Oh No, They're Coming for Me!!?

"...Hiss."

Herbert's expression went blank, the corners of his mouth twitching as he looked down at the thoroughly ravaged grass carp on the ground.

He had barely taken a few steps out of the Foreign Races' Prison when he noticed the mess in the shadows nearby.

"This is the third time now, isn't it?"

Honestly, he really had no idea what to say anymore.

"Bro, are we really this destined to meet? I haven't even been looking for you. How do I run into this every single time?"

"Do you have a secret crush on me?"

"You totally do..."

Seriously, at least do it somewhere people won't see.

You might not care, but I'm embarrassed for you.

"Watch out, or the Fish Lovers Association will come knocking...Wait, no. Isn't he a fish lover himself? He loves them so much he just can't hold back."

After inwardly snarking for quite a while, Herbert looked at the grass carp, which barely resembled a fish anymore, and suddenly raised an eyebrow.

Judging by its miserable state, he realized this fellow's situation might differ slightly from what he had first assumed.

"He seems to be getting worse and worse. Is he losing his mind?"

The grass carp from the first time had still been barely alive afterward. The second had been in a sorry state, but at least it had only died once the deed was done.

But this third time, the grass carp had been torn apart halfway through. Its head had been twisted clean off, turning it into a ready-made cup.

Grass Carp's methods of venting were becoming increasingly brutal, and he was losing more and more control over his urges.

He was only targeting fish for now, but would he turn his vile hands on other creatures next?

Fortunately, the Monastery didn't keep cats or dogs. Otherwise, Herbert would have been worrying about those innocent little animals right now.

As for everyone else in the Monastery, worrying about their safety wasn't a newbie like him's place.

The male clergy went without saying. They were either Monks or Holy Knights, with dependable strength and a formidable ability to protect their own backsides.

"As for the sisters, there's even less reason to worry about them. They always move in groups, and individually, they're no weaker than anyone else..."

There were no ordinary Preaching Sisters in the Misty Monastery. Every single one was a Battle Sister capable of fighting.

Yes, every-single-one!

Not one of those Battle Sisters was a helpless woman. Every last one was a savage fighter who could wear heavy armor, cast spells with a holy scripture in one hand, and swing a flail or smash away with a warhammer in the other.

These sisters either served as War Sisters in the Misty Knights or as Penitent Sisters in the Tribunal.

Each was more brutal than the next, each more bloodthirsty.

As Herbert thought about it, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Huh, wait a second..."

The little animals were safe, the male clergy were safe, the sisters were safe...Surely someone wasn't safe?

So, take a guess. Which lucky soul was in danger?

"It's me!"

Herbert's mouth twitched, his crotch tightened, and his legs trembled. He nearly fled on the spot.

"I'm the one who should be most worried!"

Correct. Perfectly reasonable.

Herbert was the weakest of them all!

He wasn't very strong, he had a noble status, and most importantly, he was exceptionally good-looking...He was practically the perfect victim.

Shit.

Now he's really coming for me!

As the saying went, you never knew how much a knife hurt until it stabbed you. When you were just watching, the bigger the spectacle, the better.

Now that someone was about to stab him hard from behind, Herbert could no longer sit still.

Fuck, there's a pervert here!

Herbert's expression turned serious, and he made a firm decision-report him.

I have to report him!

"Brother Grass Carp, the only reason I didn't report you before was out of respect for your hobbies. I pretended nothing had happened."

"But now that you've gone this far, don't blame your little brother for playing dirty."

With his mind made up, Herbert moved quickly. Ignoring everything else, he strode toward the Tribunal.

Save me, Chief Inquisitor!

But when Herbert hurried to the Tribunal to report the "acts of desecration" to the Bishop of Thorns, he unexpectedly discovered that he was already too late.

The Tribunal, normally so deserted it was unsettling, was now packed. Over a hundred members of the clergy had gathered in the great hall.

"Hmm?"

Herbert had been wondering why he hadn't encountered any clergy on the way. Apparently, they had all come here. He was about to speak to them when he noticed something was wrong.

Many of their expressions were grim. Even the normally taciturn men couldn't help whispering to one another.

What happened?

Herbert didn't even need to ask. When he reached the center of the hall, he saw the answer-a stone coffin stood there.

Someone's dead!

A white cloth covered the deceased's face, with dark red blood seeping through at the mouth. Judging by the exposed hands and feet, however, he seemed to be a young clergyman of around thirty.

Herbert narrowed his eyes. At that instant, a fierce chill crawled up his spine like maggots burrowing into bone, making his heart jolt.

!!!

For no apparent reason, an intensely strong intuition arose within him: this incident probably had something to do with Grass Carp.

He did this!?

So this guy wasn't just after sex. He killed people too.

Perhaps because the murder scene before him felt inexplicably familiar, Herbert quickly calmed down and began analyzing the case.

"Was the victim silenced because he stumbled upon that desecration?"

Gulp.

Herbert silently swallowed, feeling both relieved and frightened in hindsight.

If I'd come out a little earlier today, would I be lying in a coffin alongside him now?

No.

If I'd arrived a moment earlier any of those other times and caught him in the act, would I have been silenced long ago?

While Herbert was thinking, someone spoke, breaking the silence.

"Everyone, we have lost one of our brethren."

The Bishop of Thorns was not present. A middle-aged Penitent Sister had stepped forward to preside over the gathering.

Her face was mournful, and her grief-stricken voice echoed throughout the Tribunal:

"He was a devout man, a warrior willing to dedicate his life to justice and righteousness."

"We are all deeply angered by his tragic death."

At this point, the Penitent Sister raised her voice, crying out in fierce anger, "But, brothers and sisters, anger alone is not enough. We must find the one who murdered him!"

"We must...avenge him!"

That ringing cry was like a signal, prompting the hundred-odd people to shout in unison.

"Vengeance!!!"

As everyone roared, the temperature in the Tribunal's great hall, wreathed in murderous intent, plummeted, making one want to shiver.

"...Hmm?"

Just then, Herbert suddenly sensed something and glanced around. He discovered that, at some point, everyone nearby had silently moved away from him.

An eerie empty space had formed around him. Pairs of cold eyes watched him silently, their true intentions unreadable.

Herbert blinked, suddenly realizing something was wrong.

Oh no, they're coming for me!!?