Eli POV
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Fuck.
Fuck.
Was all I could think as I turned around. The world began to swim and bile began rising in my throat.
But fortunately, the helmet had a lot of open holes so my vomit passed almost unobstructed as I bent over. After a few more good heaves, I used a water spell from my mouth until all the previous days' rabbit and crackers were washed away.
"Why? Why didn't you immediately take them to Bunich?" the friar cried hysterically at me. His face and brown eyes were slick with tears and his face was red with anger.
"I...I... I thought you were going to burn them alive." I responded honestly, my mind too disoriented by what I had just seen and done to come up with some clever lie.
"What?! You... Where did you get that idea from?" He asked, now slightly calmer as he took a deep breath. Just slightly.
"I... uh" I stumbled. Telling him that I had been burned to death as a heretic just a few days before seeing them do a ritual with a small girl next to a bonfire and had made the wrong connections was not an option. While my execution was not... unjustified, I still had some bitterness about the choices I had been forced to make that lead to the situation. That may have influenced my thinking. Maybe if I had just one or two more days away from the mind-rape magic and had more time to process that I was in a new world, I would have made a less rash choice.
But coulda, woulda, and shoulda did me no good now.
"It was what the local rumors had been saying," I responded meekly.
"Jesus Christ, those damn pubs. Poisoning people's minds with alcohol and drugs. Who knows what fucking lies they're spinning out there in that haze of sin." The friar said between grinding teeth. His bowl haircut spun as he turned away. After a few seconds, his shoulders drooped as he put a hand to his head. I just stared blankly off into space for an unknown amount of time before I heard him move again.
"All right. We need to bury these poor girls before anyone else comes along." He said in a cold tone as he turned towards me.
"What? Just bury them in the woods like dead animals?" I asked in a soft bitter tone. I would normally be far more forceful in such matters but my trust in my own judgment was... limited right now.
The friars' small beard pressed against his chest as he looked down with a sad face.
"Now I know you're not from around here. Listen, it was hard enough to establish the church's position as the place to deal with witch infections. If word gets out that the girls turned, circumstances be damned, the locals will go back to using the tried and true method of dealing with daughters who develop purple spots on their stomachs and occasionally emit that foul odor." He said with a voice of steel as he turned his head back up. The look of determination and general gravity in his voice told me all I needed to know about the 'tried and true' method.
We made out way over to the burnt pile. The transformed girl was the most easily distinguished due to the small bits of blond hair her twisted form had. Inside the expanded rib cage was one distinctly human skull. Down near the misshapen, elongated leg bones was another human skull. In between these two lay the small pile of goatish skeletons that had been the monsters brood.
I fought down the retching sensation in my throat before I took a deep breath and made the needed mana constructs to make a hole in the earth. I looked on as the remains of my crime fell at least a dozen feet into the earth. It took a good minute of looking at the hole before I collapsed it and filled in the depression in the soil with some of the surrounding dirt.
Looking at the cave, I walked on the rough, uneven stone floor towards the door to my hidden room. The door obstructed my view of the room from this angle despite being open but the room still had the faint shimmer of the flame craft I made flooding out of the hidden sanctuary. I could distinguish several scratch marks along the doors edges and surrounding stone. The smell, now dissipating, was still strong here.
Frankly, I don't think I want to risk eating or touching anything where the girls' transformation took place. I shut the door, making sure to see nothing but the soft shimmer of light around the edges of the door as I pushed it forward, and used magic to fill in the gaps of the stonework making it an actual piece of the surrounding cave wall. Then I did the only thing I could think to do, which was a silent prayer for the girls' poor souls.
Coming back out into the night, I saw the friar giving a silent prayer over the girls' pseudo gravesite.
"Well, I suppose I can at least make sure one person gets to Bunich safely," I said meekly.
"That would be greatly appreciated.I'm Brother Bartholemew, by the way." He responded.
I gave a nod and let the man onto my back. As we made our way back bounding through the dark forest floor the friar coughed in my ear.
"I know you've heard of us but may I ask what you know of our doctrines or the bible?" He asked.
"Genesis, the gospels, Jesus Christ the risen Lord and savior. I know the lords' word as well as any other" I responded as I launched us off a larger boulder. I was going to say the sections of the spirit codex, co-gospel of the tech manifest, but that would lead to far more explanations on my end than I wanted to provide.
"Ah, good. But what of saint Adia? I'm guessing you've never heard of her works if you didn't know about the witch removal procedure, her crowning achievement. After spreading the gospel of course. How could you not know of her?" He asked.
"I got a hold of a bible, but there were no other Christians or priests to properly instruct me in the scriptures." I lied.
It took me a moment to really appreciate how easy lying came to me now. Back in my universe I mostly did a lot of warping and hiding, which seemed so much more... clean than what I have been forced to do to survive in this universe. Is there no subject too sacred or lie too large that I wouldn't spout it off without a second thought? Still, I was far too curious about how the gospel came to this world to stop listening now.
He gave a slight cough as we landed on another boulder and I looked around for my next jump point.
"Saint Adia came to us sinners to spread our eternal salvation some hundred plus years ago, and give us a bit of it in this life as well. She had traveled far and wide with her husband, Daimond, through the central continent. We don't have the full story but as they traveled the central continent they came upon some mishap that prompted her husband to take her and secretly flee to Palantia.
But she, ever more pious than her less than religious husband, continued to spread the word and her works. It was during one of a number of arguments between the couple that" he cleared his throat before continuing.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"That Daimond was heard to say 'We gotta get outta here, that place was like fucking Dunwich or something' and that was the unfortunate origin of our towns more widespread name." He grumbled.
I came to a stop on a hill overlooking the endless tree line.
"Not exactly the great poet of his age," I managed to reply lightheartedly, in spite of my current mood.
He gave a soft laugh.
"No, he was never regarded as such" Bartholemew said, with a playful tone still in his voice.
"And he wasn't referring to Bunich," I asked.
"No" He replied firmly
"Adia made that very clear afterward in other conversations. Sadly, the name still stuck for those not in her immediate circle. We don't know what it means but its the manner he used left a very unfavorable impression. Would you happen to be familiar with the word?" He asked back.
"No," I responded truthfully.
Bartholomew cleared his throat before continuing.
"She didn't stay long, instead going back down the rivers as she and her husband had a falling out. It is said that at the junction where the river meets the ocean, Adia cried. Not only for her lost marriage but also the friends she left behind before heading back towards the central continent. Aside from supplies, she carried a golden cross around her neck. The closest thing to a worldly possession she had. Daimond went northward and constructed a large house now in ruin."
I looked over the various boulders and trees and plotted my path through towards Bunich before asking my next question.
"Do you know where she obtained the gospel or the various works?" I asked as I leaped on one of the boulders and started picking up my stride again.
"Oh, they were both ultimate mages. What elements I couldn't tell you." He said like that explained it all perfectly.
"I read about ultimate mages on that slab by the church but haven't heard too much about them since then. It had one phrase describing them as something of magic. Aside from that, I've read little about them" I mused as I made ready for another light jump.
"'The manifestation of magic', yes. I'm not surprised. There are only so many ways an academic can write 'we don't know' and still come across as an authority on the subject when the phrase is repeated in different forms every other sentence. They come and go with little discernable reasons or causes, maybe once in a generation or even longer. Only a bare few lasted more than a year before disappearing. What many consider their main ability also isn't well understood either." He gave a slight cough before continuing as I lifted us off into the air.
"I'm not sure about the whole significance of mana production but they are a semi-mythical tier of mage that is granted the ability to manifest mana inside their own bodies and eject it out into the world. What we-" He stopped and clung tighter as I skidded and nearly tripped off the boulder I was landing on.
"Sorry, slipped on a pebble" I lied. Again.
"Please, go on" I plied him, trying my absolute best not to sound as desperate for him to continue as I was actually feeling.
He gave a slight cough as I took off again.
"Yes, well what we are more concerned is their knowledge. Ultimate mages are known not just for their mana generating abilities but also for their blessing of incredible knowledge. I know the kingdom taking up nearly the whole eastern portion of the central continent, the Rodring kingdom, was the product of not just the magical abilities but also the tactical genius of one such mage."
"And they were allowed to roam free? It seems like they would be too valuable a tool not to be used by those in power." I mused to him. My head was throbbing with all of the implications of what he was speculating and what I knew behind the mysteries.
"Hardly. The couple had slipped away in stealth, and when the government finally understood what had made its way into their backwoods, the couple had already split. It wasn't until after he died from a troll attack that they discovered his house covered in odd markings. From what the merchant that sells us holy water says it's still a matter of wounded pride on the central continent that they got away. The president's family, even more so." The friar responded but he grew slightly miffed as he continued.
"Not that most coasters believe in her legacy. The few who've been forced to live here through mishaps at court or streaks of poverty just dismiss it as something the backward peasants tell themselves to feel important."
"So what was Adias' plan as far as spreading the gospel and her inventions?" I asked, trying to get as much information out of him as I possibly could.
A sad sigh was the first answer but then he continued.
"She was hoping that our techniques for medicine, printing books, and a few other contraptions would help us move along with the projects, but sadly our medicine isn't as effective as healing potions, which means our medical practices only help the poorest folks, and witch infections are only a real issue in this poor region.
She gave us a means of using the turning of magnets in copper to make glass spheres with twines of special metals glow with light. They never drew any interest as they required replacements and were more expensive to install than mana lamps. A fact we were eventually forced to accept when we purchased mana lights for our church.
We've made good money on our bookmaking and have even gotten a few deals for mass distributors, but sadly a lot of people heading merchant guilds and government don't want to be known for associating with a bunch of backwoods kooks who believe in anything more powerful than magic.
We've tried to fund other creations but things have been going downhill financially for a while. Adia meant the best, but it seems her inventions were geared more towards replacing magical items and none of the ones we've made can compete with their magical equivalents.
Between food for the orphanages, stocking up for Necrosis, and the ever-higher taxes for the war in the swamp, we'll be lucky to break even this year." He said mournfully.
"How did the orphans manage to cover the cost for the witch removal procedure?" I asked.
"They didn't need to. We provide medical services for free for those too poor to afford them and ask for donations from our congregation or people who benefit from our services. We even go to the scenes of attacks to administer aid" He announced proudly.
The thought of investing in them and maybe even getting access to their trove of hidden contraption plans came to mind, but from what I gathered Adia seemed less focused on weaponry and more on peacetime applications. Which did nothing for my current situation.
Still, one look was in order.
That was as far as I got before the flood of questions started. Were Adia and Daimond from another universe like me? When...
'Eli. Are really going to let your self get distracted again? After what happened the last time you kept your mind off of what's in front of you?' I chided myself.
I pushed past the sea of questions and kept my mind on getting to Bunich.
It was a few more minutes before we came near the town of Bunich. We were overlooking the town, now softly lit up with lamps and a large woodpile to the right of the church, on a hill when I let him down. Bartholemew looked down past the hill for a while before turning back towards me.
"Could you tell me about what happened after you found them?" He asked gently.
"I took them back towards the cave with the three of them on my back. I didn't have any room to carry you so I just put you in a stone shield. They were terrified of the jumps at first,"
The friar gave an understanding nod.
"But one of the girls, brown hair with amber eyes, took to heights and speeds with glee. She would ha... have loved to take more trips with me." I almost said 'she would have made a great pilot'.
I better finish this before I say something I shouldn't.
"Well, they chowed down on some traveling rations before mentioning another girl who went further up ahead. Then I left them there to go get her and then turned back to you to get information about her whereabouts and... you know the rest." I finished.
He placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You saved one life, whereas we would have all died without your intervention. However it turned out, one more person is walking above the ground who wouldn't be if not for your aid."He said but the soft glow of a great blaze shot across the trees drawing both our gazes. We both turned to see the bonfire had been lit. One priest brought out a small black-haired girl in a knapsack dress.
"So how is the procedure performed," I asked as I saw a small team bring out a table. It was all too far off to make out any appreciable details.
"Well, it first starts with a large gathering and a prayer but they seem to be skipping that part due to the urgency. The tools are all special metal boiled in water, then" I could make out the priest putting the girl on the table before picking up one of the tools and running it across the girls' abdomen. I could almost discern her scream from this distance as the lines of blood started flowing from her side. Then the man grabbed another long tool that almost looked like an exaggerated pair of scissors at this distance and rushed over to the fire as a nun ran up to the girl holding something in her hands.
"Ah, the sister is administering a watered-down healing potion. The parasite is removed from the girls' side with a pair of red hot tongs. With it safely removed from the girls' insides, the foul thing is placed in the center of the blaze to both burn and suffocate." He finished as the priest put the red tongs to the girls' side then sharply pulled back. I couldn't see if he caught anything but he apparently succeeded as he then rushed back towards the fire, quickly plunging the tongs into it.
"Why not use holy water?" I asked.
"It's ludicrously expensive and has to be purchased through special merchants from the central continent. Couldn't tell you how its made, but whatever the clear liquid is, it costs us an ungodly amount of silver. More importantly, it's hell on the body. We only use it as an absolute last resort" He responded.
It was a few more seconds before I asked another question.
"What does the parasite look like?" I asked absentmindedly.
His voice grew disdainful.
"A multi-colored iris in the middle of a fat teal-colored worm with two rows of tentacles on opposite sides."
He took a deep breath then started making his way down the hillside.
"I'll come up with something to tell them and thank you for your consideration. Not many people in this world would try to help people with nothing to offer them." He said encouragingly as he moved past the dark trees back towards the palisade of the town.
I stood there listening to the sound of the friar walk down the hill as I looked at the small girl on the table. She was now being lifted up by a bigger priest into the church as the other two helped clean up the blood. Looking back over the church, I saw several large trees in its back yard. These and several larger oak trees outside the palisade provided a means of getting to the church undetected for my future visit.
Going over my situation, the most logical course would be to gather as much intel as I could about this Maw gangs' operations in the south then unleash hell on them. Since I already knew of a few places with that jaw sign nearer to the swamps, I at least had a general idea of where I needed to go. If I could get them to concentrate their forces up here, then that would make it far easier to bleed them in the southern region.
Perhaps the lessened number of troops will even help land me a more high ranking officer. Wiping out the gang completely would be the best outcome but I need more information about how the decision to target me was made and who specifically made it if I wanted to potentially get back at the noble, or nobles, who used them to target me.
Even better, If I could kill and maim enough of them, the church would even get called to help deal with the injured, which would allow me to sneak in and get a closer look to see if Adia's inventions could be of any help to me.
'It would work. You're so good at getting people killed that your success is pretty much guaranteed' A nasty voice in the back of my head said.
There was nothing I could say to the charge so I jumped into the treetops and used my vine suit as a sling to sleep among the dark treetops, the wind slowly rocking me amongst the stars above into a sleep riddled with stomach-churning smells and writhing demon babies.