Ch.95Report on the Downfall of Kindness (5)

“Well, I’ve heard rumors about a ship crossing the night sky, but I think it might have just been a ship-shaped cloud that people mistook.”

At Kain’s answer, Roberta made no effort to hide her disappointment. Narrowed eyes, furrowed brow, and a sullen expression. Either she was naturally bad at managing her expressions, or she was accustomed to a life where she didn’t need to.

When someone’s expressions are so transparent, it makes them easy to read. Kain tapped his knee lightly with his hand. It was a signal that he would lead the conversation. It was also meant to coordinate with the others so they wouldn’t blurt things out and startle the two women, as had happened with Arianne.

“Actually, people outside are more concerned about you, Roberta, and this village. There are rumors that you’ve been unwell, and people are worried because villagers haven’t been attending the ten-day market.”

“Really?” Roberta visibly brightened. Joy. Happiness. Relief. Accomplishment… her expression revealed everything without concealment.

“I’m sorry to have caused worry! But I’m glad. It’s nice to know so many people are thinking about our villagers… Rather than being sick, I’ve just had a lot going on. Really, a lot.”

“Ah. I heard about that too. The story about knights being carried away in groups…”

“Ah. Yes. That too. It was truly a tragic accident.” Roberta made the sign of the cross in mourning.

“The Holy Grail Knights had set up a training ground on the outskirts of the village. They had permission from Count Bördem, so I told them to do as they pleased. I also told them to let me know if they needed any support from the village… but then one night, a tree fell over.”

“If a tree fell, there must have been a strong storm?”

Roberta shook her head at Kain’s question.

“The wind was blowing strongly, but not enough to uproot trees completely. The trees in the Black Forest have deep, extensive roots that weaken the wind. Only that one tree broke.

If I may speak frankly, the investigators from the Holy Grail Knights who came to examine the accident said… it seemed to be due to the knights’ carelessness.”

“Carelessness?”

“Well, they said someone had started cutting down a large tree near the barracks but left it unfinished. When we examined the tree in question, there were indeed clumsy axe marks all over it.

I don’t know if they were trying to build a palisade, or if the tree was blocking their view during training, but when they couldn’t fell it despite their efforts, they apparently just left it. Then that night, the wind came and knocked it right over.”

Roberta flattened her upright palm with a flick. Maria asked cautiously.

“Oh my goodness. Would it be all right if my companions and I examined the site? Even though it’s all over now, if we report this to the diocese in Magdeburg, I’m sure many people would offer their condolences.”

Roberta quickly understood the implication that donations would be collected under the pretext of condolences.

“That would be most appreciated. But while it might be fine for a nun like yourself, it could be a bit gruesome for these two.”

“Ah. These two happen to run an orchard. They know more about trees than I do. Isn’t that right?”

At Maria’s words, Kain fidgeted with his cup of apple cider.

“Yes. We grow apple trees. We make apple cider at home too, but it’s not as good as what’s made here in Berta Village. How do you cultivate them?”

“With heart and dedication?” Roberta winked and burst into laughter. She seemed to be trying to change the mood.

“I’m joking. The truth is, this area is higher in elevation and fresher than other places, so we get fewer pests and the fruit flesh is firmer. The lower temperature also means a longer, more thorough fermentation period.”

“I see. Our orchard is in the central part of the Empire, so it’s relatively low-lying compared to here. Still, it’s impressive. The workers must put in tremendous effort.”

Roberta took Kain’s bait perfectly.

“They’ve worked very hard. As you all know, these were people who were far from having disciplined work habits. If Count Bördem hadn’t supported us in every way possible, it would have been difficult.”

It was well known that Roberta’s family had been gamekeepers for the Bördem counts for generations. She too was a gamekeeper’s daughter and knew well what a hunter needed to learn.

Why Roberta had joined the crusade wasn’t well known, but the story afterward was quite pleasant.

Naturally enough, Count Bördem couldn’t order around a gamekeeper who had become a hero. When asked “What do you want?” Roberta answered, “I want to bring stability to the Black Forest,” and the count understood her meaning.

Half of the count’s territory overlapped with the Black Forest. In other words, half of his territory was essentially in the hands of mountain bandits. So Roberta’s declaration meant, “Since you can’t use this land anyway, give it to me and I’ll manage it.”

In the end, both the count and Roberta succeeded. The Bördem county found stability, and Roberta created the ideal village she wanted. As a result, Count Bördem’s influence grew day by day, and so did Roberta’s.

But Kain knew intelligence reports suggesting that Count Bördem was amassing funds from dubious sources. The practice of “extracting money in exchange for guaranteeing safe passage” that they had experienced at the village entrance would be income that didn’t appear in any ledger. Judging by the attitude of the guards and ruffians, this wasn’t something they had just started doing.

‘They apologized as soon as Roberta’s name was mentioned.’

Such types don’t surrender to conscience. They only apologize before a stronger force, or more specifically, a strong force that can retaliate against them.

Kain judged that Roberta’s reputation for “hunting” former bandits must still hold true. Perhaps the knights had been “removed” in “that way” for reasons connected to such activities.

“It’s all thanks to you and Count Bördem.”

Though the compliment was insincere, Roberta smiled brightly. She soon straightened her posture, signaling the end of the conversation.

“In any case, I don’t know how long you’ll be staying, but I hope you’ll leave with good memories. Even if you sleep in Brother Henry’s cabin, you’re welcome to dine at our hall. We run a dining hall for people who go out to work in the morning, afternoon, and evening. The taste is… modest, but I can guarantee the portions.”

“After tasting the apple cider, I have high expectations.” Kain responded formally.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of much help regarding the monster stories.”

“Oh, no, no. Actually, I was just intrigued after hearing stories about ‘monsters appearing’ and ‘ships flying through the sky.’ You understand… given my past work. It caught my attention.”

Roberta shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, I don’t care even if that Demon King crawls back out again. We’ll just put him back in!”

* * * * *

Roberta called over a woman missing her left hand. She instructed her to guide these people to “that place of sorrow, but also show them many of the village’s good aspects.” The woman cheerfully led the three.

The woman without a left hand was named Edith. True to her past as a con artist, she was eloquent and knew how to match people’s moods. Even when talking about trivial matters, she had a way of captivating her listeners.

But she also showed shrewdness by never answering Kain’s questions.

When asked, “I heard there was trouble with several rough-looking men and women,” Edith replied, “Besides me, Roberta, and Brother Henry, there’s no one with a kind face here.” When asked, “Are there still many thieves on the outskirts of the village?” she evasively answered, “I don’t know much about matters outside the village.”

Instead, she passionately expounded on how wonderful a place this village was to live. Her point was that all kinds of scum from the Empire were living decent lives here, so what a wonderful place it must be.

“People who come here sacrifice something as a sign of breaking with their past. I used to be left-handed, but now I’ve ‘cut ties’ with my past in many ways. You’ll commonly see people missing a finger joint or two, or missing toes.”

Kain asked if the fat man and the skinny man had also sacrificed something. Edith cheerfully shook her head.

“Ah, those two sacrificed their future. Actually, there are many more irredeemable humans in this village.”

“What does it mean to sacrifice one’s future?”

“It means they’ll live in this village for the rest of their lives. They’ll be buried here when they die. They live lives of atonement, reflection, and asceticism. Of course, even so, they can’t wash away their sins. The Empire’s registers clearly record their crimes and the punishments they should receive. But of course…”

Edith vigorously waved her right hand at young women passing by with baskets. The women beyond the hill responded with elegant hand gestures.

“Not everyone is a criminal. Some came voluntarily after living elsewhere, because they didn’t want to suffer under the oppression of thieves. If it weren’t for Roberta, we couldn’t live together as one like this. This is a secret, but…”

As Edith dramatically lowered her voice, Kain, Lily, and Maria leaned toward her.

“I apologize to someone from the church, but for us, Roberta is a prophet and seer. She governs us better than the Emperor and the Empire, and gives us guidance that serves us better than the Holy Pope.”

“Your devotion is impressive.” Maria smiled to indicate it was fine. Edith sighed with relief.

“When everyone else turned their backs on us, she stood by our side. How could we ever betray her?”

Eventually, they passed by a longhouse. It was an imposing building even from a distance, but up close it was disturbingly eerie. There was no smell of blood, and the wood grain was clear, but the mix of white, bright red, and dark red colors in the wood was strange, like freshly cut pork.

“This building is supposedly very old. It was here when we arrived. Mysterious, isn’t it? Perhaps built by ancient kings? Or maybe primitive pagans.”

Edith hummed, stroking her chin. But she soon shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t know! Brother Henry would know better. He’s a kind and good person, but he doesn’t try very hard to get along with people. Maybe because he’s too smart!”

“Too smart?”

“He says things that ignorant people like us can’t understand. I mean, after listening for just three minutes, you start feeling sleepy.”

Kain nodded silently. An indescribable sense of discomfort touched his mind. The quaint homes and the bizarre longhouse.

Brother Henry who feared the villagers, and villagers who liked Brother Henry but found him somewhat difficult.

Roberta, one of the heroes who had deceived the Empire, and criminals who trusted her more than the Empire and the Pope.

There was an ominous feeling, as if incompatible things had been forcibly pulled together and joined.

Moreover, there were no White Blood Knights or Holy Grail Knights here. If problems arose, they would have to rely solely on their own strength.

And this wasn’t even a place they knew well. Though Kain knew a fair amount about forests, he had never set foot in a sinister and dangerous forest like the Black Forest.

Eventually, the group passed through the village’s outer palisade gate. A fairly wide road and clearing came into view. It wasn’t as spacious as where the village was situated, but it was large enough for knights to set up camp.

“Um, but you know.”

Edith didn’t want to go any further.

“Depending on how you look at it, it might be scary? So please don’t be too shocked.”

“Hasn’t everything been cleaned up?”

At Lily’s question, Edith scratched her chin again.

“The cleanup is done, yes. What I’m talking about is something else. Um… it’s because of certain decorations in this village. They can be frightening depending on how you look at them. But they’re good for keeping away mountain bandits and beasts. Are you ready?”

Seeing the three nod, Edith moved forward energetically. As the clearing in the distance drew closer, they could understand why Edith had given such a warning.

The broken tree trunk remained. It was thick enough that two adult men could barely wrap their arms around it. It was thick, but not so thick that it couldn’t be cut down if one really tried.

But the problem was beneath the tree trunk. The same kind of carving that had been on the longhouse pillars was there too. The bark had been stripped, carefully carved with a knife, and then finished by being scorched with fire.

The carved shape unmistakably resembled a human lower jaw.

“What on earth… is this place…”

Maria and Lily stammered. Kain looked around at the surrounding trees. The lower parts of all the trees had been stripped of bark, and human faces had been carved into them.

Each face was different. The differences between men and women, young and old were clear. But they all had their mouths open as if shouting.

Some had parts of human bodies carved inside their wide-open mouths. Ears. Severed tongues. Fingers. Eyes. All the trees stripped of bark were bright red.

While red-hearted trees are common, Kain had never seen trees that provoked such revulsion… trees with white, bright red, and dark red colors mixed together like skinned animals.

Kain looked at Edith. She scratched the side of her head uncomfortably.

“They were here when we arrived.”