An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"It's not just the damage to the country's prestige."

They would certainly question—was this war truly won? Even the gods' people couldn't help but have such doubts.

In other words—

"The Church's 'absoluteness' will be shaken."

That was a sign that the foundations of the world were about to be overturned.

Therefore, the church would not take the initiative to expose the scandal until Rolls was discovered by the public.

For Rolls, if he were discovered, he would be immediately silenced by overwhelming force; and for the Church, they did not want the fact that Rolls had betrayed them to be made public. Only on this point did their interests coincide.

Under this premise, the church has only one expectation.

"We were fortunate not to be detected by the subjugation team."

That is assassination.

Secretly eliminate Ross and others, and then just make up a reason and have another heir.

This is the best way to do the least harm to the church.

Therefore, regardless of his injuries, Ross made escaping abroad his top priority.

Because if they stay in the country, they cannot appear where there are people.

They could only advance through places without roads, such as mountains or forests far from settlements. However, if they were caught by the "Apostles of God" in such places, they would be doomed.

For people like Ross, the best way to save their lives is to escape to a foreign city as soon as possible and blend in with the crowd.

"To think they could actually hide from the 'Cup of Treachery'... Father is truly remarkable!"

"Because that kind of artifact works by recording the soul's information through blood and tracking it through sensing. As long as the soul is hidden, it will naturally not be able to function."

The "Clay Cup of Betrayal"—that is one of the church's secret treasures.

All church-related personnel, especially those allowed to enter and exit the church headquarters, must first drip their blood into a cup-shaped artifact in the name of dedication.

Its function is just as Rolls said, in short, it is a safeguard to prevent traitors from escaping.

Since it is a secret treasure that interferes with the soul, it is impossible to avoid its tracking in principle.

There are only two exceptions: one is death, and the other is using soul magic to hide the soul.

Therefore, Ross can be said to be the only person in the world who has the ability to evade the pursuit of this secret treasure.

This is also the main reason why the church has not been able to find Rolls yet.

Having said that──

(Could it be that they are just letting us go for now...? Am I overthinking this...?)

It is hard to say whether it can be hidden from the eyes of God.

Is it true that the "Apostle of God" can't track him down?

During his escape, Ross used soul magic to detect enemy activity over a wide area, but he never once spotted anything resembling a search party, which only aroused his suspicions. If the church had truly intended to find them, they would have come close to being found at least once.

An inexplicable sense of unease arose in my heart.

That's why he ignored his injuries and rushed here overnight.

Almost all of his magic power was used to heal the dying Ryan Hyde, even disregarding his own safety and maintaining the state of "limit breakthrough" at any time during the movement.

Of course, you'll encounter monsters while walking on roads without paths, and you'll need to hunt wild animals to fill your stomach.

Even when sleeping, it is only a light sleep. Magic is used at all times to conceal the souls of everyone. Not daring to neglect a single second, and at the same time, extensively searching for the enemy's traces must be carried out.

Under such harsh conditions, it would be commendable for an average person to advance twenty kilometers a day.

However, in just over two weeks since the beginning of his escape, he has traveled 600 kilometers south.

Even for the world's strongest knight, such hard work would inevitably come at a high price.

Ross was currently in a state of extreme exhaustion. Excessive use of "Limit Break" had weakened his soul, significantly slowing the recovery of his physical and magical energy.

The only thing is this magic that conceals the soul - "Hide". Because Ross ignored his injuries and worked hard to improve it during the journey, even if Ross himself is asleep or unconscious due to an accident, the magic power used when it was activated can be extended to a longer time, without the need to re-activate it, and it can last for about two months at most.

But if a fight breaks out, I still can't feel at ease...

If they really send someone to hunt me down, they'll definitely send someone capable of killing me. Even if I put up a full-throttle defense, I'm not sure I'll win. So, I might as well just make it to Entris. My chances of survival are higher... I'm probably right.

Royce's destination is the [Entris Commercial United City].

It is a holy place for merchants, where anyone can come and go freely and it is always filled with all kinds of people and things.

With the capital city of Esperade as its center, there are six cities with their own unique characteristics surrounding it.

One of these cities is where Ross and his companions are currently recuperating and hiding. It is the city of cooking and pharmacy—[Palantino].

The shape of [Entris] itself is like a flattened rhombus, and [Palantino] is located in the northwest area adjacent to the Kingdom of God.

It's as vibrant as you'd imagine, packed with people every day.

If they attacked this place, no matter how careful they were, news of Rouse's escape would inevitably become public knowledge, so the likelihood of an attack here was low. However, just to be on the safe side, they chose to hide in the ruins on the outskirts to avoid endangering the town's residents. But for now, it seemed all was well.

Today is the seventh day since I escaped to this city.

This city is characterized by its nutritious, nourishing food, and the quality of both ordinary and magical medicines is also exceptionally high. Coupled with the environment that allows for proper recuperation, Ross's current physical and mental state is better than when he first arrived, barely escaping the state of being unable to move. Therefore—

"It's almost time to leave."

"! But, Father, your body is still..."

"It's nothing serious."

How could he be alright? Sharon thought, gritting his teeth in frustration. If only I were more useful, if only I could carry my father on my back. Sharon was deeply resigned to the fact that he was just a helpless child.

"Do you think...the subjugation team is about to catch up?"

"Who knows? However, staying in the same place isn't a good idea. According to the original plan, we should have set off two days ago."

No matter how carefully you hide your tracks, the longer you stay, the more clues you will leave behind.

When the surrounding residents notice these clues, word will spread.

Listening to Ross's explanation of the risks, Sharon thought of the mother and daughter he had just met on the road. He felt that what his father said was absolutely right. Even though he was worried about his father's condition, he had to agree.

Seeing his son lower his head, Ross narrowed his eyes and said very gently:

"Don't worry, Sharon."

"..."

"I will never die. I have a reason to live, a promise I must fulfill."

"Are you referring to... the daughter of Count Leisen?"

During this trip, Royce and Sharon talked a lot, including things they had previously been afraid to say due to their faith and the opinions of others, as well as the deepest thoughts in their hearts. The father and son really talked a lot.

There is also the truth about war, the truth about God, and the existence of the rebels.

Among them, what impressed Sharon the most was the story of a certain girl.

This shocked Sharon.

Sharon was very surprised by what her father said about her attitude and experience.

He couldn't imagine that such a girl existed in this world. He felt as if he had just heard a legend of a brave hero.

However, what surprised Sharon the most was...

"Hehe, don't forget to add the word 'former', Sharon. That girl is far from being a 'daughter of wealth' now."

"...Father, it's too much to say that about a woman."

Whenever my father mentioned that girl, he would always smile like this.

Ross Byrne always had a blank expression, as if he were wearing an iron mask. His smile was always just a subtle softening of the corners of his eyes or a slight lift of the corners of his mouth.

But, I never expected──

Only when he mentioned that girl would his father frown and smile, a smile that anyone could see.

Even when talking to his family, he never showed such a smile.

This made Xia Lun inexplicably upset.

His father's smile was like he had finally been freed from a heavy and difficult-to-break-away bondage. However, Sharon really didn't want to admit this fact.

Because, in this case, wouldn't it be not just the church, but even the existence of the Byrne family itself that is the source of his father's pain? Thinking further, perhaps even his own existence is just a burden to his father... Such a terrifying thought arose spontaneously, unable to be suppressed.

"...Does Father really want to go against the church...and go against God?"

"That's right."

"Is that... for Meredy Lessen?"

Sharon didn't notice that his tone was much harsher than she had imagined.

Although, he understood it in his head. Sharon was very smart, and it was hard to believe he was only eight years old.

God treats the world as a chessboard and plays with all human beings.

The content of the doctrine is solely for the convenience of the church (God).

This battle is to free humanity from all this.

Sharon had always sensed something was amiss in his life, and after learning the truth, he understood the source of this strange feeling. Though still young, he was filled with righteous indignation. He was also proud of his father for standing up to the powerful enemy.

But, if the reason my father risked his life fighting was for a girl he didn't even know...

"fool."

"what?"

The sudden rebuke—no, the tone sounded just helpless, causing Sharon to suddenly raise his lowered head.

Only then did he realize that his father's eyes were full of tenderness, which even made him unable to help but stare at him in a trance.

"Of course it's for you, is there any need to explain it?"

"For me?"

"That's right."

Ross dragged his disobedient body and stood up reluctantly.

Sharon's eyes wandered around in confusion. Royce came to him, knelt on one leg, put his hand on his shoulder, and looked him straight in the eyes.

"And for Lykolis, Kaim, and Shem."

"what……"

These words immediately made Xia Lun feel conflicted.

It reminded him of his family, the ones who had tortured him and hurt him with words as sharp as a knife.

Whenever I think of them, I feel a dull pain in my heart, sadness and chill.

But even so, they were still his family, and therefore, he couldn't help but feel uneasy and regretful about leaving them in such a distorted environment, like a dark haze that lingered in his heart.

However, when Ross came to rescue them, he said "sorry" and expressed his regret for abandoning them.

Therefore, Sharon didn't want to burden his father any further. If he asked his father, "Are you not going to save them?" he would surely feel guilty. So, Sharon couldn't bring himself to say such a thing.

Therefore, Sharon kept this depressed mood in his heart and pretended that he had forgotten it.

But my father never forgot.

Father, don’t give up on your family!

Sharon's heart was filled with joy, peace of mind and admiration, and a drop of tears flowed from the corner of her eyes and slid down her cheek.

As the son of the most powerful knight, it would be unworthy to shed tears over such a thing.

Sharon thought to himself, and quickly wiped his eyes roughly with his hands. To cover it up, he even joked deliberately.

"Father, don't forget Grandma."

"I haven't forgotten."

Royce answered immediately, stood up, and brushed Sharon's gray hair, putting on a serious attitude as if he was about to tell him a secret.

"To be honest, I didn't mention my mother on purpose. Because I hate her."

“Eh!?”