How a Reincarnated Warlock Lives – Chapter 40

Chapter 40: The Soot-stained Forest (1)

Along with the shout pleading not to attack, what appeared before us was an ordinary-looking man.

Leaves thickly covering his clothes, a hand axe and a small pouch tied to his waist. And a bow slung on his back.

He had the unmistakable appearance of a hunter.

He quickly scanned our appearance and then prostrated himself on the ground.

“Oh, My Lords!”

A large black horse that looked extraordinary at first glance, a neat black cloak. And above all, the expensive-looking sword with a gleaming blade held in Jerit’s hand.

He, who seemed to have a quick wit, seemed to think that we were not ordinary travelers. An accurate judgment.

While the hunter struggled to guess our identities, I found out a little more than him.

“Identify yourself.”

The hunter raised his hands at Jerit, who was still holding his sword, and began to explain himself.

A hunter who went hunting in the forest. Nothing special.

Worn-out hunting tools and ordinary attire. It didn’t seem like he was hiding his identity with any particular intention.

Jerit, slowly lowering his sword, looked at me as if asking for permission.

“……”

When I nodded slightly, Jerit gestured to the hunter to come closer and warm himself by the fire.

It wasn’t unnecessary concern. The weather in the winter forest with snow piled up around was quite cold, and the hunter was shivering enough to be seen from afar.

“Th, Thank you.”

The hunter, stammering his thanks, cautiously sat around the bonfire, watching me.

Silently staring at the burning bonfire, I tossed a light question to the hunter, who was taking a sip of the warm tea that Jerit had handed him.

“Are you from Berenhith?”

“Ye, Yes.”

I nodded at the hunter’s words. Then I continued speaking casually.

“As far as I know, Berenhith is quite far from here. At least a full day’s walk.”

Flinch.

The hunter’s expression darkened slightly at my words.

“A hunter who came out alone to this faraway place, not the forest near the village, in winter when there are almost no wild animals. I’m sure the forest around Berenhith is much denser than this.”

“……!”

Only after hearing my explanation did Jerit’s face harden as he realized that the hunter’s actions were not so normal.

I, not caring at all about the two who seemed nervous, slowly turned my gaze, which had been fixed on the bonfire, to the hunter and spoke slowly.

“Now, shall we hear some explanations?”

🔹🔹🔹

The hunter’s name was Jackson.

This hunter, with an ordinary name that could be found in any village, began to make excuses while watching us, especially me.

“I, It was a few months ago.”

His story, which began with a stammer, was closer to an explanation than an excuse.

Apart from the fact that the hunter Jackson’s actions of deliberately visiting a small, bare forest a few days away, leaving the lush forest near the village, were not rational, he did not do anything suspicious to us.

As I knew, and as roughly written in the report, Berenhith was a fairly large village with a dense forest.

Of course, it was not comparable to the Great Forest of the South or the dense forests of the Cloud Mountains, but it was enough to support at least one or two villages.

It was a few months ago that a big problem arose in the forest, which had been a solid support for the surrounding villages for over five hundred years.

The first change was the mass death of animals.

From herbivores such as rabbits and deer to carnivores such as wild boars, wolves, and bears. Naturally, the village was in a state of emergency, but they couldn’t figure out the exact cause.

While the villagers’ worries deepened day by day, the forest began to slowly change from the innermost part.

“I, It’s hard to explain in words. It was a bizarre change, like after a wildfire.”

“Are you saying the forest burned down?”

When Jerit, who had relaxed somewhat, asked in a puzzled tone, Jackson shook his head and said.

“No, that’s not it. I mean, it didn’t burn, but it’s like it did……”

Jerit tilted his head at the hunter’s inconsistent explanation.

“Ah, then, are you saying that the trees withered because they lacked moisture? I think I’ve read about that kind of curse in a book……”

“Ah, No. That’s not it either. I mean……”

Looking at the hunter, frustrated that he couldn’t clearly explain the current state of the forest, I said quietly.

“As if the entire forest was covered in soot from an unknown cause?”

“That’s right! That’s it!”

He nodded vigorously at my words and then cautiously asked me.

“Do, Do you know anything about it……?”

The hunter’s eyes, looking at me as if I had seen it with my own eyes, contained a little hope and earnestness.

Of course, there was no reason to explain everything to him. He wouldn’t believe it anyway.

I just shrugged and said.

“I haven’t even been there, how could I? I just guessed from the description.”

“I, I see.”

Jackson nodded with a slightly disappointed expression at my firm answer that gave no further room.

But there was still one person left with curiosity.

“It’s hard to guess just from the explanation. Have you asked for help around? Like a nearby city, or a monastery.”

Jackson sighed softly at Jerit’s question.

Seemingly comforted by our relatively calm reaction, he took a sip of tea, shivered slightly, and continued.

“Of course, we asked for help everywhere. It’s a matter of our livelihood.”

Unfortunately for the people of Berenhith, what happened to them wasn’t even a serious matter on a continental scale.

Battles between the Church and demon worshippers taking place everywhere. Several countries that have no time to worry about other things due to large and small wars. And the Cravassia Empire, wary of the Church’s growing power.

In these turbulent times, when the number of Inquisitors was ten times less than needed, there were few organizations that would take responsibility for and solve the livelihood of a village, not even a big city.

In the first place, among the reports the Chairman handed me, this place was placed quite low on the priority list.

“That’s what those in high positions do─”

He muttered with a somewhat bitter smile and then shut his mouth with a startled expression. It seemed like he belatedly remembered that we might be included in those ‘high positions’ .

“Ah, I, I mean, those in high positions are busy with things that ignorant people like me don’t know……”

Fortunately for him, neither I nor Jerit were the type to dwell on such things. I looked at him, who seemed to have lost the composure he had found while continuing the conversation, and slowly got up.

Gulp.

“The strange phenomenon spreading in the Berenhith Forest. We met at the right time.”

“……?”

To him, who seemed worried that I might be angry at his rude remarks, looking like a young master from a noble family at first glance, I spoke slowly but firmly.

“Lead the way. I am an Inquisitor from Hesterica.”

At my words, warmth returned to the hunter’s face, which had been chilled by the cold.

🔹🔹🔹

The village of Berenhith, named after the forest, was not far from where we had been resting.

Of course, as I told the hunter, it was a distance that would take a full day’s walk at a normal pace, but riding the Inquisition’s giant black horse, we were able to arrive in no time.

“Oh, Lord Inquisitors!”

As soon as we dismounted in the village, someone who seemed to be the village headman rushed out to greet us, as if he had heard the explanation from the hunter Jackson, who had run off somewhere.

I read a slight worry and fear hidden in the corner of the old man’s face, which was filled with relief as if he had been saved.

It was a little different from the natural emotions shown by someone greeting an Inquisitor, who is rumored to be both glorious and ominous.

“……”

I scanned the village without getting off the horse.

It was a strange sight, as there was no village here five hundred years ago. But I was looking for something else.

Perhaps the villagers had tried everything they could. As the hunter Jackson said, it was a matter of their livelihood.

The fact that a report on this incident was written to the Inquisition, even if it was low priority, meant that they had made considerable efforts.

But the problem was that they hadn’t asked for help only from the Church.

Nobles who wouldn’t even glance at them if it wasn’t beneficial to them, and priests from remote monasteries who were clearly not capable.

And adventurers and mercenaries.

“Are there any other guests?”

“We, Well……”

At my words, the village headman looked at me nervously. Hiring mercenaries or adventurers for money while asking the Church for help could be interpreted as not trusting us.

Of course, I wasn’t going to blame him.

Even if their request was received, how could they just sit and wait, not knowing when an Inquisitor would come all the way here? Especially when they didn’t even have enough food to last through this winter.

I was thinking about something a little different.

Most mercenaries and adventurers are those who move for gold and their own safety rather than justice and a sense of mission. It’s not something a black mage like me should say, but they are not trustworthy people, except for a very few.

And I’m sure that will still be the case even after five hundred, no, a thousand years.

“……”

The old man’s hesitation was no different from a definite answer.

I nodded slightly to the village headman as if to say it was okay, and then slowly rode my horse.

🔹🔹🔹

Jerit and I headed straight to the Berenhith Forest, or rather the Soot-stained Forest, declining the village headman’s offer of a meal.

Jerit, tired of weeks of camping and simple meals, made a slightly disappointed expression, but like a faithful Esquire, he followed me, gripping the hilt of his sword.

“What happened?”

It was Jerit’s question on the road a little away from the village.

The report only contained a brief explanation that a ‘quite suspicious’ incident, ‘highly likely to be the work of heretics’ , had occurred in the forest near the village of Berenhith.

“Well. We’ll see when we get there.”

I answered Jerit’s question briefly and moved on. We had left the horses in the village as their movement would be restricted in the forest.

“Uh. Inquisitor-nim, this isn’t the way, it’s that way!”

Jerit shouted from behind, calling me. His voice contained the novelty of me finally making a minor mistake and the pride of him correcting it.

“……”

I glanced forward without looking back at him.

Clear traces that seemed to have been made by someone passing by. It didn’t seem like much time had passed.

I answered Jerit calmly and continued walking. Still in the same direction.

“No, Jerit. This is the way.”

“But, No…… The map clearly says─”

How long did we walk, with him following me while muttering doubtful words? The entrance to the Berenhith Forest could be seen in the distance.

“Are those……?”

A group of people were examining the forest ahead of the path I was heading towards. They were the adventurers the villagers had asked for additional help.

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