Immortal's Ascending Path-33
Episode-33. Kunkan's Gift
"The flow of mana is quite peculiar."
Roberta surveyed the surroundings from atop her slowly walking horse.
After leaving Meyer County, Ulrich and his party passed through four Yeongji. And now, they were passing through an unnamed swamp. Thick fog obscured their vision.
She frowned at the swamp's musty smell and narrowed her eyes to get a clearer view. Everything around them was gray. The hazy fog, the gray trees, and the surface of the water reflecting them all combined to cover the world in gray.
Some say that gray is the color of the underworld. Roberta agreed with that statement now. The gray swamp they were passing through was filled with death. Swamps were always supposed to have stagnant water and be full of floating plants, but this one was not.
The water level was so low that it barely concealed the swamp floor, revealing white bones buried in the mud. Among the trees that grew crookedly without sprouting a single leaf were countless skeletons clad in rusted weaponry.
"The battle was too great."
Ulrich said it was a scar left by the Osnover civil war. Even though the fog concealed it, the vastness of the swamp could be felt, yet everywhere one looked, there were skeletons lying.
"As you know, humans who have received the Infant Sacrament carry mana within their bodies. Also, even when life ends, some mana remains in the corpse."
The presence of many corpses also meant the presence of a lot of mana.
"Even so, this is excessive. The period for which mana remains in a corpse is short, and it's extremely rare for mana to remain in bones, isn't it? Because the will that held the sacrament disappears, there's no incentive to hold onto the mana."
Therefore, when life ended, the mana contained in the body was supposed to dissipate into the atmosphere. Occasionally, it couldn't and remained for a long time, but that was rare.
Roberta observed the flow of mana. The mana intertwined within the damp, sticky air was dense. It felt stuffy and stagnant, like closing all the doors in a room on a summer day.
"That's usually the case. But there are exceptions, aren't there?"
"The Demon Realm… is that what you mean?"
Demon Realm.
A term used to describe places where the amount and flow of mana are abnormal.
"It doesn't seem to be quite that level yet, but it needs to be managed."
"It's problematic that places like this remain even after the civil war has ended."
"It can't be helped. There must be a mountain of problems to solve."
Well, I guess so, Roberta clicked her tongue inwardly.
Generally, when a battle occurred between secular lords, the side that seized the land took responsibility. They had to take immediate measures to prevent the dead from rising and to prevent epidemics from spreading.
If the lord couldn't do it, the relevant parish had to step in. Otherwise, the people living in that land would suffer.
"It's not over just because a new dynasty has been established. The vast majority of the secular lords in Osnover right now are greenhorns. Those who weren't originally nobles or were barely worthy of being called nobles, those kinds of people have suddenly risen to the position of lord."
Not only were the abilities of each lord lacking, but the administration itself had collapsed due to the long civil war. Ulrich said that most lords probably didn't know how many people lived in their Yeongji or the area of their land.
'In this situation, they're in conflict with the Pantheon.'
There must be quite a few lands in Osnover that have been left unattended and are showing signs of turning into Demon Realms. She sighed. The Pantheon couldn't possibly be unaware of the situation, yet they summoned the Priests.
'Even if the damage isn't visible right now, it will grow as the years pass. If a Demon Realm is created, even the surrounding environment will be affected.'
How many people would that damage torment? And who would suffer that damage? Thinking about it made her feel nothing but pity.
"······?"
Suddenly, she turned her face to the right.
Beyond the fog, a black shape was faintly visible. It was the shape of a person. It was just a shape, but she felt that its gaze was directed at her.
A person?
That couldn't be. This was a deserted place. When she told a merchant in the city they had just passed through that she was going this way, he had said it was an ominous place that no one set foot in.
The shape disappeared as she was about to stop her horse.
It scattered into the fog as if it were a mirage, erasing its form.
#
The three people left the swamp, but they couldn't escape the fog. The fog had also settled in the village beyond the swamp. The village wasn't far from the swamp, so the fog had flowed over.
"What brings you here?"
A young man blocked their path in the fog.
"Greetings, brother."
Roberta stepped forward and greeted him.
"As night is near, we have come seeking a place to rest until morning. If it's alright, would you welcome us as guests?"
She manifested the Priest's insignia on the palm of her bare hand. The young man's eyes widened. It wasn't because he saw the insignia. He looked surprised the moment she, dressed in Priest robes, emerged from the fog.
"Ah… you're a Priest, I see."
The young man, erasing his surprised expression, carefully bowed.
"I'm sorry, but, this place… we don't have anywhere to accommodate guests, Priest-nim."
Roberta smiled and waved her hand.
"We know we're being a burden. We just need somewhere to spend the night. Is there perhaps a place with just a roof?"
The reply was slow. The hesitation was long.
"That is…"
"Is it not possible?"
The young man hesitated, as if he wanted to refuse but was in a position where he couldn't.
"If you insist… please wait a moment."
The young man entered the village at a quick pace.
"It seems like they're wary of Priest-nim?"
Fritz asked, watching the young man's retreating figure.
"It does seem that way. I don't know why, though."
"Could the reason be related to the rumors?"
Well, muttering that, Roberta thought.
'Rumors, he said there were many incidents.'
The merchant who had warned them that the swamp and the village beyond it were ominous had then said this:
"The area around there is where a great epidemic occurred. They say the dead rose during the civil war. Recently, there have also been reports of monsters, and many people have gone missing. You must be careful."
At that time, she handed a purple plum to Fritz and made a humming sound, pondering. When several rumors like this are attached, they are usually nonsense. Because the substance is not clear, the rumors add on to each other and take on a bizarre form.
Of course, even nonsense has a cause. Whether it's a misunderstanding or slander, there are no rumors without a cause. Perhaps there might be a speck of truth. However, she had very, very rarely seen a proper truth so far.
'Well, right now, it's just a bit suspicious, though.'
Following that, Fritz asked Ulrich.
"Ul… I mean, Armin-nim, what do you think?"
He inadvertently tried to call him Ulrich, but corrected himself. Immediately after leaving Meyer County, Ulrich had told the group to call him by a pseudonym as much as possible.
When it was just the three of them, they could call him whatever they were comfortable with, but when there were others, he was Armin, the adopted son and knight of the Duke of Ditmarsken. Fritz was Armin's attendant, and Roberta remained a Priest.
"······."
Instead of answering, Ulrich stroked his chin.
Soon, the young man who had been standing guard brought a middle-aged man.
"I'm sorry for making you wait, Priest-nim."
He introduced himself as Tapio.
"It took some time to prepare a place."
Tapio led the three people to a cabin on the edge of the village. The inside of the cabin seemed to have been inhabited until recently. The firewood was burning in the fireplace as if the owner had hurriedly left, and soup was boiling on top of it.
"This is the only place we could prepare."
He repeatedly bowed, wondering if they would like it.
"No, I'm the one causing unnecessary trouble."
Roberta took out a few silver coins from her pocket and handed them to Tapio.
"I don't know if this will be enough compensation, but please accept it."
"T, thank you."
He held the silver coins in his hand and glanced at her.
"Are you perhaps planning to stay for a few days…?"
"We'll only spend tonight and leave tomorrow morning."
"Ah! I see!"
Tapio smiled brightly.
"Then… if there's any problem, please call me separately, Priest-nim."
Fritz watched him walk away through the window and said.
"He didn't seem too happy even after receiving the silver coins, did he?"
"Yeah. He kept looking at me. He didn't seem to have the leisure to care about the silver coins."
"It seems like they're hiding something. I don't know what it is, though."
As she answered, Roberta pondered.
'Why are they so wary?'
She couldn't think of a particular reason. She had heard the bad rumors, but there was no particular reason to be wary of a Priest or to hide something from a Priest. Rather, they should be welcoming the Priest's visit.
Even if there was no incident, it was rare to show wariness towards a Priest. Even though the Pantheon's authority had declined, the Priest was a bridge connecting the heavens and humans.
The two people continued to share their suspicions, saying that there weren't many people compared to the size of the village, or that the swamp's influence wasn't good, but there was no progress.
"Ulrich-nim, what do you think?"
Fritz asked Ulrich.
"It seems like confirmation is needed."
"So you're saying you're suspicious too?"
Ulrich didn't answer. He remained silent as if lost in thought, and Fritz went to the fireplace where the fire was still burning to prepare dinner.
Roberta quietly watched Ulrich's expression. What was he thinking? He hadn't ignored the boy's question. He had simply postponed answering because the answer wasn't clear.
'Judging from the fact that he's not taking action right away, it doesn't seem serious.'
Doubt carrying anxiety swirled in her mind. However, there was nothing she could do right now. If she went around the village stirring things up, it would only increase their wariness. Also, if it was a problem that could be solved by asking, it wouldn't be a problem in the first place.
After finishing their meal and until going to bed, she waited for his answer, but eventually closed her eyes.
#
And suddenly, she opened her eyes.
It was night, and only the moonlight coming in from the window illuminated the darkness. Roberta was lying in the dark cabin and woke up for no reason. She should have been in a deep sleep, but she woke up as if she had never been asleep.
She lay in her sleeping bag and stared blankly. She hadn't had a nightmare, but her sleep had completely vanished. Since they had to leave the village early in the morning, she tossed and turned to try to fall asleep again. However, sleep did not return.
'Is it because the bed isn't comfortable?'
Holding back a sigh, she slowly raised her upper body. Maybe if she drank a glass of water and lay back down, it would be a little better.
"······?"
But something was strange.
There were only two people in the cabin. Roberta and Fritz, only the two of them were in the cabin. The other person, Ulrich, was gone. She blinked in the darkness.
The spot where Ulrich had been lying only had traces of someone having been there. Fritz was sleeping soundly in a spot a little further away. Neither she nor the boy had noticed his presence.
'Did he go out for a moment?'
Bewilderment arose. This was the first time this had happened since leaving Ditmarsken. Where did he go alone in the middle of the night? No, why did he leave her and the boy behind and sneak out? Did he go out for some air? He was someone who didn't sleep well at night, so it was possible.
"Fritz, wake up."
Roberta shook Fritz's shoulder. The boy, forcibly surfacing from a deep sleep, looked at her with eyes that weren't even properly open, conveying the meaning of 'why'.
Instead of answering, she grabbed the boy's head and turned it in the direction of Ulrich's spot.
"Uh… uh? Where did he go?"
"I don't know either. I woke up and he wasn't there."
Of course, no one could have taken him. Perhaps, he went out on his own to confirm something. If so, what was he trying to confirm by sneaking out?
The two of them equipped themselves and left the cabin. The night was dark, but the fog had cleared somewhat, and the moonlight faintly illuminated the path.
Roberta discovered an orange light leaking from a long house. After telling Fritz to follow her quietly, she headed towards the house.
The house was a single story and quite long horizontally, with three windows. One of them was slightly open, allowing light to leak out, so Roberta peeked inside through the window gap.
"You guys mainly operate at night, but not today."
Tapio, who had led the group to the cabin, was visible.
"It can't be helped. It would be a big problem if we were caught."
"Well, they said they're leaving tomorrow morning, right?"
Next to him stood two men and women. Roberta saw several long shadows stretched out around them. Roughly counting, there were more than a dozen.
'Why are they gathered at this hour?'
Villagers gathered in the middle of the night?
She opened the window a little more to see the others.
Then the owners of the shadows were revealed.
"That's—"
Fritz inadvertently opened his mouth. Roberta quickly covered the boy's mouth. Roberta knew what Fritz was about to say without even hearing the words he hadn't managed to utter.
Monsters.
Fritz was probably going to say that after seeing them.
Because everyone inside the house except for the three humans had different appearances. It wasn't just a matter of having different appearances. They certainly had human forms, but it was difficult to call them human.
Some had a human upper body but a snake lower body, some had a human body below the neck but a cow's head above the neck, and some had wings instead of arms. And some people, no, creatures, didn't have any human features at all.
'That's why they were wary of me.'
Roberta frowned. Even when examining them one by one, they didn't match any of the races she knew. They weren't creatures created by the gods when they resided in the heavens.
Why did they have such appearances? The swamp came to mind. Did that swamp, where countless lives had crumbled and the flow of mana was tangled, create this group of heteromorphic beings?
It was natural for Fritz to consider them monsters. It was also natural for them to be wary of the Priest's visit.
'What should I do?'
After worrying for a while while eavesdropping on the conversation, she moved Fritz back. She couldn't pretend not to know. She had heard the rumors. That monsters had appeared, and that people were going missing.
She placed her hand on her waist. To confirm the truth of the rumors and to know their true nature, she was about to kick off from her spot.
Ulrich appeared at that moment. He, who had left without her and the boy knowing, entered the house. And stood before the group with surprised eyes.