The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 64

Ku-gwa-gwa-gwa! Gu-gu-gu!

A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth.

“Blasen Mountain…”

Someone’s finger pointed to the sky.

“It-it’s collapsing.”

“An avalanche?”

“An avalanche? That thing?”

No, that’s not just an avalanche.

Amidst the panicked crowd, Veronica thought. If I’m not mistaken, that’s…

“The entire mountain is collapsing…”

With a rumbling sound, the rocky mountain crumbled as snow, rocks, and trees were uprooted and rolled down. It looked like a sugar castle eaten away from the inside by insects.

The debris quickly reached the walls, raising a blinding cloud of dust. Those who were quick-witted hesitated at first, then turned to flee. One of them collided with Oscar, who muttered blankly like a puppet.

“The wall, Kart has a wall. It’ll be fine.”

After offering comfort, unsure to whom, he looked at the outer area. His eyes were shaking violently.

Ah, for the people of Kart, the wall is faith itself—faith in God, faith in paradise, faith in safety, peace, and the life they had lived until now. But rocks continued to fall on it. Veronica could see it.

“…The wall will soon break. We need to run to a tall building.”

Experience is precious. The tragedies of the past few months had helped Veronica grow. She wasn’t trembling on the ground like she had in Bayern. Now, she was thinking more calmly, though her hands still shook.

“That building won’t withstand the rocks.”

It was then that someone pulled her back as she tried to enter a nearby wooden building. It was Leon. It seemed he had come out of the weapon shop once the commotion began. When she instinctively shook off his arm, he paused, then quietly muttered.

“I know you don’t want to see me. I know you hate me. But you have to stay alive to keep hating me, don’t you?”

His sunken eyes shifted toward the arm she held—Oscar’s arm, gripped tightly instead of shaking off. A rare crack appeared in his handsome face.

Creak, crack.

A chilling sound echoed from the wall then.

It was a distant wail, like a frozen river cracking in the dead of winter. The entire city was thrown into complete chaos. Shouts of “Move!” and “Get out of the way!” burst out as people began to run.

“Follow me. I know a safe place.”

There was no time for further argument. In the end, Veronica gave up and followed Leon, with Oscar also in tow. If they lost focus, they’d be trampled by the fleeing people.

She almost lost sight of Leon, and in a rush, grabbed onto his cloak. Without even looking back, Leon reached out and firmly grabbed her hand, sending a jolt through her body. They passed crying children looking for their parents, a woman who had fallen, and groaning elderly people. The noise rang in her ears.

She thought that living in paradise meant everyone would become angels. But she had forgotten that human kindness came from having enough to spare—something Bahamut lacked, and humans clung to in their selfishness.

The imposing wall that had drawn such a fierce line finally crumbled with a thunderous roar. Veronica turned around, her eyes widening. As the ground shook up and down, bricks tumbled. The people running were crushed under the piles of stones.

Is a landslide supposed to be this fast? Could it be at my heels in just one heartbeat?

“Get a grip!”

A fierce voice snapped her out of it. Leon pulled her roughly. They hurriedly ran into a sturdy stone building. The building had multiple floors and corridors, with two other similar structures in front to absorb some of the impact, and it was tall.

“We need to go higher.”

Not only did Oscar insist, but those who had fled with them also agreed. Blending with the crowd, they climbed to the top floor. Leon stayed behind her the whole time, though he could have easily taken long strides to go ahead. Thanks to him, Veronica was able to lean against the stairs instead of rolling down when the debris reached the lower floors.

Those who reached the top collapsed into the hallway, panting heavily. The roar and the trembling of the ground continued. At the end of the hallway was a window where the three of them took their places.

“The wall… broke,” Oscar muttered breathlessly, gripping the windowsill. “This is unbelievable.”

“Unbelievable? What was the prophecy?” Leon pushed back his disheveled hair, revealing his forehead, and asked coldly.

Oscar’s expression was one of confusion. “The rest and peace of the holy city shall be eternal. Not a single drop of innocent blood shall ever be spilled on that land.”

It was the truth the entire continent had grown up with and a covenant proven by a thousand years. But Leon shook his head.

“No, I mean the prophecy you heard directly.”

“……”

Oscar turned a dazed gaze to Veronica. Though she had spoken the prophecy, Oscar was the one who had truly heard it.

“It said the small sword would be taken… That Bahamut wielding God’s sword would bring down Kart and take away its glory. That even if people died and fell into grief, God would not hear their prayers or cries, for He had lost His face.”

Oscar recalled the prophecy haltingly. The fact that he could remember so much despite the time that had passed showed he must have mulled over it many times.

“So, you’re saying that prophecy is real? Of course, the wall filled with holy power could only be broken by God’s sword… But then those creatures must still be nearby, and they’re even using God’s sword… Damn it. Still, the two prophecies can’t be contradictory.” Oscar clutched his head and furrowed his brow in frustration.

Veronica, who had been catching her breath, spoke up, “They might not be contradictory.”

Both men turned to look at her simultaneously—one expressionless, the other with lips slightly parted in disbelief. Some people in the hallway also looked over, so Veronica lowered her voice.

“Think about it. The first prophecy is about the holy city, while the second one is about Kart.”

She spoke carefully, and silence settled for a moment. It didn’t take long for realization to turn into shock.

“So, are you saying the holy city refers to somewhere else?” Oscar asked, his voice trembling.

Veronica nodded. “That’s what I think. But it’s not surprising. God doesn’t reside in the church anyway.”

God exists in the souls of the faithful. Kart was just a human paradise. It was then that Leon, who had been listening quietly, asked a question.

“Then where do you think the holy city is?”

Veronica hesitated to answer. She didn’t want to mention the place that held memories with him. In the end, she kept her eyes on Oscar as she answered.

“The wilderness. The place where the statue stood.”

“Any proof?”

“I found records in the imperial archives that said no blood had ever been shed on that land. Of course, it’s a fragmentary piece of evidence, and it could just be conjecture. But I also confirmed that the wilderness has never been invaded in its long history.”

Leon remained silent, and Oscar let out a long sigh. Meanwhile, the building continued to shake, and Veronica felt dizzy. Oscar rubbed his face roughly and approached the window. His expression was grim, and Veronica debated whether to go over to him, but Leon spoke first.

“Leave him alone for now. To those with families, a disaster means something else.”

Ah, that’s right. Oscar had been staring at the outskirts endlessly for some time now. The part of the wall that had collapsed and taken a direct hit.

Are Hannah and Emmett alright? Their house is on the lower floors. She wouldn’t be able to run far with a pregnant belly.

Veronica squeezed her hand tightly as a habit, feeling an intense gaze from the side. She didn’t need to check to know who it was. His gaze always made her feel exposed. When she deliberately ignored him, he spoke first.

“Does it hurt?”

“……”

“I thought it was just a temporary habit.”

He lifted her hand, white at the knuckles, and spoke. His hand was large enough to easily cover her fist.

“Oh, you’re not even going to look at me or answer?”

“……”

She remained silent, and tension hung between them. Finally, Leon let out a low, bitter laugh. There was too much self-mockery for it to be mere derision, and in the end, he lifted her chin. There was something anxious about his touch, though it couldn’t be.

“Look at me.”

Veronica stubbornly clenched her eyes shut. Leon, waiting, stepped closer and leaned his head in. Surely, he wouldn’t kiss her here. Just as she thought that, his breath touched her ear, and Veronica was shocked.

His low whisper was an imitation of her voice from days ago, meant only for her ears. Her face flared as the marks he left on her body seemed to burn with heat. Veronica’s eyes snapped open.

“Are you crazy? What if someone hears you—”

She trailed off as she saw how close he was.

“Now you’re finally looking at me.”

Leon muttered, his eyes meeting hers. Despite his teasing demeanor, there was a desperate edge, as if he believed there was salvation within her. Veronica was at a loss for words and glared at him in disbelief. Her ears burned.

There was a time before when they had looked at each other like this. Not long after they had met, when he saw the wound on her neck. He said she was his type and promised to give her medicine if she didn’t starve.

Yes, it’s a simple physical desire. To him, that’s all I’m worth.

“Call my name if you want me to look at you.” Veronica met his deep gaze and spoke.

Leon’s lips tightened. As he stood there, unable to respond, Veronica pushed his hand away and took a step back.