117. Celebration (4)

Shione stood in front of Ravi Crunel, who was relaxed.

“You… ?”

Empty eyes look at my master, who hides himself in a long robe.

Shione lifted her deeply pressed robe a little and showed her her true face.

“Lady?”

“Sir Ravi Crunell, the leader of the 2nd magic unit of the Marquis of Allenar. I’m sorry to come to you with this sudden story, but… Could I ask for help?”

“Help?”

“I found a woman with demonic energy. Looking at her, it looks like she’s rushing somewhere. She wants to follow her….”

“Yes… ?”

Of course, you are not a count, but a wizard belonging to a marquess. Although Shione continued to say that there would be no problem if she refused my request.

Ravi Crunell did not seem to have heard Sione’s gossip.

Of course not. The second daughter of the countess suddenly came and said that while she was enjoying the festival, she found someone who seemed to be a cultist and asked for help. It will be hard to understand.

Where is Count Cianella’s family? A demonic landscape beside the Beltrin Mountains.

The church under the direct control of the Holy See is full of outstanding priests and paladins. They patrol the estate regularly along with the count’s guards.

Even among Cianella’s clan, they are the ones who smell the devil very well. How on earth could they hide in this territory?

Even I wonder how those cultists are breathing here. No wonder Ravi reacted like that.

I caught up behind Sione and lowered the hood for a while.

Ravi’s tired eyes widened as he saw my face coming out of the hood.

“It’s been a while.”

As she nodded and greeted her, Ravi looked at me and Shione alternately.

“Lady, could you listen a little more closely to what you just said?”

“I don’t have much time, so I’ll explain briefly.”

Shione glanced at the cultist behind him from time to time and quickly summarized the current situation.

Maybe it’s because there’s a slight gap between the statuses of counts and viscounts. Even when Shione lowered her words relative to her and informed her of her situation, Ravi was not particularly bothered.

The conversation ended with Ravi nodding her head at Shione’s opinion.

Ravi also advised me to summon the soldiers around her rather than follow her right away. In the end, after a brief discussion with Sione’s continued words, she agreed. The decisive blow is the trend of cultists who just in time join someone and begin to move forward.

They are also wizards belonging to the Marquis family who slain the demons that have adapted to the harsh cold that filled the northern part of the kingdom and usurped the blood-stained land.

Those who inherited that spirit and legitimacy won’t stand by in the slightest when it comes to cultists.

Furthermore, since there will be magical assistance, it seemed that he had made the decision that he would be able to help enough to stomp on them instead of fighting them.

‘It’s fortunate.’

Even if there is a little skirmish, they are the bodies of the marquis family’s battle mages.

With Ravi and these other wizards, even if a decently skilled person comes, it won’t be much of a danger.

“Whoa… ….”

I came here to enjoy the festival. Why the hell does the story continue like this?

It’s clear that either me or Shione has a demon. It’s because these troublesome things are always woven into the story she follows.

Especially Shione. He has a knack for making troublesome things even bigger.

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This time it went off the rails like this, but after going back to her room, it would be better to say it out loud.

Don’t ever think about stepping into something so impromptu and dangerous again. If possible, I intend to tell Ainel about this Shione’s stubborn side.

‘Well, still.’

Only if this amount of people accompany you. You can also lessen your worries about the safety of this foolish Shione.

No, it would be much more effective and safer than digging them out with half-assed combat priests or soldiers.

As the demon worshipers began to move, Sione pressed her hood down again and spoke to her.

“Thank you so much for suddenly coming and listening to my request. I’ll make sure to pay you the reward after you return to the count’s residence.”

Naturally, Shione promised her future pay as well.

It’s like borrowing the power of the magicians of the marquis, not the count’s troops.

As much as she helped her with such a troublesome task. It would be reasonable to pay a reasonable price.

Ravi also nodded her head in response to her words.

“Okay. If we all gather together, the other side will notice it easily, so the three of you separate and chase after them.”

The most trustworthy Ravi came to stand by me and Shione.

Her three wizards, who were with her, formed another team.

That’s how our companionship began.

The goal is to follow them and collect even trivial information. The best outcome would be to find out their schemes and bases. Just grabbing the tail is enough.

Thought of stealing information through interrogation if there is no result even after following it to some extent or if it is discovered. Ravi decided to subdue them in case of emergency.

The other team decided to take a slightly different route and take a detour. Me, Shione, and Ravi. As much as one of our teams decided to go right after them.

We immediately followed the streets trodden by cultists.

“… You ended up in the red light district.”

“It looks like it’s heading to the slums… Because this red light district is the closest to the slums.”

At my words, Shione smiled awkwardly.

Soon, she and Ravi started to focus again on the actions of the cultist in front of them.

I slipped behind them and used them as a screen to hide the unfolding hell as much as possible.

Nonetheless, all I can do is pray to get out of the red light district as quickly as possible, turning my eyes to the unpleasant voice I hear and the demonic figure that I see at a glance.

* *

“It’s a poor household. It’s my first time coming here….”

Slums.

The most shabby and dangerous place within the strong walls of the Count’s family.

This empty place was very desolate unlike the downtown area that was not too far away.

For them, the anniversaries of the lands are nothing more than a deception of those who have them.

Those who make a living here are in search of heat to spend the cold winter instead of getting drunk with the heat of the festival.

It was a familiar scene for me, Ravi Crunell.

“… It’s worse than I thought.”

However, it seems that the image was unfamiliar to the young lady.

Young Ae’s face was deeply pensive.

She couldn’t move easily.

The eyes of countless people around you. I couldn’t move because they were caught by their gaze through the hole in the shabby house.

However, as if I was not unfamiliar with the scenery of the slums, I naturally faced them and just moved forward and talked to Young lady so that she could move forward.

“Young Ae, slums are known as places where those who do not get a chance gather and struggle to survive.”

“… ?”

“However, the truth is a little different. Those who are here are actually not the ones who didn’t get the chance, but the absolute majority of those who kicked it even though they had the opportunity. Most of them decided to stay here on their own.”

“Sir Ravi Crunell, that means… ….”

“You don’t have to sympathize. Because they are fugitives who turned their backs on their efforts and gave up on labor and hid in this shabby house.”

“… ….”

“Young lady, have you heard of Viscount Crunell?”

The young lady was silent.

“It will be unfamiliar. My family is a ruined family. It’s embarrassing, but I spent quite a bit of time in the slums when I was young. Then I realized.”

“… ….”

“The innocent people here are dreaming children with innocent eyes. Before embracing complete despair, there are only those with desperate eyes. Even that, over time, they learn to steal and fight, and in the end, they, too, turn into cloudy and empty eyes.”

I scanned the people in the slums with a cold gaze.

Those who sneakily peek at us. Their eyes were all pitch black. They are but worthless stones in the mud.

“It is only the weak who did not prepare for winter until spring and fall. You don’t need to care so deeply about those who have not overcome this much and have no intention of overcoming it. Because those in the slums get more opportunities than they thought. They just overlooked the opportunity. Look at them.”

The eyes of those who were looking at us were obvious.

Just like I said, only those who are cloudy or empty. None of them were right.

They were the only ones who could not overcome and were broken.

“Young lady, I can’t help but feel sympathy, but it’s difficult to slow down because of this. Although I expressed it in an extreme way, I hope that my words will not make the lady’s heart heavy.”

“… I get it. Make it move.”

We followed those who said they felt demonic for a while without saying anything.

I glanced behind me. I heard that you are from a lower class, is it because of that? Unlike the young lady, her exclusive attendant seemed to be familiar with me. He was following her casually, keeping his eyes on the surroundings.

I thought of my old self as I exhaled a breath in the cold winter air.

When I was born, my family was in ruin. My parents also died when I was young, and I am left alone.

Wandering around the slums alone, I met a woman.

A decrepit wizard confined to a shabby alcove in the slums.

Ravi Crunel, a young child who started to learn magic according to the teachings of my master and had a wild dream.

Since I was young, I have been curious, and magic has become a fun toy and a dream for me more than anything else.

When I was learning magic, I was happy. A miracle unfolding in my hands! I still can’t forget the day I first learned how to make fireworks from Master.

Of course, there were also many difficult days.

Thanks to the descendant of a completely ruined noble, the castle of Crunel was not a shield.

There were many times when I was beaten just for inheriting noble blood. There were many times when I was deprived of the fairy tales I had earned by working hard in the main street.

Even when Master, the only family he depended on in the end, passed away unjustly by a thief in the slums, he did not lose his dream and overcame it.

Since you were born in the slums or made a living there, it is nonsense to say that living like this is your destiny. Because I am a living witness who overcame all these harsh environments. Who would dare to say such weak words?

People living in the slums are just a pit of people who don’t dream, don’t try, and don’t even think about overcoming.

They are just idiots who want to climb to the top of the abyss but make no effort.

Even if you weren’t lucky enough to have talent for magic like me, even if you weren’t lucky enough to join the marquis’ army.

If you try hard enough.

Even if you don’t know the main street, it wouldn’t be impossible to open a decent shop in the outskirts or lead a normal life like a peasant.

“Whoa… ….”

I just hate the slums. I also hate those in the slums.

At the young lady’s request, I just focus on tracking down the wicked so that I can forget that the place surrounding me is a slum.

* *

I don’t know how much longer I walked.

I never thought that after starting the chase, I would cross the slums and come right in front of the tall walls.

Shione thought hard about something at Ravi’s words, and Ravi came all the way to this place with even the sound of her steps dead.

It was a suffocating atmosphere.

Anyway, the result of tracking them down.

“There are a lot of them. Besides, everyone feels demonic.”

I was able to find devil worshipers gathered in front of the wall.

It wasn’t just them that could be seen. A circular magic circle engraved on the castle wall.

I’m not familiar with magic, so I don’t know what kind of spell it is, but looking at Ravi’s hardened expression, it doesn’t seem like it’s anything out of the ordinary.

We’ve definitely caught them and found out what they’re doing on the walls.

Now we can go back and report to Ainel.

The moment I thought that.

A woman’s hoarse voice came from behind.

“Tsk. There were rats who followed our comrades.”

Four cult b*tches who caught our back.

Judging from each pulling out their weapons, a battle seems inevitable.

“… I was followed. They all have demonic spirits too.”

I put my hand on the handle of the sword and squeezed out words mixed with lamentation.

“… I will take care of it.”

I saw Shione nod her head slightly.

Sureung!

He quickly drew her sword and, without hesitation, cut the woman’s chest, who had come close to her.

As much as this sword Eunis Callia gave me as a gift cuts through the tough hide of an orc. He forged a cold death while soaking in black blood.

Fluff.

In an instant, the cultist’s model, cut deep in his heart, collapsed and ran towards those who pulled out their weapons behind them.

“Suck!”

He let out a short breath and drew his sword horizontally.

Another devil worshiper’s neck was caught in the trajectory that the wide crescent moon swept through.

“You… you…… !”

A solid red line on the neck.

Within seconds, she collapsed, clutching my neck with both hands.

‘Two more.’

If you want to get out quietly like this, you just have to deal with the two of them quickly before you open your mouth and make a fuss.

I smiled self-deprecatingly at the nervous people in front of me.

Only then will it not be a festival where everyone is happy, but only a festival of blood.

Life is truly a series of trials.