novelraw Chapter 135 : Chapter 135
Chapter 135 : Chapter 135
Chapter 135: Devil and Church (6)
Small forest.
The place where the magical beast had coiled up was a half-day's walk west from Ekampote domain.
That was the reason the people of the domain had welcomed Priest Wimar.
They were afraid of when the magical beast would leave the forest and attack Ekampote.
‘Setting aside the Church.’
I know the reason for the lukewarm response from the main sanctuary of the Church.
Because the magical beast doesn't leave the forest.
That's why they entrusted the subjugation to the surrounding churches.
It's a task that can be subjugated someday, even if it's difficult for now.
‘Why Ekampote?’
The small forest is not the territory of the Count of Ekampote.
So, it's not so strange that he's being a bystander. He wouldn't want to lose money and manpower in a pointless affair.
‘But the church has stepped in.’
Sun and moon.
The Church is the state religion of the Empire. The magical beast in the small forest has already killed dozens of such priests.
The Count of Ekampote, the noble closest to the small forest, would have no choice but to be conscious of such a Church.
‘Ekampote has already failed in its subjugation. Did they send all their forces then?’
Impossible.
Nobles are a race that leaves a reserve.
Ekampote must have preserved a certain amount of its forces.
Even if they fail once, they had to consistently make a show of subjugating it.
If they didn't want to do that, they should at least show some sincerity to the church that went on the subjugation.
The Count of Ekampote did not do so.
Even though it had been over five days, he hadn't even shown his face, let alone provided support, to Wimar.
Of course, even if he had, Wimar would have refused, but the problem was that he hadn't even tried.
Ekampote was thoroughly being a bystander to Wimar.
Considering the relationship between the Empire and the Church, it was an impossible thing.
‘Is it because he refused at first?’
When they had just arrived, Wimar had refused the captain of the guard's offer to guide him to the Count.
Did that hurt his feelings? But the other party is a priest. There's no good in showing it.
‘He'll be marked by the Church. Was it like this in my past life?’
Nothing particular comes to mind.
It was a matter of the continent, and from the continent's perspective, Ekampote was a very small domain.
‘I don't know.’
It was also a matter from his freeloader days.
There's no way he would have memories of the continent's affairs.
‘The Count of Ekampote.’
However, there is a slight memory of the Count. I had seen him on the battlefield. He was an excellent commander.
‘He was young and used his head well.’
But the current Count of Ekampote is acting foolishly.
At least, that's how Harad felt. There might be a reason he doesn't know, but anyway.
‘Is he a different person? That might be it. It was about 10 years ago.’
His steps stretched out.
Like when he left Premont, Wimar was heading for the forest quickly.
There is no hesitation in his steps.
In Wimar's mind, only the devil and the magical beast would exist.
Whether the Count of Ekampote was foolish or cunning, it was none of his business. That was a problem for the Church to think about, not the retired Wimar.
And it was the same for Harad.
There was no reason or need to delve into the Count of Ekampote's intentions.
What was important was the magical beast in the forest, and what came after.
The stealthy Mage whose body was pierced by a stone. Wimar. The devil suspect, Rosen. Is the Mage who knows the sea route in Ekampote…….
Wimar slightly slowed his pace.
“I'll say it again, it's a beast-type magical beast.”
Since the drinking party last night, Wimar had been speaking casually to Ellen as well.
“Its head resembles a deer, its claws are sharper than a wolf's, and its tail is as fast as a snake's. There was even a Holy Knight who died with his neck torn off without being able to react.”
Ellen, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head.
“It grows back anyway, doesn't it?”
“Grows back? What does?”
“The head.”
“……?”
“You said his neck was torn off. Then doesn't it regenerate?”
Wimar's expression was grotesque for quite a while.
“Ah. You said you met Priestess Seria.”
“Yes. She would burst heads at the drop of a hat.”
“Priestess Seria was an immature priestess. It seems she is still so.”
Wimar nodded his head as if he finally understood.
“Priestess Seria is a special catechumen. To borrow a secular expression, a genius. She has the makings of an Apostle.”
The Apostles of God, personally appointed by the Pope.
The position of Inquisitor is the fastest way to become an Apostle.
An Inquisitor who has killed 333 devils or magical beasts alone without the support of the Church gains the qualification to become an Apostle.
“Priestess Seria is special. This is a part that cannot be regenerated as easily as you say.”
Wimar tapped his own head.
That bone or lump of flesh is easy. What is tricky is the soft brain inside.
“To be without this is no different from being temporarily dead. Few priests can overcome that.”
“What about Wimar?”
“In my younger days, it was possible once. It would be difficult now. This body is too old. At most, I could regenerate half of my head.”
As befitted his age, the divine power Wimar held was considerable. But most of that power was allocated to moving the old Wimar.
‘Still, he can regenerate half his head.’
It seems Wimar was quite a formidable priest in his prime.
“Were you an Inquisitor?”
“When the fire bestowed by Laan burned fiercely.”
It meant he had been in his youth.
“It was a short-lived glory.”
“Why did you quit?”
“I had a daughter.”
His wife should have come first.
Wimar had not mentioned his wife last night either.
“So my life became precious. I became irreverent. If I had resolved to be a martyr, I should have become a martyr.”
His expression was ambiguous.
It seemed like he regretted it, and also like he didn't.
It meant that the size of his family and the size of his faith were not that different.
It might be the reason why Wimar became a stern fundamentalist.
While thinking of his daughter and granddaughter, he could not forget the irreverence he had committed in the past.
“You say martyr, but isn't it just dying?”
“Watch your words, Ellen. That is a wrong thing to say.”
Wimar said like a benevolent but strict grandfather.
“There is no priest who does not wish for martyrdom.”
“Even Wimar's daughter?”
“Of course.”
His daughter was also a priestess.
“Does your daughter wish for Wimar's martyrdom?”
“Of course. It is a glorious and sacred thing.”
Wimar answered immediately.
“Then what about Wimar? Does Wimar also wish for his daughter's martyrdom?”
For a moment, it seemed as if the air had stopped.
The short silence felt long, and Wimar's expression gradually contorted.
It might not have been intentional, but Ellen had hit the core.
The faith of the Church is blind, but in fact, it is not absolute.
“…….”
In the end, Wimar could not answer.
A die-hard fundamentalist.
Wimar had long followed the doctrines engraved on his body and soul. To him, it was a kind of truth.
But that truth could not be directed towards his daughter.
Thus, the Church is sometimes dualistic.
Elaine of my past life knew that it meant a possibility.
But she did not succeed.
Mages and the Church cannot coexist.
Elaine of my past life chose the Mage, chose Harad.
…It will be the same in this life.
* * of
Though he had postponed the answer to the question, Wimar did not keep his mouth shut. He continued to speak.
And he stopped his steps in the small forest.
“I'll say it again. The main force is me and Ellen.”
Wimar wanted to summarize what he had said so far.
It must be a habit from his active duty days.
As he set out on a magical beast subjugation, a forgotten habit had revived.
“Harad, you stay back. If you feel anything ominous, keep your distance. We might not have the leeway to protect you.”
Wimar said with his eyes wide open.
It was like watching a grandfather scaring his grandson.
“You don't need to try to figure anything out. Harad, your goal is survival. The subjugation is my and Ellen's job.”
Wimar emphasized again.
He knew Harad as a rather outstanding ordinary person.
“I'll keep that in mind.”
Harad quietly nodded his head.
Of course. He had no intention of stepping in anyway.
For Harad to step in is the same as saying he would have a life-and-death struggle with Wimar.
That stern priest does not forgive devils.
‘A devil.’
Harad thought of the devil suspect, Rosen.
If they subjugate the magical beast, Wimar will return to Ekampote. He would set fire to the devil suspect, Rosen, and return to Premont.
Harad had a duty to stop that arson.
Ellen would not wish for Rosen's death.
To her, Rosen was a Mage, not a sinner.
‘How should I stop him.’
Wimar turned his gaze to Ellen.
“Ellen, I know your strength. You are surely stronger than me. But do not be arrogant. It breeds carelessness.”
“I'll keep that in mind.”
Ellen nodded her head.
Harad secretly frowned.
It was wrong advice. Ellen had to be arrogant, and even further, she had to be haughty. She was that kind of person.
A rather outstanding ordinary person could not correct the advice.
He would have to tell her later. Perhaps the dream would tell her again without Harad needing to step in.
Just like it had awakened her Innate Strength.
In fact, there was no need to correct it right away.
Magical beasts are rare on the continent. The Church had already wiped them out.
Therefore, the continental magical beasts that appear from time to time are generally young and weak. Because they lack the time and food needed for growth.
The magical beast in the small forest would be the same.
Though Ellen seemed nervous, it would be a useless tension.
The strong are rare. Even more so on the continent.
Just as the magical beasts of the Boundary and the continent are different, the levels of the continent and the North are different.
Though it had killed a few knights of Ekampote and dozens of priests, that would be it. The main sanctuary of the Church did not step in.
The magical beast in the small forest would not be that impressive.
Wimar offered a prayer to the sky.
After doing so for a while, he folded his hands over his heart. The hands that were released soon drew the dagger tucked near his ribs.
“I'll take the lead.”
It was a proper judgment.
Wimar was an old, retired priest, but he still possessed superior regenerative abilities.
The small forest was smaller than he had thought.
It was small enough to be taken in at a glance even from a distance, and it was even more shabby inside.
The forest was destroyed. Most of the trees were broken and scattered in an unsightly manner.
Though it was winter and the ground should be hard, there were clear traces of being scorched here and there.
“A valuable martyrdom.”
Wimar offered a prayer towards the traces of divine power scattered throughout the forest. Thanks to the dozens of priests, the forest was no longer a forest.
In the broken forest, in the wide-open view, the magical beast was visible.
The magical beast looked both the same as and different from what Wimar had described.
‘He said it was beast-type.’
The magical beast's head was a deer's, but it stood on two legs.
Even excluding the splendidly grown horns, its height seemed to be well over 4 meters. It wasn't just big. It was muscular.
Its arms were also long, and the claws at the end were indeed longer and sharper than a wolf's. They were as long as Wimar's dagger.
Behind the huge physique, something was swaying.
It was a tail thicker than a rope, and at its end was a snake's head. It wasn't shaped like that, it was a real snake's head. A long, flowing tongue vibrated.
The magical beast looked so terrifying it would make you wet your pants. But Wimar laughed lowly.
Because the entire body of the ferocious magical beast was a mess.
One of its splendid horns was broken and dangling, and a few of its claws were chipped. The snake's body that grew like a tail was burned here and there.
“As I thought, it has weakened. The devil has not recovered.”
It must be the work of the dozens of priests.
But Wimar attributed the credit to the stone.
Because the master, the devil, had not recovered, the magical beast was also like that.
“Harad.”
Wimar, looking straight at the magical beast, reached out his hand and stopped Harad.
By then, it was already too late.
Unlike a Mage who is merely a vessel.
A magical beast is a being that builds its own Origin through life. They recognize magic.
That magical beast was injured. It needed to recover.
In other words, magic.
The beast had discovered the food that was Harad.
And the meal takes place after getting rid of the intruders.
The beast let out a terrifying cry.
Fitting its head, it resembled a deer.
“Why.”
Wimar was flustered.
Though he had said it was a magical beast that didn't attack first, the beast charged at them.
The chipped claw struck down at Wimar.
As it collided with the white-stained dagger, the view flashed. Through the impact, the snake tail shot up stealthily and quickly. At its end was Ellen.
Thwack! Ellen's left hand snatched the snake tail.
Kyak! The snake's head thrashed and struggled in Ellen's grip.
“……?”
Ellen, who was about to swing her sword with her right hand, tilted her head as she looked down at the snake caught in her hand.
It was for a moment. Ellen's grip twitched and tightened. Pak! The snake's body burst, and the head fell to the ground. When Ellen stepped on it, it was crushed into a handful of blood.
“Uh……”
Ellen looked flustered.
She reflexively looked at Harad. He just nodded his head.
Ellen's gaze turned again. Wimar's dagger cut through the four chipped claws.
“It has weakened!”
Wimar shouted.
He was exulting.
“Ah.”
Only then did Ellen understand.
That it was easy because the magical beast had weakened.
* * *
It was only half the answer.
It was already weaker than the magical beasts of the Boundary, and it had been further weakened by the successive attacks of the priests.
‘As I thought, it's not much.’
Even if the magical beast had been unharmed, it would not have been a match for Ellen.
Harad did not bother to point it out.
Though he realized the magical beast had weakened, Wimar did not lose his caution. He was slowly and surely aiming for the magical beast's life.
‘He must have been like that in his active duty days.’
Indeed.
Few things are as annoying as a strong person being cautious.
However, Ellen seemed to be frustrated by that caution. She looked back again. Harad shook his head.
It meant she should not step in.
The magical beast had weakened to the point where Wimar could kill it alone.
The longer it takes, the better.
The time to think increases.
‘Rosen. Rosen. What should I do.’
If they return, Wimar will force him to pray. The place would not be the chapel, but the fire of purification.
‘It's easier to give up.’
It is the easiest path.
Protecting a devil suspect was too much of a risk.
There was no need to be at odds with the Church so soon.
‘Kill him here?’
It is the most certain and safe path.
Wimar dies here with the magical beast.
The church would understand. That magical beast already has a record of killing dozens of priests.
-As I've said repeatedly, don't worry about the aftermath. I'm behind you.
Though Elaine of my past life had said so, it was a difficult thing for the regressed Harad.
The one behind him now was not that Elaine, but the still young Ellen.
‘It seems right to kill him here.’
It's unsettling, but not an unsettling that I can't swallow.
‘It's not the first time.’
Harad slowly walked backward.
The magical beast will soon die. He had to keep his distance.
It was a situation where he couldn't even stand the sight of magic-infused blood.
He had no confidence that he wouldn't drool at the sight of a warm heart right in front of him.
The heart of a Mage is strong.
A magical beast was roughly similar. The skilled Wimar did not cut the heart, but the magical beast's neck. A huge deer's head rolled on the ground, spewing blood.
Thanks to that, the heart was inside the magical beast's body.
The stimulation was less, as if the food were covered in thick wrapping paper.
This much is bearable.
Harad closed the distance. It would look strange if he didn't approach even after the fight was over.
Ellen hadn't done much.
Wimar was panting.
Due to his age, even a short battle seemed to be difficult for him.
“You've worked hard.”
Harad supported the such Wimar.
“I'm still spry, you brat.”
“Didn't you say you didn't have much time left?”
“It seems today is not the day.”
Wimar laughed lowly.
He didn't seem disappointed. Even though he had resolved to be a martyr.
He still had a desire for life.
Such a Wimar.
Harad looked down at Wimar while supporting him.
“I'll support him.”
Just then, Ellen cut in.
She took Harad's place, and her glaring eyes were quite unusual.
‘She's found out.’
Ellen was sometimes sharp.
She had noticed Harad's inner thoughts and was rejecting them.
The sharpness that would have been welcome was now uncomfortable.
If not now, Rosen cannot be saved.
“Ellen.”
“No. I said I'll support him.”
But Ellen wanted both Wimar and Rosen to live.
How?
‘She probably hasn't thought about it.’
But if Ellen wants it, Harad must grant it.
The regressed Harad had such a duty.
So he has no choice but to save them both.
“Alright.”
Harad smiled bitterly.
He now had to find a way to save them both.
It was then.
Suddenly, the surroundings darkened.
‘Magic.’
As Harad's eyes narrowed, Ellen, while supporting Wimar, had already swung her sword. The darkness that seemed to envelop them was torn apart.
Through the gap, the headless magical beast's corpse was visible. Someone was squatting on top of it.
It was a long, skinny man. He was not wearing a shirt. His exposed ribs were clear even above his skin. There was a small hole next to his solar plexus.
‘A stone.’
Saliva poured out of the man's mouth like water.
His bloodshot eyes were looking down at the magical beast's corpse, not at them.
“Hee!”
Thump. The man's hand dug into the corpse.
With a cracking sound, something was pulled out. It was a heart.
“Heehik.”
The skinny man carefully lifted the heart with both hands. He buried his face in it and began to devour the heart greedily.
The sound of chewing spread eerily. The blood that had pooled in the heart dripped down his palms.
The man stopped eating the heart and licked up the blood as well. His face, stained red with blood, was quite eerie.
“Devil, devil……”
At that sight, Wimar's voice trembled.
He couldn't move. It was too eerie a sight.
Even Ellen, who was used to predation, was staring blankly. Harad unconsciously drooled. The man was monopolizing that delicious thing…….
It was then that the man lifted his head.
The movement was as fast as lightning. His bloodshot eyes regained their original color.
‘Withdrawal symptoms.’
He had met his eyes. Harad realized his mistake.
His mind arbitrarily brought up Kubel. There is another heart addict here.
The man looked at Harad, then at the magical beast's heart in his hand.
And then he looked at Harad again.
The man grinned.
While holding out the half-remaining heart.
“Want some?”
The devil whispered.