Night of the Soulless Heathens – 55



#55. Darkness of Salasma 3

It was because an arrow flew past his head.

“Why are you shooting arrows in this narrow place!”

“Oh it’s okay! Don’t you trust my skills?”

“It’s not a matter of believing it or not… Evil!”

Tarki screamed. The were rat had raised its claws and was scraping at his breastplate. He was able to dodge the were rat’s swinging hatchet but he could not dodge the claws.

Although he was not injured Tarki screamed at the horrible sound of the were rat scraping against his breastplate and the ferocity of the were rats that could be heard through the armor.

“Kekekeke! Humans are weak! We who have received Mejeri’s blessing are the masters of this era!”

The Wear Rat roared and launched a fierce attack on Tarki.

“Wow!”

Tarki kept stepping back making a sound that was either a scream or a yell.

The Were Rat’s reflexes are faster than those of a human. In addition the sight of it drooling like a rabid dog and striking with both hands is terrifying.

A series of continuous attacks continued to attack Tarki. Tarki parried Wear Rat’s attacks with his longsword but since his opponent was so fast he had to step back every time. Blood spurted out every time his claws and the hammer in his hand touched his longsword.

So Wear Rat was beating like a mad dog without fear of cutting or hurting his fingers by hitting with his hand.

“Help me too!”

Tarki screamed but the path was so narrow that there was no way for others to help.

-puck!

Tarki is not a knight for nothing and he successfully withstands Wear Rat’s attack and stabs its neck with a counterattack.

“Crrrrr!”

Even the maddened Were Rat couldn’t stand it as it fell clutching its neck as it pierced its throat. Minor wounds like scratches were healed by its rapid regenerative power but if it suffered a fatal wound like the one just now this rapid regenerative power would instead cause pain.

The were rat drowns alive as blood flows from its throat into its lungs panting.

“Okay! I won!”

Tarki was delighted. However Wear Rat did not die even in this situation. The one who had been hit by Medium’s arrow pulled out the arrow that had pierced his brain and got up.

“Wow! I have to finish this off quickly.”

Tarki stabbed the back of the Wear Rat’s head with his longsword trying to cut off the groaning air from his sword. The blade cut through the cervical vertebrae and passed forward but the Wear Rat gripped the blade tightly at that moment.

“Ugh?!”

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be heavy.

Wear Rat who had recovered and pulled out an arrow rushed towards Tarki who was panicking after having his blade caught by the enemy in an instant. He was helpless and could not move.

That was when.

“Get out of the way.”

Azadin grabbed Tarki’s body and threw him backwards then leapt forward and swung his hatchet.

-puck!

The head of the were rat that was jumping in burst from below and its brain splashed out behind. No matter how strong the were rat was it was unable to withstand this attack and died instantly.

“no….”

Wear Rat who was holding the blade while impaled on his body doubted the situation before his eyes. He was hit by a small hand axe and the force was no joke. Moreover Azadin grabbed the hilt of the longsword instead of Tarki…

The knees of the Wear Rat holding the longsword buckled. It had collapsed unable to withstand Azadin’s strength.

‘Oh my… What an incredible force! What is this?’

Wear Rat broke out in a cold sweat.

“Well then… let’s talk. What are you doing with the person you kidnapped? Where did you put the noble lady you kidnapped?”

Azadin interrogated the wear rat holding Tarki’s sword.

“We ate them all. Kill kill. If you want to find someone you’ll have to dig through our shit pile.”

“You’re giving a useless answer.”

Azadin as if he had nothing more to say grabbed Tarki’s hilt and raised the sword swinging it. The Were Rat who had been holding onto the blade had his neck torn off and his fingers were cut off.

“Krrrrrrr.”

A strange sound came from Wear Rat’s throat… and half of its neck was cut off. Its regenerative powers and all were so fatally damaged that it died instantly without being able to survive.

“Are you going to kill me? I have to ask about my mother’s whereabouts…”

“There’s nothing these guys can tell you anyway. They’re just servants.”

Azadin returned the sword to Tarki and went forward. After walking a little he saw an exit blocked by an iron door.

“ah.”

Leaning against the iron bars I looked outside and saw that it was connected to a dry riverbank. A tiny trickle of water flowed along the ground joining the river and a refugee camp was built around it.

I heard a familiar voice that I had heard a little while ago.

“The end of days is near! As Jupiter approaches its gravity will cause the Netherstrom to boil awakening the ancient demons that have been sleeping within! On the day when the demons who are older than the gods of Kurt awaken the line between the living and the dead will blur and all will be judged! Repent! Share what you have with the poor and prepare for judgment!”

The doomsday preacher that Azadin and his party had seen as they climbed the hill was still talking passionately.

“That doomsday theorist?”

“That’s right.”

Azadin turned around and examined the corpses of the were rats he had killed earlier. Inside their arms were a few coins the emblem of the Kurt god Mezeri the King of Rats painted on dirty leather and a key.

“This leather… is it leather?”

Azadin stuck out his tongue at the foul taste of the Were Rats who carved emblems into human skins then took the key and opened the iron gate.

“You said your mother went missing last night?”

“yes.”

“Let’s find him quickly. He might still be alive but it’s dangerous tonight. If we had time we wouldn’t have to go through this iron cage but would have taken a detour…”

If you go outside the iron gate you will be exposed to the eyes of enemies hiding among the refugees outside. The opponents can hide in the crowd but this side is exposed so if you are investigating you will go back to the original path and approach.

However if he continued to stall like that the Baroness could become prey to the Were Rats. To save time Azadin jumped out of the iron gate.

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*********

It was a sloping area under a bridge. Originally it was a flood-prone area so no buildings should have been built there but because there had been no spring rain and it had been dry all along the river water had drastically decreased and the sloping area was completely dry.

There refugees were lying down wrapped in blankets and living by catching and eating rats moles and all sorts of animals. The smell of animal blood filled the air because people were catching rats skinning them and cleaning them.

“There are so many people that it’s hard to find something.”

When the knight Tarki appeared the people looked at Azadin and his party with fear and hostility.

‘I’m screwed.’

The refugees all seem hostile and fearful so I don’t know which of them are part of the organization that kidnapped the people. Then Medium asked.

“The Rescue Team is providing relief to the refugees here?”

“That’s right. I see a blanket with the Rescue Knights emblem on it.”

“You said you were going to take volunteers from among the children?”

“That’s right. Just as our clan needs servants and merchants.”

In order for the Knights Templar to be maintained many people are needed under them.

“Then those who have the system to transport people from here are the Rescue Knights?”

As he spoke Medium pointed to a building. He could see the Church of the Knights Templar standing near the riverbank. It was originally built to provide relief to the poor living in areas prone to flooding but it was a decent wooden building with a roof and walls among the refugees who were lying around wrapped in a few blankets.

“….”

If you want to kidnap and imprison or transport the Baroness that building is the perfect place. No it’s safe to say there’s no other place like it.

Unless all the refugees are Wear Rat or Kurt cultists that’s the only place they can hide from human attention.

“So what you’re saying is that the branch of the Salvation Knights is actually a group of Kurt cultists? Hmm… That can’t be….”

“…?”

“Huh?”

Midiam and Ismail were surprised by Azadin’s reaction.

“Are you in your right mind?”

“Oh no I know what you’re saying is right when I look at the details but it’s kind of hard to believe.”

“What does that mean?”

“You are a messenger not a rescuer.”

“I know. I know it’s ridiculous.”

Azadin sighed and approached a doomsday preacher who happened to be walking among the refugees holding a sign.

“excuse me.”

“Oh! Repent young man. The age of Jupiter is coming.”

“Have you eaten by any chance?”

The doomsday theorist flinched as Azadin asked that question and took out a biscuit from his backpack.

“That’s it?”

“The people of the world have turned away from virtue and despite the sacrifices of the three Archangels difficult and painful tribulations continue unabated. In these times there is a voice of conscience that awakens people’s vigilance so I hope that you will give them the opportunity to accumulate small virtues through this small offering.”

Azadin was a skilled imitator of the Angel Faith. No it wasn’t an imitation. Azadin was indeed a believer of the Angel Faith.

Azadin’s attitude was so plausible that it made the doomsday theorists feel ashamed.

“Oh what a fine young man you are! How faithful! How faithful! You put me to shame!”

Azadin handed the doomsday preacher a lump of biscuits. These days food is expensive due to drought and hardship. But the doomsday preacher was deeply moved by the attitude of thanking him for giving him the opportunity to accumulate virtue while giving him food.

“I pray that the protection of the three archangels will be with you. You will go to a good place in the next life.”

The Heralds have committed the grave sin of killing the King of God so they have no souls and will simply die and disappear and are looked down upon by the people of Hybris. However this doomsday theorist did not even dream that Azadin was a Herald and blessed and praised him even mentioning the afterlife.

“By the way is the relief center over there… in operation?”

“Oh I heard that the relief center was closed because the building was old. So volunteers from the parish in the warehouse district came to help with the relief work.”

“I see. Have you ever been in there?”

“I went in there a long time ago but I haven’t been in recently. That relief center looks like a small hut from the outside but it was remodeled from a place that was used as a liquor storehouse so there’s a cave that goes into the ground. However they stopped using it because they said poisonous gases were coming out of there.”

“Okay I understand. Thank you.”

Azadin listened to the story from the doomsday theorist and sighed.