Chapter 247

It felt as if the Caldebert of the past was speaking to the Rickart of the present across time. No, it wasn't just that it felt so; he felt certain that Caldebert had intentionally left these words.

Rickart himself did not know what his two eyes under his golden bangs were currently holding, or what his heart was feeling.

"Are you an Imperial?"

Someone spoke from inside the temple. When Rickart looked back, he seemed to be a Nord priest, but he was clearly not a warrior.

"Imperial? Well. I am not a Nord."

"Seeing that you say 'Nord,' you are certainly not a Nord. From our perspective, we don't live in the north. The Imperials live in the south."

The priest threw a light joke and smiled slightly. He seemed to have been in the middle of tidying up the messy interior of the temple.

"Anyway, I thought you believed in the Thunder God, or a god like that."

"The Thunder God does not show tolerance. He merely acts on a whim. However, the Prophet provided a new home for those with nowhere to go. Is it not a human duty to serve someone for whom one is grateful?"

Perhaps because he was an educated person in his own way, the priest was quite polite for a Nord.

"I heard that the Staff of Prophecy was here."

"They took it. In Rus, it is no different from a divine object. Since he called himself a king, he probably needed authority befitting that."

"If so, why take the people?"

"Would he have needed only authority? He probably needed money too."

"Hmm......"

He was a very bad fellow, but it was a reason that was all too understandable. Not that his actions were justifiable, but because it was the very foolish behavior of humans that Rickart had seen all his life.

It was truly ironic. That foolishness was one of the most human aspects.

"Is it not something like a staff imbued with magic?"

"It is just a staff. What is special is that the Prophet used it. He spoke thus: I leave a staff for you, and thus you shall not starve, you shall not lose your children, and there shall be peace. He who breaks this shall receive the punishment of God......"

For some reason, a chuckle escaped Rickart. Had Caldebert really become a prophet? For some reason, Rickart had a premonition that he himself would end up killing the one named Edelrich. Of course, he didn't know if that was the punishment of God.

"I will help you tidy up."

"Thank you. As you can see, we're short-handed."

Rickart cleared away the broken or shattered debris to one side and straightened up the tables and chairs that were still usable. He swept the floor with a broom and gathered the trash together to throw it outside.

Before long, the temple was quite empty, but it was nevertheless tidied up neatly.

Around that time, Gundar, who had taken off his helmet, came and said.

"We have decided to stay here for a while for now. We will pick twelve people separately and send them to Hellskald to deliver the news, and in the meantime, we intend to gather information and then discuss how to finish off Edelrich. What about you, Ricky?"

"Since I came here chasing the whereabouts of the Prophet, I also intend to stay here for the time being. However, the looting is not over yet. Hungry wolves or foxes are bound to flock to prey left behind after a tiger has torn into it."

Where on earth there was more to loot here for wolves or foxes to flock. But as Rickart saw it, it was in very good condition considering it had been looted.

There was a certain amount of food, there were some children who had been hiding, and above all, there was land to live on. If scoundrels flocked and settled down, that would be a tremendous hardship in its own way.

Rickart had seen such things all too often.

Gundar also agreed and said, nodding his head.

"I will not let my guard down and will strengthen the watch."

However, coincidentally, there was no need to strengthen the watch. This was because a group like wolves or foxes appeared immediately after a short while.

Climbing up the wooden fence, he saw wretched fellows covered in fur skins loitering around the settlement. There were tall and short people, and people with large or small builds—their physiques were varied, and the furs were also diverse, such as fox, wolf, wild boar, and tiger.

But what was a bit strange was that they did not possess weapons. Even though they could have at least sharpened wood into spears.

Anywhere in the world, there were drifters who could not settle in one place and wandered here and there. He wondered if there were such people here as well, and the priest standing next to Rickart said.

"Mutants."

"What is that?"

"They are not human."

He wondered what that meant, and the drifters shouted from afar.

"Hey! Look here! Just give us one child! Then we'll just go! Just one!"

What on earth were they talking about. Why were they suddenly asking for a child. Rickart was bewildered. He had to be.

The priest shouted out as if angry.

"Get lost! You devils! As you can see, there are armed warriors here!"

"We know! That's why we're asking for just one! A fresh one!"

"Why on earth are you asking for a child?"

Rickart asked. The priest answered with a serious expression.

"To eat them."

"What?"

"If a human wanders the wild without faith, that's what they become. They like human flesh the most, and among those, they like children more. They are more wicked fellows than actual beasts like wolves or tigers. No, they are more evil."

Just hearing it, he wondered what kind of bullshit this was, but the priest's expression was beyond serious and earnest.

Gundar also watched the drifters—no, the mutants—from atop the wooden fence and said to his companions.

"Take out the hunting tools. Nets, bows, and spears. There will probably be an attack at night. It won't work just to guard the wooden fence. Let's all gather in the temple tonight."

Since half of the personnel had been sent to Hellskald, there were only about fifteen people now. Of course, fifteen Vikings were a fine force, but they couldn't cover the entire settlement.

However, Rickart refused.

"No, there's no need for that."

"Do you have a better idea?"

"It's not that."

As he said that, Rickart leaped over the wooden fence and dropped outside the settlement.

People were surprised and leaned forward to look down, but Rickart had already landed lightly and was walking toward the mutants.

The mutants hadn't expected this either, so they had bewildered expressions for a moment. Up close, they were so dirty it was impossible to tell when they had last washed.

Under a cloudy sky, on a vivid green field, a cool wind blew, unlike summer. Rickart's golden hair fluttered.

"I also happened to be in need of a cloak."

"What?"

"I mean, your furs look quite good."

"This isn't something that can be given. If we take this off, we die."

"It's the same. Children are not something that can be given."

Rickart explained well enough to be understood, but a large man covered in tiger skin looked back at a companion and asked as if he didn't understand.

"Did they not give them before?"

"You fool, that was the village over the eastern mountain. Not here."

"Is that so? Anyway, is it okay for you to be out like this?"

The tiger skin asked Rickart. Rickart nodded calmly.

Then he tilted his head and said.

"If you aren't behind the wooden fence, I'm going to eat you."

"It's the same. You guys will also die if you don't run away."

"We will?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

Thwack!

Simultaneously with the word 'how,' Rickart's sword was drawn like a flash. Since it was a cloudy day, the blade did not reflect the sunlight intensely, but the chilly energy was more hair-raising.

In case the skin might be damaged, Rickart's sword tip swept from the opponent's neck to the belly. Entrails poured out in a heap.

The mutants nearby drew back with the quick reaction speed peculiar to beasts, and the skins they were covered in became their skin. In a word, they transformed into beasts.

However, Rickart was not surprised. Because he had already witnessed that they were not human. So even if their outward appearance was not human, there was nothing to be surprised about.

Looking back at those beasts, Rickart said.

"Like this, being butchered."