Surviving without God

The Flame Lord’s vault was located in the plains at the outskirts, between the Kingdom of Valloren and Border City. The squad raced toward the destination at full speed without rest. Although they were still within Luthien’s sphere of influence and got into a few skirmishes along the way, no serious problems arose. Before the enemies could even get close, Cheonmae would punch an extra hole through their foreheads with a perfectly placed shot.

“Somewhere around here...”

The surrounding scenery gradually gave way to a snow-covered plain. Gunther could not hide his anticipation.

“What kind of divine relics are stored there?”

In the previous iteration, he had sent Levain and Ryan here in his place, so he himself had never once set foot on this land. The feeling before visiting a hidden treasure vault was always exhilarating.

“We’re here.”

In the middle of the plain stood gentle hills and scattered boulders here and there. At first glance, it was a completely ordinary landscape, but somewhere within those cracks lay the hidden path leading underground.

“...They hid it well.”

“Kha-ha-ha! And whose treasure vault would this be, Platoon Commander?”

Yuria asked while scratching the side of her head, where shaved patterns were carved into her hair. Even though they had spoken often over the last few days, Gunther still felt vaguely uneasy around her.

No... was this really Yuria? Had she somehow been swapped with a pirate while being ferried from the Kingdom of Nereus to Border City? Gunther forcibly suppressed the thought and answered her question.

“This is the vault of the Flame Lord... the former head of the Society of Holy Flame.”

The air around them seemed to freeze in that instant.

Yuria’s hand clenched around the shaft of her axe.

Skreeeeech!

The solid steel handle let out a pained groan. If it had not been a creation of Dramcrow, it would have simply crumpled under that physical strength.

“Hoo-hoo, the Society of Holy Flame, huh,” Yuria laughed lowly. “That name brings back a few memories.”

“Memories?”

“The bastards who chased us relentlessly during our escape were from the Society of Holy Flame. They clung to us like corpses even after we escaped to sea. Back then we were weak and fragile, powerless to do anything...”

Rietta added from the side.

“That’s right. Verion Heinz... that bastard who killed Teacher and took Dominic is the archbishop there now.”

“Hmm... what a piece of trash.”

Yuria whistled as she gave her axe a swing.

“When I meet him, I’ll split open whatever’s left of his skull.”

“Ha-ha... Yuria, you really grew up... into a fine warrior.”

Gunther laughed awkwardly and stepped back half a pace. It was good to see that the children still remembered Raymond and still burned with the desire to avenge his killer, but... these brats who had barely turned fifteen were way too terrifying!

At that moment, however, a conversation from behind him reached his ears—one he could not ignore. It was Ryan and Levain.

“...Huh?”

Levain, who had been examining the hidden mechanisms and defensive devices concealing the entrance, muttered quietly,

“Strange. Why does this all feel so... familiar?”

Ryan too rubbed his chin with his head tilted. Unusually, there was not even a trace of irony on his face.

“...That’s what I’m saying. It feels like I’ve been here before.”

Parco’s gaze moved between the two of them with interest, his eyes gleaming.

“Well, Levain’s ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) always crawling around ruins and has probably seen tons of devices like this, so that makes sense. But you, Ryan?”

Gunther looked at Levain and Ryan with mild surprise. Had memories from the previous timeline remained with them? Or was this nothing more than random déjà vu?

“...I wish it were the former.”

For a moment, Gunther remembered Tarsha’s face. A wish born from the hope that his companions might remember him. Gunther quietly sighed and shook his head.

“I’m opening it, so everyone step back.”

He took out the key the Flame Lord had entrusted to him and pressed it against the magic formation at the center of the door.

Click!

Layers of intricate mechanisms began unlocking one after another.

Uuuuuuum!

The stone door slowly parted with a low rumble. Stale air drifted out through the opening. Just as the squad waited in anticipation for Gunther’s signal to enter—

Ding!

...one of the three gods informed him that its divine relic was inside.

.

.

.

The companions moved cautiously between the long rows of display cases. The atmosphere was such that it felt wrong to make any loud sounds, but the exclamations of admiration at the relics on display could not be stopped. And that was only natural—these were items personally selected to the very end by someone on the level of the Flame Lord. Gunther threw out a single sentence before heading toward the relic that was calling to him.

“You can take whatever catches your eye. If two people want the same thing, settle it with fists or rock-paper-scissors.”

At those words, even Cheonmae’s eyes flashed predatorily as she began scanning the shelves.

“Hmm, well, if that’s the case...”

Though Night Raven’s supply system was generous, divine relics were an entirely different matter. These were not ordinary items, but unique artifacts in which the traits and abilities of a specific god slumbered. Finding even one relic that matched your skill set perfectly could lead to a tremendous leap in power. More importantly, it established a connection to the deity who owned the item.

And considering these had been stored in an inquisitor’s vault, most of the relics here were likely tied to benevolent gods. That meant a chance to form multiple contracts with minimal risk.

“...Ahem, I knew there was a reason I kept looking after the junior.”

“Ooooo, greedy. Your gear’s already amazing.”

“You little brats, how dare you boo your commander!”

“Ooooooo!”

Arguing among themselves, Cheonmae and the Fifth Platoon scattered through the vault, and the Fourth Platoon followed suit. Leaving them behind, Gunther activated a hidden mechanism.

Uuuuuuum!

As a result, an item that did not quite fit this place appeared before his eyes.

[The Drug-Addicted Saint exclaims that it has not seen this in ages]

[Alphonse of Red Street wonders how the Flame Lord even managed to obtain this]

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats remains silent]

[The Ruler of the Oceans gazes at it with longing in her eyes]

In Gunther’s hand was... a single glove. Once, the leather and craftsmanship had clearly been luxurious, but now it was worn by time, covered in wrinkles and scratches. Even so, the moment he clenched it, a strange sensation like an electric shock pierced through his body.

[Item Acquired! Despot’s Glove (Legendary)] 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“...Legendary.”

Gunther’s eyes trembled slightly. This was his first Legendary-rank item. Things of this class did not merely strengthen their owner—they elevated the user’s abilities to an entirely new level or granted power specialized in a specific domain.

Flame of Eternal Torment. Black Cloud. Seren Gless.

All of them were Legendary rank. Suppressing his excitement, Gunther hurriedly checked the description.

[Despot’s Glove]

“A law older than the sword.”

Rank: Legendary

Description: The glove the King of Knights once threw into his opponent’s face in the first duel of his life. After that, the King crossed countless battlefields and fought an unbelievable number of duels, yet he never threw this glove carelessly. Only at decisive moments. When honor was at stake, when retreat would stain his name—the glove flew toward its target. It is said it was used especially often in duels against those who insulted Rahenia—his beloved and the object of his oath.

Effects:

— Greatly increases combat power in honorable duels and battles with “Duel” status.

— Charisma +5.

— Enhances [Blessing of Chivalry].

— Greatly increases the effectiveness of knight-class skills.

— Inflicts “Challenge” status on the enemy. The target’s chance of successful escape, interference, or outside support is reduced.

※ Active skill “Despot’s Field” is currently locked.

※ Passive skill “Oath Swordsmanship” is currently locked. (Unlocks upon reaching Chivalry Level 3)

“So the King of Knights... was a romantic after all.”

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats grumbles for you to stop talking nonsense and hurry up and put on the glove]

The glove fit his hand with surprising perfection. As if it had been made for him from the very beginning.

Pshhhht!

At the same time, a burning sensation like a brand began building in his right hand, where the King of Knights’ Stigma had been engraved. The same pattern began glowing on the back of the glove. Gunther felt a strange freshness wash through him.

Ding!

[The power of the divine relic is transferred to its owner]

[Something binding the King of Ninety-Nine Defeats weakens]

[Your resonance with the King of Ninety-Nine Defeats deepens]

Gunther realized that his Stigma was shining more brightly. Some unknown force was now circulating through his body more naturally than before. In the end, everything that formed his foundation—Art of the Pure Heart, Knight Swordsmanship, Eyes of the Tyrant—all of it belonged to the King of Knights. As the King strengthened, he too inevitably grew stronger.

“...Well? How is it?”

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats nods in satisfaction]

[He adds that there have been considerable changes, and that you will feel them for yourself soon]

Among the three gods, the King of Knights had received the most Karma offerings. His status should have recovered significantly. Though he still could not fully leave the bounds of his imprisonment, step by step he was drawing closer to his true divine grandeur.

[The Drug-Addicted Saint assures you that you’ll gasp when you see its relic]

[Alphonse of Red Street mutters that his item can’t even compare to that old glove]

“...Of course.”

Gunther smiled faintly, only to frown again at the status window that appeared.

[Current Chivalry Level — “0”]

[Part of the effects of “Despot’s Glove” are deactivated]

Whether because of the altered timeline or the atrocities committed under mind control in the previous iteration, the Chivalry that had once risen to Level 2 had been completely reset. It seemed it would be quite some time before he could unlock Oath Swordsmanship and the powerful skill Despot’s Field. Gunther let out a disappointed sigh.

“...Well, sooner or later I’ll unlock it.”

After all, he intended to keep making decisions that aligned with the code of a knight. Once he finished gathering his thoughts and turned around—

...

The display cases that had been overflowing with items only moments ago were now mysteriously empty. His companions were happily inspecting their new weapons and armor. It seemed the relics had been distributed among them in the best possible way, and Gunther felt relieved.

There had been ten relics stored in the vault in total. There were seven people. With the three remaining items, Ryan approached him.

“Here, this is our captain’s share.”

There were things Gunther could use himself, as well as things worth passing on to other allies. He checked their effects and stored them in his inventory.

“Well then, shall we head for the next destination?”

The next destination was the inner fortress of House Barkel’s estate. A few days ago, he had already sent a carrier pigeon announcing their visit. Thanks to Night Raven’s rising status, the head of the house had shown extreme interest in receiving them.

“...You could call it loot from the previous iteration.”

Gunther clearly remembered the time when, under enemy control, he had been dragged into the dungeons of Barkel Fortress. There, he had managed to overhear the conversation between the traitor Krest and the head of House Barkel.

“Make your decision. Wouldn’t it be better if ‘that’ came into my hands, your fellow countryman’s, rather than falling into Luthien’s?”

“Just tell me where it is, and I’ll pass along Seril’s final words.”

A mysterious treasure that had the traitor practically drooling. And yet, even after seizing the estate, he had failed to find it.

“That means it’s hidden somewhere not so easy to uncover.”

And Gunther knew. In the dungeon beneath Barkel Fortress, there existed a secret dungeon. Originally, it had merely been a standard underground area with “ghost knights,” mobs ideal for leveling swordsmanship skills, but...

“By the look of it, there’s nowhere else it could be.”

In any case, the route to the capital for the Holy Sword passed through these lands. There was no reason not to stop by House Barkel on the way. And more importantly, there was someone there whose safety he needed to confirm personally.

“Let’s go.”

Gunther and his companions, now significantly stronger, left the Flame Lord’s vault behind.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind tousled the silver-gray hair tied into a tail. Beneath it, a sculpted profile and a high forehead were revealed.

“Hmm... I don’t want to look pitiful in the eyes of the people from Border City.”

The woman, seemingly oblivious to the cold, was wholly absorbed in preparing for the welcoming ceremony. Just a week ago, Krest of House Royen had visited the estate for an inspection, leaving the Barkel people thoroughly exhausted. Yet without a trace of complaint, she diligently carried out her duties. Then suddenly her gaze shifted toward the horizon of the plain.

“Phew, the uninvited guests should be arriving soon.”

The man helping beside her quietly sighed.

“Not uninvited, but...”

“What?”

“...Nothing.”