Chapter 332: Gherlos(1)

"I’m done wasting time playing political games with them."

Using one of the corpses, Phield wiped the filthy blood from his sword.

"This isn’t the first time. What these idiots do best is drag you down to their level of stupidity, then beat you with experience."

Back during the suppression campaign, he had still been full of ideals and fantasies. In the end, the only person he could rely on was himself.

"Exactly." Ophelia crossed her arms over her chest. "If they were actually trustworthy, the Empire wouldn’t have rotted into this state."

"You saw it yourself. I can’t be bothered with schemes and plots anymore. I hate the feeling of walking on thin ice, especially when dealing with fools who are far weaker than me yet still don’t know their place."

Phield flicked his sword, drawing a sharp flower of steel before pointing it cleanly at Egge.

"Submit or die."

Terrified beyond words, Egge’s legs gave out beneath him and he dropped to his knees.

"My lord, your words are law. I swear I will never disobey."

"Good."

Phield waved a hand.

"Have the corpses eaten by the undead. Let this matter end here."

"You really do have the style of the Shadow World Sect." Jamie was visibly shocked as well and immediately extended an invitation. "How about joining us? The new Divine Chosen can be handed over to you."

Phield waved dismissively.

"I have no interest in serving lunatics. Killing is a means, never the goal."

The next morning, Phield led the group toward Ramhorn Territory, cutting down Night Demons along the way.

At this moment, within Ramhorn City, only the castle in the northeastern corner remained a sanctuary. The rest of the city was filled with screams and the sounds of slaughter.

Like a plague, the Night Demons rampaged through the streets, hunting humans without restraint. Innocent civilians and members of the Shadow World Sect alike were being butchered.

"Lady Gherlos, we can’t keep hiding inside the castle." A knightly cultist dropped to one knee, panic written across his face. "Please send aid to our scattered followers throughout the city. The soldiers are fighting on their own. Those damned creatures reproduce too quickly. As long as there are women, they can multiply into an entire horde of monsters."

Night Demons were rodent-type magical beasts with astonishing reproductive capabilities. Like goblins, they had no reproductive barriers.

Inside the great hall, the other warriors of the Shadow World Sect stared at Gherlos, who stood beside the lord’s seat, with expressions ranging from numbness to perversion and greed.

Her black-and-blue Gothic dress, intricate blue starflower ornaments, and lively, charming smile revealed adorable little fangs whenever she grinned. Every curve and every inch of her skin radiated the freshness of youth.

"But Lady Jamie told me this."

Standing with her hands on her hips, Gherlos imitated Jamie’s flirtatious manner perfectly.

"Gherlos, the new territory has only just been occupied. The situation is unstable. Protect my castle and don’t run around outside. Until the Sect Master assigns a lord to you, you’re not qualified to act on your own."

"The city isn’t part of the castle, so it’s outside my protection responsibilities."

Her ice-blue eyes blinked innocently as she apologized.

"I really don’t want to disobey orders and get whipped."

"But..." one of the cultists tried to protest.

"Come on, then. Why don’t you be the Divine Chosen?" Gherlos pointed at the lord’s seat. "I don’t mind. To be honest, I was sold off and brought here. I was only released a couple of days ago. I know absolutely nothing about combat."

"We wouldn’t dare."

The group looked awkward.

Damn it. How were a bunch of grown men supposed to become Divine Chosen?

Besides, who would dare sit in the lord’s seat? If Lady Jamie came back and saw that, they’d probably become her next convenient snack.

"If anyone wants a fruit platter or a puppet show, though, I’m happy to help."

As she spoke, Gherlos slipped a cute puppet glove onto her hand and performed ventriloquism.

"No way, no way. Do people seriously expect a beautiful girl like me to go fight Night Demons? I’d probably just end up producing a whole bunch of little Night Demons and making things worse."

"..."

The crowd was speechless.

We’re supposed to be a solemn religious organization. Could you stop being so cheerful?

"Seriously. Even if she’s the Divine Chosen of the Goddess of Slaughter, she’s only just become an adult."

"I heard her father was a noble. After he was defeated, he was sent to the gallows. Her mother was taken away to entertain soldiers. Because she awakened as a Slaughter Divine Chosen, she was traded to our sect."

"She hasn’t been trained or disciplined yet, so she’s still completely green and doesn’t understand anything. Under normal procedures, she’d need to be collectively initiated during a ritual ceremony. I’m really looking forward to that day."

"It’s a shame Lady Jamie left at such a bad time. Otherwise, the ritual could have started today."

The cultists chatted among themselves.

"Heh."

Gherlos shrugged her fair shoulders and spoke gently.

"When you run into difficulties, just go to sleep. Everyone should head back and rest. We only need to wait for Lady Jamie to return."

"Let’s go. I caught two locals earlier and still haven’t had my fun with them."

"Heh. What’s the point of those worthless country trash?"

As the members of the Shadow World Sect drifted away, discussing vulgar topics and returning to their own business, Gherlos called out again.

"Wait, Holy Knight."

The Holy Knight who had reported to her had only taken a few steps before hearing Gherlos’s gentle voice behind him.

There was even a faintly intoxicating charm hidden within it.

"What is it, Lady Gherlos?"

The Holy Knight turned around and straightened his posture, though the lewd grin on his face was impossible to hide.

"You’re a third-tier knight, right?"

"That’s right."

The Holy Knight nodded confidently, striking what he considered a very masculine pose.

"That’s wonderful. Um... all the howling of magical beasts outside is making me nervous. I’m a non-combat Divine Chosen, after all."

Gherlos clasped her hands together. Tiny droplets shimmered on her long eyelashes, while a faint sheen of sweat left her skin slightly flushed.

"Please... could you..."

"No problem!"

Seeing her pitiful, vulnerable expression, the Holy Knight immediately lost his head.

Though the doctrine technically forbade it, every Divine Chosen was supposed to undergo initiation eventually. If he got to be first, that was practically a contribution to the sect.

"That’s great. Come to my room, then."

Gherlos crooked a finger and walked ahead.

"Sorry, it’s a little messy. I only arrived recently and haven’t had time to clean up."

"I don’t mind at all. I heard you’re a noble lady? We haven’t had the chance to assign servants to you yet. That’s quite disrespectful of us. Of course, that only happens after the initiation ritual."

Though he said so casually, as a fanatic believer, the Holy Knight knew that those so-called servants, despite having no combat ability whatsoever, often held even higher status than the Divine Chosen themselves.

"We’re here. Please come in."

Gherlos spun gracefully and opened the door.

"I’m actually a little nervous."

"No need to be nervous. Heh, heh, heh."

The Holy Knight’s anticipation soared.

He had participated in seven initiation rituals since joining the sect, but he had never come into contact with someone this exquisite.