That bard is such a charmer!

Chapter 54: Arrival! Sainthood! Slaying!

Among the many passages and rooms of the underground stronghold, there is a hall with the highest dome and the largest area. Harald liked this place very much and set up the most crucial altar for the Order in it.

now.

He brought his last few close confidants into the hall.

Facing the hexagonal altar constructed of brass, bone, and obsidian, he admired it for a moment with a hint of regret, but then decisively waved his hand, instructing his confidants to prepare for the ceremony.

Soon, he took off his boots and walked barefoot to the center of the altar. His confidants brought several buckets of blood, which were imbued with the power of the killing god, and poured them around the altar. Then, they spread their arms and chanted incantations.

Amidst the eerie incantation that stirred the deepest fears in human hearts, blood flowed along the patterns on the altar, gradually gathering at Harald's feet, and from there began to transport immense power into his body.

"what……"

Harald opened his mouth with a satisfied growl, letting out a low, beast-like growl.

At this moment, images of human death flashed through his mind, images of the victims' resentment, which were condensed in their blood along with divine power.

Many years ago, Harald would have been at a loss when faced with these grievances, but now he has long since adapted to everything.

He had come to understand that killing was not a sin, but an absolutely justifiable act!

Just as humans eat and drink, even the youngest, most innocent child will crush an ant with their finger. This unconscious behavior demonstrates that killing is the nature of all things!

The gods who restrain this behavior are hypocrites; the cult that embraces, enjoys, and utilizes it is the right one!

Long live the God of Slaughter!

Rumble...

Just as Harald was reveling in the blood and power, the sound of floodwaters rushing into the passageway echoed outside the hall.

Harald smiled happily.

Because he knew that the sound meant yet another killing.

It's a bit of a shame we couldn't collect the blood of those adventurers. If we had their share, the ceremony would have been even more perfect. But... wait a minute...

Why is the sound of water getting closer?

Could it be...?

Rumble!!!

The next second, the surging lake water broke through the gate and swept over the entire altar!

"what!"

"Gurgle, gurgle!"

"Damn it! Cough! What, what's going on... glug!"

Harald was about to grab onto the altar when he was submerged by the rushing lake water. His armor prevented him from floating, and several small fish were forced into his half-open mouth, one of which even slapped him with its tail!

Ultimately, he lost all ability to resist and was swept around by the current.

Fortunately, the hall was interconnected, and the water flowed quickly. After half a minute, the height dropped to the level of a normal person's calf, and it could no longer cause trouble for creatures other than dwarves.

"Pooh!"

After regaining his footing, Harald forcefully spat out the fish from his mouth and looked around.

One of his trusted men was dead, two were seriously injured, and the remaining four were soaked to the bone and shivering.

As for the altar...

Aside from being covered in aquatic plants, it wasn't a big problem, but all the blood that had painstakingly undergone the sedimentation and coagulation process was washed away!

The most important ritual of the cult was interrupted!

"No, why would this happen? Did a goblin kick the person who opened the valve in the head?!"

At this moment, Harald's hands trembled; at this moment, Harald's heart ached.

But after roaring for a long time, he still had to accept reality.

Whatever the reason, the current situation is that he suffered heavy losses and the ceremony can no longer continue.

that……

What is he still doing here?

Harald gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, ready to gather his still-mobile confidants and head out through the back door of the hall—which led directly to the exit at the foot of the mountain, allowing for a quick evacuation.

However, before he could get close, the back door opened by itself.

Appearing behind them were Richard and Isabella!

Richard even winked and said to Harald with an innocent look:

"Do you like the gift we prepared for you? If you like it, play with it a little longer. It's so rude of you to be in such a hurry to leave..."

Why are Richard and Isabella here?

The story begins about ten minutes ago.

As planned, Richard and his two companions altered the partition and used their abilities to blast away a tunnel, thus forcibly reversing the direction of the water flow and directing it toward the hall where the altar was located.

Even so, the three were still worried, fearing that the lake water wouldn't be enough to deal with Harald.

After discussing it, they decided to split into two groups.

Based on the information obtained through interrogation, Amélie turned around and went to find Grace, hoping to guide them to the battlefield as soon as possible.

Richard and Isabella went to the high ground near the hall, and after the water receded, they came down to block the cultists' escape route.

His goal was not to defeat the cultists on his own, but to take advantage of the narrow terrain and their weakened state after being flushed down the toilet to distract and stall them until Grace arrived, and then use two loaves of bread sandwiched with cheese to completely eliminate them!

Let's get back to the present.

"you!"

Harald's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in astonishment.

He had assumed Isabella was still trapped, and that Richard, that weak adventurer, should have been dead long ago. He never expected to see the two of them again!

Surprised, he immediately realized that the flood was the work of these two!

Damn it, how did they do that?

I really underestimated them...

Although he couldn't understand Richard's methods at all, a burning anger had already ignited in Harald's heart.

He whispered to the two of them:

"You have committed a grave error, and you must pay for it with your blood. I assure you, you will suffer every imaginable torment..."

Across from him, Richard pulled out his lute, strummed the strings, and sang:

"The foolish cult leader tried to intimidate people with words, little did he know that his voice was so awful that even cannibals wouldn't bother spitting at him."

Harald: "...Why are you singing now?"

"Of course, it's to buff my teammates."

Ricci saw the inspirational spark in Isabella's eyes, then turned to Harald and said, "On the contrary, what are you babbling on about?"

We talk nonsense because we really want to buy time, but what are you talking nonsense for?

Harald blinked, and the next second, he could no longer suppress his anger. He pulled out a warhammer from his storage item and charged towards the two of them, unleashing purple lightning as he did so!

Crackling sounds!

But then Isabella stood in front of Richard and released the Cleric's Shield of Devotion to block the lightning.

She then fearlessly confronted Harald, gripping her longsword tightly with both hands and raising it high.

A dazzling white light shone from the blade, causing all evil spirits to instinctively want to retreat, announcing the name of this move to everyone!

Supreme! Holy! Slay!