The Wandering Priest in Dark Fantasy

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]

Chapter 58: The Infected City (3)

Inside Lonely Ridge Castle, after sunset.

Hamel quietly slipped out of his room alone.

Glancing at the banquet hall bustling with the welcoming feast, Hamel turned his steps in the opposite direction.

He had declined the lord's invitation, citing fatigue.

It was best not to be seen by anyone right now.

Hamel walked slowly down the silent hallway.

His footsteps were light and quiet, like a cat's.

He moved, treading on the shadows, and when someone passed by, he simply stood still.

No one noticed him.

Even experienced hunters would be amazed by Hamel's stealth.

Concealment and secrecy.

Through repeated training, Hamel had reached the point where he could completely erase his presence.

It was a skill he had learned to hunt demons, but now it was second nature to him.

'Shall I go observe the servants first?'

What Hamel was about to do was observe and gather information through inquiries.

The importance of information could not be overstated.

No matter how powerful the enemy.

No matter how dangerous the situation.

With information, there was always a way to overcome any obstacle.

Thud thud thud!

"..."

Hamel skillfully moved, avoiding the eyes of the guards.

Naturally, the security here was far less strict compared to the area where the lord and the distinguished guests were staying.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

That was why Hamel had decided to gather information here.

'I must prevent the lord from finding out about my actions as much as possible.'

Although the quality of information might be lower, the servants were sensitive to rumors.

He might be able to glean some useful information.

Arriving near the kitchen, Hamel began his observation with a slight sense of anticipation.

Since Rupert's welcoming feast was still in full swing, servants were going in and out of the kitchen.

Food, drinks, and even wine.

The food, carried on trays and in silver jugs, was constantly being transported to the banquet hall.

'...Nothing unusual.'

After observing for a while, Hamel slowly moved on.

Then, sensing something strange, Hamel abruptly stopped.

He returned to the kitchen and stood in front of the door.

And slowly put his ear to the door.

"..."

It was strange.

Because...

He couldn't hear any voices from the kitchen.

It was the same when the door had opened earlier to carry out the food.

He could hear the sounds of chopping and water boiling, but no voices.

As if there were only mute people inside.

Thud thud!

Hearing someone approaching, Hamel quickly left his spot.

And he continued to observe the servants.

From the stablemen to the coachmen.

The maids and even the butlers.

No matter where they were or what they were doing, they didn't utter a single word.

They simply carried out their tasks mechanically, with expressionless faces.

After a moment of contemplation, Hamel appeared in front of a boy carrying a water jug.

As the boy sensed his presence, Hamel quietly greeted him.

"Hello."

"Oh, hello! How can I help you?"

The boy blinked and replied politely, looking at Hamel.

His face, which had been colorless until just now, became lively.

The eerie change sent shivers down Hamel's spine.

So that was it.

They only smiled and talked in front of guests from outside, like Rupert.

That was the source of the discomfort he had felt.

'I was mistaken.'

He had thought that only part of the lord's castle had been affected by Vinea.

But that wasn't the case.

The people in the inner castle had already become Vinea's puppets.

Hamel turned away coldly, leaving the boy tilting his head in confusion.

"..."

He almost unconsciously reached out to pat the boy's head.

Out of pity.

But the boy in front of him wasn't someone who needed comforting.

The boy who needed comfort had probably already died, becoming Vinea's nourishment.

The realization made Hamel's head turn cold.

There was no way to save the boy.

But he could promise this one thing.

'I will surely cut off Vinea's head and avenge your unjust deaths.'

***

He didn't gain much information from the servants.

All he learned was that the situation in the castle was worse than he had expected.

It seemed he had to give up on gathering information through inquiries.

'This is troublesome.'

Hamel was frowning as he returned to his room.

"Whoa!"

"...?"

As he turned a corner in the hallway, a child bumped into him and fell backwards.

Judging from the fact that the child had been standing there for a while, he must have been waiting for someone.

"Are you alright?"

At the child's realistic acting, which he couldn't believe was fake, Hamel unconsciously reached out his hand.

It was a familiar face.

Tristan Lonely Ridge , Lord Edmuir's son.

The child who had asked him with sparkling eyes if he was the hero who saved the Magic Tower.

"Ah... Th-thank you!"

Tristan flusteredly grabbed Hamel's hand and got up.

Hamel gritted his teeth as he looked at Tristan.

He seemed so alive.

But in the end, this child was also a demon wearing a pendant...

"...?"

Hamel paused for a moment and looked around Tristan's neck.

Nothing.

The boy wasn't wearing a pendant.

"What's wrong?"

Tristan, sensing his gaze, asked curiously, and Hamel asked cautiously,

"I don't see the pendant you were wearing around your neck."

"Oh!"

Tristan finally noticed that the pendant was missing from his neck and looked around on the floor.

The pendant, its string untied, was lying on the floor.

It seemed to have fallen off when he fell.

Tristan was relieved and quickly picked it up, putting it back around his neck.

"Whew, that was close. Thank you. Father would scold me if I didn't wear this."

"...The lord?"

"Yes. He said it's important and I should never take it off."

Hamel, maintaining his composure as best as he could, looked at Tristan.

While the pendant was off, Hamel quickly dabbed holy water on his eyes.

Now that he wasn't under the influence of the pendant, he should be able to see its true form.

But

"..."

Hamel's expectations were off.

There was no trace of demonic energy.

'I don't know why, but...'

Tristan was a real person.

Hamel continued his questioning as calmly as possible.

"That's a pretty pendant. Did the lord give it to you?"

"Yes. About a month ago. Actually, he didn't just give it to me, he gave it to everyone. He said it's a symbol that we're people of Lonely Ridge."

One thing was certain now.

It was Lord Edmuir himself who first distributed the pendants to the people.

Hamel clenched his fists and asked,

"Was there anyone who didn't like the pendant?"

"Well... Why do you ask?"

Tristan asked back, as if he found Hamel's question strange.

Hamel smiled faintly and replied,

"I'm also wearing a pendant... but I heard a rumor that in the north, men are looked down upon if they wear accessories."

"Ah!"

The boy's eyes sparkled as Hamel pulled his pendant out from under his clothes.

After looking at the pendant for a moment, the boy nodded and said,

"That's right. I've heard that too. Ah, that's why!"

The boy clapped his hands as if he had remembered something.

"Come to think of it, Uncle Galahad didn't like the pendant either."

"Galahad...?"

"He's the captain of the territory's knight order. It's better not to show your pendant in front of him, Priest-nim. Hehe."

"Is that so?"

Tristan chuckled as if he was sharing a secret with Hamel.

There were many more questions he wanted to ask, but he sensed a servant approaching from down the hallway.

Hamel patted the boy's head and said,

"Thank you for your help."

"Oh, really? Then... I have a favor to ask..."

"Yes, go ahead."

At Hamel's words, Tristan hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously,

"Could you... tell me about your adventures later?"

"...Of course."

Hamel forced a smile and nodded.

Tristan beamed and thanked him repeatedly.

Hamel, after bidding him goodnight, slipped away before the servant approached.

After taking a few more steps, Hamel stopped abruptly.

'...This feels wrong.'

He had used an innocent boy.

There was no denying that, no matter the reason.

He would use the information he gained from the boy to harm those precious to him.

Feeling slightly nauseous, Hamel slowly walked down the hallway and returned to his room.

He needed to rest.

Fortunately, it was still early in the night.

Hamel opened the door to his room listlessly and entered.

Thud!

As he opened the door, something fell to the floor.

It must have been stuck in the gap of the door.

Hamel picked it up.

A single sentence written on a square piece of parchment.

"I'll see you after the tournament. G."

It was signed with the initial G.

'They made the first move.'

It was an unexpectedly quick decision.

Perhaps that's how urgent the situation was.

"..."

Hamel examined the note and then put it away in his pocket.

This was also unexpected.

But it wasn't a bad thing.

In fact, it might have made things easier.

Amidst the continued streak of luck, Hamel felt a strange sense of unease.

It wasn't an alarm bell ringing in the realm of reason.

Rather, it was a signal from the experiences deeply ingrained in his body.

'This really isn't easy.'

Feeling deeply fatigued, Hamel closed the door to his room.

Thus ended his long first night in Lonely Ridge.

***

Ta-da!

The loud fanfare of brass instruments announced the start of the festival.

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

The explosive cheers of the people echoed throughout the territory.

The entire territory was heated up with the festive mood.

"...It's hard to believe this is a city that has fallen into the hands of a demon."

Daniel muttered with a bitter expression.

Hamel nodded in agreement.

"Sociality makes humans strong, but it can also be a weakness."

Probably not even a tenth of these people were actually Vinea's puppets.

In other words, most of them were ordinary people.

Hamel had been steadily gathering information since early morning.

And he had heard some interesting stories.

There had been quite a few disappearances in the territory recently.

However, it hadn't become a problem because they all returned safely after a few days.

Even if the pendant cast an illusion, wouldn't they have noticed something strange?

'No way.'

But even so, they were enjoying the festival.

There was only one reason.

'No one is raising any suspicions.'

Far from being suspicious, everyone was enjoying the festival, so they had dismissed their doubts.

They turned away from their worries and gave themselves over to comfort.

It was a phenomenon created by human empathy and sociality, the desire not to act differently from others.

"Isn't this the first time this has happened?"

"...The situation is different, but I've seen similar things a few times."

Demons exploited these weaknesses of humans all too easily.

Hamel sensed the stench of blood and madness in the cheers of the people caught up in the festive fervor.

"How are the preparations going?"

"Don't worry. The children and Lena went to get things ready before sunrise."

"Any signs of being followed?"

"None. It's probably because of the children. I don't think anyone will follow them as long as they stay within the castle walls."

Hamel was relieved by Daniel's answer.

Today, the Lonely Ridge territory would become a battlefield.

Although he had some idea of Vinea's true nature, preparations were necessary to be certain.

For that, the children and Lena had to do their job well.

Just as Hamel clasped his hands together in prayer,

"Let the tournament begin!"

The sound of the trumpet signaling the start of the tournament, as declared by Lord Edmuir, echoed through the arena.

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]