Along the way, Veldas compliments Lornias on doing a great job hiring so many mercenaries. Lornias responds that it wasn’t easy, especially since most of the mercenaries in the region are currently stationed up north. A sudden appearance of barbarians in the northern provinces has led to widespread village raids, prompting the Saint and her army to be dispatched to deal with the threat. Still, the situation there remains grim.
One of the mercenaries comments that he’s glad they aren’t the ones fighting the barbarians. Another mentions that the pay might be worth the risk, though there are unsettling rumors of a witch being seen in the north — something none of them want to face.
Veldas brushes off the concern, reminding them that they’re heading to the southern cursed lands, not the north, so there’s no reason to worry about the witch. The group later arrives at a nearby town to rest for the night. While eating dinner, Lornias brings up the topic again and questions the mercenary Bargo about the witch rumor.
Bargo admits it’s just gossip — people say a witch is behind the chaos in the north. Lornias finds that hard to believe, arguing that no single person could cause that much destruction, especially with the Saint on the scene. Bargo agrees that it’s probably nonsense, but adds that if a witch is real, she would be incredibly dangerous.
He also finds it odd that the kingdom sent two holy knights on such short notice to investigate lands like these. He asks Veldas for clarification. If this mission is even remotely similar to fighting a witch, Bargo wants no part of it.
Veldas admits he wasn’t given specific details, but guesses their assignment has something to do with the dark elves who have recently started populating the forest. He believes the kingdom wants to ensure they’re not causing trouble. Still, neither Lornias nor Bargo are fully convinced — to most citizens of the kingdom, dark elves are feared as assassins and users of dark magic.
Lornias expresses concern that if left alone, the dark elves might grow strong enough to pose a threat to the kingdom. He even suggests a bit of “light genocide,” but Veldas firmly shuts him down, reiterating that this is a reconnaissance mission only. If anything gets dangerous, they will retreat.
Bargo is relieved to hear that Veldas is so reasonable, as he has no interest in participating in a massacre. Lornias, however, is baffled by Veldas’s refusal to wipe out what he considers an evil race. Bargo reminds him, “You’ve got a wife and kids. Are you really willing to risk your life in a needless bloodbath? Unlike you, the rest of us want to return home to our families.” Reluctantly, Lornias agrees to follow orders.
Meanwhile, over in Mynoghra, Takuto gathers all his citizens for something he wants them to witness. Everyone is confused at first — he simply stands next to a pile of meat tree fruit. But then Takuto raises his hand and channels mana into the pile. To everyone’s amazement, the fruit transforms into a Scout Bug right before their eyes.
The people are astonished. Takuto has essentially created life with a wave of his hand. Atou proudly declares that this is just a glimpse of what Takuto is truly capable of and urges everyone to continue devoting themselves to him.
Later, in the throne room, Takuto is relieved that no one questioned him too closely. He and Atou had just followed the procedure from the game, and even Takuto finds it hard to believe that simply infusing mana into fruit can create life.
Now that they’ve confirmed they can safely produce soldiers, Atou says it’s time to move on to the next phase — summoning a hero. It will take some time, as Takuto needs to accumulate enough mana to complete the ritual, but once done, they’ll be nearly unstoppable.
Atou, clearly excited, asks which hero Takuto plans to summon first. He chooses Isla, the Queen of All Insects, because she offers the best early-game advantages. Isla enhances the power of all insect-type soldiers nearby, making Scout Bugs incredibly effective in battle. She can also produce Larva Soldiers, useful for both combat and construction, making her perfect for accelerating Mynoghra’s development.
Atou praises Takuto for his strategic thinking. Aside from Isla’s abilities, she’s also the only hero without a problematic personality. The other two potential heroes are far more volatile — one obsessed with world domination, and the other with total destruction — both far from ideal for a peaceful lifestyle.
Still, Takuto knows he’ll need to summon them eventually. He just hopes that when he does, they don’t cause any trouble.
Back with the holy knights and mercenaries, the group suddenly encounters an angry hill giant. Lornias orders everyone to prepare for battle, but before the fighting can begin, Veldas steps forward and calmly tells everyone to stand down — he’ll handle it alone.
Lornias tries to object, but Veldas tells him it will be faster if he handles the situation alone—they don’t have time to waste. Veldas approaches the giant and begins chanting a prayer. Lornias explains to the mercenaries that Veldas is using the secret technique of Quolia, which allows one to imbue their attacks with divine power through prayer.
The hill giant attempts to strike with its club, but Veldas effortlessly slices it in half. The strength of divine arts varies from knight to knight, but for high-ranking holy knights like Veldas, the power is comparable to that of a lesser dragon. The giant doesn’t stand a chance.
After Veldas slays the creature, Lornias praises him, saying that with Veldas on their side, they’ll be able to handle anything in the dark forest. But Veldas doesn’t look pleased. He replies coldly that they can’t assume anything just yet.
Back in Mynoghra, Takuto is busy munching on a burger. Atou is a bit concerned—he’s been eating nothing but junk food since arriving in this world. She doesn’t scold him but does suggest he start eating healthier. Takuto shrugs it off, saying he spent his previous life in a hospital eating nothing but bland nutritional slop. Now, he just wants to enjoy tasty food.
Suddenly, he remembers something important. He asks Atou to summon Gia and Moltar for a meeting afterward. She agrees but asks what the meeting is about. Takuto explains that thanks to the additional Scout Bug, he has a clearer view of the forest and needs advice from Gia and Moltar on how to proceed.
Atou guesses he’s referring to the nearby village outside the forest, and Takuto confirms. His concern is that the village is close enough to discover Mynoghra’s existence soon. Luckily, the village doesn’t appear to belong to the Holy Kingdom of Quolia, so they’re likely neutral—which means negotiation might be possible.
However, if someone from the kingdom were to show up, that would be a different story. Their arrival would almost certainly mean they’re on a mission. Takuto reassures Atou that she’s worrying too much since there’s no evidence anyone knows they exist yet.
Atou jokingly warns that saying things like that is usually the death flag for main characters. Takuto laughs, but abruptly stops when he realizes soldiers actually have arrived. And worse—they’re armed. These definitely aren’t peaceful visitors.
Wanting to avoid unnecessary conflict, Takuto tells Atou to deal with them. He asks her to try diplomacy first—but if that fails, she’s free to use any level of violence necessary.
Meanwhile, outside the forest, the holy expedition prepares to enter. But before they can proceed, Veldas senses something off beyond the treeline and tells everyone to hold back. Moments later, Atou, wearing a cloak, emerges from the forest. Both Veldas and Lornias are surprised to see someone living there.
Veldas asks her to identify herself. Atou lies and claims to be a humble dark elf living peacefully in the woods with her people. Lornias, still obsessed with dark elf extermination, is about to provoke her, but Veldas stops him and changes the topic. He tells Atou that his group is only there to investigate the forest and asks if she would be willing to let them enter.
Atou politely declines, saying the dark elves would rather not have their home invaded without cause. Lornias is outraged that a “lowly” dark elf would deny a request from holy knights, but before he can speak further, Veldas sharply tells him to shut his mouth before he causes real trouble.
Though Veldas is already suspicious of Atou, he tries reasoning with her, mentioning a divine revelation from the Saint about a great calamity hidden within the forest. Lornias panics—divine revelations are national secrets, and Veldas just blurted one out to a random woman. He threatens to report Veldas for violating the Holy Order’s rules.
Unfazed, Veldas tells Lornias to do whatever he wants. Then, turning back to Atou, he again asks if she’ll let them through. Atou declines once more, claiming there’s nothing evil or dangerous in the forest—though this is a blatant lie. Still, Veldas decides not to argue. He tells the group they’re heading back.
Veldas isn’t naïve—he knows Atou is highly suspicious. But he also knows that when a lone cloaked figure confidently confronts an entire expedition, it’s best not to pick a fight. This is a tactical retreat. Unfortunately, Lornias doesn’t grasp that.
Instead, Lornias accuses Veldas of abandoning the mission and declares he’s stripping him of command. He orders the mercenaries to follow his lead into the forest. And since Lornias was the one who hired them, they reluctantly comply.
Personally, I’d quit on the spot after seeing how shaken Veldas was. But Lornias takes it further and commands the men to seize Atou for defying him. They move in on her, ignoring Veldas’s warnings. Despite her efforts to resolve things peacefully, Atou realizes she has no choice left.
In the next instant, Lornias wakes up lying in a pool of blood. He’s somehow still alive, but the other mercenaries aren’t so lucky—Atou has stopped holding back.
Veldas shouts for someone to report to the kingdom, but Bargo informs him all the messengers were already taken out by Atou, and the survivors are too slow to escape, especially with her now on the attack. Bargo tells everyone to prepare for battle—they have no other option.
The mercenaries launch all their arrows at Atou, but she blocks them effortlessly. She remains completely unharmed. Veldas had hoped to avoid facing someone like her, and Atou is equally frustrated. She tells them plainly that this is all Lornias’s fault—she would have let them go if they’d simply left the forest alone. But Lornias had to act righteous, so now she has to kill him.
Lornias finally realizes he made a huge mistake. He asks Veldas if he knows what Atou really is. Veldas had suspected from the beginning—he wanted to avoid a confrontation for a reason. Now, seeing her true form, he’s certain: Atou is a witch.
A witch is a calamity-class monster, officially recognized as a national threat. She’s far beyond what mercenaries can handle. Veldas orders everyone to fall back—he and Lornias will deal with her directly.
They both charge at Atu and recite their prayers to enhance their attacks. At first, Atu doesn’t take them seriously—she effortlessly blocks their strikes and mocks them as weak. However, to her surprise, they manage to cut off two of her tentacles. Realizing this won’t be as easy as she thought, she deduces that their holy magic grants them bonus damage against her. Veldis believes that if they can sever all her tentacles, she’ll be rendered helpless—and Atu definitely doesn’t want that to happen.
So, Atu takes two of the mercenaries hostage, intending to use them as human shields to halt Veldis and Lonius‘ assault. But Veldis reminds Lonius that if they don’t stop Atu here, she might target Quolia next. For the sake of their kingdom, sacrifices must be made. Though reluctant, Lonius agrees. The two press forward, slicing through the hostages and Atu‘s remaining two tentacles.
Atu is stunned they would kill their comrades so readily, and for a moment, it looks like she might actually be in danger. But it was all a ruse. Moments later, several new tentacles erupt from the ground, impaling Veldis multiple times. With his dying breath, he urges Lonius to run. Shortly after, Atu finishes him off with a tentacle strike to the head.
Lonius is horrified—he was sure they had destroyed all her tentacles. But while that was true, Atu never said she couldn’t grow more. In fact, she could summon as many as she wanted all along—she had simply been toying with them.
After witnessing Veldis’ brutal death, the remaining mercenaries lose all will to fight. Atu clearly isn’t planning to spare any of them. Desperate, Lonius orders them to scatter and run, hoping at least one survives to report what happened. The mercenaries drop their weapons and flee. Atu, disinterested in a chase, lets them go, though she sarcastically wishes they had done that from the start to save her the trouble.
Lonius stays behind to distract her. He swings his holy sword at her—but is stunned when she blocks it using the very same holy sword technique. How could such an evil being know sacred techniques? Normally, that would be impossible. But when Atu killed Veldis, she absorbed all his experience and sword skills—becoming just as capable as he was.
She counters Lonius using Veldis’ techniques and even praises Veldis as a warrior worthy of elite status. Sadly, he died because Lonius “couldn’t keep his mouth shut.” She taunts Lonius, asking if he ever thought about returning home to his wife and daughter. That catches Lonius off guard—he never mentioned that.
That’s when it hits him: Atu didn’t just take Veldis’ skills—she took his memories too. If Atu can absorb memories along with strength, then she will only become more powerful with each kill.
She offers to share Veldis’ final thoughts before dying—he had been thinking about his men’s survival to the very end. A noble man. But she scoffs that Lonius isn’t the same. He tries to defend himself by saying the other mercenaries already escaped and would report the incident, so the mission wasn’t a total failure.
But Atu coldly informs him that all of them are already dead. She may not have chased them herself, but she never said she was alone. She had already ordered the dark elves to ensure that no one left alive. The moment the mercenaries fled, they were hunted down and killed.
Lonius falls into despair as he realizes he’s the last one left. In a final act of desperation, he swings at Atu’s head, but she’s thoroughly enjoying his despair. She quickly subdues him.
Before killing him, she rubs salt in the wound by telling him how things could have gone if he had listened. Everyone would have returned home safely. He would’ve seen his wife and daughter again. They’d have lived peacefully, never knowing the horrors of the forest.
But Lonius chose another path. So now, she’s going to kill him—then she’ll find and kill his family too, using Veldis’ memories to locate them.
Atu smugly says she’s petty enough to follow through on her threats. In fact, she might even kill all the villagers Lonius passed through on his way here. As they suffer the most agonizing deaths possible, she plans to make sure they all know it was caused by Paladin Veldis and Lonius.
Lonius breaks down and screams, begging Atu not to do it. But she grows bored of tormenting him. Eventually, she ends his life just to shut him up.
Once Lonius is dead, Gia approaches Atu to report that he and his men have successfully killed all the fleeing mercenaries. No one will survive to report what happened. Atu thanks him for his good work and asks him to take care of disposing of the bodies as well.
Before she leaves, Gia hesitates—there’s something he wants to ask. He wants to know if Atu really intends to go through with her plan to slaughter Lonius’s family and everyone he ever spoke to. But Atu laughs it off. She says she only said those things to terrify Lonius—she has no intention of committing genocide. That would be far too much work, and she doesn’t like to fight unless necessary.
That aside, she doesn’t have time to chat—she needs to speak to Takuto right away. Before the battle, she overheard Veldis call her a “witch,” even though she’s classified as a hero. He also mentioned something about a witch up north. But Takuto has never heard of a “witch” class in the game, which makes him suspect that this world differs from the one they know.
Takuto already had his suspicions. While most game mechanics remain intact, it’s safer to assume that the underlying systems are completely different. Fortunately, not all of the differences are negative. Atu’s ability to absorb skills from her victims has improved—now she can also obtain fragments of their memories.
Thanks to this ability, they’ve learned much about Quolia’s current situation from the minds of the investigation squad they wiped out. For now, Quolia seems distracted by the disturbance in the north, so they can’t focus fully on Mynoghra. However, the squad’s disappearance will surely draw suspicion, and Quolia is bound to take some kind of action.
Takuto is aware of that, but reassures Atu that Quolia still doesn’t know anything about Mynoghra yet. As long as their leadership isn’t completely incompetent, they won’t attack right away.
Right now, Takuto is far more concerned about the northern disturbance—and the witch causing it. Atu tried to extract everything she could from Veldis’ memories about witches, but he didn’t know much. One thing was clear, though: the witch in the north is powerful enough to cause military-scale destruction to the Qualian army by herself.
Her name is Arakino.
Meanwhile, in the Northern Territory, Arakino has just destroyed another village. She raises the dead villagers to serve as her undead army and prepares to move on. Takuto knows nothing about Arakino’s abilities, but the sheer scale of her destruction—despite being new to the world—leads him to believe she might be an isekai traveler like him and Atu.
If that’s true, things are about to get even more complicated.
Atu asks if they should try to make contact. Given the devastation Arakino has caused, she’s probably evil-aligned—so maybe they can get along. But Takuto thinks that’s a bad idea. They don’t know anything about her personality or motives.
Atu is frustrated. Things were finally going well, and now this new threat appears. But Takuto reminds her that Arakino is far to the north and won’t be their immediate problem. Still, the presence of a threat like her proves that Mynoghra needs stronger defenses.
Takuto plans to create another hero as soon as possible. He had originally intended to choose Ea, but with recent developments, he might need someone more combat-oriented. He also realizes that his strategy of remaining hidden must be reconsidered—especially with unpredictable threats like this witch emerging.
To prepare, he’s considering an alliance. Quolia is out of the question after what Atu did to their paladins, but the nation east of the forest is neutral and hasn’t interacted with Mynoghra yet. Once the palace is completed, Takuto plans to investigate that nation and assess the possibility of forming diplomatic ties.
Meanwhile, in that eastern city, barbarians launch an attack. The city’s staff-bearer wipes them out with a bolt of lightning, earning praise from the citizens. But she warns them not to celebrate just yet—they still have a long road ahead.
Back in Mynoghra, Atu and Takuto finish their conversation. Before leaving, Atu apologizes. She knows Takuto dislikes unnecessary violence, and she admits she got carried away when dealing with the paladin.
But Takuto just stares at her blankly and asks why he would care.
Atu is instantly reminded: while Takuto may seem kind, he is, after all, the embodiment of evil. Very little actually disturbs him.
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