208th
One rest before moving forward 6 spaces
208 ? One rest for 6 steps forward #2
Bacchus, god of wine and festivals.
According to the stories I’ve heard, he was originally a human, not a god. To be exact, he was a demigod with half god and half human blood.
Of course, having even half of the blood of a god mixed in could be seen as a great blessing in this world.
Just because they have the blood of a god or something mixed in them, they won’t live a normal life, and they will live a life where they rule over others no matter what.
For example, let’s look at how splendid and wonderful the lives of Hippolyte and Antiope, who claim to be demigods, are.
Surely, Demigod Bacchus must have lived a very extravagant and wonderful life.
You bastards, you rich kids.
Anyway, the god who led numerous believers while he was alive and eventually reached the throne of power on the high mountain Hypos was Bacchus, the god of wine and festivals.
However, there are quite a few legends that depict the gods as being ruthless and cruel, which is unusual for a god who presides over alcohol, festivals, and entertainment.
This was because ‘wine’, which symbolized the essence of Bacchus, contained the cruel nature and madness of humans.
Therefore, followers of alcohol also become followers of madness.
It is said that many people fear them because of their duality of excitement and cruelty.
In that sense, the man I was supposed to meet, Vice Vine, was also quite a man to be wary of.
As for him, he seems to be a fervent believer of Bacchus and an excellent inquisitor who catches heretics.
Since that was all I heard from Antiope, I had no choice but to see the rest with my own eyes.
Sval, or rather, the Inquisitor.
Aren’t you the Inquisitor?
The first thing that came to my mind was an image of people in tall hats spinning someone around on a torture wheel.
And most of those guys didn’t like me, because I was a dark-haired alien that the world hated the most.
“Over there, if you go to the banquet hall, Vice-nim will be waiting for you.”
So the next day, after playing board games with everyone.
Before Vice Vine arrived at the meeting place, I seriously debated whether or not I should go back.
Why on earth do you want to see me?
Was there a story in the newspaper that said, “Traces of necromancy were discovered?” Did they catch me practicing necromancy in it?
With that thought in mind, I followed a pretty little girl toward what seemed like a wide open space.
This is the Bacchus Banquet Hall, located in the center of the city of Sodomora.
It is said that when various events or festivals were held in Sodomora, this place was used as a place for the followers of alcohol to distribute alcohol to the people and hold lively festivals.
I was a little worried about how hot it would be since it was located in a large open space in the city, but fortunately, there were grape vines all over the ceiling, providing shade.
And what you see beneath those shadows are people drinking and talking loudly even though the sun is still brightly rising.
They are the noisy drunkards.
They are followers of Bacchus.
Sval, they are drinking in broad daylight and rolling around on the floor. I am so envious of them, but strangely enough, it seems like they consider it an expression of their faith.
“hey.”
They didn’t stop slumping in their chairs or occasionally standing up and shaking their bodies as I approached them.
Men and women, children and old people alike, their eyes are wide open and their faces are red.
“I came here to find a man named Vice Vine.”
It was embarrassing to stand among the drunks, so I decided to finish up as quickly as possible and go back.
“Huh, heh heh.”
“Ugh-.”
However, people were just lying around listlessly, perhaps because they were too drunk to hear my question.
The pungent smell of alcohol makes me feel dizzy.
To be honest, I’m not a big fan of alcohol and I don’t like getting drunk, so I felt a bit awkward in this place.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for a guy named Vice Vine. I heard he’s here. Isn’t he?”
So when I asked again.
Swish.
The man who had been sprawled on the chair in front of me raised his hand and pointed to a corner. There, he saw a swimming pool set up in the middle of an empty lot.
What kind of pool is it?
So I looked there wondering what it was.
There was a group of men and women naked, half-submerged in a bright purple liquid. What color is that swimming pool?
Judging by the sour smell, the bathtub was probably filled with liquor. A cold pool of liquor with ice, grape vines, and leaves floating around.
Sval, you are a very special person.
My hands start shaking just from putting ice in my lemonade.
“Are you Vice Vine of the Temple Knights?”
I spoke to the man who was holding the woman in his arms and tilting his head back.
Although only the upper body was visible through the purple liquid, judging by the muscles that seemed to be quite well trained, this man was probably a Temple Knight.
“… .”
But there was no answer from the man.
“Master Vine, it looks like you have a guest.”
Only the women who were flirting next to him were affectionately stroking the man’s face. Are the women also going in naked now?
I have also heard that Bacchus believers have a weak sense of chastity.
When you see it in person, it’s amazing. I think this is exactly what it feels like to be in a diamond membership room where you have to pay to get in.
Are all the rich, popular kids playing around like this?
“Mr. Vine-.”
“Oh, I must have dozed off. I’m a guest. Then, ladies, would you all please stay out?”
“Then, let’s play together again later-.”
The women came out of the swimming pool laughing loudly.
As I glance at their languid bodies, drenched in purple, swaying back and forth, I feel angry for some reason. Shit, is this what it means to live the life of a victor?
Actaeon was also a gay, handsome guy with a silver spoon in his mouth, but I could tolerate him because of his perverted exhibitionism. I can’t stand this guy because I’m so jealous.
While I was bubbling away like that alone, the man spoke.
“Would you like to come in? Since it’s a week-long abstinence period, I can’t drink alcohol, so I’m absorbing it into my body like this.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I must decline.”
Even if I went in naked, the thought of the wine getting on my body was terrifying. I didn’t think I would ever go into this bar unless I paid.
“You don’t like alcohol?”
“I just do it like that. But more than that, you said you wanted to see me. Why did you want to see me?”
Ssuk.
I dragged a chair that I saw nearby and placed it around me, then sat on it.
I didn’t have any desire to have a long conversation with a drunkard, so I felt like I was just going to quickly finish what I was doing. Even a drunk man would understand that I was urging him to continue the conversation.
“You’re more desperate than I thought. You don’t have time to have a drink in your life. That’s great. There’s nothing more unsightly than forcing someone to drink.”
Chorus.
The man immediately got up from his seat.
I think he’s about a head shorter than me.
I have no desire to depict a man’s naked body.
His physique was on the lean side, and his muscles, trained to the extreme, gave the impression of a sharp dagger.
Yes, it is a dagger.
My club is nothing compared to the fear crusher.
young.
I won at least one.
While I was feeling so confident, he removed the grape leaves from his body and his dazzling purple hair, and then roughly threw on something like a white gown over his body.
Then, just like me, he pulls a chair over and faces me.
The face is very thin and sharp, giving it a snake-like appearance.
You can tell he’s a strong man just by looking at him.
The level will probably be around 40.
Is this man indeed Vice Vine, a follower of Bacchus and the 9th of the Knights Templar?
“I saw a story about you in the paper, Samaritan.”
That attitude and speech are so polite that it makes me feel even more wary.
What I thought was a hairy old man with a big boozy booze, but he’s surprisingly a gentlemanly intellectual. He doesn’t even have a beard. If you think about it, he’s a handsome man.
The man said.
“They say that in that dark cave, you took down nearly a hundred goblins at once. Is that true?”
“The general idea is correct.”
“Indeed, now that we’ve met in person like this, I think I understand. So, since you seem to be a busy person, I’ll ask right away. Didn’t you encounter the greedy goblin, Gogrid, there?”
“Are you talking about a giant, fat goblin?”
“Probably so. He’s the servant of Gigas, the Messiaen I was chasing. Have you ever heard of him while defeating him? Or have you ever seen the demigod with blue eyes?”
This kid-.
I think people in this world are stingy with information.
The more you know, the more you can use others, and the more you can widen the gap between yourself and others to live a better life or control and shake others.
So, there are information dealers underground who sell information.
But this man, Vice Vine, spoke to me, releasing a lot of information at once. He spoke with such a cool demeanor that you wouldn’t think he had been soaking in alcohol until just now.
Are you doubting me?
It was only natural for me to think that way.
I was thinking of pretending I didn’t know anything, but I thought that would make people more suspicious, so I decided to just reveal some information that I know.
“Gigasra. I think I’ve heard that story. I heard it was about something that came up to the surface.”
“As expected. The problem is that the weeds of hell are trying to come up.”
“This is a real fucking problem. I wish all the hellish bastards would die.”
I cursed with a little sincerity, thinking of the wicked and vicious bastards who might be after Luna.
“Hell of-. You bastards-?”
However, it was quite unexpected because the man who had been looking at me with indifferent eyes until just a moment ago furrowed his brow slightly.
“Oh, I’m sorry about this. I can’t control my anger when I see things related to socializing.”
“Oh, you’re more interesting than I thought. I heard you played a big role in suppressing cults. May I ask if you have any kind of connection or grudge with cultists?”
“Because I have black hair, I get misunderstood a lot.”
“Indeed-. That could be true. There were many rumors in the past that the Samaritans were related to Pluto. Of course, they were just rumors.”
I wondered if my explanation had worked, or if the strength in the man’s eyes had loosened a little. He would never know that I was a necromancer with blue eyes.
As a believer in this world, you feel a great sense of guilt about criticizing the god or religion you believe in, even if it is false.
Of course I don’t have anything like that.
So to prove that I’m not a cultist, there’s nothing more effective than swearing at Pluto and the forces of Hell, and it works.
Then a brilliant idea occurred to me.
This guy is a Temple Knight who sees everything related to Hell magic. And Luna’s enemies are the ten bastards who came up from Hell.
If we do it well, wouldn’t we be able to combine the two and drain each other’s power? It’s a perfect match where I have nothing to lose regardless of who wins.
I gave Inquisitor Vice Vine a scathing critique of how the cultists were evil, vicious bastards who preyed on the hard-working common people.
“Perhaps, they are clearly planning to invade the Earth by borrowing the bodies of famous monsters.”
“A famous monster. Mr. Hassan, are you saying that the Lords of Hell will appear in the bodies of strong monsters, the Named?”
“That could be the case.”
“Indeed, that is a reasonable argument. There have been similar opinions exchanged within our Order as well….”
“So, we have to get rid of all the monsters and cults.”
“Indeed, that is indeed true.”
Vice soon smiles, as if he likes my speech.
It didn’t matter whether the boy cried or laughed, but it was a little fortunate that the guy who had been creating an uncomfortable tension until just now let his guard down towards me.
The man who had been smiling faintly at that moment soon crumpled his expression with an extremely awkward look.
“Now, I must apologize to Mr. Hassan.”
“You’re saying you’re sorry? What do you mean?”
“I actually suspected that Mr. Hassan had been practicing necromancy in the cave.”
“Is that so?”
“Considering the circumstances, the only one who went in there was Mr. Hassan, and seeing it in person like this gives me a similar feeling to the cults I’ve seen before.”
As expected, the Knights Templar.
I have a good feeling.
He had the right answer from the very beginning.
I have no choice but to answer in a deliberately nonchalant manner.
“That’s probably because of this necklace. It’s a necklace I got from the social coma.”
“The Star of Kallan, that may be true. Well, a warrior of Hassan’s caliber would be far from the suspect of necromancy.”
“Is that so? Why?”
“Necromancers tend to look like skinny old men, since they use not only their fel magic but also their own life force to deal with the dead. In comparison, Hassan-”
I felt the sharp, slitted eyes quickly scanning me.
“Mr. Hassan seems to be in quite good health.”
This is the same story I heard from Gogrid.
I feel like my physique doesn’t fit the mold of a necromancer.
Subal, I survived because I had bulked up.
“The blue-eyed necromancer is most likely a skinny old man. From what I’ve investigated, the scale of the necromantic magic that took place there is probably in the hundreds. If you were to use that level of magic, your life force would be sucked out, and you’d look like an old man even at a young age.”
“I see. Then we should be suspicious of the elderly.”
“Anyway, I apologize for the misunderstanding. I already heard it from Actaeon, but Hassan seems like a person who is really far from necromancy.”
Vice Vine trailed off, saying, “You’re more polite than I thought.” It must be strange for someone like me, who looks like an uneducated savage, to use formal language.
I said it as if it was no big deal.
“Well, if you work hard, you can start to suspect people. But what happens if you catch the culprit?”
“It is a summary judgment.”
“That’s a very reassuring statement.”
I was pretending like nothing happened, but I wanted to get out of there quickly.
As the story progressed, a small gap might appear, and it was clear that this man was the type of man who could poke into that gap without hesitation.
Write.
My throat feels sore.
I was wondering if there was anything to drink nearby, so I drank whatever was in the pitcher. Vice Vine’s eyes widened as he watched me.
“There must be a ten-year-old liquor brewed in there. Pouring it all into your stomach by the jug is truly exhilarating. Since ancient times, there has never been a bad person who drinks well.”
“Is that so?”
I didn’t notice it when I was just drinking it, but my mouth felt hot. It wasn’t alcohol, it was some kind of industrial alcohol. Sval, I’m thirsty.
However, it seemed that this appearance had scored quite highly with the man, and he seemed to have completely let down his guard against me.
“Mr. Hassan, as a thank you for your comment on Gogrid’s story and as an apology for your doubts, I would like to share with you some important information about the cult.”
“Information? What is it?”
“Soon, a small expedition will be formed. It is not only Gogrid, the King of the Goblins, that I have been pursuing. If you would join the expedition, I think there would be no greater honor.”
“Is that something to do with Gigas too?”
“of course.”
“Then of course I will participate. Just call me.”
“I’m glad you said that. Well, it would be rude to keep a busy person for too long. Next time, let’s have a drink in the evening.”
“Okay, then I’ll take my leave now-.”
With that I left this alcohol-smelling banquet hall.
I felt good because I received a bottle of liquor worth 20 silver each as a souvenir, but on the other hand, I felt like I had aged ten years, as if I had been living in a tiger’s jaws.
I feel like I’ve been truly energized.
If possible, I hope we don’t have to see each other again in the future.
I don’t know if it’s because of my mood, but I felt like the guy named Vice Vine was testing me. For now, I feel like I’ve somehow managed to endure it.
Although he says he has put my suspicions to rest, I wonder if he is sensing the characteristic cult-like aura he has been exterminating during his long life as an inquisitor.
Shit, looking at it this way, I guess I’ve really become quite social.
With that in mind, I returned to the house where Luna was. But the yard was crowded with people I had never seen before.
There have been fewer orders for leapfrog recently.
Did all the guests who had been piling up come at once?
But these people seemed to have a slightly different feel from the guests.
What the heck, Sval.
“Who are you guys?”
[Work Review]
As a side note… the other heroines each have their own roles, but in the case of Hassan and Luna, I’m trying to write with the feeling of trying to convey to the readers the feeling of first love, which can be both difficult and exciting due to various reasons…
I hope it is well conveyed, so I will cast a voodoo spell to increase your luck in love…!!
