Corrupted Priest Chapter 25

Dialogue.

The man frowned, sinking into his chair.

"What? You lost Dacia?"

Hilden, head of the eastern branch of the underworld organization Illeh that ruled the Northern Kingdom's underworld, bowed his head deeply. He didn't want to bow to that ill-tempered bastard, but the man was a wealthy client, and his current job was to appease the source of that money.

"Yes. I have no excuse. An unexpected variable got involved..."

"Variable? Did you just say variable? Huh?"

The man suddenly sprang from his seat and shoved Hilden's shoulder. Just hard enough to be unpleasant. Before Hilden could regain his balance, the man shoved him again.

Thud.

Hilden ended up landing on his rear in an undignified heap. He tried his best to suppress the involuntary stiffening of his face. Fortunately, his 43 years in this line of work didn't betray him, and he managed to form a perfectly submissive expression.

Seeing Hilden's expression, the man lost interest. He had hoped for so resistance so he could beat him down further. Sinking back into his chair, the man spoke dismissively.

"So? Why are you reporting this to in such detail? You're supposed to handle minor variables on your own. That's what I pay you for. Or wait—don't tell you're reporting this just to piss off? Huh?"

Hilden slowly stood and bowed deeply again. It wasn't like he wanted to co begging. But the damage had already grown too large. He had lost fifteen elite mbers, carefully trained over a long ti. Even if he had to suffer more humiliation and land on his ass a few more tis, he had to get extra funding from this client.

"Well... to continue the mission, I believe additional funds are required..."

A deep wrinkle ford on the man's forehead.

"What?! Additional funds? Did you just say additional funds?! Do you know how much money I've already given you? Huh? Hey. Co here. Face."

Following the twitch of the man's finger, Hilden quickly stepped forward and presented his face.

Smack!

A crisp slap twisted Hilden's head to the side. That wasn't enough to satisfy the man, who slapped him several more tis before finally, panting, speaking again.

"Now explain exactly why you need more money. And if you dare say it's just to cover your losses, you're dead. I'll kill you right here with my own hands."

Of course it was to cover their losses—but Hilden had already prepared a more plausible excuse. One that would convince this bastard.

"The variable who got involved this ti... wasn't an ordinary person."

"You dragging this out? Huh? Why's your tongue so damn long? Want another slap?"

'You foul-tempered piece of shit! May lightning strike you dead!'

The head of a household, Hilden bit down his anger as he thought of his dear, rabbit-like children.

"There were two n who took Lady Dacia Irl..."

"What? n? So she's traveling with just two guys now?"

The man reacted sensitively to the word n.

'Damn it. Can't he stop cutting off for once?'

Grinding his teeth inwardly, Hilden continued.

"Yes, that's correct. And one of the n is Carn Baltas, illegitimate son of Enthis Baltas..."

"So what? He's just a regular noble."

"Carn Baltas has been training diligently since childhood—he's well-known even in the capital..."

"Yeah, whatever. What about the other one? If it's another regular guy, I swear, I'm going to be very disappointed. So you're telling Illeh got tripped up by two ordinary people and now you're broadcasting it around town?"

Knowing full well the bastard was the type to do exactly that, Hilden quickly revealed the identity of the other man.

"The other is a priest who serves the Goddess of Preservation—his na is Marnak..."

"A priest? So you're saying this is all because of one priest and a regular guy?"

"You have to hear out. Marnak is no ordinary priest."

The man showed a flicker of interest.

"What makes him so special?"

"Marnak first gained fa in Guise. A demon appeared and transford into a massive beast. Marnak killed it with a single sword, earning the nickna 'Demon Slayer'."

"He killed a demon-turned-beast with a single sword? Alone?"

"...Not alone. There were three Reform Church priests there. They were all killed in the fight, though."

"So maybe those priests did all the work and Marnak just finished it off? He could've taken credit and fled before the truth got out."

The man's interest faded again. Hilden brought out his second card.

"That's not all. Just recently, cultists of an evil god sacrificed all living things in Kelton to create a monster. Marnak killed it alone. He earned the title 'Adversary of the Evil God.' After revealing the truth of the incident, he quietly left the city, avoiding fa."

The demon lord who witnessed it had glamorized Marnak's departure, spreading a rumor that Marnak left because he was burdened by worship.

The man thought silently for a while before speaking.

"But all of that's not from his own mouth, right? Are we sure he actually did it? Maybe soone else did, and he just lied and ran away before the truth caught up."

Hilden shut his eyes tightly.

'What a petty bastard. Won't acknowledge anyone no matter what.'

The man leaned back in his chair.

"Well, if even half the rumors are true, those two probably won't ss with Dacia. Fine. I'll give you extra funding."

'We did it!'

In Hilden's mind, his rabbit-like children and bear-like wife smiled brightly.

"But not right now. I've stretched my finances too thin—no money I can move at the mont."

"But... weren't you planning to host another banquet tonight?"

The man tapped Hilden's head lightly, laughing.

"You think I should cancel my party just to give you money? Co on, even you know that's ridiculous, right?"

'Cancel it! Cancel it right now!'

Hilden's silent screams never reached the man. Stretching lazily, the man spoke again.

"Still... I wonder what Enthis Baltas will do if Carn dies. That guy's never really treated him like a real son."

When the man casually said the na Enthis, whom all n of the north respected, Hilden's face turned stiff. He too admired Enthis Baltas. Seeing Hilden's face, the man smirked.

"Anyway. If you've said your piece, get lost. The girls will be here soon."

"Yes."

Just as he had arrived, Hilden withdrew quietly.

"Hasn't everyone had monts like that?"

Monts when you acted boldly, but as ti passed, regret slowly crept in.

"Maybe I should've spoken more gently to Lady Dakia? She seed like soone quite reasonable to talk to."

"Murder!"

My mother tugged at my arm, insisting there was no need to worry about that woman. I cut a sausage into small pieces and placed one into my mother's mouth as she sat on my lap.

"Murder!!!"

My mother, exclaiming how delicious it was, chewed the sausage happily and swung her legs in delight. When she said she wanted to try eating food herself, I had gone downstairs, paid so money, and brought up a dish that had been specially prepared. It felt worth the effort.

As I cut the bread into bite-sized pieces and fed them to her, I thought of Lady Dakia.

A mage.

I disliked mages. Beyond being self-centered, they were selfish to a fault, and I loathed them.

It was a mage, after all, who shattered the ordinary life I had once tried to settle into in this world. Ever since that incident, I instinctively hated mages.

Even knowing that the mage who destroyed my life and the ones I encountered afterward were different people, I couldn't shake off that vague aversion. I always viewed them through a biased lens and deliberately kept my distance.

Besides, I'd already been burned once by treating a mage kindly. I figured repeating the sa mistake would be foolish.

Yet, because of how Lady Dakia had behaved over the past few days, a quiet question kept rising in :

"Could she be an exception?"

"Murder!"

As my mother said her hands were idle, I quickly picked up a piece of at and popped it into her mouth.

"M...u...r...d..."

Knock, knock.

Before my mother could finish saying the word, soone knocked at the door. I gripped the hilt of my froststeel sword and asked,

"Who is it?"

The reply ca only after a long pause.

"It's . Dakia."

I didn't release my grip on the sword. Instead, I wrapped my arms around my mother's head and, with a swift hand, transford her back into her miniature form and tucked her into my chest pocket.

"You may co in."

"Yes."

Surely she wouldn't cast a spell while opening the door, right? Fortunately, Dakia entered the room unard and without reciting any incantations.

She looked at the plate of food sitting on my lap and asked,

"Were you having a late-night snack?"

"Yes. I got a bit hungry."

I stayed alert and moved the plate to the table. Dakia, dressed in light white sleepwear, stepped closer to .

"Is it alright if I sit next to you? There's sothing I want to say."

"Yes."

With my permission, she perched lightly on the bed. It hadn't even been an hour since I'd threatened her. What could she possibly want to say?

But Dakia didn't speak easily. A heavy silence fell. Just as I was getting used to its weight, her lips parted softly.

"Was your warning earlier because I'm a mage?"

I couldn't answer imdiately. Her words had struck a nerve. I forced myself to admit my flaw.

"Yes."

Still looking out the window at the falling snow, Dakia said,

"I figured. The way Priest Marnak looked at —it was a look I've beco quite familiar with. People who've been hurt by mages tend to look at like that."

Her words made uncomfortable. She had precisely pointed out a part of myself I didn't want to face.

I stayed silent, knowing full well she'd take it as confirmation. Dakia looked at with those golden eyes of hers and said,

"But it was the first ti for ."

Even without my response, she continued speaking.

"Even though you looked at with such hatred, the things you said were just... 'do better from now on.' Most people who look at like that try to hurt ."

The more cheerfully she spoke, the more I wished I could crawl into a hole.

"To be honest, I don't think I'll ever be able to ignore injustice. But—"

She paused, then smiled.

"Like you said earlier, I'll make sure to consult with you first. I ca at this late hour just to tell you that."

She rose slowly from the bed.

"Well then, I'll be going. Good night, Priest Marnak."

"Wait..."

"Yes?"

Admitting one's wrongs is never easy. I barely managed to force the words out.

"I was too hasty earlier. I was rude to you, Lady Dakia."

Dakia looked at with eyes like lted gold and bead.

"You're finally seeing properly. That makes really happy."

I smiled back.

"Is that so?"

Dakia nodded and said brightly,

"Then we're fully reconciled now, right? No lingering resentnt between us?"

"Yes. At least, I hold none."

" neither, so now there's nothing between us! Let's greet each other with smiles tomorrow morning."

She left with a cheerful "Good night!" and vanished down the hallway. I gently tapped my mother's hand and said,

"Mages are still individuals, after all. This foolish son finally faces the truth he's long avoided."

"Murder!"

Ignoring that woman and just feeding her instead—that's what my mother demanded. I smiled quietly.

"The food's gone cold, so I'll go warm it up and feed you properly. I can't let you eat cold food, after all."

I went and reheated the al, fed my mother, and took a brief nap.

Thud, thud.

I awoke to soone pounding on the door. When I opened it, the gruff-faced innkeeper greeted , his expression thick with concern.

"Priest!"

"Yes. What is it?"

The innkeeper hesitated, then spoke in a deeply apologetic voice.

"There's a group at the village entrance claiming to be the comrades of the rcenary taken by the vigilantes yesterday. They're demanding we hand over the ones who beat their friend to a pulp."

"So, you gave them the ones we captured yesterday?"

"Yes..."

It was obvious. A fully ard group must've shown up en masse—they had little choice. Frankly, the fact that this innkeeper didn't just hand us over in our sleep and instead ca to warn us was the greatest kindness he could offer.

I picked up my froststeel sword and the Butcher and smiled.

"Tell them I'll be out shortly."