Raising Paladins

Episode 78. Bad omen that spreads like wildfire (4)

Tack, Tack.

The party sat huddled around a blazing bonfire.

The situation where camping outdoors has been going on for several days.

But today, for some reason, everyone has a warm face.

It was thanks to the mountain of food obtained during the day.

Chi Ik-

Oil dripped from the boar meat on the campfire.

A large piece of meat that everyone in the party would be able to share!

It was also one of the mementos(?) left behind by the ‘Red Brotherhood’.

“When can we eat?”

“Wait a little longer.”

“Hey… … .”

Tira, holding a fork and setting up with sparkling eyes from earlier.

The guy who even brought his fork, saying he couldn’t give up eating outside, kept urging the knife.

But when camping, eating is more important than sleeping.

Eating unhealthy ingredients or eating undercooked raw meat can make you sick.

Because it was a knife that knew that well, it was not shaken by Tira’s whining.

“gulp.”

A loud noise came from somewhere.

Surprisingly, Lord Greenwood was where people’s eyes were directed.

he said with an embarrassed face.

“Kerhem, it’s been a while since the main building has been camped in the field… … .”

Greenwood is also a combat priest with conviction enough to never take off his helmet and armor.

When he was young, he traveled all over the empire and devoted himself to the safety of the sacred.

At that time, he remembered grilling and eating meat in a field like this with his colleagues, so he swallowed without realizing it.

It’s an action that doesn’t fit the status of ‘Cardinal’.

But no one thought badly of it.

Having been together for several days already, we became quite close, and contrary to rumors, Lord Greenwood was a very kind person.

“I… … Your Highness Cardinal?”

said Tira, who was drooling.

Tira’s eyes full of curiosity.

Greenwood replied with a hearty smile.

“Tell me.”

“Her Highness, have you ever met the saintess?”

“The saintess?”

“yes. I heard that the saintess is very beautiful and merciful, and… … .”

“Of course you are, the cardinal.”

It was Meisa who intervened.

Next to her, she politely handed Greenwood the leather bottle she was drinking from.

Tira, who was still young, was somehow downcast when the bottle skipped in front of her.

“Thank you.”

“Please lower your words to me too, Your Highness.”

“Um… … Is that so?”

“If you do that, I will know it as the honor of a lifetime.”

“hahahaha, I heard that you’re a young girl from an aristocratic family, so you seem to be very knowledgeable in etiquette.”

Greenwood laughed once more in satisfaction.

Tira, a young but amazing girl who heals with divine power, and Meisa, who jumps into a dangerous battle with the body of a woman.

Greenwood was thinking that the future of the Sun God Church was very bright.

He answered Tira’s question earlier.

“The saintess is benevolent and beautiful. Also merciful… … . When he sees the hungry and naked people, he does not pass by and generously gives his own.”

“Ahh… … .”

For Tira, who grew up in the countryside on the outskirts of the Empire, stories about the emperor and saints in the capital are always mysterious and fun.

Tira seems to want to hear more about the capital from Greenwood.

However, when Carl started serving the meat, he couldn’t do that.

“Your Highness, please eat.”

Carl cut the first piece of well-done meat and handed it to Greenwood.

Greenwood took it and handed it back to Tyra.

“Oh, thank you!”

When Tira accepted without hesitation, Maysa frowned and tried to nag at something.

But Greenwood shook his head slightly.

“… … .”

Afterward, Carl distributed the meat to everyone in the party and put his own portion on a wooden platter.

Then he sat down and said.

“Meisa.”

“Yes, chief?”

“What kind of place is Derdrang?”

A bit of a sudden question.

I was worried about what the real meaning was in it.

Carl said to Meisa.

“I thought it would be nice to know the situation there before arriving. Talk comfortably.”

“ah… … .”

Meisa nodded.

“It is a beautiful city with a wide white sandy beach and emerald sea. It’s not because it’s my mother’s hometown, but it’s a place with a charm that makes people mesmerize just by its natural scenery. Thanks to being the southernmost part of the empire, it is always hot, so tourists flock to it all year round. There are many rich people who have a lot of crones who want to settle down in Derdrang and spend their old age.”

“It must be a place rich in goods.”

“yes. All kinds of rare items are gathered from all over the empire. In addition, because it is adjacent to the sea, fresh seafood dishes have also developed. In particular, dishes made with lobsters with large tongs are excellent. You can enjoy fresh oysters at a relatively low price… … .”

Tira’s eyes twinkled at the word cooking lobster.

“It’s also where the ‘Sunflower Hall’, the headquarters of the Zhengokyo, is located.”

It was Lord Greenwood who intervened this time.

He showed pride as a cardinal, the representative battle priest of Jeongohgyo and the highest ranking position.

However, Meisa’s expression was not very good.

“that’s right. The Sunflower Hall is a temple loved by the citizens of Derdrang, the City of Noon. The scale is also great. My grandmother donated a lot to build the temple.”

“Wait, could it be that Miss Meisa is the granddaughter of ‘Mother Godmother’?”

“Yes, she is my grandmother.”

“Ohhhhh! Unbelievable!”

cried Greenwood with a very happy face.

And on behalf of Meisa, she introduced her grandmother.

“She is an aristocrat and a countess who has lived there since the days when Derdrang was a secluded fishing village. Derdrang’s role was really great until he became the glory of today! I have a personal relationship with you too. Seeing Grandmother’s granddaughter here, this is what a relationship is, hahahaha!”

However, Meisa’s expression was still not good.

Then Tira asked with a worried face.

“Meisa, what’s wrong?”

“… … .”

Meisa hesitated for a moment and looked around the party.

she said, looking at the campfire with blurry eyes.

“… … Grandma doesn’t like the Dawning School. To be honest, you hate it very much.”

“Eh? Why?”

“I don’t know the details either. I only heard that you had a relationship with your late uncle.”

“ah… … .”

“I think I should be prepared too. If you knew that your one and only granddaughter had become a priest of the Dawning Church, you would be furious. There was nothing about me in the letter either.”

To be precise, it was.

It was because he requested Tira, who could cure the suspicious poison of monsters in Derdrang’s Sunflower Hall, not Meisa.

Perhaps Meisa’s mother didn’t even tell her grandmother about Meisa.

“My grandmother managed the family and raised it wonderfully after my grandfather passed away, to the extent that she is called a heroine. He is also the mayor of Derdrang now.”

“Eh? Your sister’s grandmother is Mayor Derdrang?”

“huh… … so i’m more worried Derd and the security forces, as well as powerful merchants and heads of factions, are all on my grandmother’s side. Perhaps, except for Tira, who was directly pointed out, other people might not be able to enter the castle. That’s how much Grandma hates the Dawn Bridge.”

“I don’t know why, but it’s a rather sad story… … .”

The conversation between the two made the surroundings quiet.

Only Carlos was eating wild boar meat as if it was no big deal.

Carl remained calm despite being told that if he did something wrong, he might not even be able to enter the castle.

Greenwood asked him.

“Look, Carl.”

“Please Xiamen.”

Greenwood, a descendant of the ‘Fish Knight’, a subordinate who roamed the battlefield with him in his previous life.

However, he is now much older than himself, and his status is incomparable.

Also, Clemens said that Greenwood was respected by many priests.

There are many people who hate him because of his personality and his honesty in pushing forward with what he believes to be right, but his contribution to the Sun Temple is also revolutionary.

Carl was very fond of those kinds of people, so he respected Greenwood, the descendant of his subordinate.

“According to what Tira just said, you and the other priests may not be able to enter. But why are you so unconcerned?”

“A closed door always opens.”

“I am listening.”

“When the sun sets, the moon rises, and when the moon sets again, the sun rises. If there was an opportunity to close the door to the Dawn Bridge, there must be an opportunity to open it too, wouldn’t that be us?”

“Um… … .”

If there is a problem, you can solve it.

It’s a simple statement, but it’s filled with great confidence.

Greenwood admired quietly.

Hanson, who had been quietly eating, nodded as if he was proud of himself.

Even Maysa, who was worried, found some comfort in Carl’s confident tone.

“A story like a leader of a group. Don’t change that mindset.”

“That’s an excessive compliment, Your Highness.”

Once the atmosphere changed like that, people continued their meal while chatting lightly.

Soon after, Terrence, who was standing guard from the tree, came down, and Hanson climbed up the tree.

The bonfire was built quite large, but it was prepared in advance in case an animal or monster that smelled the meat could come.

Of course, since Carl has a keen sense with divine power, if an enemy appears, he will know before the sentinel.

However, if you make good use of this opportunity, you can increase the experience of priests.

It is true that Hanson and Meisa’s fighting power is overwhelming compared to their peers.

One experience was something that could not be obtained through innate talent or hard work alone.

The night went on like that.

***

Tok, tok.

“Yes… … ?”

Tira fell asleep after eating her fill of meat.

I woke up to the feeling of being knocked on myself.

Surprisingly, I saw everyone in the party standing around a campfire with their weapons drawn.

“Eek?!”

Tira, who was drooling and sleeping droolingly.

she jumped up

I could see the reflections of the enemies reflected in the shimmering bonfire.

They have thick hair all over their bodies and sharp fangs sticking out from their snouts!

Nearly ten of them surrounded the party.

“Don’t panic, Tyra. They are just hungry werewolves.”

“Wow, Werewolf!”

A scary predator that only appears on nights when the moon is bright and preys on people!

Tira was startled and clung to the back of the knife.

“If you’re hungry, why don’t you give me something to eat and send it off!”

“I ate all the boar meat, so that must be difficult.”

“Yeah, even beef jerky! You have deer jerky!”

“Well, I haven’t heard that werewolves enjoy jerky.”

“then… … ?”

Tyra is terrified.

I saw Knoll and the Goblin during the last Tournoble incident.

However, compared to the werewolves that have appeared now, it can be said that they are child’s play.

It was incomparable to the 2-meter bipedal wolf, which gobbled up human flesh and drooled.

“Maybe they want a taste of us. Werewolves especially like young and fresh meat!”

“Eh?!”

The knife, still showing a calm expression, was handed over as a joke.

Tira, the youngest of the group, turned white.

Carl, who giggled at that, asked Greenwood, who was on guard with his sword in front.

“Your Highness, is the sword silver-plated?”

“It is. But you… … .”

“We are just steel swords and weapons. If we fight in front and defeat them, Your Highness will have to take their breath away.”

“That would be the only way.”

Kreur… … .

That moment.

Ten werewolves pounced on the party.

However, there was someone who dug into their gaps faster than that.

It was the knife.