145
Take out
‘ah···?’
Slim came back to his senses in a sharp pain. Next to him was Pering, whose legs were bent in an odd direction.
‘What is this···?’
It was Ferring who had just been teasing himself with the same old story he had told hundreds of times, ‘Slim got hit by a goblin’s dick.’
But seeing that pair rolling around in such a horrible state… it felt like a dream. A truly terrible nightmare.
However, it reminded me that the pain I felt in my feet was real.
Slime raised his head. The gate that had been there until just now had collapsed and was an unsightly sight.
The broken gate was not even visible, and the top was half destroyed.
Large torches stuck on either side of the gate rolled across the floor, illuminating the desolate scene.
‘What the… what is this…’
Perhaps due to the aftermath of the explosion, he was in a state of confusion. Slim grabbed Ferring by the collar and gritted his teeth as he crawled sideways.
A large piece of paper was lying a short distance away.
‘Bell… bell!’
Slim held the bell in his arms and swung it repeatedly. It was the bell that rang when something was fucked. And now was the time when something was fucked.
Ding ding ding ding. Perhaps because he was lying on the floor, all that could be heard was a faint and feeble sound. However, Slim did not give up and continued to pound him with all his might.
“Ugh······.”
Ferring let out a small groan.
“Pearling! Are you awake?”
Slim screamed as he looked at the strangely bent leg of the ferry.
“······Slime hit by a goblin’s dick?”
The unfocused Ferring looked up at him and muttered.
“Yes, I am Srim! Don’t lose your mind! Support will come from within! Cardinal! Yes, the Cardinal is here too!”
Slim slapped Pering’s cheek and brought him back to his senses.
“Don’t be sad, for I will rise again.”
At that moment, a voice was heard from ahead.
When he raised his head, a man covered in cloth was looking down at him. His face was covered in mushrooms.
The ordinary-looking man, who seemed to have seen her somewhere before, was looking at Slim with a frightened face and his mouth hanging open.
Slim thought back to what had happened earlier. Those guys suddenly exploded, as if they had made a deal with the devil.
Slim, who had been working for over ten years, knew that he had to show his strength especially in times like these.
“You crazy pagan bastards!! If you’re going to die, die gracefully! Why are you coming to someone else’s castle and causing trouble!!”
Slim screamed and tried to pull out the sword at his waist, but was stopped by the Ferring he was holding in his arms.
In addition, because I hadn’t taken care of it regularly, my hand that was holding the sword handle slipped. As my hand twitched, the sword, sticking out awkwardly, rolled around on the floor.
Looking at him, I remembered Aaron’s advice to work hard on grooming.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get back up again.”
The mutterings of a man looking down and crying.
“······It’s a shame to wake up.”
Slim hesitated for a moment, then turned around to face the pair.
There was none of the horrible pain I had expected.
I remembered a story I heard from an old mercenary.
It is said that there is no pain when you die. Then, Srim asked him if he had ever died.
The mercenary’s face was crumpled in a pleasing way.
“Your name is Slim?”
Slim opened his eyes at the thick, awkward accent.
In front stood Brown Aaron… no, the leader of Group 5, Vermunt.
In her hands she held the face of the man who had been crying just a moment ago.
“What happened?”
For someone holding a human head in his hands, his voice sounded too calm. Or perhaps even excited.
“These···pagans have come in! There are more than twenty of them···.”
Slim forced his stiff mouth to open and spit out everything he knew.
“There are twenty exploding guys···.”
Vermunt, who had been watching the blood dripping from his neck for a moment, threw him aside.
Then he put his fingers into his mouth and made a long, sharp sound. His thick lips turned red.
Then, men appeared from somewhere. They looked like savages, so Slim was needlessly scared, but upon closer inspection, he saw that they were men from Group 5.
“One will relay the situation to the lord, one will go to Aaron, one will go to the back door to find out, and the rest will work with me to deal with it.”
A short and concise command. As soon as he finished speaking, the three quickly disappeared.
“Srim, you keep ringing the bell. Your arm is fine, right?”
Slim nodded at that firm command.
‘······There definitely wasn’t a 5th group tonight?’
A question crossed my mind as I looked at the wide back that was quickly moving away, but I soon put it aside and stared at the bell next to me.
His hands were hot and sore, but that was all Slim could do right now.
Ding ding ding ding-.
***
‘···knell?’
I hurriedly headed to the window.
The gate area was bright as if a fire had broken out.
It was clear what had happened.
Naturally, the ‘signal’ that the raccoon had mentioned came to mind.
‘I told you earlier… right away like this?’
I haven’t even heard the abbot’s salary yet.
Requests that didn’t give you a reward had a very high chance of being a dud. You were more likely to get something like a dirt-covered carrot or apple.
It was a heartfelt thank you, but it didn’t really make any money.
And with very low probability, it also offered huge rewards.
It was a moment of choice.
Should I put an end to the chaos at Cassidyk or take care of the raccoon’s request first?
We did put measures in place after the last grass incident. They may not be perfect, but they weren’t enough to collapse overnight.
‘Take out the abbot first, and leave the rest for later.’
I looked outside and wiggled my fingers.
***
‘Finally, the Honorary Monk Aaron······.’
The wrinkles at the corners of Brighton’s mouth rose pleasantly.
Brighton has led many people to the Bible so far.
Although it was a religious sect, few people were interested in the difficult and heavy Bible.
How could someone belonging to a religious group hate and avoid the Bible? Brighton couldn’t understand him, but there were quite a few people like that.
However, Brighton did not give up on those people.
Somehow he led them all on the right path.
I don’t know about other people, but as someone who is in the church, it was something I had to do.
The number of people who passed through Brighton like this was countless.
Brighton has seen it all, good and bad, but Aaron was the strongest of them all.
Even if he was an honorary monk, he would have prayed and read the Bible at least to this extent, but he was so stubborn that he wouldn’t give in.
That Aaron today······.
‘You want to study the Bible.’
Brighton laughed out loud for the first time in a long time.
Aaron alone was a formidable opponent, but he even conspired with Inquisitor Joanna to keep the two together.
However, Brighton did not give up and eventually were able to guide Aaron on the right path.
‘It’s the right way···.’
Brighton’s expression hardened at the words he habitually muttered.
Then I looked down at the book on the desk.
The upper part of the white paper was densely covered with writing.
There was no need to open the Bible and write it down, because it was already in Brighton’s head.
‘The Bible······.’
The strange suspicions I had from long ago grew in size as I read the heretical Bible, and as I began to write the Bible, they grew uncontrollably.
As I progressed, the feeling of discomfort grew stronger.
The part that felt a little awkward wasn’t just awkward, it felt foreign.
Brighton looked down at him for a moment, then moved his quill.
Although he had set out to do this with determination, the guilt and fear that built up with each letter he wrote weighed on Brighton.
For Brighton, who had devoted his life to the Bible, this act was like a denial of his own life.
However, Brighton hesitated and did not stop his quill pen.
How little could it have been, I heard footsteps coming from behind.
Brighton knew what he was doing. If the man behind him was an Inquisitor, he would meet a terrible end.
‘If that happens, then he has stopped my actions.’
Brighton didn’t write in hiding. He just wrote in his room like he usually did.
If he can continue to write, it must be God’s will, and if he gets caught and his head gets broken, that must also be God’s will.
Brighton didn’t stop with the quill pen.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, but I wasn’t scared enough to stop writing with my quill pen.
“Aren’t you going to catch it?”
Brighton felt relieved at the thick voice he heard from behind. It didn’t seem like it was time to stop yet.
However, a question arose. Why was the Honorary Monk Aaron looking for him at this late hour?
‘······no way.’
Only then did Brighton put down his quill and turn around.
A huge man sat in a corner of the room. With each breath he took, his body shook, sounding just like the breathing of a wild beast.
“···Have you come to pray at dawn?”
Brighton looked at him and asked. The voice was full of emotion, but Brighton didn’t notice.
“What the hell, what kind of worship······. Anyway, something came up.”
Brighton couldn’t help but feel regretful at the trembling voice.
If the Honorary Monk Aaron prays the dawn prayer following the night prayer, his prayer will be answered.
“Work? What do you mean?”
Brighton tried hard to restrain himself from excessive worship, as it could provoke a backlash.
Of all the people he knew, Aaron was the most rebellious. He sounded like a teenage boy.
“It’s too much of a hassle to explain.”
Aaron answered calmly and took a step closer.
The half-melted candlelight, struggling to shine, illuminated Aaron’s face. The scars on his face made it impossible to see his expression, but Brighton had been watching him for quite some time, so he could read his expression vaguely.
‘Are you laughing?’
Brighton became strangely uneasy. Aaron looked like he was going to have an accident.
“Isn’t the synagogue too shabby? I think it would be better to rebuild it to be bigger and more spacious.”
Aaron took another step closer, and Brighton let out a small scream without realizing it.
Aaron could see a large cloth in his hand. It looked like something a thief might use to steal something.
With that playful face and the cloth in his hand, Brighton became very uneasy.
“Emeritus Aaron? What are you trying to do now······.”
However, Brighton’s questions did not end there.
Because my mind became clouded at the same time as the dull shock.
“A day like this will come.”
I wrapped the unconscious abbot in a cloth and carried him away, staring at the huge open book on the desk.
It was filled with bold, bold letters, but it seemed like there was still a lot left.
‘Your handwriting is very similar to mine.’
After thinking about it for a moment, I put it in with the abbot and took out the oil I had brought and sprinkled it on.
Whether it was because of the raccoon’s intervention or because everyone had gathered around the news that the cardinal had arrived, only the abbot was left in the hall.
After looking around the moldy room for a moment, I tossed the candle aside.
‘···The church has a lot of money, right?’
The fire quickly spread.
I packed my bundle and hurried out of the synagogue.
***
As I was putting the abbot I took out in the locker and leaving, there was a guy who came looking for me.
It was the guy under Vermunt.
He quickly reported the situation.
The damage was less than expected.
‘Still, the training was worth it.’
I nodded to him and got up from my seat.
“······Arong!”
Hannah, with her complex face, called out to me while holding a crossbow. The corners of her lips were trembling, making it seem like she was forcing a smile.
“Take good care of your belongings. Kanna, you stay here too.”
Kanna nodded, although her expression looked somewhat dissatisfied.
Looking at him, I started to worry that maybe he was going through puberty wrong like a punk.
“···There won’t be any problem.”
I said, fiddling with the handle of my sword.
Kkwobarou, who was holding the weight behind Kanna, nodded his head slightly while looking at me.
The bar was filled with various patterns. He was a collaboration between Kuo Bao Rou, Kanna, and Park Daegari.
I could guarantee that it would be safer here than in my hometown.
There are two wizards here.
I cleared my throat and followed him.
The cold wind of dawn was mixed with the pungent smell of fire.
There were loud noises here and there, but no screams. The collapsed buildings could be rebuilt.
When they arrived, there was the old Vermunt. He was covered in blood and laughing. Beneath him, a man covered in a cloth was squirming as if he was having a seizure.
Beside them was a frightened woman and children.
The woman was holding a bunch of shabby stuff in her hands.
The situation is roughly outlined.
I’ve told you several times what to do when the bell rings, but there are always people who are this slow.
“I pulled out my tongue so it wouldn’t explode.”
Vermunt said, pressing the man down with his sword.
Tsk, I clicked my tongue, then suddenly realized I was in front of the guy whose tongue was cut off, so I clicked even louder.
“We’ve caught quite a few of the guys who came in through the front gate, but the back gate is completely open, so it’ll probably take quite some time.”
Vermunt continued with a slightly excited voice.
I glanced at the blood on the corner of Vermunt’s mouth and nodded. He must have gotten thirsty from hunting those guys.
He didn’t show it, but those who lived on the battlefield eventually craved blood. The addiction to blood is stronger than any drug. Brock Lesnar was just being honest about it.
“But if you pull out the tongue, you can’t be interrogated.”
I looked at the guy with the red cloth in his mouth and asked.
“If you don’t pull it out, it will explode.”
“That’s true.”
He pushed his face into the man who was being pressed by Vermunt.
There was no need to ask him. Even if he didn’t have the details, he knew who was the instigator and who needed to be punished.
However, looking at the table top with the tongue out, a good idea occurred to me.
“Listening to what these guys say, they say that if something comes up again, they’ll be reborn. That’s the first time I’ve heard such stupid stuff.”
Vermunt laughed heartily next to me.
Talking about this made me think of old times.
“Yes, if you were born again···.”
I looked the bastard straight in the eye and said.
“Then you be the one who does it.”
The way the bastard’s eyes blinked seemed to indicate that he knew.
***
“They say there are now heretics in Cassidy!!”
Johelia narrowed her eyes at the report she heard from the side.
“···Are you talking about heresy?”
“Yes, I heard that both the main gate and the back gate collapsed in the explosion! Orders···!”
‘······A frontal attack by a heretic?’
It was the first time I heard this story. The reason the church still hasn’t dealt with all the heretics is not because they’re strong.
It was because they hid among people. They pretended not to know anything until their true identity was discovered, but once discovered, they had a habit of exploding themselves.
That’s why they couldn’t all be eradicated.
But those guys suddenly launched a frontal attack…
It was clear that the timing was right for Cardinal Gobert.
It was understandable that Cardinal Gobert had a grudge against him, since his achievements included catching heretics.
but···.
‘······Even so, in a place where there are more than fifteen heretic inquisitors?’
I didn’t understand. Their explosions were certainly threatening, but they were no match for the Inquisitors when they faced them head-on.
In addition, there was also a knight of the temple himself.
“Johelia Temple Knight! What are you doing now? They say heretics have appeared!”
At that moment, my thoughts were broken by Cardinal Gobert’s shout.
“······Everyone, go out and judge the heretics. I will protect Cardinal Gobert.”
Johelia gave a short order. Then, a subtle atmosphere appeared. It was only for a moment, but Johelia wasn’t stupid enough not to notice him.
“I’ll go out too! You vicious heretics! How dare you attack me in my presence! How foolish of you!”
Cardinal Gobert sat up abruptly.
The eyes of Johelia under her helmet as she looked at him grew cold.
***
‘It’s a shame, but… there’s nothing I can do.’
Gobersan clicked his tongue and adjusted his clothes.
These were children who were prepared to rise in the ranks among the cardinals.
I had collected them in order to solidify my position within the church by directing them more dramatically, but I didn’t like the fact that I had to use them like this.
but···.
‘That Bible is dangerous.’
I could tell because Gobersan had been in the church for a long time.
If the real Bible were to come out and expose the Empire’s tyranny, those crazy cultists would gladly wage war on the Empire.
‘And then you’ll lose miserably.’
How did he get to where he is now? However, I also felt a little disappointed.
The best option would have been to obtain the Bible myself and find a way to utilize it, but I never had the opportunity to do so.
He couldn’t move because of that temple knight. But he felt an itch in the back of his head when he thought of sending another heretic inquisitor.
He believed he had been completely persuaded, but he could not believe it because he did not know what tricks the old Pope might have used.
But the third one was trustworthy. He was a brother, and above all, he was the third one.
Unlike the others, he was the third child who had no connection with himself at all. Even if something went wrong, he would not be harmed.
But since arrangements had already been made for him, there was no way the third one could fail.
However, since he was the third son, I couldn’t trust him with bringing the Bible. I didn’t know what that ignorant guy might do.
‘The stupid one is always the third one. Blood is thicker than water.’
Gobersan raised one corner of his mouth as he thought of the guy who would immediately agree.
It reminded me of the third eldest son, who was kind and foolish, who wanted to help his brothers without asking why.
It is suitable for use, for use in moderation and disposal, and for use as a vessel.
“It’s dangerous outside, so I think it’s better to stay inside.”
At that moment, Johelia started making cheeky remarks from the side.
How many of those are there, that you would miss out on this opportunity?
Even though I wanted to run away right now, I was holding back for the sake of my third child.
“There are heretics! What are you talking about? Do you think I am weak? He is behind me!”
Gobersan glared at Johelia and shouted. Then he stepped forward, clutching a slightly worn Bible.
When he came out strongly, Johelia followed him without saying anything. Even though he was a knight of the Holy War, Gobersan was still a cardinal.
When I left the room, Fullfoot was waiting in front.
But that expression was subtle. It was definitely···.
‘Your face looks like it got slapped while you were sleeping.’
Pulpouts quickly changed his expression when he saw himself.
“They say heretics have invaded Cassadic.”
Even in the midst of all this, his voice was fine. It was a bit sleepy, though.
“I heard. I’m heading there now.”
Gobersan answered with a solemn expression.
There was no danger to Mount Gober. Of course, he was going to pretend to be in danger.
“Are you saying that you will go in person······?”
Another wrinkle appeared on Fullfoot’s already wrinkled forehead. Gobersan nodded at him.
“I will go with you.”
Pulpouts, whose forehead had been furrowed for a moment, took the lead.
Gobersan followed him out of the castle.
Cassadick was a mess. Fires were burning everywhere, and shouts could be heard everywhere.
However, it was not as much as Gobert had expected. That was understandable, since the number invested this time was as high as forty.
At forty, the frontier castle of Cassady was supposed to be destroyed, but the damage was less than expected.
Even the entire religious order’s personnel were brought to the castle. The knights of the Fullfoot family were also here.
But how can it be so quiet?
‘···Something is wrong.’
Gobert’s nerves, which had been sharp all along, became even more tense. The inside of his eyes started to hurt as if they were being stabbed.
“My lord!!”
At that moment, a fat man whose armor looked small came running out of breath.
“Ah, Captain of the Foreign Guard. How’s the situation?”
“Yes! We prepared in advance and trained for it, so there were no casualties!!”
‘···training?’
Gobert’s brow furrowed at the man’s rambling explanation.
“Thank goodness. As expected, he’s the captain of the outer wall guard. It must have been sudden, but he handled it well.”
“I just did my assigned duties very faithfully and excellently! Hehe!”
Contrary to what he said, the man laughed and grinned. It was not a pleasant sight.
“However, there was an unfortunate incident where the synagogue burned down······. Still, it’s fortunate that all the members of the church are here. It was so fiercely burning···.”
The man cautiously muttered while keeping an eye on Gobertsan.
“······The Abbot of Brighton remains in the synagogue!”
At that moment, one of the priests in the back shouted with a surprised look on his face.
‘The third one did it. But to burn down the synagogue… That’s really the third one’s way of doing things.’
Gobersan decided to think positively. It was a pity, but at least the third person had accomplished his original purpose.
‘Brighton is burning to death…’
The things that had happened to him flashed through my mind. That evil bastard burning to death… It was hard to control my facial expression.
He felt eyes on him and turned his head, and saw Johelia’s helmet pointed towards him.
The corners of Gobersan’s mouth, which had risen slightly, went down as if nothing had happened.
“Get to the scene quickly. You vicious pagans!”
Gobersan raised his voice and swung the mace he had received from the Inquisitor.
The helmet of the Knight of the Temple of Johelia was still looking at Mount Gober.
***
Gobersan clicked his tongue in rising regret.
As the guy reported earlier, the building collapsed, but there was no significant damage.
I couldn’t help but feel regretful because the statement, “It was dangerous enough to cause many casualties, but it was blocked” was more valuable than “It was blocked well.”
‘······Useless guys.’
Gobersan’s face was tense and determined, but he kept muttering curses inside.
If this were to happen, it would be clear that the harvest would be significantly less than the investment.
Cassidy’s response was better than I could have imagined. To this extent, I was grateful that the third one had burned down the synagogue.
‘Even if it’s a bit of a stretch…’
The only good thing was that the situation wasn’t completely over yet.
“Cardinal! Be careful!!”
A scream is heard from somewhere. And someone is jumping from a building.
Gobersan met the eyes of the jumping man. The emotion filled his eyes was fear.
Sure, it was a feeling a guy who fell from a building would have, but this was that guy.
These were people who did not give up their faith even when they were called heretics and faced the prospect of being burned to death if their true identity was discovered.
How can such people express fear?
‘It will rise again.’
Gobersan muttered as he watched the man falling towards him.
‘It will happen again.’
However, the phrase written after that was not originally a story.
This was the reason why Gobersan, as the fourth eldest son, felt that the Bible in Brighton was dangerous.
‘Don’t worry. I will show you the world you wanted to see.’
Gobersan laughed, bracing himself for the shock that would follow.
The Cardinal was seriously injured by the lax protection of the Inquisitor and the Knights Templar. But he stood up with the power of faith…
‘······hmm?’
It was then that Gobersan realized that there was no tongue in the man’s mouth.
Who cut it···.
‘······No, you just pulled it out?’
Without a tongue, one would not be able to speak, and so it was clear that one would not be able to recite spells.
then-.
Johelia swung her greatsword and the falling man was torn to pieces.
The man was holding a small piece of paper in his hand.
‘···paper?’
It was an order he had never given.
It didn’t feel good. Gobert’s sensitivity became even sharper.
Johelia, covered in blood, picked up the paper.
I didn’t feel good.
“This is heresy! The Temple Knights of Johelia! Don’t read this!”
Gobersan approached with a sharp shout.
Just as Gobert had no reason to listen to the orders of the Templar, the Templar did not listen to the orders of the Cardinal.
The yellow paper unfolded. Gobersan hurriedly struck Johelia’s hand.
Even though she could have easily avoided it, Johelia met him quietly.
A piece of paper flutters and falls from Johelia’s hand. What is written on the blood-stained paper is-.
‘I have dealt with the Abbot of Brighton as you said. Prepare a generous salary. What the…’
Gobersan was so dumbfounded for a moment that he coughed in vain.
‘You stupid third bastard!’
I was anxious when I left it to the third son, who was famous for his stupidity, but to have him report it like this!
Is the problem that we set the third one too high, or is the problem that we rushed things too much due to the pressure of the Bible?
Things took a strange turn.
Of course, there was no reason for a Cardinal like him to be suspected of being a mere heretic.
The position where one could lie down with a heretic woman without being suspected was that of a cardinal.
Plus, since the temple article was still attached, there was no need to be accused.
However, the thick helmet of Johelia that was looking at him kept getting on Gobersan’s nerves.
Gobersan’s eyes became sharp.
The shadow behind it became sharp like a thorn.
***
“Are you a knight?”
Dylan’s eyes widened at the question from the old man in front of him.
It was an old man I had seen before.
‘······Isn’t that the guy who beat up the ten-year-old?’
It was an old man I had encountered in another village. His appearance was so unique that I couldn’t forget him.
“Are you a knight?”
The old man asked again, his calm demeanor not befitting Cassidy’s at the moment.
No, it would have been expected for an old man to do that. He was a guy who played with the puppies like they were toys.
Dylan’s eyes lit up at the question.
‘Even though his appearance was a bit strange, it seemed like he was teaching swordsmanship to a young child.’
Judging by the general gist, the ‘article’ the old man was asking about seemed quite important.
‘···If I say I’m a knight, will you teach me how to use a sword?’
What if you learned swordsmanship from a guy who beat up a kid?
‘Me too, ten puppies?’
Dylan’s instinctive ambition reared its head.
“Yes, I······.”
However, the old man’s demeanor changed as soon as he spoke.
The corners of the mouth go up and the atmosphere becomes ugly.
‘I’m being pushed aside?!’
For a split second, Dylan felt death.
“It’s a scam!”
Dylan blinked as the sword stopped in front of his neck.
I didn’t even see any movement. I thought my eyes had opened to some extent after being hit by Aaron so much, but I couldn’t see anything just now.
When I opened my eyes, there was a sword in front of my neck as expected.
“······A fraud? What is that?”
The face of an old man who looks somewhat dissatisfied.
Dylan forced a smile, even though he was shaking with fear and pressure.
“Oh, you don’t know what a swindler is! In my hometown, people who make a living by deceiving others are called swindlers! In other places, they are called swindlers!”
My pants are cold, but that’s okay.
I knew from experience that if I left it alone, it would dry out.
“So······you’re a knight?”
The old man’s face became subtle. It seemed as if he was urging an answer.
Dylan’s head turned desperately-.
“No! Didn’t I say he was a fraud! A fraud!”
The knight hunter’s eyes narrowed at the vile-looking man’s answer.
“So… you’re a knight?”
“Hey, are you crazy? I said you’re a fraud! Fraud! Fraud!”
The knight hunter’s hands trembled with a similar feeling as when he had met that strange large creature.
