Chapter 1442. Continental War (22)

"Is this already the third time?"

"Is there something bad going on out there?"

"You do know it, don't you?"

"Right, of course I know. If you’re part of the rearguard, everyone knows, Yevkarina," the Bishop answered.

"..."

"..."

"Keepers of the Moonlight," he mumbled.

In a small dark room, with a candle serving as the light, the high priest Bishop came into view as he carefully opened his mouth. It was a story I[1] had already heard once, but I still felt bewildered after hearing it again.

When I first received the report, I even wondered whether I had misheard something.

I recall that everyone who heard the news reacted in pretty much the same way.

"So, an unidentified group that calls itself Keepers of the Moonlight not only raided the Republic’s supply depot but is disarming the soldiers as well... I think," he said.

"In summary, yes," I answered.

"On top of that, they’re declaring that the saint is with them and that he’ll stop the war? Originally, he was a soldier who deserted the Republic, but even now, we still haven't found any traces of him," he continued.

"That’s correct," I answered.

"Even hearing it again, it’s a story that’s hard to believe," he commented.

This reaction was natural. Even to me, it was an unbelievable story.

Reality was not a fairy tale, after all. Of course, I had seen reactionaries taking advantage of the chaotic situation to rally soldiers, but what was happening now clearly went beyond the bounds of common sense.

It was astonishing enough that they kept achieving results with such a small force, but what was even harder to understand was the value they claimed to stand for.

Stop the war? It was so absurd that it almost made me laugh. What was even more shocking was that they were actually following and acting on that value.

In the three battles that had occurred so far, the total number of deaths was barely around a hundred—a number that was hard to comprehend no matter how one looked at it.

In fact, they seemed to want nothing at all.

Aside from destroying the supplies and disarming the soldiers before sending them back home, they demanded nothing else. Apparently, they managed to inflict some damage to the Union of Kingdoms and the Empire, which made it almost seem as if their true goal really was to stop the war.

Naturally, this didn't mean that their values could be belittled or dismissed. As a human being, I understood the horrors of this war, and I sympathized with their values to some extent, but...

‘I know it’s impossible...’

I knew it was impossible better than anyone else, which could be the reason I found it fundamentally difficult to understand. Since I knew it better than anyone else, I also knew that what was happening right now was simply unreal.

‘Does the saint really exist? Has the voice of God really reached him? Could it be... that the one at the center of the Keepers of Moonlights has truly... conversed with God?’

"Yevkarina," the Bishop said.

"Yes, sir. Please speak," I answered.

"Do you really think this is possible? The Republic’s forces have already been beaten three times by people who seemed to have just fallen from the sky one day. At this point, it almost sounds more realistic to think that the Union of Kingdoms or the Empire is secretly standing behind them," he asked.

"No, I don’t think that is the case. There has been no information suggesting that they are either the Union forces or the Empire forces acting independently," I answered.

"..."

"The information came down from the Republic Security Bureau. In a situation like this, the chances of the Bureau making a foolish mistake are extremely low," I added.

"..."

"..."

"Of course, I also think this entire situation is incomprehensible. Before we even discuss whether the Saint, the Hero, or the Keepers of Moonlight even exist, just looking at their results... is enough to make anyone doubt whether this is even possible. They’re... incredibly precise," he said.

"Precise? What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"I mean that the battles they have fought three times now have been executed with extreme precision. To a degree that’s almost impossible to explain," he answered.

"Are you saying there’s a highly capable commander among them?" I asked.

"Calling them merely capable wouldn’t be enough," he answered.

"..."

"..."

"It feels almost like watching the Commander himself..." he commented.

"Isn’t that... overestimating them too much?" I questioned.

"Of course, I hope my worries are nothing more than needless fear, but it’s undeniable that they’re dangerous. Especially since they started as nothing more than a few thousand deserters. Only a few months ago, they were soldiers that the great Republic treated as expendable.

"Those discarded soldiers plunged to rock bottom, and they rose again with a dangerous ideology and a grand cause, even claiming legitimacy for themselves," he explained.

"..."

"There are already soldiers in the barracks who have been influenced by their ideology. I heard that the number of soldiers who have chosen to join them instead of returning home is by no means small. They’re growing, and as a result, they’re throwing us off balance. Without a doubt, they will become a threat to our Republic," he continued.

“...”

“This matter seems appropriate to report to the Commander, so I did raise it at the meeting, but...” I paused.

“What...?”

“It was dismissed because no one wanted to admit incompetence. I can understand that, of course. Battles are still raging all over the place. Day after day, dozens, even hundreds of skirmishes break out.

"It hardly seems reasonable for you to devote your precious time to a mere group of deserters. Considering your recent condition, it’s even less so,” I continued.

“

Whoo...

”

“...”

“Honestly, I don’t want to burden the Commander any further... but it’s been bothering me,” I added.

“...”

“...”

"Yevkarina... then what are your personal thoughts?" the Bishop asked.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"I’m not sure what you mean..." I said.

"As a member of the Republic, what do you think about the Keepers of Moonlight? That’s what I mean," he clarified.

"..."

"..."

"Well... honestly, I don’t really know. Their ideology is certainly not without flaw... but whether it’s even possible, I’m not sure," I said.

"Not without flaw... what do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I mean it in the literal sense, Bishop. The war has dragged on too long. It’s been four years now. It’s not much to some, but for those on the battlefield, it’s not a short time. Many have died, and many have suffered.

"At some point, sir, you changed... and so much... so much has changed. Of course, I have always been loyal to you and loyal to the Republic, but... the war I imagined was a little more..." I trailed off.

"More dignified and honorable?" he asked.

"No, I was aware that there would be suffering, but... I feel like there haven't been any meaningful deaths. Seeing, hearing, and experiencing so much here... I can understand why some are drawn to their ideology. If I had the power..." I paused.

"..."

"If I had the power... if it weren't for what's on my shoulders... if I weren’t weighed down by so much... I'd want to stop this war, too," I added.

I saw the Bishop’s gentle smile, and I felt like I had almost unconsciously poured out what was inside me. I wasn’t particularly devout, but somehow, just revealing my thoughts to the priest brought a strange sense of relief to me.

The priest before me had always been someone who listened to the weary, and even though I wondered whether I had shared too much, at least I felt lighter.

After a long silence that almost became burdensome, the Bishop carefully said, “What if...”

“Yes?”

“What if, I mean, what if, Yevkarina...” he trailed.

"..."

“What if there was truly a way to stop the war... what would you do?” he asked.

“Pardon? What do you mean...” I asked.

“I’m asking, if there really was a way to stop this war... how would you act? It sounds crazy, of course...” he clarified.

“Bishop... sir?”

“...”

“...”

The white-haired elder said, “Recently... I heard a voice. A revelation... I mean.”

"..."

“The voice of the Moonlight Saint keeps echoing in my head. Yes, it’s ridiculous... unbelievable... yet even now, at this very moment, I can the Moonlight Saint’s voice telling me that this meaningless, ugly fight can end. I once wondered whether he... was really the saint...” he paused.

“What are you saying, Bishop?” I asked.

“I-in my eyes, Yevkarina, he truly is the saint sent by God—the saint who came to end this meaningless, ugly war. I-I saw him with my own eyes...” he answered.

“Sir?”

“He’s saying that we should join the Keepers of Moonlight, Yevkarina. If you truly understand how meaningless this war is... if you honestly wish to break this chain of suffering... then joining them may be the right choice,” he suggested.

The glimmer in his eyes changed.

“...”

“You know it too, don’t you? Commander Jin Cheong is losing his mind. This continent is drowning in chaos and darkness. Even the Republic!” his voice was growing louder.

“The Union of Kingdoms! The Empire! All of them are devouring themselves. We’re throwing away what we’ve been given, breaking it, and destroying it! In a world like this... do you really think loyalty to the state still means anything?” he asked.

It wasn’t as though I had never had thoughts like that before...

“I’m telling you this for your sake, Yevkarina. You should join the Keepers of Moonlight. It may be the only way to save the continent,” he suggested.

Something about the Bishop’s state felt off, so I couldn’t nod so easily.

“You said if you had the power... if you weren’t being weighed down by anything, you would want to stop the war. You can! With them, we can end this violence and slaughter. We can take back peace, hope, and light for this continent with our own hands.

"Yevkarina! That man... he might be Varian's messenger. A messenger sent by Varian!” he shouted.

“P-please leave, sir,” I said.

“We have to stop the war! This insanity!” he continued.

“Please leave, Bishop!” I yelled at him.

“Didn’t you just say we had to stop the war, Yevkarina?” he questioned.

I unknowingly stepped backward, and the white‑haired old man stepped forward after me.

“You said it yourself that you wanted to stop this war! You said it with your own mouth!” he continued.

“S-stay back, Bishop,” I warned him.

“...”

“I said, back off! Bishop! Stop that madness this instant!!!” I shouted.

For a moment, it seemed he came to his senses. The Bishop stepped back several paces, his slumped shoulders made him appear strangely pitiful. The old man’s eyes, white-haired and wrinkled, were brimming with tears.

“I’m sorry...

heuk

... I’m sorry,” he cried.

Somehow, I felt I understood a little of what he was feeling. Even this white-haired man, respected by all, was shaken by the horrors of war and the fact that he was powerless to stop them.

His shoulders trembled as he sobbed. I stepped closer again, and it happened.

His rough, trembling hands shot out and gripped my neck.

"

Urgh...!

”

Breathing was almost impossible.

“I’m sorry... Yevkarina...

heuk

... I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry,” the Bishop said.

“

Gah... gah... ugh...

”

“Everything I do is for the continent. For the continent... for Varian.

Heuk

... think of it as a sacrifice to bring the light and peace back to this land. All of this is the will of God!

Aaaaah!

All of this is God’s will!” he shouted.

“L-let... g-go...” I muttered.

“All of this is the will of the Moonlight!!!” he roared.

As my consciousness faded away, the Bishop’s head suddenly flew away.

“

Cough! Cough!

”

“...”

“

Cough! Cough! Cough!

”

For a moment, I thought it was an ambush. However, my jaw fell to the ground when I saw the attacker behind the collapsing Bishop.

“...”

“...”

They weren't supposed to be here.

They were the first seat of the Republic’s Five Pillars.

“Are you certain that Commander Jin has been consumed by madness?”

The First Seat of the Five Tiger Generals looked down at me.

1. Yevkarina’s POV ☜