24 Hearts

Chapter 97

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Side Story 2, Arhil-If you hadn’t come in time.

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!! Caution!!

This side story would be the case “if the village of Cherryu were turned into ruins by ghosts.”

So this is what would happen if Judah did not arrive in the village earlier than expected, and as the normal story content of the game, Arhil becomes the apostle of Asmodeus, a monarch’s servant.

Asmodeus: Among the seven sins, there was a story that he was the demon that symbolized lust and was originally a head of the celestial angels. His appearance was vaguely described and was also introduced in Solomon’s 72 Demon. When you encountered Asmodeus, it was said that if you were not afraid of him and politely respect him, he would give you wealth such as a ring that he wore, and could teach you studies and secrets.

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“Holy King…”

With a weary voice, she muttered through her praying hands. In the enclosed room, the only light was the magical spell embedded on the ceiling. The light was enough.

It pushed her to get in focus.

A warm, powerful green light cascaded out of her palms, which seemed to give her peace of mind. Depending on her concentration, the light flickered darker or lighter. This light symbolized the shield surrounding the hall.

Due to the constant rain, they were forced to stay in the village of Cherryu. Then the ghosts appeared. Their invasion shook the town awake, sending them to take refuge in the hall where the priest stayed. Their evil presence awakened the priest. She woke up her companions and took care of the ghosts that followed the people. She had to cast the veil urgently.

The holy shield surrounding the hall prevented the access of ghosts as the people ran in. This led every spirit to gather outside the hall. The ghosts were too many for her companions to deal with.

She was desperately forced to maintain the shield. That was the only thing she could do to protect the people. Two days later, she couldn’t concentrate due to the people’s growing anxiety, so she went up to the second floor’s attic.

She didn’t even sleep. All she thought about was to keep these people safe. Lien came up with something to drink. He said she would die if she stayed like that, so he offered to leave the villagers alone and run away.

The moment she heard it, she felt disappointed with Lien.

Of course, it’s not that she didn’t understand what he said. As a living human being, death is inevitable. Even as a leader leading the team, he wouldn’t want to lose her life in vain. Perhaps that was the best way he thought of it.

However, she was a priest of Jopiel, the third holy king who loved peace and protected life.

Although she did not have great faith in the will of the King, her conscience couldn’t push her to abandon the villagers and run away so that she could live. So she persuaded her colleague. She said she would hold on for a little more. Time began to blur for her.

She did not sleep, never ceasing her prayers, drawing out her divine powers, and maintaining the shield. Fortunately, the green light gathered in her hand did not weaken, whether it was because of her desperation. But at some point, the whispering of ghosts came to her ears like hallucinations.

-What can you get by doing this? Do you need to struggle for so long?

-Stop this, and you can be saved. We are not interested in your divine power. We just need the people in that town. Hand them over, and you can live. You can see the light of this world, smell the scent of flowers, and continue living.

-Oh, what about your companions? Let’s see. I will save up to three people just for you. How about that? Isn’t that a good exchange?

The ghosts grew impatient.

-This damn bitch! How long do you think you will last?

-If you don’t move there and wait, I’ll break this shield and go in and make you wish you were dead instead!

They swore and threatened her.

-Are you tired now? I think you’ve done enough to come this far, but no one can curse you. You are making a heroic sacrifice.

-Now, close your eyes and count three. Relax. Get comfortable. Aren’t you tired? How about sighing softly into slumber. Sleep for a second, wake up, and just do it again. What can happen at that moment?

They tried tempting her.

-Ah, that’s a shame. Do you think they will listen to you even if you pray to your king so earnestly?

-A few days have passed, and yet we’re still here. How unfortunate, your prayers don’t seem to reach them. We did the same! If they heard our prayers, do you think they cared about us when we died?

-Your faith is useless. Even if they gave you divine power, it’s not infinite. Give up.

-Stay neutral to God. Castle kings are giving you strength in exchange for faith, but they won’t guide you directly. No matter how much you pray like this, no matter how much I endure, a miracle won’t happen.

They even dared to taint her beliefs.

But she did not give in. She knew better than to listen to foolish things like the whispers of ghosts. She knows that King Jopiel will not help. She also knew that God wouldn’t help her because she was neutral.

There is only one reason she endured was her hope for a miracle.

That’s how she endured and endured—all for the villagers who were riddled with anxiety downstairs.

The talk of help coming from Kaora Castle passed through the crowd. However, nothing came even after ten days. Kaora was only two days away, even if the rain was constantly pouring, and she felt despair at the fact that no one was coming at all.

Several hunters left the hall without fear, saying they would go to the castle themselves. She had to keep the shield, so she knew they were leaving, but she couldn’t help. Many ghosts follow the people who ran out. Thanks to this, the pressure coming down the protective veil and the whispering of ghosts reduced, giving her room to breathe.

As the door opened, a little girl came in, holding on to something. It was an angelic little girl who wiped her sweat off with a towel and brought water and food. She handed back the towel to the girl after taking off the sweat of her body, then went back to work.

You cannot give up on protecting such a child. You can’t let your mind give in.

I have to endure as much as possible and wait for support from the castle.

But can hunters get to the castle and avoid all those ghosts?

Anxiety swarmed her mind, but she fought to think positively.

She said, ‘I just need to hold on a little.’

Even if she can’t, two or three more days would be enough. By then, about one of the several hunters who ran out will arrive at Kaora Castle and ask for assistance.

Since this land was Calypso, the kingdom of the mages, there will certainly be mages with the skills to deal with these ghosts. Priests, adventurers, and mercenaries will come as a team and save the village.

She believed that and endured.

Quietly, silently, she endured, forcing her body to withstand. She endured with faith. Jopiel is watching. Jopiel will help.

…

…

…

But even after a long time, no one came to the village. The rain continued to pour, and the ghost gnawed on her mind. Finally, her limit came.

‘No! I can’t keep this any longer…!”

She thought she had reached her limit several times, but this was her real limit. She couldn’t stand it anymore. The moment they felt the shield weakened, the ghosts plundered it more vigorously. And what she endured for so long fell apart. The green light pouring out of her hands faded to thin air.

‘Oh no!’

She screamed. The moment the light disappeared from her hands, she tried to conjure it again, but there was no divine power left in her body as much as a handful of sand.

This was it.

The light never came back, and the ghosts began to enter the building without hesitation. She could no longer hear and see through the veil. Soon, she hears the giggling of the spirits as they invaded the building.

-Here you are. Wait for us. We’ll come and get you.

A ghost poked its head from the ceiling, spoke, and then disappeared. She gaped at the ceiling with her hands still together. People screamed through the closed door.

“Jopiel… what should I do? God, why would you do this…”

Click!

The lock of the door clicked, and the doorknob rotated. A girl entered. The innocent child. It was the angelic little girl who brought her water and food and wiped her sweat for her as she suffered in that room to pray.

‘You haven’t been attacked by a ghost yet!’

She rose from the ground and reached for the girl to protect her. In a blink, the girl’s neck snapped with a loud crack. Arhil froze. The lite girl smirked. Arhil felt that this was no longer the innocent girl she knew.

“Didn’t I say that I would be coming soon?”

The girl rushed to her. Even though a ghost possessed her, her body was still that of a child’s.

‘I have to expel the ghost from this child’s body!’

She had no divine power, so the best way now was to take out her consciousness. Arhil lowered her posture and stretched out her right hand, keeping her eye level with the child. The little face of the child came into her open palm.

“I’m sorry.”

She mumbled as she gathered her strength. Although she was weaker than her peers, having mastered her divine martial arts skills, she was somewhat skilled in close-quarter combat. The girl who rested her face on Arhil’s palm began to stand back.

“Huh?” she said as if the ghost in the girl’s mind was embarrassed. In a heartbeat, Arhil put the girl down to the ground.

Thud! The girl’s body dropped with a groan. She quickly approached the door, locked it, and pushed every piece of furniture in the attic against it. Footsteps came running to her door. There weren’t one or two; there were many. Her face turned pale to the sound of footsteps as if an army was passing by.

-Kill her. Kill her. It’s very sad to see you doing useless things like this. Alas. What will King Jopiel say seeing you in a crisis like this?

She said as the ghost from the child’s body wandered through the room. The doorknob rotated and made a sound. It was locked and cannot be opened. The moment of silence continued, and suddenly the locked doorknob opened by itself. Her eyes widened as she looked at it. The ghost laughed at her face.

The door didn’t open because of the barricade she made, but soon, the furniture was pushed away as shoulders shoved at the door. She moved the girl to the back and got into position according to the sacred martial arts.

‘My body is heavy.’

It was worth it. She had spent over ten days kneeling and praying in this little attic, and she had neither eaten nor slept properly. Hse couldn’t tell how many of them were there, but she could try to knock out a few. But when the door opened with a bang followed by a groan, she realized what stood behind it. Despair sat in her eyes.

‘Holy King, why…’

Why did he not help her? Was this also a trial?

“Arhil.”

“Arhil.”

At the door, her companions stood smiling, their eyes nothing but white. And after that, the villagers began to shout her name. Her name, Arhil, echoed loudly in the hall.