Episode 279
Chief Snero. 72 years old.
Although he is a native born and raised in this village, he is said to have left the northern part of the country for a few years when he was young and traveled throughout the empire.
I met my wife then, and in other words, she was an outsider.
After the trip was over, we returned to our hometown together and became a couple… … .
Since then, she has given birth to a daughter and a son.
“… son? “I’ve never seen it before.”
“They say he died after falling into an ice lake when he was 5 years old.”
“ah. “Then it’s okay for me not to know.”
While Lanfero nodded, Verita continued her explanation.
“It is said that it has only been about three weeks since he committed himself to the cult. It is said that her decision to join was prompted by the fact that her wife and daughter were killed by a snow troll about a month ago. “If my prediction is correct, I’ve been hearing the devil’s whispers ever since.”
“Devil’s whisper?”
“The magic circle carved in the basement of the building was not drawn by the village chief. Long before that… … . It is a cursed pentagram drawn at least hundreds of years ago, and this evil demonic symbol digs into human desires.”
“In other words, does this mean that you did not become a proselyte from someone, but rather joined the church purely by personal choice?”
“That’s the way it is.”
As I was listening in silence, I asked what bothered me the most.
“Isn’t it possible that only the body was taken away by the church?”
“Yes, but it will be low. Of course, you can’t believe everything the village chief says. I may have lied about the time I entered school. However, it is certain that it was only recently that he revealed his magic.”
“What is the basis?”
“If the village chief had been a member of the church from the beginning, wouldn’t he have revealed his intentions long ago? Even before this incident occurred, he must have been planning to drive out Corrupted. And it wouldn’t have been that difficult.”
Because they are of different races.
Everyone understood what Verita was saying.
“In addition, the fact that the personal details of ‘Chief Snero’ were recited one after another during the short period of interrogation is another factor that cannot be overlooked. The church’s [Soul Imposition] cannot accept all of the target’s memories. “On the contrary, we cannot know anything other than extremely recent memories.”
“Since you even recited stories from your youth, there is a high probability that the village chief himself is corrupt. “But isn’t there a possibility that I just made it up?”
“That would also be low. I asked the same questions over and over again, but there was nothing unusual. Besides, aren’t there residents in this village who have known Chief Snero for a long time? “If you ask them, you will immediately be able to tell whether something is true or not, but they are unlikely to tell such a blatant lie.”
“hmm.”
Sandra, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, muttered in a low voice.
“That’s amazing.”
This is probably the sentiment of all of us here.
“Blood Mace Rasbet… … . I knew that he was the master of this nickname, so great that he was called the secret weapon of the 72nd Church, but his interrogation skills were also better than expected. “I can’t compare to other Inquisitors.”
“I appreciate the compliment, but there’s no need to belittle my other brothers, right?”
“yes. “Excuse me.”
Verita grinned and nodded.
I was a little impressed, but it was probably for a different reason than others.
Verita has a very rare, amazing, and dangerous ability.
These are the eyes that can distinguish church members.
In other words, as soon as Berita saw the village chief with his unique golden eyes, she must have been convinced that he was a member of the church… … .
What I just said was based on the evidence obtained through the interrogation conducted by Berita as a Yidam inquisitor, not through the authority she possessed as a believer.
I had no choice but to admit that Verita was an extremely talented inquisitor.
At the same time, I also understood why this sometimes impulsive and emotional woman was able to disguise herself as a nun of the 72nd order for so long.
If you show that level of performance every time, even if you have a bit of an eccentric personality, you can’t help but nod your head.
Especially since the Heresy Inquisition is all about performance and skills.
Lanfero said.
“So what is the village chief’s purpose?”
“I would sacrifice this entire village, but even if I succeeded, I would not have been able to see my dead wife and daughter. The underground magic circle was layered… … . sorry. I don’t know either. “Perhaps only a warlock can fully interpret it.”
I was curious about that statement too.
It is probably the opinion of Inquisitor Razbet that black magic cannot be known… … .
Wouldn’t Verita, a colorless believer, know?
But after Verita finished speaking, Araksad and Ramon’s eyes turned to one side.
The person at the end of his gaze was clan leader Lanferro.
I asked just in case.
“Boss, really?”
“Well, for vampires, black magic is culture.”
“… … .”
“It’s a joke. It’s just that I’ve lived so long that I’ve picked up a lot of things. “I’ll go down to the basement first.”
Verita nodded and said.
“ah. And there’s one more thing we haven’t uncovered.”
“What?”
“A stone gate in the basement. “What kind of space extends beyond that.”
“They say you can’t say that even if you die?”
“It’s similar. Because there was a ban on his life. Moreover, there is no guarantee that what the village chief says is true.”
Verita said with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“If you push a little too hard, you might be able to force him to speak… … . Statistically, the probability of it being true is less than 100%. What should I do?”
As she said that, Verita’s painted eyes turned towards me, but it is not my role to decide such things.
When my eyes turned to Lanferro, Lanferro also nodded.
“Not yet. The village chief may have more secrets. “You have to keep him alive until we find out everything.”
“All right.”
“So, what should I do now…” … .”
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When I was a little lost in thought, I blurted out.
“I went in through the stone gate.”
“what?”
The crowd’s attention was focused on me.
Only Sandro thought for a moment and spoke to me.
“ah. Then the boy you said you brought with you… … .”
“yes. “I saved the thing that had fallen on the other side of the stone gate.”
“I see. “I thought it was strange because I didn’t feel any signs of life underground.”
“I’m not sure, but maybe that kid saw and heard something beyond the stone gate? “Looking at it at the time, it seemed like I had been wandering around for quite some time.”
I continued.
“First, wait until the kid comes to his senses, and then listen to him when he wakes up. “How about deciding the direction then?”
Lanfero nodded.
“Let’s do that.”
* * *
I was finally able to wash.
I soaked my body in warm water and peeled off the old grime. After washing, the accumulated fatigue began to spread throughout her body and she begged for sleep, but it was not the time to relax and sleep.
It is correct to say that this place is already a battlefield.
A place where it wouldn’t be strange if someone lost their life anytime and anywhere.
It occurred to me that perhaps the most peaceful time was when we were hit by a blizzard in the North.
Still, I have to eat.
Fortunately, Oimer had been extravagant, so there was plenty to eat.
Northern food is a delicacy in its own way and quite palatable, but it also felt familiar.
‘ah. It’s a bit similar to the food my mother made.’
Come to think of it, I also had some Northern blood flowing through me.
Corland.
I think it was a little lower than here due to its location, but I’m not sure. This was because I had no particular contact with my maternal family, either in my past life or in my current life.
Anyway, northern food was usually large, oily, and very sweet or salty.
Even though I was tired of eating it every day, I felt very satisfied when I ate real food for the first time in a long time.
After filling my stomach, I went to sleep right away.
It was decided not to stand watch separately, but to take turns watching only the village chief.
I fell asleep for the first time in a long time due to accumulated fatigue, but then I felt someone shaking my shoulder and opened my eyes.
“… what?”
“Luan! “Are you awake?”
I saw Mir’s face.
I said once again, thinking that his eyes were really big.
“what time is it?”
“Around 12 o’clock?”
“really? Hey… … .”
I slept for almost ten hours.
I raised my upper body and stretched.
“Okay… … . So what’s going on?”
“The kid Luan saved woke up!”
“Oh yeah?”
“huh! Now I am feeding him warm ginger tea. Fortunately, there was no serious damage to the body, and the frostbite was not severe.”
“That’s a good thing.”
I am fortunate that my recovery was faster than expected and that there was no problem with my body.
It seemed like he had been lying down in that cold place for quite some time, so he might have been surprisingly strong.
I washed up, put on some clothes, and headed to where the kid was… … .
Surprisingly, most of the Corrupted Clan members were hanging around outside.
“Why aren’t you going in and everyone is out?”
“I just came to my senses, but if I see my or Brother Araksad’s face, I might faint again, right?”
“aha.”
That’s right.
Although the appearance of goblins and lizardmen is not particularly hideous, it may be irritating to a child who is still mentally and physically unstable.
Lanfero said.
“I was thinking about going in, but for the same reason, I was afraid it would be a burden for the child if there were adults around.”
Your face is provocative in a different way than a monster, so it’s right not to include it… I tried to say that, but since we weren’t that close yet, I shut her up.
“Then what’s inside?”
“Only Sister Lasbeth. ah. And I remembered you.”
“Me?”
“They said they wanted to see a hero with platinum hair.”
A hero… … .
For some reason, I felt uneasy because I didn’t think they were talking about the hero Heros.
“I’m going to have to go down to the basement and have a look. “I’ll ask for the little one.”
“All right.”
I glanced at Lanfero and opened the door.
The unusually warm air in the room tickled my skin, and the little boy sitting on the bed looked at me and said hello.
“oh. hello!”
Was Verita talking about something? Berita had a stew and ginger tea in her hands, but both were empty.
He must have been waiting on the side.
“Gu, thank you for saving me. Now I thought it was all wrong, but if it had stayed the same, I would have lost my life… … .”
“It was nothing. “What is your little friend’s name?”
“ah. “My name is Daniel.”
The kid named Daniel nodded his head again.
“Yes, Daniel. You may be a bit confused since you just woke up, but could you tell me what you saw down there? Why was he there like that? … . “It’s quite important to us.”
“ah. So… … .”
Daniel, who took a moment to gather his thoughts, opened his mouth.
“… I was fishing on an icy lake with my brother, but I lost my footing and fell into the lake. The ice lake instantly took away my body temperature, and the tight clothes weighed down my body… … . I thought I was going to die like this, but I didn’t. Suddenly, I felt like my body was being sucked somewhere… … .”
“Did you hear it?”
“When I opened my eyes again, I was on top of a strange altar.”
“altar?”
“yes. There were a lot of wizards dressed in black in the center of the altar, and there were a lot of people in the same situation as me around them. “For some reason, everyone’s mesmerized faces were very scary.”
Daniel continued, his small body shaking.
“We were all locked in a strange iron cage, but I was small so I could barely get out… … . “After running away for quite some time, my brother saved me when I collapsed from exhaustion.”
“So, if you walk straight through that underground cave, you’ll come across that altar or something?”
“Yeah, I guess so. maybe… … .”
Perhaps because the memory was blurry, he answered in a low voice.
As I narrowed my eyes and tried to lose myself in thought, Daniel’s voice followed.
“Hey, are you going beyond the stone gate?”
“… however?”
“Then me too. Please take me too.”
“you?”
“yes. People there… … . I feel so sorry for those people who are in the same situation as me. How cold will it be? “How scary can it be?”
Daniel had tears in his eyes.
“I know the way. I might be able to guide you to the altar. You can swear. “I won’t get in your way.”
I could see anxiety on his face, as if he knew it was an unreasonable request.
But I nodded willingly.
“good. “I’ll take you there.”
“really?”
“huh. “If you just answer one question instead.”
“yes! “Ask anything.”
“How do you know the stone gate?”
Daniel’s eyes blinked slowly.
“… yes?”
“The stone gate in the basement. You didn’t go into the cave through that stone gate, did you? Of course, you shouldn’t even know of its existence.”
“… … .”
“But you just said that. Please take me beyond the stone gate… … . It’s strange. Since you lost consciousness as soon as you saw me, you probably don’t even remember escaping through the stone gate. How can you be sure that it is connected to an underground cave?”
The only person who can be sure of that here is me, who actually entered through that door.
“Did the nun here say anything?”
Verita shook her head quietly.
“It’s not like that.”
“They say so.”
“ah… … .”
And the expression of the little boy named Daniel slowly changed.
The reddened eyes and the innocent face of a child disappeared, replaced by ridicule.
With a grumpy expression that only an old person would make.
“You’re quick-witted. “You look stupid.”
“Who are you?”
“I don’t know, Hero’s dog. However, I will warn you of one thing. Don’t get involved in our affairs. “Unless you want to end up in something worse than death.”
“what?”
“Return to one’s original nature, that is the only salvation that can free one from the bondage of suffering. Praise the golden horn. Long live Kingarodtooth.”
Immediately after that, Daniel’s body suddenly swelled. Verita stood up in an instant and she quickly wrapped her arms around me… … .
Kwaaaaaaaa!
Daniel’s body exploded with an explosion that rang in his ears.
fantasy,
