Chapter Eighty
Now that some time had passed since night began, Karl looked around to make sure there was nothing amiss.
Those guys who came to monitor us were only in the vicinity and had no intention of getting closer, which was for the best. Carl also didn't want a chaotic fight to break out.
Lori is still asleep, but that's for the best. It would be best if she didn't wake up until dawn, otherwise it would be very uncomfortable to not be able to sleep in the middle of the night.
What's even stranger is that those guys never came back after they left. Only Ghost Duke returned, caused a ruckus next door for a while, and then disappeared without a trace.
He himself couldn't fall asleep, because he was a little confused about the child.
There's no need to dwell on things we haven't figured out yet; we can deal with them a few years from now. Neither he nor this child has an end in life; as long as they're content with an ordinary existence, they can live until the very end of the world.
That would be best, but there might be unexpected events along the way.
Carl tucked the blanket around the child, then fumbled around his own neck for a moment without finding anything before remembering that he had given his crucifix to the child who had been affected by the problematic medication.
This is a headache, because the cross is considered a medium for the application of divine power. One can choose from a limited set of options based on their needs.
Divine inscriptions must be written on a relatively flat surface, unlike spells. Even if written on paper, they must be laid flat to be used.
The only usable surfaces nearby are the walls and tables, but the graffiti and scribbling make it difficult for the church staff to deal with.
This is a bit tricky. He decided to go next door to check on Ghost Duke's condition. That guy has been making strange noises in his room ever since he came back.
To be honest, I'm a little bothered. I have a prejudice against Ghost Duke. Those acknowledged by the gods always speak frankly, so I have no intention of hiding my hostility towards him. For someone I'll be working with for a long time, this approach is actually quite appropriate.
After all, it's better to state from the beginning that you don't trust the other person than to pretend that you have a good relationship during a crisis.
Therefore, he wanted to know what that guy was doing right now, but he was still a little worried about leaving Lori there without any protection.
And there are also... nearby
"Um, Your Excellency, the bleeding won't stop? Can you help me?" Just as he was in distress, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a guy covered in blood stood in the doorway.
"What... what happened to you?" Karl almost unleashed his skills the moment he saw it.
Because it was such a disturbing sight, it evoked extremely negative thoughts. The person was naked from the waist up, and everywhere you could see was blood. There was also a bloody hole dug out in the chest area.
The area where the blood loss is irreversible is probably the shoulder, where a large chunk of flesh was cut off.
Anyone else would have been beaten up by Karl. The fact that such an injury could heal only means that the infection had become so severe that he had turned into a monster. And he even had a strange smile on his face; he didn't look normal at all.
About twenty minutes later, in Ghost Duke's room.
"Is it because you've gotten used to the pain that you feel uncomfortable when you're suddenly completely healed?" Karl frowned, looking at Ghost Duke whose shoulders were wrapped up.
The guy is hiding in a corner now, and he looks like he's trembling.
But it shouldn't be from pain that he's trembling, because he was the one who caused these things. Carl saw the heart that had been dug out, lying on the ground like trash.
As for his shoulder, after it was cut off, it was soaked in a bowl of hot water.
"That should be edible, don't worry. My meat is the same as everyone else's, there's nothing wrong with it. I'll process it and make it into dinner later." Ghost Duke hesitated for a moment and said, "Don't worry, it's edible."
Cannibalism has always been a normal thing, as long as one is not corrupted, it is a very normal behavior here.
Eating the flesh of relatives or friends is considered a good thing, because their souls will remain in the body after death and protect the eater.
“It’s not because of that,” Carlton paused and said, “but your mental state is very poor. Is this what happens when you live too long?”
"I wonder if anyone else has this problem?" Ghost Duke looked at his hand and said, "It makes me feel alive. If it didn't hurt, I would feel so light."
"Don't think like that, I'm very worried."
"You're worried about me?"
“No, my lifespan is practically unlimited. It’s just that I haven’t lived much longer yet.” Karl looked at Ghost Duke and said, “If I ever become like you, I’d probably die. After all, I wouldn’t survive if my heart was ripped out.”
"You think you can live forever? Don't be silly. You're just a priest. Although you're very strong, you're not immortal." Ghost Duke paused and said, "Being cautious can make a person live a long time, but it doesn't mean they won't die."
"What do you mean?" Karl was a little annoyed. This guy seemed to have completely missed his good intentions and was still saying such things in a threatening tone.
He turned his head and looked at the guy.
Just then, Ghost Duke looked up and met his eyes.
"Those are really beautiful golden eyes, and they're not colored contact lenses," he blurted out out of nowhere.
"What are colored contact lenses?" Karl was really fed up with this guy occasionally using words he'd never heard of before, acting like it was common knowledge and that only he didn't know.
Even though this guy said something strange, I feel like I'm the one with the problem.
"Something that changes the color of your eyes." Ghost Duke hesitated for a moment. He vaguely remembered using one when he attended a comic convention before. He had always liked golden eyes and had even bought one when he was in his chuunibyou phase.
But he didn't open his eyes and put the thing in. Sure enough, it takes courage for a timid guy to put something in his eyes.
"That only requires a few simple incantations."
"Oh, really? So there's such a convenient way to use spells... Ouch, ouch, ouch." Ghost Duke's voice got a little louder, causing the wound on his chest to reopen.
But this feeling is really great. I never thought I'd become a masochist one day. I didn't understand those guys' behavior back then, but now I completely understand.
"If you really have this strange interest, it's better to use scissors to cut off the corner of your ear; it will heal better that way."
"Thank you." Ghost Duke looked at his somber expression. "Priest, you seem to have something on your mind?"
Karl raised an eyebrow, realizing he should indeed try to conceal his expression. His current expression was definitely making it easy for others to tell something was wrong.
"Is it because of that girl?"
Before he could answer, the guy had hit the nail on the head.
"It's none of your business."
"She's a good child," Ghost Duke said to himself. "She's a very pretty girl, cherish her."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Karl finally couldn't contain his anger and stood up to look at the guy.
It was a mistake to help this guy. With his abilities, I wouldn't have to worry even if I didn't help him at all.
"I just want to say, if you like that girl, don't comfort yourself because of her status or any other reason." Ghost Duke paused and said, "You never know when she might disappear, or you might disappear one day. If you really live a long life, cherish the person who can walk with you through it all."
Karl was taken aback, completely bewildered. This guy was actually speaking very seriously. He had initially thought this guy was someone who wouldn't take things seriously.
“Because I’ve seen similar situations before. The man was a paladin, and the woman was a priestess. Remember where I was sold off? It was those two high-ranking priests in that city. The butcher would occasionally mention them.” Ghost Duke paused and continued, “For some reason, they never married, even when one of them died in the city destroyed by a natural disaster. That was the perfect opportunity for me to escape, and I happened to witness the priestess’s death. She was killed by a seemingly powerful monster. Oh, and I was also pierced through by that guy, but I just didn’t die.”
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Karl was inexplicably getting a little irritated.
"Nothing else, just trying to advise you to be more direct when it comes to relationships. If you think I'm talking nonsense, just pretend you didn't hear me." Ghost Duke yawned: "Nothing else, I want to take a nap."
"Sweet dreams." Karl took a deep breath to calm his urge to punch the guy, then got up to leave, with Ghost Duke waving goodbye behind him.
As soon as Karl stepped out the door, he regretted it because his mood had soured.
I knew I shouldn't have come. This guy inexplicably makes me angry, just angry, without knowing why. My mind goes blank when I see him; I can't suppress my disgust.
Maybe it's because that guy is just too depressed, it feels like all the negative energy is condensing into black mud on his body.
He clenched his fists, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
I knew I shouldn't have come.
Carl pushed open the locked door and looked into the room with the window wide open. The bed was empty. The child who should have been lying there was nowhere to be found.
The child disappeared the moment I left.
Damn it, I only just noticed that my usually steady heartbeat has disappeared.
Why? That guy named Ghost Duke said some strange things, and because of those strange things, he had a lot of inappropriate thoughts, got distracted, and didn't keep a close eye on the child.
"What happened?" Ghost Duke also ran out of the room; the loud noise had woken him up.
Then Carl shoved him away, saying, "Go to sleep."
As he said this, he smashed the window and fell outside.
He located the man who had kidnapped Lori, who was currently heading rapidly towards the city center. This was Denos's doing, connecting him with Lori so that he could provide rapid support in times of need.
However, the speed wasn't very fast. If it were only this speed, Karl could still catch up. But before he could exert his strength, a bullet fired from the shadows hit his thigh.
The force of the impact even caused his leg to pull back a step. The bullet didn't penetrate his body; it only went in halfway. Blood flowed out near the bullet hole, and the regenerated flesh bounced the bullet out.
A projectile used against clergy? Karl frowned. Although it hadn't had any real effect, it had still broken through the barrier he had created with holy magic around his body. He had just broken through the barrier, but the kinetic energy was absorbed by his muscles, preventing it from being penetrated.
Five bullets followed, but they were all deflected by Karl's instantaneous divine spell. He held a shrunken scripture in his hand, keeping an eye on his surroundings as he fired.
The ground cracked open, and the immense force propelled him at incredible speed to the corner. Before the hiding man could react, he grabbed the short gun and unleashed a devastating blow, sending the concealed figure crashing against the wall at the far end.
I wonder how many people think priests are not good at fighting, and actually believe that ordinary people can defeat high-ranking clergy with their equipment. They have definitely been underestimated.
Carl looked at the pistol he had snatched, then threw it on the ground, clenched his fist, and stared at the guy who had crashed into the wall.
He was a little curious whether he had hit it or not, because the creature was really light. He calculated its physical strength as he hit it.
Although he didn't have time to grab a weapon or put on armor, this guy was just too weak. He was a little worried that his heavy blow just now might have killed the guy. If he could capture him alive, he could still get a lot of information out of him.
However, there's probably no time for interrogation now; if we don't act soon, Lori will be taken to a heavily guarded place.
Damn it, Karl tried to calm himself down but couldn't. The meaningless words Ghost Duke had said were still echoing in his mind, as if someone was testing him from the shadows.
Why do I have to bring Lori back? That girl is like a time bomb to me; she'll threaten me sooner or later.
But when he learned that he had disappeared, he felt his mind go blank and his heart feel empty.
He turned around, grabbed the wrist that was already being offered to him, and then reached out to break the short sword that was trying to pierce his body.
That thing could still move! Karl stared at it, stunned.
This guy is quite familiar; I've even met him not long ago.
But why here? This thought slowed his offensive, preventing him from launching an immediate counterattack.
"Lady?" he tried to ask, but the answer he received was a dagger thrown from another hand, aimed straight at his eye in the instant he was distracted.
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