Hero’s Downfall Report

60 – Report on the Fall of Humility (8)

It is evening. The sun tilts and peeks beyond. It looks like he’s trying to see if there’s a place to lie down. But the city of Emmaus is as bright as day. This was because there was a plain beyond the horizon, so there was nothing to block the sunlight.

The streets are boiling over. This is because heat radiates from the exterior wall of the building. It was painted white to reflect as much sunlight as possible, but it looked very angry after standing there all day.

Because of that, Cain walked through the market blinking quite often.

Even though it is Emmaus, the market is closed at this time, but it is more noisy than midday. This is because merchants who could not go out of the city opened stalls on the streets.

I saw a real scene where caravans and caravan merchants were exchanging goods with each other. City guards and government officials also look at the items on display as if they have given up on maintaining order. Perhaps at this time, vendors selling carbonated water are walking around. A loud, joyful melody rings out.

Cain, who was looking at her stall, picked up one of them. It is a small flute, about as long and as thick as her little finger.

Even though it was small in size, if you blew on it with all your might, it made a sharp, ear-piercing sound. She said she was used as a wasteland distress dragon. At this level, she would probably be able to ask for help outside of Arianne even if she was locked alone in her room.

The pagan merchant must have been grateful to Cain for not even negotiating her price, so he gave her necklace string, which he said was made from twisted animal tendons, for free.

Because there was so little information to use as a basis for judgment, Cain, Lily, and Maria decided to just set a policy.

What was certain was that Cain would enter Arianne’s room alone, that Arianne would burn the azas grass, and that once she entered, it would become difficult for her to communicate with the outside world.

So, Lily and Maria decided to wait at the Holy Grail Knights guard post, armed and wearing a cloak.

Arianne’s house is in the middle of the Samaritan area, so it was impossible for her to sneak in or disguise herself. She decided that it would be better to put pressure on her outright.

“The problem is, what do you do if you get addicted to Asas grass so quickly that you can’t even play the flute?”

At Cain’s concern, Mary looked on with her surprised eyes.

“Didn’t you know a lot about Asas grass? “I heard it has a calming effect and an awakening effect.”

“You don’t learn at the Security Bureau. However, there is a separate department that handles drugs and poisons well. Usually, you only learn the basics, or you learn more about how to use it. “Most of them are just ways to avoid being harmed or emergency measures rather than for their own use.”

“Ah.” Maria, understanding her situation, nodded her head.

“There’s nothing to worry about. They say you see hallucinations, but to get to that point you have to be exposed slowly over a long period of time. It has to be more than three months, right? Rather, what is more dangerous than that is addiction.

Arianne, did you see it? Of course, addiction takes a long time, but once it breaks down, it eats away at your spirit endlessly. “If he had truly possessed people as soon as he took charge, we should have shown signs of abnormality from the first time we visited.”

It made sense. Cain didn’t have any symptoms, and Maria and Lily ended up just feeling uncomfortable. Maria rubbed her forehead as if she remembered something.

“Ah. There is. It’s a rumor that’s been going around, but it’s said that some western pagans extract the juice of Asas grass, boil it, and use it as a powerful hallucinogen. Is it used as anesthesia in surgery? But that requires a lot of glue and the process is complicated, so I don’t think there’s much to worry about.”

“What if exposed?”

“You have to get it out of the body. Either throw up or… “Maria shrugged her shoulders. “The best thing is to drink water with a lot of salt dissolved in it.”

So, Cain bought some finely ground rock salt at the market. Since the water was in the spring next to the house, he decided that if he poured some rock salt into his mouth and drank the water, it would somehow work. Of course, if you are conscious enough to go to the spring.

Preparations are complete. She also carried a staff, and the imperial sword she wore on her belt was quietly placed in its sheath. Now it’s time to head east.

As he walked, Khain thought about Shahzah al-Dur. He thought it was impossible to know why he had poisoned his daughter with such a hard-to-find weed.

It is necessary to find out whether it was already like that before he became a ‘warrior’ or whether it happened after he returned, but either way, Shazakh would have known that the situation was not good.

‘Why did they kill him? Why did he die? What kind of situation must it be for both the person who killed and the person who died to smile happily? Maybe he was under the influence of drugs… ‘Thoughts passed through my head.

There was a commotion ahead, so Cain stopped her steps. The Holy Grail Knights, city guards, and even soldiers from the Southwestern Command were lined up along the central street. People at City Hall were seen running around sweating profusely.

“Let’s buy a glass of water! We offer it for cheap! “It’s a refreshing carbonated water that you can’t taste anywhere else in the country!”

There was a carbonated water seller here too. She was a strong man with a better body than she expected.

It was difficult to see her face with a white cloth wrapped around her head, but her voice was loud yet cheerful. Cain gave the money as if it were a fee for using the information.

The seller put down the large bucket of water on his back and handed me a gourd. When I put it down on the floor, I heard the sound of metal hitting.

It wasn’t as cool as it sounds. In terms of temperature alone, she was lukewarm.

But the feeling of something popping in her mouth was unique. It’s a refreshing feeling that’s captivating without getting you drunk, similar to when you drink beer that’s so fresh that the bubbles are still alive.

“Would you like another drink? How is it?”

“The water became.” Cain handed over the money. “What on earth is going on out there?”

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“Ah. Excuse me?” The salesman grinned. “Oh my. The eastern guys are sitting there camped out. They say there’s not enough water. Aren’t they funny? “There are two large, wide springs over there, but the ones west of here are just wells.”

“Aren’t there more people living over there?”

“Why don’t you just say that to the soldiers over there?” The salesman grunted and bent his knees to carry the luggage on his back.

As I made my way through the crowd, I saw her mayor chatting with a relatively well-dressed Samaritan.

The Samaritan kept waving her arms and talking passionately about something, but the mayor just smiled and shook her head. Perhaps in relation to water use, they are asking to be allowed to use the well to the west.

Beside them, people holding buckets of water were lined up along the main street with pitiful expressions.

Cain saw her children in his eyes. She was dressed in shabby clothes, no different from her adults.

The children also gurgled as if they were thirsty. I also saw a guy who looked a bit older putting a large button in the mouth of a small kid.

‘If you swallow it like that…’ ‘

Cain called the salesman earlier and called the thick-haired guy with her hand. He approached hesitantly. The guard waved his spear as if he had nothing to do with it, but Cain waved his hand away.

“Let’s pass by.”

The guard stepped down, probably because he thought he wasn’t from here.

“Let’s buy all that water.”

“Yes?”

“I buy everything. “Give me those kids.”

The salesman made a fuss as if he wanted to see everything, but he still didn’t turn down the money.

The thick-haired kid quickly ran over with a smile and picked up a bowl overflowing with carbonated water. Although she was short, her physique was quite compact.

I handed it out to the youngest of the children who had already crowded next to me.

“Can’t these kids drink carbonated water freely? “He’s from Emmaus.”

“You have to pay to drink carbonated water.” The salesman whispered, slightly stepping away from the grinning kid with missing front teeth.

“Even if we are fellow citizens, there are no exceptions. It is managed by City Hall and sold by City Hall. Otherwise, wouldn’t all kinds of bastards take it out and sell it? “These are all policies for the citizens of Emmaus.”

Cain looked at her salesman with puzzled eyes. The salesman is rather confident.

“I also run my business with dignity. I also received permission from city hall. “Would you like me to show you the permit?”

“No. “There is no such thing.” Cain shook her head. She instead bent her knees towards her thick-haired guy.

“I drank water, so please give me directions.”

Thanks to this, Cain ended up looking quite strange, walking while being escorted by the kids in her neighborhood.

The Samaritans looked at the children strangely, but did not say anything when they saw that the children were so happy. Since Cain’s clothes were those of an outsider and not those of an Emmausian, she must have thought he was just an immature tourist.

“Can’t you drink water on the other side of the road?”

“What should I do?” The child hesitated. “If I go, I’ll be lucky if I don’t end up being embarrassed or criticized. Even though all taxes are collected regularly. Instead, people from that side don’t come this way, so it’s all the same.”

“You speak well. “You’re smart.”

“Because the Rabbi taught me.” She smiled brightly and bared her teeth. But she soon became depressed.

“Why do good people leave early, mister?”

“I don’t think it’s something a child should say.”

“Adults say that.”

“It’s not you, man. And… well. Why. “I’m already on my way to find out.”

“I’m sure the westerners killed him.” The child answered bluntly. Cain tried to tell her that she shouldn’t do that.

However, there was a hint of rebellion in her child’s eyes. This is the look in her eyes that she could read on the expressions of Samaritan ‘adults’.

“The Samaritans were eaten when they went outside. The people of the empire saw us not as people but as monsters. “Humble Arianne said she became a hero of the Empire and lived in luxury, but she came back for us.”

“… “Who said that?”

“The Rabbi.”

Cain’s eyes narrowed.

“The Rabbi said that if the Samaritans go outside, they will be eaten?”

“That’s just my expression. That’s what I understand. And, that was also said by adults who actually went outside. The people of the empire spit at their feet, insulted them, and swung at them with clubs. Bad blood flows through the body. It’s funny, right? “Both we and the people in the West have the same red blood.”

The kids nodded in unison, saying yes, yes. Cain became gloomy. I couldn’t believe that Shahzah al-Dur had said such a thing. What on earth did she instill in people?

“It must be sad that the Rabbi passed away.”

“Yes… But I will see you again soon.”

The child smiled innocently. Then she looked up at Cain as if she were curious.

“Do your legs hurt?”

“No. No.” Cain calmed her astonishment.

“I can’t believe I’ll see you again. “What does that mean?”

“He said there is a paradise prepared just for us Samaritans. “They said it would ‘come down’ soon.”

“… “You’re coming down?”

“Yes. If we pray with all our body, all our soul, and all our heart. They said that punishment would come that day. To all those who made us hurt and have a hard time. They said an angel would come down from heaven and punish everyone… Are you really sick? “No, is it a bathroom?”

“No. No. Are you okay.”

“I see that your feet are faster, so that’s true.”

The children giggled and laughed. Cain ruffled their hair with his fairly large hands. The guys ran away laughing.

Cain took her steps. Passing the weary outposts of the Grail Knights, she arrived at Arianne’s residence. Samaritans were gathered around the house. Standing with a torch in her hand.

There was a smell of burning grass somewhere. The internal organs of animals were being burned on altars installed throughout the area. The smoke billowed out as if conveying resentment.