“Damn! Do you think you can leave just like that?”, a man angrily shouted. The sudden shout aroused the public resentments and anger which were just smoothed out a lot. Many people stood up and glared at the outsiders with anger like crazy mad dogs.

Several mercenaries looked at the crowd and backed back to the nearby buildings slowly while unintentionally aiming their guns at the crowd.

They didn’t wanna attack these folks even if they became undeads. However, it would be another matter if these undead folks attacked them. For their survival, they would have to fight back.

The scene suddenly became full of tensions. Priests were also alerted and stopped explaining. They looked the situation around and slowly gathered towards nearby friendly teammates.

After all, it was no joke to face thousands of angry mobs. They didn’t want to suffer from crowd beatings. Not to mention, accidents could happen and it would be too ridiculous to lose their lives on this. All in all, they were going to fight back if something happened.

Old priest had no movement. His slightly smiling face didn’t even change. Old priest opened his mouth and said calmly, “Calm down, folks. I know that everyone is angry and sad. Can you please listen to this old man’s explanation before you continue?”

The voice carrying a magical power spread across the entire crowd. Somehow, all people, who heard it, felt that their tensed emotions and angers were silently smoothed out. Old priest looked at the result with satisfaction.

He pointed at the man who just shouted and asked, “You! Yes, you, I am calling you young man with red shirt and jean pants. Don’t look around. I am calling you.”

The man looked left and right before he pointed at himself while looking at old priest with inquiries.

Old priest nodded and asked, “What is making you angry?”

The man asked back, “My hometown is ruined and I also don’t know what happened to my family and the familiar people. Can’t I get angry?”

Then, he pointed at the white robe priests and said, “And, these guys are telling us that we have become undeads and we are not pure humans anymore. What kind of bullshits is that?”

Talking about it and thinking about it, his anger was slowly arose again by the sad thoughts of losing everything he once had.

Old priest asked, “What did these knights do to you? What did our priests do to you? Why are you being angry on us? Can you explain it to this old man?”

The man was speechless. For a while, he couldn’t find a good reason to blame on these people in front of him. Although he wanted to get away with rouge reasons, something from his deepest part of heart was reminding him constantly to not lie and to be honest.

The almost rioting scene fell into silence again. Most people silently watched at the man, who was being questioned, with sadness or expectations. Some just sat on the ground and wept while hugging the familiar friends and seeking comforts.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The man brew his emotions for a while. However, he could not get angry again no matter what. He weakly pointed at Peter and his buddies in good looking armors and said, “No matter what, they killed many people we were familiar with. Some of them may be our friends. Some may be our neighbors. Some may be even our beloved people and family members.”

Old priest nodded and asked calmly, “You’re right. They killed a lot of townspeople. However, these townspeople were not human at that time. They were ghouls. Evil ghouls who would devour the vitality of living humans and transform the victims into ghouls after that.”

He glanced around and asked softly, “So, do you still think these knights are wrong to eliminate evil ghouls?”

The man retorted, “Aren’t we fine? If they didn’t choose to kill, they would also be the same as us now. I don’t know what kind of undeads we are from your explanation. But one thing I understand is we are still living well. They could’ve been alive like us.”

Many sobbing people nodded and looked at the outsiders with resentments. They agreed with what the man said and felt that everything would have been fine if not for these outsiders. As for what the priests just told to them, they automatically chose to neglect it.

Of course, there were a very small part of people who didn’t think so. They were smart people who could think things rationally. Benny was also one of them. It was not because he was smart. But it was due to him inheriting the copied information almost perfectly.

He completely understood about undeads and what kind of situations they were in. It made him feeling desperate. After all, they were no longer pure humans. From now on, they were no longer able to live freely like before. There would be many restrictions on them.

Moreover, he was afraid of being caught and studied by government and secret forces. Although these strange priests told them that there would be a grand and mysterious secret occult world waiting for them, he was not relieved.

Although normal citizens would be protected by federal laws, they had already become different after all. Benny was afraid. He didn’t wanna live the life of ever fleeing wanted guy. Eating, can’t sleep well. Sleeping, can’t sleep well. Constantly having to stay cautious all the time for possible attack, that kind of life, he didn’t want to live it. In fact, many people also thought the same as him.

The crowd, which was just smoothed out and calmed down, was aroused again. However, there were fewer people this time than the last time. Old priest looked at them with a humble smile and said again, “I understand. But, I believe that everyone would have done the same thing in that kind of situation.”

He then pointed around at the surrounding and said, “Take a look at these. Have you noticed anything?”

The crowd looked around doubtfully. Old priest didn’t wait for their answers and talked, “The folks, who were there originally, also fought against those evil looking ghouls to defend themselves. But for particular reason, they failed to do so.”

“Later, knights arrived and fought with ghouls again. Of course, there was a little difference between the two parties. One failed in fighting against the ghouls but one won. Everyone would have done the same thing. Why do you want to find trouble with this ridiculous reason?”

“It’s okay. Old Sir. Let me handle this.”

A calm voice suddenly sounded. It was Peter. He felt that he could not escape from being responsible by these people no matter what. He also understood the problem. In simple sense, these people wanted to find a scapegoat to vent out their emotions and it was probably them.

Old priest waved his right hand full of metal rings in different shapes to Peter to stop talking and said calmly, “I know everyone know the real culprit behind this tragedy. It is the existence in that ranch. Some of you were there when the things started. So, instead of asking about that existence who made all these happening, why are you trying to find trouble with us?”

He looked around and the people, who were staring at them with resentments, and asked calmly, “Do you think we are easy to bully just because we talk well?”

“Look! They have no good intentions. That old bastard is still covering up for the murderers.”

It was the man who started the argument. He was shouting again loudly while pointing at the old priest in dark green robe.