Chapter 9: Doubts

Emi did not want to spoil Raiga’s happiness. Ever since his duel with Captain Jora, he had been in an exceptionally good mood. It was rare for a Heretic to earn someone’s respect through strength and honor, so she kept her thoughts to herself. For one thing, she had no way to prove her hypothesis scientifically; it was merely a hunch born from common sense and her studies of prophecies and magical texts.

So far, every person they had encountered on the road had shown an unnatural hatred toward Raiga. Merely seeing him and exchanging a few words with him was enough to provoke intense hostility. Despite never having met or dealt with him before, people behaved far more aggressively toward him than they would toward an ordinary criminal.

What if the way people treat Raiga is caused by a curse?

That was what Emi began to suspect after spending several weeks traveling alongside the adventurer.

A permanent, brutal, and unjust curse.

There were no clear records of such a phenomenon. The last Heretic, Dark Lord Krizalid, had been killed shortly after receiving the title, and since he was already an enemy of Order, no one had ever stopped to investigate the full extent of his condemnation. 

 The older documents Emi had read for entertainment during her days at the academy provided no definite answers either. In human culture, the Heretic was an almost mythical figure: an abhorrent and repulsive criminal who had to be killed at the first opportunity.

The gods hated him.

Humanity did too.

Or at least, that was what Emi had believed until their encounter with Jora.

During that duel, the young scholar realized there was something she might have overlooked: hating Raiga was neither a logical nor a rational choice. She had carefully studied Jora’s movements. 

 His training as a knight left nothing to chance; his sword moved with precision and power, not with emotion or irrational impulses. Even someone as inexperienced in combat as Emi could understand that without needing to see it twice. Jora had fought using reason, and reason had led him to conclude that Raiga was not a bad man.

He had set aside his heart and relied on his mind.

“Emi?” Raiga called to her softly, but the blonde did not answer.

She remained lost in thought.

Yes, it makes sense. Looking at it this way, the fact that everyone hates Raiga the moment they see him must be the result of a curse the gods placed upon him when they named him the Heretic.

“Emi?” he called again, this time a little louder.

Once again, Emi completely ignored him.

So Raiga’s curse makes people hostile toward him as soon as they see him. But it isn’t perfect. If someone relies on reason rather than emotion, logic will eventually lead them to realize that Raiga isn’t a villain. Most of the people we’ve encountered have been travelers, guards, soldiers, criminals, and innkeepers. None of them have had the chance to truly get to know him. That initial contact is disrupted by the curse of divine hatred. Yes, that’s a good name: the “Curse of Divine Hatred.” I should register the name once we reach the capital. I’ll begin investigating whether there’s a way to remove it. Even if defying a divine judgment is considered a sin, if that judgment was wrong, then it would be only fair to overturn it and offer him a less severe alternative.

Emi had entered full philosopher mode.

Her mind seemed to be somewhere else entirely as she went over one hypothesis after another, none of which she was ready to share just yet.

Raiga blushed.

Emi was so quiet and deeply focused that her eyes had naturally narrowed in concentration. Combined with her delicate spectacles and blue eyes, the serious expression she wore while thinking made her look even more adorable than usual. She was a truly charming intellectual.

“Emi?” he called for the third time.

“Ah! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! What is it?” the scholar asked, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment. “I got distracted thinking about something silly.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure it was important,” the adventurer replied with a gentle smile. Whenever he was not wearing his armor or helmet, Raiga looked ten years younger. Since he had begun traveling with Emi, the Heretic had smiled more during those few weeks than he had throughout the previous fourteen years combined. “I wanted to tell you that we should reach the capital tomorrow. I suggest we make camp in about an hour so we won’t have to set up the tent after dark. That way, we can rest comfortably. The past few days have been rather eventful, and I need some time to relax.”

“You’re right. If I remember correctly, there’s a clearing near the road. We can leave the path, set up the tent there, and rest. There’s no point reaching the capital at night. The gates will already be closed, and I don’t want to share a campsite with merchants and refugees.”

“Very well. Let’s hurry, then.”

There were no travelers or caravans anywhere along the road.

Ever since their encounter with the soldiers from the capital, Raiga and Emi had traveled without suffering any further attacks or problems.

They enjoyed the sunlight, the evening breeze, and the absence of rain.

After another hour of walking, the pair made camp at the edge of the clearing. They set up the tent, arranged their sleeping bags, and lit a warm campfire. Raiga sat on a nearby log, while Emi settled on the ground beside the flames and released a peaceful sigh. Their journey to the capital was nearly over, and yet neither of them wanted to address the elephant in the room.

What would happen once they arrived?

Would they go their separate ways?

“It’s been a journey full of surprises.” Emi smiled as she gazed into the campfire. “What will you do once we arrive?”

“I’ll have to buy a new suit of armor. It won’t be easy, since armorers rarely agree to sell me anything. Enchanted armor like the black set I had is completely out of the question. I’ll have to negotiate carefully, or else settle for basic equipment and gradually replace each piece with whatever loot I find during my adventures.” Raiga sighed sadly.

“What if I buy it for you?” Emi asked, looking at him with such adorable eyes that the adventurer could not help smiling.

“I doubt they would sell it to you. Armorers are extremely protective of their work.”

“Oh, come on! Surely they can’t be afraid of money!” Emi puffed out her cheeks in a pout. At the sight of her expression, Raiga could only smile naturally. A quiet laugh escaped him, allowing him to forget, if only for a moment, the hardship of traveling without his dependable black armor.

“I’ll worry about that once we reach the capital. In any case, Emi, what are you planning to do when we arrive?” Raiga asked, returning the same question.

The two of them continued circling around the elephant in the room.

“I’ll go to the academy to report the ghoul and explain what happened. I’d also like to visit the headmaster. I want to secure new funding for my research.”

“What exactly is your research about? I’d like to know.” The moment Emi heard the question, her eyes lit up like two tiny stars, and an excited smile appeared on her delicate lips.

Raiga knew exactly what was coming.

“Thank you for asking! My theoretical research explores how the destinies of certain individuals may have been shaped to serve the needs of the gods. Take Ares, the God of War and Conflict, for example. For many years, the forces of Order were divided by small wars between nations, preventing civilization from advancing. During those millennia, humans were little different from savage tribes wandering the wastelands in search of monsters to hunt and eat.” Emi paused briefly to catch her breath, while Raiga stared at her in fascination as she spoke and explained her ideas with remarkable ease. The blonde was a natural-born scholar, deeply in love with history, science, and magic—disciplines that, in theory, should not have belonged together. Seeing her so passionate and full of life made Raiga blush even more. “In those days, humans were no different from savage orcs. The strong ruled over the weak, and the gods held even greater influence over us. Then something terrible happened to civilization: an ancient demon united all the demonic clans and proclaimed himself Demon King Astaroth, the pinnacle of demonic power at the time. His goal was to wipe out humanity forever, because he saw our species as a threat to his own. He was intelligent enough to recognize our potential beyond the savagery we displayed at the time.”

Raiga tried his best to follow her explanation.

His education at the orphanage had been limited to old legends and stories about heroes of the past, none of which could be verified through written records. He could barely read and write. All of this information was overwhelming for him.

“Demon King Astaroth was such a powerful enemy that the human tribes were forced to unite against him. They abandoned centuries of pointless conflict and formed humanity’s first kingdom under the banner of King Arthur I, the first champion of humankind. It is said that the God Ares appeared to him in a dream and gave him precise instructions on how to develop ironworking. Armed with this new material, humanity entered the First Great Demonic War—and emerged victorious. With all that said, my research attempts to understand how the gods, as supernatural beings, exert direct influence over mortals. Every decision they make serves some purpose… And for that very reason, I don’t believe they are perfect beings.”

That final statement left Raiga breathless.

He wanted to speak, to respond, and to ask her a thousand questions.

But no words left his mouth. He simply stared at her in disbelief, unable to believe that she had spoken aloud the very thought that had long haunted the deepest corners of his mind.

“N-Not perfect? Why? Why do you believe that?” the Heretic asked, fear trembling in his voice.

Emi’s statement could be considered an act of heresy.

“Because the world itself is imperfect. It is filled with injustice, betrayal, and death on an enormous scale. If the gods were perfect, none of those things would happen. But they happen far more often than I would like to admit. If the gods consider all this destruction to be part of the natural order, then the order itself must be flawed. You experienced it yourself, Raiga. You were punished for doing the right thing. If the gods are perfect, why do they demand sacrifices? I could understand such behavior from the Dark Gods, but not from those who supposedly protect civilization. My research sought to prove, through examples, theories, and verifiable facts, that divine influence is real, but not perfect. To be clear, I’m not saying we should rebel against the gods and challenge the established order, because they would hang me if I said something like that. I merely believe that mortals should seek greater clarity before accepting the word of a god as absolute truth.”

“I-I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry, Emi, but I don’t fully understand the idea you’re describing.” Raiga lowered his head, feeling like an idiot for being unable to fully comprehend words filled with so much knowledge and wisdom. He hated himself for not being intelligent enough.

“Don’t worry. You don’t have to understand all of it. Thank you for letting me explain. I enjoy sharing my research with people.” Emi gave him a few gentle pats on the back to make him feel better. “Basically, my research could help convince people not to judge you as a villain simply because you’re the Heretic.”

“Would you truly do that for me? I’ll be honest with you, Emi. I hate being the Heretic. It hurts when people insult me or glare at me as I walk down the street. I hate being feared. I want to be loved.”

“Then I’ll do it for you. Do you remember what I told you when we first met? My dream is to use my knowledge to help people. And that includes you.” Emi blushed as well, looked into his eyes, and smiled at him with complete sincerity.

“Then allow me to protect you while you do it. If your research truly can help people stop hating me… I want to see it. I want to remain by your side while you change the world with your words. Will you allow me to stay with you after we reach the capital?” Raiga closed his eyes and turned away, having never felt so embarrassed in his life.

Not even his violent battles against giants, cyclopes, and trolls had made him this nervous.

“Of course. Having a personal bodyguard would be extremely helpful for my research. A-And I enjoy your company. I think we make a good team. It would be a waste to part ways so soon.” Emi extended her hand once more. “It’s a pleasure to continue being your companion, Raiga.”

“L-Likewise, Emi.” The adventurer shook her hand again.

This time, however, neither of them could bring themselves to make eye contact, while their cheeks glowed red as though they were two shy teenagers.

The elephant in the room was gone.

For the moment…