“…….”
The Demon Worshipper did not come any closer than a certain distance.
He merely stood still with his crimson robe pulled low.
It seemed he had roughly figured out what had happened here.
“Is it possible?”
After watching him for a long time, Arden checked his condition.
His strength did not return this time.
His internal injuries must have been quite serious.
Well, after fighting that much, it was about time something like this happened.
‘But I cannot let him leave like that.’
There was much he needed to learn by capturing that bastard.
Where their base was.
Whether they had caused trouble like this elsewhere… things like that.
He could think this way because he had fought the Black Mage supported by a Demon Worshipper.
‘What should I do?’
But there was nothing he could do in his current condition.
He did not know how strong that bastard was, and rushing in to fight barehanded carried too much risk.
Besides, if he ran to capture him, the bastard would quickly escape.
Even if the Holy Knight who had entered the forest joined them, it seemed close to impossible.
“Huu.”
Arden let out a frustrated sigh.
He had dismantled the bandit gang, but nothing had changed much.
At times like this, he wondered whether saying he would change the world was nothing more than arrogance.
Of course, if he were going to give up because of that, he would never have started in the first place.
“Hmm….”
It was just as Arden continued thinking.
Step. Step.
Contrary to expectations, the bastard did not flee and slowly began to approach.
The Temple members gathering the corpses also stopped their work when he came within a certain distance.
….
An uneasy silence descended over the field.
Everyone had vaguely realized it.
Who the person in that crimson robe was.
“Everyone, get ready.”
The middle-aged Holy Knight who had been in the forest also came outside, as though he had sensed something.
He already held throwing hand axes in both hands.
The old man who had guided Arden to the tent also took out the cross he had kept in his robe.
He muttered something as he prepared for battle.
“Anyone else able to fight?”
The Holy Knight asked as he wrapped his hand axes in Divine Power.
But few answered.
Only two.
Most of those who had come here were apprentice priests, so it could not be helped.
They could use simple healing magic, but they could only properly learn offensive magic after becoming priests.
“The two of you, stay beside the old man. The rest of you, hide.”
The Holy Knight said as he stepped forward.
Those who nodded moved in perfect order.
“My sword….”
Arden watched them, then looked for a weapon.
His body had not fully healed, but he was not incapable of wielding a sword.
He would be of some help.
“Can you manage?”
The Holy Knight asked Arden, who had already found a sword and returned to his position.
Arden clenched and unclenched his hand twice before answering.
“Yes. Easily.”
“Good. Do not overdo it. That old man is strong too.”
Arden nodded and turned his gaze.
The Demon Worshipper was already close enough to be right before them.
The pressure he gave off was stronger than the Minotaur’s.
True to the name Demon Worshipper, he seemed to have already completed a contract with a demon.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain the reddish skin slightly visible beneath his robe.
“Old man, is that a Demon Worshipper?”
The Holy Knight looked behind him and asked the old man holding a Holy Tome made of light.
“It seems so.”
“Any way to capture him?”
“I do not know yet. Judging from his skin, he seems to be one. Let us start by taking that robe off him.”
“Understood. Old man, do not die. You two either.”
“You fool, no one is dying here. Do not say such things.”
“Fine.”
The Holy Knight gave a faint smile at the old man’s words and walked forward.
Arden followed behind him, holding a sword with a dulled edge.
Then a question suddenly came to him.
‘Does saying that bastard seems familiar mean he has met one before?’
He felt important information was hidden in those words, but he had no way to know right now.
It seemed he would have to make the contract Kane had mentioned.
That was likely the only way to hear the details about Demon Worshippers.
Of course, he did not mean right now.
For now, he needed to focus on the bastard before him.
The closer he got, the more strongly he felt something sticky.
“Hup—!”
The instant the Holy Knight signaled Arden and was about to throw his hand axes—
The Demon Worshipper lifted his robe and revealed his face.
“…….”
Arden took in his appearance.
“Greetings.”
His eyes were long and narrow, while his skin was reddish just as Arden had seen.
Faint, fish-scale-like markings covered his cheeks.
In short, he had an appearance that was difficult to call human.
Even so, the bastard grinned.
“Greetings, Sir Holy Knight.”
Everyone froze at his sudden action.
Arden was no exception.
It had seemed like they were about to fight, yet suddenly this happened.
Unconcerned, the bastard looked over the surroundings and continued.
“As you know, I did not come here to fight. Let us not do this. Everyone, put your weapons away.”
“You crazy bastard, how are we supposed to believe that?”
“Exactly.”
The Holy Knight answered in a low voice. Arden beside him joined in.
The bastard nodded.
“That could be true. Then what should I do for you?”
“…Old man, do you not have a way?”
The Holy Knight did not respond to the bastard and immediately asked the old man behind him.
The old man thought for a while, then began slowly turning the pages of the Holy Tome made of light.
“Let me see…. You are one I have killed before. Put this on him and bring him along.”
At last, the old man tore out a page from the Holy Tome.
Then pure white manacles appeared in the air.
They floated up and dropped in front of the Holy Knight.
The Holy Knight picked up the manacles and spoke to the bastard.
“You will wear these. If you do not want to, we fight.”
“That is fine. I did not come intending to fight. Put them on.”
The Demon Worshipper shook his head, extended both arms, and took a step forward.
The Holy Knight sighed, approached him, and placed the manacles on him.
Sssssizzle!
“Ah. This hurts more than I expected.”
As the area around his wrists began to burn, the bastard frowned.
“Take them off if you can. But then we fight.”
“Forget it. Let us go quickly. At this rate, my wrists will fall off.”
“This bastard is completely insane.”
The Holy Knight frowned, dragged the bastard over, and made him kneel before the old man.
“Old man, what are we doing now?”
“If we are not going to kill him immediately, we should take him with us first. It seems that is what this bastard wants too. Am I wrong?”
“That is right. That is why I came. I have finally met someone who understands.”
“…We should bind him for now and move him once this is finished. Mel, let us prepare.”
“Old man, I told you not to call me Mel.”
“Mel, it cannot be helped. You are well past forty, yet you still look young.”
“…….”
Mel, the Holy Knight who had hung the hand axes at her waist, turned around.
She needed to quickly wrap up what had happened in the forest.
“Move quickly. The old man is tired.”
“Take it slowly. I am not tired.”
The old man shook his head, but the Holy Knight and the others moved quickly.
Thanks to that, everything was finished three hours later.
The corpses gathered in one place quickly burned and turned to ash.
The deep pits were filled in to some degree with dirt from nearby.
They also put all of the Black Mage’s belongings into a sealing device and set them aside.
“Old man, if things become dangerous, run immediately. I will handle it then.”
“Do not worry. It is not as though this is the first or second time I have seen one of these bastards….”
“I am saying it just in case.”
“You are worried again.”
“…Just follow me.”
After checking once more that they had not missed anything, they set out.
Their destination was Yucal.
Yucal was closer than going to where the High Priest was.
Furthermore, the Yucal branch had an interrogation room.
It had been used and then sealed during the Demon Worshipper purge that began immediately after the Emperor’s coronation.
“We will increase our speed.”
…After traveling for some time, Arden asked the old man.
“May I also learn about Demon Worshippers?”
“Of course. Is Sir Arden not a Holy Knight as well? You meet the conditions.”
The old man smiled faintly.
Arden moved a little closer to his side and continued.
“By the way, Kane said I need to make a contract… how do I do that?”
“Do not worry about the contract. Once we arrive in the city, I will tell you everything.”
“Is that all right?”
“Of course. Besides, once they begin their activities, they will spread the information themselves. Or they may already be working on it.”
“Ah… could it be?”
“It is exactly as you think. They intend to throw the continent into chaos by revealing the information the Temple has concealed.”
“Then cannot the Temple reveal it first?”
“No. The current Divine Emperor decided that, so there is no helping it. We can only prepare in our own way…. Still, do not worry. The Temple will win again this time.”
The old man’s face as he said this looked lonely.
***
Because it was a mobile tent, the four people, including Berua, arrived in Yucal without major difficulty.
As soon as they were moved to the intensive care room, the old man immediately took the Demon Worshipper underground.
Beside him were the blond priest and the red-haired priest he had chosen.
Mel and Arden, who had volunteered to guard them, followed behind.
The old man entered the interrogation room and murmured softly.
“It has been a long time since I have been here too….”
“…….”
Arden blinked and looked at the old man.
“Perhaps because it has not been used for decades, there is quite a lot of dust. Black blood used to flow here.”
The old man walked while looking around, then placed the Demon Worshipper in the center of the interrogation room, inside a Holy Magic Circle that had faded halfway.
Then he removed the manacles.
“I can finally live a little.”
The Demon Worshipper, left alone at the center, rubbed his wrists where the flesh had fused.
But no one answered him.
Even the old man merely walked elsewhere and rubbed the pure white sphere in the corner with his hand.
Wipe….
The sphere that had appeared pure white turned gold after only a few wipes.
All that white had been dust.
“I will begin.”
The old man poured Divine Power into the golden sphere.
Then the entire interrogation room shook.
Clunk!
Light entered the Holy Magic Circle.
WOOOOONG….
“Grrr….”
Once the magic circle activated, the Demon Worshipper inside groaned.
His entire body had begun to burn.
The old man brushed off his hands and returned to his place.
The six people, including Arden, surrounded the Demon Worshipper.
For some reason, the bastard found it amusing. Even as his flesh burned, he snickered.
Then Mel asked.
“Is this funny?”
“Yes, it is.”
“This bastard really is insane. Old man, what now?”
“Hmm….”
The old man stepped forward and asked the Demon Worshipper.
“Why did you allow yourself to be captured?”
“To declare war.”
“A declaration of war?”
“I never expected to meet you in that forest yesterday… but you would have found out soon anyway. That is why I allowed myself to be captured. To tell you beforehand.”
“Do you have anything else to say?”
The old man asked after hearing the Demon Worshipper’s words.
“No. The end will begin when you kill me. If you want to buy even a little time, you will need to move quickly.”
The bastard grinned and casually looked over the five people in the underground room.
However, his gaze lingered a little longer on the red-haired priest.
Only slightly….
Briefly enough that only Arden could notice.
Perhaps that was why.
It even felt as though they were exchanging words.
‘But he does not seem like a traitor….’
As far as Arden knew, one lost their power if they acted against the Temple’s doctrine from the moment they entered it.
Berua had told him that, so it should be certain.
Yet the red-haired priest possessed Divine Power.
That made the situation difficult to judge easily.
Perhaps Arden’s nerves were simply on edge because he had encountered a Demon Worshipper.
For now, Arden decided to think so.
“Hmm.”
Meanwhile, the old man stared at the bastard as though checking whether he was telling the truth, then let out a deep sigh.
“Huu. Mel, let us go. I had roughly expected it already, but we need to prepare quickly. That bastard is serious.”
“Old man. Do not worry too much.”
“Yes. You two, come as well. And Sir Arden… will you remain a little longer?”
“Yes. I will leave after a little while.”
“Understood. Never extinguish that light. I will explain about Demon Worshippers upstairs.”
“Yes.”
“Then…. The rest of you, follow me.”
“Wait, old man. Is it all right to leave that bastard alone? What if he suddenly gets out?”
“That is a needless concern, you fool. Watch carefully.”
The old man thrust his hand into the Holy Magic Circle.
Then he grabbed the Demon Worshipper by the neck and pulled him toward the outside of the circle.
Sssssizzle!
But rather than coming out, something blocked him, and his flesh began to cook.
Mel watched and murmured.
“So that is why you said we could leave him. He is completely blocked.”
“Yes. Even when this grandfather was active, not one bastard ever broke through that Holy Magic Circle. Do not worry so much.”
“Then that is fine. Let us go upstairs, old man.”
The four people disappeared in an instant.
Only then did Arden, left alone, look at the Demon Worshipper.
“Do you have something you want to say?”
“Black Mage.”
“What do you mean?”
Arden took out the notebook he had tucked inside his clothing.
“You are still going to say that even though it is written here?”
He turned its pages one by one and showed them to the bastard, then placed his finger on the part that contained the words Demon Worshipper.
“That son of a bitch did something unnecessary…. Did you kill him?”
As his tone changed, his eyes, which had been narrow all along, opened slightly.
Then crimson pupils split vertically looked Arden over.
Arden placed his hand on the sword at his waist and answered.
“Yes.”
“Then you must have seen everything long ago. What do you want to hear from me?”
“The other Black Mages. There must be more than the bastard who was in the forest.”
“Did you think I would tell you even that?”
“No.”
Arden shook his head.
“Then….”
“That is right. I only need to know there are more. I will find them all and kill them.”
At first, he thought he might learn something if the bastard allowed himself to be captured so readily.
But after hearing what he had said here, Arden changed his mind.
He only needed to know there were more.
“Do you think that is possible?”
“Easily.”
“You are a ridiculous bastard.”
The Demon Worshipper dragged his blackened hand across the floor.
“Do your best. I hope we meet again soon. Tell me then how many you killed.”
The Demon Worshipper grinned and wrapped his hand in black flames.
Then he spread them over his entire body.
The bastard looked at his own body blazing fiercely and brought his hand to the magic circle carved into the floor.
Sssssssssizzle!
His scales burned, then even his flesh melted.
Even as his finger bones were exposed, he did not stop.
The bastard forcibly tore off part of the magic circle from the floor and drove it into his chest.
“Gaaaaaaaaaah!”
A scream of pain struck Arden’s eardrums.
SSSSSSSSSS!
Once it made direct contact with Divine Power, he did not burn.
He merely evaporated slowly from the tips of his toes.
At the same time, crimson smoke spread and a metallic smell filled the underground room.
Arden frowned and reached out.
He intended to stop him.
It seemed dangerous to leave him as he was.
“Gaaaaah! Do you think you can touch me!”
The bastard shouted at Arden, tears of blood streaming down his face.
The black flames covering his body now could burn even Divine Power.
Bare flesh would be even more hopeless.
It would melt to the bone in an instant.
But contrary to the Demon Worshipper’s expectations—
“I can.”
Arden grabbed the bastard’s hand without any problem.
Even the black flames on the part Arden held went out.
The Demon Worshipper stared at Arden with disbelief in his eyes.
“……?”