Chapter 19 – Snake Den (1)

Amela was a slave girl. It was not for any particular reason that she wore iron shackles.

It was because the people called her parents sold her for a few silver coins.

Amela felt a greater sense of betrayal toward her parents than her situation of becoming a slave in an instant.

It was truly disgusting to see them pretend to cry with their eyes while the corners of their mouths twitched upward.

‘Those bastards are not even parents. Yes, I would rather be sold and sell my body.’

Amela laughed self-deprecatingly.

If I roll around for a few years, won’t I become a free body? Or maybe I can catch the eye of a decent noble or a wealthy man and improve my lot.

The country girl abandoned by her parents dreamed a happy dream in her own way. However, as girls and boys of her age gradually entered the wooden cage where she was trapped, Amela soon could not think of anything.

‘It’s cramped. It stinks. What on earth… where are we going?’

Meanwhile, the conversation of the large men who were taking them reached her ears.

“I really hope the Lord likes them.”

“He told us to bring young ones if possible. Because they are tender.”

Amela did not understand at all what the men were talking about. However, she saw a few children trembling. Why on earth were they like that? Should she ask? It was bothersome. Various emotions intersected.

Eventually, unable to overcome her fatigue, Amela fell asleep.

When Amela opened eyes again, the first thing she saw was a giant kitchen knife.

Her shoulder burned. Something splattered onto her face. It was warm.

When she turned her head, a somewhat familiar forearm was flapping like a fish.

“You woke up… Should I have struck the neck first?”

A dry, cold voice resounded. Looking up, a man with slit eyes and a plump appearance was grinning.

‘Uh?’

Amela gaped. She could not collect her senses. No, it might have been simple denial of reality. She hoped the lump of flesh lying over there was not hers.

At that moment, a terrible, sharp pain surged up her shoulder.

“Ah… Aaaargh. Aaaaargh!”

The cute mouth she had slightly opened was soon horribly torn. Her weak limbs floundered without rest.

As if responding, the man also laughed crazily and swung the kitchen knife.

Slash!

Sticky blood splattered in all directions.

Sam, the Serpent Lord’s exclusive chef, smiled contentedly as he looked at the slaughtered lump of meat.

“I should prepare it as steak today.”

The world was far more cruel than the girl’s thoughts.

The plate armor wrapping his body and the giant greatsword. This heavy armament made it impossible for Veloc to ride a horse. Even a trained warhorse could not withstand his weight for long and easily grew exhausted.

A knight who could not ride a horse. Veloc chuckled, finding it absurd. Naturally, his squire Adel also had to walk. Adel said, peeking at Veloc’s expression,

“Couldn’t we just get a carriage? That way, you would be able to maintain your dignity better.”

“Indeed. Or… should I tame some monster and ride it? Well, it’s not urgent.”

At Adel’s concern, Veloc said indifferently.

Although the greatsword Luke gave him was heavy, the plate armor was much lighter than the one from Roben. Moreover, crafted by some incredible skill, there were no restrictions on his movement. Veloc walked rather light-heartedly.

Had they traveled for a while? Finally, Oker Fief, the land ruled by the Serpent Lord, appeared.

Unlike the trading city of Roben, where stone slabs were laid on every street, there was no splendor here.

The yellowish castle walls were cracked in places, and the dirt ground was full of horse dung and human waste.

The faces of the residents were also far from lively. Rather than promising a future, there was a strong sense of just barely surviving day by day.

In fact, most territories of this era were like this.

Dirty, filthy, and rough. In the eyes of a 21st-century modern person, it was truly a land of barbarism.

The front of the castle gate was crowded with people trying to pass the inspection.

“Sirs… This is all I have, so could you please let me pass?”

“Huh? Shouldn’t you give a few more bronze coins? What am I supposed to do with this? I can’t even grease my throat.”

“Well… that is.”

“If you don’t want to die, hand over more.”

A merchant with a protruding belly was rubbing his hands together to the guard who looked like a bandit.

It was to somehow reduce the toll. However, the guard was merciless. He looked ready to draw his sword if things went slightly wrong.

They were far more threatening than the guards of other territories. Ultimately, the merchant had to pay a few more copper coins before passing the gate with a crying face.

The guard chuckled and put the coins in his bosom. Then he shouted at the top of his voice,

“Next!”

“I’m a wandering mercenary. Looking for work—ugh.”

“Out of the way, peasant.”

When someone kicked him during the identity check, the mercenary frowned and looked back.

“Fuck. Which son of a— gasp.”

But he had no choice but to quickly lower his tail. It was because two heavily armed knights were exuding a murderous aura. The man carried a sword as large as a person, and the woman looked ready to kill with her gaze alone.

“P-Please go first! Sirs!”

The mercenary was quick-witted. He repeatedly bowed and quickly cleared the way.

The guard also immediately discarded his arrogant momentum from a moment ago. This time, the guard first rubbed his hands and giggled.

A few decayed teeth shone blackly.

“What brings such renowned knights all the way here…? Shall I send word to the Lord?”

Knights were semi-nobles anyway; if they requested, they could receive hospitality at the Lord’s castle.

However, the two who had come with suspicion that the Lord was a demon had no intention of entering the enemy camp without even grasping the situation. Adel crossed her arms and said arrogantly,

“A fellow like you has no need to know. Step aside.”

Clearly an attitude to get lost.

The guard cursed internally at the young appearance and arrogant speech of the two, but he was not stupid enough to talk back to knights.

“Of course! Now, Sirs, please pass! Welcome to Oker Fief!”

Once Veloc and Adel passed, the guard let out a sigh and gestured to call his colleague next to him.

“Hey, Kun.”

“Yeah, I know. You want me to tell the boss, right?”

Kun said, glancing at the backs of the two knights.

The boss hated unfamiliar visitors. Especially if they were those who could pose a threat to him.

“You idiot, not the boss, the Lord. You keep running your mouth like that and you’ll get eaten.”

“…Fuck. I got it.”

“Behave yourself. Got it?”

Kun spat and ran toward the castle located on the cliff above the village. The guard, having sent information about the persons of interest to the Lord, spoke arrogantly again,

“Next!”

Leaving the gate behind, the two entered the village.

‘It’s a bit strange.’

Veloc watched suspiciously as one guard ran hurriedly somewhere.

Adel glanced at the village and asked,

“What will you do?”

“First, we must obtain information.”

They had to verify whether the Lord was truly possessed by a demon and coveted living sacrifices, or if it was just the nonsense of loose-tongued peddlers frightened by the Lord’s reign of terror.

“Are we going to an inn or a tavern?”

Both shops were places where locals and outsiders gathered in one spot. Good places to hear rumors.

But Veloc shook his head.

“No, there is a better place.”

Although not as much as the Holy Kingdom in the east, the Kingdom of Adria also had a grand influence from the church.

No matter how small the village, there was at least one building with a cross. And if a demon had descended upon this land, the church could not possibly be ignorant of it.

“Since we received it, we should use it. It would be even better if we can get help.”

A priest who could use the miracle of light was an excellent assistant.

Veloc said, recalling the old priest’s recommendation letter in his bosom.

“Let’s go to the church first.”

“Understood.”

A beggar begging with one of his limbs cut off. Farmers whose backs were deeply bent from hard farming work.

A woman scooping water from the well. Countless people passed by Veloc and Adel.

They feared the two with consistent eyes. The race called knights in this era was mostly a gang that swung swords if things went slightly wrong. How long had they walked, leaving the villagers’ fear behind?

The appearance of the church was visible. But Veloc let out a sigh.

“Things are getting tangled.”

“As expected, this village… is strange. The state of the guards earlier was also like that.”

“They look more like bandits than guards.”

“That’s right. I also smelled alcohol from their breath.”

A completely loose discipline and rough attitude, but those were only secondary factors. The real problem was the state of the church before their eyes.

The building site completely burned to ashes and the snapped cross pattern were bleak.

Coincidentally, during this period, of all buildings, only the church was destroyed? Veloc felt his suspicion turn into certainty.

“Doesn’t it seem certain?”

“Indeed. It is blatant.”

Just then, a villager passing by was seen. The quick-witted Adel called the resident.

“You. Come here.”

“Why! What is it, Sir.”

As he was passing by peacefully, the resident trembled with fear upon being suddenly grabbed by a knight.

“Why is the church in this state?”

“That… that is.”

“If you don’t speak properly, you will face severe punishment!”

As Adel scolded, the resident stammered and opened his mouth.

“It… was a few weeks ago. A roaring sound resounded in the village.”

“A roaring sound?”

“Yes, yes. It was a dark night. Suddenly the church building shattered and caught fire on its own.”

Veloc asked,

“The building collapsed with a roaring sound? If so, what about the people inside?”

“From the priests to the monks, all of them burned to death. A charred black corpse is truly sickening… urgh.”

“You must have seen it yourself?”

“Since my house is nearby… it was indeed a terrible accident.”

Was it not intentionally caused, rather than an accident? From a demon’s perspective, the church would have been an eyesore.

Veloc, holding conviction, asked the resident again,

“Was there nothing unusual?”

“Something unusual… well, I don’t know if I should say this…”

The villager spoke as if he had seen something but was not sure. It was a world where superstition and magic existed. Ordinary residents rather feared those things. Because if they carelessly ran their mouths, they might be branded as cultists and dragged away.

In times like this, there was a very good method.

Before Adel could place her hand on her scabbard, Veloc handed over a silver coin from his pocket.

“Here. Now you’ll remember a bit, won’t you?”

At that glittering brilliance, the resident gaped. He repeatedly nodded, trying hard to remember the creature he had seen that night.

A skin exceptionally oily even in the darkness and slit glass-like eyes. Yes, it was like…

Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine. The resident swallowed and said,

“It was a snake.”

“A snake?”

“I couldn’t see properly because it was dark, but it was a giant snake. Moreover, it was even walking on two legs. At first, I thought I was dreaming. No, was it a dream? How could such a creature exist in the world.”

This time, it is a giant snake demon instead of a goat head.

Leaving the resident’s rambling behind, Veloc blurted out his thought.

“The Serpent Lord?”

As the Lord was mentioned, the villager turned pale and looked around.

“Gasp, Sir Knight. You must not speak of such things carelessly here. Even if the armor the Lord wears is in the shape of a snake… you will face ruin! The Lord’s men are always wandering around the village!”

“I see. Excuse me. You may go.”

When Veloc gestured, the resident bowed, held the silver coin preciously in his bosom, and went inside his house.

Adel said with a stiff face,

“The old man’s words are true.”

“It’s a shitty world. It’s crawling with monsters.”

A monster snake that suddenly appeared, a ruler called the Serpent Lord, and his bandit-like subordinates beneath him.

To think the identity of the guy ruling over hundreds of people was actually a demon. Veloc was dumbfounded enough to laugh.

Adel said, her eyes shining,

“Are we going right away?”

She fiddled with the curved sabre at her waist.

That action contained the meaning of invading the castle right now and killing dozens of soldiers and even the lord-turned-demon.

Take the first strike before getting hit. It was the epitome of a brave knight.

At the same time, it was also reckless. Veloc held Adel back and lightly tapped her head.

“Ow!”

“Calm down. They don’t know well about us yet.”

The guard who ran somewhere in a hurry as soon as they crossed the gate.

The Lord must definitely be on guard. But that is all.

He could not possibly dream that a noble he met for the first time today would try to kill him.

From a demon’s perspective, he would never dream that a mere two humans would try to kill him.

‘Even so, if he is a suspicious guy, he will definitely send someone to test us. It’s better to target that opportunity.’

Then…

Finishing his thoughts, Veloc said calmly,

“Let’s rest for now.”

They had crossed mountains and highways while heavily armed. It was a game turned reality.

Stamina did not naturally recover even if they stood still.

They had to eat, sleep, and finally leave the warhorses they brought behind.

Adel nodded in agreement.

“True. Since stamina must support everything, after all.”

Two people soon headed to the only inn in Oker Fief.

The unoiled door opened with a shriek. As if in harmony, a woman’s scream also echoed together.

Veloc and Adel froze in the posture of having opened the door.