After the discovery of the magic-infused bead, the party's attitude toward this mission had to become even more serious.
You could tell just by looking at the conversations going on between the subordinates.
"Damn it. Those guys again. Are we getting involved with them more often than not? Or are there just some people who are dissatisfied with the Empire spreading like poisonous mushrooms somewhere? Either way, it's getting annoying."
"Hey, Lord Sento. Let's think positively, positively. Isn't this a mission that we have to carry out according to orders anyway? It's better to think of it as a chance to show off the skills we've been honing."
"Whoa, damn it... You're really easy going. Well, you've definitely been too loose up until now."
The Knights' patrols were more thorough while moving, and the reconnaissance radius was greatly expanded. Even members of the sect who normally wouldn't be there yet actively participated in the search operation.
Thus, from the afternoon of the second day, the leisurely atmosphere as if they were on a picnic was no longer to be found.
"Sir Wolfgang. Would it be okay for us to bring priests with us on the reconnaissance from now on? Since we have discovered traces of evil, we do not think it is right for us to just sit back and do nothing."
"Of course, Saint. If you do, it will be of great help."
On the other hand, the most unexpected thing was Ophelia's change in attitude.
After the brief meeting of the leaders due to the unexpected situation, the girl's eyes sparkled and she began to show a more mature appearance.
"No. Of course, it is something I should suggest. If there is anything I need to help with directly, please let me know at any time!"
"Yes, thank you. It is okay for now, so please take care of yourself for now. The safety of the Saint is the top priority for this mission."
"Hehe, thank you for your consideration."
Her words and actions were truly worthy of a saint.
If you think about it, it wasn't anything special, it was more like the basic qualities that a superior should naturally have.
However, the fact that the subject of the action was Ophelia, who had only shown me her awkward side, gave me a refreshing shock.
Why, it's not interesting when someone who has always been excellent continues to do well, but when someone who has always caused troubles somehow achieves great results, it's especially memorable.
'Even though she's a kid, she's a kid who does things when she has to.'
When I think about the fact that she was the official person in charge of this mission, it was truly a joyous thing. Did she suddenly get some advice from Cardinal Malleus?
I think it's probably true when I see the old man behind the girl who pretends to shrug her shoulders in front of me, carrying a backpack and laughing happily like a grandfather watching his granddaughter grow up.
Well, that must have been the original purpose of the Cheonshin Church. The saint's growth.
"If Sir Wolfgang gets hurt... I'll treat him myself! Oh, anytime!"
"Haha. It's best if he doesn't get hurt, but if something like that happens, I'll be counting on you."
Of course, judging from the fact that he added such useless words, it seemed like he still hadn't grown out of his bratty ways.
Looking at that proud face, I somehow felt like giving him a little pat on the back.
The girl who made that bold remark blushed slightly and went inside the carriage, and Agnes, who was next to him, nodded her head with a smirk.
"I envy you, Master. You even have a saint as your dedicated priest. Where else can you have such luxury?"
"A dedicated priest. Is that how it works?"
I smiled back at him and tried to brush it off as nothing, but for some reason, Agnes kept talking to me even though the meeting was already over.
Did she have something she wanted to say?
"…But, did you and the saint know each other from the beginning? Of course, I don't care about rumors. It's just that the distance between us seems a little close."
"Yes. We had a bit of a connection in the past. Oh, come to think of it, I never told you about it."
Since there was no particular reason to hide it, I gave her a rough explanation of my relationship with the saint, and she began to mutter something incomprehensible as a meaningful expression appeared on her face.
"Is that so… The captain is truly a sinful man."
"Hmm? Except for the war, I don't remember committing any major sins."
"It's okay. I didn't expect it, but there's going to be another one soon. Still, it's fortunate that I knew in advance and was able to prepare for it."
"What on earth do you mean?"
When I asked her what she meant, she just looked at me with a cold look in her eyes and puffed out her cheeks slightly, leaving me dumbfounded.
"If possible, I'll get pregnant as soon as possible..."
I thought I heard something suspicious muttering from Agnes as she turned around, but thinking back, I thought it was just her wanting to finish the mission quickly.
Anyway, was it because I put more effort into the surveillance and search?
"Chief, there's nothing unusual around here."
"Yes. Then let's continue forward."
Except for the fact that the scouts encountered a few local monsters that had made the surrounding area their territory, the second day's march ended without any problems.
The problem occurred in a small village not far from the destination.
It seemed like we were almost there. We just had to cross a couple of mountains. If that's the case, we should be there in half a day or so.
However, as we got closer to the destination, I began to hear increasingly ominous reports.
"Sir Wolfgang. We are gradually detecting a magical reaction nearby. However, the source of the magical energy is not located in a specific location, but rather multiple large and small mediators are constantly moving…"
"It's similar to the report from the day before. If this is the case, isn't it almost certain that there are numerous entities similar to that direwolf?"
The outline of how things are going is slowly becoming clear.
The monsters that attacked the Argon territory were clearly moving according to Eclipse's intentions, not trying to engage in a territorial dispute with humans.
A monster that holds magical energy. Then should we call it a demonic beast?
One of the heretic inquisitors standing in front of me bit his lip and muttered indignantly.
"Yes. It is as you said, but the guys are blatantly avoiding us, so it's a shame that we can't kill them."
"That's, it's okay. Please calm down for now."
The sight of him gritting his teeth and burning his bloodshot eyes with hatred. His temples and neck were swollen with blood. The gentle-looking man with that kind of expression made me feel very uncomfortable.
Oh my. Are all the heretics like this? Well, the leader is Cardinal Malleus. It seems that the subordinates have been greatly influenced by him.
At this point, I feel sorry for the cultists who are hostile to those people. If I were you, I would have stopped worshipping evil spirits a long time ago. How deep must their wrong beliefs be? Those crazy guys.
As I was shaking my head and looking at the map, Agnes came to me and whispered.
"Chief. Excuse me, a civilian is earnestly requesting to see you. He says he is the village chief of a nearby village."
The smell is even more fragrant today. Is he diligently taking care of himself even during a mission?
By the way, a civilian is looking for me. Something must have happened in the surrounding village.
And he's the village chief. Maybe I'll get some unexpected information.
"A civilian?"
"Yes. The rule is to send people back as soon as possible when we meet them during an operation. I heard that they brought him here because his statements were not very good."
"Okay. Let's meet up. It's important to get the villagers' testimonies."
A nameless villager, led by one of the ten captains, knelt down in front of me.
"Oh my, knights! priests! Please help me!"
A man with a tough-looking face and an untidy beard. Old leather clothes patched here and there. Even a worn-out logging axe worn on his waist. He was a man who exuded the unique lifestyle of a mountain pioneer.
"Heh, heh!"
He looked startled when our eyes met. It had been so long since I'd seen him that I felt a little happy.
"Don't be alarmed. I won't hurt you, so calm down and explain the whole story."
"That, that's right… The villagers haven't come back since yesterday. Herbalist Hans, hunter Keras, my daughter who went to pick wild strawberries… More than ten of them have disappeared. Something must have gone wrong. Please help me!"
A large-scale disappearance of residents.
It was definitely not something to just ignore. Especially in a village close to the Argon territory.
However, there was a risk that time would be wasted if we were not careful, so I was thinking that it would be better to form a special force and dispatch it to the village and then finish the mission.
"What's going on?"
Ophelia, who had come close at some point, poked her head out with a look of great interest.
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