Raising Paladins

Episode 69. Battle for City Hall (1)

buzz buzz.

Hundreds of citizens gathered in the market.

He muttered with a slightly worried face.

The faces of people who are both nervous and scared.

Perhaps it was a natural reaction.

Unlike big cities that don’t have windy days, here in Mayrium is a quiet and small city.

At that time, the representative brands of the top fruit were placed on a temporary platform in the middle of the market.

“Citizens of Mayrium! The reason why I invited you here despite being busy is that Priest Carl of the Temple of Dawn had something to tell you. I’m sure everyone here knows what a wonderful job Father Carl has done in the past few weeks!”

People shook their heads.

“Karl not only defeated the fearsome scavengers on the outskirts of the city, but also broke bad shipping customs. Where is that? Recently, he went to Tournoble and made an outstanding performance, shrugging the shoulders of the citizens of Mayrium. also!”

Brand pointed to the priests standing with the sword.

“Carl has made Hanson and his men servants of the temple serving the citizens, and Miss Tira next to her treats the sick people of our Merium. It’s true that the Temple of Dawning in Meirium lost its power in the past, but I can proudly say that it is now more helpful to the city than ever. Isn’t it?”

“Right!”

A crowd of hundreds gathered in the center of the market.

They raised their fists and agreed with Brand’s words.

Older people believed that Tira’s ability to heal with divine power was due to the grace of the sun god on Meirium, and younger people respected the sword’s charisma, which subdued even the fearsome Hansen gang.

In the end, all the citizens of Meirium received the help of the Temple of Dawn directly or indirectly.

That’s why no one expressed dissatisfaction even when they sang in the middle of a busy day.

Rather, they were faces that were curious about what Carl would say.

“Thank you for your precious time, gentlemen.”

Finally, Carl climbed onto the podium.

“The dawn before sunrise is the coldest and darkest, and the night before a typhoon blows is calm.”

Carl opened the speech with a vague statement.

The crowd noticed his mouth.

“So far, citizens must have been living a peaceful life. Since I came to Mayrium, there have been a lot of turbulent things, so there must have been some people who were offended by that. but!”

“… … ?”

“There were a lot of problems with Mayrium. These are problems that we have been ignoring even though we can clearly see them with our own two eyes. Representatively, there must be someone like Devaldo, the head of the merchant guild, who monopolized the profits of the fruit market, which can be said to be the main source of income for Meirium, in collusion with the mayor, Baron Astell.”

“greatness… … .”

When the uncomfortable name came up, several of the merchants coughed.

But Carl didn’t care and continued.

“It will be fine as it is, because I can still eat and live. I know you have overlooked the inconvenience, considering it that way. But eventually a problem arose. Devaldo, a former merchant guild leader, committed an ugly act of selling the lives of all fruit peddlers, including me, to scavengers for his own personal gain. If you hadn’t prevented the accident then, your husband and sons, who are here now, would never be seen again. Isn’t it?”

“… … that’s right! That’s what Priest Carl said is right!”

“I’d rather be hurt! I can’t watch my babies get hurt, Cancer!”

“Debaldo has been punished! Even those damn scavengers!”

Among the crowd, especially elderly grandmothers and women with husbands and children strongly sympathized.

Their husbands and young sons who were by their side were quite moved by the excitement of their wives and mothers.

“Thank you. This is the kind of story I want to tell you from now on. It’s something I’ve endured for a while, even though I knew it. It is about the mayor, Baron Astell, who is the root of all the problems in Meirium!”

“… … !”

I expected it, but when the name market came out, people hesitated a little.

Even though the empire’s governance system has developed a lot in the 200 years that Carl skipped over it, and even if the government is centered around the people, the titles of nobles such as barons, marquises, and counts have been feared by citizens until now.

Carl was trying to break it now.

“Look over there.”

Poof!

As if a servant had waited, he removed the cloth covering the cart.

Then the grotesquely distorted corpse of Marlon, the butler, was revealed.

“Kyaaah!”

Little girls nearby screamed and were thrown into the arms of their parents.

Parents covered their children’s eyes and showed miserable expressions.

“Some of you may recognize me. It is Marlon, the butler of City Hall.”

“… … That’s a person!”

A terribly distorted face, twisted bones and muscles.

In particular, the blackened skin was enough to terrorize the citizens.

“I noticed a bad omen just last night in the courtyard of City Hall. Butler Malone and the mercenaries he brought from the north imprisoned people in the basement of the courtyard and conducted horrific experiments. The proof is Marlon’s corpse over there. Marlon raided me on the outskirts of town this morning with a group of mercenaries to eliminate me as a witness to the experiment.”

“that!”

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Just in time, Hanson brought out the two captured mercenaries.

I managed to subdue more than 20 people, but the rest were confined to an empty hospital room in the temple and only the two of them were dragged out.

The two captured mercenaries just stared at the ground and said nothing.

“It would be faster to see it for yourself than to just say it like this. Grom.”

“Yes, priest.”

After all, Grom was waiting around.

He reached into the small cage he was holding and pulled out a white rabbit.

It was very cute to see her two front legs sticking out as she grabbed her ears and supported her buttocks.

but.

“Everyone, take a good look at this. This is the suspicious potion Marlon took.”

Carl opened the lid of the potion.

Then a foul stench spread.

“Keugh… … .”

As the surrounding crowd frowned, Carl approached the rabbit with the vial.

Then, he dripped a drop of the remaining potion into the mouth of the little rabbit with his eyes open.

OK.

“uh? uh huh?!”

Acquire! After making a strange sound, the rabbit began to struggle.

Soon, the white and desirable fur turned black and grew long, and the rabbit’s teeth grew down and pierced his chin.

Besides, the crimson eyes were starting to look like madness.

“Let go.”

“yes!”

Grom, who was about to be scratched by the rabid rabbit, quickly threw the monster rabbit.

Then, the rabbit seemed to have grown twice as big as its original size.

At first glance, the monster, which had changed so terribly that one might think it was a goblin, glanced around.

Then he rushed at the weakest-looking girl.

“Kwaaa

But it wasn’t a knife to let other people get hurt.

Poof!

The steel sword of a coldly wielded sword.

At the same time, the rabbit’s neck and body, which had soared into the air, separated and fell to the ground.

Silence flowed in the square in the center of the market.

“Did you see? This is a potion containing refined dark power. The divine power used by us priests heals people and ward off evil, but this dark power is the exact opposite. Once you drink it, it turns you into a bloodthirsty monster, be it man or beast. He was making this potion and testing it on people in the cellar in the courtyard of City Hall. By making the unspecified majority a scapegoat. Perhaps even among the citizens of Meirium, there may be victims!”

“Ahhh… … .”

When the evidence was so obvious, people were shocked.

The actions of a black magician that must have happened a long time ago.

They were so shocked that such a terrible thing was being repeated in their home, Meirium.

At that time, an old woman with a cane said, shaking her hands.

“Ooh, our grandchildren and friends aren’t back yet… … . I went hunting outside the city a few days ago, but I haven’t heard from you yet… … .”

“… … !”

This time the priests were surprised.

In particular, Tyra covered her mouth with both hands and her eyes were wide open.

The grandmother I just talked about about her grandson fell while farming a few days ago and seriously injured her back. Her grandson was carrying her on her back and Tira was treating her.

At that time, the young man who was worried about his grandmother and had tears in his eyes.

Tira remembered that image and her eyes immediately filled with water.

“Oh, it will be fine, grandma. Don’t worry too much. We will be sure to help.”

“All the children have left, and now only one grandchild is left. Please help me… … .”

“… … .”

Tira hugged her grandmother tightly.

Hundreds of people watched the scene.

Enraged, regardless of age or gender, they each picked up iron skewers and wooden sticks that were around them.

Some men carried long poles used for picking fruit.

“Such a dog thing is happening! Let’s all go to City Hall! Let’s go and call the mayor and pick him up!”

“How hard we paid our taxes! Villagers were used in experiments!”

“Let’s all go!”

“Waaa!”

Excited citizens of Mayrium.

It was also the knife standing on the podium that dried them up.

“everyone! Calm down everyone! The ugly things that happened in the basement of City Hall are certainly true, but City Hall still has many armed security guards and mercenaries led by Marlon. If you step out, someone will surely get seriously injured. So please be patient.”

“Hey, Carl! If you endure seeing such horrible things, then you are not human! I can never get over this one!”

“I am not asking you to put up with evil. We just ask that you leave it to us.”

“… … ?”

Tyra, Meisa, Hanson, Eric.

Before I knew it, there were four people behind the podium where the knife stood.

Again, behind him, Daryl, Peter, Grom, and other heads of the squire were seen, followed by dozens of armed squire.

Apprentice Priest Tira and Research Priest Eric, who didn’t even have a presence until recently.

They soon established themselves as indispensable and grateful priests to the citizens of Meirium.

In addition to Meisa, who took second place in the priestly selection test in neighboring Tournoble, and Hanson, who was the leader of the gang and now chose to serve the temple.

At the dignified appearance of the sword and the priests standing behind it, the people who had been twisting sticks nodded their heads.

“This dark power potion manufacturing case is obviously part of the sacred security work of the local temple. So, our Meirium Temple of Dawn will solve it. Please trust us.”

Brand and Terence and the other merchants nodded.

Other citizens gathered in the square did the same.

“Let’s leave it alone. Isn’t priest Carl a man who has done miraculous things many times? If it hadn’t been for him, my son Terrence would have died a bachelor without even confessing to Merilda!”

“No, Father… … !”

“Uh ha ha ha ha ha!”

Loud laughter broke out in the square.

It was only Brand’s son, Terrence, and the blonde girl watching from a distance that turned her face red.

“Good! Let’s leave it to the Temple of Dawn and Priest Carl! And everything, even the handling of this matter!”

“We, Meririum citizens, will follow the Temple of Dawn!”

“I believe! everyone!”

“Waaa!”

Citizens cheered and raised their iron skewers and sticks high.

But then.

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Jerk, Jerk, Jerk!

On the other side of the central plaza, on the side of City Hall, came the clanking of iron armor.

Surprised, when they turned around, there were about 100 members of the security forces and mercenaries, each holding their own hideous weapons, advancing in line and rank toward this direction.

And in front of him was Aileen, the chamberlain.

Shortly after arriving near the podium, she looked at the knife and said.

“I got a report that a mutiny is being plotted in the Market Square. Priest Carl of the Temple of Dawn, I will arrest you for treason against Mayrium City Hall.”