Chapter 75
Chapter 75
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Side Story, The Heretic (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sara was the Saintess. She had been raised as one in the Delorhim Order, which worshiped the stars as gods. In the Delorhim Order, Sara had learned many things as a cleric and as the Saintess.
Among them was the art of eavesdropping on prayers.
Originally, eavesdropping on prayers was a miracle permitted only to high priests. Even high priests couldn't hear everyone's prayers. They could only eavesdrop on those with strong faith—like cardinals or the commander of the Holy Knights—and only when very close by.
But Sara was different.
She was the Saintess, born with blessings.
Even with faith on the level of an ordinary Holy Knight rather than a commander, Sara could eavesdrop on their prayers.
"So, at that distance, you can hear them?"
Even from far away.
"At that distance, if you're standing in the field, you could hear it. But right now, it feels like something's blocking it. Hmm, hard to explain..."
Ah, Sara clapped her hands.
"Normally, eavesdropping on prayers is like seeing light, you know? Hearing light as sound... something like that. Right now, that light is really faint. Like it's swallowed by fog."
She nodded.
"Yeah, I can't hear it clearly, but they're definitely alive. The prayer voices keep coming through. What are they praying? I told you earlier, Raniel."
Sara recited the prayer expressionlessly.
"O God, forgive my heresy." "Oh, my God, do not forgive my heresy. Please bring divine punishment upon me." "Lord, oh Lord..." "I, I, I?" "I... who am I?" Sara, who had been reciting calmly, made a strangely subtle expression.
"...Hmm, looks like everyone's minds are a bit messed up? The words are all over the place, but summing it up in one phrase..."
Sara said it.
"They're begging to be killed."
Recalling those words, Raniel opened her eyes.
"Tsk."
Raniel clicked her tongue briefly. It wasn't a pleasant situation. She had no idea what was happening inside, but...
'Probably nothing worth watching.'
Anything involving the Demon King's army was always like that.
As Raniel thought that, Remia, standing beside her, suddenly spoke up.
"Human."
"What, elf?"
Remia frowned and pointed at the ground. There was a sewer leading to the fortress.
"So, we're going down here?"
"Yeah."
"It's filthy. Really."
"Then you wanna punch through that?"
Raniel pointed ahead with her finger.
The fog was thin where they stood now, thanks to the Sword Master Kuntel having slashed it away.
But the place Raniel pointed to was different.
It was completely buried in fog. Thanks to the mist surrounding the fortress, it was a path where you couldn't see an inch ahead.
Countless gleaming eyes flickered within the fog.
They prowled the fortress submerged in the mist but didn't charge first.
Pointing at them, Raniel asked.
"Can you break through all that?"
"...If Kyle were here."
"Right, if Kyle were here, you could punch through all night. But you'd all be exhausted before catching Gletus. You'd have to head back."
Raniel grumbled as she kicked the sewer lid open with her toe. There was fog inside the sewer too. But if it was a straight path, it wouldn't be too bad for the enemy either.
"I'll go first."
"...Haa. Fine."
Raniel, hooded, jumped in first, followed by Remia. The moment her foot hit the sewer floor, Raniel snapped her fingers. The spells were released.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Silence Stealth The spells enveloped Remia and Raniel. Their footsteps and presence faded. Remia muttered in a small whisper.
"Smells."
"Sewer, duh."
"Why go this way?"
"Safety aside, I checked the fortress blueprints. There's an underground passage here leading straight to the fortress."
Rodimel Fortress was a fortress remodeled from an old castle.
The secret passage its lord used connected to this sewer.
'Apparently, some knights knew about it.'
After a few steps, they saw knights' corpses.
They looked like they'd tried to escape through the sewer but got mauled by magical beasts.
Crunch, munch.
Something was chewing.
Raniel looked toward the sound. Giant magical beasts resembling rats were devouring the knights' bodies. There were many of them.
"Less than outside."
"Yeah. Kinda wasteful to use my arrows."
"...I'll handle it, so save yours. Might need them for sniping inside the fortress."
Raniel clapped her hands.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Accel Muscular Enhancement Strength Reinforcement Body-enhancing spells wrapped around her. She didn't extend the duration long. Enough to sprint from one end of the passage to the other.
Over-limit body reinforcement spells.
Raniel paid the price with mana. Ash rose from her body.
She bent her knees.
With the stacked enhancements, the sewer floor beneath her feet began to crack.
"Follow when I signal."
Raniel kicked off the ground.
The sewer floor caved in, but no sound came. Everything happened in silence.
-Grooo?
The magical beast didn't notice Raniel passing right by. It only showed a faint reaction to the ash scattering in her wake.
Thud.
Raniel reached the end of the sewer.
She exhaled shortly and snapped her fingers.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Ignite Tik, sparks flew.
The moment the sparks touched the ash, flames devoured the sewer. Heat filled it completely.
-......!
In the silence, the magical beasts burned to death.
It didn't take long for the packed sewer beasts to burn away.
Sizzle.
The heat didn't last long.
Once there was nothing left to burn, it faded. Remia stepped through the ash-covered remains.
"Here."
At the sewer's end, they pulled the iron grate. It connected to the upper levels of Rodimel Fortress.
"Urk!"
The moment they opened the passage, Remia frowned. She clutched her nose and stepped back instinctively. It wasn't because her senses were sharp.
"...What is this."
Raniel reacted similarly.
A stench pierced her nose. A mind-numbing reek filled the fortress.
It wasn't the beasts' musk.
Not rotting corpses or the smell of death.
Remia didn't know the smell. But Raniel, the next Ashen Mage Tower Lord, did.
'...Drugs.'
Alchemical reagents.
There was a foul odor mixed in, but it was definitely the smell of drugs. And Raniel knew what kind.
"...Anesthetic, solvent."
Two kinds of drugs. Raniel didn't want to imagine what they were for.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
"Hold on a sec."
We were deep in conversation when Kardi suddenly cut me off.
"Anesthetic and solvent scent?"
"Yeah. I saw it often in the Mage Tower. But this was different from usual. It had that stench mixed in."
I nodded and tilted my glass.
Kardi stroked his chin, then fetched something from the display case.
"Was it similar to this scent?"
Pop, he uncorked a potion bottle and held it out.
I grimaced and leaned back.
"Hey, fuck, I'm drinking...!"
"So, similar?"
"Ew, gross. Yeah, exactly this smell."
"Hmm."
At my answer, Kardi recorked the bottle. Then, with a bitter smile, he muttered.
"You've gone all the way, haven't you, Glarea."
"...What the hell is that?"
Honestly, even then I didn't know what it was. Just that it... dissolved something.
'No idea what that stench was.'
I pointed at the solvent on the table.
"That's solvent, right?"
"It's solvent, sure. But not the kind used in Mage Towers now. What do you know solvent as, Raniel?"
"...For melting magical beasts? Probably used on humans too, but not in our tower."
"Wouldn't be. It's taboo."
Muttering, Kardi placed the solvent on the table and brought an iron cage from somewhere. A small magical beast was inside.
'Experimental beast.'
Useful, but a pain to get permission for. Hard to obtain too.
"You get permission?"
"Why bother with that?"
"Ooh..."
"I have it. From way back."
Kardi shrugged and opened the cage.
He took out the beast and placed it on the table, then topped it with a piece of fruit meant as an appetizer.
"...What are you doing?"
"Seeing is faster. You smelled solvent right. But old-era solvent was different."
Drip, he dropped a drop of solvent on the rat-like beast.
"Like this."
He lifted the convulsing rat pup.
It looked different from before.
"Less melting, more fusion."
The apple piece and rat pup were fused.
Hard to describe, utterly gruesome.
"...Hey."
I covered my mouth and said to Kardi.
"You fuck, with appetizers right there..."
"My apologies, lacking consideration."
"Get it away, fuck! Urk!"
I have a strong stomach, but that was too much. Maybe because I was reminiscing, 'that thing' from Rodimel Fortress flashed in my mind.
"Urp, urp..."
Nausea hit with the buzz.
"Don't puke on the desk."
"Shut up, fucker!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
After infiltrating Rodimel Fortress, there were no battles. More precisely, they couldn't fight.
The number of beasts stationed inside was very low.
But their level was incomparable to the ones outside. Above all, they were all directly linked to Gletus.
'Shared senses.'
They were Gletus's eyes and ears.
"Can't fight."
Raniel declared it firmly.
They moved cautiously, exploring the castle. The fortress was eerily empty.
It had been garrisoned by dozens of knights and soldiers.
Yet no corpses remained. Completely vacant. Only periodic splashes echoed.
Splash.
Following the sound, Remia and Raniel walked. It grew closer with each step. Soon, they reached the central hall of Rodimel Fortress.
"......"
The stench thickened.
Raniel looked down. Bloodstains stretched long. They led to the hall's center.
Splash!
The sound came from the hall's heart.
Raniel almost stepped forward instinctively but stopped. She turned to meet Remia's eyes.
Gazes exchanged.
They silently backed up a few steps and picked up a small stone fragment.
Then flung it whoosh into the hall.
The moment the stone neared the floor, the air trembled. Something massive moved. Incredibly fast.
Kagagagagagagak!
Something passed.
Even at high speed, it lingered in Raniel and Remia's vision for a while.
Kak, kagagak.
Finally, it stopped.
Raniel saw what filled her view. Beast hide. But not ordinary.
Like sheer cliffs.
A beast with jagged, protruding epidermis. Raniel slowly raised her gaze.
The massive beast resembled a snake.
The snake-like beast coiled in the hall. It wedged its body between pillars, cleverly hiding while guarding the hall.
It slowly lowered its head.
-......
The dragon-head-like thing descended toward where Raniel and Remia were. They held their breath behind a pillar.
The slit pupils scanned around, then it pulled back. Seeing the skull, Raniel swallowed curses inwardly.
'Fuck, that's...'
Black Dragon skull.
The one she'd slain a month ago.
'Said it got raided and we couldn't recover it.'
Who knew we'd meet like this, here.
Then, what was in that hall?
Suddenly.
Things from right after the Black Dragon subjugation raid came to Raniel's mind—ones attacked and unrecovered.
'...Hatchling corpses.'
Peeking from behind the pillar, Raniel checked the hall guarded by the armored dragon-like beast.
Splash!
A woman stood at the hall's center.
Her hair was snow-white. Clumped with blood. She was tearing at something.
Splash!
Raniel narrowed her eyes.
She saw the pile beside the woman. Humans. No longer human.
Splash!
The woman used it like material.
What was she making? Raniel narrowed her eyes more. Soon, it came into view.
'Fuck.'
Hatchling corpses.
And a skeleton of human bones. She pictured what it'd look like complete.
'Bone Dragon.'
One based on the Black Dragon.
It didn't end there—horrific. Slimy things crawled on the floor.
Splash!
The woman pulled the slime and wove it into the skeleton. Seeing it, Raniel dry-swallowed.
Why the knights' prayers?
The answer was before her eyes.
'They're really alive.'
In the wriggling slime, Raniel spotted Holy Knight insignia. Her expression soured. That slime was the melted flesh of Holy Knights.
Gletus was an alchemist before a summoner. And alchemists had one taboo.
'Never use living humans as alchemical catalysts.'
Actually, before alchemy, it was a matter of the world's laws. The stars forbade flesh mutation. The Delorhim Order, serving the stars, deemed it sin.
An alchemist.
A mage.
Anyone living under starlight must never commit such blasphemy.
Even agnostic Raniel saw it as blasphemy. Something that must never be done.
'Breaking taboo.'
Committing sin.
The Delorhim Order called such beings this.
Heretic.
Snow-white hair fluttered.
The woman's face appeared. Utterly expressionless. Inconceivable for one committing taboo—so impassive.
Raniel sensed restrained madness there.
Instinctive revulsion from the woman's gleaming green eyes.
The Heretic, Gletus.
One of the four calamities that razed the kingdom.
The calamity they faced was madness in a woman's form.
Author's Note
"Hehe, that guy Skeval is the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings......"