Villain Retirement

1036  Chapter 1036: Big Black T

"Once again our lord talked to me in the form of a lady, even holding my cheek as he softly whispered in my ear."

"Let's… skip to the important parts, Luka."

"...But the little details matter—"

"No."

With much reluctance from the other knights and supposed holy men, Angela was back inside the church. And perhaps it would have been bearable if it was just that—but no.

Right now, Riley was also within their walls along with Karina… along with his religion's supposed cardinal, and the rest of her acolytes. And perhaps if there was any consolation to this, it would be the fact that the members of Riley's religion were quite… behaved.

None of them were even walking around the church and were just seated on the benches; their attention, solely focused on Riley and his words, nothing else… and since he was not talking that much, most of them were truly just sitting there.

And while they were focused on Riley, the others were completely focused on Luka, the Emerald Paladin; the tone he carries with him, somewhat of a poet as he seemed to truly like imparting words and stories. Unfortunately for him, Angela was the complete opposite and wanted him to go straight to the point.

Angela and Luka were in front of the altar, seated on the steps toward it; both of their helmets beside them. Luka, as one might have already expected from his name, was a blond, green-eyed man sporting a buzz cut. But although he looked militaristic, his gaze was anything but—it was almost like it belonged to a puppy.

"But I do think I need to start from the beginning," Luka pleaded.

"No, you don't really need to," Angela, however, was adamant as she continued to shake her head and shush Luka's attempts, "Just tell us the part where our lord spoke to you."

"My lord. You're not—"

"Don't even—I swear!" Angela's sewn eyes started to twitch as Luka raised his finger, "Just tell us!"

"Fine. Nobody understands the beauty of suspense anymore."

"I do, Emerald Paladin."

"Thank you — who would have thought the villain to be the most understanding one," Luka let out a small sigh as he rolled his eyes. He was about to say something else completely unrelated to whatever it was he wanted to tell Angela, but as soon as he saw her eyebrows lowering, he just shook his head and once again sighed,

"You remember how I suddenly did not join you and the others when it was time to set off into the campaign, right?"

"Vaguely," Angela nodded, "You said it was better that one of the Paladins stay to protect the church."

"Yes," Luka also nodded several times before shaking his head, "The truth is, the night before we were supposed to set off, god once again appeared before me — wearing nothing but a white gown which I could almost see through. Her—I mean, his bosom, comforting me even by sight."

"...Skip the unnecessary details."

"He told me that I should stay, that I have a different word to share—not to the masses, but to a single person," Luka closed his eyes, almost as if reliving the wonderful memory of being so close to his supposed god, "He did not tell me who, he just told me that I would know as soon as that person arrives — and who else could it be now, other than Darkday?"

"Hm…" And as everyone's focus turned to him, Riley just placed his hand on his chin and let out a small hum; only returning Luka's stare after a few seconds, "...And what message is that, Emerald Paladin?"

"It was a little vague, but…" Luka very slowly leaned closer to Riley, who was seated at the bench in front of him, "...perhaps I need to say it to you alone, Darkday? It is, after all, the word of—"

"For fuck's sake, man," Angela could not help but clasp her hand for forgiveness at the altar as she cursed Luka, "Just tell us, it's alright."

"It is alright, Emerald Paladin," Riley nodded, "I swore to my children not to keep any more secrets from them, and it just so happened that Karina is here — whatever you say to me, you say in front of her."

"He told me these exact words — 'What must be done, should be done.' — and then he disappeared as quickly as he appeared," Luka once again closed his eyes to relish the memory, "I told you, it was vague."

"No… it wasn't," Angela could not help but take in a small gulp as she very slowly turned her head toward Riley, "But… but perhaps there is a different interpretation to it."

"And what sort of interpretation are you thinking, Miss Angela?" Riley tilted his head to the side.

"That—you know," Angela's head subtly shook.

"No, I do not," Riley shook his head, "Emerald Paladin is right, it is quite vague and could hold many meanings. The primordials, if it is one of them, tend to speak in riddles — their words may not be as they uttered it to be, Miss Angela."

"Really? Because Death seemed pretty straightforward to me," Angela scoffed.

"She is perhaps an exception as she had spent the most time interacting with all sorts of life," Riley shrugged, "But Miss Angela, if you are convinced that the primordial's words it direct, then does that mean they are telling me to kill everyone and end all life to give way for the new one?"

"Well… I'm not saying it is," Angela nervously smiled, "And it's probably not even a primordial — how hard is it to believe that it might truly be god who talked to Luka?"

"If it was your god," Riley placed his hand on his chin, "Or if it an unknown entity, then I am afraid we truly do not know what they meant now."

"Wait, wait…" Karina, who had been watching the exchange since the start, could no longer turn her head back and forth and raised her voice, "...How hard really is it to believe that this might just be Auntie Paige? I know she's not the type to take advantage of anyone, but she's hella weird too. Like, your level of weird, Dad. Who knows, she might just be bored."

"No," Riley shook his head, "Paige will never do anything like take advantage of someone's beliefs, Karina."

"Then that means we're back to where we started!" Karina stood up in frustration, "If Auntie Paige isn't going to show herself even though we've already gathered a bunch of other weirdos, then I don't think she's going to show herself, ever."

"We have not even gathered nearly enough, Karina," Riley shook his head as he stood up. And as soon as he did so, his followers followed suit; all of them, awaiting his words, "I believe we need to, at the very least, occupy half the Holy City of Mold."

And with those words, his followers' eyes lit up as they looked at each other. The woman who assigned herself to be the Cardinal, Elizabeth, gestured to the others to go and leave… but then retracted her orders as she realized something.

Elizabeth then very slowly approached Riley with her head down; her steps, careful.

"Lord," she said respectfully, "I am afraid we need a place to gather, we do not have a church yet."

"..." Riley blinked a couple of times as he looked at Elizabeth, causing her face to turn red as she lowered her head even further, "You're right, Cardinal Elizabeth."

"The… The Lord knows my name!?" Elizabeth almost fainted there and then. If it wasn't for the other followers behind her catching her, then she would have probably dropped to the marbled floor headfirst, "You… you do not have to bother yourself with this, Lord! I will find and build us a church myself!"

"No," Riley raised his palm, causing Elizabeth to almost cry with the sudden rejection, "I have already thought of a place for us to gather — there." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Not only his followers, but everyone else and even the other knights turned to look to where Riley was pointing, only to see the Black Tower from the distance through the mosaic window.

"But… no one can enter that tower," Elizabeth lightly bit her lip, "Everyone has tried."

"Everyone but me," Riley shrugged before starting to walk away. He did not even need to tell his followers, they followed him regardless of whatever he was doing.

His followers were not the only ones who followed him, however, Emerald Paladin and the other knights of Angela's church did too. Suffice it to say, they garnered all sorts of attention as their group headed to the Black Tower.

"This…" And as soon as they reached it, Karina could not help but raise an eyebrow upon seeing the massive infrastructure, "This isn't a tower, it's just a huge… black rock."

"That is what everyone says," Angela nodded as she touched the walls of the tower, "It's just—"

But as soon as she did so, however, the tower started to throb; quite literally.

"What… what did you do!?"

"It's not me!" Angela quickly pulled her palm away before looking at Riley…

…only to see him also touching the walls of the tower.