Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Raelian Priests (1)
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“Hmm. Looks like you’ve at least done some maintenance this time.”
Dwalin took the weapon and smiled in satisfaction. Kratos, seeing this, answered with a smirk.
“Of course. I’ve been maintaining it regularly.”
“Bah! Don’t lie to me. It looks like you just hastily cleaned it up a while after a battle.”
He let out an awkward laugh. It wasn’t like he was wrong.
“But what in the world have you been doing for your weapon to be so deeply stained with demonic energy?”
The man was a master craftsman, indeed. To notice the presence of demonic energy just by looking at the condition of a maintained weapon.
“I know, right? There are so many strange fellows in the world these days. Demonic energy, of all things. Ugh, how dreadful.”
“Well, as long as you’re not up to any nonsense, it’s fine. I gave you that weapon to smash bastards like that in the first place. Still, you brat. Make a habit of taking care of your weapon.”
Dwalin grumbled but meticulously inspected and serviced the weapon.
“It’s literally the weapon that protects your life. What good is it if it fails you at a critical moment?”
He wasn’t wrong. He had a habit of losing his weapons, after all.
He’d lost the crowbar and sword he used when escaping the slave traders. He’d also lost the axe-hammer he received from the Lord of Rzhev.
It was a relief he hadn’t been using the hammer as his main weapon this time.
“There’s a limit to how often you can just pick up weapons from your surroundings. Not only will they not fit your hand, but it’s never easy to fight at your full potential with a weapon you’ve never used before.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
At Kratos’s reply, Dwalin, having finished his work, grinned and handed the weapon over.
“So, what brings you here? I doubt you came just for weapon maintenance.”
Dwalin narrowed his eyes and looked at Kratos, as if asking his true purpose.
“By any chance.”
“By any chance, what?”
“Can you make it so a weapon returns after I throw it?”
At Kratos’s words, Dwalin’s head tilted sideways.
“Weapon retrieval?”
“Um, how should I put it? Like a boomerang? You know, you throw a hammer or an axe at an enemy, it comes back, and you can keep fighting without having to retrieve it. That kind of picture?”
Dwalin let out a deep sigh and lowered his head.
“What in the world are you talking about?! Get the hell out!”
Ah, come on! The whole point of a weapon is the satisfaction of retrieving it!
Like Mjolnir! Or the Leviathan Axe! Sheesh, he just doesn’t get it.
“I’ll see you when I get back!”
“Get lost! And don’t come back! What utter nonsense!”
***
On the road to Benya Beach.
Since they had to cross the continent from east to west, they used a portal from the Mage Tower to get close, then took a carriage to Lagaris, the base of the White Mercenary Corps.
Normally, they wouldn’t use such an expensive portal for a mission, but this was a joint request from several lords.
It also meant the situation was urgent enough for them to request the use of a portal.
“Whoa! A mission with the Lucky Guy himself! This is great! I’ve got a good feeling about this. A very good feeling.”
“You said it. Let’s make it back alive this time, too!”
“Hahaha! And it’s monster extermination, no less. That’s our specialty.”
“Damn right. Isn’t Unit 12 the expert in monster hunting? We could probably build a castle in Lagaris with the monster corpses we’ll rack up.”
Doug Reinhardt welcomed Kratos’s inclusion, thumping his shoulder repeatedly with his massive bicep.
The members of Unit 12, renowned for monster extermination, had high expectations upon hearing that Kratos, who had single-handedly taken down a Variant Death Worm, would be joining them.
They were already making bets on who could kill more.
“Doug. Enough fooling around. Focus.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“This mission is a joint request from the lords of the territory adjacent to Benya Beach. The White Mercenary Corps will defend Lagaris.”
Derek Heinman, the captain of Unit 12, scanned the mission briefing with a serious expression.
“It’s a straightforward mission. Other mercenaries will likely already be there. All we have to do is defend the town and kill monsters.”
Most of the unit members believed this was a simple monster extermination mission.
And, of course, that was the mission they intended to carry out. However, the other directive given to the captains and a few individuals connected to the resistance was different.
Confirm the Empire’s movements.
Specifically, investigate what is happening on the small island in the center.
“And if possible, finding the cause of the monster incident is also part of the mission.”
“Understood!”
“I hope we can finish this mission successfully and all enjoy a cold beer together.”
“Booooo, Captain! Don’t say something so unlucky right at the start!”
The mercenary leadership likely suspected that the Empire was connected to all the recent incidents.
That was why the entire mercenary corps was heading out on missions with only the bare minimum of rest.
“I hear the lobster in Lagaris is to die for. You eat the tail as sashimi, and then you steam the body and dip the sashimi in that rich tomalley. They say it’s a delicacy.”
“Jeez. Is food all you ever think about?”
“Hey. The true joy in life is in the pleasures of the palate. How could I give that up? My goal in becoming a mercenary was to travel the continent and eat delicious food in the first place.”
“The mood in the city probably won’t be great, so don’t say things that’ll kill the vibe.”
“What, you think I’m an idiot?!”
Derek Heinman, seemingly lost in thought, gazed quietly at Kratos, who was sitting with his arms crossed and eyes closed, oblivious to the chatter next to him.
‘Kratos…’
To be frank, while he was officially a new mercenary, after just one mission, he was being treated as something more.
His swift resolution of the problems in the Ashar region was a major factor. As was his solo kill of the Variant Death Worm.
In this industry, experience was important, but strength was just as crucial. After all, strength was the standard for how well one could survive.
Right now, the only ones in this mercenary corps capable of soloing a Variant Death Worm—or even a regular Death Worm, for that matter—were the captain-level members or a few senior mercenaries.
‘And I hear he’s pretty sharp, too.’
His past was a complete unknown. He was literally a being who had just dropped from the sky.
‘That’s probably why Iscario is throwing such a fit. That bastard despises variables.’
Unlike Iscario, Derek was of the mind that as long as someone was skilled and didn’t backstab them, what did it matter?
Regardless of rank, he believed a captain’s most important virtues were successfully completing the mission and bringing his men back alive.
That was why he simply hoped Kratos would properly demonstrate his skills on this mission as well.
After all, the mission they were assigned wasn’t just simple monster extermination.
***
It’s probably another antenna.
Just like in the desert. They use the antenna to attack nearby cities, diverting attention while they excavate ruins.
That was the thought that came to mind after reading the mission briefing provided separately to the resistance. The thought that those bastards were using an antenna again to control monsters.
Antennas, artifacts, and black magic. What on earth was the Empire trying to achieve with all this?
What was the Empire trying to gain from all these events?
For what benefit? Some of it was so obvious it was like they were barely trying to hide it.
It had been a long time since he’d faced a problem without a clear answer. Most situations could be solved without much difficulty by drawing on his memories or experiences.
It would be more understandable if they were starting a war.
That would just be the manifestation of the inherently human ambition to unify the continent.
“We’ve arrived!”
“Huh…? What’s this? It looks better than I expected.”
“I know, right? There aren’t many signs of battle.”
The condition of Lagaris was better than they had anticipated.
“Reinforcements are here! Open the gate!”
There were traces of battle here and there, but nothing severe, and the voices and expressions of the people on the walls were bright.
The gate opened just wide enough for the carriage to pass through, and as they entered the city, soldiers and mercenaries were there to greet them.
“Welcome to Lagaris. You’re from the White Mercenary Corps, correct? I’m Max, the head of the guard.”
“Ah, yes. I’m Lando, Captain of the White Mercenary Corps’ Unit 10. This is Derek Heinman, Captain of Unit 12.”
“For the White Mercenary Corps to send two whole units as support… we are truly grateful.”
It was definitely different. Their expressions showed a sense of ease, and the mercenaries’ faces held not relief, but vigilance.
Yes, the kind of vigilance that said their share of the profits would shrink now that they had arrived.
“A soldier will show you to your quarters. Jackson! Guide them!”
“Understood! I will take responsibility for guiding them!”
“Thank you for your consideration. Let’s move out!”
As they followed the soldier named Jackson deeper into Lagaris, Kratos scanned the faces of the people.
No matter how good things seemed, everything was usually revealed on the faces of the common folk.
“The atmosphere is good.”
“It is, isn’t it? Strangely good.”
It seemed Kratos wasn’t the only one who found it strange. Seamus nodded in agreement at his quiet murmur.
“I’d believe it if you told me there hadn’t been any monster attacks at all.”
“Exactly. I heard it was a monster wave on the level of Kanta Village.”
As if reading the mercenaries’ expressions, the soldier named Jackson began to chatter excitedly, as if he understood.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? It’s definitely strange enough to be. We were completely shocked, too. For about a week, the monsters were rushing the walls like they were possessed by hunger, and we thought we were done for… Oh! Good day, Father!”
The soldier, Jackson, cut himself off mid-sentence and rushed over to a cleric in a gray robe who was carrying luggage, bowing his head deeply.
“Good afternoon to you, brother.”
“My goodness, shouldn’t you be resting? You’re out here again?”
“How could we simply rest? We must go where our hands are needed.”
The elderly priest smiled with the most benevolent expression in the world as he helped the people.
Even the soldier looked like he wanted to abandon his duty and stay here. It was a scene that naturally brought a faint smile to one’s face.
“Gosh. I’ll come running as soon as I finish my task. Please, take it easy.”
“Ho ho… We are always grateful.”
Jackson returned to the head of the mercenary contingent and quickened his pace.
“Are they from the Holy Kingdom?”
“Ah, I heard they are not priests affiliated with the Holy Kingdom. They haven’t revealed the name of their faith and said they are merely wanderers traveling the world.”
“Oh. They seem to be doing good work.”
“Phew. I know, right? The situation in Lagaris is so good right now entirely because of them. For some reason, the monsters get all confused by the divine power they emit.”
Lando, hearing Jackson’s explanation, nodded with a bright smile as if he remembered something, then whispered to Kratos.
“Ah! I heard about them. They’re a new religion composed of priests who carry out their ascetic practices without revealing anything. Their name was… the Raelian Church, I think? Apparently, they mostly go to remote areas to help people in need. To see them here… what an honor.”
“Oh! I’ve heard of them, too. They’ve started making a name for themselves recently. Wow. I can’t believe we’re actually seeing them.”
The Holy Kingdom was not a religious state that believed in a single god. It was more like a pantheon, a union of religions.
Because of this, the hurdle of religious differences was very low in this world.
Of course, there were religions not part of the Holy Kingdom, but they were extremely few.
Unless a religion was unable to join, like those that worshipped demon gods, membership itself wasn’t impossible.
“Hmm.”
He discreetly circulated the Spiritual Power in his body, but there was no reaction like the one he had when facing demonic energy. He didn’t feel that characteristic stickiness of demonic energy either.
However, a new religion appearing at a time like this… it seemed they were worth keeping an eye on, one way or another.
“This is the place. You can rest here, and the head of the guard will give a briefing on the mission every morning. Please attend and listen. Ah! The location is at 7 a.m., at the place you just passed through.”
The soldier named Jackson, seemingly in a hurry, rattled off the information without much order and then quickly left the inn.
“Alright, everyone drop your gear in your rooms. We’ll gather in an hour!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Lando. Let’s talk in my room. Kratos, you too.”
Before the absurdity could even sink in, Derek Heinman called Lando and Kratos to his room as the unit members dispersed.
*Vwooom—*
He closed the door and activated an artifact to prevent their words from leaking outside.
“You all know the mission, I assume.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll create the opportunity. We need to check where the monsters are coming from anyway, so I’ll mainly use that time. Leave the monster disposal to the other unit members and focus on your respective tasks.”
They had to carry out two missions simultaneously—the overt one and the secret one—which was why Unit 10 and Unit 12 had been assigned together.
“And… we need to check the surrounding situation first.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
Information gathering was one of his strengths, and it was necessary to grasp the current atmosphere anyway.
“Focus especially on the patterns of battle and the mood of the citizens.”
“Understood.”
After the short meeting ended, Kratos returned to his room, sat in the center, and spread out his Spiritual Power.
“Ugh. This isn’t easy.”
At a certain point, his Spiritual Power stopped extending and just squirmed. It was about a 50-meter radius around the inn.
If he tried to forcefully extend its range, he felt a tearing pain in the core of his body.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t able to fully utilize what he had.
Those all-strength builds in games are all lies! Lies, I tell you! You need balance!
His current physical state was certainly unbalanced.
Compared to his ridiculous strength, his other abilities were mediocre at best. His stamina was at least half of his strength, but his dexterity and Spiritual Power were pathetic.
The biggest problem was that his spiritual ring and spiritual arts weren’t showing much progress either.
Unlike Annihilate Evil or his stats, their values didn’t increase just by beating up enemies.
He needed a way. A way to fix this.