Rumors, Priest

After the lightning and thunder, the autumn rain that hadn't fallen for a long time finally stopped. The yellowed city walls of Tevalinburg were washed clean, appearing surprisingly white.

From the church spire, visible from outside the outer wall, the stained-glass windows were pushed open, and a young page serving Pastor Alphons returned with a pot for collecting water.

"Be careful, this is crucial for making holy water. Don't let any dust contaminate the pot."

Pastor Alphons, dressed in black robes, had just seen off a messenger. He looked at the printed document in his hand and didn't forget to remind the young page.

"If you feel the holy pot is too heavy, silently chant 'Holy Light grant me strength.' Believe me, it will at least give you strength from the bottom of your heart. Every priest starts from there. As someone who's been through it, you must believe me."

Another black-robed official from the executive committee also gave the young page a kind look. After watching her leave, he smiled and said to Alphons, "Seeing her reminds me of ourselves many years ago in Gaudy City, just as young."

Pastor Alphons pinched his brow and casually tossed the letter onto the table, looking somewhat weary. "There have been some bad rumors in the Cortez Territory lately. It seems our suspicions are confirmed. We really underestimated the ambition of Sir Davis Tevalin."

"Did he really kill all those pirates and the popular official of Raphael Garcia Cortes?"

The black-robed official disliked these troublesome matters. "It seems we won't have as much confidence when we face questioning from the County of Tervain."

"It's worse than that. The letter from the priest in charge of the Cortez Territory just said there are many versions of the rumors. Some say Sir Davis Tevalin was impersonated, and there were human and animal casualties, claiming those evil monsters have reappeared."

Pastor Alphons picked up the letter from the table and handed it to the female official opposite him. "The best-case scenario now is that some pirates weren't completely wiped out, and the attacks in the neighboring territory were done by those scoundrels. This would be perfect for developing our plan for the ravaged areas and save us the trouble of explaining to the Count of Tervain. The worst case is that some kind of monster or ghost-like thing has truly emerged."

The female official took the letter, muttering, "This shouldn't be happening." She then quickly walked out, leaving behind only, "I'll go check our stored holy water and silverware. We should have brought two sets of holy armor earlier."

Pastor Alphons shook his head helplessly at her hurried demeanor and smiled as he picked up another letter. After glancing at the sender's name, he casually tossed it aside.

"Page! Inform Pastor Ramses Bolton that he can depart."

In the evening, in the wilderness of the Viscountcy of Cortez, Horus was curled up in a tree hollow, appearing either unconscious or asleep. Compared to a week ago, his severely injured body now showed signs of destitution and suffering. He looked much thinner and older.

This was a dense forest, bathed in a dim yellow light. Under the evening sunlight, it shimmered with patches of gold. Blocked by the leaves that hadn't yet fallen, the light scattered into dappled spots on the ground. One beam of light, moving with the setting sun, shone into the tree hollow.

When the light spot fell on Horus, he, who seemed to be sleeping deeply, let out a non-human groan. As he flinched away in panic, a puff of smoke rose from the illuminated area.

A strong smell of blood emanated from the tree hollow, detectable even from a hundred meters away in this part of the forest.

If Horus closed his eyes, he might still look human. But when he opened his reptilian, colorful eyes, his pupils, primarily dark red with emerald green, made him look anything but human.

Perhaps hearing his pained cry, something in the distance of the forest was startled. A rapid set of footsteps followed, and the One-Eyed Dragon ran over.

"Captain, are you having an episode again?"

The One-Eyed Dragon felt a sense of dread, but remembering the ancient legends, he also felt it was an honor to be able to follow such a captain.

Siren.

In ancient legends, for those who lived by the sea, returning to shore alive was a gift from the Sea God. Amidst these gifts, some primitive imaginings inevitably crept in. Thus, the superstitious people linked the Sea God and many incomprehensible, unspeakable things in the ocean together. For example, physical ailments caused by a lack of trace elements, usually replenished by eating vegetables, resulting from prolonged time at sea. These were seen by them as torments from Sirens, tests from the Sea God... Many natural phenomena like these were interpreted through a mystical lens, with Sirens being the most widespread legend.

As servants of the Sea God in these conjectures, Sirens were said to mingle with sailors, learn human preferences, imitate human behavior, and inevitably, perhaps, have children with humans. Those with mixed bloodlines, containing Siren blood, would eventually exhibit atavism after countless generations of inheritance, thereby gaining extraordinary abilities.

Whether in peninsular or island nations surrounded by the sea, such ethnic groups have similar legends to varying degrees. Horus grew up listening to these legends, and so did the One-Eyed Dragon. Therefore, they attributed the mutations happening to Horus to this cause. They felt both fear and anticipation, and a sense of honor.

In reality, ever since they ate that nest of wild rats raw, both Horus and the One-Eyed Dragon had undergone some mutations. However, Horus's condition was more severe. The One-Eyed Dragon could still tolerate sunlight, and his injuries were lighter. More often, he was the one who hunted or raided villages for livestock. When he inevitably injured people during these raids, it was unclear if the wild rats they ate carried rabies. The bloodthirsty One-Eyed Dragon would sometimes lick the wounds of the deceased, exhibiting symptoms of blood thirst.

Horus's condition was more severe. He no longer ate but only drank blood! If Ergons saw them, his first reaction would likely be to question if these two had contracted Prion disease or rabies. However, in this era of closed information and unenlightened minds, it was easy for legends to emerge, portraying them as monsters hostile to the Holy Light.

"So, Pastor Ramses, uh, Pastor Ramses Bolton, are you saying that an enemy of the Holy Light, a demon, has appeared in the neighboring territory?" Old Adam, with a body that looked like it could be blown over by a gust of wind, asked with a senile and surprised expression.

"Yes, old sir, and Sir Tevalin, this matter should warrant the attention of the patrol team."

Wearing a small red cap on his head, covering his deliberately shaved bald spot, and clad in a black priest's robe with red trim, the priest spoke with great seriousness, holding a pure gold cross inlaid with rubies, longer than his palm, which hung from his chest.

"Sir Davis Tevalin" also appeared "obedient," praying in fright, "Praise the Holy Light, but we are supposed to be patrolling the border! We can hardly help our neighbors within the territory!"

A week later, at another welcoming banquet, "Sir Davis Tevalin" and Pastor Ramses Bolton sat side-by-side in the main seats at a long banquet table.

In front of them was a vast open space, with individual small tables arranged in a circle around it.

The other attendees sat at their own small tables, accompanying "Sir Davis Tevalin" in welcoming the priest who had come to preach in their village.

"Sir Tevalin, you don't need to worry too much. Just make sure your team members are careful."

Pastor Ramses Bolton, a young priest who looked no older than twenty-one or twenty-two, with amber eyes, flaxen hair, and a prominent nose, gazed kindly at the noble before him.

"That's good, that's good!"