Chapter 42
The situation was like this. The group, who had stopped at a seemingly normal village on their way to the Toriento Bishopric, woke up the next morning to find the village in complete chaos. A mother and midwife from one household had been strangled to death, and the husband was babbling nonsense, completely out of his mind.
The villagers, suspecting the group of Nun Knights who had just arrived the day before, quickly turned their suspicions on them. After a show of force silenced the villagers, the group had no choice but to take on the unexpected role of occult detectives to find the culprit.
And the result? Well…
The husband, who had accompanied them as a spiritual medium to track down the baby, stabbed the baby’s heart with a silver stake as soon as the group subdued and neutralized it. Then, using the same stake, he took his own life by stabbing his own throat.
Later, they found the man’s diary, which detailed his tragic fate.
It turned out that his family had been vampire hunters for generations, with children born wrapped in white amniotic sacs. Disillusioned with the family’s legacy, the man chose a normal life. When his wife became pregnant, he was overjoyed but also worried about the fate of a child born wrapped in white.
But who could have imagined that the child would be born wrapped in a red amniotic sac, as the family’s sworn enemy—a vampire? And that immediately after birth, it would strangle the mother and midwife before fleeing? It was a result he could never have anticipated.
{This is no natural phenomenon. That instrument must have been involved.}
As Esras-Hermes said, it was indeed the case.
Those born wrapped in white amniotic sacs, the vampire hunters, were a revered mystery even acknowledged by the Church Order. They were heroic humans born with the innate qualities to be natural enemies of vampires.
Vampires, twisted creatures influenced by outerworldly evil gods, were not part of the natural ecosystem. Though their mechanisms differed, their origins were no different from demons. Vampire hunters were born to erase the influence of these evil gods, acting as the world’s antibodies.
And those who passed down this power and destiny through generations were known as the “hunter families.”
{Had it been a naturally born vampire hunter or a hunter family fulfilling their destiny normally, they wouldn’t have been so easily influenced by that instrument. But he, despite being born wrapped in white, chose not to follow his destiny, creating a gap that the instrument exploited.}
Still, if they had been able to better counter the Great Demon’s schemes, the man might have avoided such a tragedy. The mother would have given birth normally, and the couple could have raised their beloved child.
The more Sophia thought about it, the more her mouth soured.
Regardless, after a journey filled with chatter and mishaps, they finally arrived at the foothills of the Alps Mountain Range. Beyond these mountains lay Toriento.
“I never thought I’d cross this path again so soon,” Hildegard grumbled.
“When I first crossed this pass to be appointed as a Nun Knight, it was truly grueling.”
“Stop exaggerating,” Sophia scolded Hildegard.
“The Saint Gotthard Pass is a bit rough, but it’s not that dangerous. Many merchants travel this very route.”
“Enough with the old-timer talk. No matter what you say, the fact remains that wagons or carts can’t pass through here.”
The high altitudes were covered in perpetual snow, while the lower areas were muddy marshes. Glaciers had carved out the terrain, leaving crevasses that resembled the beaks of monsters, ready to trap the careless or unlucky.
Of course, no one in Sophia’s group was weak enough to be threatened by such things, but it was still unsettling.
Crossing the Alps took nearly ten days. Spending ten days in the mountains was harsher than one might think, but camping with Sophia and Hildegard, both Nun Knights, and Conra, a Druid and Alchemist, made the harshness more bearable. All three were robust and skilled in camping.
One night, as Conra stirred a stew pot over the campfire, he suddenly remarked, “Come to think of it, we haven’t seen any monsters since entering the Alps.”
Now that he mentioned it, it was true. Before entering the mountains, they had encountered monsters or bandits almost daily. But since entering the Alps, they hadn’t run into any monsters at all.
Hildegard chuckled and said to Conra, “Not just that. Feel the energy around us. Doesn’t it feel different?”
Conra closed his eyes and heightened his Qi Sense, then exclaimed in surprise, “Indeed, I sense an unusually pure natural energy. It feels like the spirits are rejoicing.”
What surprised Conra the most was the absence of any malevolent energy. Could such a place really exist? How was this possible? Sensing his confusion, Sophia smirked and explained, “The Alps are where the Grand Master first awakened the Light Power. Since then, many clergy have come here to follow in his footsteps. It’s a holy land, so it’s no wonder monsters dare not approach.”
Hearing this, Conra’s view of the mountain scenery changed. Indeed, the stories behind a place often enhance its beauty.
The majestic yet monotonous mountain scenery now seemed sacred under the moonlight.
Suddenly, Conra’s eyes sparkled with an idea. “Master, do you think we might encounter any clergy practicing here?”
“Perhaps, if fate allows,” Sophia replied, though inwardly she wondered if Conra’s idealized image of the clergy would shatter if they did meet. After all, most clergy who came to the Alps were eccentric to the extreme.
Even though Paladins and Nun Knights were seen as odd by ordinary people, Sophia certainly didn’t consider herself one of them.
Hildegard, sharing similar thoughts, wiped the smile from her face and said seriously, “Here’s some advice: it’s best not to hope to meet the clergy here. They’re not exactly good for your mental health.”
The clergy who came to the Alps were obsessed with uncovering the truth and enlightenment the Grand Master had achieved. They were akin to master-level spell researchers, rare even among spellcasters.
As a result, the clergy in the Alps were known for their bizarre behaviors. Some roamed the snowy peaks naked to maximize skin contact with the Grand Master’s lingering presence, while others walked on their hands despite having perfectly good legs.
In short, if you could imagine it, the clergy of the Alps had probably already done it.
Hearing this, Conra couldn’t help but exclaim, “What? Seriously?”
“Of course! Would your master lie to you?” Sophia affirmed, causing Conra to shudder and rub his arms.
“After hearing that, I hope we can pass through without meeting any of them.”
“It won’t be easy, but let’s hope for the best. Honestly, they’re really troublesome.”
Sophia and Hildegard nodded in agreement, shaking their heads.
But as always, their hopes were dashed. Right after they spoke, a hearty, booming laugh echoed around them.
“Hahahaha, Sister Chazel! It’s hardly good teaching to badmouth others to your disciple, don’t you think?”
The laughter, though seemingly distant, was clear and accompanied by a faint echo.
“This is bad,” Sophia muttered, sweat forming on her brow. Her face was already filled with displeasure.
When the laughter and echoes faded, the group’s gaze naturally turned to one spot, drawn by a strange and profound presence.
There stood a man, silhouetted against the landscape.
He wore minimal clothing, his muscular body on full display. His eyes were covered with thick cloth, his hair shaved on the sides and left long in a dreadlocked style tied with a cord. His beard was similarly braided and tied.
Barefoot, he stood on the cold snow and ground of the Alps, his muscular physique accentuated by his scant attire. And he struck an unusual pose.
“It’s been a while since Sister Chazel passed through the Alps, so I came upon hearing the news! The insights and enlightenment you shared with me last time! I’ve since gained new understanding through relentless effort. Let’s compare notes once more!”
Sophia, overwhelmed by his appearance, covered her eyes with her hand and let out a sigh.
