Chapter 51. Where the Crows Wait

Paladin, Priest, and Heretic Inquisitor.
Ferocious Tooth that scanned the surroundings let out a low breath. It was difficult for people who did not know the language of the Lizardman to tell the difference from the harsh breathing sounds. It was perfect for a secret conversation.
“What are they? Those men have a strong smell of blood.”
“It’s the temple’s army chasing the same enemy.”
“Then why are you so wary?”
“Because there is an Inquisitor involved.”
When it comes to heresy inquisitors of Sanctus Populi, in a sense, they carried more demonic notoriety than the demon itself.
There were all sorts of bloody backstories when talking about them, and sometimes people feared them more than the devil.
Sacred nail plucking, righteous water torture, faith ironing.
They were already famous for their continuous torture technique while perfectly healing the opponent with their overflowing divine power. Each time they tortured someone, they read a verse of the scriptures, yet people said they had never read the shortest scripture. Before they finished praying, everyone would ‘repent’.
Ivan said with a frown on his forehead.
“The Heretic Inquisitor will never act recklessly. If they moved, they must see the results.”
Originally, Sanctus Populi did not have a hierarchical relationship with the nobility. Still, most of the Continental people were members of the Sanctus Populi nine denominations. Even if it was branded as a heretic, even a noble person could have his head cut off.
Therefore, the movement of the heretic inquisitor was a matter of considerable resistance even for the nobles. In itself, the political aftermath was strong, so they wouldn’t show up just in vain.
‘By the way, the Kundara Temple is in charge of this, but they asked the Temple of Arun why he is here. Is it like a battle of strength between the Sanctus Populi Temples?’
Since the Temple of Arun builds one in the Roman Kingdom, it seems that there was a political deal that the Kundara Temple would build one too.
He said that he might be connected to a demon worshiper, and he thought that he would pressure the nobility and increase the power of the Kundara Temple.
‘But is it just that? Suspiciously, Ivan carefully carved a rune into the floor with his heel. He thus infused his magical powers and rubbed his feet, wiping out his traces.
It was difficult to keep others unnoticed, fortunately it worked. It was the result of Ferocious Tooth that received Ivan’s signal to distract their gaze.
“I want to wash in hot water! I want to polish my scales! My tail is itchy!”
It was a content that would have caused laughter to Ivan, who could understand Lizardman’s language but felt very intimidating to others. As the Lizardman hissed violently and raised his tail, they couldn’t help but flinch. (dlazarturead(dot)wordpress(dot)com)
The paladins raised their vigilance and raised their weapons. But there was no battle, just staring at each other. In the meantime, the conversation between Delfino and Pierre Lorraine was going on.
“The party seems excited.”
“Because we were attacked all of a sudden. Isn’t it natural that the excitement hasn’t subsided yet?”
“I apologize again for that.”
Delfino, who was having a conversation like that, glanced behind him and stopped talking.
“Under this circumstance, we must leave as soon as possible. I can’t stand the thought that these guys are still moving away from us.”
At that, Pierre Lorraine looked into Delfino’s eyes and nodded slowly.
“All right. We will also follow them quickly after checking the traces.”
As Pierre Lorraine waved his hand, the paladins took a step back and made a way. The party hurried out of the place and got on the wagon they had hidden.
“He was a heretic inquisitor, a man I didn’t want to see again.”
When Ivan said that, Delfino smiled bitterly.
“The rumors are horrendous, but the Inquisitors aren’t all that scary. In fact, the Inquisitors need to be more neutral than anyone else. They are people who really have to make cool-headed decisions. More often than not, we work as an Inquisitor rather than as a terrifying torture engineer, as is widely known.”
“Still, it’s too much like what I imagined.”
Even Delfino did not deny it.
“Well, there are people like that.”
Irene snorted and lit the tobacco pipe on fire.
“They’re moving too slowly.”
“Still, they’re putting pressure on the nobles, so the Knights Templar are moving.”
“Thanks to that, the enemies are moving more secretly and performing rituals on a small scale, and if we can’t catch them, there’s no point. They’re just muddying the water.”
“There are limitations to conducting ceremonies on a small scale. So the efficiency goes down. Even if you repeat it dozens of times, it will not be enough, but they will be caught before that.”
“I’m sure these guys can’t stand it and come out one day. But, do you mean we have to wait until then? Even when I’m an elf, I can’t be that relaxed.”
Sueup, hoo-.
As Irene blew the long puffs of her tobacco smoke, one of her pigeons, flapping in the distance, flew to her and sat down. On the pigeon’s legs was a small wooden barrel, inside there was a rolled up paper.
“Homing pigeon, that’s the old way.”
As Ivan mumbled that, Irene said sarcastically.
“Elves live long. For humans, the old method is familiar to us. And keep in mind that sometimes the old method may be the most sophisticated, warrior of Asgard. Your crow has been caught, but this has not.”
Irene frowned as she skimmed what appeared to be just a white piece of paper to others.
“It’s hard to find the traces because they’re messing around with it. Let’s go west first. They seem to have gone that way.”
As Pierre Lorraine was looking in the direction they disappeared for a long time, a paladin next to him asked carefully.
“Is it okay if we let them go like this?”
Pierre Lorraine’s eyes moved very slowly and looked at the paladin at those words. It was a dull look that did not feel much emotion, but the paladin was startled.
“Then should we have stopped them? The priest of Arun, who is on a mission?”
“That….”
When the paladin shut his mouth, Pierre Lorraine also shut his mouth. He was thinking of a wizard who seemed to be the leader of that party.
“That wizard, his movements were a bit unusual.”
As he murmured like that, one paladin, whom he had bumped into directly, nodded her head.
“He was hiding his skills. He looked like a wizard, but his movements were closer to a warrior. He was wearing an eye patch on one eye, but he reacted quickly to attacks from the blind spot.”
Hearing those words, Pierre Lorraine’s eyes deepened a little.
“It’s unusual. The priest is with people like that?”
He could feel the divine power of Norse gods in the wizard with one eye covered. The Lizardman must have been a follower of Morna, the snake god, and the woman holding the bow must have been a hidden elf. A silent race that lost their god and dared to create a god.
They were not heretics to be judged, yet all of them are heretics. Those who worship ambiguous gods, whether they are evil or not. In many ways, it was a difficult opponent for Pierre Lorraine.
Pierre Lorraine, who had brushed off the thoughts of those who passed by, looked at the Paladins and Priests.
The expressions on their faces as they searched the basement were not good. The bloodstains all over the place reminded me of a gruesome scene.
“How about some traces?”
“They ended up making sacrifices to the demons they worship.”
“Any other intentions?”
“Is this still a trick?”
“I don’t think so.”
I don’t know, I’m not sure, I can’t confirm.
Pierre Lorraine raised his head after hearing the negative answer for a while. A fierce emotion flowed from his calm eyes as if on fire.
“It doesn’t matter what they do while wandering around. But we must find the lost relics first. No matter what!”
“Ivan!”
Delfino exclaimed in surprise. It was because blood suddenly gushed out of Ivan’s eye patch.
drip-.
Ivan was not surprised when the leather eye patch was wet with blood. He calmly wiped the blood off, pulled out a new eye patch, and put it on.
And calming the others who looked at them anxiously, he chanted a spell lowly.
“Hrafnfreistuór.”
In the Norse language, ‘the one who examines the great raven’. His magical language soon became magic. A black crow appeared from the ground soaked by his blood and sat on his shoulder.
Ivan, who had been quietly listening to Muninn whispering, suddenly looked at Iraine.
“I don’t think my crow was caught twice.”
It was the magic of someone who was considered one of the first to secretly spy around all kinds of worlds. Even if it was caught once, it can’t be caught in vain twice.
When Ivan said so confidently, the corner of Irene’s mouth, biting the pipe, slightly went up.
“Yeah, you’re really talented.”
“Next time, let’s check your skills.”
Ivan asked, rubbing his throbbing eyes.
“I don’t think the Inquisitor came here just to play politic. Do you know anything about the Lost Relic? It sounds like they’re looking for it.”
At those words, Delfino tilted his head.
“Well, there are so many legends like that. Do you have any other clues?”
“I didn’t hear much.”
“Well, if it’s a lost relic. The most famous story in this area is probably the Red Goblet. It is a holy relic that lends strength equal to the weight of the blood received from the cup.”
“Blood? It doesn’t feel like a holy thing at all.”
“Blood is the essence of life and a symbol of sacrifice. So, about 600 years ago, Albert Holm, the red-blooded saint..”
A long and tedious explanation ensued, but Ivan snorted in one ear and traced his memory. Not Muninn’s memory, but really in his own memory.
For some reason, he felt something probing.
‘The devil, the ruined castle, the holy relics, the red goblet, did Irene say they moved west?’
Ivan, who was muttering a few keywords, unfolded the map. Then he looked at it for a while and then pointed to a place.
“Here, what is here?’”
“I know it’s just a rocky mountain now.”
“Then what was there before? Around the same time as the ruined castle.”
Irene looked down at the map and snorted.
“The City of Exile, the underground fortress of resistance.”
Hearing that, Ivan let out a sigh.
“Yeah, it will be here.”
Bloody Tear Underground fortress.
A place where a man who was once a hero awakened from rest and wielded the power of the devil while holding a corrupted relic.
A long time ago, Ivan nodded, recalling old memories that were different from now.
“Maybe we can move one step ahead.”
The group that had set a goal moved on. Quickly at the shortest distance.
Irene seemed quite dissatisfied with Ivan’s seemingly ruthless behavior without grounds, but she didn’t stop him. She wanted to believe in the singularity chosen by the World Tree.
The underground fortress of resistance was a place where the last decisive battle was fought as a country fell hundreds of years ago. A place where a fortress was built by digging into a rocky mountain, and where resistance movements were held for decades. (dlazarturead(dot)wordpress(dot)com)
As time passed, all the people died and disappeared, and only the fortress they had built remained with unknown monsters occupying the place where the owner disappeared.
“Are you really going to go into this place? No matter how much you think about it, it seems like you’re going to the wrong place.”
Finally, Iraine once again expressed his concerns, but Ivan did not overthrow his decision.
tock tock.
Ivan, who tapped his own eye patch, said.
“I’m betting my eye on it. I didn’t come here because I suddenly wanted to tour the old ruins, so don’t worry.”
Flap!
croak-
The crows leaped and flew over the rocky mountain. They led him down the path of blood, death, and gloomy glory.