Sanctuary

Noah went to see the civilians seeking the chapel's protection.

He arrived at the hall, unlocked the main door with a silver key, and pushed it open forcefully. The bronze doors swung open slowly, revealing a crowd on the steps below—there were about forty or fifty people, none appearing to be wealthy citizens. They were poorly dressed and pale.

As dusk settled, the city was shrouded in foreboding twilight. Looking out, Noah saw clouds glowing fiery red on the horizon, but night would soon fall, bringing with it the shadows that lurked and caused chaos. The Black Witch was still active, and nowhere was safe. The incident at the Earl's estate had already proven that ordinary guards could not guarantee everyone's safety.

Noah's gaze swept over the faces in the crowd, reflecting various expressions: despondency, worry, fear, but mostly anxiety—a deep uncertainty about the future.

"What are you doing here?" Noah looked down at the people. They were seeking help, sanctuary in the chapel, but he couldn't provide it without cost.

"At last! Sir!" someone called out, "Let us in, please! The outside is filled with dogs!"

Noah listened silently. At first, there was clamor, but soon it quieted down, and fearfully, they looked around. That's right, from the depths of the wide streets, he could hear the relentless barking of dogs, ominous sounds without a source but converging from all around, scratching at people's hearts, inciting panic, never-ending chaos, leaving no one able to sleep peacefully.

Those living in nice houses with businesses to run weren't as afraid, but many were worse off. Noah could see clearly that the people in front of him lived in shanties or outright on the streets, many were beggars, even thieves. Once the hounds tainted by demonic essence started rampaging, they would surely be the first to be killed, just like the victim Noah had seen before.

"Hm," Noah nodded, "But you'll have to pay."

"Money..."

"Uh—"

"How much?"

At the mention of money, the crowd showed difficulty.

"One silver coin per night," Noah said, then calmly faced their anger.

"One silver coin?"

"That's too expensive!"

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Where am I supposed to get that money?"

They raised their fists, clamoring around Noah.

"Anyone who thinks their life isn't worth one silver coin should leave immediately," Noah said succinctly.

"..."

"Ah..."

Most faces stiffened, but some continued to protest.

"You're taking advantage of chaos to make a profit! You madman, may the reaper take you!" A short man shouted spitefully.

"The hunters' chapel has never been a charity," Noah responded steadily. If demons can't kill me, how would vague deities?

"Ah."

"Give the money to this man..."

They grumbled in chorus.

"Hunters are supposed to serve the people!" An old man exclaimed fervently, wearing a leather coat, his voice gruff, "Do you even deserve to be a hunter?"

"Who are you?" Noah looked at the old man.

"I live nearby, and I knew every hunter before you. They were generous, kindhearted, moral good men. How could they be like you, daring to close doors in times of crisis, demanding payment for refuge? During the thirty-year siege, those few nights, Master Rigma opened the chapel, and everyone prayed together all night... What a beautiful hunter spirit! Look at you! What have you done?" He berated loudly.

Have I done wrong? Noah's brow furrowed. Have I really done wrong?

"Yeah!"

"Let them in!"

"It's too dangerous outside, please, I beg you!" A woman in tattered clothing couldn't help but cry, holding an oblivious infant. When Noah saw the mother and child, a wave of unease washed over him. Have I erred? Am I refusing to protect people in their time of need and attempting to profit from it?

"You need to command these two-legged animals," Gladius urged.

"They're pitiful," Ines approached Noah, "Shouldn't we charge less?"

Noah hesitated for a moment before becoming resolute as never before.

He took a step forward.

"I will protect you!" he shouted, "—I will do everything to fight the monsters, to run about searching for their traces. Those creatures that terrify you, I will kill with my own hands. The panic won't last, the nightmares will be eradicated. As for this chapel, I can assure you, as long as I'm here, no monster would dare to invade."

He paused, then looked at the people again.

"You've come to the hunters' chapel, sought refuge in this traditionally unwelcome place, surely because you're at your wits' end. I will provide you with a way to live, so you don't have to seek shelter elsewhere or find ways to survive... you only need to pay one silver coin, that's all I ask."

The crowd's expressions shifted, contemplating Noah's words.

Seeing their silent deliberation, Noah continued:

"I know why you've come here—you must have tried the local temple first. The temple should protect everyone. But what was the temple's response? They refused you!" Indeed, with evil lurking in the temple, they wouldn't let outsiders in. Seeing their reactions, Noah knew he had guessed right.

"Even offering several times the price, you couldn't buy safety from them, but the hunters' chapel is offering you this opportunity! Like wielding a hoe to harvest food from the field, everything has a cost. To ask me to protect you without charge, to let you stay over in the chapel for free... I can't do it! Such things don't exist in this world!"

"But in the past—" The old man began.

"The past is the past!" Noah interrupted, "Now you must choose: to survive or be torn apart by dogs in your dreams. Judge for yourselves."

People sank into contemplation. One man grumbled and walked away dejectedly, followed by two or three others.

Noah patted Ines on the shoulder and walked into the inner room.

"If someone is willing to pay, let them in," Noah instructed, "...keep them in the hall, tell them to bring their own food and bedding, and don't let them into the garden or side tower. Organize night watches, and watch for safety. If anything unusual happens, wake me up immediately. Don't be complacent, and make sure all doors and windows are securely locked."

"Understood," Ines nodded with interest.

Noah nodded back. He bypassed Ines and entered the chapel. The hole in the dome was still there—he needed to raise funds to repair the chapel.

"Heh heh," he heard a snicker from behind and turned to see a familiar face, paying a silver coin to Ines and then entering the hall.

"How did you get here?" Noah saw Oakley, the drunkard thrown out of the scriptorium who had written the recruitment notice for him.

"I have nowhere else to stay," he lamented. "Your place is cheaper than an inn."

"The inn only costs a few copper coins more than here," Noah thought of the standard rate.

"Staying at an inn, I can't help but want to drink, and the expenses become uncountable," Oakley said helplessly, "Look." He looked around the barren chapel, "There's not even a chance to get a drink here, I have to behave."

"You can copy manuscripts for the chapel. We just organized the library," Noah considered.

"Really? Let me copy?" Oakley was eager, "Finally, I have work, what's the deal? At the scriptorium, they paid me one gold coin a month and an additional ten silver coins for each completed manuscript."

"Go check out our library. See what kind of manuscripts we have that are suitable for sale," Noah thought, "And then find buyers. Do you know who would be interested?"

"Don't worry. I know who the scriptoria in the city usually deal with. I'll just go door to door to sell the manuscripts," Oakley nodded repeatedly.

"I've said before, since you were thrown out, I can't trust you much... so first, you need to show results. As I said before, if you screw around, you're done."

"I get the picture," Oakley rubbed his hands, "I've muddled through these days and realized I can't survive without work."

Noah walked to the statue in the hall, facing the effigy of the God-King Adwar. The regal image was formidable, holding a sword, crowned, seated on a throne, an epitome of courage and sanctity.

One by one, people began to trickle into the chapel. Upon seeing the central statue, their first act was to kneel, hands on their chests, heads bowed in silent prayer. Turning back, Noah saw a dozen or so people quietly kneeling in the hall, praying for the future.

"They look like a herd of livestock," Gladius mocked.

"Don't say that, they're praying."

"They're praying for a vain future. No matter what efforts they make today, the future will still see them die miserably of hunger, disease, and cold. Some of them even know this fate but can't change it. That's what it means to be weak."

Should it be so? Noah pondered. Does weakness doom one to a miserable fate?

"Sir." Noah heard Lodan call out.

"Did you see those people?"

He scratched his head.

"I saw those poor souls in the jail," he said somberly, "they've become so strange."

"Does that scare you?" Noah looked at the lad, "We'll face worse horrors than that."

"I just feel the demons are too evil!" Lodan clenched his teeth in determination, "They wreak havoc everywhere, and I want to kill them, just like that!"

"Do you enjoy exterminating monsters? You told me before that you wanted to deal with the river trolls," Noah asked, "Why?"

"I used to be naughty," Lodan embraced his arms uneasily, "The worst kind."

"The kind who chases stray dogs, steals kittens, raids birds' nests?" Noah guessed.

"Worse. I had no parents, so I was always up to no good, thieving and bullying other kids." Lodan looked pleadingly at Noah, "Can someone like me turn out well?"

"People grow," Noah nodded, people change, he thought, "The villagers say you're well-behaved and reliable."

"It was after some adventurers came to the village." Lodan recounted, "A kid I used to bully, named Peter, joined them. They took him away. Peter told the tall one about being bullied by me and asked him to come teach me a lesson."

"Did you get beaten up and reform?"

"Thankfully, no," Lodan touched his leather armor, "The tall man brought Peter before me and said they were an adventure team that hunted monsters. They would take Peter across Lomen, to see sunrises and sunsets, watch knights joust, see wizards perform magic, see jesters and castles and armies, and face goblins and bears and fairies, eliminating wyverns, trolls, and hippogriffs along the way. Peter would become respected, and I, a bad kid, would rot in the village forever. So I started to do good deeds, and everyone praised me."

"So you're learning to fight monsters to one day join an adventure team? That tall man and Peter must have achieved a lot."

"No," Lodan gripped his sword hilt, his frame lean and standing upright, "Their team was wiped out by monsters; they all died. I feel I need to carry on their work because if it weren't for that tall man's reminder, I'd probably still be a village delinquent, a dog-like thing, only knowing to eat, sleep, and cause trouble... Master Noah, please teach me how to become stronger!"

"Go to the side hall, find a man named Hugo, and let him teach you how to use weapons. You will grow," Noah reassured him.

Lodan nodded vigorously and ran off towards the side hall.

"You fool, staying in your village all your life is the key to longevity. This kid is seeking his own death, and you don't save him," Gladius was angry.

"We'll see," Noah watched Lodan's retreating figure.