How a Reincarnated Warlock Lives – Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Start

The beginning was darkness. And perhaps the end too.

I lifted my stiff, barely moving head and looked forward.

A vast crowd stretched before my eyes.

Judging by the considerable number of spectators gathered to witness the last moments of my life, it seems my life wasn’t entirely in vain.

“……”

The number of spectators was truly immense. Enough to fill the vast Serikarad Square.

Perhaps only an Emperor’s or Pope’s coronation, or perhaps a funeral, could draw such a crowd.

To think so many people gathered to see me off. It’s a sight I can be somewhat proud of.

“Execute the demon!”

“Blade to the sinner!”

Of course, there was a minor issue: most of these spectators were glaring at me with faces contorted in rage, shouting at the top of their lungs.

I raised my head a little higher. I felt the familiar pangs of pain from my irreparably wounded body, but I ignored them and focused on the scene before me.

“Kill him!”

“Burn him!”

A massive crowd filled the grand, golden square.

The heat radiating from the agitated masses was palpable.

It was a sight that would likely please those lofty beings above.

To the celestial entities who feed on human adoration, this place must appear as a grand feast prepared by their devout followers.

And naturally, as a Black Mage who draws power from demons, this wasn’t a particularly pleasant situation.

“Astrid Elliger.”

But an even more unpleasant voice reached me from beside me.

“The First Apostle of the Ashen Demon. Founder of the Black Dawn Society. The nightmare of the Samarkand subjugation and the Bloody Crown’s─”

That damned bastard.

I let out a small sigh inwardly and let his words flow past me. The string of grandiose and terrifying titles seemed a bit excessive for a single person.

But I felt no pride or sense of accomplishment. They were meaningless titles to me now.

“……the sinner Astrid Elliger has been indicted on the aforementioned charges. Therefore, the Holy Synod of the Hesterica Church strongly condemns the unprecedented wickedness of the said sinner─”

The booming voice beside me continued, oblivious to my feelings.

“Wooaah!”

“Kill him, kill him!”

The roars of the excited crowd echoed across the square. But the voice of the man reciting the judgment beside me remained clear and composed, cutting through the din.

I chuckled as I watched the Holy Knight flawlessly reciting the detailed list of charges without a single piece of paper. He seemed to know more about my misdeeds than I did.

Well, he was the leader of the Holy Knights who had dedicated his life to pursuing me.

I smiled faintly, watching him maintain a solemn expression, betraying no hint of satisfaction at finally bringing his lifelong nemesis to the execution block.

“Must have been quite a chore memorizing all that.”

My abrupt remark caused the Holy Knight’s eyebrows to twitch momentarily. But he continued reciting, or rather, recalling the declaration in an unwavering voice.

From the grave accusations that naturally drew gasps and condemnation from the crowd to the minute details that I could barely recall. I turned my gaze away from the man who was reciting the lengthy document.

It wasn’t a story I particularly wanted to hear now. Besides, the final words were already predetermined.

“─Therefore, in the name of the Almighty God, the sinner is sentenced to death!”

“Woooooah!”

“Long live Sir Laothir!”

A chorus of cheers erupted in unison. And a faint smile crept onto my lips.

Swish.

As if determined to remain vigilant until the very end, the Holy Knight fixed his sharp gaze on me as soon as he finished speaking. I met his piercing stare without flinching and shrugged.

“I’d like to applaud too, but as you can see, I’m in no shape to do so.”

“……You wretched creature.”

He muttered, looking at the chains made of Holy Silver that bound me tightly, designed to suppress demonic energy.

The pain inflicted by the chains, reinforced with multiple blessings and its inherent property of suppressing demonic energy, was quite intense. Add to that the various holy relics gleaming around me, the numerous Holy Knights and Inquisitors……

It was a bit excessive for a single individual.

As if anticipating that a wicked Black Mage wouldn’t meekly accept his demise, the Holy Knights of the Hesterica Church maintained a tight formation, their weapons at the ready, their expressions tense as they watched me.

The holy energy emanating from the silver chains pierced me to the core, but I didn’t erase the smile from my lips.

It wasn’t out of some foolish sense of pride or defiance, wanting to appear composed until the very end.

The reason I was captured and brought here in the first place was─

“Have you no intention of repenting? God is merciful, even to a sinner like you.”

His voice interrupted my brief contemplation. I chuckled softly and replied.

“To think that a brief repentance in your final moments could lessen the weight of the countless sins you just recited. What a remarkably convenient method.”

“……”

He fell silent, staring at me. It seemed he realized the absurdity of his own words.

“I am curious though.”

I continued, looking up at him.

“If God were to forgive me, would the countless Holy Knights and priests who perished at my hands resent Him?”

“You……!”

Repentance.

A memory suddenly surfaced.

There was a small village called Coheln. A peaceful place, until it was engulfed in flames after being falsely accused of worshipping heresy.

Of course, there might have been a few actual heretics among them. It was a matter of little consequence now.

The important thing was that a young boy named Astrid lived happily with his family in that village.

“……”

It was a common story. Countless others must have met their end after being branded as heretics, just like the villagers of Coheln.

But what made this story slightly different was that the boy survived.

Fortunately for some, and unfortunately for others.

“You will die a sinner without repenting.”

He glared at me as I responded briefly and calmly, lost in thought. His hand twitched as if he were about to strike me. But, with the restraint befitting a Holy Knight, he turned away.

Then he muttered the phrase that priests and Holy Knights always seemed to have on their lips.

“……This too must be God’s will.”

It was a sentence I had heard countless times.

A catch-all answer or excuse that the followers of God often resorted to when they had nothing else to say, regardless of the situation. I chuckled softly again.

Slide.

He took a step back and drew the sword from his hip.

“In the name of God!”

As if responding to his cry, a blinding light erupted from his sword.

“Wooaah!”

The crowd roared even louder, as if witnessing a divine response in the form of brilliant light.

The end was finally approaching.

I didn’t beg for mercy, nor did I divulge the whereabouts of my comrades, subordinates, or other Black Mages in hiding.

And I didn’t shout a vicious curse, as many Black Mages were prone to do in their final moments.

“……”

Of course, I hadn’t suddenly repented before my death, as Sir Laothir the Holy Knight had suggested. I wouldn’t do such a thing even if I were reborn three or four times.

“Astrid Elliger.”

The light emanating from the Holy Sword in his hand was more irritating than the Holy Silver chains that gnawed at my very being, but I maintained the smile on my lips.

“Do you have any last words?”

But if I were to truly repent, wouldn’t he be the most surprised? I was a little curious to see his reaction.

Unfortunately, that would never happen.

“……”

I raised my head and looked forward.

Serikarad Square.

Amidst the sea of people, I saw the fountain adorned with a grand griffin statue, where golden water flowed ceaselessly throughout the year, and the smooth flagstones that covered the vast square without a single gap.

“Ptooey.”

I spat with all my might.

Hoping that my spittle would somehow defile this opulent and hypocritical square of hypocrisy.

Thud.

But the saliva expelled from my battered body, bound by chains forged from metal radiating holy energy, couldn’t possibly travel far.

Red liquid splattered onto the spot where my spit landed right in front of me.

Drip.

Red wine.

It seemed even a customary last drink offered to the condemned was too extravagant for a heinous criminal like myself.

The wooden platform of the execution block was stained crimson with the spilled wine. It looked as if my blood had flowed prematurely.

The high-ranking priests of the Church flanking the execution block sneered at the sight.

I scoffed inwardly at their smug faces.

These dullards with their narrow-minded thinking and impoverished imaginations couldn’t possibly fathom what I had prepared.

Magic of a higher caliber than the terrifying Grand Magic I had unleashed on the forty-nine islands of the Igsima Archipelago and the great battle on the Northern Plains.

Magic that would break the limitations imposed by my body, already ravaged by countless dealings with vile demons and the mark of original sin bestowed by the Archangel himself.

Magic that would grant me a clean, new body brimming with potential.

And magic that would be completed by the caster’s death.

‘The Ritual of the Lion’s Return.’

I would be reborn.

And in order to be reborn, I had to die.

I didn’t utter a single word of mockery or curse towards the hypocritical Holy Knights and high priests before me.

A mage should always remain cautious until the very end.

There was no need to boast about the fact that this situation was orchestrated by my own design. After all, it was a plan I had kept hidden even from the demons.

“……”

Especially now, as Sir Laothir the Holy Knight, his face etched with anxiety, watched me with apprehension, as if worried I might pull some trick in my final moments.

Instead of uttering a final word laced with scorn or malice towards the crowd, I sighed softly.

“Haa.”

My final breath dissipated into the air, forming a white mist.

Whoosh!

And cleaving through that faint warmth, the gleaming sword descended upon me.

My last moments, without a single coin to bite on.

But I didn’t feel too bad.

Slice!

The end was darkness, just like the beginning.

🔹🔹🔹

Darkness.

Surrounding me was darkness.

I slowly opened my eyes. But still, I saw nothing. An unnatural darkness.

Without panic, I slowly moved my hands, groping around.

Tap.

My fingertips encountered a solid surface. It seemed to be made of wood.

A confined space, enclosed by solid walls on all sides. Pitch-black darkness. And perhaps, the original owner of this body who had just breathed his last.

Piecing together these clues, it wasn’t difficult to deduce my current location.

‘I’m inside a coffin.’

A crude coffin, rough and coarse to the touch, hardly deserving of the term”luxurious,”even in jest.

Suddenly awakening in a cramped, dark space where I could barely move wasn’t an everyday occurrence. Even for me, who prided myself on having experienced a wide array of events while wandering the continent.

But I remained calm and slowly pushed upward with my hands.

Click.

There was no need to struggle and kick with my feet. With a little force, I felt the thin wooden board, the lid of the coffin, lift easily.

Creak.

The surroundings were silent. The roars that had filled my ears until the very end on the execution block in the square were no longer audible.

It was only natural.

The fact that I had opened my eyes again meant that the Ritual of the Lion’s Return had been successful.

‘Thank goodness.’

Unlike me, who had departed from the world in the presence of countless spectators in my final moments, the original owner of this new body seemed to have met a rather lonely end.

“Wh, what is this─”

Ah, perhaps not entirely alone. There was a man standing by the graveside.

He stared at me with a stunned expression as I slid open the coffin lid and sat up.

“D, damn it……!”

I glanced at the man, who was struggling to speak, and brushed the dirt off my clothes as I rose to my feet.

A dark night, faintly illuminated by the bluish moonlight, a small graveyard. Not a bad place for a fresh start.

But before that.

I slowly approached the man, who was staring at me with a bewildered expression.

Shuffle, shuffle.

He stared at me with a hardened expression, slowly backing away as he subtly moved his hand behind him.

Reaching for a weapon instead of exchanging greetings or inquiring about the situation. He wasn’t an ordinary gravedigger. Perhaps he was the one who killed the original owner of this body.

Whoosh!

In a swift motion, he drew his sword. There was no hesitation in his movements.

“Die!”

The man shouted.

Die? Quite a charming welcome for a Black Mage who had just been resurrected across time.

“It’s a beautiful moon.”

I glanced up at the moon shining brightly in the sky and slowly raised my hand, as if responding to his greeting.

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