For almost a month, the village had been surrounded by corruption. Travelers unlucky enough to get stuck in it didn't hesitate to leave once they heard the men in black cloaks were scraping away the corruption.
The group followed the instructor, who led them out of the forest. The fog was back, though not as dense as before. Kaia looked around cautiously. Pitch-black substances formed nerve-like lines across the ground and trees.
She recalled a time when she had been too close; the nerves had lashed out at her, trying to pull her in, and she had barely escaped intact.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the corpse of a traveler she recognized, covered in the black nerves that had drained all his blood. Half his body was almost mutated. Fortunately, this had been just before the cultist was caught—otherwise, his body might have been reanimated. She could have ended up the same way.
She also noticed the men in black scraping at the corruption. Though the fog made it hard to see clearly, her sharp eyes caught them using knives.
Kaia screamed internally: "Knives?! Knives?!! Priests and mages use countless spells, prayers, and specialized tools, and they just use knives?! What kind of people are they?"
She kept focusing, wishing she was mistaken, until Mia grabbed her hand. Realizing she had been standing still for a while, making Lex and the instructor worry, Kaia apologized and assured them she was alright before they continued.
After a few steps, she asked, "You seem to clear the corruption really quickly compared to others. Do you use some powerful tool or maybe an artifact?"
The guide answered softly, almost as if trying not to whisper, "We've been dealing with corruption for a long time. As long as it existed, I'd say. We have our ways." She wasn't used to speaking with strangers.
"It's strange others haven't adopted your methods," Kaia commented.
"Let's say we're not liked by most. People often mistake us for those who worship the devil, no matter how much we try to convince them otherwise," the guide replied.
"I can't imagine someone scraping corruption with a knife being anything but a cultist," Kaia said.
The guide chuckled inwardly. "Mom wasn't wrong when she said knowledge is a sin—for those who don't have it."
Sunlight shone above them, and the guide turned back. Kaia tried to stop her, but she had already faded into the fog.
"You really seem… interested in them," Lex said, concerned.
"You don't get it. Something feels wrong…" Kaia began, but Mia kicked her back, making her stumble.
Mia glared at her, hands on her hips, fingers crossed. "You always do this—interrogating everyone just because you don't trust them. For heaven's sake! People can do good for no reason."
Kaia got the message—they were being watched. She lowered her head in silence.
"You are right," a familiar voice said from behind Mia.
Mia turned quickly; she felt him but hadn't expected him so close. Arrows flew from her quiver, taking positions in the air like loaded bows ready to shoot.
"But I'd rather say they do it for their own pleasure, even with nothing in return."
It was Kin. His low height allowed him to slip through Kaia's and Lex's line of sight. He stepped closer. "No need for fights. I see you're holding my request paper."
Mia lowered the arrows. "Oh," she said.
"Interested?" Kin asked.
"Name the price first," she answered.
"I have this," he said, pulling a fleshy strand and an eye for its pendant.
The group looked at it in silence. Mia asked, "Do you use this to protect yourself from corruption?"
Kin replied, "No. I took it from the cultist before his execution. It controls corrupted monsters, and probably lesser demons."
Mia shuddered and turned to Kaia. "So?"
"I don't know if he's telling the truth, but…" Kaia hesitated.
"But?" Mia prompted.
Kaia stepped back, looking terrified. "That thing… is alive."
Mia groaned. Lex suggested, "We should test it first. Many claim the same, but it's usually fake."
"Great idea," Mia said, turning to Kin. "You…"
"Kin," he answered.
"We'll throw you at the first monster we encounter. If it works, we go with you; otherwise, you'll be left for dinner," Mia said challengingly.
"Deal," Kin replied immediately.
The group was shocked at his confidence. They returned to the forest, hoping a monster had slipped past the hunters. During their search, they coincidentally ran into the tribe in black cloaks, who were holding a monster in a cage, blood stains all over it.
They spoke in a southern language of the nation. Lex, fluent in it, translated automatically in his head for Kaia.
"Kin? I thought you were leaving."
"Conditions."
"Are those the ones accompanying you to the mountains?"
"Seems so. I just need to show them that it works."
"You know we'd never refuse if you asked, so why strangers?"
"The knights are becoming annoying. It's easier if they aren't from our group."
"…As you wish."
They picked up their mancatchers, taking safe distances before opening the cage. The monster, a mutant monkey, lashed out, looking in every direction until it locked on Kin, who held the necklace behind his back like a prayer.
Kin revealed the necklace; the monster's gaze fixed on the pendant. Its eyes glowed red as its body convulsed… then it stopped.
"Sit," Kin ordered.
The monster sat.
"Roll."
It rolled onto its back.
"1…2…3…4," Kin repeated.
The monster hissed in rhythm.
"Wow, that's cool," Mia said, excited.
"Now back."
The monster stepped back into the cage. Kin closed and locked it. The monster began hitting the cage aggressively, to no avail.
Kin turned to the group. "Satisfied?"
"More," Mia replied.
"Good. Then we head to Redhorn," Kin said.
"Excuse me," Kaia said, "but why not just kill it?"
Kin rolled his eyes, unwilling to translate. The tribe members exchanged glances, seemingly not understanding. Lex stepped in and asked them in their language—they answered.
Lex turned to Kaia. "They don't know; they're just following orders."
"Let's move," Kin said. "We'll make it just before sunset."
They rushed behind Kin. As they exited the fog domain from the west, a knight in white armor stood by, a golden symbol carved on his shoulder guard—the united knights. Kin ignored him; the others followed. Mia rolled her eyes, Lex observed the knight's presence while moving, and Kaia bowed lightly before continuing. The knight's gaze followed them.
"Pesht, those useless knights. And now they show up?" Mia muttered.
Kin turned to her with wide eyes.
"What?" Mia asked.
Kin replied, "…Nothing. Just didn't expect we'd agree on this," a hint of a smile sparking on his face.
Fay landed on Kin's shoulder. "U~seless," she said.
"Nice timing, Fay. Tell the others a wasp is waiting in the west," Kin whispered.
Fay took off back into the fog.
After a long walk, they finally reached Redhorn, climbing a hill just as the sun set.
The small village was celebrating a huge victory against a dragon they had hunted for months. Red dragon shells decorated the rooftops, reflecting the moonlight in a faint colorful glow. Fires burned everywhere. Men, women, children, and elders all joined the festivities.
---
"Hey."
"Hey."
"You said they were following orders."
"Right."
"Is that all?"
"What do you mean?"
"They seemed to say much more."
"Yes, but…"
"What?"
"Maybe knowing it would get us in trouble with him."
"Don't worry. He has a mind guard. Even if he knew, he couldn't listen to us."
"Well, if that's so, they also said they were ordered to catch something interesting."
"For what?"
"Experiments?"
"You seem unsure."
"His friend cut him off before he could say too much."
"Hm."
"Can I ask?"
"Of course."
"What did he want to say before Mia kicked you?"
"Oh, that… It's just that the whole tribe thing feels so staged, as if they were waiting for 'his' command. Then they caught the core of the corruption in one night. That doesn't make sense."
"Maybe they're just that good. If the knights had come, they might have achieved the same results. Sometimes the difference in levels makes things seem easier than they actually are, and they have a lot of experience."
"What if they were just the cult with a different name?"
"Then we fight, I guess."
"…"