Looming Dark Clouds (1)

On the top floor of the adventurers’ guild is the guild master’s office.

It’s too small and low-grade in appearance to be called a chamber, so office is more appropriate. The place was already full with five people inside.

The guild master, Mary, Rudvik, Bigrind, and Scarlet.

These five were sitting around a sofa with serious expressions, spreading out maps and document files.

“So you’re saying that such an abnormality occurred in that Catacombs. Is that correct?”

Rudvik, who had been thinking about something for a long time even after Mary’s explanation ended, pointed at the map with his finger.

On that map, which depicted the geography around Evian in relatively detail, the place Rudvik was pointing to was the western Catacombs.

And above it, he drew a circle around the Catacombs in the middle.

“You’re saying this much is covered in fog… and this, at first…”

And then he drew a much smaller circle, just barely covering the Catacombs.

“It was about this size, but it gradually grew larger, you say.”

“That’s correct.”

As the guild master nodded, Rudvik went “Hmm” while stroking his chin.

After stroking his chin, which had grown a dark beard from not shaving for a while, for some time, Rudvik turned to look at Bigrind sitting next to him.

“What do you think, Saint?”

“…I think it would be good to look for more data first. We should also request cooperation from the cathedral.”

“As for the cathedral, they have already conducted an investigation. The Evian diocese replied that they couldn’t identify its nature. What’s certain is that demonic energy is lingering there, but demonic energy can be felt even from weak monsters.”

The guild master who claims he “was” quite a successful adventurer in the past.

Although it’s said that he’s grown so fat that you can’t find any trace of his appearance from those days, seeing how he’s handling this situation in his own way shows that he’s not an incapable person.

“Did you observe how the cathedral conducted their investigation?”

Rudvik asked the guild master again.

There’s something that comes to mind.

There was a grand cathedral in Marlen too, and although he wasn’t very close with them, Rudvik had seen cathedral people going around investigating relics. That’s why he knows even better. He knows well how those people conduct investigations, which is why he doesn’t trust it.

“Observe, I did…”

The guild master let out a long sigh.

Seeing this, Rudvik was certain that his thoughts weren’t wrong.

It’s probably the same.

“…They didn’t go into the fog, did they?”

“No. They investigated by going around the outside, and tried to do something with holy power… but that was all. Some cathedral knights also went in to investigate… but they didn’t return.”

“I see.”

‘As I thought. How could that be called an investigation?’

Rudvik wanted to sigh deeply like the guild master.

But he was too conscious of Bigrind sitting next to him to do so.

It was a situation where one could tell without looking closely that Bigrind’s expression had turned sour from the moment the guild master sighed deeply.

“Well, I understand. The cathedral people can discern with holy power without necessarily going into the fog. They can certainly know that demonic energy is lingering… Above all, if even cathedral knights have been sacrificed.”

It might have been difficult for the cathedral to do anything more.

And just at that timing, a hero appeared and a saint appeared, so there might be a psychology of relying on them.

‘It’s not that I can’t understand.’

That’s what it means to live with such expectations as a hero and a saint.

*

“What do you think, Sir Scarlet?”

On the way back to the cathedral after leaving the adventurers’ guild, Bigrind quietly asked Scarlet who was walking with her.

Unlike her who had stayed in the Evian diocese, Scarlet who had stayed in the church territory would probably have seen and heard more than her, and she thought he might have seen such a case before.

“I know there are quite a few monsters that generate fog. Although I haven’t experienced it directly, most of them are mental monsters that lure humans in, make them lose their way and exhaust them, and then suck out their life force. However…”

“However?”

As he paused for a moment, even Rudvik was looking at Scarlet.

Information about monsters would be most diverse with Scarlet among this group, so Rudvik was also waiting for Scarlet’s words.

“Didn’t they say that all the victims this time were intact corpses? Corpses that have had their life force sucked out don’t end up like that. They turn into something like dried-up dead trees.”

“Like dried-up dead trees…”

“Yes. Because the source of life is completely sucked out, the body also loses its vitality and becomes completely dried up. So this time, it’s highly likely that it’s not a simple monster.”

Bigrind shuddered as if getting goosebumps.

Once again, it felt like that darkness in her memory was coiled up and raising its head.

“Even if it’s not a simple monster, that doesn’t mean it’s a demon. Saint, don’t be too afraid.”

Bigrind looked up at Rudvik, who was grinning.

Because of the big height difference, she has to look up like this to see his face.

‘Teacher Eije might know.’

Teacher Eije, who unusually had a long adventurer life among the priests.

The teacher who loved and taught everyone equally, without discriminating against Yona or Bigrind.

Such Teacher Eije might have some idea.

“How about we go see Teacher Eije?”

“Teacher Eije, that… the one who was with us last time, when we caught the headless demon…?”

“Yes, that’s right. She was the teacher in charge when I stayed at the orphanage with Yona, and when we received education at the cathedral. She has a long adventurer career, so she might be able to help.”

“Is that so? Then we should go see her right away!”

When Rudvik brightened up, Bigrind was a bit surprised.

Before being a hero, Rudvik was a gold-rank adventurer and still had that adventurer temperament, so she thought his body might move before his head anyway. So she had thought about various reasons why they should go ask Teacher Eije, but it was strange that Rudvik was unexpectedly happy and said to go see her quickly.

“…Why are you looking at me like that, Saint?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s nothing. Sir Scarlet, will you come with us?”

“Let’s do that. We’ve just arrived at the cathedral anyway.”

Although they hadn’t walked long after leaving the adventurers’ guild, they were already in front of the cathedral.

“The Saint has arrived.”

“Don’t do that, Teacher. I’m a disciple before being a saint.”

“Is that so?”

Kindness oozed from her deeply curved eyes.

Eije greeted the group with a smile full of warmth that naturally calmed the hearts of those who saw it.

“The room is a bit small. Please come in if you don’t mind.”

For a room where the cathedral’s tutoring nun stays, it was cramped and also plain.

What filled the room was one wardrobe and one bed, a table and three chairs.

And in Eije’s room, which only had a desk and chair, a water jug and a few cups, it immediately became full when Rudvik, Bigrind, and Scarlet entered.

Because the room was small, they had to sit close together, but fortunately, they had already introduced themselves, so there was no need for unnecessary words to be exchanged.

“We’re on our way back from the adventurers’ guild, Teacher.”

Bigrind’s tone had lost its tension at some point.

A comfortable atmosphere surrounded them as if they had returned to a teacher-student relationship rather than a saint-priest relationship.

“I wanted to ask about… the fog.”

“The fog, the fog.”

Eije gently closed her eyes.

Eije was not unaware of that unidentified fog that originated from the western Catacombs and was expanding its range day by day, only known to be imbued with demonic energy. Rather, Eije was one of those who wanted to resolve the issue of that fog more than anyone else.

Eije also could not accept the fact that dark clouds were looming over this Evian where she was born and raised.

It’s frustrating for her too, knowing clearly that some problem is occurring, yet neither the cathedral nor the adventurers’ guild is actively responding to the fog.

Even if it’s due to the expectation that somehow things will work out when the hero and saint return, while understandable, it’s that very thing that’s difficult to accept.

“This is a phenomenon I’m seeing for the first time as well.”

“…Is that so.”

Bigrind showed a slight sign of disappointment.

“But it’s different from monsters that use fog. Such fog is usually used as a means to suck out life force, but—”

“Ah.”

Bigrind’s eyes lit up.

Even though Eije had only said that much, Bigrind seemed to have realized what Eije was trying to say.

Eije thought she was still such a clever child.

“Perhaps, could it be trying to hide something?”

“That’s what I think too.”

“Trying to hide…?”

Eije’s words and Rudvik’s words overlapped.

Eije had been thinking that too, but it seemed Rudvik was thinking similarly, just expressed differently.

“Something that shouldn’t be seen is happening at the center of the fog, and it only took the lives of those who entered the fog to investigate. And to disguise itself as a simple monster, it suppressed the demonic energy as much as possible.”

“It feels a bit like we’re forcing it to fit, though.”

At Rudvik’s words, Bigrind felt deflated.

She thought it made sense, but hearing Rudvik say it was forced somehow made her feel disappointed.

“But it’s not impossible, Hero. In fact, such things can happen plenty of times. Especially like the incident of that dark society that happened in Kapatia Port.”

As the name of the dark society came up again, even Scarlet showed signs of tension.

Although it was information circulating within the church, Scarlet also knew that a heretical organization called the dark society was operating in secret.

The descent of Berbaria that occurred in Kapatia Port was also the work of that dark society, and if the dark society had infiltrated even this Evian, this was quite a big problem.

Above all, if it’s in Evian, the birthplace of Saint Bigrind, it’s an even bigger issue.

“…It seems we won’t be able to resolve this unless we go inside after all.”

“In fact, that’s the most accurate. It’s also the most efficient.”

Their intentions align.

Eije smiled gently, and Rudvik also grinned cheerfully.

Only Bigrind couldn’t smile.

<Journey so far>