Chapter 136: The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (20)
He had said to deal with the mystery-wielder first, but he never expected him to deal with it so mindlessly and immediately!
The mage Agpiel was simply flabbergasted. Of course, that didn't mean he forgot what he had to do.
-Thud!
The mage Agpiel tapped his staff and drew up the magic of the forest. It was to push back the budding evil mystery and draw up courage.
“The one who appeared to be the leader is dead, but the small fry still remain! You must kill them all so there is no future trouble.”
“I know. Mage Agpiel!”
Shatien shouted as he cut down a priest who was just about to flee.
“Kill all the cultists! If they escape alive, the whole area will be in chaos!”
“Wait! I am a vassal who eats the stipend of Count Joberham and a noble who owns a manor nea... Urghh.”
Shatien swung his sword before the words grew long. It could be called cold-blooded, but he was still a member of the cult. Letting him live would be a burden at best, and it was a relief if he didn't hold them back for years to come.
“Excellent!”
Mage Agpiel nodded as if satisfied with that cold judgment.
“It's nearly impossible to get a ransom from a bastard like that anyway. He's already deeply entangled with the cult, so how could he be released?”
The end for a cultist was the execution dock or the stake. Especially for such an ancient cultist.
“Besides, since he even mentioned Count Joberham’s name, you have to make sure there is no aftermath.”
“I thought the same. He should've just said he'd surrender instead of that...”
Shatien clicked his tongue.
The man probably tried to survive by asserting the authority of the noble he served, but think about it. If it was known he was involved with such terrible cultists, what would happen to that noble's honor?
It would be a horrifying matter for Count Joberham. Furthermore, there were monastery knights around right now. If this matter reached the Bishop's ears, he might report it to the Church, thinking this was his chance.
Meanwhile, the mage Agpiel began to search the body of the high priest, whose abdomen had been pierced and was now dead.
“By the way, did anything useful come out? Mage Agpiel.”
“Nothing in particular.”
He had been expecting something, but there really was nothing much.
“Just a book containing the sinister spells of the cult that would have someone hunted for life if they learned it, and a few gold pieces. Tsk.”
In a way, it was just like an ancient cult that hadn't been able to expand its influence properly until now. They would've been busy fleeing to avoid persecution, so how could they have had time to gather wealth?
It was a consolation that he at least obtained the cult's spellbook which contained mystery.
Of course, that spellbook looked very bad in the eyes of the mage Agpiel.
“These bastards, no wonder they were persecuted as a cult since the era of the Ancient Empire...”
Mage Agpiel clicked his tongue. It was because the contents written in the spellbook were excessively bizarre.
How to take life force from living beings through pain and anger.
And how to store and use that life force, and so on...
Every single part was full of insane contents to anyone. But among them, there was something even more horrific...
“These bastards really aren't just your average crazy people, are they?”
Shatien, who had approached and was glancing at the spellbook, frowned just like the mage Agpiel.
The spellbook he had just seen described a way to create a meat monolith using human bodies.
It was called the messenger of the great god of flesh, but to anyone, it was a horrific biological monolith.
“Do you think these bastards were trying to make this? This squirming evil mystery looks unusual.”
“I don't know. We'll have to search the rest to find out. But what's certain is that there's no need for you to see this.”
Saying that, the mage Agpiel snapped the spellbook shut.
“One who deals with mystery must be careful of mystery's attraction. Especially so if you're specialized in analysis like you. Evil mystery uses that to bewitch people. The smarter one is, the more their soul gets sucked into the evil mystery without them even knowing.”
“Mm. I'll be careful.”
And while they were talking like that.
“M-Mage! Captain!”
A mercenary discovered a certain compartment and ran over with a pale face, shouting.
“What is it?”
“Ugh, blech. I think you need to come quickly. Bleghhhh.”
* * *
What the mercenary discovered was the meat monolith he had seen in the cult's spellbook earlier. Perhaps because the high priest died while it was being made, the spell itself had already ended, but the problem was that the main material of the meat monolith was people.
The compartment for creating the meat monolith was a literal sea of blood.
A sea of blood made of corpses.
“These crazy bastards!! I shouldn't have killed them so easily. These lunatics!!”
“Bleghhhh. Oh god! Ughh!”
Miles and the mercenaries who saw it were all filled with indignation. Indeed, anyone would have to think that way upon seeing that bizarre lump of flesh made by piece-mealing people together with evil mystery.
“It's a huge relief. I wonder what kind of power it would've shown if it had been completed...”
“As far as I know, there are records of facing meat monoliths in ancient books, but it would've been absolutely impossible for just us. It was a stroke of luck. That you killed that high priest immediately. Looking at it, it seems there wasn't much left until completion.”
Mage Agpiel said that as if he was sickened.
No matter if it was called the strongest mystery in their spellbook, the single will that moved to realize this was truly bizarrely horrific and impressive. To think they were bastards who didn't care about such means and methods for their goal.
“What on earth were they trying to do by making that?”
“Maybe they were trying to re-establish the cult using this city as a base... or maybe they were going to sell it to Count Joberham.”
“To Count Joberham?”
“Yes. Is he not on bad terms with the nearby Bishop? Furthermore, this northern region is a place where the Church's power is uniquely weak... It's also a place where the northern faith that has come down from the past still remains.”
It was a statement that made sense on one hand, but it was flabbergasting to Shatien, who knew the political climate of the north.
‘Did they not know what kind of power the northern rebels were?’
It was a time when the rebellion that arose due to old northern culture, religion, and persecution had been suppressed, and the power of Viscount Ragnarsson was at its height. Would Count Joberham be crazy enough to join hands with a power like the one the rebels claimed?
In a way, their future was practically predicted.
“Still, it'll be quite a nice gift for Count Joberham. And for you too.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I'm talking about that troublemaking youngest son.”
“Ah?”
“It's better to package it as him dying while fighting against evil pagans than saying he died fighting mediocre goblins.”
“And considering the shape of the meat monolith, it's also convenient to disguise his corpse?”
“That's right.”
Since the damaged body could be blamed on the meat monolith, it would be a natural transition.
“Then I'll have someone prepare secretly right away.”
“Well, I like that you aren't closed-minded in this regard. Though... it doesn't feel very good to have to roll one's brain like this over such a horrific tragedy.”
“Still, do the living not come first? Mage Agpiel. We have saved many more people.”
“Listen to you talk.”
Mage Agpiel let out a smirk. As Shatien said, it was true that they had saved many more people.
And furthermore...
“Um, Sage? You should take a look at this.”
There was something else that was quite decent.
“What is it?”
“I found an altar that's heavily contaminated, but no matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem ordinary.”
“Oho? Really? Let's take a look.”
They had discovered another altar of the pagan temple that the cultists had ruined.
* * *
The reactions to the news of the cultist subjugation, which was faster and in a way more sudden, were varied.
First, the elven knights who had come along.
“No, Sir! How could you not go with us for such a thing? I am disappointed.”
“Aaaaah. To not be together for that incredible achievement. It is so sad. Sir! Please call us for sure next time.”
As always, the elven knights were being elven knights.
“To think such an impious thing happened!”
“We must inform the Church immediately and dispatch a consecration priest.”
“By the way, as expected of Sir Shatien. I shall spread word of Sir Shatien's piousness far and wide. In fact, I have already sent word of what has happened to the Bishop. Oh God. Bless this holy knight!”
The monastery knights were still denouncing the matter solely through faith without any political perspective.
To inform the Bishop and the Church and bring priests and an army to purify this place... those were truly dizzying claims just to hear.
‘Do these people not think about the consequences?’
Count Joberham had already called for the mage Agpiel.
The traces of such cultists were more than enough for Agpiel, called the Sage of the Forest, to purify.
In such a situation, to have sent knights without permission and now move the Church's forces?
Those were claims at a level where it was a relief Count Joberham didn't lose his temper and take their heads.
“Haha... please calm down. Is reporting to Count Joberham not the priority? Besides, as for the purification part, the mage Agpiel, the Great Sage of the Forest, is personally managing the pagan temple anyway. You don't need to worry. Brothers.”
“Hmm... if it is the Great Sage of the Forest, it is certainly plausible.”
“Is he not a mage recognized by the Holy See?”
“Certainly.”
Only then did the monastery knights take a step back. It was a very fortunate moment for Shatien.
‘They are beings as bothersome as the elven knights.’
Shatien clicked his tongue inwardly and immediately sent word to Count Joberham.
The story about dealing with the goblins and normalizing the village was naturally expected, but the hidden inside story, the cultist descent ritual and the matter of blocking it, was truly shocking.
It was because everyone thought it was a curse that occurred at the pagan temple, and no one thought that everything until now was something cultists had manipulated from behind.
Thanks to that, the vassals of Count Joberham began to praise the results with joyful faces.
“Lord Count! Congratulations.”
“Indeed. Thanks to the Lord Count's insight, the matters that occurred until now were resolved, and simultaneously, the revival of the cult was blocked.”
“We showed that arrogant Bishop Bermen and the Church a thing or two. They won't dare to look down on us after this.”
How much had Bishop Bermen and the Church interfered with Count Joberham until now?
The vassals felt like an aching tooth had been pulled. They should pay the price for recklessly moving the monastery knights and failing to properly block the rise of the cult. Of course, Count Joberham's thoughts were elsewhere.
“Ah. Yes. It's a very good thing. But... you say the body of the youngest child was discovered?”
“Yes. They say it seems he led his own vassals and fought against the cultists. He was discovered in that hideous meat monolith...”
“A-Ahem.”
“Ahem...”
Even as they spoke, the vassals glanced at each other. You couldn't exactly speak pleasantly of a blood relative's death.
But the eyes of Count Joberham sparkled.
‘Interesting. Did they not say he was of mercenary birth? To think he would save my face. Haha.’
The son who died dishonorably...
Had returned with honor more brilliant than anyone else's.
At least the honor of the son and the family would shine more brilliantly.