Ebedos.
Ebedos.
“I’m sorry, but under the strict orders of Avad Finisho, who rules this city, no one is allowed to enter Ebedos.”
Two crossed spear blades. Several well-trained soldiers blocked our way across the huge drawbridge to enter Ebedos.
Also, what happened to the city? Even in the vicinity of the city, filthy bandits and unsalvaged beasts could be seen sparsely.
A huge river and a moat made by bringing in its water In addition, Giselle explained that even this huge river is the end of the river that runs through the empire, so if you go back to the river, you will see a wider and bigger river.
I looked at the scenery of the river for a while and cleared my head. I smiled as softly as possible and scanned the soldiers in front of me. Judging from the tired expression on their faces, it seemed that they were not particularly good and were blocking our way.
“Has something happened in the city by any chance?”
“I have been commanded not to speak out.”
“I’m going to talk to you guys for a while.”
“Do whatever you want. But it would be better for me to die than to quarrel.”
A very firm refusal. I left the refusal behind and returned to the party. Dacia widened her eyes and tilted her head.
“Priest Marnak, what did the guard over there say? Didn’t you come in?”
“It seems that the nobles who rule this city have restricted access.”
“yes? why?”
“They said they couldn’t say that.”
“Hmm.”
Giselle, still wrapped in bandages all over her body, nodded.
“Is it difficult then? I’m telling you in case you forgot, but here in Ebedos is also one of the suspected coordinates for the relic. We must search the city and find a boat to cross the river from here.”
Jamel glanced at the others and said to me.
“How about using a brain bribe? If you poke some money to drink some hearty and spicy soup, I think they’ll let you in without anyone noticing!”
“no.”
“why! If it’s money, I’m sure everyone will like it! And remember when we traveled to the Northern Empire by ourselves, we paid a lot of bribes!”
“Are things the same now as then?
Giselle glared at Jamel and shook her head.
“Look over there, there are not three or four soldiers blocking it, but more than ten. Besides, the nobles who rule this place directly ordered that no one be allowed in? It wouldn’t be easy to pay a bribe if you get caught and your throat would run away right away.”
“Is that so?”
“In addition, I don’t know how long that city has been locked down, but even if the guards revealed a bribe, if a prominent party like us suddenly appeared in the city, everyone knows that the guards would have let them in for something. ”
Certainly, as she said, a woman covered in bandages on a cart, a knight whose whole body was made of metal, especially her mother and Dacia, were deliberately wearing hats, but her beauty drew attention wherever she went.
“That’s right…”
Jamel’s shoulders drooped as his opinions were refuted point by point. I patted her on the shoulder and spoke out.
“I know very well that I have to get inside somehow, so I’ll talk a little more and then come back.”
Giselle buried herself in the cart and nodded.
“If you keep saying absolutely no, it’s okay to know when the blockade will be lifted. If it doesn’t work, you can find a boat in the next city instead of here. The turn to search the city might be annoying, but you can put it off a bit later.”
“Once I know. then.”
As I turned my back and went back toward the guards, Dacia quickly followed me.
“I want to go too. Are you okay?”
“Of course it is fine.”
The guards’ eyes briefly caught on Dakia’s face, but they sighed deeply when they saw me approaching again.
“No matter what, I can never let you in. Just go back.”
I tried not to reveal it as much as possible, but now that the situation is like this, I had my own way to use it. I pulled back the robe slightly, revealing the priestly robe I was wearing underneath. The voices of the guards who checked my priestly clothes softened a little.
“Were you a priest?
“It is called Marnak, who enshrines the goddess of maintenance. I am on a pilgrimage to find those who need my help.”
“aha.”
It was a difficult profession to impersonate as a priest, as falsely calling himself a priest would be branded by God. Accordingly, wherever they went, those who claimed to be priests were guaranteed a minimum status. Respect for the priest who lived by giving to others was a bonus.
The annoyance in the guards’ eyes disappeared, and a little respect and a handful of kindness took its place.
I looked at their faces slowly and spoke politely.
“No matter what’s going on in the city, with the abilities of me and my party, I think we can provide a little help to the people who rule this place.”
“Surely…”
The guards chatted among themselves for a while. Dacia poked my side and whispered in my ear.
“I think it worked pretty well.”
“I think so too.”
After a while, a guard approached us to see if there was a conclusion.
“Anyway, it didn’t seem like a matter for us to decide, so we sent someone inside. However, even if you are allowed to enter the city, it will probably be difficult for you to leave the city until this case is resolved.”
“What the hell happened to that?”
The guard sighed deeply and smiled bitterly.
“Since I am a priest, I am telling you this specially, so you must keep it a secret.”
“I swear to the goddess of maintenance that I will keep the secret.”
I printed out a blank check, meaning nothing. However, the guard accepted the empty check called my oath and opened his mouth slowly with great relief.
“Two weeks ago, Avad Finisho’s son, Yad Finisho, was kidnapped.”
In a word, the whole situation was roughly understood.
“Besides, it wasn’t just a kidnapping, it was an extremely brutal raid. When Avad returned to the mansion after finishing his duties, it is said that only red blood greeted Avad at the mansion. None of those who were in the mansion that day survived. Even Mr. Abad’s wife.”
“How did you find out that your son was kidnapped?”
The guard bit his lip and paused for a moment. I waited patiently for his explanation.
“… the assailant ran along the walls of the huge mansion with the blood of the servants he had killed, ‘Your son is still alive. Abad finish show.’”
I don’t know who did this, but it was clear that he was insane. Kill all the family and family of an aristocrat who rules a city and kidnap the son? Avad Finisho would struggle to avenge this grudge, even at the cost of the rest of his life.
“That’s why the city is blockaded.”
“you’re right. Avad Finisho, who was truly furious, ordered that not even a rat be allowed out of this city.”
Honestly, while I was wondering if it would be better to just search the next city without getting entangled, the guard who had entered the city reappeared.
“Permission to come in has been given. I need to fill out the entry and exit list for a while, so would you please follow me with the rest of the party?”
“All right.”
While returning to the group, Dakia glanced at the huge castle and narrowed her eyes.
“The lord’s family was exterminated and his son kidnapped, no matter who it was, the method is very cruel. I don’t like it. If you had a grudge, getting revenge on yourself would have been enough.”
“I guess there are people who wanted to see the lord suffer and get angry.”
If it wasn’t revenge, that would be even more terrifying. It’s because the noble’s family was exterminated out of necessity.
After returning to the group and explaining what had happened, Giselle nodded very willingly.
“Good. I think I can go right in.”
“Why?”
Giselle looked at the tall castle wall and smiled meaningfully.
“In the first place, going in was a problem, but sneaking out was no problem. Search moderately, and if you feel like things are going weird, you can always run away.”
Then it dawned on me that she was a worshiper of an evil god who flashed through the shadows in the east and in the west. These days, I forgot about it because I was always loaded onto a cart and was only going through the goalposts.
“Then let’s go in. Because I want to soak myself in warm water for the first time in a while.”
***
The streets of Ebedos, which I thought would be dark, are brighter and livelier than I thought. When I was on shift, I asked the guard who asked for a guide for a small amount of money, and he said, ‘People can’t go out, but supplies are coming and going through careful inspection.’
“Abad’s speech is scheduled for today, so since you’re staying in this city, you’d better come to the square a little later. then.”
After that, the guard introduced us to an inn and left. As trade developed around the rivers in the cities of the Northern Empire, the inn he introduced was more expensive than most inns in the Northern Kingdom, but the inn’s services and buildings were in good condition.
“I am thinking of going to listen to the speech first. I will listen to it and explain it to you, so if you want to rest, you can rest.”
“Then I’ll take a break.”
Jamel readily raised his hand at my suggestion.
“I want to listen to a speech with Father Marnak and take a tour of the city!”
“I want to hear your speech, too.”
Jamel and Dacia expressed their intention to go with me.
‘killing!’
Even my mother who asks me to buy snacks is a bonus. Terzio looked back and forth between Giselle and mine before speaking.
– Everyone is going to listen to the speech, so I’ll stay here and escort Giselle.
Surveillance named escort. Terzio always kept a watchful eye on Giselle. I nodded.
“Please take good care of me.”
Leaving Terzio behind, we headed to the plaza and asked the citizens nearby. When we arrived at the square, it was already crowded with countless citizens.
After a while, a middle-aged man came up on the huge podium that had been improvised. Looking at his haggard complexion and the white hairs that were leaking here and there in his hair, it was easy to guess how much trouble he had suffered so far.
Abad Finisho, the lord of Ebedos, looked over at the gathered citizens before slowly opening his mouth. An ancient artifact installed in front of him amplified his voice.
“listen carefully. Those who kidnapped my son. I will never solve the blockade of the city until I find my son, and I will grind and chew all the cubs to eat !!! The goddamn dog-catcher in this world…”
Whoops.
arrows flew The arrows were stealthy, fast, and strong enough that the guards beside him could not even react. Just like that, the arrow pierced Abad Finisho’s shoulder.
The body of Abad, who was venting his anger, fell under the podium.
A high-pitched screaming voice followed along with the crowd.
“Younglord!!!”
“Take the lord!!!”
“shit!!!”
At that time when everyone’s eyes were sold to the falling lord. I was looking at where the arrow had come from. I tapped Dacia on the shoulder and spoke briefly.
“I’ll be gone for a while.”
