The Fiends (3)
Having secured the man’s cooperation, the knight order immediately sprang into action. With proper justification on their side, they set out in earnest to apprehend the criminals who had kidnapped him. Unfortunately, enough time had passed for the perpetrators to dispose of any evidence. By the time the holy knights reached the scene, every trace had already vanished.
The holy knights lamented returning empty-handed, but there was nothing more they could do. The only help we could offer was to sketch the criminals’ faces from the man’s description and compare them against people in the area.
“To be honest, this method will be difficult. So many different people gather in this city that new faces appear constantly.”
“Even so, we won’t give up. We’ll keep searching. If those bastards haven’t abandoned their pursuit of him, we may still be able to catch them.”
“Would it be all right if I acted as bait?”
“Pardon?”
“If I remain safe inside here, those targeting me will have no choice but to give up. But if I leave the temple, their thinking might change. They could attempt to kidnap me again, couldn’t they?”
It was a rather tempting suggestion. A perfect way to draw out criminals who could be hiding anywhere. The problem was that the plan would be far too dangerous for the man himself. Since the entire purpose was to lure the perpetrators out, it was only natural that the bait would face the greatest risk.
“It’s dangerous.”
“Without my family, life wouldn’t be worth living anyway. I beg you, please allow it.”
The man’s earnest plea was so full of genuine desperation that I couldn’t refuse. Even from my perspective, using him as bait appeared to be the only viable option.
With no better alternatives, the knights decided to follow his suggestion and proceed with the bait operation.
“Didn’t the temple ask for our help? Why are they just letting that guy walk out?”
“See! I told you not to leave! I knew an opportunity would come. The moment life gets a little easier, you all drop your guard! Wahaha! We’re saved now!!”
They knew all too well how terrifying the lord they served could be, so reporting their failure was difficult. They had lingered in front of the temple, delaying their report as long as possible in hopes of salvaging the situation. Then, as if the gods themselves had intervened, the very person they were targeting walked out casually. If they had given up and left, they would have missed this golden chance. In hindsight, stopping their comrades from departing had been the right call.
“But isn’t something off? He’s walking around completely defenseless. Shouldn’t he be terrified?”
Thud— “Haaak!”
“Looks like he is scared.”
When the haggard man bumped into someone, the terror on his face confirmed that fear had indeed gripped him.
“Why would someone that scared even leave the temple?”
“Did you lot do something behind my back?”
“We didn’t do anything.”
“Then maybe the temple kicked him out, saying they couldn’t help him anymore? That sounds plausible, doesn’t it?”
“Whatever the reason, we must capture that man. That fact hasn’t changed. Let’s follow him.”
Snatching him immediately felt too risky, so they decided to tail him first. If they followed long enough, he might do something suspicious. If it was nothing important, they could ignore it and kidnap him later. If it seemed threatening, they could simply back off. After all, what could a man like him possibly do?
“Someone is following us.”
“Good. They took the bait right away.”
When we first began the bait operation, I had hoped for success but prepared for failure. After all, the enemy already knew the man had entered the temple and not come out again. I couldn’t be certain they were still watching the area.
I had worried the whole plan might amount to nothing, but the moment he stepped outside, suspicious figures began tailing him. My concerns had been groundless.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Be careful out there.”
The holy knights, dressed in plain clothes, moved out to follow the suspicious individuals. Unable to join them, I couldn’t hide my frustration as I returned to the treatment center.
“Are you worried?”
“Yes. I hope they manage to rescue his family.”
I also hoped the man who had volunteered as bait would return without serious injury. It was frustrating that there was nothing appropriate I could do except wait and watch.
“The only thing I can do is wait…”
Sister Melody must have heard my quiet murmur, because she spoke.
“Priest, you must treat that man’s family when they return.”
“That’s… of course.”
“You must heal the holy knights who come back injured as well.”
“Yes.”
“Each of us has different roles we can fulfill.”
“You’re right. Instead of sitting idle, I should prepare what I can do.”
The thought came to me that I should gather as much divine power as possible. As long as they were still breathing, I could heal any wound.
“I’ll go pray for a while!”
When a priest wasn’t sure what they could do for their comrades, the simplest choice was prayer. It was a way to examine one’s divine power and calm both mind and body. Then, when patients appeared before my eyes, I could heal them in the best possible condition. This was what I excelled at most and the area I took the greatest pride in. So I resolved to do something astonishing for those returning from harsh duty, something that would let them rest comfortably.
The holy knight order followed the suspicious group while deliberately allowing the man to be kidnapped. The enemy did not deal with him immediately but moved him elsewhere. Trailing them with breaths held and steps silenced, we arrived at their new hideout.
So this is where they were hiding.
Their base sat precisely midway between the Labyrinth City and the neighboring village. It looked crude, hastily constructed, yet its isolation made it ideal for abductions.
They built this place on purpose.
The smell of blood reaches all the way out here.
Their hideout reeked like a slaughterhouse, thick with the stench of blood. It was easy to imagine dozens of lives had already vanished here unnoticed.
“The scale is larger than we anticipated. I ask you now—is there anyone who believes it is too dangerous and that we should withdraw?”
“……”
The holy knights pressed their lips tightly at their commander’s words. Not all of them had come with light hearts as though heading to training, but none were weak enough to suggest retreat simply because preparation felt insufficient. Moreover, in a place that smelled so strongly of blood, they needed to stop these people’s actions immediately.
“A man who risked death to save his family has been dragged inside. He refused to falter even when we urged him to proceed more safely. Is there anyone here more fragile than that man?”
“No, sir!”
“Absolutely not!!”
“Good. Everyone, regrip your weapons.”
A fierce battle was about to begin, so they needed to take firm hold of the weapons that were essentially their lifelines. In truth, the gesture was meant to steady their resolve.
“Kill those who resist. Spare those who surrender. We will extract every detail of what they have been doing here.”
Committing the knight commander’s orders to memory, they launched their assault on the enemy stronghold.
Kwaaaang!!!!
“Drop your weapons and kneel! Those who resist will be killed!!”
“What the hell is this?!”
“It’s the holy knight order!!”
“How did the holy knight order find us?!”
“Who was it! Who got followed?!”
The base contained far more people than the commander had expected. Even so, the holy knight order did not retreat.
“We will show no mercy to anyone holding a weapon!!”
The statement was meant to identify any among them unconnected to the crimes. But it proved unnecessary. As one, they drew their weapons and pointed them back in open threat.
“These men know how to fight.”
“Yes. And they’re used to fighting people.”
After crossing blades with them several times, the holy knights realized these men were well-versed in combat against human opponents.
“Could they be assassins?”
“Their swordplay is too crude for that. They don’t appear to have received professional training.”
Perhaps for that reason, no matter how skilled they were at fighting people, they could not stand against holy knights. They resisted to the bitter end, dying where they stood or dying while trying to flee. None attempted to surrender.
“We’ll learn what they are once we capture them and interrogate.”
Still, the fact that the bait operation had succeeded brilliantly and allowed them to catch the criminals was an enormous achievement. The moment they entered the hideout, they had sensed this matter would not end easily. The smell of blood grew even thicker inside.
“Just how many people did they kill…?”
After cutting down those who needed to die and subduing those who had fainted, they searched the hideout. Since the man used as bait had been taken by people who treated human lives as worthless, concern for his safety was inevitable. The holy knights seemed to share the same worry; they moved busily, searching for hidden rooms.
“There’s a door here! Stairs leading underground!”
Their thorough search bore fruit. Descending the ominous staircase, they understood at once that the heavy stench of blood originated from below.
“Those sons of bitches…”
“O Sun God… please deliver divine punishment upon them.”
There were no corpses, yet the bloodstains soaked and hardened across the floor proved exactly what kind of horrors had taken place here. Furthermore, the fact that such stains existed despite their recent arrival meant they had continued killing people until very recently.