Death King Karnak

Chapter 28: Chapter 27: City of Sin, Trist (2)

In the Churches of the Seven Goddesses, the hierarchy of Inquisitors who deal with necromancers is divided into three levels.

Third-tier Inquisitors are those who have just completed their training and have been newly assigned to fieldwork.

Their skills are still insufficient to directly confront necromancers. Therefore, they are usually tasked with safer follow-up duties, such as handling corpses after an incident or purifying areas tainted by malevolent energy.

When an Inquisitor reaches Second-tier, they are finally deployed to actual combat. The primary duty at this level is the detection of necromancers.

Securing evidence and reporting it to the Church is the top priority, but if the situation becomes dire, they may engage in direct combat with the necromancer.

Due to the high number of casualties during these missions, the Church prioritizes supporting Second-tier Inquisitors as its main combat force.

First-tier Inquisitors have enough authority to take command of situations.

They are capable of not only detecting necromancers and securing evidence but also directly punishing them. Additionally, they have the autonomy to manage the Church's funds at their discretion.

Thus, a First-tier Inquisitor, given their authority to allocate budget, can hire skilled adventurers as needed.

A First-tier Inquisitor is strong enough to handle most necromancers alone, so when they team up with adventurers, they can resolve cases independently.

However, First-tier Inquisitors rarely hired adventurers. Instead, they often resolved cases with the cooperation of knights or mages from nearby noble families.

Adventurers demand money, but nobles seek honor.

For adventurers, who wander like floating weeds, money is paramount. However, for nobles, who already hold power, influence is far more important.

Rather than receiving a small sum of money, it is much more beneficial for them to strengthen their ties with the Churches of the Seven Goddesses and increase their family's reputation.

This is why Alius had his eye on Karnak and his companion.

Even though the Church's budget could be used, wouldn't it be better to resolve the matter without spending any money?

Alius had witnessed the strength of Karnak and Boras with his own eyes. If their origins were secure, there couldn't be more desirable allies.

Upon returning to the Church, Alius researched the Jestarad family and discovered that they harbored a deep hatred for necromancy.

'To have lost parents and siblings to necromancers and nearly had their territory stolen! They have a clear reason to eradicate necromancers!'

Well, the late Randolph might jump up in frustration, but Alius had no way of knowing that much. Three days after the incident in Gelpa Village, a formal request for cooperation was sent.

"In the name of the Hatoba Church, I kindly ask for your assistance. Could you help the Church with its sacred duties, at least while you're staying in Derat City?"

Karnak readily accepted the request.

"It would be an honor. I gladly offer my assistance in the name of the Jestarad family."

After all, they were searching for the "Darkness of Doom."

After all, they had necromancers to hunt.

[But isn't it great that they're handing over related information for free?]

Boras, who had been observing the situation, asked via magical message.

[Isn't there a reason to refuse?]

It was customary in the Churches of the Seven Goddesses to assign a skilled Inquisitor to any collaborator dealing with necromancers.

[This means that a priest from the Hatoba Church will be accompanying us.]

With someone watching, it would be difficult to freely use necromancy or pocket the "Darkness of Doom."

Boras had pointed this out, but Karnak didn't seem concerned.

[I had a feeling this would happen, so I looked into it ahead of time.]

Recently, the Hatoba Church lacked the resources to assign Inquisitors to every collaborator.

After all, dealing with necromancers required specialized priests who had undergone proper training. But how many cases of the "Darkness of Doom" were there?

With more tasks than hands to handle them, the Hatoba Church, along with most other branches of the Churches of the Seven Goddesses, typically provided information to collaborators and had them handle the matter directly, unless it was a particularly significant case.

[Oh, so it'll just be the two of us?]

[Exactly!]

And the benefits didn't end there.

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Alius, looking somewhat apologetic, continued.

"You might already be aware, but given the current situation, it's difficult to assign an Inquisitor unless it's a major incident. However, we can provide you with holy water, talismans, and other items to combat necromancy. Considering your abilities, I'm confident you'll be able to handle this task, and I ask for your help."

[See? No priest is following us, and they're giving us free holy water and talismans!]

For others, this might have been a risk worth considering, but for these two, it was a situation with nothing but gains.

So why refuse?

Seeing Karnak accept without a moment's hesitation, Alius was once again impressed.

'He's willing to take on risks without hesitation—truly a righteous nature. But why does someone like him have such a notorious reputation?'

***

Recalling the past, Boras muttered.

"Alius did say they couldn't assign an Inquisitor unless it was a significant case, right?"

"He did."

"And they've been consistently sending us information about necromancers in the west."

The letter they received earlier was a bit different from usual.

Up until now, they had mainly received information about necromancers who had been reported to be seen near Derat City, with a high likelihood of actually existing.

However, this time, there wasn't any such information. The letter only mentioned that they would discuss things in person.

This implied they were being cautious about information leaks.

"That means..."

The streets of Derat City were quite bustling under the setting sun.

As they continued to walk through the crowd trying to get home before nightfall, Boras spoke again.

"Does this mean something big has happened?"

"It seems so, doesn't it?" Karnak shrugged.

"It seems like something urgent. They usually don't contact us again so quickly."

Typically, after dealing with a necromancer, they had about three days of downtime. But now, barely half a day had passed since they dealt with Luke and reported it to the Church, and they were already being contacted again.

Boras frowned.

"Is this okay? If something major happened, it might mean an Inquisitor could be assigned to us. Actually, considering the situation, it seems most likely that Alius himself would get involved."

"I am a bit concerned about that too, but..."

Karnak flashed a grin at the worried Boras.

"On the flip side, it might be a good thing. It must be something huge if they want to meet in person to discuss it."

Just as great power follows great events, great events often bring substantial rewards.

The Hatoba Church's temple was gradually coming into view in the distance.

Karnak spoke in an expectant tone.

"If we're lucky, we might be able to take down ten Lords of Darkness in one go, don't you think?"

***

Karnak and Boras were promptly led to the reception room upon arriving at the Hatoba Temple. As they entered, Alius greeted them warmly.

"Welcome, both of you."

Besides Alius, there were two others in the reception room.

One was a man in his mid-thirties wearing a robe, and the other was a beautiful woman in her twenties, equipped with light armor and a solid build.

Karnak cautiously asked, "Who are these people?"

From their attire, it was clear that the man was a mage and the woman a swordsman, but both were unfamiliar faces.

The brown-haired man was the first to introduce himself.

"It's an honor to meet two such renowned individuals, Lord Karnak and Sir Boras. I am Riltein, a Sixth-Circle Mage."

Boras acknowledged him.

"Ah, so you're high-rank Mage Riltein."

Karnak then discreetly sent a magical telepathic message to Boras.

[Do you know him?]

[He's our competition. Remember how Alius mentioned there was a high-level mage among his collaborators besides you?]

[Ah, so this is the guy who beat us to the punch twice?]

Now Karnak remembered.

Alius had a few other collaborators besides Karnak and his group, and among them, Riltein was particularly noteworthy.

Riltein had hunted down a total of eight necromancers so far. In terms of numbers alone, he had surpassed Karnak.

However, it seemed that Riltein was more impressed by them.

"I heard you've taken down six necromancers in just under two months. Quite an impressive feat."

"It was just a stroke of luck," Karnak replied, feigning modesty while observing Riltein closely.

Though Riltein had suppressed his mana, making it difficult to gauge his exact power, Karnak could still sense enough to make a rough estimate.

'It seems he's just recently advanced to the Sixth Circle. His mana hasn't fully stabilized yet.'

Even so, Riltein was undoubtedly one of the strongest in the vicinity of Derat City.

Magic is the act of channeling mana into a spherical space within the body called a "mana hole," where it forms a circular spell formation, or circle, to manifest effects in reality.

The more powerful the magic, the more mana and the more complex the spell formation required.

A mage's prowess is determined by the number of circles they can form, which allows them to cast more advanced spells.

1st to 2nd Circle:

This is the novice level, often referred to as the realm of apprentice mages. Although they can use magic, they are not considered full-fledged mages.

3rd to 5th Circle:

This is the realm of regular mages, where most people remain. They can cast useful spells for daily life and some combat spells with decent lethality. When people think of mages, this is usually the level they imagine.

6th to 8th Circle:

This is the level of high-ranking mages, who are respected wherever they go. They possess the power to massacre dozens alone, and when gathered, they can determine the outcome of battles. They are often considered on par with aura users as combat mages.

9th Circle:

These are the Masters, renowned across the continent. They serve as court mages, heads of mage orders, or lords of famous magic towers. Their power is feared and respected.

Finally, there is the 10th Circle, the ultimate realm that transcends human limitations.

Only three individuals on the entire continent have reached this level, known as the Three Archmages. They wield power that far surpasses conventional magic, existing as absolute entities on another plane of existence.

Currently, Karnak was pretending to be a mage of the Fourth Circle—a fairly average, regular mage. In comparison, Riltein, being a Sixth Circle mage, was significantly more advanced.

'Well, that's only if you're talking about conventional mana,' Karnak thought to himself, as his true power lay elsewhere, specifically in chaotic mana.

Meanwhile, Boras was curiously eyeing the woman.

[I don't recognize her. Was there a female swordsman that was attractive among Alius' collaborators?]

She had striking red hair and soft, reddish-brown eyes. While not a beauty that could topple kingdoms, she was undeniably very pretty.

Her physique also clearly showed the results of extensive training. The vibrant energy of a wild horse was evident, even through her light armor.

[With that kind of appearance and skill, she'd have to be famous, wouldn't she?]

And indeed, she was well-known.

Even Karnak, who typically wasn't interested in others, had heard her name before.

"I am Serati Allen, affiliated with the Adventurers' Guild."

Karnak was slightly surprised by the woman's introduction.

"Ah, so you're Dame Serati. I've heard of your reputation."

As Karnak often explored various gourmet spots in the city, he couldn't help but overhear the rumors circulating on the streets.

This woman was currently the most talked-about adventurer.

Born as the daughter of commoners, she chose the path of a warrior, a field generally unfavorable to women. She began making a name for herself as an adventurer at the age of twenty. Recently, she even awakened the aura that all knights dream of, making her a true genius blessed by the heavens.

Serati shook her head modestly.

"I'm just an adventurer. I'm not a knight, so the title 'Dame' doesn't really suit me."

"An aura user can be knighted anytime they wish, can't they?"

"I was just fortunate to awaken my aura a bit earlier than others. I still have a long way to go."

It seemed she genuinely believed this, not just out of politeness.

Indeed, among aura users, she had only just taken her first steps. She is still at the level of a 'Red Knight', the most novice, so he probably still feels immature.

Moreover, by Karnak's standards, her level wasn't particularly impressive.

'She's definitely a genius at her age, but on a continent-wide scale, there are easily hundreds of people with that level of talent.'

Still, since she was a well-known figure in the area, Karnak knew he had to react appropriately. Karnak made a show of enthusiasm.

"It's truly an honor for someone like me to meet a renowned aura user in person."

Serati looked at him with a mix of disbelief.

"Someone like you? What do you mean? You're both quite famous yourselves."

"Famous?"

"We are?"

Karnak and Boras both widened their eyes in surprise.

[Wait, what have we done to become famous?]

[Exactly. We've only taken down a few third-rate necromancers.]

Riltein smiled faintly.

"You're both quite humble. Did you really think you wouldn't become famous after taking down so many necromancers in just two months?"

"Well, that's..."

Boras scratched his head, realizing the truth of the matter.

'Come to think of it, it makes sense that we'd become a topic of discussion.'

While Karnak and Boras were so familiar with necromancy that they could handle it easily, even a third-rate necromancer typically had power surpassing that of an ordinary first-rate mage.

Even Luke, whom they captured without much effort, would have required five or six skilled knights or mages to bring down.

Considering how many they had taken down in such a short time, Karnak and Boras had naturally gained considerable fame around Derat City, known as the "Darkness Hunters" of the Hatoba Church.

[Is it okay to be famous, Young Master? Didn't we agree not to live like we did before?]

In his past life, Karnak's fame—or rather infamy—had spread far and wide, to the point where there was no one in the world who didn't know his name.

All of humanity had once called for the downfall of the "Death King" with fear and hatred.

[But this isn't infamy, so it should be fine, right?]

[Right? We're not going back to the way we lived before, right?]

It was only after this double-check that Boras let out a deep sigh of relief.

[Ah, living like a normal person is harder than I thought.]

[I know, right? There's so much to worry about.]

Regardless, from Alius's perspective, he had undeniably gathered some significant figures.

A Sixth Circle mage and an aura user were powerful individuals who would be respected anywhere they went.

Karnak adopted a more serious expression and asked, "This sounds like it's not an ordinary situation, is it?"

"Yes."

Alius nodded and gestured for them to take a seat.

"Please, have a seat first."

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