Chapter 147: Underground Temple Part 2

The people infected with the plague were left with blackened fingers and toes, and only their skin remained before they vanished.

They didn't die; they "vanished".

Now I finally understood.

Why there were no bodies left behind, and why those infected with the plague disappeared?

-Kihaak…!

-Kieeee…!

The "Ratmen" who filled the prison so tightly that there was no room to step are the ones who "vanished".

How did I know that?

…If they were pure monsters, they wouldn't be wearing necklaces or rings.

Some of the Ratmen were still wearing necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings. The clothes had fallen off along with their skin, but the metal accessories remained.

This is horrifying.

Just as rats instinctively seek out holes, those who endured the high fever and mutation after contracting the plague must have instinctively sought out the underground temple. The "Ratmen" were likely captured and imprisoned here.

What would happen next was obvious. Like the chimeras of the deep-sea dungeon, the Ratmen would eventually undergo several transformations to lose their sense of self completely and become chimeras that obeyed their master's commands.

The Ratmen imprisoned in the cell were likely still in the midst of this transformation. Although their bodies had mutated and they seemed out of their minds, they were simply locked up and did not show any aggression.

Of course, even without aggression, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. Given the significant number of people who had been infected with the plague over the past month, this was hardly surprising.

…There's still time.

Unlike the chimeras of the deep-sea dungeon whose origin and age were unknown, these Ratmen hadn't yet undergone a complete transformation. If the curse could be lifted as soon as possible, they might be able to return to their human forms, though perhaps not without some lasting effects.

But how on earth are we supposed to get them back to the surface?

We had no idea who or what we were up against, how many there were, or how powerful they might be, and there were only four of us.

Not long ago, we had placed our faith in the Donar Temple, But its main power, the high priest was already corrupt so that was no longer an option.

There was the possibility of seeking help from Legion, but I didn't want to expose Legion to the world just yet, given that he was still young and vulnerable. Legion would undoubtedly be put at risk.

In the end, is that the only way…?

I glanced at Connie and carefully gauged his reaction.

Connie had already turned his back on the temple, so I figured he could overlook at least one of my small "secrets" right?

"…Cuscus."

It had been a long time since I called that name.

Since it wasn't his "true name", there wasn't much Connie could do even if he witnessed Demarcushel.

– Ssslither…

– Ssshhh…

Under the faint light of the sea stones, the shadows that had been quietly resting began to gather towards my own. No, it was more accurate to say that my shadow was devouring the darkness. As the shadow swallowed up the condensed darkness, it grew much larger than an ordinary shadow and slowly revealed its true form.

– Ah, ah, ah! It's been so long since I was summoned!

"Yes, yes. Have you fully recovered?"

Demarcushel had been quiet for some time after being greatly affected by the magical waves of the Silver Mountains. So, he must have had plenty of time to recover. I shrugged as I looked at the shadow grinning back at me. Of course, he must have fully recovered. I shouldn't have asked such an obvious question.

"W-What is this…!"

As expected, Connie was startled at the sight of the shadow. No matter what, Connie was still a priest, so it seemed he could sense the evil energy emanating from Demarcushel.

"I know how this must look, Connie, but I swear I'm not the kind of being you think I am."

"B-B-But…!"

"There are some circumstances that are difficult to explain. Please don't misunderstand. I have no connection to demons."

– Hahaha! You say that after making a contract with me!

"Do you know the story of the crocodile and the plover bird? It's a sort of symbiotic relationship. Of course, I'm the crocodile, and that guy is the plover. You get what I mean, right?"

– You're calling me a plover?! What do you mean by that!

"… I swear in the name of the Twelve Gods, I've never used Cuscus for anything 'bad'. I've only used him to save people."

"T-That is…"

"Think about it, Connie. If a 'knife' that can kill is used for cooking, then there's no problem with that, right?"

"...!"

Whether it was thanks to swearing by the gods or my smooth talk, Connie looked at me with wavering eyes. It worked. It really worked. Since he was an apprentice priest, he was surprisingly naive, wasn't he? I put on the most innocent smile I could muster; I was quite shameless.

– Thud, thud, thud.

And just at the right moment, I saw the dim light of a lantern approaching along with the sound of footsteps in the distance. It was probably the guard we had missed earlier.

"You'll understand if you just watch."

"...."

"Cuscus."

I lowered my voice and whispered quietly. Demarcushel grumbled but soon melted into the darkness. Avoiding the light of the sea stones, he stretched and extended his form along the shadows, until he reached the shadow of the approaching guard.

– Fwoosh!

Demarcushel who was riding along the shadows instantly engulfed the guard's body.

– Crunch! Crack! Snap! Pop!

Hmm. A much harsher sound reached my ears than I had expected. I glanced over at Connie to gauge his reaction. His face had gone pale, and cold sweat was trickling down his forehead. Damn it.

– Squelch!

– Swish, scrape, scrape… swish.

What on earth was that? This creepy sound. What had this guy done?

"Cuscus. You…"

– Spit!!

What Dimacushel dragged over was the guard's corpse. Damn it, he should have handled it quietly, but instead, he had to do this right in front of Connie… Wait.

"Hold on…"

I crouched down to get a closer look at the guard that Dimacushel had "spit out". The twisted fingertips had unnaturally sharp nails, and the unshod heels were strangely elongated. The shoulders were oddly hunched and on top of that…

– Clank.

When I removed the helmet, I found a face covered in brown fur with sharp protruding teeth.

It looked almost like a "rat".

"…This isn't human."

I didn't want to see what lay beneath the helmet's faceplate. I turned my head away and stood up.

I heard Connie's surprised "Eek" sound as Demarcushel swallowed the guard's body again.

Controlling the city, distributing relief supplies, isolating and dealing with those infected by the plague—all of it was the work of the guards. If the guards were already swarming with "Ratmen" then this was…

…Is the Lord of Dihid involved in all of this?

Spreading the plague throughout the entire city under the guise of relief supplies, even taking over the temple to bring down the "Black Rain"…

If a figure of the Lord's caliber orchestrated all of this, it all made sense. No, in fact, it would be nearly impossible to attempt something like this unless it was someone of that rank.

Of course, it could have been just my hasty judgment.

But it was always better to be prepared than to be caught off guard.

The Crows…

It was unlikely that the Lord of Dihid had carried out such a scheme alone.

The Crows, who had extended their reach to the deep-sea dungeon, the dark elf village, and the Silver Mountains, were now boldly setting their sights on the imperial city.

To cause conflict between cities, or perhaps even between countries, and bring chaos to the continent.

But what exactly were they trying to gain by going to such lengths?

What was their goal in using the power of the Origin God to achieve this?

"...."

For now, I had only glimpsed the shadow of the Crows.

If I could dispel the darkness looming over Dihid, would I be able to take one step closer to uncovering their true identity?

"Alright, everyone, let's get ready."

I took out my bow and arrows and spoke to my companions.

"It seems like what we're about to face won't be ordinary opponents."

***

– Squeak, scratch, squeak!

At some point, rats had started to infest the castle.

At first, the castle people tried to catch the rats. However, from some point on… specifically, from the day when their lord Heines pretended not to notice the rats scurrying around the castle, the people stopped trying to catch or chase them away.

Heines sat in his chair and stared at the swarm of rats running across the red carpet that covered the castle floor. His once-clear blue eyes, now dulled, watched the rats and he looked much older and more worn out than he did before they appeared.

"Heines."

At the sound of his name being called in a sweet voice, Heines straightened his slumped body in the chair and looked up at the owner of the voice.

Barbason.

A handsome man with curly black hair, red eyes, and bronzed skin so radiant it almost seemed to glow with a golden hue, was looking down at him with a smiling face.

At the sight of such a beautiful appearance, a single doubt surfaced in Heines' weary mind.

…Was he always this young?

When they first met, Barbason had been an old man leaning on a staff.

But now, his appearance was…

"My friend, what are you lost in thought about?"

"…Barbason, I was thinking about our first meeting."

"Ah, humans… always so quick to immerse themselves in the sea of memories."

With an exaggerated and almost theatrical gesture, Barbason waved his hand and then lightly rested his body on the armrest of Heines' chair. It was an extremely disrespectful act toward the lord of a city, but Heines didn't reprimand him. He simply glanced at Barbason with an exhausted expression on his face before sinking back into the chair.

"My friend, I came all this way to tell you that everything is going well."

"Thank you, Barbason."

"No, it's I who should be thankful, Heines. My true friend. Thanks to you, the underground temple will become my new home. And…"

"...."

"You will soon reclaim the glory of old Ansgar."

"...."

"A land flowing with milk and honey, a fertile golden land! Dihid will be the centerpiece of the new Ansgar. Doesn't that excite you?"

"…I am very pleased."

"Heines, it's an honor to be able to help you. We are truly good friends to each other."

"The honor is mine as well…"

"In that case, my dearest friend."

Barbason smacked his lips briefly.

"Prove your friendship to me."