Chapter 36: Who Is the True Hero? (Final Chapter)

Caesar stared intently at his opponent. He was convinced that this man surely understood well that the top priority for him was to reunite the forces of the Light Church under one leadership. Although the threat of the demons was great, it pertained to secular powers. As a local lord, if he failed to protect his people from harm, his rule would collapse in no time. Without the people, where would their rule come from?

The Light Church should naturally be the backbone in defending against the demon invasions, but fighting such invasions was a long and arduous task. There was no need for the Light Church to rush in headfirst. It was more sensible to devise a long-term and viable strategy.

In fact, this could even be an opportunity for the Light Church. Its rise stemmed from the demon invasions, and now, at a critical moment of declining faith, another wave of invasions was approaching. Wasn’t this an opportunity bestowed by the heavens upon the Light Church? The only regret was that the Pope’s death at this time had caused cracks within the church, already reeling from hidden crises. Caesar could not tolerate such a situation. He knew that the greatest threat to the Light Church came not from external factors but from internal issues.

Vazinki was reckless and ambitious, Frentst had far-reaching ambitions, and Welch remained hidden before making a sudden emergence. If only one of these three existed, they could all be considered blessings to the Light Church. But with all three present, they became a disaster for it.

Caesar knew his next responsibility was to select from these three the one who was most suitable for the Light Church, someone who could lead it to seize this opportunity posed by the demon invasions and overcome difficulties. Only by securing an absolute advantage in the battle against the demons could the Light Church stand again and gain the upper hand in its struggle against the forces of darkness.

“Lord Komer, do you have any good suggestions?”
“It depends on how well Knight Caesar can control those people in the Tribunal. It depends on you, Knight Caesar,” Komer said with a gentle smile. “We all face crises, but at the same time, we also face opportunities. It depends on who can turn crises into opportunities.”

Caesar felt a chill in his heart. This guy’s schemes were truly sinister—no change in his own emotions could escape the other’s detection. Clearly, he had also noticed Caesar’s anxiety and concerns, and even understood the delicate relationships among Frunest, Vazinki, and Welch, which were precisely Caesar’s weaknesses.
“Lord Komer, since it’s just the two of us now, why not be honest? Share whatever you have on your mind. I believe this will be better for both of us.”
“Very good. I think we both need some time and effort to deal with our respective problems. The Church of Light needn’t worry about monster attacks for now, but I imagine the Knights of Caesar are struggling to decide who will become the next Pope of the Church of Light. As for me, the more chaotic the Church of Light, the better—even its fragmentation would be ideal for me. Unfortunately, I have to devote most of my energy to dealing with monster attacks in my domain. As a secular lord, I can only do that. So I think we have every reason to sit down and talk.”
“Even after the internal affairs of the Church of Light are settled, given its current standing among the people, wouldn’t it want to use this opportunity to regain its strength? So, as the lord of Nicomedia, I suppose I have common ground with the Church of Light, don’t I?”
Komer’s bright smile made Caesar even more uneasy. This guy saw too far ahead—every one of his thoughts was exposed before him. He really needed to consider whether he should eliminate this threat first, but he quickly dismissed those unrealistic ideas. Welch, Frunest, and Vazinki were lurking around, along with that faint presence clearly coming from the dark forces in the south. Any slight move from him might trigger many unpredictable reactions. He couldn’t take that risk. He bore the responsibility of reviving the entire Church of Light—doing so was riskier than gambling.
“Lord Komer, you may state your demands. I think we can find a way to reach an agreement.” Caesar took a deep breath to calm himself.
“A truce is impossible, but we can achieve temporary peace, even ally. We can strengthen and grow by fighting our own enemies. When we both feel strong enough, we can fight again. How about that?” Komer’s eyes shone like stars.
“Agreed?”
“Agreed!”
“How long…?”
“A year, how about that?” Komer tilted his head and asked in return.

Caesar pondered silently for a moment. A year—surely enough time for the internal affairs of the Church of Light to determine who was superior. But repelling the attacks of the magical beasts seemed unlikely. Did this guy really have such high confidence? Or did he truly think they could fight side by side? A cold smile arose deep within Caesar’s heart—how naive!

“Very well, one year!”

“Then please, Lord Caesar, restrain the power of the Church of Light to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.” Komer nodded. He could see the cold murderous intent deep within the other man’s heart—like fire and ice, incompatible. Just as he himself would not tolerate the other man either, though he would hide it behind a superficial smile. “I’m really looking forward to fighting against Knight Caesar again. I learned a great deal from that battle. I believe the next one between us will be even more exciting.”

They came and went like the wind. The knights of light who had arrived with such force vanished as if they had never been there at all. After Knight Caesar and Komer exchanged polite goodbyes, they disappeared instantly. Even Noyora and Lorenzo, who were filled with confusion, left without asking further under Caesar’s stern gaze, leaving only the bewildered people of Nicomedia.

“What’s going on?” Both Rebrí and Mihajović, as well as Shatima, who was hiding in the distance, asked through telepathy.

“The surge of magical beasts has arrived earlier than I expected. The Cordillera Wasteland and Leon have already seen the frenzied beasts attacking all animals around them. I believe that not only in Nicomedia but anywhere magical beasts might exist, outbreaks will occur due to some kind of trigger.” Komer spoke after a brief silence.

“Ah?!” Everyone couldn’t help but gasp. A surge of magical beasts? Though that history from five hundred years ago was long buried, it wasn’t anything new to these powerful individuals. Countless heroes had emerged in that era, their stories still being told to this day. But everyone knew that heroes were merely lucky ones who had survived through countless battles and carnage, and no one wanted to go through such an experience.

“Is that why Caesar is retreating?” Rebrí frowned slightly.

“Julius has left, leaving behind the mess of the Church of Light. He needs to sort out that mess,” Komer replied succinctly.

“So we’re compromising?” Rebrí nodded. That made some sense. He certainly didn’t believe the Church of Light would show mercy.

“You could say that,” Komer sighed lightly.

“We can gain some time of peace between us and them,” Leclerc interjected.

“Peace? No, there has never been a time of peace in this world—only times of war and preparation for war.” Komer said solemnly, “We face the attacks of magical beasts. They may not be as fierce as they were five hundred years ago, but they will still consume a great deal of our energy. And once the Church of Light completes its internal consolidation, their blades will undoubtedly be turned toward us. We must be prepared for that.”
“Everything is just beginning—a more difficult yet grander war. We will not back down or fear. We will take pride in participating in this struggle. This is an opportunity and a glory bestowed upon us by history!” Komer’s voice grew louder. The golden sunlight spread across the land, casting a hazy glow on his face.
“We only have one year, maybe even less. But I believe we will have a better future—a time filled with freedom and prosperity, free from shackles and oppression, where we can truly enjoy life! This era will belong to us, but it must be fought for by all of us here, not given to us by others!”
The red sun finally rose, shining on the figures in the shadows. Everything seemed so illusory yet so real. The world continued to move forward.
(End of the book)
It’s finally over. I’m so tired. First and foremost, I thank my readers for their continuous support from the beginning to the end. I’m not a full-time writer; writing is purely a hobby, so I can’t keep up with other authors in terms of update frequency. Also, due to my age and life experiences, I can’t write works that suit younger readers. Being slow to warm up is another flaw that’s often criticized. But I can assure you that I’ve been writing with care. Even if it doesn’t satisfy the readers, it’s due to my limitations.
Perhaps many readers won’t be satisfied with the ending of this book. But I think every book should leave some room for ambiguity and suspense, making it more memorable. Many readers say they haven’t seen a certain character’s ending or them being defeated. I think that’s not important. This isn’t a true struggle-for-power story; it’s about the protagonist’s growth—his mental and emotional development. Now we can see a male protagonist with a strong will and mature mind. Though he’s a bit gloomy and lacks warmth, that was set from the beginning of the book. My apologies.