Corrupted Priest Chapter 17

Corruption.

Evil gods.

Even just hearing the na made it sound ominous, but when you looked closer, there was nothing particularly special about it.

Put simply, once a god was categorized as an "evil god" by the dominant religious orders of the continent, that label naturally stuck. Along with it ca all kinds of persecution.

The Cult of Corruption was one such group classified as worshippers of an evil god. Of course, unlike so currently active cults, this one was said to have been completely eradicated a long ti ago.

Unlike the mainstream religions—who would unite without question when it ca to opposing evil gods—the cults that worshipped evil gods rarely, if ever, cooperated with each other. Ironically so.

Whether these cults were branded as evil because they had gone mad, or had gone mad because they were persecuted—it was hard to say. But one thing was clear: there were few among the worshippers of evil gods who were still sane.

I put on the most serious expression I could muster and asked the lord,

"Isn't besieging an entire city far too large-scale an operation for just one follower of an evil god?"

The lord, who had a gentle and mild appearance, looked even more downcast.

"The priests say they sensed the divine presence of evil gods, and from what they've told , at least four different cults have joined forces to besiege Kelton."

The criteria for priests to recognize the divine energy of an evil god were simple.

The essence of an evil god felt like sothing on a divine blocklist—one created by the gods themselves. The mont a priest sensed that energy, an instinctive revulsion would well up inside them, making it impossible not to regard the source as hostile.

The problem was, that divine blocklist never updated—even when a cult had been wiped out centuries ago. So even ancient energies like that of the Cult of Corruption would trigger modern priests' instincts and make it unmistakably clear that it was the essence of an evil god.

But seriously, sothing's definitely wrong here. Evil god cults cooperating?

"A coordinated effort between multiple evil god cults to surround a city... This is no ordinary incident. Do you have any idea what they might be after?"

The lord shook his head firmly.

"I have no clue. No matter how I think about it, Kelton is just an ordinary, unremarkable city with nothing particularly special about it. Sigh..."

The sigh he let out carried a heavy weight of worry.

"Of all tis, why did this have to happen just as I was appointed lord of this city... If my father were still alive, he would have surely found so kind of breakthrough..."

At that mont, the middle-aged knight standing quietly behind the lord leaned in and whispered sothing into his ear. Most likely advice not to show weakness in front of guests. Because right after hearing it, the lord quickly brightened his expression and continued.

"Fortunately, it's winter, so we have enough food stockpiled within the city, and the morale of our soldiers is stable. So the situation isn't too dire for now. The real issue is that, due to the sudden siege, no one outside knows that Kelton is cut off."

I was starting to get a good sense of the suggestion he was about to make.

He spoke again, his voice full of apology.

"That's why we need a small group of volunteers to break through the monster siege and carry word of Kelton's plight to other cities."

Yep. Called it.

He was asking a stranger he'd just t to risk their life—because I was a priest who served a god. Priests were known for their willingness to lay down their lives when it ca to matters involving evil gods, so he probably assud I'd accept without hesitation.

And honestly, he wasn't wrong. As long as I maintained my outward role as a priest of the goddess of sustenance, I had no choice but to agree. I was totally boxed in.

"Murder him!!!"

As my mother's voice scread in my mind to punch that unfortunate-looking lord in the face and run for it, I smiled and answered:

"I'll help with that mission."

Let's accept it for now and think more carefully later.

"Priest Marnak!"

The unexpected reaction ca from Carn, who had been sitting beside . He said with a serious voice:

"You can't just accept so rashly! Even if you do accept, you should at least hear the full details of the plan and what support you'll receive before making a decision!"

Each word he spoke was filled with genuine concern for , and it was a kind of scolding that actually felt kind of nice. So this is what it ans to have a travel companion.

But noticing that the lord's expression was starting to show discomfort at Carn's outburst, I quickly intervened.

"I'm simply doing what must be done. As a priest, if it concerns worshippers of evil gods, then it's only right for to step forward and help."

Even as I said it, I was desperately sending telepathic signals in my mind:

Keep going, Carn! Make a bigger scene!

Because the more pressure Carn applied, the greater the reward I could squeeze out of this lord later. I already had my eye on a specific item I wanted.

And as if Carn had heard my ntal cry, he responded firmly to the lord:

"Then I will also join this mission."

The lord wiped his sweat and spoke in a small, strained voice:

"Having a mber of House Baltas willingly participate in such a dangerous task... It's certainly... an honorable gesture, yes..."

The lord hesitated to let Carn join the mission, and for good reason—despite being an illegitimate child, he was still clearly the son of the Black Wolf, Ensis Valtas. Who wouldn't be wary of pushing Ensis Valtas's son into danger and facing the possible aftermath?

"I have enough skill to protect myself, Lord. You don't need to worry too much."

"Still..."

I listened to the conversation between the lord and Carn with a relaxed posture. The lord tried multiple tis to dissuade him, but Carn had already firmly decided to join on the mission.

Strenn Flcor, the lord, finally let out a deep sigh.

"Sigh... I understand. If your will is so unwavering, I suppose I have no choice. I promise to offer the utmost support."

Carn bowed deeply to express his gratitude. Watching this, I casually threw out a question—there was sothing I had my eye on.

"My lord, may I ask a question?"

The lord looked even more gloomy than when we had been talking about the worshippers of evil gods.

"Please, go ahead."

"Would you be willing to give that item over there?"

I pointed to one of the decorations. What I indicated was a wide, shallow bowl. The lord glanced at it and asked with a puzzled expression.

"That bowl?"

"Yes. I believe I can sense the blessing of the goddess I serve from that item."

A complete lie. Well, a half-lie to be exact. The bowl was indeed blessed, but not by the Goddess of Preservation whom I claid to serve.

"Is that so? Well, it's only a decoration anyway. I'll have it delivered to your quarters. You there, take that bowl to the priest's room."

At his command, one of the attendants gave a slight nod, then carefully carried the bowl away.

I smiled piously at the lord.

"Then, when are we starting the mission?"

"The monsters are gradually increasing in number, so the sooner we act, the better. We plan to set off just after nightfall. There's still so ti, so you should try to get so rest."

"I'll do just that."

Leaving the gloomy lord behind, Carn and I each went to our assigned rooms. When I entered mine, I imdiately spotted the bowl placed atop a small table.

'Kill!'

I nodded at my mother's voice, who sounded satisfied with the rare item we'd scored.

"You're right. I never imagined I'd find an item used by the Seekers of the Flow—only obtainable in the western deserts—right here."

The god worshipped by the Seekers of the Flow wielded power over water, and naturally, the blessing embedded in this bowl was related to water as well.

The lord must not have realized the bowl was blessed—but even if he had, it would've been useless to him.

That's because blessed items could only be used by priests who served the deity to whom the blessing belonged—except for rare exceptions like .

On the other hand, "relics" were special items imbued with divine power that anyone could use, regardless of their faith. Creating a relic was a much more complicated process than crafting a blessed item, which is why most religious orders made great efforts to retrieve their relics.

"Well, let's give it a try."

I gently placed my hand on the bowl, and as I activated the blessing, blessed water began to spring forth inside it. I was thoroughly pleased with this bottomless, self-refilling washbasin.

"Now I won't have to worry about washing my face after using the Butcher."

'Kill!'

I drew my Froststeel sword and dipped its blade into the water. My mother had explained that this water had a minor secondary effect—if a weapon was soaked in it, the blade would temporarily absorb so of the blessing, making it sharper and more effective against enemies.

I placed the Butcher beside the table, planning to dip it in once the Froststeel sword had fully absorbed the blessing. Then I sprawled out on the bed and asked:

"Mother. Do you have any idea what might be going on here?"

'Kill?'

She responded, sounding like she had no clue, and I chuckled.

"Fair enough. I'll try to investigate more when the chance arises."

There was only one thing I was truly worried about.

If this world really was the one from the ga I used to play...

Then obviously, that would exist.

The Main Quest.

I couldn't help but worry—was this event the warning bell announcing the start of the Main Quest? And the problem was, I didn't know anything about what the Main Quest actually entailed.

I gently patted my mother's little hand as she popped out of my pocket and rolled across my chest playfully.

"Well, whatever the case, all I can do is try to live my best life here."

'Kill...?'

She asked what the sudden solemn tone was for, and I just smiled.

"Just sothing I felt like saying."

"Hyah!"

As Kelton's gates opened, five horses shot out and tore across the snowy fields.

Wind whipped violently across my face. Horses didn't particularly like , but once I was on their back, they reluctantly obeyed.

Soon after we started galloping along the road, dozens of monstrous cries echoed behind us.

KIIIIIEEEEK!

KAAAAAAARK!

GRRRRRR!

"Keep going!"

At Carn's shout, we all gave a slight nod.

Of the five participants in this mission, three were priests aside from Carn and . Two of them were massive n from the Restoration Order, who served the Goddess of Healing and Health. The last was a quiet priest from the Reformist Order, dressed in their signature pure-white armor.

As the monsters drew closer, the priest from the Reformist Order drew his battle hamr from his back and shouted as he swung it mightily:

"Scales of Judgnt!!"

With a flash of white light, a colossal hamr of divine light crashed down behind us. We heard the beasts scream, but there was no ti to look back.

The two priests from the Restoration Order let go of their reins with one hand and began praying quickly. As they did, a soft white light spread over the horses, restoring their stamina.

Revitalized, the horses kicked at the earth and bolted forward with renewed speed.

But almost mockingly, the monsters began to converge on us even faster.

I decided the ti had co and shouted a pre-arranged line toward Carn.

"I'll draw their attention!"

Carn shouted back, outraged.

"What nonsense are you spouting?! No matter how skilled you are, Priest Marnak, taking on that horde alone is suicide!"

"But if we keep going like this, they'll catch us for sure!"

"We can still outrun them!"

An arrow from his bow pierced the head of a beast leaping from the roadside.

"You know better than anyone that this thod won't shake them off! I'll stay behind!"

"If we work together, we can make it! Don't do this! Priest Marnak!"

I looked at Carn with a serene smile.

"Bring back reinforcents. No matter what."

Without hesitation, I released the reins and jumped off the horse.

"Priest Marnak!!!"

As the priests from the Reformist and Restoration Orders galloped past , they bowed their heads in respect. I responded with a casual nod and then pulled out the Butcher from my back, chuckling softly.

"Wasn't that line just a bit cool?"

'Kill!'

My mother praised the performance, saying it was top-tier, as I revved up the Butcher.

VRRRRRRRRRRRRM!

The roar of the engine echoed into the dark night. In response, a chorus of monstrous cries erupted from the shadows.

Raising the Butcher high, I strode forward, eager to greet the monsters.

It was finally ti to find out what those cultists of evil gods were really up to.