"Rejoice, my lady," a man's voice, steeped in fervor, countered with an unsettling calmness. "For I love you as our god loves us. This ritual serves to unite you with the divine will of Unaeszara."
The lady's sobs persisted, her pleas falling upon deaf ears as the horror unfolded behind closed doors.
"What manner of depravity is this?" I muttered under my breath, grappling with the horror of the scene unfolding before me. In a bid to assess the situation, I invoked my detection magic, setting the radius to gauge the presence of mana within a twenty-mete.
Two distinct sources emerged from the depths of my senses—one normal, the other titanic in magnitude. I was shocked with this revelation. To be honest, I had never found somebody possessing this much mana reserve before. Yet, for some reason, this mana pattern felt familiar to me.
I didn’t know that it would turn out this way; I definitely needed additional help if I want to take down that individual. Quickly, I conjured forth one of my biggest mana vial on my right hand; on my left hand, I also summoned my Conjuration book from my inventory.
There is a reason why I kept bringing them even though I never really wanted to consume them myself. I could use these as a mana source to summon an otherworldly beings instead of letting them draining my own mana.
Channeling a little bit of my mana, I wove the intricate patterns of a summoning circle on the ground and placed the mana vial in the middle.
"Heed my words, o Champion of Erra," I intoned, the syllables infused with a power born of centuries-old magic. "From the celestial realm, I beseech thee, come forth and lend thy valor to this noble cause."
With each word, I felt the ancient energies stir, responding to the call of my summons. The air shimmered with a palpable energy, charged with the anticipation of the celestial warrior's arrival.
"Guardian of the divine flame, champion of righteousness," I continued, my voice resonating with a fervor born of conviction. "By the sacred oath that binds thee, answer my summons and bring justice to this forsaken place."
After the incantation was finished, a ray of light appeared from the circle, consuming my mana vial. There, A towering champion of Erra knelt before me. With him accompanying me right now, I believe my chance of survival was greater.
I unleashed a burst of controlled energy at the door, shattering the barrier without too much excessive force. I entered the chamber as quickly as possible with the champion coming after me.
Yet, what I beheld within struck me to the core—a scene of unspeakable horror unfolding before my very eyes. Amongst the shadows stood a figure I had once called comrade, his hands stained with the blood of the innocent.
"Help, please! This man—he killed my family!" cried a voice, trembling with fear and despair. My gaze fell upon the bound corpses, their lifeless forms a grim testament to the depths of depravity that had been plumbed.
"Archy," I was beyond shocked when I witnessed all this. He and his partner had vanished during a mission to Silverbrook town two months prior, and I was tasked to find information about their disappearance.
"I took a mission to find you and Gideon," I continued to communicate despite my apparent shock with the situation. "What the heck are you doing Archy?"
Archy's demeanor remained unchanged. He was still smiling his warm smile contrasting with the horror he had committed towards these victims.
"Oh, Eric, my favorite rookie," he greeted me casually, as though we were meeting under ordinary circumstances. "Long time no see. Where's Gareth, by the way?"
I bristled at his nonchalance, my patience wearing thin. "Cut the crap," I retorted sharply. "Explain to me at once!"
But Archy remained unperturbed; his tone and expression don’t show any sort of remorse or a sense of self-reflection. "Calm down, Eric," he urged, his voice soothing. "This is nothing bad. See, I'm just uniting these people with the Goddess."
His words were like a dagger to my heart, their seemingly benign nature at odds with the horrors that surrounded us.
Despite the possibility of him being under some form of mind control, the atrocities before me left no room for doubt. Nevertheless, I must bring him to the guild and allow our justice system to adjudicate his actions.
"You know what, Eric, why don't you—" Archy began, his voice trailing off as I cut him off with a steely command.
"Shut up, Archy," I interjected, my tone brooking no argument. "Slowly back away, and put your hands behind your head."
Archy complied with an unsettling ease, his facade of amiability failing to mask the darkness lurking beneath the surface. "Very well, if it will ease your mind, Eric," he replied nonchalantly. However, his gaze flickered toward his next victim with chilling detachment.
“But first, allow me to conduct one final ritual of unity between this woman and our God." With those words, he advanced towards her once more, knife poised to rend her chest open.
But before he could enact his twisted ritual, Erra's Champion surged into action. With a mighty swing of his greatsword, he unleashed a devastating blow upon Archy, shattering his defensive barrier and forcing him to retreat.
Seizing the opportunity, I hurried to the girl’s side. my hands deftly freed her from the bonds that held her captive. As the ropes fell away, she collapsed into my arms. her trembling formed a testament to the horrors she had endured.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked with tears as she clung to me for comfort.
“What’s your name?” I asked her quickly
“It’s Erina Sir.” She answered directly though with a trembling voice.
“Alright Erina, everything’s not gonna be okay, but at least I’ll get us out of here alive, I promise”
She seemed to have been grateful and soothed by my words. To be honest, I didn’t know if I could actually keep my promise, but fake it till you make it, I guess.
"Now, Eric, why would you do that?" Archy declared as I held the girl on my arm, his tone laced with a hint of annoyance, "Why would you obstruct her divine path to unity with the Goddess?"
Each time he cloaked himself in the guise of innocence and morality, only to reveal his true intentions, a sickening churn gripped my stomach.
The champion surged forward with relentless determination. With his greatsword on his hand, he poised for a devastating horizontal strike that would cleave through anything in its path.
However, Archy reacted swiftly, evading the champion's blow with a graceful leap over his shoulder, his hand reaching out to the champion’s back, seemingly trying to freeze him.
"Eric, I suggest you uncloud your judgment and understand my reasons," Archy insisted calmly, his voice a stark contrast to the chaos around us, as he prepared to ensnare the champion in his freezing spell.
But before his icy grip could take hold, I seized the moment, unleashing a focused blaze pearl at supersonic speed. The projectile detonated upon impact, engulfing Archy in a fiery explosion that shattered his defensive barrier.
"Is that all you've got?" Archy smiled happily, his eyes flashing with determination as if he’s sparring with me as he emerged from the smoke unscathed by the explosion.
Archy darted towards me with lightning speed, his grip tightening around my neck as his other hand sought to plunge the dagger into Erina's chest.
"Your words deceive no one, Archy," I growled, my displeasure mounting with each display of his kind words towards me, as I fought to protect Erina from his malevolent intent.
With a quick reflex, I extended my arm and clapped my hand against his head, triggering an instant explosion that sent shockwaves rippling through the air. Though the force launched me backward, the spell's backlash was a mere inconvenience compared to the danger we faced.
As the girl stumbled backward from the blast, the champion rushed to her side, his eyes conveying determination as he prepared to defend her at all costs.
"Stay back, I'll handle this fiend," I signed with a stern expression; my resolve was unshaken as I squared off against Archy once more.
Meanwhile, I wasted no time in launching myself toward Archy once more. I braced myself for the coming clash, without knowing full well what had happened to him.
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Amidst the chaos, I caught sight of Gareth and Gideon entering the room through the back door, their conversation light-hearted and oblivious to the horror unfolding before them.
"I told you, Gareth, Archy is in this room finishing our prayer to our Goddess," Gideon remarked casually. "But hey, how's Eric in here? Why are you fighting him, Archy? He's our comrade."
The words hit me like a physical blow, disbelief washing over me at their ignorance of the true horror that had transpired. Gareth's expression mirrored my own shock as he struggled to comprehend the situation unfolding before him.
"Gareth!" I cried out, desperation lacing my voice as I sought to shake him from his daze. "I don't know what happened to Gideon and Archy, but they murdered all these people. Subdue him immediately!"
Gareth snapped back to reality in an instant, his eyes widening with understanding as he launched himself toward me, his spear at the ready to defend against Archy's attacks. He knew that my close-combat skills paled in comparison to Archy, and he would protect me at any cost.
As Gareth closed the distance, Archy retaliated with a swift incantation, conjuring a frost spell that crackled through the air with chilling intensity. But Gareth was undeterred, He deftly sidestepped the icy blast, closing in on our traitorous comrade with lethal precision.
"You too, Gareth? Why do you attack Archy?" Gideon interjected. his confusion was palpable as he struggled to make sense of the chaos unfolding around him. "I am genuinely confused by the situation."
As the tension in the room reached its peak, Archy ceased his attacks, his voice carrying a note of resignation. "Eric, what you and Gareth are doing right now is not correct," he conceded, "but I'm going to let this go and retreat for now."
"Hear me, Gideon, Archy," I implored, my voice heavy with frustration. "Let's return to the guild and clear up this misunderstanding. I believe they can be the just mediator for both of us."
"Agreed," Gareth nodded in affirmation.
"I'm afraid I can't do that for now, Eric," Archy replied solemnly, his gaze lingering on me. "We still have a mission from the guild, you know. I'm going to let this one slide just for the fact that you are my favorite junior, Eric. For now, we'll take our leave."
Before I could protest further, Gideon interjected with a gentle reminder. "Oh, yeah, one more thing, Eric," he added, his voice tinged with sorrow. "Please put these people to their proper final resting place. Their souls are united with our Goddess above."
With a heavy heart, I watched as they departed, their friendly grins masking the turmoil that lay beneath the surface. "We'll take our leave, see you later, juniors," they called out, leaving behind a parting gift in the form of a compass orb.
"Don't worry," Gideon reassured us. "We cleared all the monsters in these areas before. But be careful; the monsters in this forest seem to have mysteriously grown in strength considerably."
As Erina rushed to her family's lifeless bodies, her heart-wrenching sobs filled the room, echoing the pain and loss that hung heavy in the air.
"Oh, Mother, Father," she cried out, her voice trembling with anguish as she knelt beside them. "How could this have happened? How could all these happen?"
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gently brushed their cold faces, her fingers lingering on their lifeless forms as if hoping for a response that would never come.
"Please, wake up," she pleaded, her voice choked with emotion. "Don't leave me alone in this darkness."
Her words pierced the silence like a dagger, each syllable laden with grief and despair. And as I watched her mourn the loss of her loved ones, my heart ached with a sorrow that words could not express.
"This entire encounter feels like a fever dream, to be honest," I murmured, struggling to make sense of the chaos that had unfolded before us. But with a heavy heart and a resolve to uncover the truth, we set about the grim task of laying the fallen to rest, knowing that the shadows of doubt and suspicion still lingered ominously in the corners of our minds.
I didn't want to burden Erina with questions about the details of what had transpired. Perhaps it was a desire to protect her, or perhaps it was a way to shield myself from the horrors inflicted by our comrades.
As we prepared to depart, a somber atmosphere enveloped us, heavy with awkwardness, exhaustion, and profound sadness.
"Could you... carry the bodies?" I asked Gareth reluctantly, knowing the weight of my request.
Gareth nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the task at hand. "Of course," he replied, his voice gentle yet resolute.
With the bodies safely stored within his inventory magic, we resumed our journey back to town. As we trudged onward through the dense forest, the first tendrils of dawn began to paint the sky with hues of pink and gold.
The rain that had shrouded the land in a veil of mist began to dissipate, the gentle patter of droplets giving way to the soft rustle of leaves in the morning breeze.
Erina's sobs grew quieter with each passing moment, eventually fading into the background as exhaustion claimed her, and she drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Gareth's presence was a steady anchor amidst the turmoil. With Erina cradled gently on his back, he pressed on tirelessly. We still said nothing after the confusing horror that we just saw; maybe we needed to give it more time before being able to discuss the matter.
As I was carried by the Champion of Erra, I found myself surprised at how effectively I could sustain its materialization with just a single bottle of artificial mana vial as an anchor.
"Do you want to start telling me what happened?" Gareth's voice broke through the silence, his concern evident in his tone.
"Honestly, I don't know what to say," I admitted, my thoughts still reeling from the events that had transpired.
"How about starting with why they murdered Erina's family yet acted friendly towards us?" Gareth pressed, his brow furrowed with confusion and frustration.
"That, I don't know," I replied honestly. "To be completely honest, I would have died long before you came if Archy had wanted it."
"I see," Gareth murmured, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "I also took my time with Gideon. I thought that our mission was going to end successfully when I found him and talked to him in the dungeon. I'm sorry, Eric."
"What would you be sorry for—" I began, but my words were cut off by Erina's sudden awakening.
"Brother, let's go to the field together—" she started, her voice trailing off as she took in the scene before her. Shock, sadness, and a hint of goofiness flickered across her features as she beheld my sorry state, being piggybacked by my own summon.
A small smile tugged at her lips momentarily before reality came crashing back down upon her.
"So, do you want to start telling me what happened?" I repeated Gareth's question, directing it towards Erina, knowing that the journey ahead would require us to confront the truth together, no matter how painful it may be.
Erina's anguish was palpable as she redirected her question to Gareth, ignoring mine entirely. "Why did you let them go? They murdered my family, you know? Why didn't you try harder?"
Before Gareth could respond, I felt a surge of frustration bubbling within me. "Are you insane, young girl? I almost died protecting you," I retorted sharply, unable to contain my indignation. "You should be—"
"Enough, Eric," Gareth's voice cut through the tension like a knife, his tone firm and commanding. "Please forgive me, Erina, right? Can I call you by that name?"
Erina's response was subdued, her nod carrying the weight of exhaustion and remorse. "Uh huh," she murmured weakly, her earlier defiance giving way to a sense of resignation. "I'm sorry, mister. I shouldn't have said that at all."
"I just... I don't know. Did it actually happen to my family? Is it not just a bad dream?" Erina's voice trembled with shock and grief as she struggled to come to terms with the reality of her loss.
Gareth approached her with a gentle hand on her shoulder, his expression filled with compassion. "It's okay, Erina," he said softly, his voice a soothing balm in the midst of her turmoil. "We're here for you, and we'll help you through this."
Erina nodded weakly, tears welling up in her eyes once more. "Thank you, mister, for saving my life," she whispered, her gratitude tinged with sorrow. "It's just that..." Her voice trailed off as she struggled to compose herself, wiping away the tears that threatened to spill over. "It's just that I love my family. My brother, he was such a brave young lad with a bright future."
I stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Erina, I know this is incredibly difficult for you," I began, my voice gentle yet earnest. "But remember, you're not alone. We'll get through this together."
Erina nodded, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "He wanted to become the city guard when he grew up," she continued, her voice choked with emotion. "Come back, Finn..." Her words trailed off into a heartbreaking plea, her grief consuming her once more.
Gareth knelt beside her, his presence a pillar of strength and support. "Erina, we'll find a way to honor Finn's memory," he assured her, his voice steady and reassuring. "And we'll make sure that justice is served for what happened to your family."
As Erina's tears continued to flow, Gareth wrapped his arms around her, offering her the comfort and solace she desperately needed. And in that moment, amidst the pain and loss, I couldn't help but marvel at Gareth's ability to offer compassion and support in the face of such tragedy.
then we continued the journey till finally we reached the north gate of Silverbrook. we asked for entrance, explaining the situation.
As we approached the guards at the north gate of Silverbrook, Gareth took charge of the conversation. "We need entry into the town," he explained, his voice firm yet respectful. "A grave tragedy has occurred in the Whispering Woods, and we seek aid and justice for those involved."
I stepped forward, adding detail to Gareth's explanation. "We stumbled upon a horrifying scene," I continued, my tone weighted with the gravity of our discovery. "There were casualties—innocent lives lost—and we urgently require assistance to address the situation."
Gareth also came after me and put down Erina’s family’s bodies. The guards were shaken seeing how Gareth carried the body within his inventory, but they didn’t make a big deal out of it and continued our conversation.
Erina, still visibly shaken, found her voice amidst the turmoil. "My family... they were taken from me," she confessed, her words heavy with grief. "We must seek help to ensure that those responsible are held accountable."
"We'll send for an escort to take them to the medical center right away," one of the guards assured us, his tone sympathetic. "Please wait here, and help will be on its way."
Relief washed over me as I watched the guards hasten to fulfill their duties, the weight of worry easing slightly from my shoulders.
Once the escort arrived to accompany Erina and her mother to the medical center, I turned to Eric, my best companion in this unexpected adventure.
"Well, that was quite the ordeal," I remarked, a wry smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "I suppose we've earned ourselves a bit of rest and relaxation. What do you say we head to the inn and treat ourselves to a hot bath and a good meal?"
Eric nodded in agreement, the weariness of our journey momentarily forgotten in the anticipation of comforts.
"Sounds like a plan," he replied, falling into step beside me as we made our way through the bustling streets of Silverbrook town. "After all that excitement, I could certainly use a bit of pampering."