The Blood Knight’s Villains

My Villains Chapter 243

49. Visitors (6)

The three horsemen sent by Lionel III began to take control of Modos as soon as the soldiers unpacked their luggage in the lodgings.

He absorbed the vigilantes, organized a garrison, identified the number and composition of households, distributed empty fields, and opened a market in the square. In the process, most of the work we were doing was taken away, so the party and the mercenaries were able to spend leisurely days.

Ellen continued experimenting with alchemy and practicing magic as before, Utequai climbed the watchtower and drew pictures, and Haila disposed of the loot and supplies she had collected while buying supplies for the trip.

The mercenaries took a break by lounging around in the guild hall, or drank at the ‘Singing Black Bunting’, a tavern. Some even went to the main rewarders with heavy money bags and enjoyed all the ‘services’ they provided.

In the meantime, I’ve been suffering from the priests for the third day already.

right after breakfast.

I headed to a church that was in the midst of restoration.

Following the guidance of the cathedral knight, I entered the confinement room next to the chapel, where two monks were waiting for me, as they had been for the past two days.

“May the protection of light be with you. Welcome, Sir Phoenix.” A brief greeting was followed by a series of questions.

“Please describe in detail the circumstances of your meeting with Count Martianber.”

How many times have you asked this question? six times? no seven times?

“…from the beginning?”

“yes. Sir please.”

The two monks sitting across the table belonged to the Order of Norrick.

The Norrick Monastery is mainly in charge of serving the border lord, censoring books, and interrogating heretics. The two monks in front of me were also unreasonable beings, contrary to their neat and gentle impressions.

“……Whoa.”

okay. I was now being interrogated on behalf of the party.

I looked at the monks in turn before opening my mouth.

“Um, during my trip, I stopped by a place called Oressa Tavern. There I met Count Martian Ver.”

“Wait. Where was the destination of your trip?”

Originally, our primary goal was to catch the spell thief Saitz hiding here, but we couldn’t tell the truth. It was a situation where he had to protect the sights until Ellen’s frame was cleared.

“…I was planning to go through ‘Antrum’ and go to Seteniora Monastery. The final destination was Prince Ulkar in the Western Highlands.”

“Then why did you stop by Raven’s Cliff?”

“I was curious because I heard a lot of strange rumors.”

“Why did you stop by Oressa Bar?”

“I missed a bed where I could escape the cold wind and early morning dew. As a bonus, I filled my stomach with beer and roll pie…

Next, the scene of the old knight Sir Niterbellam appearing with his wives followed. It is a story that has been repeated several times already, so it flows smoothly without any blockage.

The two monks listened to my voice as they glanced at the parchment filled with letters. I often asked this and that, but all of them were repetitions of previous questions.

It’s pretty damn persistent. Is it because the count, the great lord, died?

The interrogation, which continued after lunch was skipped, was concluded by the time the early winter sun was setting. The two monks left me in the closet and disappeared for a while, then reappeared with ambiguous faces.

“This is the end of the interrogation, Sir Phoenix. I will never forget my service to the Lord.”

“…yes? Does that mean I don’t have to come out here anymore?”

“That’s right.”

I felt so uncomfortable that I couldn’t get out of bed.

“Has my innocence been proven?”

“…How can you say that? We have never suspected you of guilt.”

“You know I don’t mean that.”

The two monks of the Norik Society exchanged glances with each other. Then, the older one spoke up.

“In fact, it is true that there are some weak points.” “What if it’s a weak part?” “This is just my speculation… but sir, uhm, so to speak, it seems that there are some parts I didn’t remember.”

As I listened to the nuances, it seemed that I realized that there was a hidden part of my story.

How did you notice it? I prepared the story in advance so that there is no awkward part in preparation for the interrogation

.

Just as soul shamans have ‘hypnosis’, a skill that detects transformations and pitfalls and distinguishes between true and false, the paladin had a similar skill.

That technology was ‘revelation’ to detect the wicked and the undead. According to the flavor text, it is a skill that allows you to feel the truth based on your developed sixth sense.

It wasn’t certain, but the monks in front of him might also have psychic powers like revelations.

“But…

the middle-aged monk paused for a moment before continuing.

“The whole context seemed to be true.”

“The overall context?”

“That Count Martianber and his group were vampires. That’s the most important information, and everything else is a matter of ignorance.”

He looked into my eyes and lowered his voice.

“If there are incomplete parts in your statement, it must be because of worldly affairs. It is not right for a knight, the guardian of the faith, to walk a shady path, but it would be unreasonable to realistically blame it.”

It took a little while to grasp the monk’s intentions because he spoke round and round.

Apparently, the two monks assumed that the part I had left out had nothing to do with church affairs, and were inclined to skip it. It is not to pursue me to the end in order to reveal even the smallest suspicion.

In a word, the monks were doing me a favor.

But why? What are you doing me a favor for?

It was something he had been thinking about all along, but it was strange not to interrogate the mercenaries. If there’s anything suspicious about it, you can arrest and rob all of my party.

The monk smiled slightly as if he had read my doubtful expression.

“I have heard rumors about the sutra.”

“A rumor?”

He started telling a completely unexpected story.

“I heard that in South Harbor and Longville the sword was always drawn for the underdog. Like your lord, Prince Ulkar

.”

“…yes’?”

who? I?

Are you talking about me right now?

When I widened my eyes, the monk burst out laughing and went on.

“I’m sure you did the same here. Good deeds and justice deserve respect.”

Saying that, the middle-aged monk winked one eye.

what the. After harassing her terribly for 3 days, she is condescending now. I’d rather watch it from the beginning.

By the way, how the heck did the rumors spread that you’re talking about like that?

“…Thank you for your consideration.”

Of course, I didn’t do anything stupid like spilling my heart or expressing my doubts. Instead, he crossed the sign and quickly left the conference room.

Seeing the unexpected consideration of the Norrick Order monks, it seems that there will be no false accusation for killing an innocent count.

Just as I was about to leave the church feeling free and relieved, a priest spoke to me.

“Sir Phoenix!”

“…Priest Alford?”

Alford, a young priest, came quickly and smiled.

“You look good. The story seems to have worked out well.”

“yes. It is thanks to the two monks who believed in my innocence.”

“It is not the monks who have revealed your innocence. In the bosom of the Lord, the truth that is nothing special, that the truth will always be revealed, has come true.” I heard that Reverend Alford received two assignments from the vicar of Troshire.

The first task was to investigate what happened here, and the second task was to restore the collapsed churches and communities.

However, because Lionel III sent a high-ranking priest from the cathedral, Alford became a duck egg in the Nakdong River. This is because the authority of the investigation was taken away by the monks of the Norik Order, and the restoration of the church was led by a disciple of a high priest.

However, as if that situation did not matter, Alford continued with a gentle smile.

“The knights asked me to express my gratitude to the Lord.”

“Knights? Which knights?”

“Ah, not a secular knight, but a cathedral knight.”

” aha.”

I had a guess, so I quietly scratched my eyebrows.

“…is it because of Sir Archibald?”

“you’re right.”

About three weeks ago, I ran into a dragon named ‘Starmaker Soleva’ and got into a fight. At that time, all of his slaves were killed, and ‘Archibald the Knight in White’ was also beheaded by me.

As soon as I met Priest Alford, I remembered this and informed him that Archibald was buried nearby. And Alford told the news to the priests who had arrived with the three riders.

“With your help, I was able to recover the body. On behalf of the denomination, thank you.”

“no. I didn’t do anything great…

When I waved my hand in embarrassment, Alford smiled and took something out of his arms.

“Take it.”

“What is this?”

“This is a small gift prepared together with the knights.”

What he held out was a circular cross the size of the palm of his hand. It had a simple appearance without any decorations, but it was a high-end item made of carved ivory, and a mysterious light flowed through it.

“It was consecrated after three days of hard work. It has the effect of chasing away evil spirits, so it will be useful someday.”

The identity of the mysterious light was divine power. Considering that the light was weak, it would lose its power after seeing the effect a couple of times, but it was still useful enough.

“What great things I have done, these nobles…

“Consider it the reward of virtue.”

“A virtue?”

Priest Alford smiled and nodded.

“When I examined Sir Archibald’s body, it was terrifying because he had no head, but the rest of his body was relatively intact. Armor, weapons, jewelry, and jewelry were all left intact.”

“……Uh”

The .

“Moderation in the sight of valuables is an admirable virtue.”

He gently took my hand and put the ring cross on it.

“This cross is a reward and an expression of homage to that virtue. Thank you Sir Phoenix.”

A little embarrassed. Not stealing Archibald’s plate armor wasn’t out of restraint.

He was only concerned about being annoyed by the traces of divine power left there and the fanatical Gidon. If he didn’t have both the divine power and the gidon, he would have painted his armor black and wore it.

As I looked down at the cross handed to me in shame, Father Alford cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry for being such a trivial item.”

“…it’s not good. Thank you, I really like it.”

“If so, I’m glad… but it’s embarrassing to replace it with just that. I will give you divine power without any cost.”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you for just the words…

Alford made a puzzled expression when he stopped talking because something suddenly came to his mind.

“Why sir?”

“…May I ask for a prayer of purification?”

“A prayer of purification… you mean?”

I smiled and nodded.

In a few days it will be December.

The Gistol region belongs to the central part of the Milanol Kingdom, but it is said to be as cold as the northern region. It is because the cold wind blowing from the north is blocked by the mountains in the south.

The population of Modos exceeded 800 with the addition of the residents gathered and the army sent by the king, but the village still felt dreary due to the cold wind.

The fact that the surrounding area is full of stone buildings must have played a part in this sentiment. The white, pastel-toned buildings that gave off a neat impression when I first came here now look desolate.

It was around the time I put my half-cloak on and thought, ‘I’m going to have to carry a fur cloak soon.’

“trunnion!”

A black figure appeared from somewhere in the alleyway and stepped on the fence and landed on the ground. It was a mysterious woman with an exotic appearance who showed off her cat-like movements.

“Is it a bunch?”

“Ehe-”

Ungchi laughed lightly and came to his arms. I burst out laughing at that innocent look and embraced him with my arms wide open.

“what? Why are you here?”

Mungchi, who clung to his upper body like a koala, didn’t answer, but hugged me tightly and buried his face in his arms.

I was dumbfounded, so I stroked the boy’s head and asked the question again.

“Mungchi, where did you come from?”

“Hey there.”

Her cheeks were stained red from the barrel rubbing her face in her arms. In that state, he rested his chin on my chest and pointed to one side.

A complex where commercial buildings are huddled together. Among them, Mungchi was referring to a woolen fabric store.

“Why are you there?”

“Two wizards are over there.”

“Wizard? ah.”

The past three days have been as good as me. This is because he asked to gather as much information as possible about the Three Horsemen’s Army.

For the past two days, he had been monitoring the three horsemen and the clerics, and today he seems to have investigated the wizards.

“What about the other two?”

“A union office and a candle house.”

“A candle house? Are you talking about the grasshopper’s house’?”

“yes yes. that’s right.”

“There must be jockeys staying in the union office and the handicraft guild?”

“that’s right. The fur shop is the Honkel Guild Office. The office is Colmaros.

“…aha. Aren’t the wizards from different affiliations?”

“yes yes.”

Mungchi tried to explain what he had learned in Milanole, which he was still poor at.

In just one day, he not only figured out all the wizards’ quarters, but also made plausible guesses about their level and specialties. His ability is amazing,

but… “Everyone is at home, and only one person came out. I’m a Newburgh wizard, but I went back after watching the guild hall.”

“Ehh.”

Bunch guy has not been talking much lately.

For a while, he mastered the Milanese language so quickly that he wondered if he was a genius, and at some point, he was at the level of a five- or six-year-old child.

Is there a limit to what you naturally learn while living? Should I set aside time to teach the language?

While listening to the report, thinking about something else, I entered the main street. Was it conscious of the soldiers crossing the road? Mungchi closed his mouth and buried his face in my arms again.

People’s eyes naturally drew attention to the sight of him hanging around a woman who was one head taller than the others.

“…Ah, Phoenix is coming.”

“What are you doing on the street?”

“I don’t know.”

At the people’s gossip, I tried to stay calm and pulled a half-cloak to cover the bunch. In that state, I moved quickly.

And it was only when he entered the courtyard of the guild hall that he remembered the gift he had prepared.

“Oh right. it’s a bunch Look down for a moment.”

“Eh- yes?”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t understand, hurry up.”

Mungchi, who had been indulging in my arms in a trance, landed on the ground with his lips pressed against what he was dissatisfied with.

I looked at the guy’s face and smiled, then took out the hidden item and showed it.

“Voila.”

“…to?”

“ruler. The last time I said I wanted it.”

The object he gave to the mungchi was a leash.

It was made of black leather of unknown animal and attached with an elaborately finished ring-shaped iron buckle. It was the equipment worn by the werewolf ‘Silverfang’, one of Soleva’s slaves.

“Uh eh.”

Mungchi, who had been examining the leash with hazy eyes, cautiously reached out. I burst out laughing when I saw those trembling fingertips.

“Why are you so down? Shall I fill it up for you?”

“…yes.”

The boy nodded with a blank expression and closed his eyes.

I bit into a smile and brushed up the black hair that was dancing around my shoulders and held it together. When my hand touched the nape of his neck, he shrugged his shoulders, but he did not escape.

Fortunately, the leash fit snugly around the bundle’s slender neck.

“All right.”

“Whoop

, took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. Then he looked down at my hands and blinked.

“……Eh?”

“what’s the matter? What’s wrong?”

“Uh uh, this is-”

“Ah, is it because you want to try something enchanted?”

‘Yes yes!’ He nodded his head fervently.

“Knowing that, I gave the starter to Ellen in advance. Just concentrate and

say ‘Brailly figurra’.”

“Brary-?”

“Brailly figurra.”

I taught the pronunciation over and over again, and Mungchi, who had been practicing silently, closed his eyes again and took a deep breath.

and starter.

“Brailly figurra!” The

spell

was activated with a short buzz. Mungchi’s eyes widened as if he felt a strange sensation of mana flowing into the leash.

“O uh OO — X’s 9–

“Oh, that’s it.”

In my admiration, he quickly looked down at my hand.

“Eh?”

Due to the ‘blurring’ spell being cast, Mungchi’s body became translucent.

Right now, the light twilight is shining and the silhouette is visible, but if you hide in the shade like this, it will disappear as if you had cast an invisibility spell.

“how are you feeling? are you okay? Aren’t you curious?”

“Huh? this.”

The guy with a confused expression suddenly stomped his feet.

“Aside from this, what about mutations?”

“Ah- a curse?”

I stroked his hair to reassure him. Her hair became translucent with the power of the magic tool, but it was still soft.

“As Ellen said, the leash was cursed with mutation. Maybe if you just kicked it, you would have turned into a beast like you did before?”

“Uh…

” The priest said, but he said that the curse was so secret and powerful that it was difficult. It’s a shame because he has strong divine power, but he worked hard and almost couldn’t purify-” As I

continued talking, I looked at Mungchi’s face and was surprised.

“Why are you crying? Are you sick?”

“No *sniff* no.”

“Then why? Are you doing it because you like it?”

“…. .yes.”

Moongchi finally gave that answer, bowing his head and weeping sadly. I had to soothe him for a long time without knowing why.