The Wandering Priest in Dark Fantasy

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]

Chapter 64: Demon Hunting (5)

"GAAAAH!"

"It's alright now."

Hamel invoked his Azure flames, cauterizing the injured person's skin.@@novelbin@@

Flesh regenerated from the wound that had been gushing blood.

The patient, their expression eased, fell into a sleep-like faint.

Hamel looked around and called out to Lena,

"Please prepare more saltwater. There are still many suffering from magic poisoning."

"Yes, I'll bring it right away."

Consuming saltwater was remarkably effective in purging magic poisoning.

More than half of the citizens were injured.

He didn't know how many days it would take to treat them all.

Nevertheless, Hamel continued to work diligently, reaching as many as he could.

Galahad, observing this with a complicated expression, sighed and approached him.

"Sir Hamel."

"Ah, Sir Galahad."

Hamel straightened up and greeted Galahad.

"How is Sir Tristan?"

"...He cried for a long time and fell asleep."

"Please comfort him. It's alright if he resents me."

Hamel hoped that the boy could find the will to live by hating him, if that's what it took.

But Galahad shook his head and said,

"Sir Tristan understands the situation intellectually. He just needs time to process it."

"..."

Too much had happened for an innocent child to bear.

He would probably never see that innocent smile again.

Hamel nodded with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"On a separate note, it seems I'll be acting as the lord of Lonely Ridge for the time being."

"I see."

As the knight commander, Galahad would surely do well as the acting lord.

While thinking this, Galahad suddenly held something out to Hamel.

"...?"

"It's a contract."

Hamel unfolded it with a puzzled expression.

What was written there was completely unexpected.

"All tariffs and bridge tolls are waived for the Heidern Merchant Guild... This is?"

Hamel's eyes widened as he looked at Galahad.

Galahad gave a faint smile and shrugged.

"It's a small token compared to saving the territory. If the Grand Duke and Sir Tristan permit it later, we promise to provide more compensation."

Hamel was momentarily speechless at the unexpected gift.

After a pause, he expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you."

"The honor is ours. May Heidern prosper."

"May fortune favor Lonely Ridge."

The two lightly shook hands.

Hamel could feel deep trust emanating from Galahad's grip.

***

The lord of Lonely Ridge had been executed, and all remnants of the demon had been swept away.

More residents had survived than expected.

Nevertheless, chaos in the territory was inevitable.

Many people had died.

Among them were the families and neighbors of the survivors.

Furthermore, the story of the lord's collusion with the demon spread quickly.

Having lost their leader and their families, they were understandably in turmoil.

"What should we do now..."

Rupert, experiencing this for the first time, spoke with a weary look.

He had barely survived that hellish battlefield, but the fight wasn't over.

He had to care for the injured knights and soldiers and reassure the distraught villagers.

He had been collecting corpses, distributing relief supplies, and running around all night, but there was no end in sight.

The only reason they were able to do all this was because of one person.

Hamel Saint Gilmore.

It was all thanks to him.

"Please bear with it a little longer."

He had been going around the battlefield since sunrise, treating the wounded without a moment's rest.

It was dedication and sacrifice befitting the name of a saint.

If it weren't for him, they wouldn't have even reached this outcome.

He himself would have become a puppet of the demon without knowing anything.

Furthermore, the demon would have spread like a tumor, repeating massacres and infections in Lonely Ridge and the surrounding territories.

That man had stopped it all by himself.

The realization sent shivers down Rupert's spine.

'It was an unbelievable fight.'

Hamel's battle was something he had never heard of or seen before.

Could he have won against that demon if it had been him?

Absolutely not.

That enemy was so powerful that he wasn't even sure if all his knights combined could have won.

Hamel had effortlessly defeated that demon as if handling a mere child.

On the other hand, what about himself?

Hadn't he been preoccupied with satisfying his petty competitive spirit, obsessed with the swordsmanship tournament?

Hamel existed on a different level compared to Rupert.

'...I see.'

Rupert realized the nature of the vague emotion he felt towards Hamel.

It was the same kind of feeling he had felt when he looked at his own father.

Respect and admiration.

I want to follow that person. And I want to be like that person.

Rupert thought so.

"Sir Rupert."

Just then, Hamel, who had finished treating the last of the wounded, approached Rupert.

"Yes, what is it, Sir Hamel?"

Rupert addressed Hamel with a title for the first time, but Hamel continued speaking without noticing.

"We've done all we can. It's time for us to leave."

"Leave?"

Rupert's eyes widened at Hamel's words.

But Hamel spoke calmly, as if his mind was made up.

"We've sent messengers to the nearby churches for help, so others will take care of the rest."

Hamel couldn't stay here and manage the villagers.

That would be overstepping his boundaries, and it was beyond his capabilities in the first place.

The Order, the Glenvale clan, the Grand Duke of the North, and Galahad would handle the affairs of this territory.

"We're pursuing someone. He may be the one who caused this whole incident. He stayed here for a while and then headed to Sturnhelm."

"Sturnhelm... you say?"

The castle ruled by the Glenvale clan and the heart of the North.

That was the fortress city of Sturnhelm, known as the Iron Fortress.

Rupert seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.

"May I accompany you?"

"Sir Rupert?"

Hamel tilted his head in surprise.

Rupert hurriedly said,

"Please, I'm worried about my territory after seeing what happened here. And if I go with you, it will be easier to find the whereabouts of the person you're chasing."

"That makes sense."

Hamel nodded in agreement and replied,

"Alright. I'll have to ask Sir Galahad for the rest."

"My knights will help with the recovery efforts. I can go alone."

Hamel nodded in satisfaction at Rupert's answer.

"Sir Galahad will be very grateful. Then, I'll see you later."

With that, Hamel approached his companions.

Ono, Daniel, and Lena, was it?

They were also contributing to the territory's recovery with their own abilities.

"If they hadn't passed through here..."

Rupert quietly swallowed the assumption he had been harboring.

Because such an unfortunate future had not come to pass, and it should not.

Rupert was simply grateful to Hamel, who had saved him and countless lives.

***

"Leaving without rest? At this rate, we'll die from overwork before we even fight a demon!"

Ono lamented with his eyes rolling back.

But there was nothing he could do.

His companions, Daniel and Lena, simply nodded at Hamel's words.

"Don't you guys have a sense of self? Will you die if he tells you to?"

"I'm in a lot of debt. I can't refuse."

Daniel chuckled and loaded his saddlebags.

Lena also shrugged and replied,

"I guess we'll see when the time comes. It's fine if it's reasonable."

"...Crazy bastards."

Ono clicked his tongue with a look of disbelief and started walking.

"Aren't you coming? Then we'll leave without you."

At Daniel's question, Ono jumped and shouted,

"I'm just going to the bathroom! Wait for me, I'll be right back."

Daniel couldn't help but laugh at Ono's bluster.

Hamel asked with a curious expression,

"When did you two become so close?"

"Well, we're about the same age, so it just happened. He's a fun friend to tease."

Daniel was twenty-eight years old.

Come to think of it, Ono seemed to be around that age too.

Maybe a year or two younger.

'But the two of them don't look like they're anywhere near the same age.'

Ono's way of speaking was like that of a man in his 50s, but his face was relatively youthful.

His actions were also simple, giving him a childlike quality.

On the other hand, there was Daniel.

His speech, behavior, and his very being were remarkably mature.

Pondering this fact, Hamel realized that perhaps age wasn't so important after all.

"Sir Daniel, you're very mature."

"..."

At Hamel's compliment, Daniel made a strange expression.

Then he replied hesitantly,

"Hearing that from you... it doesn't sound like a compliment."

"...?"

Hamel, completely unaware of how others perceived him, simply tilted his head.

He turned to Lena and asked,

"Lena, did you understand what Sir Daniel meant?"

"Yes, Priest-nim, you're quite mature for your age. How should I put it..."

"...?"

Lena, searching for the right words, blurted out,

"You seem like an old soul."

"...!"

Hamel couldn't hide his shock.

He hadn't expected to be called an old soul by Lena, the youngest of the group.

"I see."

Hamel nodded slowly and fell silent for a moment.

Seeing this, Lena seemed flustered and spoke up,

"I'm sorry. I'm not good with words... I didn't mean anything bad by it."

"Huh? Oh, no, not at all."

Hamel seemed to snap out of his thoughts and reacted belatedly.

Then, after a moment of contemplation, he suddenly spoke,

"Do you remember the promise I made before? About something I wanted to ask you."

"Yes, I remember."

After rescuing her in the ancient tree forest, Hamel had wanted to ask Lena something.

He was referring to that matter now.

"Lena, you approached the abandoned building where the other students were trapped that day."

"Yes."

Lena nodded calmly.

Hamel asked,

"Why? Weren't they bullying you?"

She could have chosen to escape.

He didn't know if she would have succeeded, but trying to save the students was undoubtedly a choice that would lead to her death.

Why did she choose such a sacrifice?

"...Well, one thing's for sure, I didn't forgive them."

She tilted her head slightly.

She seemed unsure why she had made that choice herself.

At that time, she had punched the ringleader of the bullies in the face.

Her anger had not been insignificant.

Lost in thought, she shrugged.

"My feet just moved on their own."

"Without you knowing?"

"Yes."

Hamel stared at Lena for a moment.

Then, Lena asked curiously,

"But isn't that the same for you, Hamel-nim?"

"...Me?"

"You risked your life to catch the demon in the magic tower. And here in Lonely Ridge, it's the same. If you had only thought about your own safety, this outcome wouldn't have happened."

"...That's… different… I just made a rational choice..."

As Hamel tried to retort, Lena firmly shook her head.

"No. It's not just you, Priest-nim. Ono-nim, Sir Daniel too. And even the Knight Commander of Lonely Ridge and that rude Rupert or whatever his name is, they all risked their lives, didn't they?"

Lena turned her head and looked towards the square.

The surviving villagers were gathered there.

Even though they might be anxious, grieving, and struggling now, they had survived.

And that was...

"Because there were people who risked their lives to protect them."

"..."

Hamel slowly nodded.

It was true.

Hamel always struggled to save as many people as possible.

And that wasn't just Hamel's belief.

Many people moved, ready to lay down their lives to protect others.

Where does the desire to save people come from?

What is its source?

Good

'Ah.'

Hamel felt as if something stifling had cleared away.

Recently, he had felt his convictions wavering slightly.

It was because he had faced human weakness after entering the territory of Lonely Ridge.

The Forest Keeper of the cabin.

The lord of Lonely Ridge.

They had driven others to suffering with their desires and misguided love.

But that wasn't all there was to humans.

'Oh God, humans are evil at times, but that's not all there is to their nature.'

They hated, resented, envied, and were jealous of each other.

Nevertheless, somewhere in people's hearts existed an innate goodness.

The village headman of Barina Village who saved the newborn baby, Antonio, and Lena were like that.

Only then did Hamel smile quietly.

Humans possessed both good and evil, and weakness coexisted within them.

That was what it meant to be human.

That's why he had to protect them.

To prevent them from falling into darkness.

To guide them towards the light according to God's teachings.

That was his calling as a priest.

Just then,

"You haven't left yet, have you? Just you try leaving me behind."

He heard Ono grumbling in the distance, hurrying back.

Despite his rough words, his will was firm.

He would do what he believed was right, even if it meant death.

"Let's go. Let's watch Ono run back in surprise."

Daniel chuckled and mounted his horse.

Lena and Hamel, who made eye contact with him, nodded at the same time.

"That sounds fun."

"I agree."

The two quickly mounted their horses.

Rupert, who had finished his preparations, was also approaching, waving at them.

"Shall we depart then?"

"Let's go. Towards Sturnhelm."

Hamel pulled the reins.

The horse started to run, its legs stretching out refreshingly.

The further north they rode, the sharper the cold wind felt against their cheeks.

The journey ahead would not be easy either.

But Hamel wasn't afraid.

Before, he had endured fear solely for revenge, but now it was different.

He had companions who shared his beliefs.

As long as he didn't abandon his faith, God's teachings would guide his path.

Hamel smiled faintly without realizing it.

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]