Corrupted Priest

Chapter 37 - 37

Purli.

"What do you want? No, actually—let's postpone this conversation."

When I let go, Purli landed lightly on the ground with a smirk.

"Why? Why not ask me now?"

I gestured with my eyes toward the Capels and Snowfield Bats still rampaging. Resolving the current situation took priority over extracting information from her. Purli's grin widened.

"You really are strange! So strange! You're a worshiper of an Evil God too, so why are you trying to save the others? Huh?"

"For now, please return to the forest."

"Cold! So cold! You're colder than midwinter snow..."

I didn't feel the need to listen to more. Leaving Purli behind, I sprinted across the snowy field. The Butcher screamed its harsh cry once again.

WEEEEEEEEEEENG!

Leaping off the snow, I struck down hard. A Capel's head was severed, and warm blood spilled out.

The Snowfield Bats were threatening in size, but they were surprisingly light relative to their bulk, allowing the caravan's guards to fend them off somehow.

The real problem was the Capels. These natural-born warriors knew exactly how to turn their bodies into deadly weapons.

Now only five—no, four—Capels remained.

Sagitta had just driven her spear through the jaw of one. Dacia and Carmen were close to taking down another together.

I marked the biggest remaining Capel as my next prey.

As I charged forward with the roaring Butcher in hand, a Capel who was about to strike a guard locked eyes with me.

And the moment our eyes met, it turned and fled into the forest without hesitation. I had no intention of letting it go. I shifted the Butcher to my left hand and drew my bone sword with my right. Gripping it tightly, I flexed my muscles and released the strength with my mind's command.

Thwack.

The thrown sword pierced through the Capel's left leg. Losing its balance, the creature tumbled across the ground. I closed the distance rapidly. The Butcher screamed hungrily.

WEEEEEEEEEEENG!

Once again, blood and flesh exploded across the white snowfield. I wiped the blood from my face and looked around.

The monsters were retreating.

Were they trying to wear down our minds to the limit? The enemy was persistent—and cunning. Chasing them without a plan would be dangerous. For now, information was key.

Dragging the Capel corpse behind me, I returned to the caravan. The Capel's body would be far more valuable than the bats. The caravan guards, weary and bloodied, were busy cleaning up the corpses.

I helped tidy up, and once things settled, I quietly slipped away toward the forest where Purli had emerged.

A short distance in, a voice came from above.

"Late! You're late!"

Purli jumped down lightly from a tree branch and landed in front of me, her eyes gleaming.

"So! Are you going to give me everything I want now?"

I frowned slightly.

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"It's not?"

"Not at all. Let me be clear—I'll hear you out, but if you make any demands that cross the line, I'll cut you down right here."

Shing.

With a cold metallic sound, the froststeel sword left its sheath. I couldn't use the Butcher—it would be too loud and draw attention from the nearby camp.

Purli smiled mischievously.

"Scary! So scary! But that makes it all the more exciting!"

"So, what is it that you want from me?"

"Hmm. Hmmmmm..."

She grabbed her chin, thinking hard, then tilted her head.

"Nothing comes to mind right now."

"Then I'll ask my questions first. Take your time coming up with your wish."

"Okay! Okay!"

I began with one of the questions I'd mentally prepared while cleaning up the bodies.

"How many Evil God worshipers were involved in attacking the caravan?"

"Let's see... how many was it... One, two..."

Purli tapped her lips and counted on her fingers. She folded down three.

"Three besides me!"

Three, huh. Do these Evil God worshipers have a rule about operating in groups of three or more? It always seems to be at least three.

"What kind of abilities do those three have?"

"No idea!"

"Why not?"

Purli grinned slyly.

"Never asked! Didn't care! And I only joined them recently. But you know what?"

"What?"

Glancing around cautiously, Purli whispered in a tiny voice.

"They keep acting like I'm not even there. Honestly! Honestly! I think that's kind of mean!"

Honestly, I could understand why. I bit back the words on the tip of my tongue. There was no need to upset her and risk making that chatty mouth shut up.

So I gave a neutral, pleasant response.

"How terribly rude of them."

"Right? Right?!"

"I'll keep questioning. Do you know why they're attacking the caravan?"

I needed to find out how the Evil God worshipers discovered the sacred relic where Mother's divinity was sealed. If I could use the same method, it would make unsealing her divinity much easier.

"Hmm... I definitely heard it before..."

Apparently struggling to remember, Purli thought deeply, then clapped her hands.

"Oh, right! The necklace! They said we have to steal a necklace from the caravan leader!"

Good.

"I see. Do you also know how they found out the caravan leader had the necklace?"

"No idea!"

The answer came instantly. Well, I hadn't expected much. No way they'd tell this blabbermouth anything important. I wouldn't have either.

"But I do know this!"

"What is it?"

"That client who entrusted the necklace to the caravan leader—they're part of Liberatio!"

Liberatio?

"Isn't Liberatio the secret society of Evil God worshipers?"

"Yep! Yep!"

"And you're a member too."

"Exactly!"

"The cultists attacking us now are part of Liberatio too, aren't they?"

"That's right too!"

Just what in the world is going on? A cultist entrusted the relic to Aurelius, and now other cultists are trying to steal it?

There could be only one answer.

"It's infighting."

Yeah, when a bunch of strange people get together, it'd be stranger if they did get along.

"It's not quite infighting! It's just two factions getting on each other's nerves! But surprisingly, they still cooperate well! They don't even try to kill each other that much!"

"Why did the factions split?"

Pearly gave it some serious thought, then shook her head.

"I vaguely heard about it, but I don't really remember?"

"You must belong to one of the factions, don't you? And yet you don't remember?"

She pointed a finger at her chest and laughed.

"I'm neutral! I just move if someone pays me! Oh, and I accept materials too!"

"What kind of materials?"

"What do you think? Doll-making materials, obviously! I'm a priestess who serves the 'Wavering Thread'!"

So that's why she wouldn't die. All the ones I killed so far were dolls made in her likeness.

"By the way, you should probably be careful. The others I came with — without me — seem to be prepping something seriously!"

"Why are you so friendly toward me, anyway?"

Her violet eyes curved into soft arcs, and for once, her voice wasn't playful.

"Are you sure you want to ask that? Are you really curious about the reason for my kindness? That question's a little different from the others you've been asking so far."

Like a doll changing its head, the atmosphere around her shifted. Now, Pearly was like a snake. A deadly, violet viper, full of poison.

I gave a calm smile and answered.

"Suddenly, I'm not curious anymore."

She immediately pouted like a child.

"Why! Why! Ask me! Just ask!"

"No. You should've answered when I asked earlier. If I stay gone much longer, they'll notice I've disappeared. So let's finish this. Go ahead and tell me your request."

If I heard her request, maybe I could deduce what this puppeteer truly wanted.

Pearly beamed.

"I'll tell you next time we meet!"

"Is that so?"

"Yup! Yup!"

"Then farewell."

Slice.

The frost-steel sword gleamed in the moonlight as it flashed. Pearly's head rolled to the ground. Her now-headless neck spewed bright red blood.

Her severed head bounced across the snowy ground, then shouted loudly:

"See you again!"

And with that, Pearly breathed her last.

Or rather, her doll did.

"So this one was a doll too."

The blood and flesh scattered across the ground looked exactly like a real human's. There was no way to suspect it was fake.

Was Pearly just that skilled, or was it the divine power of the 'Wavering Thread'? Likely both.

"Kill!"

Everything was mostly wrapped up now. I needed to return quickly — Mother was already stirring, impatient to receive the promised palm massage.

"We'll start the massage after I've bathed."

I slowly retraced my steps. The fires flickering among the merchant camp's tents in the distance cast their glow into the night.

Snow began to fall — soft, white flakes drifting down.

That would slow the caravan's pace.

Knowing we'd likely be ambushed by cultists again tomorrow, I had to rest while I could.

I picked up the pace toward my tent. But then someone called out to me.

"Priest Marnak?"

I turned and gave a gentle smile to Dakia.

"Lady Dakia, since we don't know when the cultists will strike again, this is the perfect time to get some rest."

Dakia nodded.

"That's what I was going to do. But where did you go? I stopped by your tent earlier, but you weren't there."

"I sensed the divine energy of a cultist nearby and went to investigate."

"Really?"

"Yes. Sadly, by the time I arrived, the cultist had already left."

She strode up to me and gently wiped the dried blood from my face with a cloth.

"Kill!"

Mother screamed inside me, outraged that someone else dared touch me, and I instinctively stepped back.

"You'll dirty your cloth, Lady Dakia."

"I was going to bring you something to clean your face with anyway. Oh, come on, stop dodging."

Her determination to clean my face left me no choice but to stay still. She carefully wiped me clean, then smiled in satisfaction.

"All done."

"I was planning to wash up anyway."

"Still, better than before, right? Doesn't it feel nicer?"

"It does, somewhat..."

She handed me another cloth and said goodnight cheerfully.

"Then get washed up and sleep well, Priest Marnak!"

"May you have pleasant dreams too, Lady Dakia."

That night, there were no further monster attacks.

Instead of needing another wash, I spent the night calming Mother, who was fuming and insisting on washing my hair herself.

Morning came, and the caravan, quickly packed and ready, began moving slowly beneath the still-falling snow.

Luckily, the wind wasn't strong, so the snow merely drifted down onto our shoulders.

BOOM!

While walking the snow-covered forest trail, a loud crash echoed from somewhere.

I turned toward the direction of the sound — and suddenly remembered what Pearly had said last night:

"By the way, you should probably be careful. The others I came with — without me — seem to be prepping something seriously!"

White snow — turning into a violent wave — was surging down from the mountain.

Straight toward us.

What the cultists had been preparing, without Pearly, wasn't another attack.

It was an avalanche.

I shouted harshly to the caravan:

"Drop everything and run! RIGHT NOW!"

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