Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: How to Utilize Chris (2)
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The Empire's prestige was truly impressive.
Just saying we were travelers from the Empire allowed us to pass through the city gates without any inspection.
Our group, which included the elf Serena and even the dwarf Drzant, was instead welcomed into the city.
Astor Closel flashed a cheerful expression as he asked,
"So, what do you plan to do now?"
What was there to do?
I figured we should meet the King of Harp first.
Maybe it would have been faster to come officially with the envoy delegation.
"Who was dispatched as the envoy?"
"Someone you know."
"Me?"
"Count Nordin was dispatched."
If it was that man, he was trustworthy.
The epitome of a knight.
His character was excellent too, so he should handle it well.
"Tch... It's ambiguous..."
A necromancer who was dead set on hiding their identity—would they even be findable?
"We'll have to track down clues one by one."
"Where do you plan to start?"
This journey had generally unfolded like this so far.
I went wherever I wanted without a plan.
The elders said this approach got us closer to the truth faster.
"Pick a spot quickly. We'll head there."
"Hmm..."
Even so, nothing was tugging at my intuition yet.
If I had to choose somewhere...
"We should head toward the sea."
"Is there something there?"
"A rat ate the Dragon King's banner."
The group's gazes subtly turned to me.
An explanation was needed.
I had to explain about the Sea Dragon King...
Without needing to think, Astor Closel asked me,
"Are you talking about a dragon?"
"You're continuously fascinating, human. Plenty of fun beyond that rattle."
"A dragon..."
It might be a similar existence.
They could control the weather too, right? In the East, it's a dragon; in the West, a dragon.
The problem was that dragons...
"Do they really exist?"
"They really do."
Everyone except Luna and me nodded.
"Ramon and I nearly died the first time we encountered a dragon."
"You elders?"
"Even called Sword Masters and Archmages, we're nothing to them."
Honestly, their strength was hard to imagine.
Beings that made these monster-like elders struggle.
"That strong, yet what did they do during the Continental War? Didn't fight alongside?"
Wasn't that a bit infuriating?
"They seemed utterly bored with the world."
"Hmm..."
"It's hard to understand transcendent beings."
That was certainly true.
Even the spirit lords grew detached from worldly affairs as they became greater deities.
Seeing only the grand flow of the world.
"There are dragons with human emotions. But they probably had reasons not to intervene."
The elders didn't seem to know the details either.
Since dragons were legendary, this was already considerable knowledge.
"Reasons not to intervene..."
"Couldn't you make a dragon an ally?"
"That's a bit..."
In the shaman world, dragons were sacred beings.
There was even a Dragon King God.
Closer to entities you prepared offerings for than allies.
Though who knew what form they took here.
Maybe living spirits?
"Let's head to the sea first. Is there a nearby one?"
"Coincidentally, the capital of the Harp Kingdom is by the sea."
"We might not get involved with any dragons anyway."
The Dragon King's banner didn't necessarily symbolize the Dragon King.
It was more abstract.
Could even mean the sea itself.
"We'll know once we check."
"More importantly, where are you heading now?"
While talking, I'd unconsciously started walking.
Without a destination.
"Why do my feet keep leading me here?"
Sometimes people act strangely without reason.
Like wandering aimlessly due to emptiness.
At my words, the elders urgently gestured.
"Go wherever you absolutely want to."
"We'll handle the trivial matters, so do as you please."
"Good grief..."
These elders were hooked on something odd.
They'd been acting like this lately...
It was at that moment, as I was about to move along the street.
"...?"
Rumble—
People began rushing toward one spot.
Uttering bizarre sounds.
"They say a fortune-teller appeared over there."
"That saint who appeared in the Empire?"
"It's definitely him! They say he's already started that ritual called 'gut'."
Gut?
Was there someone besides me who could perform a shaman ritual?
"The line's already long. Let's hurry!"
"Name was Krasl or something?"
"It's Chris."
The conversation grew stranger.
"...?"
The elders looked intrigued at them, while Serena's eyes grew icy cold.
"Did you plan to perform a gut?"
"No way."
"They say you're doing a gut. I want to see it too."
"Haven't you seen it plenty?"
I'd never planned to do a shaman ritual here.
No fitting occasions either.
Which meant...
It was that.
"An impersonator."
"You've become famous, so scammers are showing up."
Following the crowd, suspicious sounds soon reached us.
Ding—ding—ding—
A small bell from who-knows-where.
Like the ones in movies for summoning servants.
Drzant's verdict:
"A pathetic sound."
Ding—ding—
Murmurs—
"That's the sacred bell that repelled the undead."
"Just as the rumors said."
The man shaking the bell was enormous.
Towering two heads taller than me.
His face was quite fierce too.
A long scar from forehead to chin.
The funny part was the crowd not fearing him but revering him.
"An appearance that would make undead tremble."
Ding-ding—
The impersonator raised his voice.
"Gather round!"
Flinch.
Murmurs—
"Such a booming voice..."
"Must be using magic!"
Soon, as everyone quieted, one voice rang out.
"You've all heard the rumors about me!"
"...?"
"I am Chris, who drove out the undead from the Empire's north!"
"...??"
Murmurs—
"Rumors said white hair, didn't they?"
"Rumors are rumors; the hair was false info."
Why believe the weird parts and ignore the accurate ones?
Now another impersonation began.
"You must know I serve the Saintess. The Earth Goddess Ilia sent me, saying..."
Gulp—
"'Bestow fortunes upon the weak and children!'"
"Ooh! As expected...!"
It was so absurd I couldn't even laugh.
That guy hearing a goddess's voice?
He had five vengeful spirits clinging to him right there.
"Step forward one by one!"
"M-me first! I'm from here and...!"
Ding—ding—ding—
"You're a farmer."
"H-how...?"
How what?
Even an orc pup could tell he was a farmer.
He was dressed like one.
The issue was the crowd's amazement.
"Just as rumored."
"He nails everything."
Truly a bumper crop of nonsense.
"The goddess says your farm will pass safely this year."
"Th-thank you!"
Suddenly, the impersonator pointed at one person.
"Come here."
Flinch.
"Me?"
"You lost your parents early."
"Gasp...!"
Another accurate hit.
Even Astor Closel asked me,
"How'd he do that?"
Simple.
"It's staged."
That guy pretending to be shocked had healthy parents.
A shill.
After a few more acts like that, the crowd fell hook, line, and sinker.
"My son turns three this year! What should I have him do?"
Ding—ding—
"He has excellent mana aptitude. Bring him to me tonight. Telling me your home is fine too."
"I-is that true? No, really? Thank you!"
A commoner thrilled his son had mage potential—natural.
Most shaman-based scams worked like that.
Teasing desires until they bloomed.
Making them fall for the "what if."
"Vile. Utterly vile..."
"What'll you do?"
"Watch for now."
All the vengeful spirits around him were children.
Kids who hadn't died peacefully.
Covered in wounds.
And his financial luck clinging to him.
"That bastard's a slave trader..."
The country changed, and scum like him appeared already.
- ....
The emotions from the children: fear.
Mixed with unfamiliarity, hunger, loneliness.
- ....
Suddenly, eye contact with one child.
Scenes flashed in my mind.
A dark, pitch-black place.
People in black robes.
"...No way."
Inspecting children like selecting goods, taking some away.
And the unchosen ones.
"Erasing evidence."
He was the supplier.
The children's vengeful spirits had latched onto their kidnapper.