Chapter 426: Proof of Existence (14)
Chapter 426: Proof of Existence (14)
Scenes float atop a stark white field of vision.
Fragmented images fluttered past like a stack of disorganized documents. Between the ragged gasps for air and a heart thumping erratically, I briefly thought that I was far too overexcited.
A voice drifted in from the distance. It was a clear, melodious tone I felt I had heard somewhere before.
“…You said you had a younger sister?”
With those words, the world began to take on color. Inside a tent where lanterns flickered, a woman sat across from me, a bottle of liquor in one hand. Her pale pink eyes were striking.
Her indifferent face was etched with weariness and regret. Even her gaze made it clear she found everything a nuisance.
It was as if life itself bored her.
Perhaps that was why she went around committing all sorts of eccentricities. I remembered her once being a model member of the clergy, but the woman I saw after all this time had changed far too much.
The rumors I’d picked up about her track record were quite spectacular as well.
She’d once smashed a bottle over the head of an archbishop who scolded her for frequent drinking, assaulted a believer who came for confession, and it was a common occurrence for her to get into shouting matches with residents in the slums while out on volunteer work.
How had she become so wayward?
Driven by a faint curiosity, I couldn't help but offer a word of advice.
“Is it alright for you to keep drinking like that? I heard the Holy Kingdom doesn't approve…”
“Tell them to excommunicate me if they have a problem with it.”
With a snort, the woman gallantly tilted the bottle. I could hear the liquid gulping down her throat. Soon, she wiped her mouth with a satisfied "Phew" and flashed a cynical smile.
“Could they even maintain the front lines without me? Those cowards who hide behind the name of God… just you wait and see how long they can stay holed up in the Holy City.”
“Your words are excessive.”
“Yes, yes. Be sure to report that to His Majesty the Emperor… Anyway, what were you saying about your sister?”
Instead of answering, I tilted my glass. It was a subtle way of saying I didn't want to talk about it, but she merely crossed her arms as if finding it more interesting.
She truly lived up to her reputation as a woman with a foul personality.
Knowing better than anyone that resistance was futile, I averted my gaze in a sign of surrender.
“…She went missing.”
“During the Percus Territory incident, I assume? Hmm.”
The Saintess brought up my painful memory as if it were nothing.
It was an act devoid of even a shred of hesitation. To speak so casually of that day’s tragedy in front of a noble who had lost his family and his land…
It went beyond unpleasant; it was absurd.
As I sat there with a hollow laugh, the Saintess, who had been lost in thought with her chin resting on her hand, spoke.
“It can’t be helped then. You have no choice but to practice Obedience.”
A surge of emotion rose, catching in my throat.
'Obedience'? She wanted me to just submissively follow? I was a man who had lost his family, his land, and even his respected master and beloved partner. To be told to accept even this wretched fate felt incredibly violent.
Without thinking, I let a rebellious tone slip into my voice.
“Because that is the will of God?”
At my retort, the Saintess let out a peculiar "Hooo," staring at me blankly.
This lasted for quite a while.
Then, her lips parted to toss out another question.
“Are you dissatisfied?”
“…Is that even a question?”
It was the first time in a long while my voice had grown heated. A fire had been lit within my gradually eroding emotions.
Despite that, the Saintess actually wore a smiling face.
“Oh, that’s good. It makes you look human. I couldn't tell before because you always use such stiff language.”
She looked ready to clap and cheer if I let her. As my expression grew even colder, the Saintess suppressed her giggles.
Then came a piece of advice filled with pity.
“It’s just a shame. The shackles of fate don't end with just one occurrence.”
One occurrence? I had already been through it countless times.
I couldn't even imagine a life worse than this. So, I simply remained silent, draining my glass.
Yes, that was how it was until then.
Until I reunited with my sister on the battlefield, holding a sword and an axe.
A girl drenched in blood was smiling.
“Hi, Brother.”
Surrounded by dozens of crushed corpses, I froze as I met those golden eyes.
They were the eyes of a monster.
*
Thwack!
Brain matter and flesh splattered around the axe blade as it buried itself deep.
The stench of blood and the sensation of minced flesh clinging to my skin were unpleasant no matter how many times I felt them. Panting, I searched for my next victim.
Corpses dressed in black lay scattered near the Hellhole. These humans, whose facial skin had been torn away, were grotesque by their very existence—though they were all dead now.
The Hellholes that had infiltrated the tent were smaller than the ones outside. They were monsters modified for surprise attacks. Their intention was so horrifyingly obvious that I couldn't calm my agitation.
How dare they try to touch her.
She was my sister. I had no intention of letting anyone take her.
Never. No matter what it took.
I wouldn't let it happen. My eyes were now bloodshot.
As I spun around roughly to find another enemy, my sister suddenly came into view. In the gaze she used to stare at me blankly, I could read a faint trace of fear.
A trembling voice tickled my ears.
“B-Brother…”
Only then did my mind clear.
Ria was a merchant. Not only was she unaccustomed to combat, but she had never seen me fight before. This must be the first time she had ever seen me rampaging with a hand axe.
The moment I realized that, I reflexively dropped the hand axe from my hand. Then, stuttering words tumbled from my lips.
“Uh, um. I mean… Ria?”
My sister was still shivering. Seeing her like that made my heart ache even more.
“…Are you okay?”
At my gentle tone, tears suddenly welled up in Ria’s eyes.
The girl burst into sobs and threw herself into my arms.
“No, I’m not okay! Hic, ugh… Suddenly these monsters came swarming in… and people without faces came and started screaming… Waaaaah!”
I held the grieving Ria close. Even as I stroked her hair with a gentle touch, her crying didn't stop. Meanwhile, my eyes were quietly mapping out the scene inside the tent.
Four Hellholes, and three unidentified figures in black.
Given Ria’s combat ability, there had been plenty of time for them to kill or seriously injure her. Yet, there seemed to be no bloodstains inside the tent from before I entered.
The blood that had just spilled was a bright crimson.
That meant their objective was clear. They intended to take Ria away while harming her as little as possible.
But why?
However, I didn't have any more time to linger.
A low vibration hummed through the ground. It was a presence clearly drawing closer to this location.
More Hellholes.
I immediately scooped Ria up into my arms. I wanted to project my Aura into the ground, but I had already used too much mana today.
There was only one place that was safest right now.
The place where the main body of the military camp was stationed.
The battle continued all through that night. The Hellholes pursued Ria and me with exhausting persistence. It was only after dawn broke the next day that the attacks stopped, and the camp was filled with mountains of corpses.
Not human corpses, but those of demonic beasts.
It was an unexpected, overwhelming victory. All day, cheers celebrating the win echoed through the camp.
They were also voices praising the exploits of myself and Mr. Reynold. Released only after nightfall, I sat by the side of the peacefully sleeping Ria, listening to a priest’s explanation.
“She was simply quite startled. There’s nothing wrong with her physically.”
“Have you investigated those corpses in black as well?”
The priest avoided my gaze and remained silent. Of course, it was a futile resistance.
“You know who I am. My sister was attacked, and the culprit is likely…”
“It was indeed the Dark Cult.”
The words came from a middle-aged Holy Knight who pulled back the tent flap and entered. It was the same Holy Knight whose arm had been broken while trying to protect me—and the man I had saved.
Upon hearing this, the priest stood up in surprise.
“Deputy Commander! But the higher-ups said to be cautious about sharing that information…”
“You want me to hide such vital information from the party who suffered the damage and the hero of our camp? Even considering our future relations with the Empire, that is unacceptable.”
The priest’s head dropped, seemingly having no room for rebuttal. It seemed he, too, had inwardly wanted to tell me the truth.
The Holy Knight called the ‘Deputy Commander’ let out a long sigh.
“Step outside. I’ll handle the rest of the conversation.”
With a short bow, the priest left the tent, and the Deputy Commander immediately bowed his head deeply toward me.
“I offer my apologies, Sir Ian. To think you would get caught up in our country’s disgraceful affairs…”
“It’s fine. I was the one who insisted on coming along.”
I quickly stopped him and said those words. There was something else I wanted to hear more.
“First, please tell me about the Dark Cult. Isn't that the most important matter?”
“Yes, I understand. I will tell you everything without omission.”
The information I gathered from the Deputy Commander could be summarized as follows:
As expected, the faceless men in black were related to the Dark Cult. According to the examination by the priest dispatched from the Holy Kingdom, traces of forbidden magic were found.
The exact spell formula was unknown. However, based on ancient records, they speculated it was related to a contract where one receives power from the Demon God in exchange for their mind and body.
The meaning was as follows:
“Then are you saying those men in black were beings controlled by the Dark Cult?”
“They might have been once. But based on the traces of mana, the prevailing theory is that it was already too late. Their minds and bodies were already encroached upon to the very roots. In that state, being alive isn't truly living.”
One’s body and mind moving according to another’s will.
That could hardly be called being alive. Perhaps it was better that I had killed them.
Despite that, a lingering sense of unpleasantness made me click my tongue.
It was a somewhat rude gesture, but the Deputy Commander looked at me with understanding.
“It is a very subtle magic. It’s impossible to even detect unless you perform an autopsy on the corpse.”
“Magic that controls others shouldn't be easy to hide, though?”
“Because it is a contract made of one’s own free will.”
The Deputy Commander continued his explanation in a bitter tone.
“Magic that forcibly implants a formula to control someone must suppress their consciousness, so it inevitably leaves a trace. But this formula only activates if the target willingly agrees to the contract.”
“You mean they offered their own bodies and minds?”
“Yes, that’s right. We don't know what kind of trickery was involved in that process… but at the very least, that is what the Holy Kingdom has uncovered.”
I rubbed my face and swallowed a groan.
Everything the Dark Cult did was consistently unpleasant and sinister. Inducing humans to offer their own flesh and spirit, only to use them as disposable pawns later.
By now, I had heard most of the useful information. A formal greeting of concern left my lips.
“At any rate, you must have gone through a lot. Though there weren't many casualties, the property damage must be immense.”
At that, the Deputy Commander waved his hand and chuckled, as if telling me not to worry.
“Surprisingly, that’s not the case. The demonic beasts focused strictly on the humans, and we recovered a vast number of their corpses in return. Selling them will be more than enough to cover the losses… Oh, right! We must also provide Sir Ian with a fitting reward for his achievements…”
“It’s fine. I only did what had to be done.”
“Haha, this is troublesome. I just heard something similar from Lord Reynold.”
The Deputy Commander stroked his chin, then struck his palm as if a good idea had occurred to him.
“In that case, how about we sell the stock to your sister’s merchant group at a low price? There aren't many merchant groups that can handle that volume of goods anyway, and it will allow the Holy Kingdom to save face by repaying the favor.”
“Is that alright? I believe several merchant groups have gathered to bid on the demonic beast corpses…”
“It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. Isn't the possibility of failure something one must always consider when bidding?”
I fell into thought for a moment, then nodded readily.
There was no reason to refuse an offer to help my sister. Since the justification was solid, there wouldn't be any talk behind our backs either.
The person who actually ended up in a bind over this decision was someone I hadn't expected.
The next morning, a representative from a certain merchant group who had hurriedly sought me out politely set down a crystal ball. As the light of mana began to swirl, a vivid image began to emerge from it.
Real-time communication magic.
The person visible on the other side was a woman I had seen not too long ago.
“…Nice to see you, Sir Hand-Axe-Idiot-Idiot.”
A silver-haired beauty with a reluctant expression.
It was Senior Sienne Alphenhauser.
The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, one by one.