live quite well without people like you. If faith is lost, it won’t be them who will suffer, but you.”

“You will definitely regret it.”

Luce said coldly.

“You have upset the balance of the world, so you will surely pay the price.”

“Balance? No. It’s only your dictatorship that’s been ruined.”

Arendt took a bold step forward.

“You said evil should exist as evil and good as good? You’re making a fool of yourself. In the end, you just wanted to make yourself good.”

“…”

“For that, you made countless sacrifices. And yet you claim to be a champion of justice? You’ve done your fair share of deception.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

Luce answered coldly.

“The world was in utter chaos. The beings on the ground were constantly fighting, and those who claimed to be gods didn’t even think about governing it.”

“…”

“The world was as chaotic as it was colorful. I had brought order and structure to a world without order, yet how dare my own…!”

A deep murderous aura hung in Luce’s clear eyes. A murderous aura, something an ordinary person would struggle to bear, began to weigh upon Arendt’s entire being.

“How dare you… That’s my line.”

But Arendt endured it all and glared at God with cold eyes.

“Who are you to dare to set the rules of this would? Don’t you realize this is presumptuous? Without faith, even your existence is impossible.”

“What?”

“You’re not even a living being on that land. Do you think you have the right to claim to be a balance or harmony?”

Arendt looked straight at Luce and spat out the words bluntly.

“This world is harmonious because it’s chaotic. Absolute good and evil are meaningless. A person who’s a bastard to one person might be a benefactor to another. Friends can turn into enemies in an instant.”

“…”

“All beings live in a tangled web, so what’s the point of flattening them in the name of faith? Ultimately, from beginning to end, it’s your greed, your deception, and your arrogance.”

Luce, who had been listening quietly, burst into laughter.

“Ha! A mere human brat dares to lecture me.”

“I said it because you were being foolish. I don’t know about the naive, worldly people, but I’m not like that.”

Arendt shrugged.

“That’s right. You should have chosen your opponent wisely. Talking about balance, turning the world upside down and bringing in otherworldly beings, that’s a contradiction in the first place.”

In the end, this battle was won by beings who were insignificant in the grand scheme.

A victory for those who simply wanted to survive and protect the precious people beside them.

“Okay. Let’s say you’re right. But remember this one thing.”

A god with an expressionless face looked down at Arendt.

“Compared to the eons of time, the life of things in this world is but a fleeting moment.”

“…”

“You win this time. So stop making such lame excuses. But even this is only a fleeting moment.”

Luce rested His chin leisurely on His crumbling fingertips.

“Even when your short life ends, history will continue to flow. And there are still many who follow me on the ground… Someday, they will cling to me again.”

“…”

“Unless my brother is completely destroyed.”

.

Only then did Arendt’s eyebrows furrow. Luce smiled broadly, seeming to be quite pleased with the reaction.

“My brother is quietly biding his time. The child who serves Him… Iris, I think. As long as she exists, my brother will never disappear. And now, my brother has entrusted all His power to Iris and is asleep.”

“…”

“Someday, when Iris is reborn into the world through the cycle of reincarnation, my brother will awaken as well. Having been dealt a blow this time, He’ll seek revenge the moment He opens His eyes. Only I can stand against Him.”

Luce smiled faintly.

“As time passes, the events of today will one day be forgotten. No matter how much you oppress and persecute me, my faith will endure through the generations. Just as Khan from ancient times was unable to completely purge those who believed in my brother.”

“…”

“Or will you kill every last believer who follows me?”

The corners of the God’s eyes folded into a beautiful crescent shape. Arendt frowned, displeased.

“I’m not that kind of person. Why would I do something so stupid?”

“Then, in the end, I guess you will have no choice but to be defeated by the transience of time.”

Luce, who had His chin resting on His hand, said cheerfully.

“Now, tell me your wish. Do you want to go home? Or do you want wealth? Tell me anything. This omnipotent being will listen.”

“…”

Arendt didn’t answer for a while. He simply stared at Luce with sunken eyes.

“Now that I think about it, you don’t seem all that omnipotent.”

Arendt let out a light chuckle.

“If you could have destroyed Iris with your own power, you would have done it long ago.”

The moment a cold voice rang out, the smile disappeared from Luce’s face.

It was because he had touched His own sore spot.

“You can’t even kill your brother on your own, so you have to borrow the help of beings on the ground, and yet you are omnipotent… Even a passing dog would laugh.”

“Oh my.”

Luce’s brow furrowed again.

“You say that much. I wonder what grand wish you have.”

“Don’t worry. I chose a wish you can easily grant.”

He had already decided a long time ago what he was going to ask of Luce.

Perhaps it had been determined ever since Iris threw away her own life and chose death as an escape.

“As you say, history isn’t trustworthy. Ultimately, records will become distorted and blurred over time. But…”

A smile appeared in his golden eyes.

“I just need to remember from beginning to end.”

Laius said it was a matter for future generations. But Arendt had no such intention.

Luce asked dumbly at the unexpected words.

“What?”

Arendt spoke bluntly, looking straight into Luce’s eyes.

“Give me powers like Iris. So I can crush you all over again. The deadline is the day you and Chernion both perish.”

It didn’t matter if one day he would no longer be Arendt von Eckhart.

Because this play would continue until the end.

Luce’s face instantly froze.

“Hey, you little shit!”

He was suddenly jolted awake by a thunderous shout.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Arthur’s face, which looked like it was about to burst into tears at any moment.

“…”

Arendt blinked dumbly and sat up abruptly. Then, suddenly, dizziness struck him, and his vision began to spin.

“Ugh…”

“You crazy bastard, don’t suddenly move!”

Arthur rushed over and grabbed him. Arthur’s scolding voice pierced his spinning mind.

“If you’re feeling unwell, tell us! Do you even know how many days you’ve been sick?”

“…It’s noisy, so please be quiet. I’m going to die from the noise.”

Arendt grumbled, placing his hand on his forehead. Arthur’s face contorted even more.

“You really…!”

“Please give me some water.”

When Arendt waved his hand, Arthur, irritated, handed him a glass of water. He drank a large gulp of the cold water, and only then did his mind begin to clear a little.

Arendt, who was looking around for a second time, stopped.

“…What? Why am I in the infirmary again?”

“Why? Why are you saying that now?”

Eventually, Arthur exploded in frustration.

“You’ve been unconscious for three days now, you bastard!”

This time it was Arendt’s turn to be bewildered.

“Huh? Three days?”

“Don’t you even remember? Well, of course you don’t, since you’ve been sleeping all this time! I was so shocked when I found out what was going on!”

“Wow, huh…”

Arendt sat on the bed, dumbfounded.

Well, just recently he died and came back to life, so if he suddenly slept as if he was dead for several days, anyone would be shocked.

‘It didn’t seem like I was sleeping very soundly.’

There were a series of unfamiliar scars on the back of his hands. His neck also felt prickly, as if he’d habitually scratched it when he had trouble breathing.

Arthur fired questions like a machine gun.

“Did you have another nightmare? The fight’s over, why are you still like this? Don’t tell me you’re still…”

“That’s not it.”

Arendt scratched his head and gave a vague answer.

“I guess it’s because there’s been more to worry about these days. By the way, is it okay if you just sit here blankly?”

“Huh?”

Arendt responded to Arthur’s foolish question with a resounding retort.

“Is it okay if you don’t go see the Captain? Given his personality, I’m sure he’s worrying unnecessarily.”

“…Ah, that’s right!”

Only then did Arthur sit up. He remembered the order to report immediately when Arendt woke up.

“You, stay here and don’t move!”

“Yes yes.”

Arthur, who had just heard Arendt’s halfhearted reply, stormed out. With a deep sigh, Arendt turned his gaze back toward the entrance.

Lexion appeared without a sound in the place Arthur had just left.

“You. You promised something to God again.”

Lexion got straight to the point. Arendt gave him a sly smile.

“Well, I guess that’s what it is.”

Arendt spoke, leaning back on the bed.

“He was so furious. I wish you had seen Him too, Lexion.”

But Lexion didn’t play along with his joke.

“What did you promise? What on earth are you betting on?”

“It’s a secret. There’s nothing special about it. Since you live a remarkably long lifespan compared to humans, perhaps you’ll find out someday.”

Lexion frowned, not understanding what he was saying.

“What does that mean?”

“What does that mean? It’s just that. It’s really over now. I’ve taken care of the things I’ve been putting off.”

Arendt stretched, speaking with a feigned ease.

“For the time being, neither of them will be able to interfere. I won’t just stand by and watch.”

Arendt’s shoulders seemed genuinely lighter as he spoke, as if a burden had been lifted from his heart.

‘If I’m bound to this world anyway… chasing down the enemies to the ends of hell didn’t seem like a bad idea. Leaving this matter unfinished is also a distasteful act.’

Lexion, his face crumpled, tried to say something.

“You, surely…”

“I told you, it’s already over.”

But Arendt cut him off.

“Now, all that’s left for ‘Arendt’ is to live a fun and enjoyable life.”

So that this play could end with ‘They lived happily ever after.’

“…”

Lexion, with a troubled expression, stared at him for a long time. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them.

The smile on Arendt’s still youthful face made him look genuinely at ease.