Chapter 15: Magic (2)
Ander's hostility was expected. But a god who has departed this world? What in the world did that mean?
"Dionysus, you mean?" This was the first time I had heard of it. It was possible Do-wol had intentionally hidden this information from me. Or perhaps «Systems» did not perfectly depict this world.
"Dionysus. You must know what kind of atrocities the followers of that ancient god committed, don't you?"
"Of course." I had experienced it in «Systems», after all. The Dionysus I knew from the modern era was the god of wine and festivals, giving him a cheerful image. Especially in Korea, where Greek mythology is familiar, he was often reduced to a comedic character. ‘Though in reality, he is a terrifying god.’ The gods of Greek mythology were, in fact, all terrifying, possessing a powerful and stern side. The god of wine and festivals was no exception.
"He was a god who had quite a following."
"Followers? You mean mad crowds. Befitting a god of such rabble, he was one of the gods Lord Life personally subdued in the name of Order during the 'Holy War'." Ander scoffed. "Dionysus fled after that, and no longer interferes in this world."
"What is this Holy War?"
"You don't even know that?" Ander stared at me as if stunned. "The Holy War was the greatest war in history. A crusade carried out by Lord Life’s will to drive out the heretical gods, who were little better than evil gods."
‘Something like that happened?’ It seemed there was still much I didn't know. It would be nice if there were a library or something, but that didn't seem easy to find in an era like this.
"Ask Leila for the details. She’s a witch, after all. She’ll know more than a mercenary like me."
"Understood. To summarize, the god I mentioned no longer has any influence in this world, is that correct?" Ander nodded. "Furthermore, for such a heretic—"
"What matters is not whether it’s heretical or not. What matters is your current condition." Ander suppressed his hostility and listened to me quietly. That must have been how desperate he was. "I didn't mention Dionysus to spout nonsense. It’s because this is truly a path that can cure your madness."
"How?"
"It’s true that his followers are famous for their madness. As if they were utterly drunk." There were even legends of them tearing apart and killing anything they found, which said it all. it was the same in my original world.
"So because my condition is like this, you’re telling me to go and pray to the god of madness?"
"Calm down. They aren't all crazy like that. True faith in Dionysus involves having periodic festivals, and enjoying a bit of organized chaos." In reality, they caused so much trouble that rules had to be established, but there was no need to go into detail. Especially since it was a god who no longer influenced this world. "The madness, the festivals, and the riots aren't the point. The point is 'release'."
"Release...?"
"Yes. It’s about controlling madness and rage by releasing them at necessary and predetermined times, as a form of release." Ander seemed unconvinced, but I was confident in my own way. Ander's condition was similar to the warrior trait <Berserk Blood> from «Systems». ‘There might be other ways.’ But the only way I had decisively tested was the miracle of the Father of Liberty.
"Nonsense! That’s impossible! The miracle of some ancient heretical god!" Ander shouted, the veins in his neck bulging, but I had no intention of backing down.
"Are you going to continue being stubborn?"
"What did you say?"
"I don't know how important your faith is to you, but is it more important than your family and the people around you?" Ander was at a loss. His reddened face gradually returned to its normal color. If anything, he seemed as if all the strength had been drained from him. "In my opinion, even if the ancient god no longer has influence, any remaining relics or enchanted tools should still be effective."
"......How can you be so sure?"
I felt confused at first, but something occurred to me after hearing Ander's words. ‘The enemies of «Systems», the Forsaken Worshippers.’ It was an old memory, so I forgot, but elements like 'those who worship a departed god' and 'tools imbued with the power of a departed god' slowly resurfaced. I felt as if Do-wol was paving the way for me. ‘Giving me knowledge through my play of «Systems», then suddenly throwing me into this world. What is all this, Do-wol?’ Perhaps, just as we were playing the TRPG, Do-wol was still guiding my story even now. ‘I’ll worry about that later. Now, I have to persuade Ander.’ I gathered my thoughts and opened my mouth.
"There are those who are called by the derogatory name, 'Forsaken Worshippers'."
"Hmm?"
"They are despised for clinging to a meaningless faith even though their god no longer cares for them." Ander raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"
"They are also dangerous invaders. They are hard to deal with because they use relics that contain the power of forgotten or unknown ancient gods." In «Systems», they were like rare mobs you could get tools from. "The fact that they use relics imbued with miracles of a departed god is information I encountered directly." it was from «Systems», but it wasn't a lie. The method of enchanting worked exactly the same way, so this wouldn't be different. "I didn't know Dionysus had departed this world too, but it doesn't matter. Miracles of departed gods that remained in this land certainly still work."
"In that case... I’ve been a real fool." Ander looked again at the symbol of the Church of Life hanging around his neck, lost in thought. "I have a son. He’s a lot like me, so I often had to scold him. No, that wasn't something I should have scolded him for." I remained silent, and Ander confessed quietly. "I was just going to scold him a bit. He talked back, but that’s natural. He’s at that age."
"......"
"When I regained consciousness, my son was bleeding. He lost both his legs. At least... at least he survived." Grind. Ander gritted his teeth. "I no longer have the right to be a father. How can a man whose mere sight makes his son convulse call himself a father?"
"That’s unfortunate."
"No... No! This is the height of folly!" Ander threw the pendant away. The Church of Life symbol shattered, but nothing happened. "He isn't punishing me. Maybe he wasn't watching me in the first place."
"What on earth are you..."
"This is all my fault. I offered prayers that would never be heard, and only suppressed my son, who showed the same symptoms as me." That had to be why he said it was something he shouldn't have scolded him for. "My wife, unlike me, was wise. She obtained a relic... an ancient one. She always had a lot of money."
"Don't tell me it was a Dionysus relic?"
"Yes, a low-quality one. And I smashed it to pieces. My son's share, too. All of that while clinging to prayers that were never answered." A sigh filled with regret escaped Ander’s lips. "Will it really work?"
"It worked for a warrior who showed even greater madness than you. If it doesn't work, I’ll come find you again when I hear news about him." Ander let out a hollow laugh.
"And why should I believe that?"
"You already believe me, don't you? You’ve been relying on me." I ran a hand through my hair. The somewhat long red hair that slightly covers my ears still felt strange. "A mercenary group of your size would be sensitive to information." The Church of Life must have placed a bounty on my head. Red hair wasn't common, so it would be noticed immediately. "You knew, and you came without even trying to hide? Do you have any idea how much the bounty on your head is?"
"I would have preferred it to be small, but I doubt that’s the case."
"You’re lucky, though. The Knights of the Stigma, the Luminaries, even those dismal Inquisitors. All of them are busy focusing on a different matter."
Something more important than an Outer God's priest? "What in the world could be happening?"
"I’ll tell you if you promise to treat me to some good liquor next time we meet." I caught the hidden meaning in his words. A faint smile spread across my lips. "Very well. I’ll have to work hard to please you then."
"Two barons and a count were killed in an Outer God-related ritual." An Outer God-related ritual? And for someone of high status like a count to die... this wasn't a simple matter. "Are the incidents related?"
"They all died in the same way, and the ritual was confirmed to be identical. That means there’s a real dangerous one out there, not someone soft like you." Soft, he called me. "I’m an Outer God's priest too, you know. Will you still trust me?"
"I’ve seen how strange you are. I thought you’d have some way to suppress madness with an Outer God’s power, but I never expected you to mention an ancient god." Suppressing madness with an Outer God’s power was impossible in the first place, but it seemed Ander didn't know much. Then again, it was better not to have much knowledge about the Outer Gods. "Those who are hunting you now are mostly mercenaries. After the bounty. The Luminaries are hunting you too, though."
"Thank you for telling me."
"Consider it a down payment for future liquor. So, how much gold do you need?" Ander reached out to me, and I took it in a handshake. But the moment I mentioned the amount, Ander’s expression twisted. "Hey, you son of a... maniac."
"You actually got it? How did you manage to borrow this entire amount?" Leila stared at me with a stunned look. Five heavy bags of gold coins. There was a reason Ander treated me like a madman. "He said he gathered every last coin, and if this turns out to be another folly of yours, he won't let it slide."
"......Why me?"
"Because the loan is in your name." Leila spat the same words as Ander and grabbed me by the collar, but in the end, she resigned herself to it. "How did I get involved in this... how much loss am I incurring..."
"Don't try any tricks. I know the enchantment method and the materials formula alone are worth far more than this."
"Tch." Another useless attempt.
"What about the oil I asked you to make?"
"It’s already been made," Leila grumbled before pointing toward the cauldron. I moved the heavy bags of gold coins one by one, pouring them into the cauldron.
"Oh my God..." Thalia stared in stunned silence, watching the massive amount of money melt into the oil. Leila seemed to feel pretty much the same. "This amount should definitely be enough."
"Don't you think anything will be left over?"
"Impossible." Ignoring Leila’s desperate hope, I reached toward a bowl that had been set aside on the table. "Thalia."
"Yes, I'll do it." Since I only had one arm, I asked Thalia to help me cut my palm with a knife. I endured the sharp pain and gathered the blood in the bowl. ‘Sss, that hurts...’ I wrapped a bandage around my hand, and stared toward the basement. "Alright. Now let's finish this pending matter.”
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