The Wandering Priest in Dark Fantasy

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]

Chapter 38: The Assassin of the Pale Cord (1)

The sound of clapping came from within the forest.

The applause that had been continuing for a while abruptly stopped, and at the same time, a man slowly walked out towards the clearing.

"That's correct."

He had long black hair that reached his neck,

Fox-like, narrow eyes,

And his lips were curved into a smile.

He spoke with his spear resting on his shoulder,

"It seems I miscalculated the cost quite a bit."

The narrow-eyed man shook his head regretfully.

"If I had known you were this kind of person, I would have charged ten thousand marks more."

"Who are you?"

Hamel asked coldly.

The man shrugged and replied,

"We're not knights, and isn't it a bit old-fashioned to introduce ourselves with our names and affiliations as soon as we meet?"

"You're saying you're not knights."

"Oh dear."

Strangely enough, the man scratched his head as if he had been hit on a sore spot and laughed awkwardly.

He seemed like a careless man.

But...

'...There are no openings.'

Hamel's fingers twitched as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.

From the moment he appeared, Hamel had been looking for an opportunity to attack, but somehow, he couldn't move a finger.

He had a feeling.

The feeling that the moment he swung his sword at him, he would be the one to get hurt.

Just then,

"Lord Hamel! Get down!"

Benjamin's voice came from somewhere in the forest.

Thud!

As Hamel reflexively lowered his body, an arrow flew towards the man.

"Oh dear!"

The man let out a short exclamation and twirled his spear.

With a light spin, the spear knocked down the incoming arrows without a single miss.

It was clear that he was no ordinary fighter.

"You surprised me."

The man muttered as if he was upset, and lightly tapped the end of his spear shaft on the ground.

And the next moment,

Crack!

The sound of flesh and bone being torn echoed.

Behind Hamel,

Something suddenly shot up from the bushes.

Looking closely, it was a long spear.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Impaled on each spear were two people.

"Cough!"

They vomited blood that had flowed back from their torn lungs, along with bits of their insides.

Hamel found their faces familiar.

"R-run away, Lord Hamel. Master Benjamin..."

One of the men, clutching his spilling intestines, murmured with a pale face and then dropped his head.

'Benjamin's escorts.'

As Hamel furrowed his brow, Benjamin emerged from the bushes.

Benjamin's eyes, as he brushed back his gray hair, were frighteningly cold.

"Are you alright?"

At Hamel's question, Benjamin nodded slightly and said,

"I'm fine, but... you need to withdraw for now."

"You know who he is."

Benjamin nodded at Hamel's words.

Was it anger?

Or fear?

Unlike his expressionless face, his eyes were trembling slightly.

"The murderer who caused the massacre in the Maron Civil War. The Laughing Fox of the Pale Cord."

"The Pale Cord."

Hamel groaned softly.

He had heard of them.

An infamous assassination group that operated not only in the Empire but across the continent.

Composed of less than ten members, each one was said to possess monstrous skills.

"Oh dear."

The man, who had been listening quietly from a distance, chuckled as if embarrassed.

"I didn't expect you to recognize me right away. I don't know whether to be happy or sad as an assassin."

Despite his words, he didn't seem particularly troubled.

The members of the assassination group 'Pale Cord' were known for not hiding their identities.

When they killed, they did so flamboyantly, for all to see.

When they enjoyed their daily lives, they strolled leisurely through the city in broad daylight.

As if to say, hire us anytime, or try to kill us.

Some speculated that they had a powerful backer, which would explain their incomprehensible behavior.

"..."

Benjamin stared intently at the grinning man for a moment, then snapped his fingers.

Rustle!

The company's escorts emerged from the bushes.

There were ten of them in total.

Despite the brutal death of their comrade, they didn't waver.

They were elite soldiers, far too skilled to be mere company escorts.

"We'll try to buy some time. Please withdraw, Lord Hamel."

Hamel tilted his head, puzzled.

"...Why?"

Why was Benjamin volunteering to sacrifice himself?

Hamel didn't understand.

Benjamin calmly wiped his monocle and replied,

"It's just a rational calculation. If anyone can survive here, it's you, Lord Hamel."

Benjamin was already certain of death.

No matter how skilled Hamel was in combat, his opponent was a member of the Pale Cord.

There was no chance of winning.

In that case,

'Let's at least get Lord Hamel out of here alive.'

That was the conclusion Benjamin had reached.

Fortunately, Hamel was a man of rare character.

Perhaps he would at least gather the rest of his company in the village and help them escape.

That was all he could hope for.

Just as Benjamin was steeling his resolve,

"No."

Hamel shook his head and took a step towards the smiling man.

"We're all going to get out of this forest alive, every single one of us."

Hamel drew his sword.

Clang!

Benjamin unconsciously shuddered at the chilling sound.

But he quickly regained his composure and urgently tried to dissuade Hamel.

"It's impossible. Aren't you exhausted, Lord Hamel?"

"I'm fine. Please withdraw with Arandel, Benjamin. If you can just reach the village, he won't follow you any further."

The village had a wooden barricade and the soldiers of the Blue Mane Tribe.

Even for the Pale Cord, it would be troublesome to break through the shower of spells and arrows.

In the first place...

"He'll probably withdraw if he kills me."

As Hamel spoke calmly, the Laughing Fox, who had been listening, chuckled with interest.

"Oh? Why do you think so?"

"The stakes that made Lord Tarkasi sick must be the work of the lord of Sorn. He must have needed a justification to wipe out the Blue Mane Tribe from this forest."

The lord had gathered iron and soldiers.

The reason was clear.

To remove the tribe, a thorn in his side, from the territory that had been recognized by the first emperor.

If it weren't for them, more land and resources would fall into his hands.

In other words,

"The order was reversed. It wasn't that the Blue Mane Tribe occupied the road, so he had to subjugate them. It's that he created a situation where the tribe had no choice but to occupy the road in order to subjugate them."

However, it was a mystery how the lord of Sorn had obtained those stakes. He could only guess for now.

"That's an interesting idea... Please continue."

The fox's smile stiffened and became awkward.

Seeing that, Hamel became more confident in his reasoning and continued,

"But if I remove all the stakes like this and Tarkasi and the forest return to normal, the lord's plan will be ruined. That's why the lord of Sorn must have entrusted you with this task."

Hamel stopped speaking and turned his head.

Following his gaze, they saw the cold corpse of Tarkasi.

"To create a new justification."

With their god Tarkasi dead, the tribe would not back down.

The all-out war that was the original goal was already a certainty.

"And trying to kill me on top of that must be because he wants to swallow Heidern whole."

So, if he killed Hamel, there would be no more reason to fight.

Therefore, Hamel's reasoning was that if he died, the Fox would also withdraw.

After Hamel finished speaking, a brief silence fell.

"..."

Then, the Fox burst into laughter and shook his head.

"That's an amazing deduction. Have you changed professions from a priest to a detective?"

Hamel didn't react, but he partly agreed with the Fox's words.

The work of an exorcist priest was to find an unknown enemy, reveal its identity, and resolve the issue.

In a way, it wasn't that different from the work of a detective.

The Fox giggled.

It was a somewhat sardonic laugh.

"But you're wrong about one thing."

The laughing Fox twirled his spear and continued towards Hamel,

"I'm going to kill those guys behind you too. There's no reason not to."

A cold silence fell over the surroundings at the Fox's words.

Hamel stared intently at the Fox for a moment and then nodded.

If he was going to cross the line, there was no need for Hamel to hold back either.

"Give it your best shot."

No further words were needed.

Hamel popped the cork off the flask in his hand and poured it into his mouth.

***

The Fox, watching this, burst into laughter.

"Is that a potion? Or a stimulant? Whatever it is, it won't change the situation just because you drank one..."

Flinch!

The Fox's laughter abruptly stopped.

'What is this?'

An unfamiliar sensation washed over him.

His body tingled with a prickling sensation.

The surrounding air felt heavy.

The atmosphere was completely different from before.

This was supposed to be his hunting ground, his playground.

Suddenly, he felt an out-of-place sensation, like he had been dropped into a jungle, along with a sense of déjà vu.

'I've definitely felt this feeling before...'

Just as he tried to recall something,

Crack!

Hamel, who had been standing in front of him, disappeared.

The Fox reflexively pulled back his spear to protect his chest.

Bang!

At the same time, an intense impact sent him flying backward.

His hands trembled, and the shock traveled through his body.

"...Huh? What did you do?"

"..."

Hamel didn't answer.

He simply stood where he had pushed the Fox back and stared at him with a calm gaze.

A chill ran down the Fox's spine, and he shuddered.

Goosebumps erupted on his skin.

Hamel's blue pupils were fixed on the Fox with a sharp glint.

The eyes of an arrogant and haughty predator.

'I remember.'

I've only experienced this overwhelming pressure once in my life.

The feeling he felt that day when he encountered the leader of the Pale Cord.

'...Am I afraid... me, a member of the Pale Cord?'

"..."

Hamel silently twirled the sword he was holding loosely and slung it over his shoulder.

Then he dashed forward with explosive speed.

Hamel's movements left afterimages as he split to the left and right.

Watching this, the Fox suddenly sighed and adjusted his grip on his spear.

"This is really... not a good deal."

A blue energy gathered at the tip of the spear.

Even after experiencing Hamel's overwhelming power, the Fox didn't back down.

The 'Pale Cord' never avoided any battle, no matter how unfavorable.

That was their ironclad rule.

Rather...

"This is troublesome. Really."

Contrary to his words, the Fox grinned and thrust his spear forward.

An intense light burst from the air.

Aura.

The exclusive domain of knights manifested from his fingertips.

Clang!

Sparks flew with an ear splitting roar that was hard to believe came from metal striking metal.

The spear and sword stopped in mid-air for a brief moment.

The exchange didn't end with a single blow.

Hamel, with beast-like movements, swung his sword again and again, pushing the Fox back.

Clang! Crack! Clang! Clang!

And the Fox parried every blow, wielding his spear with a speed that was hard to follow with the naked eye.

"Hahahaha! This is terrifying. You're like a beast!"

The Fox burst into laughter, seemingly enjoying himself, and thrust his spear forward.

After several exchanges, the Fox, finding an opening in Hamel's swordsmanship as he swung his sword with all his might, quickly thrust his spear towards Hamel's neck.

However,

Clang!

Hamel lightly deflected the attack with a wave of his hand.

"Did you just parry a spear coated in aura with your bare hand?"

The Fox clicked his tongue and stepped back.

Hamel's sleeve was slightly torn and fluttering from the Fox's attack.

A pattern like reptilian scales was visible on the pale back of his hand, revealed from within the torn sleeve.

"It doesn't seem like divine power or magic... Could it be that you're also from a western clan?"

"..."

When Hamel didn't answer, the Fox scratched his cheek awkwardly and said,

"You've become quite taciturn. Have you really become a beast? Anyway... I just hope we're not fighting amongst 'the same clan'."

The Fox chuckled and spun his spear, then tapped the ground with the shaft.

The next moment,

Crack!

A sharp spear blade shot up from beneath Hamel's feet.

"...!"

Hamel barely dodged the spear, which seemed poised to pierce his chin, by twisting his neck.

The blade grazed his cheek, passing through his hair.

A cut opened on Hamel's cheek, and blood trickled down.

The Fox, seeing this, grinned and adjusted his grip on the spear.

"Now, from now on, I'll give it my all. So..."

"..."

"Please. You too, give it your all."

As he spoke, the Fox tapped the ground with the end of his spear shaft.

The ground split open, and dozens of spears began to emerge.

***

Benjamin and Arandel couldn't move an inch, witnessing a sight they couldn't believe even with their own eyes.

More than anything,

'It's terrifying.'

It wasn't just the Laughing Fox.

Hamel, who had somehow transformed into a completely different person, was also strangely eerie.

Just looking at his cold and sharp appearance made them feel like their hands would be cut.

They couldn't even breathe properly and simply watched the battle unfold.

They felt like their heads would roll if they made even the slightest move.

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]