Chapter 213
Chapter 213
It was a strange question. At the same time, it was a calm question that I couldn’t believe came from a human mouth.
Humans’ anger and contempt for the demons had been going on since before the war. Before the sudden war, even at the time when there was normal exchange, other races, especially humans, were reluctant to the demons.
Deoni Veere also remembered those days. The difference between magic power and horns was only a racial characteristic to the demons, but to humans it was a symbol of fear. It was hardly worth mentioning that the discrimination had intensified after the outbreak of the war.
That’s why the man’s cool reaction was rather refreshing. His attitude, as if he had no reason to fight in either case, didn’t match the dangerous atmosphere he exuded.
“We are the heresy judges of the Demonic Church.”
“These devil worshipers were impersonating the Demonic Cult, so it was understandable. But the ones you killed were the leaders and the last remaining combatants? Do you have any other business?”
“…I know they were quite large. What happened to the rest?”
“I killed them all.”
Just then, a faint scream came from behind the man. Then the man corrected his words even though he didn’t say anything.
“…for the most part.”
There is a party and they are hostile to the cultists. Looking at the outfit alone, he was close to an adventurer, so maybe he moved after receiving a request for another reason. Seeing that there was no need to be wary of the opponent by showing hostility, Deoni slightly lowered her weapon and said that she had no intention of being hostile.
“Then our business is over.”
But with her shield still pointed at the man, Deoni watched the man’s reaction.
He was a man of impressive size and muscle. If it was another time, it would have been just impressive, but now it’s a bloody state, so it’s very threatening. Even though she had superior physical abilities through divine power, she felt a strange sense of pressure.
But more than anything else, what bothered her was the reverberation of the mana.
An aura that shouldn’t be felt by humans. The energy that I couldn’t feel touched me so clearly. Maybe it has something to do with revelation? He wanted to find out the meaning of Epaga right away, but the form in which he could exert the power of Epaga in the realm of humans was very limited.
And, unfortunately, communion with God was not included in that limited power. Upon hearing Deoni’s answer, the man nodded calmly and continued.
“Then let me ask you three questions.”
“…I have no obligation to answer.”
“I’m sure there is? If you don’t answer, you’ll have to do a sword dance with me right here. Well, you’re a mace, so I’ll do the sword dance by myself.”
The four heretic judges expressed their displeasure and flinched, but the man rather looked at the reaction with a look of appreciation and fixed his weapon first.
“What. What to do.
To be honest, Deoni almost lost her words at the absurd reaction, but decided to calm down her colleagues and continue the conversation. The opponent in front of him was alone, but it was clear that there were many colleagues behind him. It was better to talk it out than to risk it just because you were barely offended.
“Ask me. I’ll answer as much as possible.”
“It’s desirable. First of all, the first question. Do you know anything about the Demon King’s army that invaded the western part of Ethiel seven years ago?”
“…I don’t understand the meaning of your question. I know that the front line has never been pushed that far even on the first day of the war…?”
Obviously, the war broke out seven years ago, but the Demon King’s army had never invaded human territory so unilaterally. There may have been a secret operation by the military unit, but there was no way for the Demonic Church, which was not involved in the war, to know such a secret.
“It’s fine if you don’t know. Then the third. I’m the one who’s going to go out to the front later and kill a lot of the demon king’s army? What do you think?”
“…what about the second one?”
“It’s gone because of the first answer.”
Then, couldn’t we just ask the second question and get rid of the third question…?
Deoni managed to swallow the question that rose to his throat at the moment, and decided to answer the question for now.
“It’s a war, so it can’t be helped. It’s sad, but… the Demonic Church is not involved in this war.”
“This war?”
“A war in which the Demon King and the Hero will face each other. The Demonic Church does not intervene in that war.”
“why?”
“…wasn’t that the end of the question?”
“It’s a sickness. Is that so? I’d say it’s the second time. But why are you neglecting me right now for that reason?”
“‘Damn the gods. I’ll kill them someday.’ Just because you said that… I won’t kill you ahead of time saying there’s a possibility of becoming a god slayer.”
He was a strange man, but one thing was certain.
It was hard to believe, but the man had no hostility toward the demons.
On the contrary, Deoni was treating them so normally that they wanted to ask how he could do that. In fact, it was such a normal reaction that I doubted whether it was a demon with its horns cut off.
“Haha. That’s right. I like it. I hope we don’t have to fight later. Go ahead. You never know how my colleagues will react when they see you.”
In the end, Deoni couldn’t hold back his doubts at the man’s response as he smiled heartily and waved his hand.
“Are we demons?”
“Did you say that while hiding even those beautifully curved horns? My eyes are fine.”
“…No, I mean…”
The man smiled again before Deoni could finish his sentence. Deoni was taken aback when he realized that he was joking at her.
The man shrugged his shoulders as he put the sword into the scabbard.
“You said it. It’s war, so it can’t be helped. I’m not of the same opinion. What’s the difference between demons, elves and dwarves? They fight just for the war, so there’s no reason to hate the demons themselves. The story may be different, but since each of us seems to be a well-rounded intellectual of this era… shouldn’t each of us just do our own thing and go our own way?”
Maybe this man is really the reason for the revelation. Could Epaga have given me a very small clue to end this meaningless war?
Deoni, who wanted to continue the conversation with the man as the sudden question and curiosity dictated, shut her mouth that was about to open at will.
It was because the faint screams from behind the man had completely stopped.
“Now you’ve really killed them all. It’s good to blow your nose without touching them, and we like to complete the request. That’s desirable.”
“…you trust your colleagues.”
“If you use the word trust when dealing with these guys, it’s just an excuse to your colleagues.”
Contrary to what I felt in the first meeting, he was a very fun person to talk to. The other Inquisitors didn’t seem to like it because they were disgusted with the fact that they tried to fight all of them alone, but even so, their hands holding their weapons were relaxed.
“Maybe Epaga guided me for this small meeting. It’s beneficial…”
At the moment, a chilling sensation ran down her spine, Deoni cut off her words without thinking and fixed her shield and weapon. And it was the same with the heresy judges who showed such a reaction.
“…what is this again?”
Only the man did not draw his weapon. Instead, he just muttered something dumbfounded when he saw the same thing as them. It was hard to believe what the hell he believed in and was so calm, but it wasn’t important right now.
Blood was flowing from all sides toward the half-collapsed altar.
“Damn the devil. He knows how to do anything.”
The man suddenly ran towards Deoni’s place. Deoni, who was startled by the river of blood flowing at great speed not only near the altar but also in the back aisle where the man was, turned around belatedly and shouted with a frown on his face.
“Raise the shield! Fragments hit!”
Fragments?
First of all, it was clear that it was a warning he shouted out of concern for his own safety, so Deoni and other heresy judges reflexively followed his words. Then, when he was almost at the altar, the man’s fist, his upper body leaning back, flew into the altar.
– Quaang! bang! Quaang!
It was hardly the sound of hitting a stone with a human fist, but the man punched the altar without hesitation. It was quite impressive to see the image of the altar being shattered with each blow, but the man did not have time to appreciate it and just repeated his punches at high speed.
Deoni, who could not immediately accept the sudden situation, understood the man’s behavior belatedly.
“Brothers! Attack the altar!”
It was a huge altar, just like there used to be a huge stone statue. It was clear that a man’s punches would have their limits, so Deoni gave the order and swung his mace toward the altar.
The fist and the mace filled with divine power mercilessly destroyed the altar, but the flowing river of blood disappeared into the altar faster than the altar collapsed.
As the last drop of blood disappeared inside the altar, a red light turned on the altar that had been slashed by their attacks.
“Fuck.”
Then, as if in response to the man’s low-pitched curse words, it exploded with ominous energy.