Chapter 57
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 057
Chapter Title: Ghoul and Flesh Lump (2)
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‘I figured they’d wait a few days before striking, but to think they’d try it the very day we moved in. Fast. Too fast.’
I looked down at the charred attacker.
Ghoul.
A man-eating monster, the same type as the Nahcher I’d run into before.
The difference...
Ghouls were rare sights in the east.
‘Monsters that inhabit the Empire’s south.’
Recalling what Master had taught me, this creature’s habitat was the Empire’s southern reaches.
The very southernmost tip, at that.
No wonder Count Chester hadn’t pinned down its identity right away.
How was an eastern noble supposed to know the name of a monster from the far southern edge?
“Sir Heros.”
A rare monster in the east.
I’d been examining the corpse when Bear called out to me.
“Yeah?”
I turned toward the voice and saw Bear pointing at something with his right index finger.
The spot he indicated.
There lay a man’s corpse.
The ghoul’s body reverting to its human form.
Or rather, returning to its original state.
‘Just like with the werewolf.’
The man’s corpse.
Embedded in its chest was a red gem about the size of a finger.
Smooth surface, perfectly round shape.
A shape I knew well.
It was just much smaller than the one I’d found in the werewolf’s gut before.
‘My hunch was right.’
Back when I first arrived in Chester.
I’d sensed people hiding among the refugees who carried mana, and that struck me as suspicious.
Then, the moment Count Chester told me about the monster killing mages, nobles, and priests...
I was certain those two oddities were connected.
Thanks to that, I quickly pieced together the monsters’ affiliation.
The mana-bearers I’d spotted.
And the ghouls that attacked me today.
All of them were Eremus collaborators.
Just like the werewolf—granted special powers by black mages to sow chaos.
‘Not as strong as werewolves, though. But their numbers... way more than I imagined.’
Ghouls were monsters no ordinary person could take lightly.
Yet the collaborators who attacked me—all except the presumed leader—were weaker than the real deal.
The red gem, likely the core of their transformation magic.
Seemed like low quality.
Or maybe the black mage who cast the spell on them just wasn’t that skilled.
Crack!
Suddenly, cracks spiderwebbed across the corpse I’d been studying.
It collapsed into ash in an instant.
The red gem in its chest crumbled to dust and vanished.
A shame.
Would’ve been nice to recover that gem.
‘Guess the bramble knight was high-grade personnel.’
The bramble knight who’d turned werewolf.
He hadn’t left a corpse behind either.
But he had dropped a red gem.
Considering that, the bramble knight must’ve been more important than I thought.
Otherwise, he’d have had a low-quality gem implanted like these ghouls today.
I stopped there, shaking off stray thoughts.
I still had issues to resolve.
‘How should I handle this...?’
I pondered for a moment.
Then reached a decision.
‘I’ll report to Baron Burch. Then, with his help, set up a meeting with Count Chester.’
No telling when the eastern branch chief might strike.
Better to clean out the Eremus collaborators inside the city first.
It’d boost our odds, even if just a little.
Plus, presenting black mages as a common enemy would help solidify internal unity.
With that in mind, I started cleaning up.
The next day.
I woke up late and stepped out.
With Gilbert, Bear, and Connel.
The three burly lads.
Now that I’d identified the monster, no reason to hide them anymore.
‘Everyone’s staring.’
Walking with the trio drew all eyes.
Three muscle-bound giants.
Hard not to look.
I wanted to shrug it off, but I couldn’t ignore it.
Mana-bearers—Eremus collaborators—were lurking among the gawkers, watching us.
But I couldn’t punish them directly.
‘If I take out Eremus collaborators here, people will think I attacked innocents.’
As long as they wore human skins, I had to treat them as humans.
So how to deal with the collaborators?
Simple.
Borrow Count Chester’s power.
He was the city’s lord, after all.
‘Ugh, this sucks.’
Panting hard, I crested the hill and reached Chester Castle.
My breathing ragged as could be.
Bear and Connel, meanwhile? Fine.
Gilbert too.
He didn’t breathe anyway, so no surprise.
“Hoo!”
I paused to catch my breath, then strode toward the castle entrance.
The two guards there gave me a silent salute.
Count Chester had granted me free access.
Otherwise, they’d have booted me.
“Impressive.”
On the way into Chester Castle.
Connel glanced up at the walls and spoke.
“What is?”
“Just days ago, you were a no-name wandering knight. Now you’ve been knighted by a baron—and you can come and go from a count’s castle as you please.”
A meteoric rise in status.
Connel was feeling it.
Made sense.
I’d have reacted the same in his shoes.
Being knighted by a knight versus a noble?
Worlds apart.
And free castle access? Not something to take lightly.
Castles symbolized power and hierarchy.
No one just wandered in.
Being allowed to meant the count was taking notice.
“Sir Connel, don’t get complacent yet.”
“Pardon?”
“We can climb higher.”
I could read any grimoire.
Bear and Connel feared no battle.
Our skills would grow with time.
Would people leave us be?
No—they’d summon us everywhere.
Shine there, reap rewards, grow stronger.
A virtuous cycle.
Keep growing, and we’d reach the top someday.
Teasing Connel, I added,
“Who knows? Maybe one day Sir Bear or Sir Connel will be hailed as king.”
“Heh... I’d like that.”
Imagining that bright future, we entered the castle.
First thing upon entering the castle?
Grab a passing servant.
I had a favor to ask.
“Please tell Baron Burch that Mage Heros requests a meeting.”
The servant would relay it up the chain to the baron.
Like now.
“Is that true?”
Baron Burch, having heard the full tale from last night.
His eyes went wide as he asked again.
“Yes. Not a word of a lie.”
I nodded firmly.
I’d spoken only facts.
Droves of black mage collaborators hid in the city, able to turn ghoul—some attacked me last night.
That summed up what I told Baron Burch.
Oh, and I added one more line.
‘We must round them all up before the eastern branch chief attacks.’
“I need to tell Father-in-Law right away.”
Baron Burch shot to his feet.
Then looked at me.
“Come with me.”
“Yes.”
I followed.
His destination: Count Chester’s office.
The same room I’d met the count in before.
En route, a worry surfaced.
“Baron, shouldn’t we send word first?”
Showing up unannounced might irk the count.
I asked, and he replied firmly.
“Black mage collaborators in the city? We need to inform him ASAP. Father-in-Law will understand.”
Maybe from all he’d suffered.
Burch trembled at the mention of black mages.
Made sense.
Eremus’s raids had cost him dearly.
Without them, he’d still be lording over his lands.
‘Already here.’
Mid-conversation, we reached the door.
The waiting servant looked up.
“What brings you?”
“To see Count Chester.”
Burch stepped forward boldly.
“One moment, please.”
The servant excused himself and knocked gently.
“Baron Burch and Mage Heros wish to see the Count.”
A rustle from beyond.
Then Count Chester’s voice.
“Let them in.”
With permission, the servant opened the door for us.
The familiar scene greeted me.
“Coming without notice means it’s important... Very well, speak.”
Count Chester at his desk.
Asking Burch without looking up from his parchment.
“Father-in-Law. Mage Heros here was attacked by those monsters last night. He repelled them. And he’s figured out what they are!”
Burch relayed what I’d told him.
Count Chester’s eyes froze mid-scan of the page.
“Intriguing.”
One word from the count.
Enough to excite Burch.
“Heros says droves of collaborators are hiding in the city. They can turn into ghouls.”
“Ghouls... That their name?”
Count Chester looked up.
Asked Burch.
Burch glanced at me.
My turn.
I gladly joined in.
“Yes. Monsters from the Empire’s southern tip. Never seen in the east.”
“Hm. That clears things up. But collaborators turning ghoul? What’s that mean?”
“Black magic makes it possible. They literally transform into ghouls. Much weaker than real ones, but strong enough to kill ordinary folk easily. Some were even ex-knights.”
“Ex-knights?”
“Yes. I’ve spotted Eremus-collaborating knights before. Seems more people have joined the black mages than we thought.”
“Dismal.”
With that, Count Chester fell silent.
Sorting his thoughts, probably.
Thirty seconds or so passed.
Then he spoke.
“So. What do you want from me?”
His question.
I gave my prepared answer.
“I can distinguish ordinary folk from black mage collaborators. Assign me some soldiers. We’ll patrol the city and root them out.”
That’d let me patrol.
Including spots where the count’s mages had stayed.
Bound to be hidden grimoires there.
I could sense it—as a mage.