Chapter 27 - Before the Fruits of Choice (2)

"You bastard— gasp! Demon Knight! Have you come to your senses?!"

Naturally, the miracle of logging out while I slept did not happen.

Instead, what welcomed me were the Inquisitor and DeB barking and fighting with each other, and the Archmage looking down at me with wary eyes while having tied me up with Binding.

"... Do you want to die?"

Even if I wanted to break it, I had no weapon. I looked at the chains binding my body once, and then looked at the Archmage with contempt.

She observed me for a moment before giving a gentle smile.

"I merely prepared just in case, so do not be too angry."

The chains shattered into pieces and disappeared. It was like watching my social dignity.

"..."

I grabbed my sword, my face twisting into a scowl, and swallowed my tears inwardly.

Since I couldn't log out anyway, I was planning to just kill my concept's personality a bit and deeply immerse myself in the game for the remaining time.

To think a trial that would completely overturn all of that would occur.

It's agonizing. So agonizing.

But now I can't even quit...

FLUTTER.

I took a deep breath and completely threw off the blanket.

The piece of fabric that had slipped down as I raised my upper body was tossed onto the dirt floor. Glancing at it, it seemed to belong to the Inquisitor—I could tell because everyone's colors were different.

But, so what? They brought all this upon themselves. Damn it, I tried to change, but they were the ones who forced me to keep acting like a toxic bastard...!

"... Must I slice those insolent eyes for you to turn your head?"

Just let me survive this time. See if I ever concept roleplay again. To think I'd receive the karma of a concept roleplay done for fun like this.

"Hah, not at all!"

Meanwhile, what's so great about these harsh words for him to smile so brightly...!

I'm pissed off and angry in multiple ways. Kimchi Dumpling, especially you, you punk, you!

CLANK.

I mounted the horse without hiding my seething inner thoughts. It was possible because the campfire was already cleared up, and thanks to the inventory, we didn't have any luggage.

Ah, for reference, I don't have a cloak or blanket either. There's no need to worry about body temperature in the system—if there was, it would have displayed my body temperature too—so I just sleep without them. When falling asleep through the system, you don't feel things like the cold anyway.

It was one of the reasons I found it hard to consider this place reality. Of course, the biggest reason is because of this concept issue!

"Giddy up!"

"Gasp, please wait a moment, sir!"

Ah, I don't know! I want to start over!!

"Demon Knight!!"

"Sir!!"

Uwaaah!!

* * *

After riding in a trance while only looking at my horse, we almost reached Tatara.

Was it because too serious of a problem had occupied my mind? I didn't feel much fatigue, but the rest of them looked like they were quite ready to die.

"Where will you go first when we enter the city?"

I'm not listening, not listening, not listening to Kimchi Dumpling!

That was a lie; I performed a meticulously calculated action—ignoring him—to avoid the misunderstanding that I was a demon.

It makes sense, considering my position as someone who was temporarily taken... over by a demon. If Kimchi Dumpling hadn't noticed—damn it, it would have been great if he hadn't!—the demon that took over my body might have harmed the people around me.

But what is the Demon Knight's past? His family was annihilated by demons. In other words, it's perfect for stimulating trauma. Naturally, his nerves would be on edge, and that would be expressed as thorns directed at those around him.

Such as ignoring or turning away. As a way of pushing others away for their sake and his own.

But even as I interpreted it, my face burned with embarrassment. Still, if I didn't do it, I felt like I would encounter that situation from earlier again.

How did I end up like this? I want to drop the concept right this instant, but now I can't even do that. I'm so embarrassed I could die.

"Are we going straight to the Mable Trading Company...?"

As I barely cooled my face that was about to flush, the Archmage, whose already white fur had turned as pale as if it had been bleached, asked. It was the correct answer, but I still didn't reply.

"Let us go..."

"Will you be alright, Mage?"

"... I will endure a little longer."

I rode at the lead, checking the gradually appearing sight of Tatara.

However, the barricades placed on the bridge connected to the city caught my eye.

They were things that weren't there when we left.

"...! It's people!"

Even the guards on the watchtower became busy the moment they spotted us. Seeing as no attacks came flying even though we entered bow range, it didn't seem like they were hostile.

"Something feels off, doesn't it?"

DeB must have seen the same thing, as he spoke the words I wanted to say. What followed was the Inquisitor's stiffly hardened voice.

"... I can feel demonic energy from the city."

It was another way of saying we were screwed.

"Is that true?"

"It is not certain. However, I have only ever felt this kind of sensation... when facing a demon."

Well, it wasn't something to find surprising. Since the quest told me to go to Tatara, it was obvious that something would happen here.

「❖ What Hides Behind

∎ Inquire about what happened in the city」

It was merely my job to find out what exactly would happen.

"Halt, right there!"

The guards who ran out of the watchtower stopped us. Of course, we would have stopped even without their words. The barricades—made of logs tied together in an X shape—were placed without any gaps.

"Reveal your identities!"

I debated whether to leave it to the Inquisitor like I had done until now, but changed my mind. If I didn't want my skull smashed by the Inquisitor, I had to interpret the concept properly from now on.

My hand pulled out my Adventurer's Token from the inventory.

SWISH.

"Gasp!"

When I threw the token over the barricade, the soldiers scrambled and caught it. The guy who caught it flinched, and the people around him hurriedly backed away as if it were a hand grenade.

"A-An adventurer..."

Still, it's fine as long as I proved it.

"Are the others all adventurers too?"

"A-No. Wait, we do have Adventurer's Tokens, but."

The Inquisitor was momentarily confused about his occupation, then just held out both his holy relic and his Adventurer's Token. The guards' eyes became as big as saucers.

"You were a Priest!!"

Given the setting, Priests seemed to be treated well overall, but their reaction felt somewhat excessive. As if... they had witnessed someone coming to save them from drowning.

"B-But why did so few of you come?"

"... I cannot understand what you mean."

"Pardon?"

And the next moment, the guard asked with trembling eyes.

"Did you not come after receiving the messenger...?"

It was the sound of the situation escalating.

"... The Priest and we merely came because we had business in this city. Is there a problem?"

The Archmage stopped the Inquisitor with her hand and stepped forward to ask. From the moment she recognized the seriousness, her eyes no longer drooped with fatigue. Only cold composure shone in her two eyes.

"That is..."

The guards looked at each other before speaking in a sunken voice.

"For now, let us head inside and talk."

After several guard members clung to it and pushed, the barricade parted to create a narrow path.

"A messenger... It seems whatever has happened, it is quite severe."

While letting the precious horses pass through first, the Archmage spoke while stroking her chin. Then, a hand stealthily raised from the side was DeB's.

"... It's a bit late, but can I say something?"

"What is it?"

"Throughout the way here, I saw quite a few traces of fighting or bloodstains. At first, I figured they were traces of people getting attacked by bandits or wild beasts... Tsk, but seeing what the guards are saying and how things are turning out, it's damn suspicious."

"How many were there?"

"About as many as if the lord had neglected managing the roads for a few years?"

So, I should take that to mean there were more incidents than average.

Furthermore, unlike these three, I have one more piece of information. The second quest I completed here—that emergency rescue request.

Unfortunately, the memories of the original work are useless. There was nothing like this in it.

"Did you not see wrong? If the security of the roads was truly unmanaged, we should have been attacked at least once."

"Ah, who doesn't know that? But the pigs were talking about a messenger. You stupid Heresy Inquisitor."

"W-What did you just say? Stupid?!"

"Yeah! Stupid!!"

The Inquisitor and DeB fought again, but that was a scene I had been continuously seeing for the past few days. I easily ignored the two's war of nerves, having grown quite accustomed to it.

It was around then that the guard who had been gesturing for us to come inside opened his mouth. A helmet of higher quality than the other guards' shed a gloomy light.

"Those entering this city are not attacked."

"I will cut off your wrist right— What did you just say?"

"Those entering the city are not attacked, Priest."

As soon as I heard those words, the unfolding situation became clear at a glance.

It seems the Demon Contractor bastards are leaving the incoming groups alone and just capturing everyone who leaves. Considering what I heard and saw when rescuing the merchant group... they probably intend to use them as sacrifices, right?

Ah, is this why the Mable Trading Company was brought up? Because they messed with the people leaving the trading company?

But if they're pulling a stunt on the entire city anyway, that place is bound to be swept up in it too eventually. And here I thought it was a different incident because they only talked about the trading company.

"See, I was right."

"S-Shut up."

"Then, what about those who leave?"

The Archmage threw out a question. She was inquiring on my behalf, and I was very thankful.

"Thanks to a few who returned alive, we found out that everyone who leaves is attacked. Even so, we had to request help, so..."

"So you continued to send messengers."

"We thought at least one would survive and deliver the message."

Well, if they're trying to pull a stunt on the entire city, isolating it is the safest bet. If backup arrived from the outside, their plan could go up in smoke, so they must have desperately blocked them too.

I walked a step behind the party and quietly retraced the full details of the matter. The closer we got to the city, the more my right arm tickled.

"Are there no other unusual matters besides that? And what are the barricades for?"

"The barricades are something the lord ordered to be installed out of worry that the city itself might be attacked. And as for other unusual matters... the number of missing persons has rapidly increased."

"The Temple, what has the Temple been doing until now?"

"... The Temple is currently in a situation where they cannot move."

"Pardon?"

"The Priests were the first to notice the anomaly and took action, but..."

The guard instructed for the gates leading into the city at the end of the bridge to be opened, and spat out the rest of his words.

"While dealing with the demons that occupied the sewers, the majority of them were killed."

This was a somewhat coincidental story. Because my tutorial mission was cleaning the sewers.

However, only goblins appeared back then, so what exactly is showing up now for the Temple to have been defeated?

"Those bug-like bastards... pulling such pathetic stunts..."

It feels like I'm definitely going to have to enter the sewers again. My nose is already suffering.

"It seems you have noticed as well."

"Do you both have any guesses?"

"It appears the demon worshippers are likely causing this. However..."

The Mage's gaze reached the Inquisitor. The voice she let out naturally lowered, to a level that the guards couldn't hear.

"In the worst-case scenario, we may have to abandon the city."

"What...!"

"... Hey, Sir Mage. Is the situation that serious?"

"The situation itself is similar to what happened in Somon. The Demon Contractors are hiding and gathering sacrifices, intending to cause an incident based on that. However... unlike Somon, which stopped at around thirty, the people used as sacrifices this time are..."

They probably can't even be counted. Considering what happened to the people leaving the city, I'd bet it exceeds a hundred at the very least.

In other words, it means we might see at least five Knuckers.

"Please enter. Priest."

"Ah, yes. Thank you for your help."

"... It was a duty I naturally had to fulfill."

... But saying it like this makes it seem like it's absolutely no big deal. Who was in charge of the balancing?

"Excuse me, Priest."

"Yes."

"Will we... be able to live?"

I took a step through the open gates while recalling the Knucker that got caught in two hits.

"That is..."

"Yes. You can live! You will live!"

From behind, the Hero spoke of hope, leaving the Mage's words behind.

"If God had given up on you all, there is no way I would have come here. So do not worry! There is still hope!"

And in front of those gallant words.

DOOONG!

「Tatara」

Along with the heavy sound of a bell, the city, which had not changed much from when we left but had completely lost all its vitality, unfolded before us.