Chapter 113: The Price of Slaughter (1)
Inquisitors.
They were the knights who represented the law and order of the temple, dispatched from the holy land.
Their role was to execute the black magicians who made contracts with demons, the followers of the evil god, and those who committed blasphemy, and to bring them to the religious trial.
Albert, a knight who was sent to the southern region of the empire, was one of those inquisitors.
He was traveling around the Everlint province with his apprentice knights.
Albert finished his work for the day and looked at the apprentice knights in front of him.
The appearance of the apprentice knights who had collected information according to Albert’s orders was a mess.
“So, any new news?”
Albert asked one of them, who was standing on his left.
He was an apprentice knight who was in charge of contacting the temple, since it was his first time in the field.
It was to organize the information that the temple sent him regularly.
Was it because he felt pressured to face Albert like this?
He swallowed his saliva with a nervous face and started to talk to Albert with a trembling voice.
Some of the cult’s members were confirmed to be heading to the Everlint region.”
“The heretics are moving to the Everlint region?”
“Yes. I don’t know their exact purpose, but the knights of the southern region are pursuing them.”
“I see… They’re coming to the Everlint region, huh.”
Albert stroked his beard as he checked the information that came from the temple.
It seemed like no ordinary matter, judging by the fact that they had caught the heretics in a group.
There was a high possibility that the cult had sent a large number of people for some purpose.
Was it a support for the cult’s forces in the Everlint branch?
Or was there something in the Everlint branch that the cult wanted to retrieve?
Albert rolled his eyes as he pondered, and continued to ask more questions to the apprentice knight.
“How many heretics are there?”
“About twenty, estimated. So far, two have been killed and one captured.”
“One captured… You must have heard from him about the heretics’ destination. What happened to him?”
“He killed himself while we were trying to get information about the cult’s headquarters.”
The information that the heretics were moving to the Everlint region was obtained by interrogating the captured heretic.
The ‘Shadow Squad’ of the holy land was known for their best skills in information gathering and prisoner torture.
If they had learned something from their interrogation, there was no doubt about the content of the information.
Tap. Tap.
Albert tapped the table with his finger and asked one last question about the order.
“Was there any additional instructions?”
“The order was to annihilate the heretics with the pursuit team as soon as possible.”
“Alright. I got it. You’ve done well, so take a break for a while.”
“Thank you…”
The apprentice knight bowed his head and left outside after hearing Albert’s order.
It was Albert’s own consideration for the knight who had repeated long journeys.
Creak.
As the door closed and the apprentice knight disappeared, Albert’s worries continued as he sat on his chair.
He recalled the information that the apprentice knight had left behind, and began to think about his future plans.
“Hmm…”
He had to annihilate about twenty heretics.
It seemed that the headquarters wanted the inquisitors in the Everlint region to deal with the heretics together.
They wanted to pressure the heretics from both sides and cut off their escape route.
It was a sure way to mobilize many people, since there were quite a lot of enemies.
But the problem was the order that Albert had received before.
He had come here to kill a black magician who had hidden in the Everlint region.
And he had made considerable progress in investigating the black magician he had been chasing.
“How is it going with tracking him down?”
Albert’s eyes turned to another apprentice knight as he pondered his mission.
The apprentice knight he met this time, Crook, was a person who had not much left to remove his label as an apprentice.
He was also a reliable person who had been with Albert for a long time.
As Albert’s eyes turned to him, Crook cleared his throat and told him some information.
It was the information about the black magician they had been chasing all this time.
“We found traces of black magic along with some testimonies. It seems certain that he is hiding in this village.”
“We’re almost there.”
“Judging by the increasing traces, the black magician is also quite desperate. I think it would be better to search all the buildings in the village tomorrow, even if we have to force our way in.”
They were close to catching the black magician they had been pursuing.
If they didn’t move quickly, they might lose the black magician they had almost found.
It was foolish to leave the black magician alone and go after the heretics.
It would be better to finish the work here quickly and then move on, even if they joined a little late.
Swoosh.
Albert pushed his chair away and got up from his seat after hearing the report from his subordinate.
The lightweight armor he wore under his cloak made a metallic friction sound.
“I’ll do as you planned. I’ll search all the buildings in the village, even if I have to use force.”
Albert got up from his seat and put his hand on Crook’s shoulder, who had given him the report.
Thud. Thud.
Albert’s touch lightly tapped his shoulder.
It was to praise Crook’s merit in front of him.
Crook flinched at Albert’s sudden touch, but he soon tried to maintain his calmness.
“I understand. I’ll prepare to fight as you ordered, Albert.”
“Crook. When this mission is over, you’ll be a full-fledged knight.”
“Albert…”
“Someday, you’ll become a great inquisitor and join me in the mission.”
Crook’s face was filled with emotion as he heard Albert’s words.
He was finally recognized as a knight after a long apprenticeship.
It was a moment of joy that he couldn’t compare with any other moment in his life.
Crook looked at Albert with a determined posture.
And he thanked Albert.
“Thank you, Albert! I’ll never forget the teachings you gave me…”
Albert nodded and smiled as he heard Crook’s gratitude.
The extermination of the heretics after the subjugation of the black magician would be the last operation with Crook.
May the goddess lead this frail soul to the path of glory.
Albert finished his short prayer to God and drew a cross with his finger.
***
Daniel Heslop, a farmer in Everlint, was on his way home after finishing his work on the farm today.
He had a lot of work today, so he didn’t get home until evening.
There was urgency in Daniel’s face as he hurried home after finishing his work quickly.
He still had a leather pouch with tools from the slaughterhouse hanging on his waist.
It was impossible for Daniel to avoid Anna’s nagging when he was late for dinner.
It was better to get home as soon as possible.
“Huff, huff…”
As he got closer to home, Daniel’s mouth burst out with rough breaths.
It was a distance that he could have easily caught his breath when he was young.
But now that he was getting old, he couldn’t expect the same stamina as before.
What he gained from losing his youthful strength was cunning.
The skills that came from his experience were the only thing that supported Daniel now.
But even with his developed skills, it was not easy to calm down Anna, who was annoyed.
Daniel looked around the fence that surrounded his house with a worried face.
As soon as he opened the door and crossed the fence, Anna’s nagging would start.
“I wish you would end your nagging quickly today, I’m tired…”
Daniel sighed and approached the door, catching his breath.
Thud. Thud.
The moment Daniel’s footsteps crossed the yard and reached the closed door.
Daniel’s eyes caught a strange footprint on the floor.
The muddy footprint was completely different from the shoes Daniel had.
Daniel frowned at the footprint.
“Did someone come in with muddy feet? Who the hell is…”
It was unlikely that the villagers had done this.
Daniel didn’t like anyone coming into his house with muddy feet.
He had scolded a young child in the village for doing that, and the child had cried.
The villagers who knew Daniel’s temper wouldn’t have come to see Anna without even cleaning their shoes.
Then the guest who came this time was a stranger.
The image of the inquisitor who had visited his farm a while ago flashed through Daniel’s mind.
“Could it be…”
The inquisitor who had visited him was wearing armor with the temple’s emblem on it.
What would happen if the inquisitor who had visited him then suspected him and came to his house?
And what if he heard from Anna about the secret of the ring Daniel was wearing?
Daniel’s face darkened in an instant.
Daniel’s hand holding the doorknob trembled greatly.
Daniel’s hand, worried about Anna who was left alone in the house, opened the door roughly.
“Anna! Anna…”
Bang!
A loud noise echoed as Daniel entered the house.
As soon as he opened the door and entered, he saw muddy footprints scattered messily on the floor.
They were not ordinary guests.
It was clear that they had come to ransack Daniel’s house on purpose.
Daniel started to follow the footprints in front of him, calling Anna’s name anxiously.
He hoped that Anna in the house would be safe.
“Anna! Where are you!”
Daniel’s eyes scanned the house that had changed messily with things scattered around.
The more he saw, the more he wanted to pray to God for this horrible sight.
He prayed in his heart to the evil god he prayed to every day, hoping that Anna was safe.
He felt like he could sacrifice as many livestock as he wanted if only Anna was safe.
As he searched the house nervously, Daniel soon found something.
Inside the bedroom that Daniel and Anna used.
There he saw Anna standing with her back against the curtain.
