133. God, Religion, and Tricks (1)
“Then I know you are making a report like that.”
Seeing Cain disappearing in the distance, the chief gave a blank face.
“Chuu, shall we go?”
For a long time, there was no answer to the knight’s question.
The words Cain had left seemed to still ring in my ears.
“Give a report. A person named Evan from Supreme Security seems to have a clue as to the identity of the Blue Serpent Boss.”
I couldn’t even read what he was doing or what he was thinking.
* * *
Two vehicles crossed the wilderness and headed for Area 33.
Estelle, who took the steering wheel, was wearing sunglasses.
“So I thought I was definitely an enemy. There are a lot of people running around in the office building, and the employees are terrified.”
“… It didn’t escalate into a big fight, so I won’t give any punishment. Be lucky that both of them ended up with a broken bone.”
Silver Fang, who had his arms crossed in the back seat, said.
“If we fight again, I can win. I was just pushed because I wasn’t used to using mana yet.”
His arm was wrapped in a fracture bandage.
Estelle looked back and gently lowered her sunglasses. A shallow scratch was revealed next to the corner of the eye.
“So? Do you want to fight again?”
Estelle arrived at Area 47 yesterday and headed to the Supreme Security office.
As I made my way back down the hallway to Cain’s office, I found a wolf beast pushing one of the staff against the wall.
A wound on the body that appears to have occurred relatively recently. An employee trembling in fear in front of him.
It’s an intruder!
To be honest, it was true that I was happy at the moment.
“After all, I, who plays the role of a shield, should be right next to this person.”
“The enemy has entered the middle of the building, but what are the guards doing? Milsian-sama as well.”
She pulled out her mace, and soon a small fight broke out.
Silver Fang growled, recalling the memories of yesterday.
“However much. And I repeat, I was just asking the way. The building was so complex, I couldn’t find a way out.”
“Then you should have asked the staff kindly. It’s not like I’m asking with a look that’s likely to kill people.”
“My eyes are like this.”
“Then fix it.”
Silver Top gave strength to his eyes and glared at Estelle. Estelle also stared at him without losing.
The reason she was uncomfortable was that Silverfang called herself ‘Cain’s escort’ yesterday.
“… Both of you stop. Estelle, look ahead and drive. Because I don’t want to experience the experience of a car crashing into a rock and floating in the air.”
Cain spoke softly.
“Silverfang, when you came to see me, I definitely told you to contact me in advance.”
“I think that was wrong. I will try to get used to the tools used by humans.”
Silver Fang said in a slightly dazed voice.
“Estelle, if you were a Silver Top enemy in common sense, wouldn’t the atmosphere of the employees passing by in the hallway be different?”
“… That’s right. I was a little excited… No, I misjudged the situation.”
Estelle also said in a calm voice.
“This work is planned to move as quietly as possible, so we have organized the minimum number of people.”
Cain, Estelle, and the four gray wolves who had established a circuit with Silverfang were all in the party.
Except for Leica, the remnants of the Blue Serpent in District 33 were judged to be sufficient.
“Both of them are escorts I have recognized. Don’t let them ignore each other.”
“I know.”
“i get it.”
The mood calmed down and Estelle concentrated on driving again. Soon the outskirts of District 33 were visible.
She recalled a nostalgic face in the cathedral in the center of the district.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Elder Utahs.’
Priest Adele, the gifted priest who took him away from the back alley. His close friend was Utahs.
How many tears were shed when Priest Adele died in an accident while on duty.
He was a respectable person, and as a result, he is now serving as an elder in charge of a church in a district.
“Wait, is there something strange over there?”
Near the outskirts, black priests and monstrous demon masks were burning goats.
Keeek-! Kik-!
The painful cries of the goats came all the way here.
Masked men circled around with strange murmurs resembling incantations.
“Heresy… ? Cultist… ?”
Estelle muttered involuntarily at the grotesque sight.
“Didn’t you humans have only one religion? It doesn’t look like a ritual to summon a goddess.”
It was as Silverfang said.
The only religion allowed on the continent was the Order of the Goddess Teyumesa.
Sometimes the pagans grew like mold, but all of them were nothing more than mongrels.
One of the guards turned his head when he heard the sound as a vehicle passed by the ceremonial site.
Cain’s eyes met.
horned devil’s eye socket,
The gloomy eyes you see beyond it.
Cain felt an ominous foreboding.
It was an animal-like feeling that had never been greatly displaced.
The vehicle entered the city.
The scenery of District 33 was not much different from other places.
Except for the demon-masked cultists who casually roam the streets.
“Did you say it would take a while to find Leica’s hideout?”
“okay. It seems that the first priority is to understand the atmosphere of the area. Silverfang, first find a shelter and wait.”
“i get it.”
Silverfang got out of the car and disappeared to the other side of the street with the gray wolf.
Estelle continued to drive.
The number of cultists decreased as they moved towards the city center, but did not disappear completely.
“An alternative number… . This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered a cultist, but it’s the first time I’ve seen him wander around like this.”
It was the same with Cain.
Because none of the main settings he crafted were about a cultist wearing a demon mask.
The car went up the hill.
A towering cathedral appeared, overlooking the entire city to some extent.
As soon as they entered, the religious paintings engraved on the walls overwhelmed the viewer.
“There is no one. It’s usually crowded with visitors even outside of worship hours… .”
Passing between the neatly arranged funeral directors, we headed towards the front of the church.
An old man in a priest’s robe was praying under the huge statue of the goddess.
The stained glass at the back illuminates the colorful light, creating a reverent atmosphere.
The old man’s eyes widened after he finished praying.
“Estelle… ?”
He rubbed his eyes once in disbelief and smiled brightly.
Tears welled up around the eyes of the two hugging each other. After a thrilling moment of reunion, the distance widened.
“How many years has this been? You’ve become a lady.”
“It’s been a while. Priest Utahs. No, you are now an elder.”
Afterwards, the two had a brief conversation about each other’s current situation.
“I see. that you took a long vacation But this one… ?”
As Estelle was about to open her mouth, Cain answered first.
“Hannibal. It’s a mercenary. While Estelle is away from work, we are traveling the continent together.”
Second fake identity after Evan.
His face had already been changed to that of another man in his twenties.
“nice to meet you. It’s called Utahs. May God’s grace be with you.”
With a warm smile, Yutas held out his hand. Numerous scars hinted at the hard life he had to go through.
Kwok-
As I nodded my head and shook my hand, I felt an innocent grip.
After the handshake, Utahs smiled contentedly at Cain.
A face as if looking at her daughter’s lover who passed the exam.
His eyes, looking at young men and women alternately, were filled with subtle expectations and joy.
“Please take good care of Estelle. When I was young, I was a tomboy and had a lot of trouble, but as I grew up, I got a lot better. There was even a time when I secretly drank the Archbishop’s alcohol at my coming-of-age ceremony… .”
“No, what are you talking about right after we met after a long time?”
Estelle groaned. Her face was red with embarrassment.
Cain stared intently at Utah’s octagonal necklace. Then I got to the point.
“The atmosphere on the street was not unusual.”
“Oh, you mean them?”
The smile disappeared from Yutas’s face.
“These are the cultists who have recently appeared. It seemed like a no-brainer, but it quickly grew to hundreds of people.”
His expression was even more serious.
“I don’t think it’s wrong to believe in a god other than Goddess. There is freedom of religion. But I think it would be wrong to deceive good citizens into serving the devil.”
It was a deep voice.
You must have made a lot of effort to chase away the cultists.
“Even on the outskirts of the city, they were openly performing ritual-like acts. Are the police not responding?”
“The local police came, but to no avail. Among the cultists, there were a lot of people who could handle mana, so it was not easy to suppress it with force.”
Estelle also made a serious face.
While with Cain, her piety faded, but her hostility to the cult was deeply ingrained in her unconscious.
Cain asked.
“For a simple socializing, the rituals were quite sophisticated. The number of people you see on the street is not too many.”
“Yes. I haven’t seen it in person, but I’m told that the teacher’s speech is very good.”
Rumors are spreading quickly through the mouths of those who became prisoners after attending the meeting.
It was the moment when the trust in God that had been built up until now was completely destroyed and new eyes were opened.
“That’s why there were so few people in the church. Did you contact the denomination?”
Utahs nodded.
“The Inquisitors are coming from the capital. I hope there shouldn’t be many people who bleed… .”
His worried eyes must have been directed at good citizens who had fallen into sociability.
After asking a few questions, Cain and Estelle left the church.
I met a believer who was entering the church, and soon I heard a conversation from behind.
“Father, I’m sorry. Can a poor person like me listen to the word of God without giving like this every time? .”
“Raise your head. Didn’t I say money isn’t important? As long as you believe in and follow God, that is enough.”
As I stepped out the door, I saw a landscape unfolding beneath the hill.
“He just had four marks on the back of his hand.”
“It must have been hard to see because it was covered with a sleeve, but he has good eyesight.”
A mark given according to the level of devotion and contribution to the denomination.
In general, up to five can be given, and it was known that he could use divine magic with power proportional to the number.
“Looking at his hands, he probably wasn’t the type of person who would only hold Mass in the church.”
“Right. When you were young, you were active as a heretic inquisitor. He was quite famous within the denomination.”
Estelle grabbed Cain’s hem. Cain turned his head.
“I know you’ll be fine, but it’s good that you don’t find out that you’re a warlock. The Inquisitors are a group of people who have mastered how to deal with wizards. It’s more like a professional hunter, so to speak.”
Her eyes fluttered with anxiety.
“It’s good to treat my horse disease, but if things don’t work out, it’s okay to postpone it until later. I hate to hurt you.”
Cain looked at Estelle for a moment and said.
“Be careful not to cause any concern.”
I agree that the Inquisitor is a dangerous being.
Because they had been researching warlocks for a long time, their personalities were clearly different from the enemies they had before.
“I am wearing a necklace that hides the mana circuit, so there is no need to worry about being caught by the detection equipment. Unless you reveal your magic first.”
At Cain’s words, Estelle gave a slightly relieved face.
“It was said that in order to cure the demons, you have to destroy something in this place. It doesn’t matter. Breaking and breaking is my specialty.”
As if holding a mace in her hand, she swung her arms in the air.
“okay. You have to break it.”
Cain’s gaze turned far beyond the outskirts.
A magnificent ‘wall’ that crosses over to the 20th division and a tens of meters high statue of a goddess standing in the wilderness.
All around her were tents and tents pitched by cultists. Priests circled around the bonfire.
It was as if an unknown murmur was coming from here.