"Rivern? Is that you, Rivern Rybirths?"

  Vanessa recognized the man who had suddenly barged in at first glance.

  She and Rivern were colleagues, and over the years, they had naturally crossed paths a few times.

  This priest had always left a lasting impression on her—not because of his striking appearance or distinguished demeanor, but because, despite being a low-ranking priest, he was often personally summoned by High Priest Aurora.

  Moreover, he was remarkably well-acquainted with the higher-ups at headquarters.

  For someone of his rank, such privileges and connections were anything but normal.

  Vanessa had long suspected that Rivern’s identity was anything but ordinary.

  The title of “low-ranking priest” might very well have been nothing more than a facade.

  And now, her suspicions had been confirmed.

  "Hello, Vanessa."

  Rivern turned to face her, offering a polite smile in greeting.

  "I knew it. You really are with the Sevenfold Verdict."

  Vanessa’s gaze sharpened. "Were you sent here by the higher-ups?"

  "Well… hmm, something like that." Rivern scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry for being late."

  Vanessa took note of the dirt and wounds covering him and chose not to press further.

  She understood that Exorcists were granted special discretionary privileges—allowing Rivern to withhold information even from his fellow priests.

  Even if she asked what had really happened, he had every right not to answer.

  Exorcists belonged to the Sevenfold Verdict, a covert branch of Dawn Prayers—

  An organization whose membership was never disclosed, and whose leader’s true identity remained unknown.

  Because of this secrecy, many doubted whether the organization even truly existed.

  After the Great Catastrophe, the demonic incursions into the human world suddenly diminished.

  No one knew why.

  The survivors were too preoccupied rebuilding their homes to question the catastrophe’s origin or why the demons had vanished.

  In the years that followed, the number of Exorcists dwindled—

  Their existence fading into legend.

  And now—

  A figure from that very legend stood at the center of the crowd,

  Watched intently by all.

  "It’s an Exorcist! A real, living Exorcist!"

  "So cool!"

  "Sir Exorcist, can I shake your hand?"

  "…Hey, stop pushing! Get in line!"

  Faced with the overwhelming enthusiasm of the townsfolk, Rivern found himself at a loss for words.

  All he could do was offer a helpless smile and say, "Uh… excuse me, everyone. Could you make some space?"

  While all attention was fixed on the legendary Exorcist,

  The mercenary group and Vanessa remained by the unconscious guardian bear,

  standing watch over him.

  As Vanessa continued channeling healing magic over the injured beast, she took a brief moment to ask Cecile,

  "Whose battle pet is this?"

  Cecile shook her head. "He’s not a battle pet. He’s a werewolf Shapeshifter."

  Vanessa’s eyes widened in shock.

  [A werewolf? And a Shapeshifter at that? Why is he here, in human territory?]

  [And why would he fight so desperately… just to protect a human town?]

  She was momentarily distracted by these thoughts—

  And in that very moment, a thick white mist unfurled around the giant bear.

  Before their very eyes, the guardian beast began to change.

  Under the watchful gaze of the crowd,

  The towering bear shifted into a humanoid form.

  Short, jet-black hair.

  Tanned, wheat-colored skin.

  His features were indistinguishable from a human male.

  Austin and Cecile stared in disbelief—

  The young man lying before them was the same Shapeshifter who had just broken free from the ice.

  Shinya lay unconscious at the center of Vanessa’s magic circle, his eyes tightly shut.

  The combined effect of holy magic’s healing properties and his werewolf regeneration worked in tandem, causing his once-gaping wounds to mend at a visibly rapid pace.

  “Unbelievable,” Austin murmured in awe. “Any normal human would have died from Azure Tempest on the spot. But he survived…”

  Meanwhile, Rivern finally managed to push through the crowd and made his way to Vanessa’s side.

  “How’s the werewolf?” he asked.

  “His condition is stable. He should regain consciousness soon,” Vanessa replied.

  Rivern gave a slight nod before turning away, heading toward the inn’s entrance.

  Before long, he found Nicole beside Molly, the innkeeper.

  She remained fast asleep, leaning against Molly, completely unresponsive.

  Through a brief conversation with Molly, Rivern learned that Shinya had deep ties to this inn.

  That explained why he had come here first for help.

  Seagull Town’s priest, Eddie, had already purified the poison from Nicole’s body before joining Shinya and Kyle on their journey to Acorn Town—to aid Rivern.

  That was where the three of them had encountered the demon.

  "You ran into a demon?" Molly’s face tightened with worry and fear. "What about Kyle and Eddie? Are they alright?"

  "They’re fine. No injuries," Rivern reassured her. "They were right behind me and should be arriving soon. I was only able to make it here in time thanks to this one."He turned to glance at the horse standing nearby, which let out a low, steady snort in response.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Rivern’s gaze returned to Nicole.

  “Her condition isn’t normal. She shouldn’t be in such a deep sleep. I need Vanessa to check on her.”

  Molly exchanged a glance with one of the staff members, who immediately went to summon Vanessa.

  After a brief spell, the priest’s expression shifted subtly—only for her usual calm composure to quickly return.

  Still, she insisted on taking Nicole to the church.

  Rivern sensed that something was off.

  “I’m coming with you.”

  Before Vanessa could respond, the sound of galloping hooves once again filled the air.

  "Kyle!"

  From a distance, Molly spotted her husband and Priest Eddie and rushed forward to meet them.

  "Is everyone alright?" Kyle asked.

  "No one was hurt, but the inn…" Molly trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

  Kyle dismounted and walked toward the inn he had worked so hard to build—

  And in that moment, his heart sank.

  Then, like a weathered stone statue, he stood frozen, unable to utter a single word.

  The once-pristine, luxurious hall of the Sword Sheath Inn lay in ruins.

  Shattered tables and chairs littered the floor, the remnants of chandeliers scattered among the wreckage.

  The grand staircase leading to the second floor was half-destroyed, its railings and banisters barely holding together.

  Half the steps had collapsed, with no sign of where the missing pieces had been flung.

  Deep claw marks marred the wooden floorboards, and in some areas, the planks had split open—some cracks wide enough for a person to fall through.

  A little more damage, and it would have broken through to the basement.

  "Mason, tally up the total damage to the inn," Kyle called out to one of the staff members, his expression blank.

  "Got it. Do you want it now?" Mason asked.

  "Start calculating immediately. But—don’t let me know the total for at least a week."

  Kyle stepped into the wreckage of the once-grand hall, his eyes falling on Shinya, who was now surrounded by the mercenary group.

  He pushed aside one of the mercenaries, squeezing into the circle.

  "What happened? Who were you fighting?"

  After listening to Austin’s explanation, Kyle still found it hard to believe.

  If not for the undeniable traces of the brutal battle left behind,

  How could he ever believe that ghouls had appeared inside his inn?

  Had Vanessa not arrived in time, the mercenary swordsmen might have been on the brink of death.

  Had Shinya not used his own body to block the reflected Azure Tempest, Austin would have already been dead.

  Had Rivern not eliminated the remaining ghouls and destroyed the black bird’s portal, the entire town might have suffered the same fate as Acorn Town.

  Kyle sat cross-legged beside Shinya, feeling a wave of relief wash over him.

  Against such an overwhelming horde of ghouls, not a single person had died.

  Given the circumstances, this outcome was—

  The best they could have hoped for.

  The only loss was money.

  But for a businessman, what could be more important than that?

  "Hey, Shinya, if you don’t wake up soon, who am I supposed to send the repair bill to?"

  "Don’t even think about running away—who else besides your bear form could’ve caused this much destruction?"

  "You’re working as my laborer for the next hundred year, no exceptions."

  At last, Shinya’s deep purple eyes fluttered open.

  His body tensed as he jerked upright, thick mist dispersing around him.

  Kyle immediately reached out and gripped his shoulder, stopping him before he could shift.

  "Calm down. It’s over."

  Shinya turned his head, finally noticing Kyle beside him.

  Then, he saw the mercenaries, and as his gaze swept across the ruined inn, ensuring that the danger had truly passed,

  He frowned slightly, surprised.

  "It’s… over? What about the ghouls?"

  "An Exorcist arrived," Austin answered. "He eliminated all the ghouls, along with the black bird and the portal."

  "An Exorcist?"

  "Yeah, his name was Rivern, I think. We should properly thank him later. And I should thank you too, werewolf Shapeshifter. If not for you, I would have—"

  "Don’t get the wrong idea," Shinya interrupted coldly. "I didn’t do it to save you."

  His sharp tone silenced Austin.

  "The only thing I was protecting was the barrier behind you," Shinya continued. "Did any of you even stop to consider what would’ve happened if that spell had hit it?"

  "Ghouls can’t break through divine magic, but elemental magic can. Your spell could have been used against us—to shatter our last line of defense. And if that barrier had collapsed… you all know exactly what the worst-case scenario would’ve been."

  A heavy silence fell over the group.

  Without waiting for a response, Shinya rose to his feet and bolted toward the inn’s entrance, his only focus—finding Nicole.

  [If the barrier had broken… If the ghouls had escaped… how would I have protected Nicole?]

  For Nicole’s safety, he would sacrifice anything.

  As the others watched him disappear into the distance, they each had something to say.

  "Regardless of your reasons, the fact remains—you saved me," Austin said with gratitude.

  "That’s what I call a hero—a reckless, death-defying hero," Robin remarked.

  "Unbelievable. He’s already walking? Any normal person who took fatal wounds like that wouldn’t even get out of bed for a week, priest healing or not," Cecile pointed out.

  Robin shook his head. "No, no, Cecile—you’re thinking too small. A normal person wouldn’t have survived taking Austin’s Azure Tempest head-on in the first place."

  Kyle nodded in agreement. "Can’t argue with that. He’s definitely not normal."

  As he spoke, the innkeeper straightened up and turned to the mercenaries.

  "Speaking of which… where exactly are you lot from?"

  Robin proudly introduced himself, "We’re ‘Bladewind,’ a mercenary group from Northsail. So, boss, got any jobs for us?"

  "No work for now," Kyle replied as he adjusted his clothing, shifting his mood before flashing a smile. "But—given your group’s bravery tonight, I, on behalf of the Sword Sheath Inn, sincerely thank you for coming to our aid. As a token of appreciation, I invite you all to stay here—free of charge—for one week."

  The mercenaries erupted in cheers—except for Robin, who seemed a bit dissatisfied.

  "So does that mean our previous lodging and meal expenses are also waived?"

  "One thing has nothing to do with the other," Kyle responded with a perfectly practiced business smile. "Your past expenses are still due."

  "Then can we at least get reimbursed for the Shatterbolt arrow Cecile used?"

  Kyle’s smile didn’t waver.

  "I’m sorry, what arrow?" he asked sweetly.

  Austin couldn't take it anymore and smacked Robin on the head.

  "Enough. Just shut up already."

  Kyle nodded toward them in farewell. "I'll take my leave now. There's still another hero I need to inform."

  With that, he turned and headed outside the inn.

  The moment he stepped out, he heard Shinya’s icy voice cutting through the night air.

  "Give Nicole back to me!"

  Kyle instinctively followed the sound and saw Rivern carrying Nicole in his arms, preparing to leave for Seagull Town’s church.

  Meanwhile, Shinya stood a short distance away, calling after him.

  A sense of unease immediately settled over Kyle.

  Something was about to go wrong.

  "Put her down!"

  Seeing that Rivern remained still, Shinya repeated his command, as if treating him as some kind of grave threat.

  With no other choice, Rivern complied, gently handing Nicole over to Shinya as he approached.

  Vanessa observed the exchange, quickly deducing that the werewolf and the girl must have an unusual relationship.

  Since he clearly meant her no harm, she saw no reason to intervene.

  "Then, please bring the girl with you to the church. She requires special treatment."

  Shinya said nothing, simply holding Nicole close as he walked toward the towering spire of the church.

  Vanessa followed closely behind.

  Rivern, too, moved to join them.

  "I'm coming as well," he said.

  The first voice of opposition rang out.

  "That won’t do."

  Kyle called out from behind, his tone casual but firm. "If our great hero leaves just like that, people might start saying the Sword Sheath Inn failed to show proper hospitality."

  He wasn’t lying—but that wasn’t the real reason he was so eager to keep Rivern around.

  Without hesitation, the innkeeper chased after him, warmly grabbing the Exorcist’s arm.

  "Sir Hero, if you don’t take the chance to experience our inn’s latest bath system, then this journey of yours will have been in vain!"

  Kyle’s flawlessly rehearsed sales pitch left Rivern momentarily overwhelmed.

  "Private shower rooms—pure luxury, just for you."

  "Uh… well… I appreciate it, but—"

  Before Rivern could politely refuse, Kyle had already started dragging him back toward the inn.

  "Featuring the ultimate temperature-control technology imported from the beastkin kingdom of Sharuga—ensuring perfect comfort all year round. Warm in winter, cool in summer, and 100% satisfaction guaranteed!"

  "Uh…, it’s not that I don’t want to go, but… could I maybe go later?" Rivern asked hesitantly.

  "No can do. Midnight deep cleaning. We have scheduled maintenance at fixed hours."

  "But… it’s still quite a while until midnight. Can’t we just… wait a little longer?"

  "Nope, Exorcist." Kyle replied with a bright, unwavering smile.

  He was rushing to separate Rivern from Shinya because his gut instinct told him—

  If he didn’t get them apart soon, Shinya would inevitably start picking a fight with the Exorcist for getting too close to Nicole.

  Having grown up with Shinya, Kyle knew better than anyone just how dangerous it was when his hostility and killing intent began to show.

  And right now, he could sense it brewing.

  Just then, Shinya abruptly stopped in his tracks.

  Still holding Nicole, he turned around, his voice laced with mockery.

  "Exorcist? What a coincidence—I happen to have a few questions for this Exorcist sir."

  Both Kyle and Rivern froze at the same time.

  Kyle groaned inwardly.

  [Damn it. Here we go. He’s about to start trouble with the Exorcist.]

  Rivern turned to face Shinya from a distance, his expression calm and composed.

  "Go ahead."

  Shinya’s gaze sharpened, his arms tightening around Nicole.

  "How did you find me and Nicole so easily today? You knew the way to Acorn Town, didn’t you?"

  "Fifteen years ago, during the massacre in Acorn Town—

  We crossed paths.I recognize your scent.

  What is your connection to demons?!"

  The sudden interrogation left the onlookers bewildered, and soon, a murmur of voices filled the air.

  "Acorn Town? Where’s that?"

  "You were still young back then, it’s normal if you don’t remember."

  "It was that massacre, wasn’t it? The entire town was wiped out."

  "Gods, that’s horrifying. Who did it?"

  "Demons. They say it was the work of demons."

  Each word pierced through Rivern like a blade, every sentence cutting deeper.

  He kept his head lowered, silent for a long while.

  Finally, he lifted his gaze.

  His emerald-green eyes, usually so vibrant, were now dim and lifeless, reflecting a sorrow both heavy and resigned.

  Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly—

  And then, in a steady voice, he spoke.

  "You’re right."

  "Fifteen years ago… I was there."

  "The people of Acorn Town died because of me."

  "I… was the one who killed them."