Chapter 139: The City Where Black Rain Falls Part 4

The crow Ayla had brought was missing a leg.

Lloyd saw it and frowned.

"It's disposable."

"Disposable?"

"…Yes. To avoid a letter being intercepted, they use methods like this."

"A cruel method."

"But it reduces the risk of information falling into the enemy's hands."

"This time, Ayla luckily found it."

I untied the cloth wrapped around the remaining leg of the crow. The cloth was punctured with holes, like in the Braille writing system. I traced the holes with my fingertips.

A code.

Yes.

It was a code or a cipher based on the ancient Ansgar language.

Few people knew the Ansgar language now which made it perfect to use as a cipher. These were clever folks.

I covered the eye of the one-legged crow with my hand,

…Should I kill it?

This creature was innocent.

But crows were very intelligent animals. If left alive, it would surely return to its original destination.

"...."

So then…

After deciphering the code, I decided to write a new code and send it back.

It would create confusion.

Of course, this method required time.

I placed the weakened crow in a makeshift cage along with some water and a piece of bread.

"Hang in there a little longer."

When everyone was asleep, I sat at a small desk to decode the message. With Legion who was fussy at bedtime on my lap, I relied on a small candle as I sorted and rearranged the ancient Ansgar language script. In the past, I would have quickly become bored and sleepy, but with the necklace made of Sand Olaphant's magic stone around my neck, sleep was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, this allowed me to work on decoding the message all night.

[Underground Contact Successful]

However, even though I successfully decoded the message, understanding its meaning was another matter.

Underground contact successful?

What on earth did that mean?

I pondered it until morning but could not discern anything beyond the surface meaning. So then…

Literally, it might be best to check underground.

The underground of this pseudo-medieval land was a dark, damp, and filthy place. Unlike the modern concept, it was a source of all sorts of diseases and filth… I really didn't like the idea.

Are the sewers the only way?

Or could there be another passage besides the sewers?

Moreover, with the rain pouring down like this, would the "underground" space even be intact?

An underground meeting seemed unlikely with the collapsing riverbanks and landslides.

Well, I'll find out for myself when I get there…

It felt unsettling. Very unsettling.

The "underground" felt far more disturbing to me than the "black rain".

It also reminds me of the incident in the mines…

First, I decided to write the opposite message and send it back with the crow.

[Underground Contact Failed]

Alright. This should do.

I tied the cloth to the crow's ankle. And…

"If by any chance your other leg gets cut off, come back here."

-....

"I can take care of you."

There wasn't a skill among mine that could make the crow's leg grow back… but still, I didn't want to see it die miserably somewhere with its other leg cut off.

Whether the crow understood my feelings or not, it just stared at me with its pitch-black eyes.

"Remember that."

-…

Finally, I used [Nature'sl Healing] on the crow and sent it flying into the sky where the black rain poured down.

After a light breakfast, we headed outside into the pouring rain.

"Ugh…"

"It's so dark, I can't even tell if it's morning."

"Master, I'm so tired."

"You'll need to get used to it for a while. As long as we eat on time, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Really?"

"Yes."

As long as we eat at regular times, our biological rhythms won't be disrupted. Human bodies operate based on meal times.

In these conditions, where day and night could not be distinguished, it was essential to maintain our biological rhythms. Otherwise our health would quickly deteriorate. Therefore, we planned to adhere strictly to meal times in Dihid.

"Where are we going today? It seems every house has locked its doors…"

"The temple wouldn't have locked its doors. We should start there."

First, gathering information about the rumors was a top priority. We needed to look around places where people might gather to catch even a hint of these rumors.

We walked down the street in our raincoats. Just as El had said, the streets were eerily silent with only guards patrolling.

-If you get caught in the black rain, you'll fall ill and eventually die.

This must have been due to the rumors that Paul had mentioned were spreading in Dihid.

…But from what I observed, the black rain posed no problems at all.

So what was the source of the widespread rumors affecting the entire city?

It was as if they believed a deadly plague was spreading through the black rain…

To uncover the truth, the first place I visited was the Temple of Donar.

…Strangely, I seem to have many dealings with the Temple of Donar.

Fortunately, the temple doors were open. However, the waterfall that was built to show off the abundant water unique to the Donar Temple was not working. The priest who seemed to be in charge of operating the waterfall stood there listlessly, with a gloomy and somewhat pale complexion on his face.

"…Hello."

I greeted him lightly and introduced myself as Theodore the Druid. The priest who had been staring at me with clouded eyes…

"Could it be, you are that famous one from the mining city…?"

"Yes."

"The Nemesis of Purification?"

"..."

"Not a nemesis …?"

The false rumor that I was the Nemesis of Purification and Saint of Evil had spread even here. I tried to suppress the frown forming on my face and forced a smile.

"…It's embarrassing to say it myself, but I've been given the titles of [Saint of Purification] and [Nemesis of Evil]."

"Oh, ohhh!"

The priest's eyes finally began to sparkle. Perhaps my titles had raised his expectations.

"Saint of Purification, you've come all the way here to drive away the black rain!"

Strictly speaking, the answer was "not at all" but… to gain this guy's cooperation, it was best to nod my head here.

"Ah, let me escort you inside!"

We followed the priest's lead and entered the temple.

"..."

The inside of the temple was no different from the entrance. Just as the artificial waterfall at the entrance wasn't working, the artificial ditch inside the temple wasn't flowing with clean water either. The so-called "holy water" which was both the hallmark and pride of the Donar Temple was absent…

…It seems the situation at the Donar Temple isn't good either.

The priest guided us to the inner chamber of the temple. After we sat and waited for a moment, a high priest draped in blue cloth appeared.

"I've heard the rumors well, Saint of Purification."

"Please, call me Theodore."

He nodded heavily and looked at me with a face full of concern.

"You must have seen the black rain falling on Dihid."

"Yes."

"It has been falling over the entire city for already…"

"First, there's something I want to ask."

I might have seemed rude, but I cut him off and revealed my continued doubts.

"You must know."

"Know what…?"

"That the black rain contains neither poison nor disease."

"..."

That's right.

There was no way that the temple, especially the Temple of Donar which governed water, wouldn't know that the "black rain" posed no danger.

"Indeed, Saint of Purification, you already knew that."

"I'm not here to boast. I'm just curious why the truth about the 'black rain' that people fear so much isn't being revealed…"

"That's…"

He hesitated for a moment.

"…because people won't 'believe' it."

The answer that came out of the mouth of the high priest was unexpected.

People didn't "believe" it?

"Think about it. With the plague already rampant in the city and ominous rumors spreading, if we say the 'black rain' is safe…"

"..."

"No one would believe us. Instead, the entire city would throw stones at us."

It was a reasonable point.

Humans were inherently contradictory beings. They feared and revered gods they couldn't see, yet they wouldn't believe anything that wasn't directly observed by their own eyes…

However, even so…

"Isn't it the temple's duty to dispel people's baseless fears and give them hope?"

"Theodore, I agree with you. But… imagine this. If there were a black ditch and a black waterfall flowing through the temple of Donar, who could possibly hold onto 'hope'? They would think the temple was cursed and doomed."

"..."

"Unless the plague is eradicated, the fear of the 'black rain' will not disappear. But people are dying before we can even understand the disease…"

"So, the temple can't do anything?"

"To be honest, yes."

I thought I could get help, but it seems I have to be the one giving it.

"That's why your arrival is so welcome. Surely, our god Donar sent you to help us in our despair."

Is that so?

However, there was no benefit in unnecessarily provoking the high priest here.

No, if I could instead boost Donar's reputation here…?

Perhaps this time, Donar might actually help me.

I nodded my head with the kindest smile I could muster.

"…I think so too. It must be that Donar guided my journey to save Dihid."

– The god of rivers and seas, Donar, took notice of your words.

Since I screwed over the Donar temple in the mining city, it wouldn't be bad to help the Donar temple this time.

"So, how about we work together to drive out the 'black rain' from Dihid and glorify the great name of lord Donar?"

– The god of rivers and seas, Donar, feels a liking for you.

– The god of rivers and seas, Donar, bestows his blessing upon you.

Yes, this is it!