Chapter 123: The Lord is With Us (44)
Chapter 123: The Lord is With Us (44)
A heavy silence settled over the cave, thick with the overwhelming stench of blood.
More than six corpses lay scattered—some pierced by a sword, others cleaved by an axe, and one with its skull crushed by a fist. Of the ten Flesh Seeds, I had personally dealt with more than half.
In other words, while the remaining six members of the group handled four, I had taken down six on my own.
Normally, such a feat would have been impossible for me. No matter how much I had let my rage take the lead, conducting such a slaughter in so short a time was unprecedented.
Perhaps because of that, my entire body felt stiff. It seemed I had exerted an unreasonable amount of power in a short burst. My head throbbed with a dull ache as I paused, lost in thought.
Those scenes I had glimpsed while in that trance—they were almost certainly memories of the 'me' from the future.
There was no other being capable of planting such foreign memories in my mind. If so, was that the end humanity would face if I failed to follow the instructions in the letters?
The sorrow I felt then still lingered in my chest like a fading echo. Helplessness, despair, rage, and hatred.
A profound sense of exhaustion washed over me. I staggered for a moment, catching my breath before letting out a long sigh.
I trudged over to retrieve my sword and hung the hand axe at my waist. My eyes flickered toward the deeper recesses of the cave.
The remaining Flesh Seeds weren't limited to just these. Furthermore, there was the 'Flesh Nest,' a monster of unknown identity. Charging in now carried far too much risk.
As I turned to leave, my gaze happened to fall upon the corpse of a Flesh Seed that Senior Delphine had presumably taken down.
In the spot where the flesh had been torn away as if scorched, the face of a young child appeared once more. Those eyes, soaked in a terror they couldn't even scream out, pierced my heart like needles.
A curse escaped my lips involuntarily.
I didn't know who was behind this, but they had committed an unforgivable sin. Thinking of the children still suffering inside those Flesh Seeds made me want to storm into the Flesh Nest immediately and tear everything apart.
But for now, it was impossible.
It was a simple, cold calculation. I couldn't face dozens of Flesh Seeds at once. Seven people were simply not enough.
In the end, I had no choice but to address the group, who were still staring at me with trembling eyes.
"…We've repelled all the pursuing Flesh Seeds. We're withdrawing."
With that, I began to walk away.
The group watched my back in silence before eventually following. Not a single word of small talk was exchanged until we reached the orphanage.
The reality was grim.
The monsters of myth, the Flesh Seeds made from children, and the Fiend we still hadn't found.
The violence I had displayed at the end had merely served as the spark.
Without anyone realizing it, a crisis was slowly creeping upon the world.
Even without speaking it aloud, we all sensed it.
That was why the silence felt so heavy.
This wasn't a truth that mere Academy students were meant to handle.
There were no monster attacks on the way back to the orphanage.
Perhaps they thought the Flesh Seeds would have finished us off. It was only because I had cut down six of them in an instant that it seemed easy; in reality, the Flesh Seeds were formidable enemies.
Unless their heads were destroyed, they moved relentlessly. They were venomous, and their strength and speed were terrifying.
If our group hadn't consisted of seven Academy students, we might have been killed on the spot.
No, being killed would have been a mercy.
We might have been turned into raw material for the Flesh Seeds while still alive. That was a fate worse than death.
Wasn't that why the children used as materials had pleaded so desperately? Begging to be killed—it was a sickening sight to recall.
Upon returning to the orphanage, we headed straight to the multi-purpose room without a moment's rest.
There, I explained what I had seen to Reto. Though he initially looked at me with skepticism, he seemed to accept it once the rest of the group nodded in agreement.
He tapped the table with his index finger—a sign he was deep in thought.
While the theoretical magician organized his thoughts, the rest of us discussed our future schedule. The conclusion was obvious, though.
"We need to leave the orphanage as soon as possible," I said.
We had already experienced several of the attacks mentioned in the letters. As for destroying the nest, that wasn't something we necessarily had to do ourselves.
We could just bring in the army and wipe it out. Power was convenient like that.
However, there were flaws in my suggestion. The Saintess, having listened to me, asked cautiously:
"But what about the children?"
"…We cannot evacuate hundreds of children simultaneously," Senior Delphine replied.
She was the only one in our group who used formal speech toward the Saintess. It was because she was the only one of equal social standing.
Yet, the haughtiness and arrogance in her voice remained even when addressing the Saintess. She continued with an indifferent attitude.
"Our only option is for those of us with high mobility to escape first. The children will have to be moved out in stages afterward."
"…And who will lead that process? What will happen to the children once they've escaped?"
Delphine's argument was perfectly logical. However, the Saintess couldn't let go of her lingering attachment and asked again.
A faint hesitation clouded her eyes. She was an orphan herself, a Saintess filled with affection and compassion. Leaving the orphans behind couldn't be easy for her.
Especially after learning that there was an experimental site right next door where children were being turned into monsters.
She had spoken before as if she were ready to leave at any time, but now that the moment of decision had arrived, her feet seemed heavy.
Despite the Saintess's wavering gaze, Delphine remained firm.
"Saintess, ideals and reality are different. Can the seven of us truly protect these children? What if the demonic beasts and Flesh Seeds join forces and swarm us right now?"
Delphine's voice didn't waver. Her blood-red eyes, fixed silently on the Saintess, were sunken and cold. Her posture challenged the Saintess to refute her if she could.
The Saintess hesitated before finally lowering her head.
What if the demonic beasts and Flesh Seeds joined forces?
The result was obvious. Everyone here would die a dog's death. The children, Mr. Guildford—everyone.
Yuren shook his head at the sight, as if he found it all too much.
"I agree, Miss Delphine. We should prepare to leave immediately."
"Y-yeah! We need to leave this old orphanage behind and get to the city!"
Senior Elsie quickly voiced her agreement. The slight trembling in her eyes betrayed the terror she was feeling.
She was a timid girl, after all. I suppressed a bitter smile.
Seria kept glancing at me. The way she peeked in my direction suggested she had something she wanted to ask.
I knew exactly what it was.
It was about the Golden Silk Sword. But I had nothing to tell her.
I had used it simply because I could in that moment.
I didn't even know how I had learned those secret techniques. I could only guess that I had somehow inherited the skills possessed by my future self.
How the future 'me' had managed to learn those techniques was a mystery, but it wasn't one I could solve right now.
So, I deliberately ignored Seria's gaze. Seria, being socially awkward, would only hesitate and never actually ask.
I'm sorry, Seria. But if I ever find out the truth about the Golden Silk Sword, I'll tell you.
Apologizing inwardly, I glanced over at Reto.
He had been frowning the entire time, as if something was bothering him. It was then that the Saintess stood up.
"…Then, I'll go check on Mr. Guildford."
"The Director looks like he intends to stay here anyway," Celine remarked.
Her voice was somewhat blunt, perhaps due to the strange tension that had been building between her and the Saintess lately. Despite this, the Saintess merely offered a benevolent smile.
It was a face so perfectly artificial it was almost impressive. Though no one except Yuren and me would have noticed her true nature.
"Still, it's important to give him the choice. Good deeds should be rewarded."
As the Saintess turned to leave, Yuren raised his hand and asked, "Sister, shall I come with you?"
"No, Yuren. Please prepare for our departure. We'll have to leave soon."
Yuren nodded as if he had expected that answer, then stretched and stood up. The Saintess and Yuren exited the multi-purpose room at the same time.
It was then that Reto, who had been deep in thought, finally spoke.
"…Something is definitely wrong."
"What is it?"
Since everyone was about to scatter, I was the only one who bothered to respond to his doubt. The others were yawning and moving to pack their things.
Judging by their sluggish movements, they were clearly exhausted. It was a relief there were no more battles.
"Why is there no Fiend?"
"Maybe they ran away. Honestly, even I'd be scared of a seven-on-one."
No matter how strong a Fiend was, unless they were at the level of a Master, they couldn't win against numbers.
Of course, I hadn't fought a Fiend before so I couldn't be sure, but seven Academy students should be enough to make one want to flee.
We even had the Saintess, who was the natural enemy of Fiends. It wouldn't be strange if the Fiend had fled.
However, Reto still looked unconvinced.
"But the Fiend is clearly reacting to our movements. The monkey demonic beasts attacking all at once today, and the strategic movements they've shown since before that."
"Maybe they're getting reports from the beasts?"
"If they fled, they'd be quite far away. You're saying they're communicating with mindless beasts from that distance?"
I fell silent. The point Reto was making was indeed plausible.
But it wasn't entirely inexplicable either.
The demonic beasts basically only moved to protect the cave. And since monkeys were quite intelligent, it wouldn't be strange for them to show some level of strategic movement once they were demonized.
I was about to mention that.
Until a sudden shout rang out.
"…Everyone, get out here right now!"
It was Yuren's voice. Along with it came the sound of children screaming.
The group, who had been heading off to pack, locked eyes. The hesitation lasted only a second.
Everyone began to sprint. If there was a commotion among the children, it was no ordinary matter.
And as we stepped outside, a wave of shadows rose before our eyes.
Demonic beasts. Countless monkey demonic beasts.
It was impossible to tell how so many of them had been hiding in the forest. There were at least hundreds—enough to densely surround the secluded orphanage.
The group stood dazed.
This was far too strategic.
To wait until we were isolated immediately after a retreat, lying in ambush to surround us?
If they had moved through the forest, we would have noticed them long ago. While we were at the cave, the monkeys had stealthily taken up positions around us.
My eyes turned blankly toward Reto. He clicked his tongue.
"…I told you, it's too strategic."
"Then the Fiend is nearby?"
"Without a doubt."
At Reto's assertion, I immediately scanned the surroundings. If so, where on earth were they?
To break through this siege of beasts, the best way was to take down the Fiend. It was impossible to deal with hundreds of demonic beasts one by one.
However, seeing me frantically searching the area, Reto let out a sigh.
"…Ian, you don't have to look far."
With that, Reto began to lay out his thoughts one by one.
"I've been looking over the Guildford Orphanage's ledgers for a few days now. The deficit is too large. Hundreds of gold a month—no matter how much money he made during his mercenary days, he couldn't cover this loss."
"…What are you saying?"
I asked, feeling a faint sense of denial.
But Reto, as always, didn't care about my feelings when speaking the truth. He continued.
"And an orphan disappears once a month? What kind of demonic beast is so considerate with its schedule? And if the orphanage is facing a food shortage, it wouldn't be strange for someone of Mr. Guildford's skill to go out and hunt. But there are no traces of him ever hunting the monkey demonic beasts."
I fell silent. Mr. Guildford's voice echoed in my mind.
The image of the strict master who had taught me secret techniques, and the expression he wore when he seemed to truly care for the children.
Was all of that a lie?
It was impossible. I was about to argue heatedly when Reto's hand landed on my shoulder.
"…And Mr. Guildford can track all of our movements from where he sits, Ian. Can you trust my word?"
His serious gaze was fixed on me. I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it again.
If I had to choose whom to believe, my choice was always the same.
Naturally, I believed my friend, Reto. My gaze dropped slightly.
After a moment of thought, I said to Reto:
"…The Saintess just went to see Mr. Guildford."
Reto's eyes widened.
When he was deep in thought, he focused so intensely that he often didn't know what was happening around him. He must not have heard the Saintess say she was going to meet Guildford.
He practically jumped on the spot.
"What?! Then what are you doing? Get moving, you idiot!"
"Don't worry too much… For now, don't tell the others, it'll just cause unnecessary chaos. We don't know when the beasts will attack."
Reto's eyes went even wider. I was worried they might pop out.
"Hey, you're going to face a Fiend alone? Are you insane?!"
"Then, I'm counting on you."
I didn't wait any longer and kicked off the ground. I heard Reto calling my name from behind, but I didn't pay it any mind.
I only thought to myself:
Is Mr. Guildford really a Fiend?
If so, there was only one courtesy I could show him.
Sending him to hell.
My eyes grew cold as I sprinted.
The Saintess was in danger.