Raising Paladins

Chapter 148

Episode 148. return (4)

“Everyone, who are you?!”

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Jerry’s eyes widened as if they were going to come out.

Carl smiled and returned the arrow to him.

“I am the battle priest of the Temple of Dawn in Meirium. My name is Carlos.”

“Hey, the battle fuse!”

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Jerry nodded in agreement.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen the battle priest. But I’ve heard a few stories. Although they are priests, they say they are specialized in combat… … .”

“You saw it right away.”

“But how did you get to this country? Besides, my house is far from the village.”

A look of wonder appeared on Jerry’s face.

It was only natural that it would be strange for a person wearing a normal priestly uniform to wander through the mountains alone at night.

Aren’t there particularly bizarre rumors about ghouls appearing?

Carl also fully understood Jerry’s heart.

“There was talk of a ghoul coming out. I stopped by the village and was told by a guard.”

“Chit, the inn looked down on me saying I was drunk… … .”

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Jerry spat on the floor.

“Do you know how many times I stopped by the village and told the guards? At that time, I was quiet, but the truth is, my guys were scared too. Isn’t that why you asked the priest to go?”

“It could be. But I heard that they are also usually farmers. Isn’t it natural for ghouls to be scared?”

“That’s true, but… … .”

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Jerry opened the cabin door.

In the cozy interior, a stew with vegetables and stuff was boiling.

“I was distracted and neglected to treat guests. Come in quickly. I was lucky enough to catch a deer today and make some stew.”

“Then excuse me.”

Carl was served stew.

It didn’t taste like venison, probably because it had less meat, but overall it tasted good.

“You cooked it well.”

“Since I live alone as a man, I have to cook and do laundry. As a result, my skills have improved.”

“Are you not married?”

“I did. He also had a wife and a cute daughter. But now… … .”

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Jerry’s face was not good.

“… … died last spring The two of them climbed the mountain to gather something to eat together and were changed. I didn’t have money for a proper burial, so I just buried him. You are a sinner with a poor hunter husband and father.”

“The sun god will take good care of you two.”

There was silence for a moment in the cabin.

Carl wanted to comfort Jerry’s sorrow before investigating the ghoul.

There is nothing as sad as the loss of a loved one.

“I will bless you two to go to the side of the sun god. Please guide me to where they are buried.”

“Would you really?”

“of course.”

A flash of joy flashed across Jerry’s hardened face.

“Well then, let’s go. This way!”

Carl followed Jerry in his haste.

Even though it was at night, it was a hunter, so he climbed the dark mountain well.

So is the knife.

He could see clearly even in the dark with divine power, and he was agile.

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Jerry marveled at the knife following him.

“The battle priests are really great people. Quite a few soldiers say they are sick when they climb this steep mountain at night.”

“I tend not to neglect training.”

“okay.”

I was on my way up the mountain again.

Carl said suddenly.

“By the way, Jerry, did you say you caught a deer earlier?”

“Yes, I was lucky.”

“You must touch the thick money.”

Hunting large animals such as deer was only possible for the most skilled hunters.

Unless you know how to completely hide your presence like a knife or you are not a person who has mastered hunting.

No matter how good a hunter is, it is common that he cannot catch more than 10 deer in his lifetime.

Deer had a lot to sell, including meat, antlers, and hides, so catching one would give the hunter’s family a warm winter.

But Jerry’s face was not very good.

“Kuhm… … I almost did that, but I was hurt a lot in the process of catching him. I didn’t want to sell the leather, so I just got the meat.”

“Isn’t it quite expensive to sell the meat of a deer?”

“I have nothing to eat these days, so I plan to eat some and salt or smoke the rest for storage. Money is good, but shouldn’t I fill my stomach first?”

“So that’s your plan.”

“But why are you asking that?”

“When I catch a big game like a deer, it usually leaves a dismantled mark near the hunter’s hut, but I didn’t see anything like that at your house before. I was wondering where did you sell it in its entirety?”

“I see. I dismembered it in the forest and got only the meat.”

Shortly thereafter, a flat plain appeared on the ridge.

In the place where pretty flowers and grass grew, two bulging mounds rose.

“I tried to pile up stones, but I couldn’t. My daughter loved flowers before she was alive.”

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Jerry knelt in front of a small burial mound.

Then, I stared blankly at the purple flower blooming on the mound.

“let’s begin.”

“Please.”

Carl approached and recited a blessing in front of the burial mound.

It was a blessing to prevent the dead from becoming evil spirits or being used by warlocks.

But something was strange.

‘The divine power doesn’t dwell at all.’

If you recite a blessing, the sacred power should dwell in the burial mound.

Its divine power protects the body from bad things.

However, the divine power did not change.

Only Carl’s body and surroundings were silently hovering.

‘There is no body in this grave.’

It is not the land or grass that the sun god’s grace dwells, but people.

Only humans can directly receive the grace of the sun god through the priest.

However, there was no response to Carl’s blessing, which meant that there was no body in the mound.

I had a suspicious thought.

“… … Blessings are over, Jerry.”

“Thank you, thank you very much… … .”

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Jerry expressed his sincere thanks.

There was no body in the burial mound, but he seemed to be sincere in thinking of his wife and daughter.

“Yeah, but I’m sorry… … . As you can see, I’m a poor hunter, so I don’t have any crones to give you in exchange for a blessing. If you don’t mind, would you accept the sculpture I carved myself, or even this dagger of mine?”

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Jerry held out the dagger that was strapped to his waist with a shy face.

Carl waved his hand.

“No, I didn’t ask for money, so don’t worry. Would you like another bowl of deer stew? It gets chilly, so I think of warm food.”

“Of course! Let’s go!”

Carl followed Jerry back down to the cabin.

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Jerry happily opened the door and was about to enter when Carl looked the other way.

“Jerry, where are you?”

“Ah, congratulations over there. It was used as a stable in the past, but the horse has been sold.”

A building a short distance from the cabin.

The entrance was sealed with a nail firmly attached.

‘A hunter would probably raise at least one dog.’

A cabin in the mountains where you can raise a dog for help with hunting or if you are lonely.

At that moment, I felt a chill in the senses of the knife.

‘… … It is the energy of the dead.’

An unpleasant sensation that I had experienced countless times in my previous life.

The aura of the dead is what gives off when a human who should have died lives, or when a dead human rises again for an evil purpose.

“… … Jerry.”

“… … ?”

Sreureung-!

Carl drew his sword and aimed it at him.

“… … Open the door to that barn.”

“Why are you like this?! Pulling out a knife out of nowhere?!”

“… … Come on, open the door. I know you’re hiding something over there.”

“… … .”

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Jerry’s hardened face.

As he stood in the doorway, he quietly reached out his hand.

He was trying to grab the bow hanging on the wall near the entrance.

But the sword was much faster.

chuck-!

“omg!”

The tip of the deformed longsword of the knife that approached in an instant touched Jerry’s neck.

Drops of blood flowed from the cut throat.

OK.

Krrr-.

The cries of something inhuman were heard from the barn.

It sounded like a forced squeeze on a dry throat.

Those were two different sounds.

“Open the door right now.”

“… … .”

okay.

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Jerry came out with a torch and a set of keys.

I unlocked the barn and pulled out the nail.

creak-.

When the door opened, the fishy smell of blood and the stench of rotting animals wafted from inside.

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Jerry lowered his head and lit a torch inside.

keeh eh… … .

Inside were two ghouls.

“… … also.”

Smelling the fresh meat, the two ghouls scrambled to reach out.

However, both of them were tied around their waists with a string, so they couldn’t come out of the barn.

A ghoul, a terrible monster whose flesh rots away, leaving only greed for living meat.

He looked at the knife with his yellow eyes.

They were two ghouls with no emotion whatsoever, just a desire to fill their hungry stomachs.

“… … Forgive me, priest. I couldn’t bear to abandon my family.”

A ghoul that must have been Jerry’s wife and daughter.

The skin was mostly rotten, but it was evident from the remaining clothes and physique.

A deer that looked like it hadn’t been eaten was rolling around on the floor of the barn.

“It was a little strange when I first came to the cabin. If you are a hunter, you must have bright eyes at night, but you shot your bow right at my neck.”

“… … Did you notice it there?”

“That’s right. And about the deer… … .”

“… … I see.”

“Are you bitten by a ghoul?”

“… … You saw it right away. A week ago, the two climbed the mountain to find food. Unfortunately I met a ghoul there. I arrived just before the ghouls devoured the two frozen, frightened men. Because it was in the quiet mountains, the screams spread quickly.”

“… … .”

“He saved his life, but he was already bitten. so… … That’s why I brought you here. I can’t bear to kill my family with my own hands… … .”

“You let it change slowly. That’s while getting food. Were the rumors about the ghouls spread among the guards to keep people from coming near the cabin?”

“… … It is.”

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Jerry took the pouch from his bosom.

“Here is all my wealth. take this with you And please… … Please pretend not to see my wife and daughter. please.”

“I can’t.”

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Jerry bowed his head in favor, but Carl was adamant.

“A ghoul grows stronger over time as its hunger and hatred for humans increase. At some point it will pull that stake and come out of the stable, attacking the defenseless village. In a town without silver weapons and holy water, there’s no way to stop the ghouls. Then 200 new ghouls will be born, which will be the seeds of disaster. I’m sorry, but I can’t go on like this.”

“Poem, priest!”

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Jerry dropped to his knees.

“Please! please! Without them I have no hope of living! Please just leave!”

“… … I’m sorry. We need to set fire to burn all the ghouls and traces.”

“Ahhh!”

The moment Carl turned toward the stable, Jerry jumped in.

But I didn’t mean to attack Carl.

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Jerry ran into the arms of his wife and daughter.

keeh eh… … .

rain, rain… … .