Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

Roland looked at the young nobleman before him, whose eyes were red-rimmed and shimmering with tears. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, found himself at a loss for words.

He waited in silence until Mason had calmed down, then spoke softly.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Mason. I didn’t mean to reopen old wounds, but..."

His brow furrowed as he recalled the ghostly figure he had encountered at Distant Harbor. He finally decided to ask.

"I’m just a little curious... what exactly did the Truth Church do to save you?"

"To be honest, Roland..."

Perhaps because he had just vented his long-suppressed emotions, Mason seemed to have grown closer to Roland.

He changed his form of address naturally and shook his head gently.

"I’m not entirely sure about the details. I just remember one day..."

He furrowed his brow, trying hard to remember, a flicker of bleak resignation in his eyes.

"I felt my life slowly draining from my body... I was so weak I couldn’t even say a word. The last thing I saw was my father rushing into the room to my bedside... and then, I completely lost consciousness and fell into a dreamless Void."

"When I woke up again, I was already lying in a carriage leaving Chenxi Territory."

Mason’s voice grew low.

"It was then... that I saw the bodies of the territory’s people in the pits by the roadside..."

The shadow of pain clouded his face once more.

"As for everything else... it was the old butler, Laurie, who told me later. About the Truth Church..."

He added wearily.

"Laurie doesn’t know the details either. He just knows... the Truth Church sacrificed those people to bring me back."

"I see..."

Roland studied the unconcealed emotion on Mason’s face and nodded slowly.

Though he hadn’t managed to unearth any more details about the Truth Church, he wisely chose not to press the issue and decisively changed the subject.

"Mr. Mason..."

"Just call me Mason, Roland,"

the young man corrected, his tone laced with a sincerity that reminded Roland of Dalko, catching him off guard for a moment.

"Alright, Mason."

Roland steadied himself, shaking off the strange feeling, and continued his questioning.

"I have a few questions. About this house, and..."

He recalled the scene in the thick fog: a horde of Ghosts surrounding them, yet hesitating to approach. He stroked his smooth chin thoughtfully.

"Back in the fog, why didn’t those Demons attack you?"

"Oh, that..."

A conflicted look immediately appeared on Mason’s face.

He hesitated for a moment, then answered uncertainly.

"It was... thanks to the help of a certain lady."

"She called herself a Witch. And then..."

Mason recalled his encounter with the beautiful lady, scratching his cheek in confusion.

"I’m not sure what happened, exactly. She just said... she sensed a kindred presence from me, and then..."

The young noble shook his head, looking just as confused.

"She claimed to have bestowed a Blessing upon me. After that, I was able to walk through this bizarre, dense fog without being bothered by the Ghosts anymore. As for the other Demons..."

He paused.

"Perhaps the presence of the Ghosts kept them from attacking me. But when night falls, those monsters become more ferocious than ever. Not even the Ghosts can stop them."

"But you won’t be attacked by those monsters as long as you stay in this house. Because..."

The image of that beautiful face surfaced in Mason’s mind again. He spoke with a hint of awe.

"This house was also... uh... warded? By that lady. Anyway... the group of monsters in the mist won’t come near this place."

"A Witch?"

Roland’s brow furrowed at the mention of the word.

It wasn’t the existence of a Witch that surprised him.

In a world that possessed Extraordinary Power, and had even recently been confirmed to contain creatures reminiscent of a DND World, a mere Witch was hardly anything strange.

What truly made his heart sink were the accounts in the ancient texts.

In this world, Witches did not have a good reputation.

Although their names might suggest otherwise, Witches were not Casters.

They were described as something closer to...

practitioners of a natural Secret Technique, who worshiped specific Deities.

And the Gods they worshiped were seldom benevolent.

Coupled with the fact that their actions were often driven by faith, they had committed their fair share of horrifying deeds throughout history.

As a result, Witches were infamous across the continent.

At this thought, Roland tilted his head back and downed the rest of the tea in his cup.

The recent conversation had established a certain rapport between Roland and Mason.

They were hardly friends yet, but the character Mason had shown was enough to earn Roland’s initial trust.

So, after a few more pleasantries, he got straight to the point.

"Mason, what are your plans? You can’t stay in this dangerous place forever, can you? Why don’t you... come with me?"

That Mason was Dalko’s friend and a decent person was certainly one reason Roland wanted to get him out of there.

But more importantly, there was the special protection granted by the Witch’s Blessing.

It could dispel Ghosts and even indirectly deter other Demons. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

With this protection, Roland’s journey through the Land of Mist would be far smoother. He could avoid the Entanglement of Ghosts and reduce his encounters with Demons.

As for the boat...

It wouldn’t matter even if the boat on the coast was damaged.

He hadn’t explored the abandoned town thoroughly yet, but with his extensive forging experience, it would be no problem to build a small boat for two, provided he could find the right tools and materials.

However, upon hearing Roland’s offer, Mason’s face filled with hesitation and unease.

"Roland, how are you planning to leave?"

"By sea, of course..."

Roland explained his plan in detail.

After listening, Mason slowly shook his head, his body slumping back into the chair as if losing all strength, his voice filled with dejection.

"It’s impossible, Roland... I don’t know why, but everyone who sets foot in this Cursed land seems to be marked with an invisible brand."

"That brand... once you leave this place, it makes you as conspicuous as a lighthouse in the dark. All the Demons can easily sense your presence and will hunt you down relentlessly."

His face grew even paler at the memory.

"I once rescued a group of fishermen. Like you, they wanted to help me escape by boat... But as soon as the vessel left the coast, countless Fishmen swarmed us like a black tide. If I hadn’t been lucky enough to escape... I’d have ended up at the bottom of the sea..."

Roland’s brow furrowed deeply at his words.

"Then... why haven’t you left this place on your own?

"Because..."

Mason let out a weary sigh.

"That lady told me the Blessing on me only lasts for about ten days."

"So, every few days, I have to go to her dwelling to receive the Blessing again, just to... scrape by in this Cursed fog."

He shook his head bitterly.

"I don’t know how to sail. And if I were to go by land... ten days isn’t nearly enough time for me to walk out of this godforsaken place..."

At these words, Roland’s brow tightened further as he fell deep in thought.