episode_0090

I was just born in an ordinary village, followed in my parents’ footsteps, and became an ordinary farmer who worked an ordinary field.

The only sword I had was a kitchen knife that I held for my younger siblings.

All my friends moved to bigger cities outside of this town to pursue success. I don’t blame them for abandoning me.

They were much better guys than me, and unlike me, they worked day and night.

I readily accepted the difference.

So when my friends left to pursue their careers, I followed in my parents’ footsteps. I preferred this safe path to walking into an unseen future.

I ran away for the ostensible reason of, “I’m going to die.” Looking back now, it was just a cowardly excuse.

Still, I have no regrets.

Because I was living well as a farmer.

After becoming an adult, I got married to Ari, who I had a crush on since I was little, and we started a family.

Success? Promotion?

What does that matter? I’m happy now.

Such happiness.

I hope it lasts a long time.

Shortly after my second child was born, a man came to our village.

Although his appearance was that of a 14-year-old child, he had a cruel smile that was not appropriate for a child.

The eyes with the inverted cross embedded in them visible above that smile.

Whenever I looked into those eyes, goosebumps ran all over my body.

-This pupil is a scar from a curse I got when I was young.

-Please don’t worry about it.

We all fell for that superstitious saying.

With the complacent thought that ‘it’s okay because he’s a baby.’

The lives of the people in the village changed 180 degrees.

It started that day.

The day the village chief’s wife passed away.

At the funeral where everyone was sad, the boy spoke to the village chief.

-The village chief’s wife, who served God so well, has passed away.

-Ah…so pitiful! You didn’t end up like this because you believed in that cold-hearted god.

-Chief, don’t you have any intention of taking revenge on that god?

The village chief, enraged by the boy’s smile, slapped him on the cheek. We stopped the village chief, who had lost consciousness, and immediately kicked the young boy out of the village.

-You have driven me out like this, so starting tomorrow you will be punished for it.

The next day, plant-like demons began to invade our village.

The first number was only five. It was a number that the village guards could easily catch.

But as their numbers increased, the villagers took up swords one by one.

As the number of black men increased, the number of plant-type demons also increased.

As time passed, they did not decrease at all.

Rather, in order to stop them, whose strength and variety are increasing day by day, we hired mercenaries with every penny we had.

And now, four years later.

Yesterday I found a man.

A man who introduced himself as a temporary mercenary.

His physique was so bulky that it was hard to call him a temporary one, and he was so strong that it was hard to compare him to the mercenaries I had seen. I was thinking of recruiting him right away, considering the enemies that would appear in the future.

I’m sorry to Zgro, but at that time, for the safety of the villagers, especially my family, I took him to the village chief without his consent.

And then you blame him.

I had nothing to say even when people criticized me for aging backwards.

My wife also got angry and criticized me for doing something to a child younger than me. So I was planning on apologizing today.

Why is Zgro at my house when I come back from going out, and why am I telling him my life story right now?

“So what brings you here?”

“Please speak comfortably.”

“Then, why did you come to me?”

Zuguro smiled calmly and changed the subject of conversation.

“I’m sure you’ve had a hard time.”

“Well… Considering the kids who moved to the city, this is pretty good.”

Gary took a sip of the tea his wife, Ari, had made for him and quenched his thirst. His feet felt numb, as if he were being urged to repay a loan shark.

He’s definitely not the kind of person who would harm me.

Why am I so nervous about this one guy?

You are working harder than them, who gave up your main job to protect the village. Be confident. ”

“Thank you for the compliment. But I’m really just a criminal who protects this town for my wife and children.”

“You’re not very confident.”

The man who had said those words with a bitter smile disappeared in an instant, and a serious atmosphere choked my throat.

“You know, Mr. Gary. The number of demons will increase and become stronger in the future.”

I nodded, remaining silent.

“Then let me ask you something. If we can’t stop those demons, what will happen to this village?”

“It’s going to be a mess.”

“You know very well. I guess Gary doesn’t want that future.”

Is this guy seasoning his food? I have no idea what he wants.

If this was a joke, Gary opened his mouth with the intention of hitting him without hesitation.

“What’s the main point?”

“I’ll solve that problem for you.”

“Really!”

“Yes, please do me one favor.”

“As much as you want.”

“Where are you, chief, now?”

“About this time…he will be at the temple.”

***

I went to the temple as Gary said.

Its appearance was no different from the temples I had seen before. To anyone who saw it, it was just another temple in the countryside.

I saw it yesterday too, but I never thought I would see such a monstrosity up close again.

“It looks like there’s no problem on the outside…”

“I’ll go and investigate outside the gates.”

“Are you active?”

“I have always been active in everything you do.”

“Have you ever had that happen?”

“Um… No matter how dangerous the thing you do is, you keep it a secret from the master. Do you want me to tell you?”

His question made me look at the silent propaganda gate.

Steven smiled at me like that and walked with Wyle to the back of the temple.

‘Is this the typical employer-employee relationship?’

I sighed deeply and opened the front door.

In the middle, a red carpet stretched down to a stone statue, and on either side were six rows of connected chairs.

It was extremely ordinary, just like the outside.

‘Was my suspicion unfounded?’

According to Gary’s story, the boy who came here was no ordinary guy.

An inverted cross pupil embedded in the eye.

No matter how much I thought about it, I always came to one conclusion.

‘This is the work of the inverted cross.’

I simply asked Gary for his location, intending to get the village chief’s consent to find all the culprits of this incident and destroy them.

It’s good that you’ve been given something to do since you said you were in the temple. Now it’s time to find out what the inverted cross did.

But why isn’t it there?

No magical power was felt inside the temple.

Even if you can’t do it, you should feel at least a little bit of black magic.

‘Could this be the place?’

I shook my head strongly.

That won’t happen.

The organization I investigated, the Reverse Cross, is a unique species that is similar to heretics but different.

I don’t think they would have missed this opportunity to blaspheme.

I kept looking around.

As expected, there was nothing particularly unusual.

[Asbel’s sword says, “Are your eyes just decoration?”]

‘Why are you suddenly causing trouble?’

[Asbel’s sword says that no matter how much he thinks about it, that statue doesn’t seem strange]

“Statue?”

I looked straight at the statue. There was a subtle black aura rippling around the statue. Oh…

‘What’s strange?’

[Asbel’s sword sticks out its tongue at your miraculous sight]

[Asbel’s sword says, “Can’t you see that black aura?”]

“That’s something that’s always been there.”

[Asbel’s sword says it doesn’t understand what you say]

[Kraberg’s Fang agrees with what you say]

[Kraberg’s fang says he can’t stand the headache and wants to get out of here quickly]

‘That’s a joke.’

I turned off the status window, ignoring the crackling of Kraberk’s fangs that were causing small vibrations at my side.

And he approached the stone statue.

The closer I get, the more I feel this black magic.

It was definitely a different feeling from the usual discomfort I felt.

The feeling of wanting to destroy is felt equally by both of them.

‘I knew this would happen, so I hate the temple.’

There is too much corruption.

[Asbel’s sword sends an urgent message]

[Asked what Asbel’s sword would do to the statue]

“Of course you should break it.”

[Asbel’s sword is angry, asking how you, a priest, could possibly think of destroying the statue of God]

‘Everything is good, but it’s only at times like this that it’s annoying.’

I closed the status screen once again and approached the statue.

At the same time, a presence was felt at the door behind the left side of the stone statue.

Thud thud.

The village chief who came out after that spoke to me.

“I don’t know what’s going on, young mercenary.”

“…”

“Don’t even think about breaking this statue.”

“Will you still give the same answer after this village is destroyed by that one stone statue?”

“…”

“If you didn’t know this fact, it doesn’t matter. There is a chance to make up for it even now.”

“Young mercenary.”

His low voice trembled slightly as he called me.

I asked the reason absentmindedly.

“What’s going on?”

“Would you please listen to my story? It won’t be long.”

I don’t like this kind of storytelling, and I don’t like hearing other people’s long life stories, so I was thinking of rejecting his offer. But the important thing now is to break that stone statue.

In that case, I need the consent of this person who is the highest official of this village. Well, the easiest way would be to reveal my identity.

At that moment, my lie was exposed and my innocent public support only fell.

I didn’t really have any obligation to protect this village.

Today is the day I’m helping you.

Even if this problem isn’t solved tomorrow, I’ll abandon this town and go back without any regrets.

A country like that too.

Since I said I would do it, I intend to take it seriously.

I nodded silently.

The village chief smiled bitterly at my answer and told me his story.

“My husband and I wanted to have children, but we couldn’t. So even after we got married, we didn’t have any children.

I didn’t mind living alone with my wife, Angel, but Angel had told me many times before we got married that she wanted to have children and start a family.

She was so desperate that she couldn’t have children that she came to this temple every time to pray to God.

When I saw that talented and beautiful woman living in this small town, unable to even realize her dreams because of me, I felt like it was all my fault.

Even now that she is dead, I still spend my days and nights feeling guilty. Do you understand how I feel? “

I shook my head quietly in silence.

“I’m not married yet. I don’t know.”

“You’re so cool.”

Whatever those words meant to me, I answered without changing my expression.

“I hear that a lot.”

“Is that so.”

The village chief’s bitter smile deepened. He slowly approached the stone statue and raised his hand.

“One day, a child who seemed to be a gift from God appeared before us.

He was a twelve-year-old boy with a cross in his pupil.

It was not without ominous feelings that such a boy had suddenly appeared in this village.

I really liked Angel, so I treated him like a son.”

His words, which had seemed sad, suddenly turned to anger. I knew the reason for this, having heard it from Gary.

That boy is a piece of trash who spewed foul language at the village chief the day she disappeared from this world.

“One day, the boy gave Angel this statue as a gift. Isn’t that strange? That a young boy would give this big statue.

However, Angel accepted the child’s gift as a son without any doubt because he was a child given by God.

The statue was naturally placed in this temple. At that time, I felt this ominous aura.”

“You knew about that unpleasant feeling?”

“…Yes, as a priest, I could judge that much.”

The village chief fell from the stone statue and came towards me.

“So I explained about the statue and tried to stop her. Angel got angry at me for that, and I couldn’t handle her anger so I ended up not destroying the statue.

And from that day on, cracks began to appear between us, which had been good.

I waited until she felt better, thinking she would feel better soon. If I had spoken to her then, I wouldn’t have regretted it so much.”

“Then why can’t we break this statue?”

“This was the wish written in the last letter left next to his dead wife. She said never to break this statue.”

“With that one wish, this town will disappear.”

“Then I’ll hire more mercenaries.”

“You don’t have the money for that, do you?”

“Even if I have to sell my house, I will absolutely protect this statue.”

“Sacrificing the family for the cow. How selfish.”

“Call me whatever you want, I have no intention of narrowing down my opinion.”

His eyes showed a firm belief that it was ‘for his dead wife.’

My will was too weak to persuade him.

I sighed.

“I don’t know what kind of person your wife is. But if you think that she gave up her dream of having children and lived with you in this town, then she must have loved you and this town that much.”

“I betrayed that trust. So now…”

“Betrayal or whatever, I hope you won’t regret it twice.”

“…”

A status window appeared in the quiet atmosphere.

[Kraberg’s Fang sends an urgent message]

[Kraberg’s fangs say they can’t take it anymore]

‘I was thinking of going.’

I took two steps away from the village chief.

“Excuse me. I hope you’ll just think of this as a young mercenary’s tantrum.”

And he bowed and left the temple without even listening to his answer.

“Are you here, my lord?”

“Yeah.”

“There was no problem on the outside. Did you find anything inside?”

“Oh, but I decided not to care anymore.”

“If that is what you want, Lord, then I understand.”

I didn’t want to talk to the village chief anymore because he had cut me off from this world. That was enough.

There was destruction, there was massacre.

I’m going to pay off my debt by helping out today.

Maybe I just need to catch a few mobs like I did yesterday.

***

“Shareholder, shareholder, owner! We’re screwed!!”

“I know too, wolf cub!

I’m really unlucky!!