The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 250
Only Krnovel
Episode 250. A brief counterattack (4)
The visitor who suddenly arrived in Molden was a precious guest, a guest who needed to be met, and a guest who needed to be greeted with courtesy.
But he was by no means a welcome guest.
“You’re late in opening the gates, and you’re late in coming out to greet us… … Even though it’s a remote area, I didn’t know that the etiquette of Molden would be this far behind.”
“… … .”
Yeong-ae, who was sitting in her seat, coldly shot back. Even though she was not yet twenty, she did not look childishly arrogant. Instead of a fancy frilly dress, she was wearing a robe with a ten-pointed star pattern.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Baroness. He looks down from heaven upon all creation, and all is for the light.”
Adlen Youngae, the second daughter of the Adlen family, greeted them. The knights and soldiers standing behind them repeated her words and made the sign of the cross.
““All things for the light.””
“… … Yes, all for the light.”
As can be guessed from her attire and companions, she was a priestess of the Elgar Order.
It was a shocking incident for Delphina. The young lady who had clearly fallen in love with the 4th prince suddenly broke off her engagement and turned herself into a god? She apologized for her rudeness and carefully asked the circumstances. Adlen young lady smiled faintly.
“That is a foolish question. The bliss of being a companion of a man on earth is nothing compared to the bliss of being a companion of God in heaven. Although I used to follow the precepts of the world when I was young, now I have been called by Elgar to follow the precepts of light.”
The group nodded solemnly. On the other hand, Delphina’s eyes looked trembling. I could guess what was going on.
This lady was a terrible opportunist.
Until just a year ago, connections to the Imperial family were a direct route to the center of power. But the Holy War broke out and changed the situation. Power now passed completely from the Imperial family to the Elgar Order.
Perhaps this young lady had ambitions to head to the center of power. After seducing the 4th prince, the imperial family declined and the religious community rose, so she must have felt defeated. Even so, it is not easy to change to a new connection after losing a connection as powerful as the imperial family, but this young lady seemed to be no ordinary person.
Of course, being a priest wasn’t something you could just do by throwing a tantrum. There must have been some innate ability, some background, and maybe there was some kind of deal going on behind the scenes.
In fact, how Lee became a priest was only a secondary issue. This is what you need to pay top priority to right now.
Why did this young lady come to see me?
“… … .”
It was a coincidental meeting. Delphina was already planning to send a letter to this young lady to ask for her support in reviving her impoverished estate.
At first glance, it doesn’t seem like he came here to fulfill that purpose. What’s so pretty about the territory where my father went out to conquer and buried his bones? Why would he come first to support it?
Delphina inquired about the business he had come to visit. Senisis made the sign of his cross and answered reverently.
“Molden will be the watchtower.”
“… … yes?”
“The apostle chosen by Elgar, Archbishop Erensko, who is too proud to even mention that holy name, gave this order. Don’t neglect the border areas that are away from the front line and keep an eye out for the presence of non-believers and devils. I have come to follow his noble command and make this an outpost to watch over evil.”
“… … An outpost? Isn’t Young-ae from the nearby Adlen Estate? Why here, of all places you know well… … .”
“First of all, I am not a lady. From now on, out of respect for the clergy who serve Elgar, please call Senisis ‘Priest’, Baroness. And after considering various requirements, we decided that Malden was more vulnerable. Since the Adlen Territory is much closer to the southern front… … .”
“… … .”
This was no longer a ‘Baroness’. To be exact, she had lost her husband to her own father and was no longer a ‘Baroness’. The Lord of Molden, Delphina, tried to suppress her dismay and looked at Adlen’s daughter… no, at the priestess of Senisis.
It was not a pleasant thing to have a territory arbitrarily taken over by a crusader army. But at the same time, it was also an opportunity to get what I wanted. Delfina used the permission of the station as a bargaining chip and carefully asked for support, including food.
What came back was an answer that said it was absurd.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. You should be the one supporting them. Why should we be the one supporting them?”
“yes? that is… … What are you saying… … ?”
“We are carrying out the will of the Holy Archbishop. You should participate in the mission with a happy heart and bear all the costs and supplies of stationing there. If this number of troops were stationed, the realistic and security benefits would be enormous… … . Well, maybe you’re greedy… … Are you losing your sense of reality? … .”
“… … .”
He was so confident that I wondered if he had done something wrong. However, this was like a group of thieves suddenly breaking into the house and threatening to pay for food and living expenses. Delphina answered that the estate’s finances were poor and that it was not possible to do that.
Senisis shrugged as if he had expected it.
“Well, then I guess there’s nothing we can do.”
“Yes… … . It’s unfortunate, but how about looking for another candidate location for the forward base… … .”
“We have brought some supplies, so we will post the cost of preparing them in front of the Molden Estate. Oh, and the same goes for any additional supplies that we may request in the future. If you are unable to pay right away, you can pay it back slowly after the temple is over, as a sign of your devotion to God.”
Delphina took a deep breath and lifted her head. A twisted sneer immediately came into view. Only then did she realize the purpose of this sudden visit.
This woman had come to seek revenge.
Her father, Viscount Adlen, died solely because of her own greed. If she had not coveted Molden, she would not have met her miserable end here. However, a daughter who had lost her father could not have thought so rationally. It was clear that she had placed the blame for the Viscount’s death entirely on Molden and had secretly turned the knife on him.
It was truly a cunning revenge. If you accepted the offer, your estate would go bankrupt, and if you refused, you would be branded an infidel and destroyed. Since it was under the pretext of an order from the Archbishop, there was no fear of any repercussions.
Delphina tried her best to find a way out by politely dismissing them, but Senisis immediately drove the wedge in.
“Are you saying that you will rebel against the will of the Holy Archbishop?”
“That’s not what I meant, priest. However, the circumstances of our territory are not really favorable… … .”
“Oh, by the way, there was an interesting rumor going around about this territory. My late father… …was the reason he raised an army.”
“… … .”
“There is a rumor that the lord who rules Malden has joined hands with the devil and is a ‘demon baron’ who has made a pact with the devil.”
Suddenly, her heart sank to the top of her feet. Delphina trembled nervously, then with difficulty pulled away from her dry tongue.
“The rumor is not true. My husband, my husband, was ‘Baron Malden’ who always had faithful faith and cared for his people. Also, since he has now returned to dust, do not tarnish the honor of the deceased with stigma any longer… … .”
“Well, Baroness, if death can absolve all sins, why on earth did Elgar create ‘Hell’?”
“… … .”
“I was going to close my eyes and move on if you would just allow me to stay here… … This won’t work. I would like to personally call my husband from hell and interrogate him, but that would be difficult… … .”
Senis glanced behind him. The soldiers raised the shovels they had prepared.
“I guess I’ll have to dig up what’s left and find out the truth.”
“… … .”
“The tomb of the ‘Devil Baron’ was right here, in the front yard of the castle?”
The Lord of Molden froze with a face as if his heart had stopped.
The priestess of Elgar rose from her seat, her eyes narrowed coldly.
*
A terrible tragedy that was too terrible to even speak of occurred in Molden.
‘Ah, nooooooo!! Nooooooooooooo – !!’
The beginning that announced the misfortune was the torn scream of Delfina, the lord of Malden. It is a fact that no one knows that Delfina was normally so gentle that she never coughed in vain. The residents were so shocked that they rushed out of their houses.
And they shared the same astonishment as their lord.
“Oh, no! What is that!”
“Eh, Elgasi, this can’t be… … .”
The grave of the former lord, Baron Molden, was dug up and his corpse was hung from a pole.
Baron Molden was a man respected by all while he was alive. On the day he died, protecting Molden while fulfilling his duty as a lord, a wagon full of flowers was offered on his grave, and a bundle of gold coins was given as money for his journey to the afterlife.
Although life had become difficult and the number of visitors to pay their respects had decreased recently, the people of Yeongji had always held a deep respect for him in their hearts. So the sight of their former lord being reduced to skeletons and executed by a court official… … was a shocking sight to everyone.
What is even more shocking is that the thugs who committed that blasphemous act were none other than the ‘Temple Army’.
Soldiers wielding shovels, heavily armed knights, and even priests in robes… … They were definitely the ‘temple army’ that supported Elgar and punished evil. Their expressions and gestures were solemn, as if they were judging the devil.
For fear of being labeled as non-believers, no one dared to come forward to stop their violence. There was only one exception. Malden’s guard captain, Delton, witnessed this tragedy on his way back from sentry duty.
“Hey, my lord!! My lord!!”
“Aaaaaaa!! No way!! No way… … . Please, please stop… … . Please leave him alone… … .”
Delphina clawed at the ground and cried out in pain. Delton supported her and shouted.
“Are you okay? Hey, are you okay, my lord? Look, what on earth are they doing?!”
The knights didn’t even pay attention. They just scratched the corpse with their white daggers and had secret conversations with the priests who were watching.
“Even with this much corruption… … magic has been detected… … it’s not just possessed… … there’s a high possibility that it’s demonically possessed… … .”
“Yes, as expected… … We must purify all of Malden as soon as possible… … .”
“Ah, no, didn’t I ask what you were doing!! This is the tomb of the previous lords who ruled this land with virtuousness! Why on earth are those who claim to be carrying out the will of God, insulting the innocent deceased!!”
After several more shouts, there was a response. When Senis winked, a large paladin approached Delton and asked.
“Who are you?”
“yes? Ah, I am Delton, the guard captain who protects this place, Malden! Ah, no matter how much you are a Holy Knight of the Elgar Church, you have to obey my control here… … .”
“You were a lackey serving the devil’s contractor. Were you the captain of the guard when this ‘Devil Baron’ ruled Molden?”
“… … Yes, yes?”
“Come here. I’ll just ask you a few questions, and then I’ll decide whether to burn you with the ‘Devil Baron’ couple, or to confine you to the Holy City… … .”
At that moment, Delton shook off the paladin’s hand and ran away naked.
It wasn’t because I was scared. No, to be honest… … I was scared, too. But this reason was much bigger.
‘We must go to the guard post and ask for help! We need to bring other soldiers and rescue the lord! But, but… … Will we be able to stop those paladins on our own? … .’
Even if he is not an Elgar star or an archpaladin, a paladin is a power that cannot be matched by a criminal. Wearing powerful sacred gear and wielding axes, they were able to take on dozens of soldiers alone. I can guarantee that it will not be easy to stop those paladins even if they bring back all the soldiers who were taken to the battlefield.
To make matters worse, it wasn’t over just by blocking the knights. There were also soldiers of the Holy War and priests. Furthermore, even if they miraculously won, the moment this incident reached the ears of the Elgar Church, the destruction of Molden was certain.
There was no way out at all. Even though it was broad daylight, her eyes became dark as if she had fallen into an abyss.
“Heo-eok, heo-eok, heo-eok… … .”
Even when I was surrounded by the baron’s forces for over four months, even when the holy war broke out and the border was in chaos, I somehow survived, and now it all ends so vainly… If I die like this, I won’t have the face to face the Baron in the afterlife… Defeat, despair, anger, and shame painted crimson watercolors on the captain’s face.
But I didn’t stop walking. I held on to a sliver of hope and ran all the way. I barely reached the guard post in front of the castle gate and collapsed.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh… … Soldiers, everyone, everyone gather here… … .”
But before Delton could give the order to assemble, the soldiers came rushing in first.
“Captain!! Captain!! You came at a good time!!”
“You’re just in time, Brother Delton! We were planning to come back anyway… … .”
“Ugh, ugh, what, what is it?”
He was so absent-minded that he forgot to even call him “big brother.” Captain Delton was dragged to the gate by his fellow soldiers who were also his younger brothers.
“A guest has arrived in Malden again! But this time, it really wasn’t an ordinary customer… … .”
“Ah, of course, the priests and paladins who passed by earlier are not ordinary guests, but… … . This time, it really wasn’t an ordinary customer… … .”
“But what’s going on in my room? I heard something like a scream earlier… … .”
The soldiers all looked clearly excited. I guess it’s because I don’t know what’s going on over there right now. That’s probably why they were so excited to have a guest come so peacefully. Delton, who knew everything, couldn’t hang out with them comfortably.
But the moment I arrived at the gate and saw those ‘guests’.
“……uh?”
Delton ended up feeling the same way as the soldiers.
It was not a frequent visitor, a large spender, or a high-income customer. These were travelers who passed through Malden only once last year. However, even if tens or hundreds of years passed, he was a guest I would never forget.
That’s right, because they saved Malden back then.
“Ah, ah, hello, soldiers? Oh, ahem… It’s been a while.”
A peddler with a goatee. and… … .
“It was noisy inside the castle. Is there some kind of festival going on?”
… … A savage who had become even more vicious than before.
For a moment, Delton blinked in shock. He clenched his fists in admiration for the miracle of fate.
My eyes, which had been as dark as the abyss, began to open and I began to see light.