Chapter 49
Early afternoon.
After traveling for quite some time from the Northern Diocese, Eric and his party finally reached the border.
“Everyone, get a good rest today. Starting tomorrow, we’ll need to exert ourselves quite a bit.”
A massive wall separating the Aridus Plateau and the Empire. Entering the city at this gateway alongside Gregorius, Eric immediately checked into a suitable inn and looked at the elderly man as he prepared to leave the room.
“Sir, where are you going alone?”
“This old man has some preparations to make. I’ll be back shortly, so don’t worry. The border might be rough, but inside the city, the security is quite solid.”
The fortified city of Ars.
Watching the streets with eyes that were both familiar and wistful, the old man prompted a quiet nod from Eric.
“Master, are you sure it’s fine to let him go alone? At least I could—”
“No. If the Cardinal says he should rest, he must rest.”
As the elderly man left the inn alone, Leona cast a worried glance at him, and Eric waved his hand dismissively.
The figure revered by everyone in the north was nothing like Eric had imagined.
Not a naïve, purely good-hearted churchgoer who could be found in any temple, but an old man whose cunning matched the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
A man who could see through someone with a single glance while smiling for his own purpose would never wander the streets without reason.
Surely, he had some plan in mind. Or perhaps there was a place he needed to visit alone, even if it meant taking risks.
“Well, even if he looks like that, he’s not someone who can be easily defeated.”
Considering Gregorius’ political isolation within the church, it wouldn’t be strange if an opposing faction tried to assassinate him. Yet, there was little reason to worry too much.
Though his body had grown frail with age, he was a major figure who had reached the rank of Cardinal. Even if his physical abilities—strength, agility, stamina—had fallen to a third of their former capacity, it would be impossible for anyone to harm a priest with magic far exceeding Lillian’s, especially within a city patrolled by soldiers disciplined for guarding the border.
“And if it were truly dangerous, Malefica wouldn’t be so carefree, no matter what he said about light and shadow…”
Clatter!
Just as Eric was about to lay his tired body down, a commotion outside the window drew him to his feet with a weary expression.
“Master.”
Meeting Leona’s anxious gaze, Eric let out a long sigh.
It was hard to imagine someone bold enough to attack the Cardinal in broad daylight, but even if this commotion had nothing to do with Gregorius, it could be the very clue that led him to visit his old parish.
“Everyone, enough sightseeing! Stop loitering and get inside!”
Heading toward the source of the noise, Eric stepped out into the street. In the middle of the road, he saw a crowd of pedestrians and a line of soldiers standing shoulder-to-shoulder, blocking them. He narrowed his eyes.
“Again? Damn it… How many times has it been just this week?”
“Isn’t that Ralph? He was fine just yesterday…”
“It’s… the wrath of God! The goddess is angry!”
The terrified onlookers whispered amongst themselves as they peered past the soldiers.
“…This doesn’t look like an ordinary matter.”
Eric sensed that something serious had occurred and pushed through the crowd to inspect the scene directly.
‘Was there a fight here? …No, it doesn’t seem like it.’
Inside a wide-open tavern, a collapsed figure lay among the wreckage. Judging from the heavy iron mace nearby and the large build, it might have been a mercenary.
Peering under the cloth covering the body, Eric noticed a hand protruding and frowned.
‘That is…’
Dark red spots blossomed like liver spots on the back of the hand.
‘I was told he was fine just yesterday.’
The familiar symptoms reminded Eric of something muttered among the crowd moments ago.
A sudden, fatal illness overnight. Hemorrhagic spots covering the body, including both hands. The soldiers’ practiced handling of the situation and the terrified onlookers’ cries indicated this wasn’t the first occurrence.
“Master, shouldn’t we find the Cardinal immediately?”
“Y-Yes! What if the same thing happens to him?”
Scanning the area for clues, Eric glanced at Leona and Lillian, who called out anxiously, and spoke softly.
“We’re going to the castle.”
“Huh? To the castle…?”
Seeing Eric move silently, Leona watched with concern, wondering if he knew something they didn’t.
Earlier at the inn, and now with the unexplained casualties in the city, neither Eric nor Malefica showed any reaction to the Cardinal’s safety. They knew full well that if anything happened, it would be far more than just an inconvenience.
“Stop!”
Approaching the inner castle gate, Eric was halted by a soldier blocking his path.
“State your identity and business for entering here.”
Eric smiled quietly, noticing the soldier’s nervous glances, mostly toward Malefica. Clearly, the old man inside had a purpose, just as expected.
Gregorius, who had left the inn ahead, was likely seeking cooperation for his journey to the old parish. Even as a Cardinal, he couldn’t simply cross the border without permission. Perhaps this was related to the recent incident.
“I am Eric Ater. I wish to meet the commander here briefly.”
The soldier’s eyes widened in shock.
“Eric… Ater? Y-You mean… that Ater brat… huff!”
Eric Ater.
The Northern brat. The only legitimate heir of Duke Austin, ruler of the north.
Flustered, the soldier scrambled to contain his words.
“…You may not enter now. I’ll inform the commander that you’ve arrived; please visit again later.”
Recovering quickly, the soldier nervously glanced at Eric, fearing to provoke the brat’s wrath.
“Because of the Cardinal?”
“Y-Yes?”
Ignoring him, Eric looked past the gate toward the castle. Seeing the soldier flinch, he continued:
“Tell him a hero of the church has arrived. Then, he will probably be fine with it.”
The Cardinal was indeed inside the inner castle. Reassured, Eric waited with a gentle smile.
“I’m sorry! The commander said no one is to enter today—”
“What’s the commotion outside?”
“C-Commander!”
As the soldier hesitated, a middle-aged man of imposing stature appeared from inside the castle.
“Uh… here…”
“Hmm?”
The soldier awkwardly indicated Eric, while someone following the middle-aged man recognized him with surprise.
“Wait, I told you to rest! How did you know the old man was here?”
“You told me to rest, but not where or how. Also, it’s too noisy outside to stay put.”
Cardinal Gregorius.
Looking at the bewildered old man, Eric approached with a casual smile, passing the guard effortlessly.
“I am Eric Ater.”
“…I’m Hector, responsible for the defense of Ars. But what brings Master Ater of the Ater family here?”
After a brief greeting with the Cardinal, Eric addressed the suspicious commander quietly.
“As I told the guard, I’m visiting not as the Duke’s heir, but as a hero of the church.”
“…If you wish to request passage to the old parish, that is not permitted.”
Hector understood Eric’s meaning but remained firm.
“Due to the recent unfortunate incidents within the fortress, which are already troubling, we cannot divert our resources outside. Sending Gregorius across the border without proper protection is impossible. Even the Cardinal knows how dangerous the Aridus Plateau is.”
“I see… that’s true.”
Gregorius scratched his head, perplexed. He could have forced his way across the border using his status, but the scene he glimpsed in the streets lingered in his mind.
“So, we just need to resolve the incidents within the fortress?”
Eric, who had been listening quietly, spoke plainly.
“Exactly. Resolve the internal issues, and the Cardinal can cross the border.”
Hector, astonished, looked at him. Eric continued clearly.
“Master.”
Hector frowned, displeased.
“I’m not joking. You may not realize it, but this unknown illness has caused us—”
“And you think I am joking?”
Meeting Hector’s gaze, Eric remained unwavering.
“Dark red spots appear on the back of the hands and neck. Someone fine in the morning would, by night, be coughing violently with a high fever. Hours before onset, they’d taste metal in their mouth.”
“H-How do you…?”
Hector’s eyes widened in horror. Only someone present at the scene or who had examined the bodies could know this.
“I ask again. Solve this epidemic, and that is all?”
Seeing Gregorius quietly nod, Hector finally made his decision.
“…I’ll leave it in your hands.”
Shaking hands politely, Eric smiled with satisfaction and turned toward the outer castle.
“Then, let’s go.”
“Huh? Go… where?”
The epidemic spreading through the city. He had suspected it ever since he first saw the corpses. And of course, he knew exactly how to deal with it.
Because…
“Where? The place where the plague is spreading, of course.”
The symptoms were one of those events anyone managing a territory in a game would inevitably encounter at least once.
