I Became the Dark Knight in the Game

Chapter 69: Demon Worshippers (5)

Dale returned with the dry corpse of the demon worshipper.

The people sat in stunned silence in the banquet hall.

Many of the counts vassals and soldiers had perished.

The hall was in disarray and stained with their blood.

When Dale returned, Esther and Pale greeted him.

Ah, Sir Dale.

Are you alright?

No harm done.

Dale set down the corpse of the demon worshipper and surveyed the surroundings before he asked.

How big is the damage?

Pale sighed deeply before responding.

Despite our efforts to protect them, at least twenty have died.

It was a place where heresy inquisitors and priests gathered.

So even though it was a surprise attack, the damage was too big.

We should have responded better It seems we underestimated our enemy.

Dale took in the grim scene around him and said.

The count will be terrified.

With such a massacre happening right in the heart of his mansion, hell likely increase the guard. Perhaps this is exactly what our enemies intended.

By stoking the counts fear, they would confine more troops within the mansion.

This would reduce the forces available for hunting demon worshippers or patrolling the city, so they would be able to operate with greater ease.

Around that time,

The inquisitors who had gone out to chase the other demon worshippers returned.

They were carrying the corpses of demon worshipers on their shoulders, and the demon worshipers unmasked faces were surprisingly plain.

Their eyes did not sparkle like gems, nor were there any twisted features. They were just ordinary people, the kind one might see anywhere.

Talos seemed aware of this aspect too.

We need to verify the identities of the servants and their families immediately. All inquisitors, follow me.

Yes!

There was no hesitation in their steps.

He didnt care one bit about how many people died in the banquet hall.

After all, the role of an inquisitor was to execute, not to protect.

The inquisitors followed Talos out in unison. As Talos was about to leave the hall, he turned around.

What is it, Pale? Why arent you coming?

Mr. Talos

Pale glanced around, looked at Dale once, and then shrugged his shoulders.

Ill stay here and take care of the aftermath.

Hmm?

Since Im just an apprentice, I wouldnt be much help anyway. Id like to contribute in this way instead.

Talos gazed at Pale with inscrutable eyes before eventually turning away.

Do as you see fit.

After Talos went on his way, Pale turned to Dale and said,

Though I said as much, I intend to help Sir Dale.

What?

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Pale whispered quietly,

Ive heard that Sir Dale had asked Brother Talos for information on demon worshippers, but was refused. I would like to help you with that.

Is that okay? It could cause you trouble if discovered.

I wanted to become an inquisitor to prevent demon worshippers from harming innocent people.

Pale stated with a steadfast look on his face.

Brother Taloss methods can be, well, excessive at times. I believe helping Sir Dale is the quickest way to capture the demon worshippers. On a personal note, I also wish to repay a debt to Maria If things go awry, then I might as well give up being an inquisitor. Well.

Pale spoke with an air of nonchalance as if stepping down from his position wouldnt matter much to him.

This was welcome news for Dale.

He had been struggling due to a lack of information, and having a guide to navigate the city was important.

The reason was simple Dale had a terrible sense of direction.

Without Harty, who always led the way, venturing alone into unfamiliar territory could mean wandering the city forever.

Then we should set off immediately.

Yes, we must capture them as soon as possible.

Ah! Ill come along too. I might be able to help.

I feel better with Sister Esther joining us.

Pale and Esther led the way and started walking ahead.

Dale followed behind them. These two would be of help in hunting down the demon worshippers.

Just then, someone called out to Dale.

Excuse me, over there!

Dale and Esther stopped and turned around.

The priests hesitated as they looked at Dale.

Although they spent nearly two weeks traveling from Irene to this location, Dale did not know the names of these priests.

They had shown a clear disdain for him and avoided conversation at every opportunity.

Yet, these same priests have called out to Dale now.

Dale tilted his chin in silence. He meant for them to speak quickly.

The one who seemed to be their spokesperson struggled to begin and his mouth was opening and closing several times.

Dale was losing his patience so he spoke up.

If you have nothing to say, Ill be on my way.

The priest hurriedly responded.

Thank you.

What?

For protecting us from those flames earlier. Thank you. Thats all.

The priest who had spoken seemed relieved as if he had accomplished a significant feat. He even let out a deep breath.

It must not have been easy for these priests to express gratitude to someone they considered a heretic.

Dale nodded his head impassively. Beside him, Esthers face lit up with a smile.

She beamed as though she was the one who received the thanks.

I told you. Hes better than he looks.

Are you saying I dont look good?

Dale asked, prompting Esther to fall silent.

With a wry smile on his face, a priest took a step towards Dale and extended his arms.

Please accept this, as a token of our gratitude.

Whats this?

The item the priest held out with a proud face was. It was a heavy Bible. It was also an expensive product with a cover made of high-quality leather.

Take some time to read it when you can. It will surely offer you answers when you find yourself lost in life.

Dale saw the other partys innocent smile. There was no malice whatsoever.

And after glancing at the embarrassed Esther, he spoke coldly.

Just give me money instead.

***

Esther repeatedly apologized.

Im so sorry. Im sure he meant no harm.

I know. Didnt you behave the same way in the past?

In the past,

Esther remembered how she told Dale and Harkin that they should say a prayer before eating.

Esthers face turned red as if she was embarrassed by the memory.

Please forget about that.

The three of them entered the room where Pale was staying. Before they began their search for the demon worshippers in earnest, they needed to exchange opinions.

Pale started speaking.

First, lets start with sharing information. Ill tell you about the recent activities of the demon worshippers and what our inquisitors have found out so far.

When Dale and Esther nodded their heads, Pale explained slowly.

The first reports of demon worshippers emerged about a month ago. It wasnt here in Kaelum Castle, but in a nearby village called Paven, where all the residents mysteriously vanished. This prompted the Count of Kaelum to request an investigation from the church.

Following the counts request, heresy inquisitors were dispatched.

They began searching the villages around Kaelum and tracking down any traces of the demon worshippers.

The situation escalated a week later.

Residents of Kaelum Castle started being found murdered in horrific ways. Each was a grisly sight, and white masks were placed beside the dead bodies.

Those must be the masks they were wearing.

Correct. On the other hand, there were also many cases where bodies werent found and the person simply went missing. This led us to start thinkingand we eventually noticed a strange pattern.

At this point, Pale paused to gauge the reaction of those around him. Esther who was visibly anxious swallowed hard.

Whats the strange pattern?

The bodies found were either children or the elderly, whereas the missing were exclusively young people. There were no exceptions. This led us to formulate two hypotheses. One is that they are gathering sacrifices, as the soul and blood of the young hold value as offerings.

Dale asked.

And the second hypothesis?

We suspect they might be seeking to increase their ranks.

Increase their ranks?

It seems that those white masks have some kind of enchanting power. Even the servants who attacked us earlier were likely just ordinary people until this morning.

If ordinary individuals could be turned into followers of such demon worshippers, it would indeed pose a serious problem.

So, the goal is to collect sacrifices and expand their numbers.

And these two objectives

They dont necessarily conflict with each other. We believe they are doing both: expanding their ranks while also collecting sacrifices. However, we have yet to ascertain why they are gathering these sacrifices. Its not always the case that demon worshippers kill people for a reason Nonetheless, it seems they need a lot of sacrifices. The number of missing people has been substantial for a month now. Its possible theyve been preparing for this even longer.

It seemed like the inquisitors hadnt been idly wasting their time.

They were diligently working their way towards the truth in their own manner.

Dale asked,

Have you determined which demon they worship?

That is a very difficult problem. Beyond their use of a variety of magic and the masks they wear, there arent many unique features to go on. Its possible they worship a demon that were not familiar with.

Dale felt puzzled.

Arent inquisitors supposed to be well-informed about demons?

One would expect inquisitors to be exceptionally knowledgeable about the characteristics of demons.

Yet, Pale appeared to have no clue which demon they were worshipping.

Dale bluntly said,

Ganiagos.

Huh?

They worship Ganiagos.

Ganiagos, you say

Pale repeated the name a few times before his eyes widened in surprise.

Ah, the demon that was said to have been killed by the heroes in the past!

Yes. You dont know much about Ganiagos?

Pale nodded his head in agreement.

Thats right. Because the heroes were reluctant to talk about their fight with Ganiagos. I only heard that he was good at using magic.

In the game, Ganiagos was a very annoying guy who used a variety of magic which made him a particularly troublesome opponent.

What made him even more annoying was the large number of minions he commanded.

Among these minions, the particularly powerful ones always wore masks, which allowed Dale to easily deduce the identity of the current demon worshippers.

However, this information had not been passed on to the inquisitor.

They kept it to themselves on purpose

The ones who claimed to have killed the demon deliberately withheld information about it.

Since Ganiagos was a demon who rarely ventured beyond his domain, it wasnt surprising that the inquisitors didnt know much about him.

When Dale organized his thoughts, Pale asked him.

Are you certain they worship Ganiagos?

Yes.

Hmm. But isnt Ganiagos a demon that was supposedly killed long ago?

Theyre attempting to resurrect the demon. I believe theyre gathering members and sacrifices for this purpose.

Ah, wait. So, the reason theyre gathering numerous sacrifices

Its likely because a substantial number of sacrifices are needed to resurrect a demon.

The resurrection of a dead demon.

Esther and Pales eyes widened as they heard something more grave than they expected.

Pale sprang to his feet.

If this is true, its a grave matter. We must inform Brother Talos.

They wont believe it. We dont have concrete evidence.

After pondering for a moment, Pale settled back into his seat.

. That makes sense. Its more likely wed be rebuked for spouting nonsense. To be honest, I find it hard to believe myself. Are you really sure about this?

Even if were not entirely sure, its better than doing nothing, isnt it?

You have a point there.

It would be much better to take a risk on uncertain possibilities than to do nothing.

Pale eventually agreed with Dales perspective.

It seems well have to conduct the search ourselves since its unlikely well receive help from the inquisitors.

That seems likely.

But how? Weve already turned the city inside out several times without being able to capture them. Theyre just too cunning.

Dale gave a clear answer to that question.

We dont need to go to them; we need to make them come to us.

Huh?

Well use bait. They desire a young person as a sacrifice, so if we set the bait, wont they surely come on their own?

But who would be the bait Ah!

Both Pale and Dale turned their heads at the same time.

Esther sat there blankly and she was unable to keep up with the conversation. When she suddenly became the focus of their attention, she blinked her eyes innocently before her face turned pale.

When you say the bait Youre not talking about me, are you?

Dale nodded his head without hesitation.