Four Hearts for the Wise - Chapter 3

The Holy Kingdom of Ramiyakea.

A divine nation said to have been established upon the land where the world’s worst calamity, a monstrous creature, was vanquished.

Ramiyakea was also known by another name: “The Land that Silences Monsters.” Renowned across the continent for possessing the most advanced magical technologies, it was also infamous for its relentless eradication of the so-called dark magic, believed to threaten the safety of the world.

The kingdom’s territory was not particularly vast, but its immense army of holy knights—an almost militaristic force—combined with its foundational principles of “upholding justice,” made it untouchable by other nations. No country dared provoke or criticize Ramiyakea without risking severe consequences.

“You’re mistaken! Dark magic? That’s absurd! Our village would never—ugh! Let me go! This has to be some sort of misunderstanding…!”

For this reason, Kalia desperately attempted to explain herself. Her arms ached from the rough grip of the two knights holding her, but this pain was nothing compared to what she feared was yet to come.

“Silence her!”

“Mmph! Mmngh!”

Before she could finish her plea, one of the knights clamped a strong, calloused hand over her mouth, stifling her words. The only sound left was the loud, frantic beating of her heart, as though it were shouting in her place.

Having lived her entire life in a remote rural village, Kalia had only ever heard rumors about the Holy Kingdom. She never expected to encounter its knights—let alone under such dire circumstances.

The smell of ash. The vanished villagers. The charred remains of a once-thriving town, now reduced to ruins.

Anyone with common sense would be terrified. And in Kalia’s case, the situation was as grim as it could possibly get. Few encounters between ordinary people and the Holy Knights of Ramiyakea ended well, and this was among the worst scenarios imaginable.

Her legs wobbled beneath her, unable to hold her weight properly. Whether it was from fear or sheer exhaustion, she nearly collapsed several times, only to be yanked back upright by the knights. Dragged across the ground, her feet scraping along, she was forcibly led to where a group of holy knights had gathered.

The first thing that hit her was the sharp, metallic scent of blood.

Kalia didn’t want to think about what might be causing it.

This was the center of the village—the place where she had spent her entire life. And yet, despite the crowd of people around her, not a single familiar face could be seen.

Oddly, amidst the blackened and crumbled ruins, the magic tower stood untouched.

It was eerily pristine, as though it alone had been spared from the destruction. The holy knights had formed a perimeter around it, standing watch, as if awaiting something.

Kalia’s heart sank further.

“Ugh!”

Kalia tried to look around, but her head was abruptly forced downward. The roughness of the hand pressing her down made her groan in pain.

Unable to see anything but the ground, she heard voices above her. One of them was calm and composed, a woman’s voice that, under different circumstances, Kalia might have admired from afar.

“Another dark mage was found?”

“Yes! We discovered her just now!”

“Hm…”

A sigh followed, accompanied by the faint sound of papers rustling, as though someone was reviewing a document.

A dark mage? That’s ridiculous! Kalia had never so much as cast a simple spell, let alone used forbidden magic. The same went for the other orphans at the tower. None of them had even the slightest connection to dark magic!

“No, you’ve got it wrong! I’m not a dark ma—ugh!”

“Silence!”

“Mmgh… Hic!”

Kalia tried to lift her head to defend herself, but the pressure on her skull increased, shoving her back down. The metallic smell of blood that had been lingering in the air was nauseating, and the knight’s filthy hand covering her mouth made her stomach churn. She retched silently, trying to suppress the wave of disgust.

Fear overwhelmed her far more than any sense of injustice. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, her breathing came in shallow gasps, and tears welled up in her eyes.

The sound of flipping through papers continued for a while. A tired, disinterested voice followed, as if the speaker couldn’t be bothered to care.

“Is she even from this village? There’s no record of her. Everyone else has already been dealt with.”

Kalia’s mind reeled. She was losing her grip on reality. The people they had “dealt with” must have been the villagers—but surely, it was all a misunderstanding. Some mistake must have been made, some miscommunication.

The knights holding her arms tightened their grip and raised their voices.

“This woman tried to flee, claiming her village couldn’t possibly be involved!”

“She’s definitely the dark mage from this place!”

“It seems the dark mage in this tower was taking in orphans and teaching them!”

A heavy sigh escaped the woman’s lips, likely the knight commander or someone of high rank.

“What a strange place. According to the records, it was supposed to be a small city, yet when we arrived, it turned out to be a remote village with no visitors at all. And now, an unidentified monster suddenly appears here? Because of that, we’ve had to wait for reinforcements. How am I supposed to report all this?”

“Could there have been an error in the investigation?”

“Impossible. The investigation was thorough. The issue is that there’s simply no record of this individual.”

No record? What does that even mean?

Kalia could tell they were talking about her, but she couldn’t understand what they meant. Even an orphan would have some kind of record. Even if her birth hadn’t been documented, something would have been recorded over the course of her life.

As Kalia stared blankly at the ground, her wide eyes filled with confusion, another voice above her spoke.

“Regardless, we can’t let her leave here alive!”

“I’m aware,” the woman replied. “But wait. There’s something we need to confirm first.”

The sound of pages flipping echoed again, crisp and deliberate.

The voices above her carried on in a flat, matter-of-fact tone. Yet, to Kalia, every word was horrifying. They spoke of her fate with a detached indifference, as though they were discussing something mundane.

She struggled again, thrashing weakly, but her fragile body was no match for the strength of the knights restraining her.

“Ugh… Hic…!”

Tears streamed down her face in despair. A small, slender woman, sobbing while held captive among towering knights, didn’t move anyone to pity. No one spared her a glance of compassion. They simply stared coldly, calculating how she would be dealt with.

If Kalia’s suspicions were correct, she would die here.

The Holy Kingdom of Ramiyakea was one of the most militarily powerful nations on the continent. Its holy knights were stronger than any other country’s soldiers, and their numbers were overwhelming.

Yet, Ramiyakea did not wage wars against other nations. Its blades were reserved solely for “monsters,” “dark magic,” and “dark mages.”

Above all, the kingdom was fiercely hostile toward dark mages. Despite their immense military power, they never sought expansion through war; instead, they upheld a merciless and unyielding stance toward dark magic. That was their justice. And on a larger scale, it was widely regarded as the world’s justice.

Once the Holy Kingdom’s knights raised their swords against a target, they never relented. Once they decided to pass judgment, there was no room for negotiation, no matter how much one begged or pleaded.

This was to be expected. The holy knights of Ramiyakea believed without question that they were protectors of justice and the moral order. Their decisions were final, unshakable, and absolute.

And dark magic—its nature and the reputation it carried—was seen as the epitome of evil. Its very existence was considered a blight upon the world, a source of harm to everything it touched. No perception of dark magic could possibly be worse than the one already etched into the hearts of people across the continent.

Thus, the Holy Kingdom carried out periodic “purges.” These could target villages, cities, or even entire nations. While their methods sometimes displayed a lack of humanity, their actions rarely drew widespread criticism.

After all, the entire continent was plagued by the constant threat of monsters. While other nations hesitated, avoided responsibility, or turned a blind eye to the problem, the royal family of Ramiyakea and its knights fought and died to exterminate these creatures and eradicate the menace of dark magic.

They were righteous, heroic, and self-sacrificing. Over time, this became common knowledge, solidified as undeniable truth.

Even though Ramiyakea was not explicitly a theocratic state, it was so revered that people across the continent referred to it as the Holy Kingdom. Countless individuals admired the holy knights, aspiring to join their ranks.

But that admiration was reserved for those who only observed them from afar, heard rumors of their valor, or enjoyed the safety their sacrifices provided.

Shiiing.

The metallic ring of a sword being drawn filled the air.

Kalia’s body trembled violently, so much that even her tears seemed to shake as they fell. She cowered, shrinking into herself as the knight in front of her unsheathed his weapon.

The Holy Kingdom was merciless when it came to dealing with dark magic, and its holy knights were infamous for using executions as examples to instill fear and enforce compliance.

“Examples.”

Kalia had never witnessed one herself, but she had heard the rumors. Even if the targets weren’t directly involved with dark magic, entire families, villages, or even nations could be eradicated in the name of justice. The stigma surrounding dark magic was that severe, its reputation irreparably vile.

“Mmgh… Hic…”

It was no use to cry or protest anymore. She had screamed and begged, but none of it had swayed them. They hadn’t believed her when she shouted, “Our village couldn’t possibly have been involved! This must be a mistake!”

In hindsight, she regretted her approach. Perhaps she should have claimed she was a complete stranger, someone who had merely wandered into the village by accident.

Then again, maybe nothing she said would have mattered.

The way the Holy Kingdom viewed dark magic was not only absolute but almost fanatical. They were the ones who created the pervasive fear of dark magic, going so far as to endure widespread criticism for their brutal methods in order to solidify this sentiment. They wanted the entire world to view dark magic as something abhorrent, something to be eradicated at all costs.

And yet, despite their reputation for swift and unyielding judgment, the knights hesitated.

The tip of the drawn blade hovered, pointed directly at Kalia. She swallowed hard, her throat painfully dry.

“You. You lived in that magic tower, didn’t you?”

Kalia immediately understood the knight was addressing her, but she couldn’t bring herself to nod. Her fear was paralyzing. Still, the knight seemed to interpret her silence as confirmation.

“Do you know how to break that tower’s barrier?”

“W-what barrier?” she stammered.

“The barrier around the tower! We received reports that dark mages have been storing unauthorized and unidentified magical artifacts in there.”

“I-I really don’t know anything about that! Dark magic? Th-that’s impossible! I don’t know anything about it—ugh! Ack!”

Kalia’s protests were cut short as her head was shoved down again. Her resistance earned her nothing but rough treatment.

“Haah… Looks like there’s no other choice. We’ll really have to wait for the reinforcements,” one knight muttered in a frustrated tone.

“What kind of monster could it be? Unidentified, they said?”

“That’s the problem. The barrier is centered around those things, and I’ve never seen one this strong before. We can’t even get close to it.”

“If I’d known it would turn out like this, we should’ve kept that dark mage alive,” another knight said casually.

Despite holding Kalia captive, they discussed killing people as though it were an everyday matter. The sheer indifference in their tone chilled her to the bone. She could only pick up bits and pieces of their conversation, but it was enough to infer that something had gone wrong during their “purge.”

One of the knights glanced at Kalia, who was trembling with fear, her face pale as death. He sighed heavily, but what he said next wasn’t a word of pity or mercy.

“Ah, right. She needs to be dealt with.”

He spoke as though he were referring to some forgotten chore or discarded object, his tone so cold it sent shivers down Kalia’s spine.

As the knights talked, the sword that had briefly dragged along the ground was raised again, now pointed directly at her. The blade gleamed ominously in the moonlight, and Kalia’s body convulsed with terror, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

“I-I’m not… I’m not a dark mage! This is all some mistake! I swear—ugh!”

Taking advantage of a momentary slack in their grip, Kalia twisted her body desperately. Her cheek scraped against the cold, rough surface of the knight’s gauntlet, leaving a raw scratch. Though she didn’t manage to escape, she mustered all her strength to scream.

“Let me go! Please, I—agh!”

Her plea was cut short when a hard kick struck the back of her knees, forcing her to collapse to the ground. As her legs gave way, her head was seized roughly by her hair. For a moment, she thought her face would be slammed into the dirt, but instead, her head was yanked upward.

“Ah—urk! Cough, cough! Huh… Wh-what is—!”

A strange, flavorless liquid was poured into her mouth. Some of it spilled out, trickling down her chin, while the rest slid down her throat in a rush. Some of the liquid even entered her nose, making her choke and cough violently. Unable to fully swallow it, Kalia gagged as it dribbled from her lips and onto the ground.

“Drink it quietly. This is the only mercy we can offer you.”

Mercy? They call this mercy?

The liquid burned as it slid down her throat. The sensation quickly shifted to an irritating tickle, spreading through her chest and stomach. Kalia’s vision began to blur as she shut her eyes tightly, then opened them again. The world spun. The knights who had been so clear just moments ago now swirled into hazy, indistinct shapes.

“Ugh… Agh… Hah…”

Her body felt like it was on fire, yet her mind grew foggy. She couldn’t breathe properly, and it felt as though she was floating, weightless, in midair.

Had she encountered this substance under different circumstances, perhaps when she was alone, she might have laughed uncontrollably, oblivious to its effects.

The knights released their grip on her. Kalia collapsed onto the ground, unable to move.

“…Unfortunate, but… the monster… nothing we can do…”

“…Then, let’s finish it…”

Their voices blurred together, incomprehensible to her. Kalia sat there, gasping for air, her body trembling, her mind half-lost in the haze.

For how long had she been staring at the emptiness of the air? Suddenly—

Thuck.

A sharp sound pierced through the haze, the unmistakable noise of fabric being punctured.

At the same moment, she felt a small, stinging pain in her chest, like the bite of an insect.

Thuck. Thuck.

The sickening sound came again, and again. Slowly, Kalia lowered her gaze to her body, her swirling, unsteady vision taking in the sight of blood seeping through her clothing. The crimson spread along the fabric in uneven blotches.

But there was no searing pain, no overwhelming agony.

So this was what they meant by mercy. A death without pain. A swift release.

Kalia’s thoughts spiraled. Is this their twisted idea of compassion? A painless death?

“No… no, no… I don’t want to die…! Please… agh… hic…”

Kalia forced herself to stand, her legs trembling beneath her. Even if there was no searing pain, her body was far from normal. Still, if she could just run—if she could somehow escape this place—there was still a chance.

Stumbling and swaying, she turned and tried to flee.

Suddenly, she felt another sharp jab in her shoulder. The force of it sent her upper body lurching forward, nearly causing her to fall face-first into the dirt. But she managed, just barely, to stay on her feet.

She glanced around, her blurred vision making it hard to focus. All she could see was a sea of knights surrounding her, an unbroken wall of silver and steel. There was no clear path of escape.

Desperate, her hazy eyes darted around, and then—finally—she spotted something.

“…That way! Don’t let her—!”

“Where does she think she’s going?!”

Ignoring their shouts, Kalia ran. She ran for her life, even though she knew deep down there was no way she could outrun them. Her vision wavered, her legs threatened to give out, and she couldn’t make out anything ahead of her.

But then—

She felt it.

A strange sensation, as though she had passed through an invisible wall, something thin and transparent brushing against her skin.

“What?! How did she…?!”

Amidst the garbled chaos of voices, Kalia clearly understood one shout:

“She went inside the barrier!”

She had no idea what they meant. All she knew was that she had plunged into darkness.

A suffocating, pitch-black void swallowed her whole.