[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 27: The Taboo of the Salt Mine (1)
Hal led the way through the mine.
Daniel, puzzled by his confident strides, asked,
"Hal, do you know where you're going in this maze?"
"Of course."
Hal continued walking without hesitation at another fork in the path.
"The foundation of tracking is observation."
"Observation?"
"Yes. For example, do you see the footprints on the ground you're walking on?"
"I do. But there were plenty of footprints in other places too."
Daniel tilted his head, as there were indeed footprints on other paths as well.
Hal nodded slightly and said,
"That's right. But the footprints here are fewer than elsewhere, and their direction is consistent."
"Ah..."
Daniel let out a small exclamation of admiration.
Now that he looked, there were many more footprints heading inwards.
This ant that the people who had taken this path hadn't returned yet.
It was a deduction he could make because people usually didn't frequent the forbidden area.
"...Do all exorcist priests learn this kind of thing?"
Daniel had once researched exorcist priests for his revenge.
But he was puzzled because he had never heard of this kind of thing.
The current Hal was more like a skilled rcenary or hunter than a priest.
Hal shrugged and replied,
"It depends. So exorcist priests don't need to learn these skills."
Depending on their unique abilities, or guided by their strong divine power,
There were exorcist priests who had the ability to track people and demons.
Or there were priests who specialized in combat, leaving the tracking to their companions or rcenaries.
"But those who have neither companions nor talent have to learn these skills."
"...I see."
Daniel nodded with a grimace.
With no one to rely on,
Hal had learned these skills to compensate for his shortcomings.
Daniel found that fact both bitter and impressive.
Perhaps because he knew that Hal must have faced death countless tis in the process.
Just then,
"Dane, are you crazy?!"
A faint human voice could be heard in the distance.
It sounded like a roar, but at the sa ti, there was a desperate tone to it.
Hal imdiately stopped and pressed his ear against the wall to pinpoint the direction of the sound.
"Found it."
Hal removed his ear from the wall and imdiately started running.
He sprinted through the rough and complex paths, quickly reaching the tunnel with the black salt crystals.
Daniel could only shake his head in amazent.
After running for a while,
They arrived at the source of the sound, deep inside the tunnel.
An unexpected sight unfolded before them.
"..."
"...What in the world is going on?"
Hal and Daniel frowned in unison.
Fortunately, or perhaps contrary to their expectations, all the miners were safe.
However,
"Dane! Can't you see the child is struggling? Please move aside!"
"No, Tom. You move aside. I'm going to kill those two, and the child as well."
Two groups of people stood apart, weapons pointed at each other.
***
The miners were divided into two factions.
Those who wanted to escape the mine and those who blocked the entrance.
The two groups were in a tense standoff, weapons drawn.
"Why would you say such horrible things?"
"Because they're demons who eat people!"
Two people seed to be the most vocal.
A man nad Dane on the blocking side and a man nad Tom on the side trying to leave.
Ironically, at first glance, Dane's side seed to be at a disadvantage.
There were only three people behind Dane, and even though they seed unsure of their actions, their heads hung low.
On the other hand, there were well over ten people on the side trying to leave, not including Tom.
And unlike the blocking side, their will was strong.
'Then there must be another factor more important than numbers.'
Hal looked at the man nad Dane.
He appeared to be in his early thirties and was the only one with a sword.
He was even wearing armor, although it was made of leather.
Tom, enraged, shouted at Dane with a trembling voice,
"Accusing people of being demons without evidence is no different from a witch hunt!"
"Tom, if you keep this up, I'll have no choice but to attack you too."
Dane raised his head impatiently, revealing the scar hidden under his hair.
The people on the side trying to leave flinched and stepped back.
It was clear now.
"That Dane fellow..."
"Yes, he's not just a simple miner."
Daniel and Hal, who were watching the confrontation from the corner of the tunnel, ca to the sa conclusion.
The balance of power had tilted because of Dane.
Perhaps the people standing next to Dane weren't necessarily fond of him or agreed with him; they were simply siding with the stronger party.
"Let's intervene."
There was no point in watching any longer.
And it was only a matter of ti before the two groups clashed.
Their parched lips indicated that their stamina and patience were running low.
Above all, the looks in the eyes of those trying to leave were ominous.
Step, step!
Hal deliberately made noise as he walked out.
"...!"
Everyone turned their heads in surprise.
The appearance of a third party was an unexpected variable for both groups.
They held their weapons at the ready, their eyes filled with wariness, as if ready to strike at any mont.
'This is good.'
Hal was relieved that the situation was unfolding as he intended and approached them.
Then, the man nad Dane pointed his sword at them and said,
"Stop. Don't co any closer."
"Alright."
Hal readily stopped walking.
Dane frowned and asked,
"Who are you? How did you get in here?"
"My na is Hal. And the person behind is Daniel."
"Daniel Tyrian."
"..."
The people faltered and stepped back as they finally saw Daniel.
Despite his worn-out appearance, he wore a helt that concealed his face and iron armor.
This ant one thing.
"...Why is a knight here?"
A man nad Tom asked, his body trembling.
Although Dane didn't say anything, he couldn't take his eyes off Daniel.
That's what knights were.
Among those who made a living through combat, they were professionals on a different level from rcenaries.
They were the ones who could change the tide of battle single-handedly.
If they were enemies, they were a source of terror for ordinary people.
Dane, who had been relatively calm, clicked his tongue after observing them.
"You seem like wandering knights. What brings you here?"
"You don't seem like an ordinary miner either."
Dane flinched at Hal's question.
But only for a mont; he quickly regained his composure.
"I am the headman of this salt mine village and a miner."
Hal paused.
The old man he t outside had said that his son was the village headman.
'Is this him?'
He was glad that the headman was alive, as he had promised the old man, but he had to ask about the current situation.
"Since when did miners start carrying swords?"
"...Be quiet. I asked what you were doing here."
"I heard there was a problem here and ca to investigate."
"From whom?"
"By order of His Majesty the Emperor."
Daniel interjected as usual.
And the effect was remarkable.
"...!"
Dane, with an incredulous expression, slowly lowered his sword.
The others did the sa.
Even if they didn't want to believe it, what if it was true...? If so, they were committing treason.
"...Proof?"
"I'll show you through my actions. There's a demon here, isn't there?"
"Did you eavesdrop?"
"I heard it from your father outside."
"..."
Dane was speechless as Hal retorted without blinking.
Hal had persuaded them without revealing that he was an exorcist priest.
And the reason was simple.
If he revealed that he was an exorcist priest, the demon would surely be wary.
'Traces of demonic energy.'
He didn't know who it was or how well they were hiding it, but it was clear.
A fishy, disgusting scent lingered in the air.
There was a demon among them.
***
"Now, will you explain what's going on?"
At Hal's request, Tom glared at Dane and said,
"Dane has gone mad!"
"Why?"
"Because he's trying to kill the survivors we finally found!"
"...There are survivors?"
Hal looked behind Tom.
He saw a dozen miners and three people huddled together, shivering.
"Are those them?"
"Yes. It's the miner Aaron and his family, who disappeared three days ago."
The man nad Aaron was protectively standing in front of his wife and child, looking at them with worry.
His voice trembled with fear, but he still spoke,
"I-I'm innocent. I don't know why I'm here either. I just ca to my senses and found myself inside the mine..."
"Shut up!"
Suddenly, Dane roared and raised his sword.
The tension that had montarily subsided intensified as both sides glared at each other.
Ignoring the tense atmosphere, Dane continued,
"How dare you imitate Aaron, you monster who devoured dozens of people?"
"...Dane, I'm really not. I'm Aaron."
The man nad Aaron whimpered and stumbled back.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Then, the child behind Aaron muttered weakly,
"Mister, my dad isn't a monster. And neither am I."
Seeing the child, the miners tightened their grips on their weapons.
As if determined to send the child outside, at least.
Indeed, the child seed to be losing strength and wouldn't last long.
"Mister, I'm sorry."
"..."
"I... won't pester you to teach swordsmanship anymore. So..."
The child mumbled weakly and fell silent.
Aaron, who was holding the child tightly, spoke up,
"...Dane, please, spare this child, Den. He's the one you were fond of because his na is similar to yours."
Aaron knelt and begged with both hands.
But,
"Shut up, you vermin."
Dane gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword.
"I'll cut off your disgusting heads right now."
He even took a step forward in anger.
"Just try coming closer."
Tom and the miners also raised their pickaxes, determined not to be defeated again.
And at that mont,
"I see. Now I understand."
Hal muttered.
"...?"
Both sides looked at Hal.
Hal looked at Dane and said,
"Even when Aaron and his son, Den, ntion mories related to you, you don't even bat an eye. Normally, you would doubt yourself."
"What are you talking about...?"
"You know what that monster is."
"...!"
Dane shut his mouth.
He just stared at Hal with wide eyes.
The others also stared at Hal, wondering what was going on.
"But there's sothing strange."
Hal tilted his head and asked,
"How do you know the demon's identity, which even I wasn't sure of, and why aren't you revealing it even though you know?"
"..."
Dane slowly lowered his sword.
His firm eyes were now shaking like a candle in the wind.
"It was you.”
Hal slowly walked forward and stood before him.
"The first one to encounter the Doppelganger."
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
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