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145
“Do you have somewhere to go?”
Leriana asked Rohan as he was packing his modest belongings. Although they had just finished talking with Nephia, he seemed to be choosing to move immediately rather than rest, like someone with an important appointment ahead.
After discussing the ‘divine punishment’ inflicted by the Celestial God, various conversations took place for a few minutes. The problem was… most of it was limited to sharing information about the temple’s recent situation, the progress of the investigation, and the relationship with the mercenary guild, so there wasn’t much substantial gain.
“Yeah. There’s someone I need to meet.”
So Rohan judged that staying here longer wouldn’t be very meaningful, and Arpel agreed with his opinion. Saying that they had another destination in mind anyway, it might be better to leave quickly.
Leriana’s eyes sparkled. It was a look that clearly seemed to ask who it was. In response, Rohan shrugged and cast his gaze out the window. His eyes held a strangely clear focus, as if looking at a place not too far away.
“If you’re curious, you can come along.”
It’s closer than you might think.
***
“…It really is close.”
Unable to resist Leriana’s urging, Casia, who had immediately left the temple, couldn’t hide her displeasure at the scene unfolding before her eyes. Leriana’s face beside her even showed a hint of betrayal.
“You could have just said it was the mercenary guild. Did you have to say it so meaningfully?”
“I told you it was close.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
The complaining voice was sharp. Ignoring the voice with one ear, Arpel stared at the building right in front of him with his usual calm face. He glanced briefly at Rohan and Leriana, but the grumbling continued.
Guessing that the confused conversation wouldn’t end easily, Arpel opened the door on their behalf. He almost closed the door again when he saw the familiar face showing an overwhelmingly welcoming expression as soon as it opened.
“I’ve been waiting for you!”
However, contrary to his welcoming appearance, his complexion wasn’t very good. Leriana, whose attention was drawn by the sudden exclamation, made a strange sound, saying, “Oh, um…”
“I’ve heard everything. You really went through a lot.”
“…Shouldn’t you be the one hearing those words?”
“Pardon?”
“No, nothing…”
An awkward addition was made to the heartfelt thanks. Leriana unconsciously added it while looking at the face with such dark circles under the eyes that it was pitiful. Of course, she quickly glossed over it when Casia’s finger poked her side shortly after.
Just when they thought the strange conversation had ended, this time Dein showed a complicated expression. The way he alternately looked at Rohan and Leriana was somehow suspicious.
“…Is there a problem?”
“No, ahem. It’s nothing…”
It doesn’t seem like nothing. Rohan made an uneasy face, but Dein paid no attention. The action of firmly closing his mouth with a stubborn face showed a strong will not to say anything.
Roughly, it was something like ‘I’m glad you reconciled’, but… unless one could peek into his mind, there was no way to know.
“…”
However, not everyone had given up. As if annoyed by the voice mumbling that it was nothing, Arpel’s calm gaze was quietly pressuring Dein.
There was no way he could ignore that gaze. Dein, who instinctively shuddered, awkwardly turned his head and avoided Arpel’s eyes. Then, his skill in changing the topic with a creaking voice was almost fantastic.
“Ahem. Um. There’s something I’d like to show you.”
It’s about the mercenaries we secured on our side.
Although his attitude was extremely awkward, his skill in choosing a topic to transition to was excellent. Rohan’s eyes immediately sharpened, and even Leriana and Casia showed interest in the story, so Arpel had no choice but to give up and focus on Dein.
Those secured by the mercenary guild. He was referring to the attackers that Dein and the mercenaries following him had hurriedly taken away just before the first executive arrived. Since Rohan had already been informed about this, a strange tension also appeared on Leriana’s face.
Dein led the four of them out of the mercenary guild through a small side door at the back of the building. After walking a few steps, a desolate path with small huts sparsely standing appeared.
“This place…”
“We didn’t have enough space to confine those guys in the guild building. I heard there was a place where people no longer lived due to a big fire a few months ago, so we’ve been using it as a temporary prison.”
There was no hesitation in his steps as he chose one of the houses covered in black soot and entered. Certainly, it’s not a bad environment for secret interrogations. Arpel briefly commented as he looked around the surroundings where not a single person was in sight.
As soon as they entered the house, a sharp creaking noise leaked out. Beyond the faintly lit light, several figures could be seen sprawled on the floor. A strong smell of blood that came a beat later stung their noses.
“Phew.”
It was a scene contrary to the bright daylight outside. Leriana took a slow deep breath. Perhaps it was because her instinct was ringing alarm bells that what she was about to see should not be faced with a light heart.
The rotten wood smell mixed with the smell of blood created a nauseating odor that automatically induced disgust. As Dein, who had advanced to the center of the house with familiarity, lit a candle, the scene inside began to come into view more clearly.
People tightly bound with all sorts of restraints were lying covered in blood. Harsh breaths, unable to withstand the pain from severe torture, echoed in their ears. Cold, stiff pale pink eyes continuously examined their condition.
“I’m sure there were more than this before.”
Rohan scanned them with insensitive eyes. Unlike Leriana, he didn’t show even a hint of emotion.
He focused on their ‘number’ rather than their ‘condition’. Surely there were many more of those who had attempted the attack. As if he had noticed what Rohan meant to say, Dein immediately nodded and added:
“That’s also related to what I wanted to tell you about.”
“Did they die during interrogation?”
“…Yes. Moreover, it seems they were considered disposable from the start as they knew almost no information. Most of them appear to have participated in the plan after being deceived by promises of being granted knight positions if they carried out the orders. The one who made the proposal has vanished without a trace.”
His voice was calm as he explained the clues obtained so far, but it wasn’t an unexpected development. Would they have given important information to low-ranking mercenaries who hadn’t even awakened their Aura?
Sensing the doubt in the eyes of the four, Dein shook his head. But this wasn’t what he wanted to show them.
“This way, for a moment.”
Due to the not-so-spacious house, the four who had been huddled together had to follow closely behind Dein. Were they heading to a room in the corner? Just as Arpel’s brow furrowed slightly at the increasingly cramped space as they walked…
“Ugh…”
Leriana, who was leading the way, covered her nose at the terrible smell. She had thought the previous smell was bad enough, but this was on a different level.
This was the smell of something rotting. Not wood or food, but… the smell of flesh rotting away. Rohan, who easily identified the source of the stench, frowned.
In the narrow room that seemed to be used for storing junk, there was something covered with cloth. Due to the darkness that had settled again, Leriana and Casia seemed to have difficulty discerning it accurately, but not Rohan and Arpel.
To them, who had eyes that could pierce through darkness thanks to their powers, it was clearer than anything else. The horrific face that was revealed as soon as the cloth covering the ‘something’ was removed… a face that could hardly be called human.
“…This is.”
Even Rohan’s eyes, which had not shown much emotion until now, couldn’t help but waver at that moment.
The face was just the beginning. The body that was finally revealed, the arms and legs attached to it, were so deformed that it left them speechless. A strange creature that looked like a mix of spider, fish, bear, pig… and human was before their eyes.
‘It resembles…’
Faced with this horrific sight, Arpel thought. That these inhuman things seemed to resemble the ‘executives’ of the Salvation Church.
Finally, as if their eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, Leriana and Casia, who were on the side, belatedly inhaled. Sensing that everyone had confirmed the state of ‘this’, Dein lowered the cloth he was holding again. The horrific appearance was covered by the thick cloth.
“Earlier, you said the numbers had decreased a lot.”
A solemn look appeared on Dein’s pale face. Slowly inhaling, he continued the story he hadn’t yet told.
“All the people who died ended up like this. At some point, their bodies started to change, and not long after, they all lost their lives.”
The interrogation had been conducted to maintain a moderate level that wouldn’t endanger their lives. Despite this, those who had turned into ‘something that couldn’t be called human’ all started dying on the spot.
“…Because of that, the interrogation was stopped as of yesterday. The mercenaries in charge of the work ran away, saying this was a ‘curse’.”
Even as he laughed self-deprecatingly, Dein thought the words were plausible. If this isn’t a curse, what else could it be?
His eyes automatically squeezed shut. If there was such a thing as a ‘divine curse’… it would probably look just like this. Fear suddenly welled up.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
