Chapter 183

Chapter 183 - Banishment (2)

- How long are we going to live like this? Mountain Clan? The most ancient warriors? What meaning does that crap have! Busy doing banditry and running away when knights below the mountain appear riding warhorses!

Ivar, born as the second son of an influential family in the Mountain Clan, had many complaints about his tribe's ways.

Too much time has passed since they were robbed of their homeland by invaders from across the sea and chased into the mountains.

- Please just spare my life! I only lost my way!

- Lost your way? If you lost your way in front of the Mountain Clan, it's the same as losing your life too. Wahahaha!

Living pretending to be strong in front of passing travelers while not even daring to challenge the Britannia lords, who are the true rulers.

The world is gradually being developed, and technology is also advancing. At this rate, they will eventually be exterminated as existences somewhere between monsters and barbarians.

- So what should we do?

- The guys below the mountain are incomparably more numerous than us and possess iron swords, iron armor, warhorses, and castles!

His kin also found the current situation bleak, but realistically there was no method.

To bow down and go under Britannia nobles was unimaginable, and to fight, the difference in fighting power was too severe.

- So that means we shouldn't be picky about the means and methods!

Ivar, who flipped through all sorts of ancient books to overturn the glaring difference in fighting power, truly accidentally found a heretic scripture. He decided to borrow the power of an evil god.

- Are, are you crazy? Join hands with devils?

- To win a battle meant to inevitably be lost, one must try holding all holdable hands!

However, the Mountain Clan treated Ivar like a madman. Rather, his father, who became furious upon hearing the story, beat him dozens of times with a club.

Exploding with a combination of youthful hot-bloodedness and a sense of unjustness, Ivar left home holding the heretic scripture.

- Rather than persuading those stupid fools, I will achieve a great task alone even by myself.

The problem was that not long after leaving the Mountain Clan's territory, he was caught by an Orc tribe.

- What is that book? I feel a dangerous yet intense energy.

- ...!

And meeting the shaman Raxar, who was an oddball among the Orcs no less than Ivar, a bizarre alliance was formed.

1 year of converting to heresy together and learning evil power. Raxar, who had a tremendous talent, subjugated the nearby Orc groups relying on the authority of the evil god.

After the opposing faction largely defected due to Raxar's tyranny of making even his kin into sacrifices, he used humans as sacrifices.

- Before long, those tribe guys will come down to the abandoned monastery. They wouldn't miss the opportunity of the civil war.

Thanks to Ivar, who was well-versed in the Mountain Clan's way of life, they were able to capture a large number of humans.

However, the smoothly proceeding plan was abruptly ruined as Eugene's army surrounded the monastery.

"This is exactly why we shouldn't have let the Orcs out! We should've hidden tightly until the end!"

"Hiding is meaningless. The intruders know we are here."

Thanks to his calm tone and tall stature, Raxar looked much more authoritative than Ivar.

"This place has been abandoned for a long time and the ground floor was cleaned up with care! Since not even a single bone fragment was left, if we held our breath, they would've considered it an abandoned monastery and just moved on!"

"The warriors surrounding the monastery number in the thousands. One who rules such numbers is wise. To move such numbers, a lot of meat is also needed. They invaded this place harboring conviction."

Ivar, who could not hear the voice of the god, was terrified. However, Raxar had conviction in the victory the god whispered.

* * *

Orcs under berserk magic are bothersome enemies.

They are immune to pain and fear, and even possess the toughness to endure considerable heavy wounds. Being still living beings, unlike undead, their movements are agile and their physical strength is strong.

However, in front of the heavily armed elite knights, they were nothing but lumps of meat.

"Casualties?"

"None, Excellency. If casualties occurred against enemies of this level, one is disqualified as a knight."

From all directions, sounds of finishing off Orcs that were incapacitated but hadn't fully stopped breathing yet could be heard.

"This way."

The lantern held by Cassandra shone on the path ahead for the party and led the way.

It did not purely drive away darkness. Befitting a light source containing the power of the good god Banas, it reacted to evil existences.

Part of the light shining on the stone statues flickered and wavered. Homi fired her crossbow at the stone statue in that corresponding direction.

"Kiiiiik-!"

A dog-shaped Gargoyle with a bolt lodged in its temple fell from the pedestal and tumbled.

Sizzle.

The silver reacted and raised white steam, but it couldn't grab and detach it with a dog's front paws. Eugene approached in an instant and cut the neck of the guy in pain.

"Are there no human corpses? Even rolling bone fragments would be fine."

"None at all."

"They certainly said the Mountain Clan had been staying here first."

The hunters testified that bandits aiming for a big score during the civil war had been attacked by Orcs. By now, bones eaten and discarded, teeth, or cauldons where humans were boiling should have been discovered.

"Isn't it because they intend to use them as sacrifices for an evil ritual? Slavers strictly forbid their subordinates from touching the merchandise too."

"Those are humans and these are monsters. Orcs aren't exactly a race that follows control well..."

Eugene, who was shaking his head at a certain knight's words, paused.

"That could be the case."

If it were an ordinary Orc group, no matter what the leader said, they would ultimately lay hands on humans, unable to overcome their desires.

However, these are Orcs under the control of a powerful priest suspected to be a magician.

If they are guys whose desires other than the slaughtering instinct have been castrated like the guys they fought previously, they might faithfully follow instructions.

"Oh."

A young knight's eyes sparkled looking at a gold necklace placed on a sack. For him, who possessed outstanding skills but was poor, even one thing like this was a great harvest.

The knight, who cautiously checked his surroundings, realized he discovered it first and quickly approached trying to reach his hand out.

"Stop!"

At Cassandra's word, the knight reflexively raised his shield and took a combat stance. But that wasn't a warning about an ambush.

The tree branch she threw dropped right in front of the necklace. Likewise on the floor where the sack was laid.

Clank!

Immediately, a hidden bear trap shut its teeth and smashed the tree branch. It was installed so cleverly that it was completely unnoticeable, and the jeweled necklace above it distracted attention.

"T-Thank you!"

The young knight retreated while sweating cold sweat.

"Personal plundering is forbidden. I promise to have a specialized search team find things after the battle ends, and then distribute them. Be patient for now."

"I apologize, Excellency."

"It's also my fault for not warning in advance, so apologies are unnecessary. Express gratitude to Cassandra instead."

At the cleverness unbefitting of Orcs, Eugene clicked his tongue.

"It seems there is an Orc trapper. It seems they are using the supplies the Mountain Clan, who came first, used just as they are."

"A trapper? Uncivilized monsters have something like that too?"

Cassandra nodded at the old knight who spoke instead of Eugene.

"A trapper isn't exactly anything grand. An individual among the Orc pack with good observational skills, manual dexterity, and excellent spatial perception plundering and using human tools. Mostly a few joints of their index and middle fingers are cut off, so it's easy to recognize."

Cassandra stretched out her index and middle fingers and waved them gently. The fact that they spread straight out at the same angle revealed the racial difference from humans.

The monastery was constructed down to the basement floors. Since it was built for emergency evacuation during the Britannia settlement period, it was to safely accommodate a large number of personnel. Putting a bit of exaggeration, it's to the extent it could be called an underground fortress.

"The lantern truly plays a big role. When we return, we must offer a tribute of gratitude to the Goddess."

As if responding to Eugene's words, the light inside the lantern wavered. Because of the light, he couldn't see the shape properly so he didn't know well, but it was certain she was pleased.

* * *

Disposing of the additionally encountered Orcs as well and pushing down with crushing momentum, they reached a wide underground chapel.

There, an Orc with a build no less than Eugene's was standing at the altar staring at them. In the clear and intelligent-flowing gaze, there was no fierce tone particular to monsters.

It held an oak staff in its hand and was wearing a priest's robe acquired from somewhere. It's high-ranking attire meant to be worn by the likes of an abbot.

'That guy is the leader.'

Eugene intuited that it was the mad priest he heard about while interrogating the Orcs.

'Magicians are things whose necks must be blown away the moment you see them.'

Homi aimed her crossbow, but in front of the priest, 10 Orc guards wearing iron armor and holding large shields were protecting it.

In front of them, a giant was exuding a mighty presence.

The giant was a muscular hulking figure easily surpassing 3m at minimum. Its skin was gray and hardened like stone. Its clenched fists were truly like single lumps of rock.

"My god! What on earth is all this?"

The knights were appalled at the pile of horribly butchered human corpses. Going by the circumstances, them being the Mountain Clan who was said to be attacked is certain.

"Lord. It's a sacrificial ritual. It seems we are one step late."

Just as Cassandra said, this was similar to the ritual site the heretic magician had set up in the Bonyard.

At that moment, the Orc priest's mouth opened. An indescribably terrible reverberation exploded towards Eugene's party.

"!!!"

"!!!"

The knights' faces turned ashen color at once. This is what it would feel like if the roars of thousands of beasts were compressed into a single wavelength.

Homi, whose senses are the sharpest, got goosebumps all over her body. Her tail standing in a straight line had its fur standing up jaggedly like a startled cat.

"Did you see? This is the true power bestowed by God!"

Ivar, who had been terrified until just a moment ago, also had courage springing up in front of the god's authority.

Raxar can contain a portion of the evil god's voice in his voice. Hearing that, even veteran warriors dropped their weapons and trembled like aspen trees. It was to the extent that several among the weak-hearted Orcs even wet themselves.

"Kahaaaa!"

However, as Homi similarly let out a roar, the evil energy constricting the knights' souls washed away cleanly.

"You bastard! You weren't a captive but in league with them!"

"Born as a human, how on earth could you collude with evil monsters? As if habitually doing banditry wasn't enough, to commit an unforgivable grave sin!"

The knights scolded Ivar loudly while still holding their weapons in their hands.

"Nonsense!"

Ivar glared with his eyes open wide as if unable to believe it. Even those tough Orc leaders didn't have a single one who withstood the evil god's shout, yet.

"We will subjugate the evil enemy threatening Britannia."

Eugene lifted the Last Autumn and pointed at the giant and the priest.

"Everyone, do not be careless. Keep your distance, imagining the worst monsters you Sirs know."

The knights also wouldn't bow down when it comes to valor. They are the only souls capable of charging even at fire-spewing dragons.

Sreureung!

The knights all switched to holding silver swords. Everyone realized right now is the moment of decisive battle.

The Wendigo summoned through Kalash, the god of hungry stigma, had the appearance of a beast because a beast was used as the sacrifice. However, perhaps because countless humans were used as sacrifices, that giant had the shape of a human.

That appearance brought the uncanny valley to mind, making the knights' expressions frown even more.

"Aim for the face!"

Knights pulled hand axes and throwing short spears from their waists and threw them in unison. Since Britannia knights also tend to be lacking in horsemanship like the Gords, they compensate by honing throwing skills.

As the giant covered its face with its arms as if bothered, they didn't even make a scratch and all bounced off. Its abdomen, which is the weak point of all living creatures, was also protected by hardened abdominal muscles like a castle wall.

"You eunuch-like bastard!"

"Cowardly as expected of a seed of an evil god!"

There were also malicious throws aiming for the crotch, but befitting an artificial creature, there was no protruding weak point on the giant's lower half.

"Scatter! If it's silver, it will work!"

At the sight of the giant charging while thudding, the knights scattered and aimed their silver weapons. It's the will to attack from the sides and behind to bring it down, even if paying the sacrifice of one or two people.

When facing monsters of medium size or larger, giving flesh and cutting bone like this is the basic tactic. The knights were prepared for such deaths better than anyone else.

Smack!

At that time, a silver-plated bolt embedded itself deep into the giant's abdomen. The carapace created out of impurity emitted white steam and was pierced like tofu.

"Death to those possessed by evil."

Homi's clear voice traversed the underground chapel. Whether it was the price for the right to speak which is only once a day, it was a very beautiful tone.

"Hiik!"

At Homi's cold gaze, Ivar freaked out and prostrated himself. On the other hand, at the sight of the monster bleeding, the knights shouted battle cries.

At the forefront of that, Eugene dashed out.

"I will take the main attack. You Sirs aim only for the sides and rear continuously. Absolutely do not face it head-on."

Knights who would have normally rushed to charge chasing glory kept their discipline. The one leading them now is the Administrator of the South. There is no fool who would be swayed by desire for merits and ignore orders.

As knights holding silver swords surrounded from all directions and disturbed it, the giant could not focus entirely on Eugene in front of its eyes.

Smack!

Thwack!

In the meantime, Homi was driving her hoarded silver bolts into various parts of the giant's body.

Finally, the enraged giant charged randomly and swung its fist at Homi. Since its bulk was so huge and its arms were also long, its reach was fearsome.

"Heut!"

However, Homi dodged by rolling to the side. For an ordinary roll, its jumping power was close to 3~4m, so the giant's attack hit empty air.

Thanks to the assistance of his tail pressing the ground and his innate sense of balance, Homi was able to shoot immediately after the roll ended.

Thwack!

The giant with a bolt lodged in its flank howled full of annoyance.

The scent of hell was permeated in that shout. Even if not as much as the Orc priest, it was sufficient to shake the souls of trained knights, but not now.

The knights felt Homi's breath flowing through their blood vessels. It was coating their bodies so that evil energy could not invade.

Kwang!

A stone pillar hit by the giant's fist shattered. However, Homi rolled backward again and stuck another bolt into the giant's chest.

The giant immediately pulled out the bolt, lifted a nearby chapel seat, and threw it at Homi.

"Heut!"

A chair where more than 10 people could sit flew while spinning around, filling Homi's vision. Even she ended up falling to the ground while barely dodging it.

But the giant could not finish it as Eugene immediately stuck closely and cut its calf.

'Do I have to dispatch the Orc priest first?'

Eugene could not focus solely on the battle even while dodging the giant's kicks. It's because the culprit of this situation situated on the altar side bothered him.

At that time, an anomaly occurred.

While everyone's attention was drawn to the bloody battle with the giant, there was an existence sneaking around in the dark. It was precisely Cassandra.

"Careful! That bastard is trying to use evil magic again!"

Just as Eugene warned, the priest held the staff and chanted a spell in an unknown language.

[■■■...]

And Cassandra, completely approached, bit onto a blowgun.

Fwip!

A poisoned dart fired from the dark flew covertly and pierced the priest's vocal cords.

"U-eok..."

"Raxar!"

The priest collapsing while puking blood grasping its neck. The Orc guards were flustered by that covert assassination attempt, and even the giant lost its composure at the summoner's crisis and looked back.

"You bastard!"

Not missing that opening, a certain knight pierced the back of the giant's knee with a spear.

"Well done!"

Eugene raised the corners of his mouth at the spear shaft that pierced through the giant's knee. No matter how thick a body is, joints at least are vulnerable, and he aimed precisely there.

The giant swung its hand while suffering in pain, but the knight had already discarded the spear and stepped back.

The giant turned its body this way and that, wary of the knights surrounding it, but its promptness dropped because it was limping on one leg.

Eventually, even the sound knee was pierced by Homi's bolt, and it ended up inevitably plopping down.

Smash!

At the fists swung as if making a last struggle, the stone floor bounced up as if exploding. At that momentum, the knights did not dare approach further.

However, at the sword strike of Eugene who aimed for an opening, an forearm was cut halfway and dangled.

"Keuaak-!"

Feeling the threat of death, the giant swung its other fist, but Eugene stepped backward and swung his sword once more.

Slash!

The rock fist that would beat even a bull to death in one blow was powerless before the etherium sword. It was split vertically from the middle finger to the wrist, spewing out blood like a fountain.

Its both knees and both arms all ruined, the giant panted exhausted. The moment Eugene's silver sword blade flashed, a cleanly cut head rolled off.

"P-Please spare me! Please, just my life..."

Left alone, Ivar tilted to the side as the dagger thrown by Cassandra got lodged in his forehead.

As long as he was connected to the evil god, there was no knowing what tricks he would play. It was safer to just kill him quickly regardless of interrogation or whatever.

"Annihilate the remnants."

At Eugene's command, as the knights ambushed, the remaining Orcs were swept away while screaming.

[How sorrowful.]

Eugene heard a sobbing voice from the fallen Orc priest and the giant's corpse.

A voice bringing a dignity unapproachable by humans, yet bound by the rules of the world stronger than that.

It was the wailing of the evil god. It was grieving over losing a believer found after a long time and being banished from this world once again. Even that completely vanished the moment the remaining Orcs died.

"Lord. This..."

Eugene received the oak staff Cassandra handed over. As something used by the priest, a thick spiritual energy lingered on it as much as it had been used for barbaric rituals for a long time.

"Glory to the Goddess."

"Glory to Banas."

As Eugene spoke while receiving that staff, Cassandra also smiled and placed her fist on her chest.

The light source inside the lantern trembled intensely looking at the divine object possessed by the evil god in Eugene's hand. It seemed it was quite watering at the mouth.

Banas, who became capable of bestowing authority even outside the Moving Castle, albeit faintly, by receiving offerings. Eugene felt curiosity welling up as to how much more she would grow in the future.