Corrupted Priest-Chapter 23

Irmell.

I crushed another enemy, but there was no scream.

The enemies were clearly men who had been trained systematically.

"Kill!"

According to my mother, each of them was at least worth two fingers.

I leaned my body slightly backward. A sharp blade grazed past my chest.

I could have let that attack hit me slightly and then cut off the enemy's head — attacks without any divinity didn't really hurt me — but since Carmen didn't know my true nature, revealing the oddities of my body would've been a foolish move.

I stepped forward and counterattacked with an upward slash.

The fight resembled the one against that bandit leader who fought so skillfully before, but there was a clear difference this time:

Vrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Now, I had the upper hand in terms of equipment.

The Butcher let out a rough screech as it lunged for the enemy's neck.

The enemy, recalling how a comrade who tried to block the Butcher head-on was pulverized, dared neither to block nor to deflect it.

The enemy backed off two steps. If so, I'd just follow him.

Using my superior physical capabilities, I closed the distance even faster than he could retreat.

"Haah!"

The Butcher drove itself into the man's chest. The wildly spinning blade ground through the metal plates protecting his body and tore into the tender flesh beneath. Blood and chunks of flesh spilled out.

Another man approached stealthily, aiming to strike me while I was busy finishing off his comrade.

There wasn't enough time to pull the Butcher out and swing it at him.

But I had two swords.

I quickly moved my left hand, drew the Froststeel Sword, and swung it.

Since I wasn't that familiar with swordsmanship using my left hand, the swing was rough.

But it was enough.

Clang!

Unable to withstand the force of the clash, the man's sword was knocked into the air.

Vrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

The Butcher immediately split the man in half.

Now only five remained.

Clang!

I heard the clash of swords nearby.

When I turned my head to check on Carmen, I saw a body lying on the ground with an arrow in its head.

Beyond that, Carmen was fiercely fighting two men, sword in hand.

Just as I was about to rush over to help, Carmen shouted loudly after seeing me:

"Two of them ran towards the carriage! They know they're losing and are trying to flee! I'm fine here — you need to stop the carriage before it gets away!"

At her signal, the Irmell family's carriage began picking up speed.

I alternated my gaze between the battling Carmen and the carriage.

If I sprinted after the carriage, I'd be leaving Carmen too far behind.

There was only one thing I could do now, before the carriage gained too much speed.

It might hurt the people inside a little, but better that than endangering my companion.

I switched the Butcher and the Froststeel Sword between hands, then raised my right hand and threw the Froststeel Sword.

The sword spun roughly through the air and smashed into the carriage's rear wheel.

The carriage lost balance, spun wildly across the snowy field, and finally crashed into some trees.

Thunk!

Or more accurately, after the crash, it tipped over from the weight and collapsed onto its side.

"Uh... oops."

It was my first time throwing a sword to break a carriage wheel, so I hadn't expected it to turn out quite like this.

Hopefully, the people inside were okay?

I thought they probably were, and quickly sprinted across the snow toward the carriage.

Along the way, I spotted one of the fleeing men — he had smashed his head against a tree trunk and broken his neck.

One more left...

"Kill!"

A blade shot out through the carriage wall, aiming for my heart — a well-timed ambush.

I raised my left hand to block it.

The blade pierced through my hand but stopped just short of my chest. Blood splattered onto the snow.

If I were a warrior or a knight specializing in close combat, I probably could have parried the ambush properly.

Thinking that, I casually swung the Butcher in my right hand.

Even without activating the motor, the stationary saw blade crushed the attacker's skull.

I kicked away the corpse with its smashed head.

That cleared things up on my side.

Was Carmen okay?

As if mocking my worry, Carmen just then beheaded the last man standing in front of her with a powerful swing.

As expected — a good archer needs strong arms.

Since Carmen's side was settled too, it was time to check on whoever was tied up inside the overturned carriage.

I hoped they weren't too badly hurt from the crash...

"Mmph! Mmph!"

I tore off the jammed carriage door with brute force and peered inside.

A strange scent tickled my nose as I found a woman writhing, tightly bound.

Brilliant silver hair cascading down to her shoulders, and golden eyes shining brightly.

The perfect harmony of gold and silver meant she was unmistakably of the Irmell bloodline.

I smiled as kindly as I could and said,

"I'm going to untie you now, so please don't resist.

I'm on your side."

The woman rolled her eyes around in her bound state, then slowly nodded.

I climbed into the carriage and first removed the gag from her mouth.

As soon as it was off, she shouted loudly:

"We have to get out of this carriage immediately! It's still filled with anesthetic gas—!"

I quickly hoisted her onto my back and got out of the carriage.

Honestly, those kinds of drugs don't work well on me anyway, but explaining that would have been more trouble than it was worth.

"Just stay still for a moment."

I pulled out a multipurpose dagger and cut the ropes binding her limbs.

But even free, she couldn't stand up right away.

After calming down a bit, she looked up at me with her golden eyes and said confidently:

"My body's still numb, and I'm seriously about to puke right now.

Unless you want to see me throw up like a volcano while staring at the sky, could you please carry me over there and pat my back?"

"Sure."

Her completely logical argument made me nod immediately.

I lifted her by the waist and carried her over to the side of the road, then gently patted her back.

"Blaaargh!"

The sound of something gushing out filled the air, but I had no intention of witnessing the gruesome sight.

Carmen, who had approached while I was busy, whispered to me:

"Did you hear who she is?"

"Uweeegh!"

I patted her back while shrugging my shoulders.

"As you can see, all I heard was her asking for help with the vomiting. Also, she seems unable to move her limbs yet, probably due to the drugs."

Carmen, who noticed the silver-haired figure endlessly dry heaving, asked again.

"Did you see her eyes? Were they golden?"

"Yes. It seems she really is the daughter of the Irmel family."

"You, you can stop patting me now! If you keep going, I feel like I'm going to puke even more!"

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

"Ah, yes. But can you stand up on your own?"

"Give me a moment."

The woman, after falling onto her butt a few times, finally managed to get up on her trembling legs. Watching her stand, Carmen unconsciously whispered to me with admiration.

"She really is a woman of great spirit."

"I agree."

'Murder!'

As I heard my mother's sharp scolding not to say strange things, I gave Carmen a signal with my eyes. It would be smoother if the noble among us took the lead in conversation.

Carmen stepped forward with a friendly smile and spoke.

"I am Carmen Baltas, son of Lord Ensis Baltas. May I ask for your name, lady of House Irmel?"

The woman, still patting her shaky legs, glanced at us and replied in a confident voice.

"Nice to meet you. I am Dakea Irmel, the eldest daughter of Calto Irmel, the Duke of Smiles."

If it was Calto Irmel, the Duke of Smiles, he was the current head of House Irmel. And this woman was his eldest daughter. I was a little shocked to realize she was an even bigger figure than I had thought. Carmen's face stiffened as he whispered to me.

"If she really is Dakea Irmel, the daughter of the Duke, then she's a mage."

Mages were born randomly among nobles and commoners alike. Of course, nobles didn't particularly enjoy having mages born into their families.

Anyway, being both a noble and a mage... that was quite the troublesome combination.

Regardless of our tension, Dakea looked straight at me and asked,

"And the name of the one who saved me? I can tell at a glance you're a priest."

I bowed lightly and answered politely.

"I am Marnak, a priest who serves the Goddess of Preservation, who protects our daily lives."

"Marnak, huh... Not a bad name."

She extended her pale hand toward me.

"I'm having a little trouble walking right now. Would you mind giving me some support?"

'Murder!!!'

Suppressing the furious cries from my chest pocket, I glanced at Carmen. I really didn't want to get too entangled with a mage if I could help it. And it would be more proper for the noble to assist her anyway.

Carmen, catching my signal, nodded and stepped forward.

"I will assist you, Lady Dakea."

Dakea narrowed her eyes at Carmen and spoke in a gentle, teasing tone.

"I was being considerate, thinking about the lover you must have back in the capital. Are you sure you want to help me? If word gets out that the 'Black Hound' of House Baltas and I were seen together, rumors might spread in the capital."

Carmen and I stared at each other, mouths open. It was surprising because the words that had just come out of her mouth were far too cultured for a mage.

Carmen awkwardly laughed and turned to me.

"Marnak, looks like you're the one who has to handle this after all."

Grimacing, I reluctantly took Dakea's hand.

'Murder!'

My chest pocket writhed violently, but I ignored it and said to her,

"For now, please wait here with Carmen. I'll go collect the bodies."

I buried the ten bodies in the roughly dug ground and knelt in prayer.

"Mother, I offer you their lives."

'Murder!!!'

My mother, who had suddenly leapt out of my chest pocket, appeared before me in the form of a young girl and gave me both middle fingers. She was following my request not to rampage when angry by just showing me the gesture—but seeing both middle fingers directed at me still felt... complicated.

"Mother, please fold your fingers and return to my chest."

My mother stomped toward me and poked my cheek repeatedly with her outstretched middle fingers.

'Murder!'

"Yes, Mother. You're right that rescuing a kidnapped young lady could be considered meddling."

'Murder!'

"And yes, you're right that I should stop doing things with no gain and live more selfishly."

I lifted her up into my arms and patted her back.

"But I'll create the gains myself. So please don't worry too much. Just as I trust you, you should trust me too."

'Murder...kill...'

As if agreeing, she turned back into a faint light and disappeared into my chest. I carefully placed my hand over my chest and prayed again.

"Please take these lives, Mother."

The divine energy of decay seeped into my body from the grave I made.

[Divinity: 1241]

Having finished harvesting divinity, it was time to head back.

Golden eyes flickered as they stared into the fire. Dakea slowly spoke while grilling meat from the dead horses, tossing the wreckage of the carriage into the bonfire.

"I don't have hard evidence, but I have a pretty good idea who's behind this. Actually, it's obvious. This whole kidnapping was orchestrated by my brother, Daken Irmel, who sees me as a thorn in his side."