The next day, Roger heard from Knight Stine that they were going to help the town guards purge the cultists.
Killing cultists earned him points, so he naturally had no objections. If he couldn't win, he would just run away—in his mind, there was no shame in that.
As for how to root out the cultists hiding in the city, that wasn't his concern. He was just a fighter; it was better to leave the thinking to those giving the orders.
Early that morning, after forcing down his breakfast, Roger followed Knight Stine and the others toward the city's slums.
According to the intelligence provided by Count Nigel, there was a very high probability that the cultists were hiding in these neglected corners where public order was terrible and outsiders rarely set foot.
Even before the group reached the outskirts of the slums, a foul stench hit their noses.
The houses on both sides of the road were low and dilapidated, with large patches of plaster peeling off the mud walls. Sewage flowed freely across the streets, and a few skeletal stray dogs crouched in the corners, eyeing the uninvited guests warily.
Looking at this scene, Roger silently prayed that he would never end up living in a place like this.
The guard leading the way stopped in front of one of the houses and knocked on the door.
The door opened quickly, revealing a heavily bearded face darkened by the sun. The man's eyes swept over the group, a flicker of anxiety passing through them.
“A thief slipped into this area. By order of the Lord, we need to inspect your house,” Knight Stine explained.
Claiming to hunt for a thief rather than searching for cultists was likely to avoid causing panic. Roger mused that this excuse was quite versatile.
“Of course, milord. Whatever you wish,” the man bowed respectfully and stepped aside.
The guard captain led his men inside to search, while Roger stood outside, observing the man's reactions and checking if he wore any jewelry engraved with twisted patterns.
The man wore a short-sleeved shirt made of coarse cloth and did not appear to be wearing any jewelry.
Noticing a flash of reluctance on the man's face, Roger subtly took a few steps back to prevent the man from suddenly lunging and knocking him aside.
At the same time, Roger glanced at Knight Stine. The latter looked perfectly normal, clearly not finding anything suspicious about the man.
On the street, several other houses were being searched at the same time. Occasional questions from the guards and responses from the residents made the morning in the slums noisier than usual.
A few minutes later, the guard captain walked out of the house with his men and looked at Knight Stine:
“No issues. On to the next one.”
After Knight Stine nodded, the captain led his men toward another house not far away.
The man didn't seem to have any problems, but Roger still habitually kept his guard up before following the main group.
The resident of the second house was an ordinary-looking man. When the guard captain explained their purpose, his reaction was much calmer. He stepped aside immediately and made a "help yourself" gesture.
Roger studied the man's face but couldn't read any extra emotion. There was also no jewelry with twisted patterns on him. Still, Roger remained cautious, peering inside from the doorway a few times before moving on.
After another few minutes, the guards walked out of the house, empty-handed as usual. Roger followed behind the group, turning back to glance every now and then.
The man stood in the doorframe the entire time, watching them go without moving a muscle.
The guard captain knocked on the door of the third house.
“Liz? Is that you? The door is unlocked, come on in.” The door didn't open, but an elderly voice called out from inside.
The guard captain exchanged a look with his subordinate, gently pushed the door open a crack, and poked his head inside to check.
Immediately after, a gasp escaped his lips.
Roger immediately activated 【Iron Wall】.
Knight Stine stepped forward quickly and gestured for the guard to open the door. The guard swallowed hard, pushed the door wide open, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Who's calling? Liz? Is that your friend?” the old man's voice sounded again, tinged with confusion.
With the door open, Knight Stine was the first to enter. Roger followed him across the threshold, taking in the entire room at a glance.
The room was cramped and dim. In the corner sat a crude wooden bed with an old man sitting on it. Hearing the footsteps, he lifted his head, his cloudy, lifeless eyes staring toward the doorway.
Several twisted patterns were etched onto the old man's forehead.
“Is that you, Liz?”
Knight Stine gestured for everyone to be quiet, then waved his hand in front of the old man. Seeing no reaction, he asked:
“Old sir, I'm a friend of Liz's. I have some business with her. Do you know where she went?”
As he asked, he waved his hand to signal the guards to search the room.
“Liz should be by the river washing clothes for people... My eyes are blind, so I can only hear others talk. My son died a few months ago fighting for the noble lords. It's all thanks to her taking care of me lately. She really is a good girl.”
“And what time does she usually come here?” Knight Stine followed up.
“Whenever I feel hungry, she always comes on time to deliver food, as if she always knows,” the old man said, rubbing his belly with a withered hand.
“I feel a bit hungry now. Although there's still leftover bread from last night, she should be here soon.”
Just as the old man finished speaking, a sharp intake of breath came from the corner. One of the guards pulled a basket out of the wooden food cabinet, containing unidentifiable black chunks of meat.
Knight Stine exchanged looks with the others once more.
The guards immediately dispersed to take up hidden positions for an ambush. Roger also found a spot where he could see outside the door, drawing a poisoned arrow and nocking it to his bowstring.
“Aside from her, does anyone else visit you often?” Knight Stine withdrew his gaze from the basket and continued his questioning.
The old man shook his head.
“My son is dead. She's the only one taking care of me, feeding me, and washing my clothes.” As he spoke, an eerie red light pulsed through the twisted patterns on his forehead.
Knight Stine silently drew his sword, aiming the blade at the back of the old man's neck.
The old man's cloudy eyes remained fixed on the doorway, completely unaware of the blade hovering above him. “I know I don't have long to live, so I always feel bad for troubling Liz. But she never looked down on a decrepit old man like me, with one foot already in the grave...”
Vein-like patterns began to spread across his entire body, and pustules swelled up on his skeletal frame. His withered, bark-like face twisted in agony as a weak wail escaped his mouth.
“She is like a granddaughter to me. Please, don't hurt her...” The old man's voice was no longer coherent, each word forced out from the depths of his throat.
“Don't worry. The pain will end soon.”
With those words, Knight Stine swung his longsword.
Warm liquid splattered against the mud wall. The headless body slumped limply to the floor with a dull thud, and the spreading veins and pustules gradually withered away.
Silence enveloped the entire room.
After a moment, Knight Stine broke the silence. “Have someone clean this up and take him to the church for purification. Don't let anyone see.”
Roger, who had been watching from start to finish, couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Was the old man truly beyond saving?
As if sensing Roger's confusion, Knight Stine answered:
“In his condition, I'm afraid only a priest of Rank Five or above could save him, but priests of that caliber can only be found in the royal capital. In the time it would take to get there, he would have lost control and slaughtered everyone on this street.
Giving him a quick death is the only thing we can do.”
“Milord, should we wait here for the cultist to return?” the guard captain asked.
“There's no need. We've wasted enough time here. Besides, by the time she gets back, she will definitely see the guards searching the streets.”
Knight Stine shook his head. “We will continue searching the other houses and gather information about that cultist. Since she has stayed in this place for several months, she must have left some trace.”
He turned and stepped out of the house, the others following behind.
The guard captain spoke to the messenger waiting at the door:
“Have the other squads ask around about that woman named Liz as well.”
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