Chapter 113 : Chapter 113
Chapter 113
The small rural village of Mongrun.
It was a place that once prospered from the mining industry but collapsed in an instant right after the ore veins were depleted.
Residents left one by one, and naturally, the nobles paid no attention to such matters.
Mongrun became a village where no one lived.
Only a few long-abandoned buildings remained, and vines grew in the ruined parts of the village, covering the traces of humans.
But still, there were humans who sought out Mongrun.
CRUNCH.
Someone moved forward, stepping on broken stone fragments.
They were dressed in a dark-colored robe, pulled down deep.
A garb that revealed neither face nor physique properly.
In a city, that alone would have been more than enough to be stopped by the guards, but this was the abandoned village of Mongrun.
He walked along what was once a well-paved road.
After passing a few collapsed buildings, the center of the village was revealed.
There was a giant tree there.
It was bone-dry, its roots exposed above the ground, and it bore only a few leaves on its gaunt branches, but.
The giant tree still held a faint vitality.
It was still alive, waiting for the rain that would someday fall.
CRUNCH.
The hooded person stood before the giant tree.
He knelt on one knee and lowered his gaze.
A small statuette was placed there.
At first glance, it looked like a sculpture of a human, but the differences were clear.
Two sharp horns.
A thick tail, and a pair of wings attached to the shoulder blades.
“A loyal servant comes to see his master.”
The human bowed his head deeply before the statue of the demon.
He was a priest of the Dark Order.
The demon he served was Agrio-s, and the statue was, of course, a representation of Agrio-s.
The priest offered a prayer.
Of course, its content was different from that of an ordinary clergyman.
He craved power. He revealed the despair that lay deep in his chest.
Just as a low-ranking beast exposes its belly, he too shamelessly revealed his own flaws.
It was unknown whether Agrio-s was satisfied.
An ordinary priest had no way of hearing a demon’s voice.
CRUNCH.
Just then, the priest sensed a presence.
He pulled his hood to cover his face and turned his gaze.
A person with a similar aura was approaching.
The priest gave him a slight nod.
The other person did the same.
The two passed each other without seeing each other's faces or exchanging words.
He, too, must be a follower of Agrio-s.
The desolate village of Mongrun.
This place, situated right on the outskirts of the Empire, was the holy land of Agrio-s.
‘Visiting the holy land is not an easy task.’
The priest smacked his lips in regret.
The orders of gods like Truma had built temples throughout the Empire.
This meant that followers of the gods could easily offer prayers to their god anytime, anywhere.
But they were different.
For a single heartfelt prayer, they had to seek out a holy land established in such a remote place, and even when they occasionally met their brothers and sisters of the order, they could not even exchange greetings.
The history of persecution and oppression continued to this very moment.
Just because they were a little different.
For the trivial reason that the god they served was faithful to desire.
‘The light will soon fall.’
The priest gathered his strength with that thought.
Soon, the Dark Order would reveal its existence to the world.
If they unleashed the anger they had accumulated over a long time all at once, it would not be impossible to bring down the empire of hypocrites.
It was at that moment.
WHOOOM-
A headache washed over him as if something was rummaging through his mind.
“Keuk.”
The priest’s expression crumpled, but he instinctively knelt.
It was because he knew what this phenomenon was a harbinger of.
He closed his eyes and brought his hands together in front of his chest.
He endured the headache. He did not show any signs of pain.
He acted as a loyal clergyman, waiting for the words of the one he served.
And the oracle descended.
“Rosmein. My child.”
“Yes, I am Rosmein. Your servant is listening to your words.”
“You will gain power.”
Agrio-s had chosen him.
At the same time, the priest, Rosmein, felt an intense agony.
“Kuk, keueuk.”
Veins bulged on his temples. His jaw was clenched so tightly that the sound of grinding teeth escaped his lips.
He then collapsed forward. He scratched the ground with his stiffened fingers.
Sharp stone fragments tore his skin, but that was a level of pain that could not even be called pain.
“Keoheok!”
Then, the pain stopped.
Rosmein felt as if he had been reborn and exhaled raggedly.
His entire body was drenched in sweat.
The skin on his palms was torn, and his fingernails had come off and were dangling.
But Rosmein was smiling.
The power that filled him to the brim gave him a sense of elation he had never felt before.
“……”
He had been chosen by Agrio-s.
For a clergyman of the Dark Order, there was no happier moment.
It was not because it was glorious.
Nor was it because his faith and devotion were rewarded.
Just immense power.
Because he had obtained the immense power to overwhelm his enemies, Rosmein was shedding tears of joy.
‘With this kind of power…….’
There was no longer a need to stay in the city while hiding his identity.
He now possessed Magi at least at the level of an Archbishop.
An Archbishop was a position that did not need to mingle among the hypocrites but could act independently and carry out the will of Agrio-s.
‘The fact that I was chosen means another Archbishop has died.’
The number of high-ranking clergy in the order was fixed.
Agrio-s had 13 Archbishops.
It meant that for someone new to gain a position, someone existing had to die.
‘But, why me?’
Also, a question remained.
The fact that he was chosen was certainly joyful, but in his opinion, there was no reason for him to be chosen.
Rosmein was a man who worked as a tailor while hiding his identity in a moderately sized city.
He lived a life with no reason to attract a demon's attention, a life where it would not be strange if he died anywhere, anytime.
‘No, that doesn't matter. I must not doubt his will.’
Such doubts were not helpful.
If he hesitated, he could have his power taken back, or he could be killed by someone in the order aiming for the Archbishop position.
It was his duty to protect his position.
He had to send numerous souls to hell to satisfy his master.
CRUNCH.
At the sound, Rosmein turned to his left.
It was the clergyman of the order he had seen earlier.
They were strangers who had passed each other without even a greeting, but now the situation was different.
“I greet the Archbishop.”
The priest of the order removed his hood.
With his face revealed, he showed his respect for the Archbishop.
At this, Rosmein’s mood improved again. He set aside his doubts and decided to bask in his newly acquired power.
“What is your name?”
“I am Priest Leoric, Your Grace.”
To the priest of the order, Rosmein gave his first command as an Archbishop.
“From now on, you will follow me. Settle all your affairs and return to the holy land.”
***
The rumor was spreading fast.
A monster-like beast has appeared.
Its size is that of a house, and its claws and teeth are sharper than those of a wild animal.
Therefore, one must not leave the city.
Serigel, with its sturdy and high walls, is a safe place from the Magical Beasts.
The content was vague, but upon closer inspection, it was accurate.
The Magical Beasts had started their activities, and Serigel was safe.
In such an atmosphere.
Knight Dirk sought out Reinhardt with a look of impatience.
“Sir Knight. When do I get to move? When can I face those things called Magical Beasts?”
“After they show themselves.”
“Can’t we just go find them?”
“You cannot.”
Reinhardt flatly crushed Dirk’s hopes.
Now was, so to speak, a transitional period.
It was a time when the atmosphere of the world was changing.
To properly deal with the events that would occur in the process, one had to hold one’s ground firmly.
“And you don’t yet have the skill to face a Magical Beast.”
“I will learn quickly. I learned really fast at the training grounds too.”
“You will. That’s why it’s okay to move a little more slowly.”
After just a few battles, Dirk would grow in an instant.
Reinhardt had already set the stage.
“You’re not ready yet.”
“Me?”
“I mean I haven’t prepared the necessary items on my end, Dirk. You remember how the surroundings changed when you defeated the wolf Magical Beast.”
“I remember. Everything was stained black.”
“If the traces of Magi are left as they are, it will only create more Magical Beasts. I cannot take such a risk just to develop you alone.”
Dirk’s mouth fell open.
The look of wanting to rush out immediately disappeared, replaced by a somewhat dazed expression.
“……Aha!”
“But if you wait just a little longer, we’ll be able to fight while cleaning up after ourselves. That is why you must wait here. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I was too hasty. My blood was just boiling, you see. Ever since you said that, Sir Knight.”
“That you could help Irien?”
“Yes. If I can just help her, I can truly do anything.”
Dirk’s eyes began to blaze again.
Reinhardt met that gaze for a moment before nodding.
“I see.”
People who made such expressions were bound to give their all no matter what task they were given.
“Since you seem bored, shall I help with your training?”
“R-really?”
“Get ready and follow me. Grab your sword and armor.”
“Yes, sir!”
Dirk, thoroughly excited, finished his preparations in an instant.
He put on the heavy armor without anyone’s help and hung his characteristic hefty longsword at his waist.
Reinhardt headed to the training grounds with Dirk.
The inside was filled with knights who were in the middle of training.
“Sir Reinhardt is here!”
“We’ll move to another place. We can’t be a hindrance to you, Sir.”
“Wait, I’ll go with you…….”
The knights stopped their training and were about to leave in a crowd.
At that, Reinhardt blocked the entrance and commanded.
“No need to mind me. Focus on your training.”
“No, sir! It’s alright! We were just finishing up our training.”
“Is that so? A pity. You don’t look tired to me. If a knight doesn’t put his heart and soul into training……”
“We’re sorry! We will focus on our training!”
The knights who had crowded the entrance scattered in all directions again.
They took their places throughout the training grounds and began to swing their weapons even more passionately than before.
“We will do it here. Prepare yourself.”
Reinhardt took a position where armor and swords were lined up on racks.
“Yes, sir. Should I use a wooden sword?”
“No, you will use the equipment you are wearing right now.”
As he said that, Reinhardt approached the weapon rack.
The weapon he chose was neither a wooden sword nor a real sword.
A heavy iron club.
A weapon that could dent even sturdy armor if it struck properly.
“Why that, such a weapon……”
“Magical Beasts are different from humans. If you’re going to face a Magical Beast, you must learn the appropriate method.”
SWISH, SWOOSH.
The iron club started to make a terrible sound as it swung around.
“Block it.”
“Pardon?”
To Dirk’s question, Reinhardt kindly repeated himself once more.
“Block it.”