Ch.8383. Plans and Plans (2)

“Nnnngh!”

In the underground of the Holy Nation’s Inquisition Headquarters.

Bishop Andre was flaying the flesh of a demon worshipper with a more ruthless expression than ever before. No blood flowed from the thinly sliced skin of the worshipper. This was because the bishop was cauterizing the wounds with the heat of his holy instrument as he cut with his dagger.

“What exactly was that ritual? What were you trying to summon?”

The worshipper, pushed to the limits of pain, raised his hollow face. In the corner of the room, Aryen stood with his arms crossed, glaring at the demon worshipper. The worshipper let out a hollow laugh and began speaking in a raspy voice.

“It’s not… summoning. It’s a ritual to forcibly connect with the remnants of those beings. It only loosens the reins of the Calamity and makes them respond to our call.”

Demon remnants. Calamity. The bishop’s face twisted terribly.

“It was quite difficult to move the fifth Calamity this time. The effect of the crucial fourth Calamity wasn’t very impressive. I don’t know how far that so-called hero can go. But you people couldn’t possibly understand the role of the Calamities.”

The demon worshipper spat out laughter with a snicker.

“The seal is crumbling. The end cannot be stopped… Kehehehe. And the more people become aware of their existence, the more they fear them, the closer they will come. They are the masters of death and chaos…. No matter what you do, you won’t be able to stop it.”

Because even if left alone, the world will only continue to fall into chaos. The worshipper said this as he raised his head with an expression full of ecstasy.

“May grace be upon the future of the Calamity.”

Pop-.

The demon worshipper’s head exploded like a bomb. Bishop Andre frowned as he wiped the dark blood splattered on his face. Suicide. How could he have found a way to burst his own head while completely bound?

“What happened?”

“It seems to have been some kind of spell. He blew his head up and died before we could extract all the proper information. Pretending to spill information while just babbling nonsense until he died.”

Next time I’ll just flay them regardless of whether they talk or not. Bishop Andre grumbled as he turned away from the headless corpse and headed for the stairs out of the basement. Aryen bit his lip hard as he stared at the place where the corpse lay.

==

The road from the Kingdom of Kairos to the Holy Nation wasn’t as treacherous as the path to Evernode. But monsters appeared and wandered regardless of terrain. Rough terrain didn’t necessarily mean fewer monsters, and smoother terrain didn’t particularly mean more monsters. Well, the important thing was that monsters appeared everywhere.

“They’re here. They look quite strong.”

We were preparing to make camp. Daphne perked up her ears and raised her head.

“Troublesome creatures.”

George frowned as he lifted his morningstar. Marianne stood up, gripping her holy spear. I waved my hand and drew out my Neoul.

“I’ll go take care of it.”

I heard George saying something behind me, but I ignored him and rushed out. This time, two giant scorpions had appeared. They were making hissing sounds while raising their poisonous stingers toward me.

“[They don’t look that strong, was there really a need to rush out like that?]”

“The sooner we deal with them, the better.”

The scorpions charged. I swung my Neoul directly at the poisonous stinger shooting toward me. The blade ignored their hard exoskeletons and cut through them like tofu. I dispatched both scorpions without moving much at all. The remaining legs of their severed bodies were still twitching. I caught my breath as I stared at them, then turned away.

“…Let’s go back.”

As I turned around, George and Marianne, who had followed me, were looking at me with narrowed eyes. When I approached them casually, George let out a deep sigh and tapped my shoulder with his morningstar.

“What was the rush for?”

“Sorry. I think I was just restless from not being able to move around.”

When I spoke playfully, George shook his head.

“You’ll be able to move all you want when we fight the Calamity. Save your strength.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

George glanced at the dismembered scorpion corpses and then followed behind me. Marianne stood silently, watching me.

“Let’s go, Marianne.”

I gestured to Marianne, and she nodded and slowly followed behind me. The winter solstice was approaching, and the days were growing shorter faster than ever.

Well after dawn, I suddenly opened my eyes. From the spot next to me came the sound of George snoring. I left the tent and sat by the campfire. Perhaps it was because I was facing a battle I knew nothing about, but I had been feeling on edge lately.

“Fog.”

I muttered the name of the Calamity. The white smoke occasionally rising above the campfire seemed like it might be its form.

I don’t know what Ilroy from the original work encountered in the fog. I only know what Aryen faced and how he overcame it. Lately, I felt like that anxiety was constantly showing on the surface. I sighed and rubbed my face.

Pull yourself together, what are you doing? Distractions are a luxury when facing a Calamity.

Through my fingers, I could see the burning flames. And beyond the flames, the silhouette of someone standing.

“…Marianne?”

Marianne approached without a word and sat down beside me. The blanket draped over her shoulders made a rustling sound. The warmth of Marianne’s body sitting next to me felt closer and greater than the warmth of the fire.

“Can’t you sleep?”

Marianne asked in her usual voice.

“No, I just woke up. I didn’t want to go back to sleep.”

I looked up. The sky was densely embroidered with stars. I realized I hadn’t seen starlight for quite a long time. The night sky in Barktins was always empty. As I stared blankly at the sky, a shooting star fell.

“Were you just unable to sleep?”

Marianne shook her head.

“I also… just woke up. I sensed someone.”

Oh no, did I wake her up? She did look somewhat sleepy. Marianne rubbed under her eyes weakly and stared blankly at the campfire. I gently patted her shoulder and said,

“Go back and sleep. We’ll arrive tomorrow, so you should rest while you can.”

“…That applies to you too, Hero.”

Marianne said, as if forcing herself. While mana can temporarily wash away fatigue, it can’t do anything about long-term accumulated fatigue. A good night’s sleep is the only solution. Well, I’m constantly receiving the Holy Sword’s physical recovery, so sleep isn’t that crucial for me.

“I’m not really tired, but you look like you need some sleep.”

Marianne looked up at me, insisting that wasn’t the case. For some reason, she seemed to be trying to stay awake forcibly. I smiled wryly and turned my gaze back to the campfire.

“Come to think of it, we met like this at night in Evernode too.”

“…Yes. Back then, I was the one teaching.”

Now I feel like I have more to learn. Marianne said this and pulled her blanket tighter. I suddenly drew my Neoul and swung it at a falling leaf.

Pik.

The tip of the Neoul precisely hit the leaf’s vein. The leaf was neither cut nor pierced, but remained intact. This process, which seemed so distant just a few months ago, now came naturally to me.

“…The Hero’s growth is marvelous no matter how many times I witness it.”

Marianne pulled the leaf from the tip of the Neoul and held it in her hand.

“Even if you hadn’t become the Hero, with the right master, you would have become an extraordinary swordsman.”

Well, it wasn’t just my own strength; I did have one incredible teacher in the Holy Sword. I smiled bitterly and put the Neoul back in its sheath.

“I wonder. If that were the case, I might not have worked so desperately.”

I said this and glanced at Marianne. She was nodding off, unable to resist the warmth of the campfire. Then, she rested her head on my shoulder. I could feel her faint breath. I maintained my position so as not to wake her and stared at the campfire. In the flickering flames, I tried to find my reflection as if looking in a mirror.

==

The city-state, the Holy Nation, is attached to the eastern side of the kingdom. Its area is about two or three times that of the royal capital. Located squarely in the middle of the continent, the Holy Nation has no mountains, seas, lakes, or rivers. There are only artificially created gardens like vast forests, with no other natural landscapes to be found.

“Where is Bishop Andre now?”

In the carriage, I looked at the priest and asked. For someone who identified himself as an inquisitor, he didn’t seem particularly bold or cold.

“He continues to track the traces of demon worshippers. He’s combing through all the lands where apocalyptic cults appear…. This time he discovered a suspicious scene. I was there too.”

“A suspicious scene?”

When I tilted my head, the priest sighed and said,

“It was a reversed pentagram made of human corpses. They drew circles and symbols with their blood, and arranged people according to those symbols—a terrible and cruel ritual.”

The priest’s voice darkened. I hardened my face and listened to his story.

“We thought it was some kind of summoning ritual. I’m not sure if the Calamities are something that can be called forth by a summoning ritual, but still.”

“Are you saying they’re trying to summon the fifth Calamity this way?”

“Yes. I don’t know what method they’re using or for what purpose they’re committing such acts… but the problem is that the ritual seems like it might actually work.”

The carriage was slowing down. We were passing through streets paved with pure white blocks.

“Is there a reason why the demon worshippers didn’t do this before?”

“If they could control the Calamities as they wished with just one ritual, they would have done so long ago. They probably had to pay a price that even demon worshippers couldn’t ignore.”

And then the carriage came to a stop. The sky of the Holy Nation was dark even in the morning. Just like Evernode when the giant arrived. I frowned, feeling that distinctive ominous atmosphere with my whole body. It felt like I couldn’t breathe. The other party members wore the same expression as me.

“This feeling… it’s just like back then. Will monsters appear?”

Daphne asked, rubbing her arms.

“No. The fog is a special case. Unlike with the Kraken or the Giant, monsters won’t swarm in, but…”

I recalled the characteristics of the fog as described in the original work.

“Once you enter the fog, you’ll never be able to leave again. You’ll wander eternally in a world of dreams and hallucinations. Until the end of your life.”

Until the end of your life.

“…Ilroy?”

Suddenly hearing Daphne call my name, I came back to my senses. This wasn’t the time for distraction. I needed to quickly devise a strategy for this Calamity.

“I think we should go see His Holiness the Pope first.”