Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Disaster is Coming (2)
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"..."
The more I thought about it, the less sense it made, but since it had actually happened, I couldn't deny it.
At first, I thought she had received a god from this world.
But that wasn't it either.
Seeing Luna, who had been directly chosen and born by the Body God, left no room for doubt.
"Hah... It's like trying to fit an ocean into a bottle."
No matter how large the vessel was as a divine child, I worried if she could handle it.
That must be why it still hadn't revealed itself with a 'I am the spirit of such-and-such place.'
Snore...
Snore...
Luna's soft breathing filled the inside of the carriage.
We were currently traveling in a carriage.
Outside, paladins on horseback were escorting us.
"This is amazing."
I had no idea how much money they'd poured into this carriage, but traces of mana were everywhere.
Even at full speed, there was no shaking at all.
Since the Pope himself was traveling, this level of luxury made sense, right?
He was so unpretentious that I kept forgetting he was the Pope.
"..."
"...."
"...."
How could anyone remember with him acting like that?
He was breathing as quietly as possible so as not to wake Luna.
He even seemed to be rolling his eyes silently.
"You don't have to go that far..."
Pope Uncle and Klein Elder.
Me and Serena.
And the sleeping Luna—five people in total inside the carriage.
Aside from me, no one was speaking.
"Elder."
Klein Elder nodded quietly.
"I think you should return to the church."
"....Just me?"
"Yes."
To reiterate, this elder only brought trouble the more he wandered around.
He was the type who was better off staying put, like an old city wall.
That wasn't a bad fate for him, and there was no point in stirring things up.
"Remember what I said about the city wall?"
"Of course I remember."
"Your fate isn't just yours—it's tangled up with many others."
"Can that even happen?"
"Yes. Your life is unusual, after all..."
As a long-time priest, it made sense.
His life was practically synonymous with the church.
"If the wall is missing from where it should be, problems will arise."
It sounded obvious, but the more so, the easier it was to forget.
"You need to get back to your place to avoid major issues."
"....Is that also a divine oracle?"
"Something like it."
That was the gist of the message I'd received.
A person who should stay put was wandering, causing problems.
The current situation was exactly why the elder needed to hole up in the church.
Pope Uncle nodded in agreement with my words.
"Even if Sir Klein returns to the temple, it shouldn't be a problem."
"However..."
"Reliable paladins are with him, so don't worry."
The elder still looked displeased.
With that kind of temperament, no wonder he'd been poking around everywhere until now.
"I'm not weak either."
At Uncle's words, the elder reluctantly nodded.
He kept glancing at Luna, still worried, but with the Pope holding the line, it was hard to push further.
"Have you heard about the situation there?"
"I heard the reinforcements joined safely. They're investigating various things."
"Investigating...?"
"They were told not to climb the mountain, right? Do you know why?"
The reason...
How should I explain this?
"It's hell up there."
"...Pardon?"
"A hell of fire, at that."
When I climbed the mountain before, sweat had poured like rain.
The divination before heading there had been ominous too.
Everyone there who got tangled with the mountain saw their fortunes plummet.
"Hm... That needs resolving too."
I hadn't checked that place since then, so things might have changed.
Reinforcements had arrived, and we were heading there now.
With this many troops, all priests to boot.
"Hold on a moment."
Holding Luna, I pulled out the rattle and raised it.
Ding-a-ling—
"...Why is it doing this?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No... not a problem, but..."
The spiritual energy moved too smoothly.
It felt like my realm had advanced.
Lighter than before I passed out.
Ding-a-ling—
Fleeting scenes flashed through my mind.
The dim summit of the mountain.
And the heat felt simultaneously.
Ding-a-ling—
"The whole mountain is a pit of fire."
It was a massive blaze.
If it were a dream, I'd buy lottery tickets immediately.
"So hot... burning..."
I still couldn't see what was happening at the summit.
But I could feel impure emotions swirling around.
"They're suspecting a demon summoning."
"Demons..."
Ding-a-ling—
Were these foul things passing through my mind the demons' aura?
"Guess we'll find out when we get there..."
One thing was clear: no one should climb the mountain yet.
As I turned my head, my eyes met Serena's.
"Hm...? Ah, right."
Elves had spirits, didn't they?
Fire? Just put it out with water.
No race moved through mountains easier than elves.
"Serena."
"Yes?"
"Can you contact Lomenhan?"
The elder, who had been listening, pulled something from his bosom.
"Take this. It's a communication orb."
"Pardon...?"
"The usage should be simple. Plus, mine can contact that friend Parmon too."
Why give it to me?
"You should have one or two. You're more important than you think."
"No, it's not that I..."
I didn't refuse because I didn't want it.
I didn't have anyone to contact, but it would be useful.
If I'd asked the elders, they'd have given me spares.
But the reason I didn't carry one was...
"I don't know how to use mana...?"
"...."
"....Hah."
Pope Uncle and the elder stared at me in disbelief.
"No holy power either..."
"...I have no idea what mess I've gotten into. How can a mana-less commoner..."
It's not like this is new...
Serena spoke quietly from beside me.
"Anything needing mana, I can handle, so don't worry."
Serena really is the best.
She cooks well—no need to say more—and she can perform rituals with me.
The uncle and elder across from me looked even stranger.
"You're a hard one to figure out. As expected of the one from the revelation."
"I feel the same as His Holiness."
I worried these two might stick to me like my elders.
That would make the group bigger...
"Maybe I need to burn more incense..."
First, one more for Luna.
Especially since she's the one directly chosen by my Body God...
"Chris, connection made."
Ssshh—
Dark mana flowed gently across the floor.
It reached the piles of corpses.
Crunch—
Crunch—
Sounds echoed from the corpses touched by mana as flesh sloughed off.
The mana that escaped the bodies flowed somewhere else.
"Guide the mana to where the souls reside."
It was more tedious than expected.
Even refining the souls for sacrifice.
"How did the last attack go?"
A gaunt-eyed necromancer bowed his head in response.
"We consumed the undead as planned, but they haven't moved."
"What bizarre behavior."
Empire dogs usually charged at necromancers with fire in their eyes.
It didn't make sense that they weren't reacting even to such blatant provocation.
"Must be those two guarding the castle."
The Sword Master and Archmage defending the city.
Empire hounds who'd made names even in the Continental War.
They blocked the path at every turn.
The moment their names were reported, those two set out—perhaps for the best.
"How goes the soul corruption?"
"The souls linked to flesh are collapsing rapidly."
The necromancer issuing orders nodded in satisfaction.
"Send attacks as soon as the undead are complete."
These souls had seen their own bodies become undead and kill people.
The malice pouring from them was intense.
If they'd moved like this sooner, the plan would have advanced much faster.
Every time undead sent to the castle were destroyed, the corruption accelerated.
"They're fighting hard..."
In the first battle, many undead returned alive, but afterward, they vanished one after another.
That would speed up the plan even more.
The necromancer walked to the magic circle imprisoning the souls.
"..."
Black mana churned inside the circle.
Souls tangled within, being reborn as sacrifices.
"There was someone who can see souls... Capture them for research."
It would surely innovate necromancy.
If one could see souls visually, so much more would be possible.
"How can they see souls without form? I'm dying to know what magic it is."
At his gesture, the gathered mana was absorbed into a black stone.
"Use this as sacrifice. Take it."
"Yes!"
The necromancer frowned.
"Soon, They will arrive. We must prepare thoroughly."
"I'll instruct another check."
"If we can turn everyone in the castle into sacrifices..."
Results beyond imagination would emerge.
Even the arriving reinforcements looked like sacrifices.
Gooseflesh rose, making the necromancer shudder.
"Expand the undead forces. Drain their strength as much as possible."
If we could lure them here, perfect—but if not, wear them down.
"I hope They will be pleased."