Chapter 29

Chapter 29. The City of Sin, Trist (3)

In the western continent, between the Kingdom of Ustil in the north and the Kingdom of Tarum in the northwest, lies the city of Trist, within the Union of Seven Kingdoms.

This city has no fixed ruler.

It’s just teeming with those who wish to become one.

Originally, Trist City was a kind of buffer zone established by Ustil and Tarum.

Exhausted from long territorial disputes, the two nations each put forth a member of their noble branches to be wed, establishing the Trist County and designating it as a neutral area.

The problem was that the geographic location of Trist County, situated along a river, meant that it had significant trading rights.

It was such a crucial location that the two countries had even gone to war to claim it.

Given that money and people naturally flocked to the area, considerable ability and skill were required to manage it properly.

However, the Trist County lacked that kind of capability. After all, it was a puppet family established from the start, so it was inevitable.

Moreover, neither the Kingdom of Ustil nor the Kingdom of Tarum could intervene. Both nations were too wary of each other to interfere recklessly.

With a nominal ruler in place, various factions began to vie for control of the trade rights, and it was only a matter of time before the city descended into chaos.

Criminals and smugglers ran rampant, and bloodshed became a daily occurrence.

Now, decades later, people no longer referred to this place as the County of Trist.

The City of Sin, Hell on Earth, the Paradise of Outlaws.

These were the phrases that now described Trist City.

* * *

“Until recently, Trist City was divided between two families.”

Continuing the explanation, Alius spoke.

“The Ranpelt family and the Flad family.”

Both families originated from lowly backgrounds, starting out as organizations involved in smuggling and prostitution.

However, as their power grew, they began to claim themselves as the true heirs of the Trist County, engaging in a power struggle.

“It’s not entirely a lie. Both families do have the blood of the Trist County flowing through them.”

Both sides had taken in the descendants of the fallen County of Trist into their families, securing the legitimacy of their bloodline.

Of course, neither the Kingdom of Ustil nor the Kingdom of Tarum recognized this.

For the two kingdoms, the bloodline of a count without tradition meant little. What mattered was who could effectively manage Trist City.

It didn’t matter who, as long as they could firmly control the city.

Then, they would be recognized as the count.

Though it wasn’t openly stated, this was the proposition of both the Kingdom of Ustil and the Kingdom of Tarum.

Thanks to this, the Ranpelt and Flad families had continued their deadly feud for decades.

“Both sides were so evenly matched that the balance didn’t easily collapse.”

Alius’s voice lowered.

“...However, recently, that balance of power has been broken.”

It was due to the rampant spread of the Doom of Darkness.

A lawless area like Trist City was the perfect place for necromancers to operate in secret.

Naturally, all sorts of necromancers flocked to Trist City to avoid pursuit. And inevitably, they clashed with the existing powers that controlled the city.

The Flad family was the one primarily involved in these clashes.

Necromancers mainly targeted human lives to use as sacrifices. The Ranpelt family, which focused on smuggling, had little reason to come into conflict with them.

On the other hand, the Flad family, involved in prostitution and the slave trade, found their domains overlapping with those of the necromancers.

“So, the Flad family was the one that primarily dealt with the necromancers.”

The problem was that, during this process, a significant number of necromancers were recruited into the family.

“Even the unforgivable power of necromancy seemed quite attractive to them.”

Surprisingly, the necromancers readily accepted the recruitment offers.

No matter how much they claimed to serve a lord of darkness, they were originally just third-rate people living miserable lives. Once they were offered money, women, and pleasures, they quickly succumbed.

“They were insignificant people who just happened to acquire power by chance, so it’s only natural.”

Alius continued his explanation, revealing his blatant contempt.

“With the power of necromancy, the Flad family broke the stalemate. They fiercely attacked the Ranpelt family and began to seize full control of Trist City.”

With nothing but a look of disgust, Karnak continued speaking.

“So, this is the current situation.”

On the surface, the Ranpelt family had borrowed the power of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, while secretly employing necromancers to turn the tide. In doing so, they had become the undisputed rulers of Trist City.

“In that case, we can’t openly investigate the Ranpelt family on the grounds of necromancy. It would damage the reputation of the Hatoba Church, which has already deemed them innocent.”

“Exactly. That’s why I gathered you all.”

If they wanted to avoid escalating the situation, it was better to move a small group of elites rather than deploy a large force.

“The higher-ups believe that since it’s the Hatoba Church’s mistake, we must handle it ourselves. It’s not just about saving face; the church’s trust is at stake.”

Everyone’s expressions turned serious at Alius’s words.

The reason why saving face is so important in human affairs is because losing it comes with tangible losses.

Damaged reputation means damaged trust, and losing trust makes it harder to gain cooperation. Without cooperation, capturing necromancers becomes more difficult, leading to more innocent victims in the process.

“Excessive pride can be poisonous, but maintaining the necessary amount of face is crucial. I understand the situation.”

Serati, having grasped the situation, inquired about their next steps.

“So, when do we depart?”

“We plan to move out first thing tomorrow morning.”

“You’re moving quickly? Well, you did summon us rather urgently today.”

“There’s a reason for that.”

Alius began to explain the circumstances.

“In fact, this isn’t the first attempt to investigate the Ranpelt family.”

The Hatoba Church had already tried several times to infiltrate the Ranpelt family. And each time, the teams had disappeared without a trace.

“At some point, all contact with them was completely lost. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.”

The victims weren’t inexperienced novices. They were skilled dark hunters and seasoned adventurers.

Erasing such individuals without leaving any trace, no matter how much the Ranpelt family had taken control of a city, was not an easy feat.

Karnak pointed this out.

“Our information is leaking, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Alius lowered his voice, as if embarrassed.

“One of the main suspects within the current Ranpelt family is, unfortunately, connected to our church.”

The person under suspicion was Bishop Shutraff, the head of the Trist diocese.

He was a high-ranking cleric within the Hatoba Church, and had played a leading role in helping the Ranpelt family drive out the Flad family.

“We realized this too late, but we couldn’t afford to make it public. It would mean admitting that a cleric of the Hatoba Church was colluding with necromancers.”

Therefore, this operation was entirely Alius’s own initiative. He hadn’t even informed his superior, the bishop of Derat City.

“Fortunately, as a First-Class Inquisitor, I have enough authority to act on this. I won’t face reprimand as long as I submit a report afterward.”

His plan was as follows:

Publicly, Alius, Karnak’s party, Riltein, and Serati would move separately. Each would pretend to be searching for necromancers in the surrounding areas, as they normally did.

These days, rumors about necromancy were rampant across the continent, so such activities wouldn’t raise any suspicions.

“And then we’ll rendezvous, conceal our identities, and head to Trist City. Once inside, we’ll track down the Ranpelt family’s trail.”

Serati’s expression hardened.

“That sounds dangerous.”

Not only Serati, but everyone present was undoubtedly an expert in dealing with necromancers. They had already proven their skills by cooperating with Alius.

However, this time, the enemy wasn’t just necromancers.

They were up against a vast power that had ruled a city for nearly several decades.

“Doesn’t that mean the entire city could become our enemy?”

“That’s exactly why I called you all.”

The objective wasn’t to punish the Ranpelt family.

The goal was to find “evidence” to punish the Ranpelt family.

Alius looked around the room with a trusting gaze.

“If it’s you, I’m confident you can at least get out safely, even in the worst-case scenario.”