I Became God of War’s Youngest Disciple - Chapter 333



Only Krnovel

Episode 333

“Yes, that’s me.”

This is the moment when I admitted it in a calm voice.

Thomas stared intently at her with his masked face, then raised his black-gloved hand and covered the mask.

“Department Head?”

And whether his subordinates were agitated or not, Thomas took off his mask.

“… … .”

The face beneath the mask had a very harsh expression, and with his thin body and scars here and there, he seemed cold-hearted.

Even though he was physically small, he had a strange sense of intimidation, which was different from the spirit that he naturally exuded as he achieved greatness.

If I had to say, I would say it is a natural atmosphere that is formed naturally as a person lives.

“It is an honor to meet you, the renowned Golden Fairy.”

“… … .”

The heroes nearby were in an uproar.

Judging from the reaction, it seems I’m not the only one who felt the tone was a bit soft.

In fact, it was a somewhat unexpected turn of events for me that this cold-looking man was showing interest in me.

“I heard that you owed me a lot of favors when you were young. I personally remember the recent [Operation to Recover Ymir’s Remains] being very impressive. I heard that you and Corrupted were particularly active, but Corrupted has always volunteered to do dirty work for the sake of the security of the North and the peace of the people.”

“… … .”

This is unexpected.

Snowville, the town where the Corrupted are based.

I knew that this village was not far from the Utgard concentration camp, but I had no idea that they were keeping an eye on the Corrupted’s activities.

“There are many believers in this camp, but this incident was a good means. The believers are impervious to torture, threats, and persuasion, but they have given up after hearing that the operation that the Golden Horn worked so hard for failed so spectacularly. Thanks to this, we have been able to identify a few of the cult’s strongholds in the north. It is quite a feat.”

“aha.”

In other words, there were complex reasons why Deputy Director Thomas showed me a favor.

Compared to his relationship with the Ironbloods and the reputation the Corrupted have steadily built up over the years, his participation in the Ymir Remains mission was probably a secondary reason.

After all, all the other heroes present were participants in the operation, but Thomas didn’t pay any particular respect to them.

But I don’t intend to cross the line just because this guy is showing me kindness.

I briefly considered the characters whose personalities most closely resembled the man in front of me, and then one suitable character came to mind.

‘Maybe you can think of it as dealing with Keian in his younger days?’

Perhaps that iron-blooded collector is now old and has a bad personality. When he was young, he was probably even stricter than Deputy Chief Thomas.

I cleared my throat and met Thomas’ eyes.

“It is an honor to meet you, Chief of the Department of Utgard. Now, let’s get back to the main topic and talk about the new recruits of the congregation.”

“I’ll only take half.”

“Department Head?”

There was a slight murmur from the other guards at Thomas’ assertion, but Thomas silenced them with his eyes before continuing.

“This is the most we can give. It would be impossible for you to escort all of those followers to Heros anyway. There is no way to know how many remnants are still left in this vast snowy field.”

“hmm…….”

“We can divide the congregation in half to distract them. In return, I’ll leave the selection of prisoners to you.”

The heroes’ expressions brightened at those words.

If we could select the congregation members, that is, decide which congregation members to bring, it would be a completely different story… … .

This is because it means that even among the church members, key figures who seem to know a lot can all be pulled out to this side.

‘They’re more lenient than I thought?’

Giving us the good stuff and taking only the worthless followers is no different from saying you want to be the bait.

I glanced at the guards at Utgard, and Thomas and the other young guards didn’t seem too shaken up.

‘Does this sound familiar?’

If that’s the case, I thought it would be a bit bitter.

“… I would appreciate it if you could do that.”

Jack nodded as the representative.

When I glanced at him, his wrinkled face had finally relaxed a little.

‘Phew… … Did I do it again?’

Having resolved the conflict in an instant, I couldn’t help but be amazed at my own teaching skills.

***

The argument between Heros and Utgard ended surprisingly blandly, but my work was not over yet.

I approached Thomas, who was about to leave, but he noticed me approaching and turned his head.

“Do you still have work to do?”

“I have a few questions to ask you.”

“Speak.”

Since time was limited, I asked directly.

“Is there any suspicious activity inside the camp?”

“Suspicious movement?”

“For example, if there are signs that a riot is about to break out.”

“… … .”

Even though they were all wearing masks, I could feel them on my skin.

The atmosphere has become cold and frozen.

That makes sense.

Because it’s no different than telling the guards who are managing the prisoners that there’s going to be a riot in your camp.

It wouldn’t be strange to think that you’ve been greatly insulted.

In fact, the breathing of the young men next to Thomas became slightly rough.

The department head’s lips slowly opened.

“First, I need to hear why you say that.”

“I heard from the priest inside Ymir’s remains that the cultists are planning to take over the Utgard concentration camp… … .”

And this was the excuse I had prepared.

“Where is the priest?”

“He’s already dead.”

So there is no way to determine the truth of this statement.

But what I just said is something that will happen sooner or later.

Thomas was back with his mask on, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

After a rather long silence, a disembodied voice was heard.

“I know what you’re trying to say. Just be careful.”

It was a very adult response, but unfortunately it wasn’t the answer I was looking for.

Of course, it was clear that the disaster did not occur because the security of the camps was lax or because they were careless in the past.

“How exactly will you guard? Will you add more guards? Will you conduct another investigation of the prisoners you have already arrested? I heard that the Utgard concentration camp was built by remodeling an old castle. Is there any flaw in the inside of the camp that could allow enemies to invade?”

“Stop it, stop it.”

Finally, Thomas’ voice also hardened.

“Friday Fairy… … It’s been over two hundred years since Utgard was founded. Our origins began when we locked up criminals in an old castle that no one used, and assigned a few talented people to manage it. There’s even a story that at first, we had the prisoners manage the prisoners. Maybe that’s why. We’ve never received much support from the Empire. We’ve quietly carried out our role while receiving all kinds of ridicule and criticism. I know that even now, the Empire’s people still have a bad reputation about us.”

“… … .”

“In Utgard, there is a way of life. Outsiders have no right or right to interfere. Even in our darkest times, we have not fallen. So do not insult us any longer.”

And then it collapses this year?

I was frustrated, but I kept my mouth shut because if I brought up the subject, I might have to fight them to the death.

The more I talk to these old-fashioned men, the more I find myself liking them.

“Then let’s do this. I will go to Utgard later in disguise, so please imprison me as a prisoner.”

“That is also an unreasonable request. We in Utgard do not imprison innocent people.”

“Then there are no guard positions left?”

“None. We have no plans to increase our forces for the time being.”

Is there another man in the world who is as old-fashioned as this one?

I really felt like I was talking to a wall.

‘Damn Utgard… … .’

It was a place with such a unique system that it was hard to call it a mere concentration camp, so I couldn’t interfere any further.

For these people, neither the influence Badnikkers had as nobles, nor their status or achievements as heroes, nor even the financial rewards they could obtain would have any effect.

While I felt frustrated, I also thought that it was because of people like this that Utgard was able to maintain its reputation.

“Okay, okay. Then I’ll tell you the name of one prisoner, so you just have to be especially wary of him. Is that okay?”

“Who is it?”

“Gustav.”

Gustav.

This guy is the one who started the riot at the Utgard concentration camp, that is, he is the priest of the cult.

But this man is much more famous by another name than as the priest of the Dark Church… … .

He is one of the most influential figures among the numerous criminal organizations in the West, and is also known as [Big Boss] in the underworld.

‘It’ll be better if we just focus on guarding that guy.’

Of course, I feel uneasy about leaving everything up to them, so I have to figure out a way to infiltrate the camp somehow… … .

While I was thinking about this and that, Thomas said something unexpected.

“Gustav is not in Utgard at the moment.”

“yes?”

“Altua.”

As Thomas spoke, a man named Altua spoke to me.

“Gustav Tobrik. Big Boss of the [Ulkua Family]. He was successfully captured five years ago through a joint operation between the Imperial Family and Heros. Many called for his execution because he was such a notorious figure, but in the end, it was decided to escort him to Utgard.”

“It was an inevitable action because if a person of that caliber were to die, the balance of power in Ulkua would collapse. Dozens or hundreds of organizations would start wars, vying for the position of the next [Big Boss].”

Thomas said that and then looked at me again.

“It may come as a surprise, but Gustav is a model prisoner. We were worried, but he hasn’t caused even a small incident in the past five years. Of course, we didn’t let our guard down. Then, this time, there were a lot of criminals from the West who were imprisoned as new prisoners, and the chief thought that they might be used to bring chaos to Utgard. So, just in case, he gave him a choice early this year.”

“A choice?”

“Yes. Are you thinking of moving to another facility?”

“If it were another facility… … .”

“The largest slave farm in the empire, located in the southern desert.”

“… … .”

The southern desert. And the work camp.

When I combined two words, I got a word that I couldn’t help but know.

“…Labormaster Rahild.”

***

For now, I parted ways with Thomas and the other guards of Utgard.

They no longer reprimanded me for my somewhat rude attitude, but said that if I visited Utgard again as a guest, they would at least give me a tour.

Since it was a valuable opportunity, I had no reason to refuse.

“… Things are going to get a bit more complicated this way.”

I thought about it for a moment.

Somehow I had a feeling that the probability of a disaster occurring in Utgard had decreased significantly.

With Gustav absent, and the Golden Horn faction having been dealt a severe blow, it seemed likely that the cult would be absent from the North for the time being.

Of course, I’m not sure.

“What about Seren and Evan?”

I was supposed to meet those two guys again about four months later at the Utgard concentration camp.

Actually, Serenya knows where to go, so it’s not a big problem. She’s also staying in the southern desert, so she might be able to join us on our way.

The problem is the cult leader, Evan Helvin.

I have no idea where this guy is or what he’s doing right now.

After thinking about it for a moment, I called Mir.

“What are you going to do from now on?”

“Are you talking about me?”

Mir tilted his head and said.

“I don’t know. What about Luan?”

“I have something to do, so I think I’ll have to stop by my parents’ house for a bit.”

“Are you coming back soon?”

“It could be, or it could take a while.”

“Umm… … .”

Mir said, narrowing his eyes.

“… I would like to stay active in the northern region for the time being. At least until I can handle this hammer properly, I feel like it would be best not to leave this land.”

Mir’s gaze turned to the Mjolnir on his back.

I nodded.

“That seems better. Then Corrupted will stop by later, right?”

“Of course!”

“Okay. Then, please give the boss some news about me… … . Apart from that, I have one more request.”

“What is it?”

“You remember Evan Helvin? He was our retreat partner. If you see him up north… … .”

Mir, who had been absentmindedly listening to my story, suddenly came to his senses, took out a notebook from his bosom, and began writing down notes.

“Hmm! I’ll definitely tell you!”

When I met Mir, the sun was setting without me even realizing it. I had spent more time with the guards of Utgard than I had expected.

Anyway, since I had almost finished what I had to do in the North, I went to bed rather quickly… … .

The next day. As expected, Kayan arrived at the Frostwolf Village.

“It’s been a long time, Your Majesty. I’m sorry, but I think you should return to your hometown right away.”

“what’s the matter?”

“That is… … .”

Keian explained the situation to me, and I listened as if I was hearing it for the first time, then said in passing.

“So, your father’s condition is much more critical than you thought?”

“Oh, yes.”

Kean looked at me with a somewhat surprised expression.

“Why is your expression like that?”

“I think it’s the first time I’ve heard you call your lord that.”

“Not to that extent. I called him ‘father’ a few times.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s what I said.”

…maybe?

“Anyway, I understand the circumstances… … . This is a good opportunity. I think it’s time to show off my extensive network to you.”

“What does it mean?”

“Just wait a minute. There’s someone here who might be able to help you.”

After saying that, I brought Verita.

“… Are you a priest of the 72nd Church?”

“Yes.”

Keian looked at Verita’s brightly smiling face and made a somewhat stiff expression.

It seemed as if he was hesitating to reveal to this person the top secret of the Badniker family, especially the critical condition of the Iron Blood Lord.

“Don’t worry. He’s someone you can trust.”

“Is that so… …?”

If it were anyone else, it would have been impossible, but Keian is the only person I can be certain is ‘my person’, along with Arjan.

Finally, Kayan nodded and continued speaking.

“I understand your intentions, but even Jun-Ang, one of the great leaders of the family, was helpless.”

“I’m not ignoring Mr. Junian, but it’s wrong to think of him as a common priest who is just a commoner. He’s a professional among professionals who catches and beats up believers on the front lines.”

“If you’re at the front line… are you perhaps an Inquisitor?”

“Correct answer.”

Then, Keian looked at Verita again with a new gaze.

“With the dark hair, the vicious hammer, and the vicious conquest, surely… …?”

“Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Razbet.”

Kean said in a surprised voice.

“Bloody hammer… … .”

This is why it is so famous.

Keian, who had been slightly suspicious, nodded with an expression of immediate understanding.

“Certainly, someone with the same level of spiritual power as Sister Razbeth might come up with a different diagnosis.”

“yes.”

“But there’s a problem. I only have two scrolls.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

I said this while looking at Kean with a slightly apologetic face.

“…There are only two.”

“… … !”