The Wandering Priest in Dark Fantasy

Chapter 56

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]

Chapter 56: The Infected City (1)

Glenvale.

One of the three great powers of the Empire, and a family renowned for swordsmanship.

The current head, Ricard Glenvale, is a great lord who commanded countless knights in the north, and the only Swordmaster in the Empire.

'This is troublesome.'

Hamel swallowed a groan as he looked at Rupert, the eldest son of that family.

He was not someone Hamel wanted to meet, especially with business in the north.

He had heard rumors.

That Rupert had been the top student at the Imperial Academy in the capital.

However, he had also heard that Rupert was arrogant and not someone to keep close.

'I would have avoided him even if we had met somewhere other than the north.'

Moreover, this was the north, his domain.

If he were to get on Rupert's bad side, his journey in the north would surely become a thorny path.

Hamel concealed his inner thoughts and bowed his head with a calm expression.

"It is an honor to meet you, Sir Rupert."

"Enough of that. More importantly, what is a priest of the Order doing in a place like this? Hoping to pick up some scraps from the festival?"

At Rupert's prickly response, the group's expressions hardened.

No matter that he was the heir of Glenvale, Hamel was a priest.

Such rudeness towards a priest deserved to be rebuked.

And although he hadn't revealed it, Hamel was also the lord of a territory.

He was certainly not in a position to be treated like this.

'He's young.'

But Hamel's expression didn't change in the slightest.

He was more confident than anyone in his ability to endure.

"There's a festival, then?"

"You act as if you really didn't know. So, what are you doing here?"

Even the usually expressionless Rena frowned at Rupert's sarcastic tone.

The problem was that none of the knights behind Rupert pointed out his behavior.

Looking closely, the knights were all young as well.

No, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them children.

At most, they were only a little older than Hamel.

Perhaps they were knights who had accompanied him from the academy.

Hamel glanced at them briefly and then answered the question calmly.

"I have something to report to the lord of Lonely Ridge."

"To Sir Edmuir? What a coincidence. We're also on our way to participate in the swordsmanship tournament in Lonely Ridge."

Hamel tilted his head and asked,

"The festival you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes. The lord is holding a swordsmanship tournament to celebrate his wife's recovery."

"I see."

Hamel slowly pondered Rupert's words.

The lord's wife had recovered?

It could be a coincidence, but he had to be suspicious of even the smallest detail now.

It was also strange that a festival was being held at this time.

Shouldn't the lord have noticed that something was wrong in the territory?

"If you're going to Lonely Ridge, I advise you to be careful."

At Hamel's sincere advice, Rupert's face twisted into a frown.

"...What should I be careful of?"

His question was laced with displeasure.

What had offended him?

Hamel had no idea what had upset him.

After a moment of silence,

One of the knights lined up behind Rupert shouted threateningly at Hamel,

"How dare you warn Sir Rupert in the north? You're being impertinent, even for a priest!"

"..."

Somehow,

Hamel felt suddenly tired by the unexpected vigor of the young men and the stubbornness characteristic of northerners.

Hamel closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them.

He couldn't just ignore them and leave.

If Rupert were to die or get hurt here, Hamel wouldn't be able to continue his investigation in the north.

His father, the Swordmaster, would hunt down any suspicious individuals like rats.

And if this was truly David's doing, and Rupert were to die because of it...

'In the worst case, it could even affect the Heidern territory.'

Hamel finished his grim thought and opened his mouth.

"I swear to God, I will tell you only the truth."

"...Tell me."

Even the arrogant Rupert became relatively docile before the name of God.

The knights following him, though displeased, also listened to Hamel's words.

After all, most northerners were devout and not on bad terms with the Order.

Hamel nodded and slowly began to speak.

About finding the cabin.

About entering the old mansion in the forest.

About meeting the witch and the trapped children there.

...And even the fate of the people who had turned into trees.

Of course, he omitted details that weren't necessary to share.

Like mentioning David, for instance...

Rupert, who had been listening to all this in silence, let out a small groan.

Meanwhile, one of the knights behind him replied in a dissatisfied tone,

"Suddenly, you're talking about tree spirits and witches. Are you joking?"

"No. It's all true."

Hamel shook his head and was wondering how to explain further when,

"No... there is a villa belonging to the Lonely Ridge family in that forest. I went there when I was young."

Rupert muttered, frowning as if something had come to mind.

The knight who had been complaining hurriedly retracted his statement and asked,

"Then, we need to be wary of the situation in the territory. What will you do?"

The knight's question was clear.

Whether they should return to the Glenvale family and gather more knights.

Or go directly to the lord's castle and confirm the situation themselves.

And Hamel somehow knew what their decision would be.

Rupert turned to his knights and said,

"We are knights. If we turn our backs, who will solve this problem?"

"...We will follow you, even at the cost of our lives!"

The knights, seemingly moved by Rupert's words, knelt with their swords on the ground.

'I knew this would happen.'

Hamel sighed.

Young knights, unable to control their boiling blood.

Despite being around the same age, they were incomprehensible to Hamel.

Rupert extended his hand towards Hamel and said,

"Thank you for the advice. It's dangerous, so you're free to leave now. I'll relay the message to Sir Edmuir myself."

"..."

Hamel stared at his hand.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he nodded and took Rupert's hand.

"Thank you for your help. I'll be in your care."

The others, watching this, gaped.

"Hamel?"

"Is that guy crazy...?"

Ignoring Daniel and Ono's muttering, Hamel finished the handshake and then grabbed Rupert's hand as he was about to pull it away.

Rupert frowned in confusion.

"...What?"

"However, please allow us to accompany you to Lonely Ridge. I promised to take those children to the territory."

"If that's all, we can..."

"Please let us accompany you."

Rupert couldn't continue.

In that short moment, the priest's aura had completely changed.

It was a completely different atmosphere from the polite one he had shown earlier.

His cold, firm tone had an intense coerciveness.

Rupert flinched involuntarily and nodded.

"...Alright, if that's what you want, do as you please. But don't regret it if you die."

"Thank you."

Only then did Hamel release Rupert's hand and quietly step back.

Rupert gestured and said,

"Follow me. I'll at least offer you a meal."

"It's an honor."

Rupert, having allowed them to accompany him, returned to the campsite where he had left his knights.

As he grabbed the reins to ride his horse, Rupert suddenly realized that his hand was throbbing.

Taking off his leather glove, he saw that his hand was red and swollen.

Wondering why this had happened, Rupert recalled the moment when Hamel had grabbed his hand.

'Could he have done that in such a short time?'

No, how could a priest possibly overpower a knight with grip strength?

Rupert glanced back.

Hamel was mounting his horse with his usual expressionless face.

'Was it my imagination?'

Rupert tilted his head and mounted his horse.

He hadn't realized it yet.

That he was instinctively feeling a sense of rivalry towards the priest before him.

***

The reason Lonely Ridge was called the gateway to the northern Empire was simple.

The Esher River, which flowed between the central and northern parts of the Empire, was located here.

"We've arrived."

"Wow!"

Hansel and Gretel, sitting on their horses, exclaimed simultaneously.

The wide-open riverbank and the vast river sparkling in the sunlight.

And the grand stone bridge stretching across the river, leading to a towering castle.

Even Hamel found it quite a spectacle.

'To cross this, you have to go through Lonely Ridge Castle.'

The river was deep and wide, making it difficult to cross without using the bridge connected to the castle.

That's why the lords of Lonely Ridge had collected tolls here for generations.

In other words, the Esher River was a barrier protecting Lonely Ridge, and at the same time, it was a symbol of the territory, a hub where people gathered.

'The annual volume of goods transported here must be about ten times that of our territory.'

Thinking of Heidern, Hamel smiled bitterly and pulled the reins.

The territory soldiers who collected the toll at the entrance to the bridge opened the way with a bright smile.

"Welcome, knights."

"Thank you."

With Rupert in the lead, the knights urged their horses forward.

Hamel and his companions followed closely behind.

They were about to enter the castle.

"Get ready."

At Hamel's low command, the others subtly placed their hands on their weapons.

They didn't know what might happen inside.

A moment later,

Entering the castle gates, they witnessed a completely unexpected scene.

"Wow, new knights!"

"Hurry up! We have to move the luggage by today!"

"Have you found a place to stay, knights? If you come to our inn, the ale is free!"

Children welcoming the newly arrived knights, and even touts.

Countless people were bustling about within the castle walls.

The liveliness was more vibrant than any city he had ever seen.

"..."

Daniel, who had been ready to draw his sword at any moment, slowly lowered his hand.

The others were no different.

Rupert's knights, who had been warned by Hamel earlier, burst into laughter in disbelief.

"This is a truly dangerous territory, isn't it?"

One of the knights said sarcastically, and another shrugged.

"It's dangerous because we might not be able to find a room at the inn."

"Hahaha!"

The knights laughed and urged their horses forward.

Only one person in the group had a hardened expression.

"..."

Hamel quickly surveyed his surroundings.

He knew from experience.

That this kind of atmosphere was exactly what demons sought.

That the moment of complacency was the most dangerous.

'What's that?'

Suddenly, Hamel spotted a familiar accessory.

A pendant worn around the neck of a passing mercenary.

'That's definitely...'

Just as Hamel's eyes narrowed,

"Stop."

Rupert, who had been leading the way, suddenly spoke.

The knights who had been laughing at Hamel abruptly stopped.

Rupert stopped his horse for a moment and gestured to Hamel.

"It seems different from what the priest expected. What's going on?"

"My opinion remains unchanged."

"Is that so? I understand."

Rupert continued riding with a cold expression.

Perhaps he had hoped Hamel would admit his mistake.

But that was impossible.

'There's no doubt that this territory has been touched by Vinea.'

Hamel pulled on the reins and looked around at people's necks.

Now that he was conscious of it, he started to see the pendants.

One in ten of the territory's residents was wearing one.

If it was the same as the one he had seen in the cabin, as he suspected...

Then Lonely Ridge had practically already fallen to Vinea.

Of course, it might not be.

Even after applying holy water to his eyes, he couldn't sense any trace of demonic energy from the citizens.

Hamel himself was wearing a pendant, and pendants were quite common accessories.

Perhaps it was just a fashion trend.

Normally, Hamel would have approached the situation with such vague thoughts.

But this time, he had to assume the worst.

In the cabin, the pendant had neutralized his Blue Flame.

Even considering Hamel's poor physical condition at the time, it was by no means an easy feat.

Come to think of it, hadn't he also failed to sense any demonic energy from the old woman?

'The illusion.'

What if it was all due to the pendant?

'Let's assume those are all the same kind of pendant the old woman in the cabin was wearing.'

Hamel shuddered at the chilling thought.

If so, then just how many...

'Just how many people have been affected?'

And what was the current state of this city?

Hamel quietly clenched his teeth.

This city was practically a massive graveyard.

He felt like he was going to be sick.

If his suspicions were correct, this battle would be one of the most horrific he had ever faced.

Because their opponents wouldn't be demons, but countless humans.

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]