When Dale created the new path, the vigilantes were completely petrified.
They were both incredulous and flustered.
Moreover, now that they saw Dales strength firsthand, they couldnt muster the courage to confront him directly.
What kind of power is this even?
Well be nothing more than punching bags.
Yet retreating was not an option.
Even those living agerly in the back alleys had sothing they wished to protect.
Their pride.
They couldnt just let Dale walk away.
One of the vigilantes gathered his last ounce of bravery and shouted.
Stop! This is your final warning! If you dont want to see blood, then listen!
It was easy to imagine whose blood might be shed, but Dale stopped nonetheless.
It was really a troubleso situation.
How annoying.
Did he really have to use force? Harty too seed annoyed and let out a low growl.
While Dale was pondering what to do, soones voice cut in.
What are you all doing?
All eyes turned at once.
A middle-aged man with green eyes was slowly approaching.
He was soone Dale knew.
Eirek from Tomos Store
A noble from a fallen kingdom who was now working as a fence in the slums.
Following Eirek were the butler and the n who had previously had a minor skirmish with Dale.
They flinched upon seeing Dale, perhaps still sore from their last encounter.
S-Sir Eirek.
The vigilantes hastily bowed their heads when Eirek ca.
This scene only went to show how influential Eirek was in the slums.
Eirek casually waved his hand in greeting and looked at Dale with interest.
Its been a while, Sir Dale. I sent people a few tis to express my gratitude, but we kept missing each other I never expected wed et like this.
Gratitude?
Didnt you obliterate the Black Serpent Brotherhood? Those nuisances were a thorn in our side, and their disappearance has been a breath of fresh air.
Not long ago, Eirek was embroiled in a power struggle with the thieves guild.
During that ti, Dale had single-handedly eliminated his enemy so he earned Eireks gratitude.
Eirek asked him.
So, what brings you here?
I ca at the request of high priestess Erielle to protect the nights followers.
Ah, I see what this is about.
Eirek then turned his gaze to the vigilantes.
Its alright to let him go. He wont be a threat to us.
But
Ill vouch for him.
In that case
The hesitating vigilantes retreated without a second thought.
They were just relieved that they had a justification not to confront this dark knight.
When he saw the compliant behavior of the vigilantes, Dale inquired,
Are those people under you?
Eirek shook his head in response.
They have rely banded together of their own accord to protect their turf. Of course, I did provide so minor help in the process.
Minor help.
Dale now understood where the vigilantes got their weapons.
Perhaps it will be the fences that will benefit the most from this incident.
By supplying weapons to the slum dwellers, they not only profit but also expand their influence.
It was possible that after this event, the balance of power within the city might be significantly disturbed.
And the man known for his shrewdness would sohow manage to reap benefits from it.
Eirek, looking pleased with the vigilantes, remarked,
These days, Im incredibly busy because of this situation. Im actually curious about what the council mbers are relying on to push forward such a foolish plan. What kind of trump card are they hiding so closely? Have you heard anything?
Nothing at all. Even the high priestess is clueless.
Dale responded imdiately to the subtle prodding.
Eirek let out a chuckle.
Haha. Yes, the high priestess of the night is, ironically, even more oblivious to the citys affairs than I am Oh dear, it seems Ive kept a busy man too long.
Not at all. On the contrary, Ive received help from you.
Thanks to Eirek, Dale had been able to avoid a needless conflict.
If you truly think so, then perhaps you could consider working with . In tis like these, we desperately need talents like yours. Theres actually a personal favor Id like to ask of you
Eirek trailed off, then shook his head.
No, its nothing.
Dale nodded and continued on his way.
Now that he had Eirek vouching for him, it was unlikely he would encounter any more problems in the slums.
Dale, accompanied by Harty, headed northeast along a relatively large alleyway.
The area where the followers of the Night resided was on the very outskirts of the slums, a place people referred to with disdain and sarcasm as the underworld.
As soon as Dale stepped into the underworld, he thought to himself,
Its really dark here.
Its not just a matter of lack of sunlight or anything like that.
The atmosphere itself was gloomy and dark.
Unlike other parts of the slums, where the noise of vigilantes and other disturbances was common, this place was eerily quiet.
Dale felt a sense of resignation amidst this silence.
As he passed the haphazardly intertwined shabby houses, he reached a clearing at the center of the Underworld.
A few children sat in the clearing with gloomy expressions.
When Dale approached them, their heads turned toward him. They saw him and their eyes widened in surprise.
Dale spoke to the children who were frozen in their place.
Bring soone in charge here.
Soone in charge?
When the children had trouble understanding, Dale used easier words.
Call an adult.
Oh.
Got it?
Y-yes!
The children sprang up and ran towards the alley, shouting loudly,
Hes asking for you! Hes asking for you!
The knight says all the adults should co out!
It seed they had slightly misunderstood Dales words.
Their cries stirred the quiet street into commotion. Lights turned on in houses, and the residents began to erge one by one.
They were surprised to see Dale.
Oh!
Its really a knight
The residents couldnt hide their surprise. And that was understandable.
Who could have imagined that the one they always admired would co to this humble place in person?
The residents buzzed with excitent, yet none dared to approach Dale directly.
Just as the vigilantes were wary of Dale until he was vouched for by Eirek.
Amidst this, an old man with deeply wrinkled skin erged from among the residents.
He promptly prostrated himself before Dale.
Th-This elder greets the knight of the goddess.
Following his lead, the other residents quickly bowed down too. Even the children, after hesitantly glancing around, awkwardly bowed their heads.
Their reaction wasnt incomprehensible.
In the context of the church, a dark knight holds a stature akin to that of a paladin.
To the common believer, the presence of a paladin or priest is absolutely authoritative.
Yet Dale didnt really like this situation.
This is troubleso.
After all, Dale wasnt a paladin devoted to serving the goddess.
He hadnt even read the scripture once.
When he first arrived in this world, he had a scripture in his possession, but Dale who was unfamiliar with this worlds letters couldnt read it.
Nor was there a ti when he could afford to care about such matters.
So he casually used it as kindling for a bonfire. It was simply too cumberso to carry around.
The amount of nagging he later received from the goddess about this incident was considerable.
Therefore, Dale felt he had no right to be revered by them.
Moreover, receiving prostrations from an elderly man was extrely uncomfortable for Dale, who had lived in a Confucian society.
Thus, Dale quickly helped the old man to his feet partly as a reflex.
Stand up. And know that I am not soone before whom you need to kneel.
Tears welled up in the eyes of the old man he supported.
Ah, such humility.
The other residents were even more moved and bowed their heads deeper in respect.
Dale facepald.
Dealing with the deeply religious was always a challenge.
So, he went straight to the point. Dale asked the elder, whose eyelids drooped with age,
Are you the leader here?
Yes, for convenience, I am called the village chief and represent the residents.
Village chief.
It wasnt strange to call a group of people living on the outskirts of a place like this a village.
Dale said,
Village chief. Ive co here at the request of high priestess Erielle. She asked to protect your people from the upcoming slum search.
The village chief was moved once again.
The high priestess herself! What a blessing!
But that brings to my point. Why are you all not making any preparations? In other places, theres a flurry of activity with vigilantes and such.
Ah
The village chief was at a loss for words.
He looked around at the residents disheartedly then bowed his head.
Everyone here rely lives day by day. A vigilante group? Let alone the ans to arm ourselves, we cant even cover tomorrows al if we dont work today.
So, youre just waiting?
We havent just been waiting. Weve sought help from those we thought could assist
The village chief trailed off again.
Dale nodded his head. He understood the likely outco without needing to ask.
Understood. Are all the residents gathered here now?
Ah. Yes, they are. This is everyone, excluding those who havent returned from work yet.
Dale explained thodically.
The purpose of this search is to identify any individuals who might pose a threat to the city. The focus is on those who have recently arrived in the city with unclear identities. Have you noticed any such suspicious individuals around here?
Um. No, I havent seen anyone like that. Ordinary people hardly ever co around here
For so reason, the village chief trembled as he spoke, but his answer was good.
Being near suspicious individuals could lead to being mistakenly apprehended as an accomplice.
Caution was necessary.
The legal system here had many barbaric aspects.
Once arrested, being falsely accused was not a problem.
Although there was a system of trials, only the nobility or those with power could genuinely expect a formal trial.
It was important not to give them any reason to suspect.
Fortunately, there seems to be no suspicious person for now
Dale pondered the future course of action. The village chief and the residents just watched him, trying to gauge his thoughts.
There was silence.
But what broke the silence was a shout that ca from sowhere.
Sothing to eat! Bring sothing to eat!
Dale looked around as the booming voice echoed.
The voice was clearly coming from nearby.
Dale asked the village chief,
Didnt you say all the residents were gathered here?
Ah, its not a resident Actually, we have one more person here, a guest, you might say.
A guest? Lead the way, then.
With a troubled look on his face, the village chief bowed his head and then hurried ahead with quick steps.
Dale followed him, and the residents crowded behind them in a rush.
They stopped at what could be considered a decent house even in this Underworld.
The chief cautiously opened the door.
Upon opening the door, the first thing that beca apparent was a mountain of plates.
Plates sared with various sauces were scattered everywhere.
In the midst of this ss, a man with a disheveled beard was patting his protruding belly.
The man, with fingers greasy from the food, sucked them clean as he whined.
Didnt I tell you, village chief? Make sure the food never runs out. Im soone who doesnt care for anything when Im hungry. And it would be nice to have so won around as well
The irritated man seed to sense sothing amiss and finally looked up.
Dale and the mans eyes t.
Dale lowered his gaze and asked the village chief,
Who is this man?
The village chief looked flustered as he responded,
Its complicated to explain but essentially, hes soone who ca to protect us.
Is he originally from this village?
The chief shook his head,
No, not at all. According to him, he served on the front lines for years and ca to the city about a week ago. He claims to be a skilled warrior who has even fought demons
..
Dale pondered the chiefs words carefully.
A skilled warrior who suddenly appeared in the city a week ago Is that so?
A character straight out of a dubious tale was sitting right here, making himself at ho.
Dale found it too troubleso to even point out the oddity.
He simply drew his sword for the ti being.
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