Episode 217 Monster Road (1)
“Vigilance reinforcement completed.”
“Good job.”
Priest Felji looked around.
Jagged rocks and intertwined tree roots come into view at a glance.
It could be an ideal campground.
“Even if a monster comes by chance, I’ll be able to stop it at this position.”
Moreover, since the riverside is right next to them, they will be able to erase their own smell as well.
Truly a seasoned librarian.
A priest in shabby robes approached him.
“There will be no problem at this rate, Priest Felge.”
“It is forbidden to be careless. Especially now that the Monster Lord is right around the corner.”
“Why would A Road target a majority like us? There will be no benefit to be gained.”
“How can a human know what a monster is thinking?”
“What is it?”
“More than that, what about the boundaries? What are you here for?”
“What does a priest stand guard over? The only thing I know how to do is divine magic… If even a monster comes, it’s an instant death.”
As I pretended to slit my throat, Felsey laughed happily.
“ha ha ha. Come to think of it, that’s it too.”
The priest who gave a few more jokes erased his laughter by looking up at the night sky.
“How is your family?”
In response to that question, Felji let out a strange sound that he did not know whether it was a moan or a groan.
The priest spoke quickly.
“sorry. It’s okay if you don’t answer if it’s rude.”
“No. In the past, you took care of me all the time.”
As he speaks, he drapes his hips roughly on the mossy floor around him.
“My wife is still slow to heal and my daughter is not waking up. Even though the treatment was steady, it didn’t go as well as I thought. In other words, nothing has changed from before.”
A self-deprecating laugh oozes out.
The priest nodded and replied.
“okay. I’m glad though. It doesn’t mean that holy magic doesn’t work at all.”
“You could say it’s fortunate out of misfortune.”
“How about asking the adults for treatment?”
I slowly shook my head at the priest’s words.
“That’s not to say. It’s not even incurable, so how can I borrow their power?”
“Isn’t it this close? It’s better to bring out the story…”
He cuts off the following words firmly.
“I did not rise to the position of priest to take advantage of my private position.”
He is infinitely strict with himself.
Even if it’s a family matter at stake.
In a way, you might think he was cold-blooded, but the priest was well aware of how difficult and suffering he was in making such a decision.
That’s why I couldn’t say anything else.
“…If the priest said so…”
Pelji grabbed his shoulder as he looked down and tried to smile.
“I’m sorry. You are not a stranger either. My daughter will open her eyes soon, so don’t fret too much. Just put in the resentment that has nowhere to go. It will only cause collapse.”
Instead of answering, he clenched his fists.
“To be honest, even now, if I say monsters, I want to kill them all. They are the hateful people who took away the high priest’s family and my fiancée. However, I did not have the strength to do so. That’s why we can’t help but think of this as an ordeal given by the Goddess. Since we can’t overcome it with human strength, shouldn’t we pray to God?”
“If you can hide your resentment inside like now, then this must also be Goddess Frias’ trial to help you grow.”
smiling face to face without strength
Felji couldn’t get up from the ground he was sitting on until the priest, who was silent for a while, said hello and left.
* * *
Three days have passed since he came to the Hefrian Mountains.
Now I don’t worry about food or water, but I feel like I’m going to die of boredom.
It must have been the same for the Paladins, and from the second day onwards, they started chatting among themselves.
Even Ray, who enjoyed eavesdropping on it at first, couldn’t help but lose interest after three days.
Just like the first day, I tried to sleep with a book over my face, but the conversation between the two paladins opened my eyes.
“I heard that there is a huge island that is not drawn on the map, so I expected it, but it was not visible from the sea.”
“Did you believe the rumor? ha ha ha. He’s big, but he’s pure on the inside.”
“Isn’t it too exquisite to dismiss it as a rumor? It is located in a location hidden from all sides by small islands and reefs.”
“If there is such a huge island, why is it not known to sailors? It’s just nonsense, so don’t worry about it.”
“Mmmmm…”
Ray walked over to them.
“Could you listen to the story in detail?”
“Saint?”
“Are you talking about a huge island?”
I nod my head at those who make a puzzled expression.
“that’s right. That huge island.”
why? It can be disrespectful to ask.
They looked at each other and started talking.
“The ‘great island’ is like a Gotham that has been handed down in the West Continent. It is a story that there is a huge island that is not marked on the map for some reason.”
“There is a saying that there are monsters and weapons that have never been seen before… but since no one claims to have been there, it remains only a legend.”
At first glance, it seems to be quite related to the family of heroes created by the goddess.
‘If you’re suspicious that there’s an old rumor that it’s such a huge island, this is it.’
We should listen to the information So-Young and Heuk-Young will bring, but for now, this huge island is the most suspicious.
The transgression of the blessings that the goddess had given could not be hidden from the crowd of criminals.
It would be normal for their names to spread without knowing it.
The fact that Hana was able to hide her existence enough not to be heard by her own ears was probably more likely because she was hiding in a secret abode rather than the difference in distance between the East and West continents.
As for the place, this huge island is the most suitable.
“Where are you known to be?”
“No one knows the exact location. However, rumors say that it is in the middle of the sea we passed through…”
Ray muttered as he listened to the Paladins.
“I’ll have to get on the boat again.”
One of the paladins asked if he had heard that muttering, even though he knew it was disrespectful.
“…Sorry, Holy Son, do you think you are going to find a huge island?”
“Exactly, I’m looking for a person.”
If you are looking for people, why do you want to go to a huge island!
I don’t understand, but I can’t just spit out my thoughts straight away.
“It is just a rumor. Several kingdoms in the West Continent tried to find it, but the result ended in failure.”
“You won’t know unless you look for it yourself.”
At the stubborn words, the paladin lightly bowed his head.
‘It’s a legendary place, but if you’re a saint, you might find it.’
Since he was a saint who played outside of common sense and standards until now, I thought that if I decided to start looking for him, I might really find him.
I think it would be interesting to uncover the legends of the Eastern Continent, not the Western Continent, as well as the Holy Land.
* * *
At midnight, when everyone was asleep, urgent voices came from here and there.
“What a monster! It’s a surprise!”
“Wake up the Paladins!”
“Put on your plate armor and come out! There is a large monster!”
Hierarch Felji, who was awakened by the loud commotion around him, hurriedly ran out.
“What’s going on!”
“It’s a raid! We must intercept the monsters waiting in this zone one after another!”
“Is it a village? Is it the work of the monster lord!”
“It seems so! They must have thought their territory was invaded!”
“Aww…! Turn your back inside and set the display! You mustn’t step out in the slightest!”
“yes!”
“yes!”
According to his command, the Paladins quickly tidied up the display.
It was a moment that showed how well they were trained.
The orcs were the first to reach them, over huge boulders and tree roots.
“Koooooo!”
My saliva fell at the enormous power that shook the earth and the enormous number of monsters.
“This must be hard… Ha ha ha.”
“…Goddess Prias’s blessings be with you!”
As his morale seemed to be breaking, Priest Felji quickly shouted.
“Send a messenger! Call for reinforcements from the east and west!”
“I see!”
“Raise your shield in the front line! You have to block as much as possible from going into a melee battle! Based on the tree in front, we attack in turn, starting with the monsters that come over!”
“All right!”
“I take orders!”
According to Felji’s instructions, the paladins and priests who were looking for a gap cut down the monsters that escaped the tree one after another.
Slow-!
“Kuaaa!”
When one dies, two come.
It really couldn’t have been a colossal offensive.
Caan-! Caang!
A shrill noise echoed through the forest.
It hasn’t been long since the attack, but the monster’s blood forms a puddle.
As an individual, the monsters couldn’t overwhelm the paladins.
The terrain is good enough for them.
‘It is impossible to catch all the monsters with this number of people. It’s even more impossible if you assume that you have to deal with the road. So I buy time until reinforcements come.’
If you don’t be vigilant and stop the monsters, reinforcements will arrive.
Priest Felji thought so and used the soldiers to buy time.
Since the purpose was to buy time rather than annihilation, the Paladins suffered less damage and were able to block monsters in an efficient position.
Little by little hope was born, but Pelji’s eyes widened.
“Ouch! no!”
The messenger who ran away was brutally killed at the hands of the orcs.
In this case, someone else should be hired and used as a messenger, but it would be dangerous if anyone were to leave.
However, he could not send a weak priest or priest.
If I did, it would probably end up like the messenger from before.
Faced with difficulties, he grabbed his head.
However, there was no way to give the monsters time to think in an urgent situation.
“Sir! Please give me instructions!”
“If you keep going like this, you will collapse! Everyone dies!”
The display in the front, which looked precarious at first glance, made a whining sound.
“Step back little by little! Back off very little! If you retreat all at once, the ranks will be ruined!”
“I see!”
“Ouch! Priests! Bless you!”
“Bless Bless!”
“Holy protect!”
As priests and priests began to focus more on the battlefield, the number of wounded decreased.
But that was the story.
Even if they are injured, they are healed by holy magic, but this state ends when the holy power runs out.
As they continued to retreat, they were stranded, and if they were pushed out of here, they would surely die.
The eyes of those who were determined were dying little by little.
