Early the next morning, while the Village of Irog was still shrouded in thick white mist, the young priest of the monastery had already risen early for worship.
Morgan regretted what he had said the night before. So when Nidhogg finished breakfast, he pleaded, "Just pretend I didn't say anything last night, please."
"Alright." Nidhogg readily agreed. But his mouth was on his face. When he later met the witch, he would naturally say whatever he wanted. He just couldn't help Morgan.
After eating and drinking, Nidhogg was ready to leave.
However, he first approached the young priest to politely thank him, then asked curiously, "Father, what is the Book of Revelation?"
"The Book of Revelation is a prophecy and revelation of our Holy See, written by the Great Sage a thousand years ago." The young priest hadn't expected a mercenary to be interested in the mysteries of their church. He was a little pleased.
"'The Great Sage of a thousand years ago'—the one who summoned the angels to destroy the Sinful City of the Empire, right?" Nidhogg asked.
The young priest answered firmly, "Naturally, that was the Great Sage. Is there anyone else in the world who could deserve the title of 'Great Sage'?"
"The Great Sage's wisdom and faith shook the past and present. Not only did he destroy the tyrannical ruler and his ugly empire for us, but he also wrote the all-encompassing Book of Revelation to guide the world and enlighten believers."
"Is there a prophecy about the 'Death Sun' in the Book of Revelation?" Nidhogg remembered the key points and asked.
The young priest had memorized the Book of Revelation by heart. Naturally, he remembered. He nodded and recited: "'On that day, the Sun of Death shall be over all nations.'"
"'When the sun sets for the fifth time, to the west of the old and new capitals, a crimson lake shall appear, heralding the coming of the fifth messenger.'"
"'The messenger shall become the Dark Eagle, the Lord of the Black Sheep of Great Sin, and the King of the Blind White Sheep. He shall be the one to usher the world into the Age of Darkness.'"
This same prophecy appears twice in Berserk. It is spoken by Farnese, the leader of the Holy Iron Chain Knights under the Holy See, and by the little witch Schierke, the proud disciple of the Witch of the Spirit Tree Pavilion. This confirms its significance.
The "Death Sun" is the scene of the Eclipse when it appears. "When the sun dies for the fifth time" refers to the fifth Eclipse since the time of the Great Sage.
The fixed interval between each Eclipse is 216 years. Repeating five times makes 1080 years. This also corresponds to the millennium after the fall of that vast empire.
The "old and new capitals" refer to Windham City, built on the ruins of that vast empire. The "crimson lake" is the horrifying scene of blood flowing into a lake after the demonic feast.
The "Dark Eagle" is the God Hand member Griffith incarnated as—Femto. The "Black Sheep of Great Sin" are the Apostles. The "blind white sheep" are ordinary people.
Apostles were originally reincarnated from humans. Their fate depended on shepherds and sheepdogs, hence they were called "sheep."
After the entire prophecy from the Book of Revelation is laid out, the meaning it was originally intended to convey becomes clear. But different people will always have different interpretations from different perspectives.
"Why do you ask?" After the young priest finished reciting from memory, he asked, a little strangely.
Nidhogg looked at the young priest in surprise.
Do you not count in the Holy See at all? This year is the 216th year. Or are you completely blinded by this?
"I met a bard before. I was a bit curious about the Book of Revelation he mentioned." Nidhogg casually found a reason.
The young priest subconsciously frowned suspiciously.
But Nidhogg quickly bid him farewell, and he had to set it aside and focus on studying the scriptures.
By this time, the mist in the Village of Irog had cleared. Villagers were coming out in twos and threes.
Morgan saw Nidhogg off at the village entrance. Seeing no one nearby, he urged again, "Forget what I said last night."
"I'm going to find the witch." At this moment, Nidhogg said it directly, causing Morgan's eyes to widen in shock. "You heard right. I'm going to find the witch. In any case, I'll bring your message."
"You..." Morgan didn't know what to say for a long time. Should he scold him for being whimsical or thank him for his kindness?
Nidhogg ignored him and whistled.
Suddenly, white light coalesced, revealing a galloping horse with horns, neighing. Nidhogg mounted.
This time, Morgan's mouth fell open in shock. His fingers trembled as he pointed at Nidhogg and his spirit steed Torrent. He stammered, "You, you, you... that horse... a witch?"
"Witches are female." Nidhogg corrected him seriously from atop his horse. "I'm male. You should call me a demon. Forget it. Call me the Demon King. That sounds better."
He smiled, gently squeezed the horse's flanks, and Torrent shot forward, instantly vanishing into the distance like lightning.
Torrent easily leaped over the stream at the village entrance, scaled the steep mountain wall, and climbed up a narrow path.
Morgan watched the man and horse disappear at the end of the path. After a long time, those long, vague memories became clear again, reminding him of the witch's appearance and their meeting that day.
It's real. It's real. I'm not dreaming!
He remembered what he had said last night. He regretted it and felt a little excited.
Nidhogg rode Torrent, traversing steep mountain roads, leaping over cliffs and streams, crossing wide plains. Following the compass in his hand, he finally saw a dense forest.
The Spirit Tree Pavilion was hidden within this primeval forest, but it was surrounded by barriers. Once ordinary people entered, they would be as if caught in a maze of ecstasy. Turning back, they would move away from the Spirit Tree Pavilion.
That was why Morgan and the other villagers never saw the witch again.
To see the Spirit Tree Pavilion, either the witch had to allow it willingly, or the visitor had to possess powerful spiritual insight.
Nidhogg had both. He had powerful spiritual insight, and he had the guidance of the compass. The compass given by the skeleton knight in the invitation likely came from the owner of the Spirit Tree Pavilion.
Naturally, the barrier did not affect invited guests.
Moving between the trees, Nidhogg observed carefully. Sure enough, he noticed suspicious circular marks on the trunk of a large tree—these were enchantments cast by the witch.
Soon after crossing the barrier, the path was initially very narrow, allowing only one person to pass. After several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up. Nidhogg and Torrent saw a rather huge treehouse with lush branches, leaves, and clean, latticed windows.
The Spirit Tree Pavilion. This was the Spirit Tree Pavilion.
However, it seemed that he and Torrent were being perceived as uninvited guests.
One by one, moss-covered stones buried in the ground, like little emerald chrysanthemums, pulled themselves out of the mud, popped up, and surrounded them.