Chapter 7: The Choice
"Aaaaaagh!"
"Die! Die...!"
The men fighting with their fists and teeth were no different from wild beasts. Even as their skin tore to reveal bone, they continued to shed viscous black blood, their murderous intent unabated. It was total chaos. A scene from hell manifested on earth.
"Light, O Light, O Light..." Priest Admon fell into despair. He seemed unharmed, being outside the effect of <Black Frenzy Blood>, but his mind was collapsing at the sight of men fighting while spilling their own entrails.
"He was blinded by greed." Admon was blinded by this scripture I carry—or more accurately, by the massive wealth this book would bring. A man who commits such atrocities without hesitation for his greed must have been blind to greed long ago.
"It’s almost over." Sensing the voices gradually fading, I walked slowly forward. Toward Priest Admon, who had lost the will to fight and was trembling uncontrollably. Those who had died fighting each other, or were on the verge of death, could not block my way.
"In the name of the Light... In the name of the Light, I..." There were a few things I wanted to ask Priest Admon, but his spirit seemed broken. I couldn't tell if it was from the fear of defeat and his impending death, or from the shock of witnessing the scene of frenzy.
"Tch." The sight of him praying desperately, despicably clinging to a holy artifact in his hand, was simply disgusting. "...Let's end this."
The moment I was about to use an appropriate miracle. The black liquid mixed with blood on the ground began to gather and cover Admon. The Formless Creations were acting on their own.
"What is this?" I asked the Formless Creations as they slowly swallowed Admon. Behind me, the corpses of those defeated in battle, and even those who hadn't died yet, were being consumed by the liquid as if melting. It looked as if this place had become a giant black swamp.
"I said, what are you doing?" The Formless Creations twisted their body violently. They didn't say anything, but I could tell their movements were nothing but laughter.
[The price.]
With that word, the Formless Creations vanished. And the corpses vanished too. Where Admon had been, his pendant and a bag of gold coins remained. And...
"You damn bastards." From a black pool rose a bag made of cloth scraps that seemed not to have been sewn but melted and stuck together. Jewels were visible through a small opening. There was no doubt about the source of those jewels, and I knew full well why they were left there.
‘What if I just ignored them and left?’ I could have simply refused to take such disgusting money; I hadn't intended to take them in the first place. But I knew full well what a childish thought that was.
‘They might have abandoned Priest Admon, but they won't abandon me.’ There was no way the Knights of the Stigma would leave me alone after causing such a major incident. They’d definitely come fully prepared next time. Money was necessary—for fleeing, for survival, and for preparing for future battles. They knew that well, which is why they gave it to me.
‘Will I be blinded by greed too? At first, for the sake of survival. And later, will I start making my own excuses?’ With a sense of unease, I took the bag. Even if my Outer God was among the most moderate and relatively less harmful, an Outer God is still an Outer God. If I let my guard down, I’d walk the path of madness and corruption.
‘No, I won't become like those people.’ I calmed my troubled mind. A past that is still unresolved within me. I ignored and suppressed the violent turbulence of emotions associated with it.
‘I have no reason, and no time, to be tortured by the past. I need to focus on what needs to be done now.’
Hoo... After I let out a breath and stilled my emotions, I headed toward the orphanage building. An elderly woman in patched clothes was standing at the entrance.
"Matron. Have the children been safely evacuated?" Her face was pale and her hands were trembling, and it probably wasn't due to any health issues.
"...Yes, thank you. But—"
"You don't have to tell me where they are." The Matron flinched, her body shaking. I had a good idea of what she was misunderstanding. I’d probably be treated like this a lot from now on. "Take the children and leave. Any place is fine, but it would be better if you see me leave first and then go in a different direction."
"Excuse me?" The Matron stared at me stunned, but quickly looked away in fear. She must have thought I’d demand the children as a living sacrifice.
‘She can’t help but act this way.’ It was hard for me to imagine how confused she must be right now. For the people of this era, religion and faith are absolute. Yet, she had just been almost exploited by a priest.
‘And on top of that, the person who told her the truth was a priest of an Outer God.’ Let’s apply that to a realistic scenario. Imagine the police asking for your cooperation in a suspicious investigation, but then a notorious terrorist appears and tells you not to trust them. What if he claimed the police were trying to frame and exploit you, and then killed them all? Could you fully believe the terrorist saved you?
‘All kinds of thoughts must be running through her head. But now is the time for a quick decision. Priests or paladins will be sent in droves to investigate this incident.’ The Matron was paralyzed, unable to do anything. Seeing her like this, I thought she might even try to tell the truth to the people sent from the Church of Life. To her, this incident was probably just the fault of a bad priest named Admon; the Church of Life itself would still be an absolute good.
"What I desire is..." I traced a smile on my lips. A fake smile, one I had often worn in the past. "...Silence. Do you understand? I am satisfied with recovering this scripture. You were kind to me when I pretended to collapse in the forest, so I won't ask for anything else."
The Matron took a small step back. On her face, as if facing the evil that had revealed its true colors, the fear she had tried to suppress began to bloom. "W-We know nothing. Nothing at all..."
"Yes, that would be for the best." I threw her the bag of gold coins and the golden pendant. I felt a bit gloomy, giving her a dead man's possessions, but that was better than these jewels from the Formless Creations.
"Th-This?"
"The price of your silence. If you offer these funds to a suitable priest of the Church of Life as a 'donation,' he will grant you the baptism you so desperately crave." At those words, the Matron’s gaze shifted slightly. Enough to make her forget her fear and hesitation. "You can give the children better food, better clothes, anything, right? As long as you keep your mouth shut. As long as you aren't discovered."
I tempted her, just as the devil does. The Matron, who had probably lived her life without touching a single gold coin, took the bag in her trembling hand. She flinched, afraid that something would happen, but of course, nothing did. "Good. You’ve received your price, so I will expect your faithful silence. You know well what I am capable of, so I hope you don't do anything foolish."
The Matron’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor. I turned and walked away, letting out a sigh. If I weren't something as dangerous as an Outer God's priest, maybe I would have been able to gain her trust more easily. For me, right now, this was the best I could do.
‘There is nothing else I can do for them. Better not to get involved at all. I need to worry about my own affairs.’ Hoping the children would be safe, I started walking. But where should I go now? As that thought began to bother me, a voice called out from behind.
"Sir."
I knew who it was without turning. It was Thalia. "What are you doing here?"
"I’m going with you." Looking at Thalia, I saw she had already packed her bags. "You said you don't have your memories, right? And you probably don't know the geography here."
"That may be true, but let me struggle on my own. No good will come of following me."
"I won’t follow you forever. Just let me come with you to a decent town." Thalia spoke boldly, showing no sign of backing down. It was good that she was brave, but traveling with me was very dangerous.
"You don't seem to quite understand..."
"And even though you said all that to the Matron, I know you helped us. And you need help, too."
"What help do I need?"
"Well, you forgot all about your bag and your book." Only then did I recognize the bag Thalia was wearing as my possession. Just as she said, I had forgotten it entirely. It was mine, but perhaps because they were items granted to me without my knowledge, I hadn't paid them any attention.
"You’ll manage just fine on your own. And the people who will hunt me are dangerous, but more than anything—"
"You’re dangerous? I know that." I stared at Thalia in stunned silence. "I know, but I’m willing to take the risk of going with you." Thalia didn't back down. "I’ve hunted before, and I can run in times of trouble. I’m quick-witted and my senses are sharp."
In this world, it was known how dangerous believing in an Outer God was, yet she was stubborn. "Besides, you’re very careless in many ways, so I think you need someone by your side."
"How am I careless?"
"What were you thinking, giving all that money to the Matron? There was no money or food in your bag. What were you going to do, just leave?"
"I’m not careless." I took the bag of jewels from my coat and showed it to her. Thalia stared at it in stunned silence for a moment, then let out a small laugh. "I see. But you still need help, don't you?"
"...I suppose so." It was hard to deny it. Sensing my continued hesitation, Thalia added quickly. "So, let's just go to a nearby town together. A port town would be best, if possible."
A port town? I searched my memories, wondering if there was such a place, and something came to mind. "The port city of Wayfridge?"
The city with the largest port in the empire. It was filled with people from all kinds of countries, so my red hair would likely attract less attention there. And in a complex place like a port city, tracking me wouldn't be easy.
"It’s a bit far, but... fine, let’s go. To the port city."
"Oh? Are we really going to a port city?"
"Yes. You said you wanted to come, didn't you?" A city from which you can travel to any country, where all kinds of people and professions gather. Whatever she wanted to do, and wherever she wanted to go, there seemed to be no better place than a port city for her to start her life. And I had my own goals there, too.
"And one more thing. If you're really coming with me."
"Yes?"
"You don't have to pretend you aren't afraid. Bottling it up inside will only poison you." Thalia lowered her head quietly. No child would be completely brave and defiant in a situation like this. I had known since an early age what it was like to pretend to be okay, so I could see through her act clearly. "Thank you..."
Amidst an awkward silence, the child who was never chosen and I, who was granted a dangerous choice, began walking down the forest path.
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