Chapter 26 – Witch Hunt (1)

“A mage?”

“Yeah. Spellcasters who can shoot fireballs from their hands and make things like shields.”

“I know that… but is it someone you know?”

Adel’s question was reasonable. Mages were rare. Even if they only knew a few simple spells, they would take the seat of a lord’s advisor.

Recruiting such a person as a companion? How?

“There is always a way. I can solve her worries. By now, she should be living well under the pig lord.”

What on earth was he talking about?

Adel filled her face with doubt, but then remembered that her master was a knight who had received God’s blessing.

‘The words of God are difficult for an ordinary person to understand.’

Nodding in self-conviction, Adel spoke again.

“I understand. Then where is that mage?”

Suppressing his urge to ask what exactly she understood, Velloc said,

“It is a city a few days’ distance from here…”

Where was that place? As her master fell into thought, Adel stood up and rummaged through her bag. A moment later, drawing out a map of the kingdom, she pointed to a spot with her finger.

“If it is near Oker territory… do you mean Hameln?”

“Yes, it was definitely a name like that…”

Nodding, Velloc turned his gaze and looked out the window. Her image naturally came to his mind.

How would a real face look, rather than a mass of graphics and polygons? Would her fiery hair be the same? ‘That witch-like bitch.’

“I see. Understood. Then I will prepare for the journey…”

Velloc pressed down on Adel’s head as she was about to stand up immediately.

Adel, letting out a strange “ugh,” sat back down. “She’s really overflowing with passion.” Velloc sighed.

“First, rest well tonight, and we depart tomorrow at noon. It has been a forced march.”

“To do that, I should prepare in advance…”

“Adel. Recovering stamina is also a part of combat. Preparing tomorrow is more than enough.”

“Understood.”

Leaving behind the leftover dishes, cups, rolling bottles, and fruit scraps, the two went up to their inn room and soon went to sleep.

The beds here were not a product of science. Far from fluffy, they were just hard. Moreover, perhaps because the stuffed straw was old, it was damp and smelly.

Beneath their feet, rats the size of human hands and bugs of unknown identity occasionally crawled around. But Velloc did not mind.

He simply stomped his feet a few times to chase away the uninvited guests.

“It’s this kind of world.”

Resting his head on both arms, Velloc muttered softly. The sound of rain falling outside the window echoed in his ears like a lullaby.

Although it was a sound produced by nature, for some reason, it felt like it was playing on YouTube.

He felt as if a cell phone would be grasped if he just reached out his hand. ‘Ah. I need to turn down the brightness.’ Along with useless thoughts, Velloc fell into a deep sleep.

“Thank you once again for saving this village. May God’s blessing be with you on your journey.”

“Thank you, milords. Take care of yourselves.”

Receiving the cheers of the villagers, including the chief, the two set off.

The lord who sold his soul to the demon was dead, and though they were just a bandit group, the soldiers who protected the village were also dead.

Could farmers protect this village by themselves? Velloc worried for a moment, but when he turned his head to look sideways, he realized it was a useless anxiety.

The villagers were rummaging through the ruins of the collapsed castle, taking everything that was worth money.

Mostly crushed corpses turned up, but occasionally gold coins or gems appeared.

Every time that happened, the people smiled broadly as they dug through the bricks.

‘With that kind of tenacity and spite, they’ll survive somehow.’

Velloc shook his head and gripped the horse’s reins. Of course, because of the weight of the equipment, he could not ride the horse. He just held it and walked. It felt like the cart was before the horse. Velloc muttered.

“This is somewhat pathetic.”

“Our only carriage was crushed along with the castle, so isn’t it unavoidable?”

“That’s true.”

The two of them continued to walk along the main road.

To the extent that the rising sun set and the moon revealed itself repeatedly.

To the extent that the plates of stew boiled and eaten over campfires increased, they passed various people.

Among them were merchants who recognized them as knights and offered food or wine, and bandits who attacked, coveting their possessions.

There were also pilgrims who set out on a pilgrimage to the Holy Kingdom.

Most of it was a scenery with nothing special. However, there was one peculiar group.

It was a procession of priests clad in white clerical robes and knights wearing plate armor that flashed as much as Velloc’s.

Since their number alone exceeded twenty, their prestige was grand.

One Paladin riding at the very front noticed Velloc’s group and approached first.

“You there. Clear the way. Who are you to block the path of the sacred agents?”

In the Paladin’s voice, there was the intention to clear them away if things went wrong. There was no way Adel would stand still upon hearing this.

Bowing deeply to Velloc, she quickly stepped forward and barked.

“Nonsense. You are the ones who should move first.”

“What? Who on earth are you… Hmm? A knight?”

The Paladin raised the visor he was wearing. Then, the appearance of the approaching Velloc group became clearly visible.

Though a bit dusty and dirty, it was unmistakably full plate armor. It looked like a great masterpiece at a single glance.

‘Why are these people who claim to be knights walking instead of riding horses?’

The Paladin’s question was soon resolved. His gaze landed on the massive greatsword Velloc was carrying.

‘Ah. If he’s carrying something like that, the horse won’t be able to bear it. Isn’t it for decoration? How do you even swing that?’

No, that wasn’t what was important right now.

The Paladin shook his head and lowered his visor again.

“We are currently traveling under God’s calling. Even if you are knights, you cannot make us back down.”

Perhaps due to her substantial armaments, the Paladin, mistaking Adel for a knight, spoke. Adel did not yield either.

“No matter how grand the church’s prestige is. This main road was built by the decree of His Majesty the King and the Lord of Hameln. In that case, shouldn’t my master, who is a noble, have priority?”

It was merely a matter of who passed the road first. It would end if one side yielded. However, each other’s face and honor did not permit this. It became a dispute between the nobility and the church, rather than person to person.

‘Oh. She speaks well.’ Regardless of whether the two fought or not, Velloc, who was walking leisurely in the back, admired her eloquence anew.

She usually carried curse words in her mouth, but Adel was a quite intelligent girl. That was why she had gone from a commoner to a knight’s squire, after all.

Having rolled his head for a moment at Adel’s rebuttal, the Paladin spoke again.

“…If you argue like that, wasn’t this main road built by squeezing the blood of the citizens? They also have priority.”

“Squeezing blood? Are you now insulting His glorious Majesty the King and the Lord of Hameln?”

“No, that’s… Ugh. Enough wordplay. Do not test our patience any further.”

*Sshhhk*

Did he think words wouldn’t work? The Paladin drew his sword. Then, Adel also drew her sword.

“Kadan. What is going on?”

“Who on earth are these people?”

The Paladin’s companions, who had approached before long, showed bewildered expressions upon seeing that scene.

A sword fight out of nowhere on the main road? The Paladin at the lead, Kadan, replied immediately.

“This knight has insulted me just now.”

It wasn’t a wrong statement. Kadan felt bad right now.

He, who usually accumulated training by studying faith and doctrines, did not want to admit that he was pushed back in words by an uneducated knight.

“What?”

At that, the momentum of the religious order’s group began to turn fierce. Since the church and the nobles had not gotten along well from the beginning, the aftermath was especially strong.

The Paladin’s companions also drew their weapons, and the priests prepared to chant spells.

On the peaceful main road, a 20-to-2 fight was about to break out in an instant. Just then.

“Stop.”

Velloc said, intervening between Adel and the Paladins. Then, Adel glared at them once, quickly sheathed her sword, and stood beside Velloc as if assisting him.

Kadan, glaring at Adel in displeasure, sneered at Velloc.

“Are you this knight’s master?”

“I am.”

“You have no attendants or servants, and you look like a wanderer. Do you have more money than expected? To the point of obtaining plate armor.”

“Well, it’s not like I’m lacking.”

As Velloc smoothly let it pass, the Paladin also shrugged.

“Are you from a high-status family? If so, you should manage your subordinate more thoroughly. She seems slightly lacking in manners…”

“Weren’t you the one who cursed first? You also drew your sword first. So, what is it you want to say?”

“…Like master, like servant.”

Biting his lip, the Paladin trembled with rage. It was true. But that was why he couldn’t admit it even more. This was a matter involving the prestige and honor of the church.

“It means you should clear the path immediately before we execute you in the name of God!”

Unable to hold back in the end, Kadan shouted loudly. It was a grand momentum, but to Velloc, who had even withstood demonic energy, it was laughable.

Without batting an eye, Velloc shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh. Is that so? Then we must step aside.”

As Velloc and Adel stepped aside, Kadan, glaring at the two with a chilling gaze, muttered.

“Should have done so from the beginning. Where does a mere dog of the king think…”

For someone who served God, his tone was quite impure. However, apart from that, there was something he was curious about. Velloc asked,

“Can I ask you just one thing?”

Did he think he had broken the pride of the two knights? Kadan, riding his horse, asked in an arrogant tone.

“What is it?”

“With this large number of people, where on earth are you heading?”

Kadan pondered for a moment, then soon chuckled and said,

“We are heading to the Oker territory. Rumor has it that there is a demon there.”

“Oh?”

As Velloc showed a reaction, Kadan, growing triumphant, tilted his chin up and continued speaking.

“We are different from those like you who chase hollow honor or money. We are going to establish true justice. This will be a noble crusade.”

Adel, who was listening, sneered, and Velloc’s expression turned strange, but Kadan, intoxicated by his own words, even slowed down his warhorse and muttered.

“Now we shall join forces with the priests there and drive out the demon. God’s grace will be with us.”

‘Even if you go, you will only see a burned-down church and the decapitated corpse of a demon.’ Velloc, keeping the words in his heart to himself, cheered their procession.

“I see. I hope you succeed.”

Leaving the Paladins behind, the two walked again. Adel giggled.

“Aren’t they retarded?”

“They will hear you, Adel. Come to think of it, I had a letter of recommendation. Should I have shown that first?”

Walking a bit more with small talk, finally, the gates of Hameln came into view. It did not matter how strict the inspection was or how many people were gathered.

Because knights were the ruling class of this era.

Clearing the path by kicking people out of the way as usual, Adel barked at the soldier at the entrance. It was a soldier with a long mustache.

“You there! Inform the lord immediately! Say that my master, Lord Velloc Heine, requests an audience.”

The soldier was startled by the appearance of the man and woman, who exuded an unusual aura at a single glance.

“A… Understood, milords. Please follow me first.”

Velloc and Adel entered the city following the soldier. Hameln was not a bad city.

It was smaller than Loben, but larger and cleaner than Oker. However, this city was also somewhat strange.

Pitch-black smoke was rising here and there in the city. Perhaps because of that, an acrid burning smell vibrated in all directions.

‘Is it a fire? No, something smells good too? Are they roasting meat collectively?’

As the two sniffed, the soldier in charge of guiding them scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Um… Come to think of it, is this the first time in our city for both of you?”

“That’s right.”

“In that case, the sights you will see from now on might be a bit unfamiliar…”

“What is here?”

At Velloc’s question, the soldier, whose face turned slightly pale, replied.

“Currently in Hameln, a witch hunt is taking place under the leadership of the church.”