61/Executioners

The night gave way to the first rays of the sun, still low in the sky. It was 7 o'clock when Logan mounted his horse again, along with Aria. Now, in addition to them, there was also a body the beast-man they had faced the previous evening. Not to mention the two large bags containing the evidence of the monsters they had killed. And the dimensional bag.

Logan also thought about the need to buy one of better quality, to have a larger storage capacity. Once everything was finally checked, they left the village, which was unaware of the danger that had threatened them. Passing through the village entrance, they resumed the road back. However, since they were a bit more burdened than on the way there, it took them a little longer than the first time.

After over ten hours of travel, they finally arrived at the city's grand gates. There, they showed their adventurer cards to gain entry. They then made their way to the guild, passing through those gates. Inside the guild, the atmosphere was lively. Adventurers were going about their business, some preparing their equipment for new missions, while others discussed their recent exploits. As for Logan and Aria, they headed directly to Marie's counter, where she was still waiting with a beautiful smile.

"Is the Guildmaster here?" Logan asked.

"It seems you dealt with the matter quickly." She said, looking at the body Logan was carrying.

"Yes, and we need to discuss the next steps immediately." Logan replied, with an idea in mind as well.

After their brief exchange with Marie was over, Logan and Aria headed to the upper floor of the guild, where Stanislas' office was located. Upon entering the office, Logan and Aria found Stanislas attending to various scattered documents and reports on his desk. He seemed absorbed in his work, but upon spotting Logan, his attention immediately focused on them, specifically on what Logan was holding outstretched.

After laying the beast-man's body at Stanislas' feet, Logan took a seat in front of the desk. Silence briefly settled in the office, with Stanislas gazing at the lifeless body at his feet before shifting his attention back to Logan.

"I expected it to be quick, but not to this extent." He stated, rising from his chair.

He removed the hood covering the face of the robed man, briefly revealing his features. His gaze rested upon the man's face, and after a quick glance, he replaced the hood and resumed his seat.

"You don't seem surprised." Logan said, observing Stanislas' calm demeanor.

"That's true. I had a hunch about the nature of these men given the incidents, and this only confirms it, now that the evidence is before my eyes. It explains a lot, such as why Ria wasn't targeted, the attacks against the nobles, and anything related to the human race." Stanislas replied.

Everyone in the room could now understand the nature of these men and the situation. In addition to the dungeon threat, a group of beast-men and other races had allied to form an organization hostile to the human race. By provoking deadly events and incidents, they were simply retaliating for the atrocities the human race had committed—massacres, torture, rape, slavery, and many other acts of cruelty inflicted by humans upon other races. It was not surprising that such a group had formed.

Now, what was their name? Were they powerful? How many of them were there? What were their next actions? These were the questions that raised concerns and issues.

"All the papers on this desk, by the way, owe their existence to them." He said, his desk filled with paperwork.

Logan's eyes fell upon the neatly stacked piles of paperwork on Stanislas' desk. Files, reports, and forms were accumulating, a testament to the magnitude of the administrative work that fell upon the guild affairs manager.

"Something happened while I was away." He affirmed confidently.

"A massacre! The attack you prevented was just a cog in a much larger machine. Several attacks occurred last night and this afternoon. Several other villages were targeted by hordes of monsters, causing significant human losses and leaving nothing but ruins. The Church has also started to move, taking these events very seriously. The situation is gradually deteriorating, and you have just brought me the proof that it's other races who have orchestrated these incidents." Stanislas said.

Stanislas let out a heavy sigh, expressing both his fatigue and concern about the situation.

"The Church and the kingdoms will not remain idle in the face of this threat." Marie added.

"I need more details. Can you tell me what happened during your mission?" Stanislas asked.

Logan, gathering his thoughts to deliver a precise and complete account, began by describing the encounter with the monsters, then the beast-man, explaining the details of the confrontation and the actions taken to defeat him. He also described their abilities and characteristics, giving Stanislas a clear picture of the threat they had faced.

Once that was done, Logan asked something unexpected from Stanislas but had carefully considered.

"I need you to keep it a secret that we have one of these men." Logan said.

"What?" Stanislas asked, perplexed.

"I'm going to use it to my advantage." He said, looking at the body.

"What do you mean?" Stanislas asked.

"No one knows or knows very little about it yet, so I'm going to release the people from the Bestial Palace, as well as the prisoners from the mines and the experiments." Logan explained.

"I thought we already discussed this." Stanislas replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but now we can do it without arousing suspicion because we found the perfect scapegoats." Logan said, pointing at the man with his finger.

"You plan to use them as culprits in your actions." Stanislas said.

"Exactly!" Logan exclaimed.

Aria looked at Logan with admiration. He had thought ahead and quickly, even using an external element to his advantage.

"You're very sharp." Stanislas complimented, also impressed.

"I have to be." Logan replied.

Stanislas pondered such a possibility and its implementation for a moment before responding.

"In that case, it does seem possible. Everything you asked for is also ready; you just need to take action." (Stanislas)

"We'll need a second black robe for Aria." Logan said.

"You'll need two, Marie will join you." Stanislas said.

"Marie." Aria said, looking at her.

"Oh yes, you see, I'm quite competent too, my dear Aria." Marie declared, hugging Aria.

"That's the other condition I have if you plan to release the entire tribe of Aria. Marie will be in charge of the mission and will follow what she tells you to do." Stanislas said with a more serious tone.

"I have no objection to that." Logan immediately replied, with a smile on his face.

"Very well then, you'll take action tomorrow, the day before the induction of the heroes. I still have important matters to attend to," Stanislas said.

"Very well." Logan agreed.

"Meet tomorrow at 7 p.m, west of the dilapidated store." Marie advised.

Logan left the office with Aria, leaving Stanislas and Marie alone.

"Marie, I'm counting on you to make everything go smoothly."

"Are you worried?"

"How could I not be? Logan is intelligent, but I fear his emotions overpower him. He is still too emotional and can't turn a blind eye to others' suffering."

"He reminds you of yourself in your carefree youth full of ideals."

"Yes, but I believe he can go much further than any of us. If things were to go wrong, protect him at all costs."

"I'll do my best." (Marie)

Meanwhile, Logan and Aria were passing through the main square on their way back to their inn. As they passed by, they saw men dressed in white, blue, and gold with a beautifully embroidered moon pattern. They were followers and believers of the Cult of the Blue Moon. Some of them were carrying weapons, including swords at their sides. There was also a crowd gathered before them. But what caught their attention the most was a beast-man with feline features nailed to a wooden cross. His clothes were torn and covered in blood, his eyes lifeless, and his complexion pale as water foam. Meanwhile, a man dressed in an even more elegant robe seemed to be preaching.

"This beast-man present here is guilty of crimes against our superior race. Indeed, he is guilty of stealing food from his owner, and for that, he must be properly punished!" (Priest)

A weak and hoarse voice, yet audible, could be heard.

"It was for my children, they were so hungry, and he didn't feed them enough, despite us working day and night on his estate. But my children would have starved to death..."

These lamentations emanated from the depths of his being, explaining his actions.

"And you think that justifies your vile deeds? It would have been better if you had let them die." The priest sadistically replied.

The priest signaled to his subordinates, giving a sign. Two young children, thin and emaciated, were brought forward: a boy and a girl. They were chained with heavy chains, so heavy that it seemed the chains could make them fall at any moment.

"Jack, Merie! What do you intend to do to them!" The man struggled.

He, who was so weak just moments ago, fought with all his might upon seeing his tender children.

"You stole food for them, so it is they who we will punish." The priest declared.

A man with a sword stepped forward, positioning himself above the children. The two children knew what it meant. They held each other tightly, their bodies trembling.

"No! Ahh! Please! I'll do anything you want! Kill me instead!"

In a mix of pain and despair, the man let out heart-wrenching screams that resonated through the air. His cries carried his suffering and deepest pleas, his voice broken by the intensity of his emotions. It wavered between words, bearing the overwhelming weight of his distress.

"The sentence is irrevocable!" The priest declared, a slight smile on his lips.

The man's sword descended, severing the heads of the two children and staining his white attire. Their bodies collapsed in each other's embrace, while their heads rolled on the ground, which became stained with their innocent blood. The father screamed, cried out in rage and sadness at the tragic fate of his children, who had departed in the cruelest manner.

Meanwhile, Aria, overwhelmed by the barbarity of the scene, clung to Logan to avoid witnessing this barbaric act. However, the screams of horror and pain from the grieving father resonated in her ears. His cries were like blades piercing her heart. Hatred then mercilessly and logically took over.

"You bastards! They were just children, my children! I will kill all of you, every last one! You hear me, you bunch of monsters!"

"Silence him, he's too loud." The priest said, annoyed.

An arrow then lodged itself in the man's head, silencing his screams of rage and lamentations. A gentle breeze blew, marking the silence, a silence of macabre death. The crowd slowly began to disperse, most of them satisfied with the outcome.

Suddenly, like a thunderstorm, all the windows on the street violently shattered. Aria's eyes turned to Logan, the only person capable of causing such an event. Terror engulfed her as she locked eyes with Logan. His face was contorted with fury, immense veins pulsating on his temples like venomous snakes. His eyes gleamed with a sinister light, radiating a dark aura befitting a demon escaped straight from the depths of hell.

He slowly raised his hand towards the priest, and in a superhuman reflex, Aria managed to firmly grasp his hand. A few meters away from the priest and his subordinates, the ground was suddenly crushed, as if the weight of the entire universe rested upon it. Several gaping chasms opened up, as if matter itself was breaking, disappearing from existence, revealing an endless abyss.

[You have exceeded your calculation limit excessively! Warning, there is a risk of significant internal injuries for the user of this ability!]

"Logan!" Aria exclaimed, horrified!

Blood flowed like a stream from Logan's ears, nose, and eyes.