How a Reincarnated Warlock Lives – Chapter 133

Chapter 133: The Underground and the Tower (4)

With a strong gust of wind, the griffins landed softly in the square.

There were three or four in total.

Due to the fierce battle at Mount Calimphus, most of the surviving Sky Knights were resting near the foot of the mountain. Therefore, not many had come with me to Hesterica.

Compared to the reputation of the Sky Knights, who boast a majestic presence that covers the sky, it was a relatively humble sight. However, even three or four griffins were a great spectacle for the people.

The griffins, rarely seen in the city, flapped their huge wings, boasting their sleek and attractive appearance, and soon a crowd gathered around.

A wide square centered around a large fountain. With the symbols of the Church engraved in large size, along with the griffin and sun statues as a backdrop, the living, real griffins clacked their beaks.

A rare sight.

“Woahhh.”The citizens, seeing us descend from the backs of the animals symbolizing the Church, poured out admiring cheers.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”

Knight Captain Berit said in a slightly bitter tone at the sight. He seemed not yet fully free from the guilt of failing to properly protect the Grand Temple.

“Wow, it’s the Sky Knights!”

“What? You idiot, it’s not Sky Knights, it’s the Sky Griffin Knights.”

Perhaps emboldened by the small number of our party, unlike the usual rows of numerous knights, children who had approached us chattered with bright eyes.

Perhaps because they were innocent children, their attitude was a little different from the adults who watched from afar, knowing the overbearing nature of the knights.

However, Knight Captain Berit Termesa answered all the childish questions of the children in a rather familiar manner.

After spending a little time, he approached us, who were waiting, and said apologetically with an embarrassed expression.

“Ah, it reminded me of my son.”

I nodded lightly and then moved towards the Inquisition. I didn’t ask any further questions. In this era and situation, a question asking about the well-being of a loved one was likely to be met with an unfavorable answer.

After a while, we arrived at the entrance of the Inquisition building. Of course, not everyone went in.

“We should probably go from here.”

It was Kazan’s words.

“Yes. Even though we’re on the same side, more or less, I’m not foolish enough to walk into the basement of the Inquisition on my own two feet.”

I nodded at Marchena’s following words. It was already a promised plan.

“We will thoroughly investigate the things you have mentioned.”

Kazan, who said goodbye politely, and Marchena, who waved her hand in a rather light gesture, soon disappeared into the nearby crowd.

“Truly……unique colleagues you have.”

The Knight Captain said with an awkward laugh as he watched them. He seemed to be a person with a fairly open mind.

After looking at him for a moment, I moved towards the entrance of the stairs leading down.

🔹🔹🔹

Myself and the Knight Captain, including three or four Sky Griffin Knights, who successfully returned after completing the mission.

It was quite an unfamiliar combination to visit the underground of Hesterica, but the reaction of the Brother who first greeted us was even more unexpected.

“Reinforcements?”

“Greetings. I am……huh?”

Knight Captain Berit, who had extended his hand for a handshake, asked back with a slightly puzzled look.

“Aren’t you the Sky Griffin Knights of the Grand Temple, here to help us?”

It was the Brother’s question after seeing the griffin emblem clearly engraved on the armor. Berit, with a puzzled expression at the unexpected question, shook his head.

“We are the Sky Griffin Knights, but not reinforcements.”

His expression darkened a little. Hearing the question directed at him, who had come to Hesterica to request help with the restoration of the Grand Temple, he seemed to instinctively realize that the situation was not very good.

“It seems something has happened.”

I asked, watching the two from the side. The elderly Brother, who had greeted me with a welcoming hand, spoke as if organizing his thoughts.

“Ah, Luciel. That’s right, you wouldn’t know, having just returned. My apologies.”

After shaking hands politely with Knight Captain Berit, he continued his explanation.

“We’re in a frenzy because we’re short on manpower. It’s gotten to the point where even retired folks and newly consecrated youngsters are being deployed to the field.”

I watched the Brother’s face as he shook his head with a sigh.

It wasn’t a childish scenario set up to refuse the Grand Temple’s request for help for the sake of some invisible power struggle between them.

The faces of the Inquisitors, Brothers, and assistant priests busily moving around the long, spiderweb-like corridors were filled with fatigue.

“I don’t know what mission you’ve returned from completing, but you’ll probably be busy soon enough too.”

He continued, sounding rather regretful.

“I thought the unexpected reinforcements from the Grand Temple had arrived at a time like this, but it’s a shame……but wait a moment.”

As if he had just realized, the old man looked at me and the Knight Captain alternately and asked with a puzzled expression.

“If you’re not reinforcements, then what brings the Knight Captain of the Sky Griffin Knights all the way here?”

At the Brother’s words that finally hit the core of the matter, a brief silence followed.

“……”

“……”

It seemed they were unaware of each other’s circumstances.

🔹🔹🔹

It was natural, in a way, that they didn’t know each other’s exact situation.

The walking distance between the Grand Temple on Mount Calimphus, located near the Empire, and Hesterica on the plains was enormous. We had flown almost directly across the straight-line distance riding griffins.

Proper news probably hadn’t reached each other yet.

Of course, the situation wasn’t that complicated. No, to put it simply, it was absurdly simple.

The Grand Temple was attacked and burned, and they had come to Hesterica to request help with the restoration work.

But Hesterica was also in need of help.

Of course, it wasn’t a direct attack like the Grand Temple. It was, so to speak, an indirect attack.

“Strange phenomena.”

Deepest within the Inquisition. I nodded after hearing the Head’s explanation.

Bizarre incidents occurring simultaneously in various places within the vast region under Hesterica’s jurisdiction.

Strange phenomena.

It was a vague issue that inevitably involved the subjectivity of the one judging it, but it was also the clearest evidence of heretics and demon worshippers.

“Based on numerous pieces of evidence, we have concluded……”

Head Markel Pavlino continued, looking at me and the Knight Captain alternately.

“……that this, which is targeting our jurisdiction in all directions, is likely the deliberate and blatant handiwork of the Amadrid Catacomb.”

Amadrid Catacomb. It was a different Catacomb, not the one that attacked Mount Calimphus.

“My goodness……”

The Knight Captain groaned with a heavy expression, having heard that the situation here was not favorable either. The Head looked at him and spoke quietly.

“There is a way.”

The Head said, looking at the Knight Captain with his usual dry gaze.

“What the Grand Temple desires is not physical support, but magical support for the restoration of the distorted and defiled grounds.”

As Berit nodded silently, the Head continued.

“The Cradle’s help would be more effective than ours, who are specialized in fighting heretics.”

“……The Cradle, you say.”

“If the Purifiers from there descend, the distorted leylines and mana will quickly regain stability.”

The Cradle of Lactya Sibellia.

Another sanctuary located deep within the Cloud Mountains.

The Cradle of Monks. It was a place that ordinary people wouldn’t even know the true nature of, but Berit made a serious expression after hearing the Head’s words.

“……I have been there. It was so long ago, I hadn’t thought of it.”

The Cloud Mountains, filled with fog that scatters one’s senses and makes them lose their way, were a strategic point in themselves, but Berit nodded.

He had been there. It was a statement befitting the Knight Captain of the Sky Griffin Knights.

“Thank you for the advice.”

The Head, turning away from the Knight Captain who seemed relieved, looked at me and spoke again.

“I’m glad you successfully completed your mission in the Empire.”

“It was thanks to God’s help.”

The Head stared at me as I uttered the insincere humility and continued.

“But it will take considerable time for their support to arrive.”

He looked down at his clasped hands and then looked at me with somewhat gleaming eyes.

“Even at this moment, in the wilderness and villages, wicked demon worshippers are defiling the wells and fields of innocent people with their foul breath.”

Another Catacomb that had revealed itself after a long silence.

“As always.”

I listened to the Head’s words with my head slightly bowed and then spoke with a faint smile.

“There’s only one place an Inquisitor should be.”

Hearing my answer, Head Markel Pavlino spoke in a devout and fervent voice.

“Ruin to the heretics.”

🔹🔹🔹

It was an ordinary day.

Petrick stretched and left the house with a shovel on his shoulder.

A morning no different from usual. Just as he was about to take a step towards the field, far from his house, he tilted his head at the strange unfamiliarity he felt.

It was definitely a day not much different from usual.

These days, having passed the scorching summer and reached the end of the cool autumn, the weather was perfect for working in the field.

Thanks to having a couple of drinks at the tavern last night and a good night’s sleep, his body felt refreshed, and the atmosphere of the village, which had reached harvest time, was abundant.

“Huh?”

He opened the creaking gate and, thinking he should fix the old gate soon, started walking towards the field. Then, he realized where the unfamiliar feeling came from.

Thick fog. The hazy vapor that covered the village, felt as soon as he opened the door.

It was a phenomenon he often encountered due to the nature of a farmer who wakes up early, but Petrick instinctively felt something was strange.

The fog, which seemed nothing special when he first left the house, was getting thicker and thicker.

‘This is……’

It was too thick.

Finally stopping, Petrick looked around.

He couldn’t see anything.

It felt like he had lost his direction. Petrick gulped and opened his mouth wide after taking a deep breath.

It wasn’t a very large village. There should be fellow farmers around, just like him, who were bewildered by the sudden fog.

“─!”

But then, shouting loudly, Petrick realized something was wrong.

He couldn’t hear anything. Not the chirping of the morning birds, the chatter of his colleagues, nor the sound of the wind brushing past the wheat field.

Not even the sound he had just made.

“……!”

The fact that he couldn’t hear his own voice was quite terrifying. Although he couldn’t see, Petrick’s face turned pale, and he stumbled back in surprise.

The feeling of suddenly becoming deaf was not something he could easily accept.

Petrick, letting out a silent scream, started running towards his house instinctively, not knowing what to do.

It was difficult to find his way because of the thick fog surrounding him, but Petrick managed to arrive in front of his house.

If it hadn’t been for the familiar village road, which he could walk on even with his eyes closed, he might have wandered around for a long time.

─!

Petrick pushed open the old door with trembling hands.

The door, which he thought he should fix because it creaked loudly, made no sound.

No, it wasn’t just the door.

Seeing the fog slowly filling the house, Petrick’s head slowly lowered.

After a while.

Petrick raised his head again and looked around blankly as if he had just woken up. The scenery was no different from usual.

He moved his feet with a creak.

“……”

It was an ordinary day, at least to him.

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