Chapter 50
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Lord of the Forest
In the early dawn when everyone was asleep.
I headed to the room where Judah, a member of Cynthia's party, was staying.
Knock knock knock.
When I lightly knocked on the door, Judah came out with a sleepy face and greeted me.
"Berddin?"
"May I come in for a moment?"
"Yes, please come in."
As I entered the room, a cool breeze came through the wide-open window.
A book placed beside the bed and a single candle illuminating the room caught my eye.
"Sorry for waking you while you were sleeping."
"No, I wasn't sleeping deeply. I was reading a book and dozed off."
"What book?"
"Well... it's nothing special, just a book about this country's history. It's about how they used to exterminate magical beasts alongside the Holy Knights."
"Exterminating magical beasts?"
"Yes, the ones that defied God's will and came out of the tower."
I glanced at the cover of the book he had been reading.
"An interesting story."
"Right? That's why I was reading it so intently even at this hour."
"I see. Anyway, do you know why I've come to see you at this hour?"
"I don't."
"Since we already know about each other, I'll explain simply."
"Please do."
"Apostle Baphomet, what is the reason you're following Cynthia around?"
The moment he heard the 'name', his eyes changed, and Judah swung his fist at me.
Whoosh—
A fierce aura erupted from his entire body like lightning striking.
Crackle crackle.
I lightly leaped back and blocked it by spreading Lightning on my palm.
Bang!
"...What is that ability? It's a power I've never seen before."
Even the apostle doesn't know about this power.
"My secret weapon."
"Secret weapon... You've been hiding quite the ability. Among all the apostles, my aura is the best, yet you block my attack so easily."
To him, it must have looked like I easily took the punch.
In reality, all the fingers that hadn't been coated with Lightning in time were broken, and the impact had pushed my elbow back, stretching the ligaments.
I lowered my hand with as nonchalant an expression as possible and replied.
"I'm not here to fight. I came to talk."
"Talk?"
"Yes. If I wanted to fight you, I would have started when everyone was gathered in the morning. That way, my chances of winning against you would be a bit higher."
"...How did you know my identity?"
"How? Didn't you deliberately try to let me know?"
"Me?"
"Yes. When we were resting after killing the Mutant Ant, you said you were using a Guardian Spirit's ability but couldn't reveal it."
"......"
"But when Mongle arrived, you suddenly changed your tune, saying you couldn't even talk to him and didn't know what abilities he had."
Judah glared at me for a long while before lowering his guard and sitting in a chair by the table.
"That's right. But what I said to Baron Mongle... you could have interpreted it as just hiding my identity, right? Cynthia probably thinks the same."
"Someone who didn't know your identity might think that. But I knew who you were from the mirror image. As Mongle said, your appearance is recorded in the Strange Family library."
"You figured out my identity just from that record?"
"No, I had a few other clues that you were Baphomet."
I straightened my disheveled clothes and continued speaking from across from him.
"But I can't tell you what they are."
Siegfried smirked down at Baphomet.
Brunhilt, who had briefly returned to the spirit realm, was also fanning herself mockingly beside him.
"Did those guys tell you?"
Judah hardened his expression and lowered his voice.
"Maybe."
"...I thought I'd fooled you perfectly."
"You still fooled the others, so that's some success, isn't it?"
"No, it's a failure. If even one person discovers my identity, I have to find another body."
"Why?"
"Because if it's revealed that I'm an apostle, I can't carry out the mission God gave me."
Baphomet is carrying out a mission while hiding his identity.
Just revealing that he's an apostle from the tower would make the emperor step in personally to help.
What could be so secretive? The hint to that question was with Cynthia.
The benefits of getting close to her, the Holy Knight Captain, are limited.
'I see.'
The puzzle pieces of doubt in my head all fit together.
The reason this guy wasn't with Cynthia when I met her in my previous life, and why he's operating while hiding his identity.
'And.'
Among the events happening in this era, what massive incident would require an apostle to move personally.
"Your target is in the Papal Court."
"?!"
His reaction was answer enough.
"The name of the one receiving judgment is Saint Joanna Ark. The charge is defying God's will and showing mercy to allow the devil to repent, right?"
"H-how do you know that fact?"
How could I not know?
No matter how much it happened in my childhood, it was an incident that shook the entire continent.
As soon as Saint Joanna Ark's death became known, knights under the Papal Court began killing her followers under the guise of hunting heretics.
The enraged pope tried to ban the hymn 'Western Sun', her symbol, calling it the devil's whisper.
'It was a foolish act.'
Roughly counting, the deaths numbered in the tens of thousands, not thousands.
Crack crack crack—
Eight horns resembling a bull's protruded from Judah's forehead and above his head.
His pupils turned red, and thick brown fur grew densely on his cheeks.
"Berddin, I don't know how you know that. But now that you know who I am, you must die here."
"If you want a fight, I won't refuse. I've wanted to clash with you once too."
I lightly gripped the hilt of my sword.
Judah assumed an aggressive stance as if he would charge at me any moment, then let out a long breath, steadying his breathing before resuming the conversation.
"Before I kill you, let me make one proposal."
"Proposal?"
"This proposal won't be bad for you either."
"Speak."
"...As you know, I'll only carry out the mission God gave me and return to the tower."
"And?"
"Hide my identity until then. If you do that, I won't kill you. After it's done, I'll hand over the artifact the saint has to you."
After finishing the conversation, Berddin left Judah's room.
The two had parted on good terms, even shaking hands just before separating.
'As expected, that guy is indeed an apostle.'
Baron Mongle, who had been watching from afar, smiled at the corners of his mouth.
He had pretended to believe in front of Judah, but deep down, he didn't trust a word he said.
And that judgment was spot on.
He realized not only that Judah had deceived him, but also that Berddin knew the truth.
"Hmm—"
Mongle fell into thought.
What would happen if he revealed Judah's identity now?
'It would be entertaining in many ways.'
Not only had an apostle descended outside the tower, but his party member was a direct blood relative of the Strange Family.
"Berddin, I'll create an interesting picture for you."
After confirming, Baron Mongle headed straight to the Bourbon Family castle.
Step, step, step.
The knights on the path he walked cleared the way on their own. At the end stood Marquis Pierre, welcoming Mongle with open arms.
"Come on in!"
Mongle bowed his head low, then replied with a fake bright smile.
"Monestier de Strange, 1st Captain of the Bourbon Mercenary Corps. I've come to see you, Marquis Pierre, with good news."
Morning broke.
We gathered at the tavern to receive the reward for the previous request.
"This coffee tastes good."
Rox asked me.
"Coffee again today? I can't drink that stuff; it just tastes bitter."
"You'll get used to it if you keep drinking."
"Yeah, yeah, sure you will. Says the guy who claims it doesn't hurt if you get used to it."
"Not that it doesn't hurt, but that it hurts less."
"Ah, yes, milord! Anyway, where's Mongle?"
Not knowing his whereabouts, I just shrugged.
"Somewhere, I guess."
"He said he was climbing the tower today. Weren't you going together?"
"As I said last time, he can't go with us. Different goals, and no reason to get involved this time."
"True."
Monestier appears foolish on the outside but is famous as a genius strategist whose inner thoughts are inscrutable.
'His exceptional swordsmanship is just a skill to support his mind.'
In my previous life, the incident where he targeted Brother Hysteria shocked even me.
'He wants Father's recognition.'
Mongle's parents were elders of a small village without even a mansion.
Probably, just like in his previous life, he wants to rise in status.
'By elevating the honor of the father he respects.'
To become a lord, he needs a castle, and to get a castle, he must resort to war.
Since noble wars require the king's permission, he'll have to use backhanded methods.
'That's it.'
That's why I need to keep Mongle at a distance.
With Brothers Gunter and Hysteria gone, I'm the only one left he might target for recognition.
I warned Cynthia.
"Be careful of Mongle. Don't get close to him anymore."
"Why?"
"He's dangerous."
"Dangerous? What do you mean? He's from the Strange Family like you."
"That's why he's dangerous."
Cynthia tilted her head as if she didn't understand.
Alfred stroked his long beard and answered on her behalf.
"Berddin is direct lineage. Baron Mongle is collateral. If Din says so, there must be some family feud between them we don't know about."
"Ah..."
"You've been a knight long enough to have heard plenty about infighting within families. Even Duke Gabriel, who died recently, was killed in a power struggle."
He explained it just right—not too deep, not too shallow.
I thought he was an idiot usually, but he grasps situations well.
Judah glanced at me and chimed in with Alfred.
"Right! From the little I talked to him... Baron Mongle didn't seem like a good person."
"Really? I thought you liked that knight."
"L-like? I just wanted to exchange a word with someone said to be amazing, to gauge what kind of person he is..."
"Well, you're the type. The first day we met, you bombarded me with questions because you wanted to know about me."
"Haha... yeah."
Sweat dripped from Judah's forehead.
Because of last night's conversation with me? No, if so, an apostle has poor emotional control.
While we were talking, the tavern master came to us.
"Good day. Did you sleep well last night?"
He was smiling broadly.
"I've come to you all with some good news."
I replied, looking at the keyring he held.
"Good news?"
"Yes! The reward for the request you adventurers completed has arrived!"
Cynthia and her party members' eyes sparkled.
Even taking 30% out of 100, that's at least 60 gold coins—who wouldn't be happy?
"Not only that, the client wants to give you additional rewards and has come here personally."
The client came to the tavern personally.
'...What?'
This isn't good.
It's not time to meet her yet.
If things go wrong, even my life could be in danger. Without time to even converse, I hurriedly stood up to leave.
"Hello, adventurers."
A red-haired woman who had approached me before I knew it lightly waved her hand.
Then,
"My name is Katarina de Strange. Current Master of the Legion Alchemy Guild."
She smiled brightly at me.
"And mother to Berddin's brothers, Tony, Jony, and Rony."