READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 11
“An ordinary village.”
A bustling large Guild Building filled with all sorts of people.
Two men standing side by side in front of the bulletin board inside, looking quite serious.
“Scouting the abandoned church in Elm Forest?”
“Isn’t that the place where people who were driven out of the village used to live?”
They were deeply pondering over a request posted on the bulletin board.
“It’s been abandoned for so long, there’s probably nothing to see. Why would they want it scouted?”
“I heard there have been strange noises around the church recently.”
“Ah, I heard the neighboring village was attacked by a group of monsters and turned into a wasteland. Is that why?”
“Probably. They likely posted the request to investigate.”
It was once a lively place where people driven out of the village gathered, but after repeated monster attacks and ruthless plundering by bandits, it became uninhabitable.
Now, it’s a desolate land where no one wants to go, let alone maintain.
“…It’s a place with a lot of history, so I’m hesitant to go, but if we do it right, it should be an easy request, right?”
“Arthur. It’s been abandoned since before we were born. It’s a creepy place.”
“Hey, it’s just a building. If there are noises, it means someone might be living there. Can’t we handle it?”
“The problem isn’t that. We don’t know what’s inside. Even if it’s monsters or bandits, it’s still dangerous.”
The request was underpaid, labeled as a simple scouting mission.
No adventurer in their right mind would willingly take on such an unpleasant task, given the long-abandoned, creepy building and the unknown dangers inside.
But the man who had been carefully examining the request had a different idea.
“If there are bandits or monsters inside, that’s even better. We can demand more than the reward listed here.”
“What?”
“Look closely. The request only says ‘scouting.’ There’s no mention of monsters or bandits.”
“So what?”
“If we accept it as a simple scouting mission and end up having to deal with monsters or bandits, that’s unfair. We can protest and demand more pay.”
The man’s reasoning was quite convincing. If the situation deviated from what was stated in the request, the guild would have to pay the adventurers more.
“So, should we take this request?”
“Yes. But we’re not the ones going.”
“…You can’t be serious.”
“What’s the problem? We have a rookie for this exact purpose.”
With that, the man slowly turned his head and stared at the rookie sitting nervously at the rough wooden table.
“Hey, Priscilla.”
“Yes, sir!”
At the man’s call, Priscilla immediately straightened her back and stiffened her body. She was already sweating profusely and blinking rapidly.
“I’m assigning this request to you. It’s just a scouting mission, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“M-me? Scouting? Am I going alone…?”
“I just said I’m assigning it to you. It’s just scouting. No need to make a big deal out of it.”
Priscilla, who had just joined the guild and had no real experience, was overwhelmed. Despite all the hardships she endured in training to become an adventurer, the thought of going out alone on her first request was daunting.
“B-but… I’m just a rookie who joined the guild…”
“Didn’t they teach you this in training? Can’t you scout alone without a group?”
“N-no! I can do it!”
“That’s the spirit. It’s not far. If you do well, you can finish it in a day.”
Under continuous pressure, Priscilla reluctantly accepted the request. Her hands were trembling like leaves, but the man, who only cared about easy money, didn’t notice.
“The abandoned church in Elm Forest…?”
“Do you know where it is?”
“No… I just found out there’s a church building in Elm Forest…”
“Hmm, I guess you wouldn’t know. It’s been abandoned for over 30 years. There’s probably nothing special there.”
“30 years?”
“I’ll explain the details when you get back. For now, just head out.”
“It still feels creepy…”
The man looked at Priscilla, who was turning pale and frowning, with growing annoyance. He sighed deeply and furrowed his brows.
“It’s just scouting. Who said anything about fighting monsters?”
“B-but…”
“Ugh, this kid. Just do as you’re told. Why so much talk?”
“Huh?”
“It’s just scouting. Go there and come back. That’s it.”
The heavy pressure weighed down on Priscilla. But as a rookie who had just joined the guild, she couldn’t outright refuse the man’s orders, despite the ominous feeling creeping over her.
“Really… I just need to scout and come back…?”
“That’s what I said. It’s written on the request.”
“…Understood.”
Under the man’s relentless pressure, Priscilla weakly stood up. With each step, the clinking sound of her armor only deepened her unease.
***
“Amen.”
The afternoon prayer continued as usual.
Even though it was a daily routine, I still sighed every time it approached, feeling an inexplicable sense of guilt and discomfort.
Perhaps it was because I, who didn’t believe in God, was pretending to be devout. Occasionally, I felt a wave of self-loathing, but thinking of the children who relied on me quickly brought me peace.
“Sister, the prayer is over. Can I read my magic book now?”
“Of course. But don’t read for too long. It might strain your eyes.”
“Okay.”
Iris had recently become obsessed with her magic book, spending hours reading it every day.
It was a bit worrying, but at the same time, I felt proud that the gift I gave her was so well-received.
“Levi! Can I practice my sword in the garden?”
“I want to pray a bit more in my room.”
“It’s free time now, so do as you please. But don’t get too carried away, or I’ll have to stop you.”
“Okay!”
“Yes.”
Since the day I gave them weapons suited to each of them, the children had unexpectedly gained professions. They seemed unaware of it, but as someone who could see their status windows, I was utterly baffled.
I had simply given them weapons that suited them, thinking of their future. The fact that such an act could lead to a profession change was absurd.
“I feel like I’ve become some kind of NPC…”
I muttered to myself in the empty church after the children left. For now, there were no major changes, but thinking about the future made my head throb.
I had no idea what impact my thoughtless actions would have on the children.
*Creak*
“Levi, someone’s here.”
While I was standing there blankly, lost in thought, Aizen suddenly appeared and called my name loudly.
“Huh?”
“An adventurer from Erdelin is here. It’s a woman.”
My mind went blank at the sudden arrival of a guest. It was highly unusual and suspicious for someone to show up at this church, which hadn’t seen a single visitor in so long.
And an adventurer, no less.
“Just one person?”
“Yes. But she seems uneasy.”
“…?”
“She looks scared… She’s been trembling violently since she arrived.”
Although his explanation was easy to understand, I couldn’t properly judge the situation without seeing her myself.
If she was an adventurer from the village, she must have some information about this church. But why would an adventurer be scared and trembling?
I couldn’t understand it at all.
“I see. I’ll go out and check.”
“She doesn’t seem dangerous, but she’s really suspicious. She was hiding in the bushes, secretly watching me.”
“Watching you?”
“Yeah. When she realized I noticed her, she suddenly asked me to run away with her. I barely managed to shake her off and ran back.”
“…You did well. I’ll handle the rest. Aizen, why don’t you go back to your room and rest for now?”
“Okay, got it.”
A few seconds after Aizen left the church, I immediately stepped outside without hesitation.
What could her purpose be? Given the atmosphere so far, no one should have discovered that I was a vampire.
She didn’t seem like a bandit either. A real bandit wouldn’t have revealed herself so openly.
*Creak*
As I stepped onto the stairs at the church entrance with a troubled expression, I saw a female knight standing in the middle of the modest garden, trembling violently.
“Y-you…! What exactly are you…?!”
As soon as she saw me, she drew her sword sharply and began threatening me. Her heavy breathing and strained posture only deepened my confusion.
“…And what about you? What are you doing here, suddenly threatening me?”
“I-I’m Priscilla from the Shield Guild…! I received a request to investigate this place because of the strange energy sensed here!”
“Shield Guild?”
“Your skin is unnaturally pale. You’re clearly not an ordinary person!”
She seemed quite clumsy, but the fact that she was a guild member and had come alone to this church made me feel that there was more to her than met the eye.
Perhaps her clumsy demeanor was a tactic to lower my guard.
“……”
“Earlier, I saw that there’s a child living here besides you…”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“According to the information I have, this church has been abandoned for over 30 years! The surrounding area is infested with monsters, making it uninhabitable!”
I hadn’t known that. This was the first time I’d heard that the church had been abandoned for over 30 years.
But that wasn’t the important issue right now.
“Could you get to the point? You’re taking too long.”
“Come out and prove that you’re human…! If not, I’ll assume you’re a monster in human form and cut you down right here!”
So, she knew something. I had thought she was suspicious from the start, but I hadn’t expected her to be this obvious.
Was she that confident?
“I’m sorry. I don’t like sunlight very much.”
Well, regardless of the situation, I couldn’t do anything under the bright midday sun. That was the biggest drawback of being a vampire.
For now, I had to talk her down and send her away peacefully without any harm.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding. Why don’t we go inside the church and talk calmly…”
Just as I was maintaining a calm smile and trying to appear composed…
“Sister─. I don’t understand what this means.”
Iris, who should have been in her room, suddenly appeared and started toddling toward me.
“Ah, Iris?!”
“Huh…?! There was another child besides that boy earlier…!”
The female knight’s eyes widened, and she frowned deeply. She quickly stepped in front of Iris, who was toddling toward me with her magic book, and lifted her into her arms.
“D-don’t go…! You’re being deceived! That sister is definitely…”
*Thud*
In that moment, I felt my rationality snap.
I could tolerate her suspicions about me, but I couldn’t stand her targeting the children who were living peacefully here.
“It’s best not to meddle in things you can’t take responsibility for.”
“Huh…?”
I stood silently at the shadowy church entrance, staring intently at the female knight’s face.
Honestly, if I closed my eyes and ignored the pain, I could step out of the shadows right now. But I stayed still, giving her one last chance.
I could vaguely tell that she wasn’t a bad person, just thoughtless and clumsy.
“Before I come over, put Iris down gently.”
So, I decided to respond to her threat with a threat of my own, as long as she didn’t make any sudden moves.
Butㅡ.
*Drip*
The situation took a turn completely opposite to my intentions.
Seeing the liquid dripping from the female knight’s lower body, I was not only shocked but also overwhelmed with embarrassment.
“I-I’m sorry… Please spare my life…”