How the Cult Saves the World

Cedric Herpheon.

The Second Prince of the Herpheon Empire, and the one who receives the most love from the Emperor.

Cedric himself knew this very well. But he also knew that ever since his father had passed, his standing within the Imperial Palace had been gradually shrinking.

He was well aware that his mother, the Emperor, still loved him — but Diego Church, which had been slowly swallowing the Imperial Palace over the past few years, had been giving him a sense of crisis.

In truth, he was more worried about his mother than himself — that she might somehow be tainted by Diego Church.

On top of that, Cedric harbored considerable fear of Diego Church's apostles, having witnessed them over the years.

Even so, with his mother's orders in place, he had made contact with the Kyros Church leader in order to rescue the rebel forces. But this situation was a little...

"......"

"......"

Cedric let out a quiet sigh inwardly.

Of all things, he was separated from the Kyros Church leader and now traveling with "Terdius," the former apostle of Diego Church, which had him feeling quite tense.

They sat facing each other in the carriage, but Terdius had simply closed his eyes as if he'd fallen asleep.

'Still, according to the Church Leader, Terdius is now a sincere Kyros Church believer...'

No matter how hard he tried to think well of it, the unease blossoming in one corner of his heart was not easy to suppress.

And so Cedric kept involuntarily sneaking glances at Terdius. He supposed it was something of a relief that Terdius seemed to be sleeping.

Cedric was quietly breathing a sigh of relief inside when it happened.

"......Second Prince."

"......!"

Terdius's lips parted, and a low voice flowed out. His eyes were still closed, yet Cedric was gripped by the feeling that Terdius was glaring at him.

"Is there something you would like to say to me?"

Though his eyes remained shut, Terdius had sensed Cedric's gaze and asked politely.

But to Cedric's ears, his words sounded as if he were telling him to stop staring.

"I, sorry — I apologize."

Cedric startled involuntarily and apologized. But at the apology, Terdius actually lifted his closed eyelids, revealing his deep eyes.

Terdius looked at Cedric with an unreadable gaze.

Then he slowly opened his mouth.

"Second Prince. Are you afraid of me?"

At those words, Cedric couldn't bring himself to say no. He parted his lips thinking he ought to reply, but the result was surely quite strange-looking.

Even so, time continued to pass.

In the end, Cedric said nothing and fell silent. And Terdius knew full well that silence meant yes.

Gulp.

The sound of Cedric swallowing nervously from tension echoed through the carriage interior. Cedric himself didn't seem to notice, but Terdius had long since known he was wound up tight.

'From the moment he was speaking with Leviathan.'

The Second Prince Cedric hadn't been able to look Terdius properly in the face. Terdius thought back to the days when he had still been affiliated with Diego Church.

Back then, as a Diego Church apostle, he had occasionally visited the Imperial Palace, and on a few occasions had spent time in the company of the imperial family.

He had never spent time with the Second Prince Cedric, but it seemed the young man had heard the unsavory rumors about him.

'On top of that, this one is not affiliated with Diego Church.'

His fear of Terdius was bound to be even greater. And yet, even now that Leviathan had properly explained who he was, the fear persisted to this extent.

'...Am I so frightening to look at?'

Terdius thought that, then politely addressed Cedric.

"There is no need for Your Highness to fear me so. I have no intention of harming you."

"I, I did not think that!"

Cedric visibly flustered and cried out. He flailed his arms in the air.

At that sight, Terdius let out a small sigh and added — chalking it up to his own past transgressions.

"I understand that you cannot trust me because of my past affiliation with Diego Church. However..."

Terdius explained quietly and steadily.

"If you cannot trust me, then please trust Leviathan — that is, the Kyros Church leader. He is wiser and more insightful than anyone. That is why Her Majesty the Emperor also trusts him. And I simply move according to that Church Leader's words."

At Terdius's words, Cedric opened his mouth slightly.

When he couldn't seem to find anything to say in response, Terdius added:

"Since we will be moving together for the time being, it would be better for you to trust me as well, Second Prince. Otherwise, you will be in mental anguish for the entire duration we move together."

At first glance it sounded like a warning, but no emotion was visible on Terdius's face.

Only then did Cedric understand.

'To this man, I am nothing.'

The former Inquisitor and Apostle of Diego Church was now simply moving under the orders of his new Church Leader, Leviathan.

Terdius's gaze on Cedric was utterly devoid of feeling.

From that gaze, Cedric read that Terdius didn't even find him worth harming.

Cedric slowly nodded.

Being treated that way by someone was quite a bitter thing — but Cedric knew his own position very well.

And so right now, he didn't feel particularly bad.

"Understood."

At Cedric's answer, Terdius slowly nodded. Then he closed his eyes once more.

'...Leviathan. To saddle me with such a bothersome task.'

Feeling rather like he'd become a nursemaid, Terdius's mood was not especially good.

Somewhere on a mountainside near the city of "Odret."

"Hayen, move faster...!"

"Y, yes! Elzes!"

A woman in her early thirties and a boy in his late teens were running down a mountain path, each clutching a bundle stuffed full of stale bread.

Sweat poured down both their foreheads, and the clothes they wore were torn in several places.

Their faces were scratched and cut, but they ran and ran with everything they had.

"This way!"

Elzes, the woman in her early thirties and one of the rebel forces' officers, led her youngest member Hayen down a comparatively safer path.

"Huff, huff."

But Hayen's breath had already reached its limit. If things continued like this, he would fall behind and be captured.

"The rebel forces are over there! Catch them!"

Sure enough, the Diego Church priests who had been chasing the two of them were drawing closer.

In the end, Elzes grabbed Hayen and flung them both to the side of the path, then used the little magic power left in her body to create a small barrier around them.

"Shh."

"Shh......"

The two were made transparent and hidden by the barrier. The Diego Church priests and knights brushed past them.

Having escaped the immediate crisis, the two began running again.

'Of all the times to be caught by Diego Church, it had to be now, when we came out to resupply...'

Elzes ran, biting her lip.

Fortunately Hayen was keeping up behind her.

Diego Church had begun pursuing the rebel forces roughly three days ago. They had managed to stay hidden until now, but of all days, Diego Church had caught them today.

'We came outside because the food supply had run out, and of all the luck...!'

Elzes cursed inwardly. She hadn't expected to run into Diego Church at precisely the moment when it was just the two of them, herself and Hayen.

With neither of them being particularly strong in combat, simply running away was already pushing them to their limits.

And on top of that, their pursuers were the direct unit of Gawen, one of Diego Church's twelve Archbishops. The one silver lining was that Gawen himself had not come in person.

Chasing them were a bishop, priests, and holy knights under Gawen's command.

"There they are!"

As they ran hard once more, the voices of their pursuers came from behind Elzes and Hayen.

In an instant cold sweat ran down both their backs.

The mountain terrain wasn't particularly complex, and with almost no cover, they had no choice but to be easily spotted.

'Damn, if only I had even a scrap of magic left...!'

Even the tiniest bit of magic remaining might have given her some hope.

But Elzes was as good as at the point of total exhaustion.

Even so, she didn't stop moving.

Because if she gave up here, the youngest, Hayen, who had followed trusting in her, would also be in danger.

Clip-clop—

It was at that very moment.

The sound of hooves came from the small carriage road running through the mountain.

Elzes immediately turned her head.

And just then, a single carriage could be seen coming.

'That's it...!'

Elzes grabbed Hayen and ran — wildly, truly with everything she had.

The distance between them and the carriage closed rapidly.

Elzes decided to make a gamble using the carriage.

"Hayen."

Hayen seemed to have grasped her plan as well, and nodded. When the carriage drew nearer, Elzes and Hayen—

Pitter-patter—

—sprinted forward fast. And in the nick of time, just before being run over by the carriage, they crossed the road in an instant.

"Good heavens! What do you think you're doing, jumping out like that!"

The coachman cried out in alarm. But Elzes and Hayen had no time even to apologize.

"They crossed the road over there!"

"After them!"

They had bought themselves a brief window of time, but the pursuit was far from over.

"Hayen, quickly!"

Elzes turned her body fast.

That was when the unexpected occurred.

"Ugh! Pl, please go ahead without me!"

Hayen was no longer able to follow her.

"What?! What do you mean—!"

When she turned her gaze, Hayen's left trouser leg was soaking red. Only then did she realize that Hayen had injured his left leg at some point earlier.

"You, don't tell me...! Why didn't you say anything!"

When Diego Church had been chasing them through the forest, Hayen had tripped on a rock and fallen. But the boy hadn't wanted to be a burden, and had said nothing.

However, by forcing himself to ignore the pain and keep moving violently, Hayen's wound had torn open.

"Pl, please leave me behind! Go, now!"

Hayen cried out that he would sacrifice himself.

But Elzes could not leave this young boy behind.

"I can't do that. Get on my back!"

Elzes moved to carry him on her back.

"No. If you do that, we'll both be caught! So please, leave me behind!"

Even as the two argued, Diego Church's pursuit was closing in tightly. If things kept going like this, both of them would clearly be caught.

"B, but...!"

Elzes couldn't bring herself to decide. For her sake, Hayen forced a smile.

That was the very moment Elzes's eyes began to grow moist.

Creak—

The sound of a door opening was heard.

The door of the carriage, which had stopped when the two suddenly ran in front of it, was opening.

The eyes of Elzes and Hayen turned to the carriage at the same time. And the one who had opened the door was someone with a face neither of them had ever seen before.

"You're injured."

A man with a sacred aura that felt as though heaven itself had sent him down — and at the same time, extraordinarily handsome.

A man whose dazzling looks could not be concealed even by his glasses. Revelof smiled a beautiful smile and spoke.

"Get in the carriage. I will help you."

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