Evil God Cultist

The room fell silent as if frozen when Rote swallowed the gemstone.

The Baron stood with his mouth agape, frozen in shock.

Reby covered her mouth, looking astonished.

Shai nearly fell out of her chair.

Rote, after swallowing the gemstone, returned to circling around me as usual.

However, the metallic surface now shimmered more brilliantly than before.

It also seemed to tremble faintly.

Is she happy?

“Ah, it was her first meal after emerging from the labyrinth.”

She must have pounced on it because she was starving and finally found something edible.

But that mineral seemed unusual. I wonder if it’s okay.

Hmm…

It should be fine.

After all, Nis-nim remodeled her!

The Baron still stood in a daze, looking bewildered.

He asked me, trembling, “What… what just happened? That gemstone…”

“Mes… mer… something like that.”

“It was Mesmeris. A very dangerous mineral that drains the life force of everything around it.”

Despite my initial hesitation, the words flowed out smoothly.

Ryandel immediately straightened up with a serious expression.

“Are you certain it’s Mesmeris?”

“Yes, I confirmed it with my authority. There’s no mistake.”

“D… Dragon’s authority…”

Shai muttered something strange, but Ryandel’s expression grew even darker.

His eyes reflected deep concern.

“The… the reason your family received this ring is…”

“Why does your family have something like this?”

The Baron’s shocked expression filled me with pity.

I need to understand what’s happening in more detail.

“Baron, what kind of family is the Birdan family?”

“I’m sorry. My mistake.”

He slowly came to his senses.

“The Birdan family is one of the wealthiest families in the kingdom, located in the capital. They are involved in mining and trade, dealing heavily in gold and gems. They’ve been involved in the royal finances for over a hundred years.”

“Mining?”

Ryandel showed sudden interest.

“What kind of mines do they have?”

The Baron thought for a moment.

“They primarily own gold and iron mines. And… I recall they discovered a new mine in the eastern mountains a few years ago. It was said to produce rare minerals…”

“Could that rare mineral be… Mesmeris?”

Reby asked cautiously, and the room fell silent again.

Everyone seemed suspicious of the mine.

Especially Ryandel, who closed his eyes in deep thought.

After a moment, he asked the Baron, “Where exactly is this mine located?”

“I’m not certain, but I believe it’s near the Geomun Gorge.”

“Geomun Gorge…”

Ryandel frowned, muttering to himself.

“I don’t know much about it.”

“Ryandel, can you explain?”

“Yes. The Geomun Gorge has seen a massive outbreak of monsters over the past three years. There have been sightings of demons as well. The Magic Tower believes these two are connected. This Mesmeris might also be linked to demons. After all, evil cultists often have close ties with demons.”

“Demons…”

The Baron’s trembling voice caused Ryandel to nod.

“If an evil cult exists within a noble family like yours, there must already be significant demonic influence within the palace.”

“Why did they send this ring to your family?”

“It… it was sent as a birthday gift.”

“A birthday gift?”

“Yes, it was sent as a birthday gift. But my birthday was two months ago.”

The Baron carefully picked up the envelope from the table.

“You see, it has the seal of the Birdan Count. But strangely, it wasn’t their family crest-it was a different symbol.”

“A different crest?”

“Hm.”

He handed me the letter.

Examining the seal closely, it depicted a snake biting its own tail, with three stars arranged in a triangle inside.

“Is this not the Birdan family crest?”

“Hm.”

Ugh!

Why does he keep saying “hm”!

Let me ask!

“The Birdan family crest is usually a golden shield with a silver bird, isn’t it?”

Luckily, the Baron clarified my confusion.

Meanwhile, Ryandel examined the seal closely.

“This… this is the Ouroboros symbol. It’s known as a symbol of eternity, but in certain dark rituals, it carries a different meaning.”

“What’s that?”

“Ryandel, explain it to the Baron.”

“Yes. The Ouroboros, a snake consuming its own tail, symbolizes eternal cycles and rebirth. However, in dark rituals, it can signify the end of the world and the beginning of a new one.”

The situation felt increasingly suspicious.

I had planned to visit the capital to confront the knight order anyway, so I might as well investigate this as well.

Moreover, seeing how frightened the Baron and Shai were, I felt compelled to help.

“I’ll investigate this.”

The Baron’s face lit up with relief.

“Thank you so much! I truly appreciate it.”

“In return, prepare a carriage for me to go to the capital.”

“Of course! I’ll prepare the best carriage I have. And I’ll gather all the necessary information for you. I’ll inform Ryandel and Reby as well.”

“Understood.”

“Baron, how long will the carriage preparation take?”

“Will you be leaving immediately? It can be ready at any moment, but it’s late. Perhaps you could rest here at the mansion and depart tomorrow?”

“Reby,”

Ryandel interrupted cautiously.

“It doesn’t seem urgent. It might be better to plan carefully and leave tomorrow.”

I wanted to leave immediately, but everyone looked tired.

Especially Reby, who was clearly stifling yawns.

And Shai’s gaze seemed to plead, “Don’t go.”

“Alright, we’ll leave tomorrow.”

After days of crossing the Solhan Pass, sleeping in a soft bed sounded welcoming.

“Reby, go to the Adventurer’s Guild and bring back Glacia.”

Reby frowned slightly, hesitating.

“Y-yes… understood…”

“What’s wrong? Are you afraid of Glacia?”

“N-no… that’s not it…”

“Miss,”

the Baron said to Reby.

“You can take our carriage to the guild. I’ll have it prepared immediately.”

“Thank you!”

Reby’s face brightened.

She just didn’t want to walk…

After Reby left with the carriage, the Baron led us to our rooms.

“This room is for Rote.”

Opening the door revealed a luxurious, spacious room.

It had a large bed, elegant furniture, and a big window.

“You may call for assistance by ringing the bell on the desk.”

“Oh! It’s amazing!”

“Hm.”

“Hm” again!

It’s so cold!

But the Baron seemed pleased by my reaction.

Ha ha…

“I’m glad you like it. I’ll organize the documents and wait for you in my study in about two hours. I’ll inform Ryandel and Reby as well.”

“Understood.”

The Baron bowed deeply and left the room.

As soon as he left, I headed straight for the large bathtub.

“Wow, it’s incredible!”

With the Baron gone, I could finally speak freely.

The extravagant bathtub was already filled with warm water, continuously replenished by magic.

A hot spring-like tub always full of warm water!

I don’t even need to worry about drinking the water!

“This is the life of a noble!”

I quickly undressed and got into the bathtub.

The warm water soothed my tired body. Miel and Cecilia fluttered around, enjoying themselves.

As I soaked in the tub, I noticed Rote.

“Rote, come here.”

Rote approached the edge of the tub.

Her gleam was more vivid than usual, and she moved slightly faster.

“Are you okay? Any ill effects from eating that strange thing?”

Rote paused, then moved up and down slightly, as if nodding.

“Really okay?”

Rote nodded again, more clearly this time.

“If anything happens, we’ll have Nis-nim fix it, right?”

Buururu!!

Rote began shaking violently.

She must really hate that…

As I soaked in the tub, a knock came at the door.

“What is it?”

Miel suddenly looked alarmed and flew out of the bathroom to check.

She opened the door with her small strength, revealing Glacia.

“Ah, it’s Glacia!”

Miel chirped something to Glacia, who immediately looked angry.

“Huh? Are you bragging about eating delicious food without me…?”

Glacia stormed into the bathroom and pounced on me.

“Wait!”

Glacia’s massive tongue was heading straight for my weak spot!

“Poly… polymorph!”

Nyaa nyaa!

I quickly transformed into a flower, but couldn’t spread my roots in someone else’s bathroom, so I just lay on the floor.

Glacia began voraciously drinking the nectar.

“Heh… sorry… I didn’t know you’d come here…”

After a while, Glacia finally stopped drinking, looking satisfied.

“Are you done?”

I quickly transformed back into my human form.

Glacia lazily flapped her wings and retreated to a corner of the room, resuming her usual lethargic demeanor.

“Sigh, she’s calmed down now.”

Lying on the bed, I realized the two hours the Baron mentioned had passed.

“Oh, the Baron asked us to come to his study.”

Leaving the corridor, Glacia was still lying down, looking annoyed or sulking.

She can guard the room.

“Where’s the study…?”

A servant was nearby.

“Excuse me, where is the Baron’s study?”

“For Rote, this way please.”

Following the servant, we passed through the corridor to the study on the second floor.

Knocking on the door, the Baron’s voice replied, “Enter.”

Inside, Ryandel and Reby were already present.

Documents and maps were spread across the desk.

“Rote, you’ve arrived. Here are the materials I prepared.”

Examining the documents, they included information on the Birdan family, a map of the capital, and a list of missing nobles.

“This is all I know. You’ll likely find more information upon arriving in the capital.”

“Thank you. One more thing.”

The Baron’s expression turned serious.

“Recent activities of the Birdan family seem deeply connected to the Walter Count family.”

“Ugh… do I need to investigate that family too?”

“Hm.”

“The Walter family is a court noble family with no known territories. There’s very little information about them. I apologize.”

“Then it’s truly suspicious. Could they be plotting something?”

Reby’s question made the Baron nod anxiously.

“I think so too. But without evidence…”

After further discussion in the study, I returned to my room.

Changing into a black negligee, I lay in bed, deep in thought.

“It’s more complicated than I thought… Should I have just ignored it and continued… But as Michel’s apostle, I can’t just overlook it… Sanctus Judicium…”

Outside, night had fallen long ago.

It was late, a time when everyone should be asleep.

These complicated thoughts made it hard to fall asleep easily.

Knock, knock.

Amidst my contemplation, footsteps approached, followed by a knock.

“Who could it be at this hour? Sounds like Shai…”