novelraw Chapter 130 : Chapter 130
Chapter 130 : Chapter 130
Chapter 130: Devil and Church (1)
Who knows what might happen.
This isn't Serzila.
Ellen's prediction hit the mark exactly.
Harad's prediction… was ambiguous.
The man who shot the arrow was in a strange state.
His eyes were wild, and drool was dripping from his mouth. On closer inspection, it wasn't the first time. The corners of his mouth were caked with dried saliva.
“Devil, devil!”
Despite being a Mage, the man cried out "devil" upon seeing Harad.
“Wait…”
Swish.
Too late.
Ellen's sword was faster than Harad's mouth.
The sword, imbued with Innate Strength, very lightly, yet very quickly, sliced through the man's neck. The dripping saliva sprayed everywhere along with blood.
“Why?”
Ellen asked belatedly.
“I was going to say let's interrogate him. It's fine. It's trivial.”
Harad swallowed his disappointment.
Considering he attacked with magic first and then babbled about the person he attacked being a devil, he probably wasn't in his right mind.
Harad approached the body that had fallen with the bow in its hand. Freshly spilled blood emitted warm steam.
Through it, older bloodstains were visible.
“He's already fought.”
Harad pointed to the bloodstains and said.
Ellen squatted down next to him.
“I don't see any wounds?”
“That's right. Other than the neck you cut, there are no injuries. It means he had a companion and lost them.”
Ellen's eyes narrowed.
“Couldn't it be blood from killing someone and burying them?”
“The man's weapon was a bow. His Origin must be related to wind.”
Harad searched the body.
No other weapons were found.
“Just a bow. He's not the type to kill at close range.”
Only then did Ellen nod her head.
“He lost a companion. And brutally, at that. It must have been the work of the one he called a devil.”
It seemed only Ellen's prediction was correct.
“Perhaps the one he was aiming for wasn't me.”
He must have been aiming for the devil. Vengeance for his companion, perhaps.
“It means the devil is around here. And he must be a Mage.”
No presence was felt.
When Harad looked back, Ellen shook her head.
It meant she didn't feel anything.
“Well, it's not for certain. The man could have just been crazy.”
“No. I think you're right.”
Since some point, Ellen had started to believe Harad's words without question.
“Either he's not around, or he has a secretive Origin.”
Oh.
Harad pursed his lips.
“……Why the face?”
“It's like this sometimes.”
“Ah. Is it because you want to eat it?”
Ellen pointed to the man's heart.
Harad shook his head.
“It's fine. I'm fasting.”
“You're drooling.”
Harad wiped his drool.
“Burst it, so I can't eat it at all.”
“Are you okay?”
“I'm fiwe.”
“……Are you sure you're okay?”
His pronunciation was slurred because of the drool.
But apart from the funny pronunciation, Harad's face was very resolute.
Ellen tilted her head but stomped on the man's heart, bursting it.
At that, Harad wiped his drool.
“That's a bit better.”
His pronunciation had improved too.
“Wouldn't it be better to eat it before we arrive in the Empire?”
“Then it would be neither here nor there.”
Harad shook his head.
If you start something, you have to see it through.
Addiction begins the moment you decide to do it again later.
“Going to the Empire is actually an opportunity. It creates an environment where I'm forced to endure.”
No matter how impossible a task, if someone threatens to kill you, you'll eventually do it.
“A person's heart either grows stronger or weaker when pushed into an extreme situation. I'm the former.”
He would probably be able to endure longer in the Empire than in the North.
“Well, don't worry too much. If I feel like I really can't take it anymore, I'll indulge in predation.”
Harad pointed to the corpse.
The surprise attacks from the Liberation Tower's Rebellion faction would continue in the Empire as well.
If the news of his southbound journey spread, it might become more frequent than when he was in Serzila.
‘But they can't use magic.’
Because of the Church.
The same went for Harad, but he had Ellen.
From his perspective, it was like hearts were rolling in by the vine.
“Let's go back now.”
“What about the devil?”
“The chances of him coming are higher if we're in the tent than standing around here.”
If he really wanted to meet him, he had to be off his guard.
Ellen obediently followed Harad.
Since one tent was destroyed, they had to share the remaining one.
It wasn't a big deal.
They had been doing that until the arrow flew in.
“Aren't you taking it off?”
“I don't have a hobby of fighting with my shirt off.”
“You…”
Ellen stopped herself from cursing.
* * *
The first thing I saw upon waking up was Ellen's sullen face.
“Didn't you sleep?”
Harad had slept soundly.
He wouldn't have if he were alone, but Ellen was there.
That monster could respond immediately even if attacked in her sleep.
“……No. I just woke up.”
“Then why are you angry?”
“There was no attack.”
The devil. The Mage the archer Mage had spoken of had not approached last night.
Ellen seemed displeased by that fact.
“If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have slept like that.”
True.
Ellen must have fallen asleep while on guard.
Because Harad had hinted at an attack.
“It is unsettling.”
Why didn't he come?
‘Did he not notice us?’
Perhaps.
The one the devil was aiming for must have been the archer and his companions.
The man might not have known of our existence.
‘He might not be interested. Or he could be watching secretly.’
Either way, it didn't matter much.
“What should we do? Should we try sleeping more?”
Harad slightly lifted the tent entrance.
It was early morning. They could pretend to be asleep for longer.
Or actually sleep.
“Let's just go.”
“What if he follows?”
“Then it would be less unsettling. It would be even better if he attacks us.”
Following without attacking means he's not confident he can win in a direct confrontation.
Ellen could handle a surprise attack anytime.
Because her instincts, thanks to her Innate Strength, were as sharp as Toremot's.
“I don't want to waste our time on some insignificant fry.”
“Because we have to make good memories in that time?”
“That's right.”
Ellen grinned and stepped out of the tent.
There was nothing to prepare or organize separately.
Harad and Ellen set out on the road again. As expected, no pursuing presence was felt.
‘There's no need to be more conscious of it.’
If they were on their way to Serzila, they would have to be conscious of it.
Because if he followed, it would be like letting a bug into the domain.
But Harad and Ellen were heading for the Empire. A bug, whatever.
‘If he's following, he'll pick a fight before we reach the Empire.’
He can't properly manifest magic in the Empire.
He'll be wary of the Church's eyes.
If he followed them all a the way to the Empire, he was a madman.
If there was no attack by then, they could dismiss it as a needless thought.
…In conclusion, it was a needless worry.
Harad and Ellen camped ten times, and in that time, they passed dozens of people.
But there was no attack from the devil.
Coincidentally, there were no Mages among the dozens of people.
And so, ten days passed.
“It's starting to get hot.”
“Same here.”
The walls of Premont were laid out before them.
“Want to take it off?”
“……Is there a need to advertise that I'm fire.”
It was winter in the Empire too.
* * *
The gate of the North.
Premont was a splendid city.
Some introduced this city as the last entertainment one could experience before leaving for hell.
As befitting a city, Premont had no darkness even in the middle of the night. Light spread everywhere, and it was crowded with people.
But Ellen looked up at the sky first.
It was a winter sky, but compared to the North, it was clear.
“The continent's winter is cool.”
It was a Northerner's sense.
The people of the Empire were bundled up in their overcoats.
Ellen, having observed the sky, then scanned the people of Premont.
“Why are they wearing that? Magical beast leather would be warmer. Or they could add more layers.”
“It's called fashion. It seems flamboyant things are in trend these days.”
At those words, Ellen looked down at her own clothes.
They were plain casual clothes that looked very comfortable for fighting.
“Should I try wearing something like that?”
“Why bother?”
Ellen's eyes narrowed.
“Why. Do you think it won't suit me?”
“Fashion is something that ugly people pursue to look less ugly.”
Harad's eyes scanned Ellen's entire body.
“You don't need to do that. You're perfect on the outside.”
It's the inside that's the problem.
“And so am I.”
“That's also true.”
Ellen shrugged her shoulders.
She looked pleased.
It was something I said for that purpose.
Saying she was perfect on the outside was a compliment, after all.
It's her first time in the Empire.
Harad didn't want Ellen to feel intimidated.
‘Though she's not the type to be.’
I don't know at this age.
The Ellen before me was still young.
When I first met her, she was more conscious of her surroundings than in her past life.
In fact, Ellen kept looking around.
It was the gesture of a country bumpkin who had just come to the city.
“It's not that different. I think Serzila is better?”
However, her impression was arrogant, unlike a country bumpkin.
“Because Serzila is a great domain.”
Isn't it a Grand Duke's family, after all.
Though harsh and without a church, Serzila's facilities were better than Premont's.
“You have to compare it with other domains in the North. This isn't the capital.”
Compared to the Imperial capital, the Serzila domain becomes shabby.
It was only natural. The opponent was a nation, and it had a duty to indulge in luxury for its people, including the nobles.
“……If you compare it with other places, this is a little more impressive.”
It probably wasn't just a little.
Harad smiled slightly at her prideful words.
Indeed, the young Ellen had a cute side.
“There are definitely things to learn from the cities of the Empire. Starting with the educational institutions. Ah. I'm excluding the church, of course.”
Harad explained about the Empire.
Ellen nodded her head and listened intently.
That was their relationship.
Harad would often act as if he were teaching Ellen.
“But don't be too conscious of it. The background is different. This place has developed because it has the capacity.”
“We don't have the capacity?”
“We use that power for survival, don't we.”
“Ah.”
Ellen's mouth opened slightly.
“There are not a few such people on the continent, but in the end, the ratio is lower compared to the North. A difference is bound to occur.”
It was only natural that the Empire was wealthier than the North.
“We have the wall too.”
The resources and manpower required to maintain the wall were enormous.
“Should we eat first?”
Harad had an accurate grasp of Ellen's tummy clock.
It was about time she got hungry.
But Ellen shook her head.
“Can we go to the church first?”
Ellen seemed to want to meet Seria.
Come to think of it, Seria had once mentioned that Premont had a lot of good restaurants.
“If it's a burden, I can go alone.”
Harad was a Mage.
Ellen was mindful of that fact.
“Just tell me the way. She said it was the central church of Premont.”
Ellen treated Harad as if he knew the way around Premont.
It was a sign that she had gotten used to his 'it's a secret'.
“It doesn't matter. If the Pope were here, I'd even have a meal with him.”
“Are you still making that joke?”
“It's not a joke.”
“But the time you ate is a secret?”
“Exactly.”
Ellen smiled, looking at Harad.
“Can I hit you?”
“Not yet.”
Harad smiled back.
* * *
The day was cool, and the people, though not as much as in the North, were vibrant.
That vibrancy followed an invisible order. They would occasionally offer a prayer to the sun. Those who didn't would offer one to the moon at night.
Above Premont lies faith.
Below it, the nobility. There are particularly flamboyant people. People become cautious when passing such people.
It was an unfamiliar sight to Ellen. There are people in the North who pray to the sun and moon. But they are not so devout.
With the exception of Serzila, Northerners don't bow so low even before nobles.
It's a land where even the strong Toremot gets nagged by the owner of his regular tavern.
The Empire is a land more rigid and developed than such a North. And it was peaceful.
‘I thought Mage hunting was a daily occurrence.’
I thought there would be crosses stuck everywhere, and Mages turned to ash or beheaded lying around.
“Mages are rare. More people will die without ever seeing one.”
Harad said.
He often acted as if he could see right through Ellen's inner thoughts.
“Seria was called the guillotine of Premont.”
“Nicknames are prone to exaggeration. So that the opponent gets scared.”
That's true.
Ellen thought of Avery Aquins.
The Star of the Deep Sea.
A Mage who, if he had been born in the right era, would not have been strange to become a Tower Master.
Avery Aquins was certainly impressive, but not to the extent of living up to that name.
The man was definitely exaggerated.
Or the Tower Master was also exaggerated.
“Of course, her skills are excellent, but she probably killed a little less than you think.”
I thought she had killed about a hundred people.
It seemed to be less than that.
“Seria's method of identifying Mages was clumsy.”
Seria would run around like a madwoman, crying out "devil".
But even then, after beheading someone, she would offer an apology.
It was an action a priestess wouldn't do, as Harad had said.
“She may have a lot of combat experience, but she's almost never identified a Mage herself.”
Ellen nodded her head.
“Of course, she might have been holding back because of her excitement. She might have entrusted the identification to her partner because she didn't trust her own judgment.”
Harad said, excluding his subjectivity as much as possible.
But unconsciously, distrust was mixed in. Thus, Harad did not trust Seria.
Ellen was disappointed by that but couldn't blame him.
There would be no one who understood Harad's situation as much as her, and wanted to understand it.
The central church of Premont was bigger than I thought.
It was a part that showed the influence of the Church, Harad added.
It was true. The church was bigger than Premont Castle.
But the church was smaller than Serzila's Inner Fortress, and so low as to be shabby compared to the Fire Watchtower.
A land less impressive than Serzila, but more impressive than the Empire and the Church.
That is how Ellen thinks of the Otherworld.
“If we fight the Otherworld, who wins?”
It was an out-of-the-blue and childish question.
But Harad took it seriously.
“The Church loses.”
“What if you combine the Empire and the Church?”
“They still lose.”
Harad seemed to be ignoring the Empire and the Church.
“What about the continent?”
“The Otherworld wins.”
No, he seemed to hold the Otherworld in high regard.
As they say, blood is thicker than water, he was taking the side of the Mages.
“But if the North is included, they win.”
However, Harad placed the North even higher than such an Otherworld.
“Why?”
“Because I'm here.”
“…….”
Wrong.
Harad was placing himself even higher.
“It's a joke.”
“Then?”
“Because Elaine Serzila is here.”
And me above her.
Ellen whipped her head around.
Harad's gaze was too intense.
His mouth said Elaine, but it felt like his eyes were pointing at Ellen.
She avoided his gaze, but Ellen noticed that Harad had stopped.
There was a church in front of them. The church was wide open, and one person was standing there.
It was an old man with a white beard, and the layers of wrinkles looked stern.
That old man was blocking Harad's path.
“It is the time of the sun. Only believers of Laan may enter.”
The old man's voice was shrill.
“A believer of the sun. This lady is someone I'm in the process of converting.”
Harad said, pulling Ellen closer.
“You don't look like one.”
The old man said, staring intently at Harad's face.
As befitting an old priest, he was spiritually sharp.
“Do you also read faces?”
The old man didn't answer.
He didn't seem to have any intention of letting them in.
Instead of speaking further, Harad raised his head and held up both hands.
It was in the shape of holding something large and round.
It was a prayer to the sun.
Seria would often assume that posture towards the sun in the sky.
Harad's posture was more elaborate and reverent than such a Seria's.
He didn't stop there. After holding the posture of holding the sun for a while, he carefully brought his hands together and moved them to his heart.
“……Have you ever been a guest of the main sanctuary?”
The old man's eyes widened when he saw that.
It seemed there were levels to prayer as well.
Harad had shown a special prayer method.
“That is not important. What is important is that He is here.”
Harad smiled, pointing to his heart.
“I have committed a discourtesy. Please enter, brother.”
The old man smiled warmly and stepped aside.
“……What did you eat?”
As they passed, Ellen whispered softly.
“What meal?”
“With the Pope.”
I don't know when he would have had the time and opportunity.
But it seemed Ellen had to believe the fact that he had eaten with the Pope.
“It's a secret.”
Harad smiled mysteriously again.
Ellen found it annoying.
“Can I hit you?”
“Not yet.”