The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 117



Only Krnovel

Episode 117 Star that pierces the truth (2)

A space surrounded by such splendid light that it is difficult to open your eyes.

Enrico Turis barely managed to look around, his eyelids fluttering dangerously. He tried not to show anything, but he couldn’t.

When I heard that he was personally visiting the alliance, I was prepared to meet him face to face. But I didn’t know it would be this way. I never thought I would be kidnapped into an unidentified space so suddenly.

In front of me sat an old man smiling kindly.

The white hair, the even whiter bishop’s uniform, and the even whiter halo behind the back. An extremely reverent and sacred atmosphere that anyone can’t help but be overwhelmed the moment they encounter it.

The old man greeted me in a soft voice.

“May the great guide of light, Elgar, guide you on your journey like the morning star. It is a pleasure to meet you, Enrico, the Counselor. I am His Eminence Erensko, the Second Prefect of the Archdiocese of Lucaon, the Order of Elgar.”

“… … May you encounter the golden blessings of Lord Remillion on whatever path you take. It is truly an honor to meet you, Your Eminence. I am at a loss for words when such a virtuous and renowned man as Your Eminence personally visits a secular ruler.”

“Elga said, ‘Every light has its place, whether it be the sun in the sky or the candles on the earth.’ You need not degrade your own place by being worldly, your lord.”

The archbishop said that and gently raised the corners of his mouth.

However, there was not even a word of apology or understanding for the kidnapping, even if it was just empty words.

Enrico braced himself on his stomach. Now, he was practically dropped into the middle of enemy territory, naked. He woke up and looked straight into the archbishop’s eyes.

At first, there was a ceremonial exchange. As he had heard from his brother Felico, the Archbishop asked about the demonic infestation of the Golden Way and offered his help. That was something one would only say to Galentana, who had been directly hit, and certainly not to the councilor of Remtana, who was far from the Way.

The consolation did not last long. At one point, the archbishop asked a question out of context.

“By the way, Inspector Enrico, have you ever heard of the name ‘Linton Felipes’?”

“… … I’m sorry, Archbishop. I have never heard of such a person due to my limited knowledge.”

“Oh, no. It would be natural for you not to know. He is a rookie knight who was ordained only a few months ago. But if more time had passed, the councilor would have known his name. He was a man of strong faith and excellent martial arts, worthy of being an example to others.”

Enrico swallowed dryly. There must have been some hidden meaning behind his words, but he had no idea what it was.

“If the Archbishop says so, he must be a truly outstanding paladin. If I get a chance, I will definitely meet you… … .”

“That’s impossible. He’s dead. He was killed by someone while transporting prisoners at the border. But we’ve recovered his rotten and decomposed body, so if you come to Seongdo, you can see his grave.”

“… … .”

The archbishop still smiled calmly as if nothing had happened.

But Enrico could see. The anger in the pupils stained with halo, the lament boiling like a flame. It was not hard to guess that the dead paladin had a special relationship with Archbishop Erensko.

The archbishop slowly wiped away his emotions and continued speaking.

“Anyway, we can’t just ignore the incident where Elgar’s agent was murdered. I ordered an archpaladin to reveal the truth of the incident and track down the culprit. But a few months ago, I heard that the Arch Paladin, perhaps possessed by a ghost, crossed the border and died while fighting an alliance wizard.”

“… … .”

“It is truly absurd and pitiful… … . I wondered how the guidance of the almighty Elgar could go astray like this. “But is it true that the battle took place in your jurisdiction, Councilor?”

“… … Yes, that’s right, Archbishop.”

“Why aren’t you angry, Councilor?”

“… … “What do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t it right to be angry, as long as there is nothing bothering you? “This is an incident where a high-ranking paladin invaded the border without permission and murdered an innocent wizard aide.”

A chill seeping into the dazzling mess of light.

The archbishop’s face was as cold as a plaster bust.

Enrico was silent for a moment and looked determined. Then she replied that she could not dare to commit such insolence in front of the archbishop. The archbishop sneered as if it was absurd.

“Wouldn’t it be okay if our church sent an investigation team soon? We’d be able to more clearly determine what’s right and wrong if we cross-examined.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s a matter I can judge on my own.”

“Recruit, where is the ‘Flame of Gehenna’, Councilor? “If the Arch Paladin had died at the end of the battle, he would have had his weapons left.”

“It wasn’t there when we came to the scene. “We are speculating that it may have been lost during the battle or after the battle.”

“Interesting. The new soldier who received Elgar’s blessing and was thrown into a boiling volcano without melting, and who no one but the master could touch, was ‘lost’… … . Did the master of eternal light personally take him away?”

“We are also investigating his exact whereabouts. And I am truly sorry, but I will not hand you over to a new soldier until I receive ‘appropriate compensation.’ As you said, this is an incident where a high-ranking paladin invaded the border without permission and killed an innocent aide.”

Sharp criticisms were repeatedly blocked by skillful responses. The archbishop burst out laughing. He leaned deeply into the backrest and quickly changed the subject again.

“I heard there was a mercenary who performed very well on the Golden Road. His nickname was… ‘Demon Slayer’, I think?”

“… … .”

“Oh, he wasn’t only active on the Golden Road. Where, did you say he was active in Galentana and Agon? Of course, I heard that he killed people in general, not demons.”

Only then did Enrico become sure.

I wasn’t changing the topic without context. I don’t know what method was used, but the archbishop already knew the whole truth about the incident. He must have kidnapped himself not to find out something, but simply to reconfirm the facts.

The archbishop no longer concealed his intentions but revealed them openly.

“Even in Galentana, there were rumors that he had made contact with the ‘Followers of the Forgotten God’, and in Agon, that he had borrowed the ‘power of the devil’. How can he shamelessly walk around in the open after committing such atrocities that deserve to go to hell… … I know that it must be very troublesome for such an evil spirit to be wandering around the alliance territory.”

“… … .”

“Fortunately, there are many righteous paladins in our church who are filled with the will to destroy evil. I will send one of them to help you exterminate the evil spirit. “Isn’t this enough for ‘appropriate compensation’?”

It wasn’t a compensation or anything. It was a blatant promise to release the high-ranking paladin, stir up trouble in the alliance, and kill the ‘demon slayer’. Enrico’s lips gradually hardened.

“… … Thank you for your words, but I am only a councilor in a remote area, so this matter is also outside of my authority. Also, there are many disputes on the border, so the issue of Holy Knights’ entry must be approached carefully… … .”

“Counselor Enrico.”

The conversation is interrupted by a firm call, and the voice continues softly.

“If you keep beating around the bush one more time, Remtana will be off the map tomorrow morning.”

“… … !”

The tone was extremely plain, but the content was extremely gruesome.

This time Enrico also lost his composure. His eyes fluttered, frozen in astonishment. The archbishop seemed to really like that expression, clasped his hands in satisfaction and continued.

“I’m not asking for permission. “We only gave them autonomy, but you haven’t forgotten that the Free Cities Alliance is still part of the Lucaonia Empire, right?”

“… … .”

“We have already completed the deployment of one of the ‘Decagrams’.”

In the afterglow of the brilliantly overflowing brilliance.

The alliance’s counselor, Enrico, narrowed his eyes coldly.

The Imperial Archbishop, Erensko, smiled warmly.

*

A quiet forest path with leaves pressed down by the footprints of each month. Kadim walked silently, while Duncan held a map open with both hands and compared it to the path.

“If you go this way… … Yes, just keep going this way, Your Majesty! If you walk for about a day and a half more, you’ll finally reach Vestana!”

From the center of the continent to the eastern edge, the end of the arduous journey is finally in sight. Perhaps due to my mood, the salty scent of the sea breeze seemed to be already mixed with the wind blowing through the forest.

However, the journey was not yet at an end. Duncan said, trying to control his excitement.

“But before that… … “There is one thing you need to decide.”

“What is it?”

“If you go from here, you will soon come across two paths. One road goes through a village called Quirn, and the other road goes straight through a side road. The distance to Vestana is similar for both, but… … Which way would you like to go?”

“… … .”

“Perhaps Quirn is not without some good bars and lodgings. Although it’s a bit far from the Golden Road, it’s on the way to the big city anyway… … .”

Duncan seemed to be secretly hoping to stay in the village. After living in a luxurious mansion for a while, he was back to being homeless, so it was only natural that he would miss the soft, roofed bed.

However, Kadim’s thoughts were not like that. You never know what kind of trouble might break out in a place where people gather. Right now, he had to be careful even of falling leaves. If he caused a fuss, it might make it more difficult to enter the Magic Tower…

“Let’s continue down the side road. “When the destination is just around the corner, the fewer unexpected encounters the better.”

“… … “Okay, then I will guide you there.”

Although he looked a bit taken aback, Duncan nodded without saying anything.

But when the fork in the road appeared, Kadim suddenly changed his stance.

“Is the road on the left from here going through that village?”

“yes? Yeah… … Yes, but… … ?”

“I changed my mind. Let’s go towards the village.”

Then Kadim strides ahead to the left.

After looking at him with a confused face for a moment, Duncan hurriedly followed behind him. It was only after he rushed out and looked at Kadim’s expression that he guessed the reason.

Eyes shining with murderous intent, the lines of the glisteningly torn mouth, and a beast-like appearance that smells blood.

I knew it without even asking. A sigh came out on its own.

‘No, why the hell is the devil in a place like this? If you fell down from the magic tower, your nose would touch it, but what are the wizards doing there instead of catching the devil…?’

Even though he lamented his fate, his course of action did not change. Duncan hoped that the demon that would come out this time would be a weak one, and followed the tail of the savage warrior who was crazy about hunting demons.

I guess I walked about half an hour like that. The outline of a village appeared in the distance.

As expected, Quirn was not a small town. It had a well-built arched gate, a stone fence, multi-story brick buildings, and other features that would be expected of a town adjacent to a large city.

But now was not the time to focus on such things.

A very strange sight unfolded at the entrance.

A dark curtain surrounds the entire outskirts of the village, and just inside it are skeletal people squatting close together.

Soon, the piercing eyes caught sight of the savages and peddlers.

People jumped to their feet and rushed towards the two, pounding the curtain like madmen.

Thump thump, thump thump! Thump thump! thud!! Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump thump!!

“… … … … ! … … … … !”

“… … … … ! … … … … … … !!”

The glass-like curtain only transmitted vibrations, and did not let in any sound. It was like a school of goldfish in a fishbowl filled with ink, squealing. However, their expressions were all grotesquely distorted, and occasionally there were people holding hammers or axes, so the atmosphere was incomparably eerie.

“My lord… … What the heck is that… … Aren’t they all possessed by the devil… … ?”

Duncan was frightened and took a step back. On the other hand, he Kadim moved forward. Then he told them to move to the sides, and he gestured lightly toward the people inside the tent.

Suddenly, the screaming and tantrums stopped. The people who had gathered surprisingly obediently stepped aside. Soon, when the path ahead was completely empty, Kadim threw a lightning bolt in the shape of an axe in a straight line.

――――――――― Gripping – !

Flash – !

A flash of destruction, a vast shock was transmitted from the part where the lightning burst to the entire curtain. Crack, the surface split and a loud thunderclap echoed.

――――――――― Kwagwagwagwagwang – !!!

There was no need to fire another ‘thunderstroke’. The part that was hit directly was unable to withstand the impact and shattered. Kadim pulled out his manpower, retrieved his axe, crossed the broken part of the curtain, and entered the village naturally.

People were as frozen as stone statues with their mouths wide open. As if the fact that I had been running so desperately until just now was a lie. Beneath the sunken eyes, there was a sense of confusion and admiration.

“Ah, no, there wasn’t even a scratch even after I hit it with a sledgehammer thousands of times… … .”

“Uh, how, how can I do this all at once…” … .”

“Oh my God, Remillion… … . A wall that even a wizard couldn’t do… … .”

A loud commotion. A middle-aged man with a bushy beard jumped out from the group. He asked, putting away the hammer he was holding and looking up to Kadim.

“Ma, are you a wizard? Are you a high-ranking wizard too? Did you come from the Magic Tower?”

“… … .”

Kadim, who had frowned at the question that had not the slightest hint of prejudice about appearance, soon realized that there was a word mixed in with the middle-aged man’s words that was very concerning.

‘… … Are you a ‘high-ranking wizard’ too?’