Chapter 51. Demon Cult.

The six-person hero team left the capital early in the morning and headed for the Northern Continent.

To avoid any suspicion, Ji-hyuk and Catherine decided to depart separately and meet in Kronon, a major city in the Northern Continent. Ji-hyuk also paid attention to the team’s appearance. Since they were heading to one of the Demon Cult’s bases, looking like a hero team could ruin their plan.

So, he asked his companions to play new characters.

In particular, he drew symbols representing the Sun God directly on Gid and Kayak’s faces to disguise them as Sun God followers. Gid got into the Sun God follower act and would burst out with strange exclamations like, “Ah, ah,” whenever he was bored, spouting nonsense.

“The Sun God is great, -hasoseo.”

Ludivine, annoyed by his greasy voice, glared at him and warned him to cut the bullshit. But Gid didn’t stop.

“An insult to me is an insult to the Sun God. You lack faith, you ugly bitch.”

“Hey, you son of a bitch… I’m pretty, okay?!”

“Ah, it seems the blessing of the Sun God has blinded you.”

“Hey… cut it out.”

“Ah, Sun God-isiyeo.”

Grace and Rosalia couldn’t help but burst into laughter at his ridiculous behavior. Ludivine glared at the two women as if to say, “Is this funny?” Gid, eyes twinkling, asked the Captain if he was doing a good job.

“You have a talent for it. Why don’t you just believe in the Sun God while you’re at it?”

“Oh, Captain-nim, you’re saying something terrible, keuheuheu. I’d rather cut off my dick than believe in the Sun God! Any place that tells you not to have sex can’t be normal!”

“You know, you cutting off your dick would actually be normal.”

“Damn, that would be a continental loss. Do you know how many women swoon over my dick? I’m giving them a blessing.”

“Bullshit.”

“Ah, Sun God-isiyeo! Strike this ignorant bitch with the hammer of God!”

Eventually, Rosalia clutched her stomach and collapsed with laughter. Ludivine, pissed off, smacked the buffer unni’s back.

Ji-hyuk, who had been watching quietly, ordered them not to let their guard down.

“We don’t know where they might be lurking, watching us. So, we have to act thoroughly. Everyone knows what I mean, right?”

“Yes, Captain-nim.”

Still, they had plenty of expedition experience and had faced the Demon Cult several times, so they were familiar with their habits. They also understood Ji-hyuk’s words of concern.

The Demon Cult was a group that didn’t hesitate to destroy entire villages and cities. It was already proven that they would use any means necessary to summon the Demon King. So, it was always best to be careful.

All over the continent, people were already racking their brains over the Demon Cult’s evil deeds. Kronon, the major city Ji-hyuk was heading to, was particularly plagued by the Demon Cult. It couldn’t be helped, since one of their bases was there.

“As I’ve said before, you have to suspect everything. The continent is different from what it used to be. The Demon Cult has dug deep into the people. It wouldn’t be strange if anyone was a Demon Cultist. Even a child.”

The playful atmosphere turned heavy again. Ji-hyuk glanced over his companions and continued.

“It’s okay for us to joke around with each other. But be especially careful of your words and actions in front of other people. Don’t give them any clues that might raise even the slightest suspicion. …Everyone understand?”

“Yes, Captain-nim.”

“We’re going into one of their bases. …If we screw up, it could be our grave. Think of it this way: your comrade’s life depends on every word and action you take.”

Everyone lowered their gaze solemnly. The laughter vanished from Rosalia’s face, who had been laughing so much. Grace, overflowing with decadent beauty, sucked on her cigarette and blew smoke out of the carriage.

Once the talk of the Sun God disappeared, everyone started yawning and rubbing their sleepy eyes.

Before long, the sound of snoring echoed in the carriage.

The fake Sun God follower, the half-witch who claimed to be pretty… all of them had fallen into a catnap.

· · ·

Ever since the Demon Kings were summoned, the Demon Cult’s evil deeds had become more pronounced, and there was no one in any village or city who didn’t fear the rise of the Demon Cult. Terrified, they had become so extremely sensitive that they would try to catch and kill even a crow if they saw one.

Since Demon Cultists came in all genders, races, occupations, and ages, outsiders in particular were watched with suspicion. Ji-hyuk’s team was no exception. Especially since they were disguised as a mercenary team, they would have been kicked out of the village if Gid and Kayak hadn’t disguised themselves as Sun God followers.

“May the blessing of the Sun God be with you.”

Gid was sweating bullets trying to play the selfless follower. He found it particularly agonizing that he couldn’t play with the village’s pretty maiden.

“This is bullshit…! Captain-nim, no matter how I think about it, I don’t think I’m a Sun God follower.”

Even when Gid groaned, Ji-hyuk just smiled and said nothing. But he couldn’t refuse to do what his Captain-nim, who was like the sky, told him to do….

Kayak, who shared a room with him, answered in place of the Captain.

“This is a good opportunity. Try to endure it. It’s all training.”

“Damn… they have the shittiest training methods.”

“What can you do? We have to do this to avoid suspicion.”

“Damn, I don’t know what Sun God followers live for. …Do they have sex with the Sun God?”

“If you say that to a real follower, you’ll get beaten to death. They can tolerate other things, but they won’t tolerate blasphemy.”

“I can’t understand those bastards.”

Gid said he was going out for a quick wank and left the room for a moment. Ji-hyuk warned him not to wander off and do anything that might arouse suspicion.

As soon as Gid’s figure disappeared from view, Kayak turned to look at the hero.

“The suspicion is definitely severe. It’s less so in the cities, but especially bad in the villages.”

“It can’t be helped. There are more than one or two villages that have been wiped out by the Demon Cult. We have to take that into account.”

Of course, Kayak, who was used to discrimination from his long mercenary life, didn’t have any ill feelings about it. Gid was the same.

On the other hand, their female companions, who weren’t used to this kind of discrimination, seemed a little disappointed. They were risking their lives to do good, so why did they have to be treated like this?

Ji-hyuk understood their feelings, so he often soothed them.

A week later, after leaving the village again.

Ji-hyuk’s team arrived in the small city of Nilbah. The Northern Continent itself had a smaller population compared to other places, so there were many medium and small cities. This place was also a small city with a population of barely ten thousand.

They were met with suspicious eyes here as well. Ludivine didn’t like the attention one bit, and finally couldn’t help but voice a small complaint. The memories of being discriminated against as a witch’s daughter were fresh in her mind, making her feel even worse.

“…Why do we have to be treated like this? …It’s annoying.”

“What can you do? Endure it.”

On the other hand, Grace, even though she was an illegitimate child, was still a noble, and was surprisingly indifferent to such treatment.

Now, Gid had either given up or gotten into the act, and was doing an amazing job of playing the Sun God follower. With his shaved head and the Sun symbol drawn on his face, he looked like a very devout Sun God follower.

“May the blessing of the Sun God be with you.”

When he muttered those words and put his hands together, people bowed their heads in thanks. Ludivine clicked her tongue at his ridiculous, benevolent act. To others, he looked like a devout religious person.

“Why don’t you actually cut off your dick and believe in the Sun God?”

“Hehe, why would you say such harsh words?”

“Ew. When you act like that, you’re really fucking disgusting.”

“I do have a knack for being disgusting.”

Keuhihiㅡ. As the vulgar laughter erupted, Rosalia clutched her stomach and laughed again. She was often smacked on the back by Ludivine for laughing so easily.

Ji-hyuk subtly called over a young waitress who was carrying a plate of food. She asked with anxious eyes why he was calling her.

“Can you tell me why the atmosphere is like this?”

Still, she seemed a little relieved to see that there were two Sun God followers.

“The rumors have been too terrible lately.”

“Rumors?”

“Rumors have spread that people have seen an army of crows. So, everyone is trying not to leave their homes these days. It would be a disaster if they were caught by the Demon Cult and became sacrifices.”

“I see. I understand.”

The young waitress hurried away. She was worried that she might be suspected if she talked to an outsider. There were quite a few people who had been unfairly killed in such witch hunts.

Kayak and Gid confessed that they had never felt such a rigid atmosphere during their long mercenary lives. It felt like the age of darkness had arrived.

“We have to catch and kill all the Demon Cultists.”

The violent half-witch clenched her fist and slammed it on the table as she said that. She hated this atmosphere. She had finally made a name for herself, but instead of being treated well, she was being discriminated against!

At that moment, someone suddenly burst open the door of the inn. It was a woman with disheveled hair and no shoes, crying like a madwoman.

“Our child, has anyone seen our child? A young boy. Our child has disappeared. Please find our child…!”

The people in the hall turned away again. She begged them to find her child. Gid’s face twisted strangely.

“…Shibal.”

The innkeeper kicked the wailing woman out. The sound of her crying could be heard for a long time before fading away.

Ji-hyuk also let out a long sigh. As a parent with a son, Si-woo, he fully understood her feelings.

“See? If we don’t solve this quickly, things like this will happen all the time. So, endure even the slightest inconvenience. Understand?”

“Yes, Captain-nim.”

After finishing their meal, they dispersed to their rooms with uneasy hearts.

That night, Ji-hyuk had a nightmare about his wife, Aizel, and his son, Si-woo, leaving somewhere.

…He woke up after desperately calling out to them and chasing after them.