I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 78

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[078] The Truth Revealed
Enduring the excruciating pain that ravaged my entire body as an aftereffect of wielding the Sacred Relic, I made my way to Neptune’s Temple.
More precisely, to a narrow path behind the temple’s backyard—a route used to dispose of waste and refuse generated within the temple, a place I would normally have no reason to visit.
As I walked along the shadowy back alley, following the deep ruts carved by cart wheels, Radi flinched and spoke.
“Wait a moment. I’m detecting a strong smell of blood here…?”
“Suddenly? This isn’t even the area where we fought the mermaids. There shouldn’t be any blood spilled here.”
“I’m not sure either. But it’s incredibly strong. It feels like it’s getting more intense the further we go….”
Radi and Karen exchanged puzzled glances, drawing their weapons cautiously.
The path extended toward the outskirts of Liberta, finally ending at a desolate forest devoid of any human presence.
And there, a mass grave awaited us—reeking with a horrific stench and swarming with flies.
Malton and I pressed past Karen and Radi, who were retching, and descended into the pit to examine the corpses.
“These are mermaid bodies. Are these the very mermaids who invaded the temple before we arrived in Liberta?”
“Based on the state of decomposition, likely so. But what matters now isn’t that… help me move these.”
Malton and I began methodically clearing away the corpses piled atop the pit.
Then, revealed beneath the towering stack of bodies was….
“These are… priestly robes? These are the priests of Neptune’s Temple!”
「You have discovered the lifeless bodies of Neptune’s Temple priests!」
「Their bodies have begun to liquefy! It is clear they have been dead for well over a month!」
Malton’s expression twisted as he grimaced.
“Were they killed by the mermaids?”
“No, mermaids use spears. Look at the wounds on their necks—they were assassinated with daggers.”
“And… and furthermore… ugh! Some… some were poisoned… urgh!”
Radi, standing outside the pit in shock, retched as she spoke.
The implication was singular and clear.
“By the time we arrived, every member of Neptune’s Temple had already been replaced.”
When I had asked why humans and mermaids hadn’t cooperated, Marius had said something specific.
―Initially, we attempted to resolve matters through dialogue with the clergy, but those pig-headed humans refused to believe us. So we decided to take what we needed by force.
From the moment I heard those words, I felt a sense of incongruity.
This world already has countless reincarnators operating within it.
They surely would have warned of the great calamity approaching Liberta, and it was highly likely that at least the high nobility of this kingdom and Neptune’s Temple had been forewarned.
‘There were similar circumstances in the Medaolinum Dungeon as well….’
To prevent the monster outbreak from the dungeon—the catalyst of the first great calamity—the Royal Court had exceptionally dispatched S-rank Adventurers and rapidly conquered its layers.
Yet the priests of Neptune’s Temple dismissing the mermaids’ counsel made no logical sense.
And here, with these assassinated priests factored in, every puzzle piece fell miraculously into place.
The ones the mermaids had encountered were impostors masquerading as Neptune’s Temple officials.
“Could it be… that means… the fact that Snake Gang stole the spear blade was actually….”
“Right, they deliberately created an opening to lure them into stealing it. If the blade and shaft remained separated, the chances of someone completing the Sacred Relic and defeating Leviathan would diminish.”
“Now that I think about it… no matter how fortunate, it was always strange that a mere pirate crew managed to steal a Sacred Relic from a temple.”
“Everything—from beginning to end—was orchestrated with meticulous precision.”
But their one unforeseen variable was my arrival here.
In summary, here’s what happened.
1. Neptune’s Temple knew that a great catastrophe would befall Liberta.
2. An unknown organization assassinated the Temple’s priests and replaced them with imposters.
3. The Mermaids, sensing Leviathan’s resurrection, demanded cooperation, but were refused by the fake priests.
4. To secure the spear, the Mermaids clashed with the Temple by force, and hired the Snake Gang to obtain the blade of the Holy Spear.
5. While the Mermaids and Temple were locked in conflict, we arrived in Liberta.
So there’s a flaw in saying the Neptune’s Temple priests neglected the crisis.
It’s certainly their fault for being careless with security and getting assassinated.
Karen frowned as she listened to the explanation.
“That doesn’t make sense. You’re saying someone tried to use Leviathan to annihilate the coastal cities, but there’s no organization that would benefit from doing something like that….”
“Of course there is.”
I had a suspicion about who it might be.
“…
Demon Worshippers
or
the Demon Cult.
”
Those who worship twisted beings.
Their goal is to drag the Belheim continent toward destruction.
You might ask what benefit they gain from it, but you shouldn’t expect rational thinking from Heretics in the first place.
Even on Earth, aren’t there fanatics who desperately call for the end times?
“When I infiltrated the Temple, there were Knights who ate strange pills and transformed into tentacle monsters. It’s exactly the kind of method Heretics would favor.”
Heretics are beings you encounter fairly often when traveling around Belheim.
They’re so secretive that I don’t know the full picture myself, but among the high-ranking ones, there are some so powerful that even I, a former ranker, would struggle to face alone.
And since my goal in this world is to survive, I’ll likely clash with those plotting this world’s destruction quite frequently going forward.
■■ Especially now that I’ve been marked by a demon because of my stats.
“…Now that we’ve learned the Heretics are active, we should be more careful going forward.”
“Hmm… Demons, Heretics, and boss monsters too… Lately I feel like I’m constantly walking in the eye of the storm. …Karen, you said you have an acquaintance at the Temple, right?”
“Yeah… It wouldn’t be bad to ask them about information regarding the Heretics.”
“It’s better to know and prepare in advance than to suffer unknowingly. …So, are we finished with our business here in Liberta, Doran?”
“Yeah, let’s really head back now.”
I had completed everything I needed to do in Liberta.
* * *
｢You are traveling via Portal!｣
｢Be careful not to have any part of your body transferred into the walls!｣
As we exited through the Portal installed in the Central Plaza, a slight dizziness washed over me before the familiar scenery of the Free City came into view.
A place that felt nostalgic despite having been away for only a few days.
“This place really hasn’t changed. Well, it hasn’t even been a week since we left, so that’s only natural….”
“It felt like we were in Liberta for several weeks.”
It was a similar sight to when we had escaped through a Portal from the Dungeon and arrived in this city.
If I had to point out one difference, it would be this….
“Extra! Extra! News from the Coastal City—the legendary monster Leviathan has appeared, but a winged Death Knight defeated it!”
“A winged Death Knight?! Could it be that same knight who slaughtered the intermediate demons?!”
“Hey, kid! Give me a newspaper!”
A sea dragon so colossal it could swallow an entire island whole!
And a skeletal warrior who repelled it using the power of the sea god!
The entire city was abuzz with gossip.
‘It’s only been a day, and the rumors have already spread this far…?’
Words without feet travel a thousand miles, as they say!
In truth, all the survivors who witnessed me in that dungeon had been transported to this city, so it made sense they were sensitive to rumors about the skeletal warrior.
“Even so, this seems a bit much….”
As I watched the excited crowd with mixed feelings, Radi scratched her cheek sheepishly and muttered.
“I didn’t notice it in Liberta because things were so chaotic… but seeing people here talking about a savior and a hero from so far away makes me feel a little embarrassed.”
“You can hold your head high and accept it proudly, Radi. Of course, we’ll have to keep the fact that we’re the subjects of these rumors hidden.”
“Honestly, I’d rather not get caught up in another incident like this.”
I chuckled and stretched.
But when I turned my head, I met Karen’s gaze, and her expression was subtle.
“Wait… now that I think about it, there was a rumor that a knight in the dungeon defeated a demon using dark magic… could that have been you? Is that how you came to know Uncle Belmont?”
“Ah… didn’t I mention it?”
Now that I thought about it, Karen had only joined the party after that incident.
“…The fact that I possess the Evil God’s power is a secret. Since you’ve received the blessing of a mystical being now, we’re in the same boat.”
“I never volunteered to receive any blessing in the first place. And it’s not the Evil God that’s the problem—you’re… never mind.”
Karen glanced at Radi cautiously, then took the lead and began walking.
“So we’re heading straight to Uncle Belmont’s Mansion?”
“Yes, I need to report on the resolution of the incident.”
In truth, I had another purpose for meeting Belmont.
‘Because I made a deal with Belmont…!’
I had promised that if Karen showed results after being hired into my party and gaining experience, I would receive a reward.
It seemed she had found the key to controlling her mana through my advice, and with Leviathan’s blessing, she had become quite strong.
At this level, I could reasonably expect a substantial reward, couldn’t I?
We exchanged light banter as we arrived at Belmont’s Mansion.
But upon arrival, the atmosphere was decidedly unusual.
“Bring a mage skilled in detection magic at once!”
“We’re contacting the Magic Tower right now!!”
The Butler and the maids, stripped of their usual composure, rushed about the mansion with cold sweat dripping down their foreheads.
“Um… is something wrong?”
“Ah, you’ve arrived, Miss Karen. My apologies. The situation is simply too dire for me to receive you with proper courtesy….”
“Has something happened to Uncle Belmont?”
“That is to say… Lord Belmont has been kidnapped.”
“K-kidnapped?! What kind of audacious fools would dare commit such an act? The Assassin’s Guild? Knights from a rival kingdom?”
“So that means….”
The Butler hesitated before finally speaking.
“The undead have abducted her…!”
In an instant, Radi, Malton, and Karen’s gazes converged on a single point.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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