Chapter 185: The Blood-Soaked Nun (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: The Blood-Soaked Nun (3)
“Have you heard the rumor?”
It was a morning so clear the blue sky seemed transparent.
While preparing food for the children, the nuns chatted as they always did.
“What rumor?”
“They say a group called the Reaper's Order has appeared in the East.”
“Oh my. The Reaper's Order? Just the name sounds sinister. Are they a cult?”
“Seems so. Something about worshipping a god of death?”
A grim rumor had been circulating recently.
Followers who worshiped a god of death had appeared.
According to the stories, believing in this god could cure incurable diseases, restore lost sight, and even bring the dead back to life. Going by the rumors alone, he sounded like an omnipotent god.
But it was obviously nonsense, a mix of exaggeration and lies. No fool in the Holy Kingdom of Kassilon would believe such a bizarre tale.
“The world is truly full of foolish people.”
“Foolish people? If the Headmistress heard you say that, you'd be on prayer punishment all day.”
“She'd probably think the same thing. In fact, with her personality, she'd fly into a rage and declare that the roots of this heresy must be torn out immediately.”
“Well, that's true.”
The nuns giggled.
“But is the Reaper in vogue these days? Besides the Order, there was something else…”
“The Slave Reaper?”
“That's right. The Slave Reaper!”
At the familiar nickname, Elize's ears perked up.
“They say he showed up in Harlem recently. And get this—he bought a nun at the black market.”
“What? He dared to buy a nun as a slave? Isn't he a fucking lunatic?”
“Watch your mouth. Someone might hear you.”
“Sorry, sorry~”
The nun gave a sly smile and tapped her lips with her palm. She continued the conversation in a whisper, so the words wouldn't carry.
“But he apparently paid a whopping 3,000 gold coins for the nun.”
“Th-three thousand? Not copper coins, but gold?”
“That's what I heard. He must be planning to do filthy things to her.”
“It's the end of days. A guy like that should be caught and have his limbs torn off.”
“Actually, the Holy Knights are already investigating the area. If they find him, they'll catch him and drag him in.”
“I'd love to see his face just once.”
Elize, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, froze.
She never imagined she would be the topic of their conversation.
On the surface, most of it was true.
Except for the part about the Slave Reaper paying 3,000 gold for a nun.
Not 3,000 gold, he didn't even pay 100.
100 gold? It was no different from being sold for free.
Just thinking about it still made her blood boil.
The Reaper's Order…
It was a new order Elize had never heard of before.
The fact that the order was named after the Reaper bothered her. After all, her master was the man called the Slave Reaper.
A coincidence?
Or could Karami be connected to the Reaper's Order?
Her questions about him didn't lessen; they only continued to multiply.
Should I ask him?
He did say I could come see him whenever I wanted.
That night, Elize didn't hesitate. She visited Karami for the second night in a row and told him what she had heard at the convent during the day.
“Ah. About that. I'm the leader of that order.”
“?”
“It just sort of happened.”
*
The Order system.
It had popped up out of nowhere at some point.
I didn't know why or how it appeared, nor who was behind it.
It wasn't necessary for my progress, and I was afraid I'd mess things up if I paid it too much attention, so I'd been pretending it didn't exist.
Since the topic came up, I opened the Order system.
[Order Name]: Church of the Grim Reaper
[Leader]: Karami
[Followers]: 7,217
When the system first appeared, I think there were about 2,000 followers, but now it had surpassed 7,000. And with the increase, all sorts of new functions had appeared.
[Faith Points]: 23,887
Can be acquired through the prayers of followers.
[Faith Level]: 97%
[Order Skills]
[Vitality Boost]: Slightly increases the vitality of all followers.
[???]: Unlocks upon reaching 10,000 followers.
When I was first transmigrated, all I had were a few barely-there skills and an item shop. Now, it had expanded into something like a game's status screen.
I wondered what kind of lunatic was running a religious order using my name. I'd love to see their face.
With thousands of people following the Reaper, there was no way the Order of Balance would ignore it. Thanks to this, I could be beheaded as a heretical leader at any moment.
“Just so we're clear, don't even think about snitching on me to anyone. If I go down, I'm not going alone.”
“……”
Elize zipped her lips.
I could tell she'd been planning to hand me over to the Knight Order.
Her training was still incomplete.
“Should we go for a walk on all fours wearing nothing but our underwear? Since you're a vampire, we'll need a leash so you don't fly away.”
“I'm sorry.”
“Let's get along, shall we?”
“Yes.”
I'd have to discipline her every now and then. I never knew when she might betray me.
As if to mock that thought, Elize fell into a reverie.
“What are you thinking about so intently?”
“It's nothing.”
“Perhaps a walk in the nude would be better?”
“I was thinking of a way to spread the Master's greatness far and wide.”
It was a pointless thought.
We've only known each other for a few days. How could she spread my greatness to the world? We weren't that close yet.
She must have her own motives. It was plain to see.
But even knowing that, I had to play along. This was the first proactive move Elize had made.
“And what is that method?”
“The Order preaches of balance and order, but if you dig into their reality, you'll find no group more duplicitous. We will expose their ugliness and fill the void with the Master's order.”
Elize spewed the words out at a rapid pace, as if she were rapping.
A faint trace of hatred laced the voice of Elize, who always tried to maintain a composed demeanor. It was as if she hadn't managed to filter out her emotions completely.
A religious order…
Honestly, it wasn't a very appealing method. The order system itself was an anomaly. Any strategy derived from an anomaly would also be an anomaly.
But for now, I had no choice but to watch. It seemed Elize was about to do something.
“You know it's dangerous to be too blatant, right?”
“I know. I'll work as an ordinary nun during the day and move at night.”
“Understood. It seems you have a plan, so give it a try. I'll trust you and wait.”
*
The highest point in Kassilon.
Standing atop the clock tower's spire, Elize looked down at the city below.
Dazzlingly white walls and streets. Black and white spires stretched toward the sky in perfect harmony.
The buildings, shimmering in the moonlight, were like a painting of God's own courtyard. Everything was flawlessly clean, everything stood in perfect order.
But Elize could feel it.
Like dust scattered by a broom, she could sense the filth hidden beneath the white.
The sickening stench of blood that had not been washed away.
The smiles worn by the clergy were the same.
If you looked closely, you could see the hidden truth peeking out from every crack. Every time the corner of someone's mouth curved into a smile, Elize would silently calculate.
How long would that smile last? What ulterior motive was hidden behind it?
Even Elize's own smile, the face she showed to others, was nothing more than a mask to earn their trust.
The world was a masquerade ball without truth. A feast of hypocrites.
And Elize danced at its center.
Elize descended to the ground and entered a back alley.
A black stray dog growled at the sight of her.
Its fur was unkempt and dirty, and a red collar hung around its neck.
Elize knelt and made a clicking sound by tapping her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
The dog approached cautiously, still wary of her. Elize held out her hand. The dog sniffed it, then slowly let down its guard.
Elize gently stroked the dog's head. It didn't resist, as if it were used to a human's touch.
“It seems you were abandoned, too.”
They cherish you as if you're the only one in the world when they need you, only to cast you aside indifferently the moment you're no longer useful. That is the way of the world.
“Don't worry. I'll help you find your master.”
Elize moved her fingers as if snapping them.
Shhk.
Her thumbnail made a shallow cut on the tip of her index finger. When she offered the finger, now beaded with blood, the dog licked the wound.
Soon, the dog's eyes turned red.
“There now. Go find your master. When you do, give him a little bite as a sign of your reunion.”
*
“Let go of me! Let go! Who are you calling a vampire! I'm human!”
In a certain house in Kassilon, a man was being dragged away by Holy Knights.
The man, accused of being a vampire, looked as if he'd been wronged by the entire world.
Judging by his expression alone, he was definitely not a vampire.
But…
Sizzzzzle.
“Aaaaargh!”
The moment the man was dragged outside by the knights and exposed to the sunlight, his body began to burn.
It was clear proof he was a vampire. No other evidence was needed.
“Please, believe me! I'm really not a vampire! Just yesterday, I was walking around in the daylight without any problem!”
“Don't run your mouth and stir up unrest. We'll find out what you are soon enough through our investigation.”
They covered the man's body with a cloth and dragged him away.
The people who had gathered at the commotion began to voice their opinions.
“Mr. Hobbs was a vampire? I never noticed a thing.”
“I know, right? You can't trust anyone these days.”
“His poor wife and children.”
It was a major incident.
A vampire had appeared, not just anywhere, but in the heart of the Holy Kingdom.
And he wasn't even an outsider. He was a man who had started a family in Kassilon and was considered a devout follower.
The audacity. Not only did he dare to settle in the Holy Kingdom as a vampire, but he even pretended to be a believer.
He would pay dearly for mocking Ordo, the God of Order.
A short distance from the center of the incident, Elize watched, holding the dog in her arms.
“Good boy. You listened well.”
Even a dog knows who abandoned it.
If being discarded when you're no longer useful is the law of nature, then paying the price for that abandonment is also the law of nature.
Today's events were only the beginning.
“Pray hard. Who knows? Perhaps your god will save you.”