Chapter 44 |
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[Translator – Clara]
[Proofreader – Demon God]
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The beginning was the ‘Black Disaster.’
Without any warning, the disaster descended upon Hastin’s square, disappearing in a matter of seconds. In that brief moment, countless lives in the square were snuffed out.
Buildings touched by the black entity crumbled, and living beings it touched burst apart. Everything was thoroughly trampled upon.
Unfortunately, those who gazed upon the Black Disaster with their own eyes mostly fell into an eternal slumber. It was only natural that those unconscious could not endure even a week and succumbed to death.
People who lost their homes began to wander aimlessly.
Not long after the disaster struck, someone set fire to the fields.
Immediately, ominous rumors spread throughout the entire village. It was said that the crops in the path of the Black Disaster were all contaminated. Anyone who tasted even a bit would suffer from a terribly painful plague.
The villagers pleaded for help from other territories. After several attempts at communication, a promise was returned to send a carriage loaded with supplies.
And so, one day, two days, a few days passed.
It didn’t come.
No matter how long they waited, not only did the carriage carrying provisions fail to arrive, but even something resembling a carriage’s snout did not appear.
It didn’t take long for communication with other territories to be severed.
And so, a few more days passed.
Under the cover of night, individuals who suggested secretly escaping the village started to appear one by one. Making a pact to send news and supplies once they reached another village, they departed on the dark night roads.
When even news from them became impossible to hear, no one could rely on external support any longer.
Rumors began to circulate that Hastin was a cursed land.
There were whispers that the empire had abandoned the cursed land.
Despair took root.
The residents had to endure through winter.
The fields, now darker than the Black Disaster itself, were rendered useless.
The residents had to endure until the crops grew again. Amidst the bleak situation, the residents thought, “Even though there’s no mention of the land being contaminated, the newly grown crops should be safe.”
Now, the key was whether they had enough provisions to last until winter.
─ There was none.
Given the unfortunate timing just before the harvest season, the stored grains were at their lowest.
Crops that were flourishing and on the verge of harvest had all turned into black ashes. The feelings of the villagers mirrored the situation of their crops.
In the midst of everyone wandering aimlessly, a wealthy commoner couple stepped forward.
The couple had a considerable amount of food. There were no class distinctions in the conditions for sharing food with the residents of the alley. Even the residents of the back alleys received the couple’s kindness.
Around this couple, people began to emerge, shouting that everyone must unite to survive.
And the next day.
“Both of them were found murdered in their home.”
A predictable but tragic story.
The amount of food the couple shared was nowhere near enough to last through the winter. At best, it was an amount that wouldn’t even last a week.
Someone who needed more food must have killed the couple. As the stench of decaying bodies filled the house, the stored food in the barn disappeared unnoticed.
“No one trusts anyone else. Without trust, they don’t unite, and in an atmosphere of widespread distrust, people lock themselves in their homes to avoid being robbed.”
Tott subtly observed Devourer’s expression. Devourer showed no change in expression, listening as if it were an ordinary story.
“Fortunately, not all fields were completely burned. There were some untouched areas, but since the rumor spread about the contamination of crops, no one dared to touch the crops.”
That was also the reason why the people living in the back alleys had not starved to death until now. The remaining grains, considered contaminated, became the share of the back alley residents. They had been struggling to survive by eating those abandoned grains.
Being impoverished, having nothing to lose, and already afflicted by numerous diseases, it was the only choice they could make.
“So, you ate it, and contrary to the rumors, it was fine?”
“…Yes, so far.”
Devourer sat in the living room, resting his chin on his hand.
“There’s no way the crops are contaminated.”
What touched Devourer’s true form stained black. Only on the things it touched.
The ancient monster wasn’t a creature governing the plague. There’s no way something untouched would be contaminated.
‘Could it be a rumor tainted with someone’s malice?’
Certainly, that possibility couldn’t be completely ruled out.
In the meantime, Tott, who had been rummaging through the living room, sighed and called Devourer.
Although they thoroughly searched the house, there was nothing to take. They didn’t expect much, considering someone had already been there.
“Do you want to look around more?”
“…Seems unnecessary.”
Entering another house wouldn’t change the situation. There was no point in hoping for a different scene, just a twisted corpse stuffed in a different position.
After confirming that there was nothing different even after inspecting the neighboring house, Devourer and Tott moved on.
Their next destination was the outskirts of the castle. The peace-engulfed walls of Hastin, covered in moss to the point of shadowy places, greeted Devourer.
While on the move, Tott handed Devourer a handkerchief. It was a dirty and crude bundle of cloth, almost like a rag.
Then, he took out a similar one for himself and covered his nose.
In a voice tinged with disgust, Tott suggested to Devourer, “Having this is probably better than nothing.”
As their pace increased, the stench grew stronger. Undoubtedly, with such a smell, humans would likely feel lightheaded. However, Devourer showed no reaction and continued walking.
They reached a location with a large pit, filled to the brim with corpses.
“At first, most villagers believed that the aftermath of this disaster wouldn’t last long. Therefore, even if not immediately, they had planned to hold separate funerals for the bodies piled up in Hastin Square.”
Even the surviving villagers faced difficulties. Given the circumstances, arranging immediate funerals was impractical.
“So, the pit was created as a temporary solution for storing the bodies. Leaving corpses on the streets would attract insects, so they started placing all the bodies near the pit.”
Devourer raised his head. The mound of corpses towered much higher than Devourer’s height. The shadow cast by that mound obscured them.
There shouldn’t be this many dead in Hastin Square. It was a mountain of those who died from starvation or various reasons.
“Aren’t they being cremated?”
“…It’s challenging to confirm identities, as the bodies are tangled and intertwined. There are probably some who still harbor attachments among family or relatives. Well, the lack of unity is the most significant issue; no one is willing to step forward and cremate them.”
Tott fell silent. The buzzing sound of insects, reminiscent of black clouds, was quite loud.
After gazing at the mountain of corpses for a while, Tott continued explaining as Devourer took the first step and he followed, trying to keep up.
“I didn’t mention it earlier, but the commoner couple who were murdered had a daughter.”
Even though it was a somber story, Devourer, unable to overcome the weariness, let out a small yawn. Tott didn’t mind and continued speaking.
“…Underneath that pit, Rosalina’s parents are also buried.”
“How unfortunate.”
The sentiment was brief.
As if there were still several places to inspect, Tott took the lead in guiding the way. Devourer followed silently.
Walking along the castle walls, they eventually encountered guards at the western gate. Without much thought, Devourer unintentionally locked eyes with them.
The guards seemed weary. Enduring a whole day in armor must be quite taxing. Yet, persisting in guarding the gate until the end probably earned them a reasonable reward. It might signify that they won’t starve.
‘They won’t starve…’
In other words, there is food in the lord’s castle.
─ Patrick’s words about having a mark on his ear came to mind.
“The lord of Hastin committed suicide.”
“It seems he took his own life before facing responsibility from the imperial family. They say he was hanging from the ceiling of his room, like the guilt before the harvest.”
Who was the current lord now?
Devourer, casually contemplating while observing the guards, suddenly stopped. Tott, walking ahead, also halted at Devourer’s reaction.
Directing his puzzled gaze at Tott, Devourer asked in a low voice, “…Have there been people trying to escape the village recently?”
“I heard guards are stopping them.”
“Under the lord’s orders, I suppose?”
“Probably.”
“I see.”
Even when Patrick first stayed at Hastin’s tavern, he had left his seat to see the lord. It was certainly suspicious.
“As expected, the lord is suspicious.”
Devourer murmured quietly.
* * *
“As expected, the lord is suspicious.”
He was a person riddled with suspicion from the beginning.
‘In cases like this, there’s no clearer answer than meeting them in person.’
Several hours had passed since the conversation with the back alley gang leader. Standing alone in the village square, Patrick muttered to himself.
There were countless ways to meet the lord. Starting from chance encounters, there was also the option of infiltration, as attempted last night.
Since the presence of internal guards had been confirmed earlier, this time, if one were to infiltrate through the window at midnight, they could see the lord.
‘But even if I do that, it might not mean much.’
Just seeing someone while they sleep wouldn’t reveal much about their true nature.
Voice tremors, subtle glances, habits, attitudes, expressions – to uncover many things, engaging in direct conversation was the best option.
In essence, he had to personally go to the lord and have a conversation.
The problem was how to meet the lord. There was no need to overthink it. Patrick made a small fake cough, contemplating.
If he had to see the lord, he needed to create a situation where seeing him was unavoidable.
If a major event occurred within the territory, whether good or bad…
Patrick’s choice was the latter.
In the case of a crime, there was a higher chance of being immediately taken to prison without meeting the lord. Considering the hassle of dealing with the aftermath, it was better to choose the option of making a public statement with some significant achievement.
For such an achievement, a crisis of a corresponding magnitude was necessary.
‘No need to complicate things.’
Creating a crisis was as simple as making it himself.
Being called the “Prince on a White Horse,” it was a method nobles had been fond of for a long time to capture the hearts of women. It might be common and cheesy, but one effect was undoubtedly guaranteed.
─Creating a crisis intentionally and solving it to gain fame.
Patrick wore a sinister smile. Carefully held in his hands was a harpy egg, cautiously guarded as if it might break.
Surreptitiously conducting reconnaissance outside Hastin wasn’t an easy process.
Originally, he wanted to obtain a wyvern egg, but since there were no wyvern nests around Hastin, he opted for a harpy egg as a substitute.
Despite putting in his best effort to sneak out of Hastin, head to the forest, steal the egg quietly, and return, Patrick wasted a whole day.
Harpies had a keen sense of smell. Simultaneously, they emitted a foul odor. The scent was a racial characteristic, and eggs, even from harpies, carried the same stench.
On the way back to Hastin, Patrick had scattered things emitting the scent of harpies all around the path. Soon, the harpies would catch wind of the stolen egg. Since they lived in family units, he expected around three to four of them to gather.
In the current chaotic situation of the village, if harpies arrived, the guards alone wouldn’t be able to stop them.
That’s when Patrick would barge in, drive away all the harpies, and claim the credit for the feat.
“I came up with this plan, and it seems to be a perfectly flawless operation. Ha, my talent is becoming quite fearsome now.”
Of course, the sudden appearance of harpies and the knight who dealt with them out of the blue would be highly suspicious. Executing the operation without any losses, how could one proceed without encountering difficulties? All Patrick needed was to meet the lord between the left and right.
Having rationalized the situation to himself, Patrick lifted his head. The loud cries from a distance were getting closer and louder.
“They’re already coming.”
Patrick, who had secretly hidden the egg, grabbed a thick tree branch instead of a sword. It might be a crude weapon for a savior, but what could he do?
No matter how you think about it, he seems like a genius.
Patrick, lost in self-admiration, counted the approaching harpies. The wriggling mass seemed a bit larger than expected.
One, two, three, four, five…
“It’s a bit much.”
No, it’s more than just a bit.
…Roughly estimating, there were more than dozens of harpies swarming in.
In no time, Patrick, who had been folding his fingers, clenched both fists when the approaching harpy horde reached a significant number. At that moment, he muttered to himself in a small voice.
“Darn it.”
It seemed like a large family.
Phase 5
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[Translator – Clara]
[Proofreader – Demon God]
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