[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 13: The Uninvited Visitor (2)
"It's been a while, Father."
"You remember me?"
The head priest looked slightly surprised at Hamel's greeting.
"The last time I saw you, you were an ordinary priest."
"You're still as sharp as ever."
Hamel asked, looking at the priest's pleased expression,
"Where are the other exorcist priests?"
"Well, about that..."
Just as the priest hesitated,
"I'll tell you that."
From behind the door leading from the prayer room to the hallway,
Someone appeared.
Hamel stared at him with puzzled eyes for a moment, then flinched.
Meanwhile, Antonio and Daniel, unaware of this, looked at the newcomer and whispered,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Who is he?"
"A nobleman. Probably a mage. Hamel, do you know who he is?"
"..."
Instead of answering, Hamel slowly approached the man.
Then, he bowed his head in a rough greeting.
"...It's been a while, brother."
"You're too stiff."
The man narrowed his eyes as if disappointed.
"Brother?"
Antonio and Daniel stared blankly at the scene, then hurriedly glanced between Hamel and the man.
Now that they looked, they did resemble each other.
Their deep blue eyes like the sea, their distinct features, and their red lips were almost identical.
But perhaps it was because of his blue hair.
Or maybe his diverse expressions.
The man in front of him seemed to have a completely different impression from Hamel, making it difficult to recognize him at a glance.
"I heard you joined the Colorless Magic Tower."
"Yes, it seems you haven't lost all interest in your brother."
Hamel sighed inwardly as he watched the man casually approach and sling an arm around his shoulder.
Then, he turned slightly and introduced him to his companions.
"This is the heir to the Gilmore clan, David Gilmore."
"Nice to meet you! I take it you're my brother's companions."
"...Yes. Hello."
Antonio and Daniel awkwardly returned David's greeting.
They were bewildered by the stark difference in personality between the brothers.
"How is my little brother doing? And how did you all meet?"
"Oh, well..."
Just as Antonio was trying to figure out how to answer,
Hamel quickly cut him off.
"Let's catch up later. More importantly, brother, how did you get here?"
"Right. We can talk about that slowly. As for why I'm here... Father summoned me."
David rummaged through his coat pocket and pulled something out.
A letter bearing the family crest.
It contained content similar to what Hamel had received.
Hamel frowned and rubbed his forehead.
"You received it too, brother."
"Yes. This incredibly suspicious letter."
"..."
Hamel nodded silently.
However, there was one thing he didn't understand: the ring. Why had the ring with the signet been sent to him instead of his brother?
Just as Hamel was contemplating whether he should show the ring inside his robe, David shrugged and continued,
"Father summoned me, so I came, but there are too many suspicious things to go straight to the mansion."
"So that's why you came to the temple."
"Yes, and I hear there are already two of those rare exorcist priests here. And since my brother is coming too, I thought there was no need to rush to the mansion."
It was an excellent choice.
Hamel was also suspicious of these circumstances that seemed to be luring him in.
The letter from his father asking for help after years of no contact.
Gail's death.
Several incidents suspected to be the work of demons occurring in the Heidern territory.
The information blatantly urging him to head to the mansion was clearly malicious.
Adding his mage brother to the group would increase their safety, so it wasn't a bad offer.
'However...'
Hamel turned his head to hide his uneasy expression. It wasn't that he disliked his brother.
Besides his mother, no one in his family had treated him as warmly as his brother.
However, facing his brother brought back painful memories of his past self, who was jealous and envious of him.
Hamel cleared his throat and asked,
"So where are the other exorcist priests?"
"They went to the mansion first."
"...?"
Hamel doubted his ears for a moment and looked at David. But unfortunately, the answer remained the same.
"They said they wanted to meet the lord separately and left for the mansion about half a day ago."
"Why...?"
Hamel couldn't finish his sentence.
"This is the mark of a special-grade demon."
The head priest exclaimed in admiration.
He had only heard stories; it was his first time seeing the mark of a special-grade demon engraved on a talisman.
Meanwhile, David, who had been walking beside them and listening to the conversation, also had a dumbfounded expression.
"Ri...teil? Is it really the one I know?"
"It probably is. Haha."
Antonio shrugged as he recounted how he had saved the injured Hamel and Daniel.
David continued to express his amazement, and Antonio smiled with satisfaction.
However, he couldn't talk for long, as he had been unconscious during the fight with Riteil.
Daniel filled the gap with a brief explanation.
"Those who didn't see it wouldn't believe it even if you told them."
"Anyway, what happened?"
"In a sea of azure flames, Riteil roared, and Priest Hamel, burning with his torn body, clashed swords with it. It was... like a scene from a myth."
Daniel felt a shiver down his spine just recalling that moment.
He was proud to have participated in that battle.
"As expected. Amazing. Just like my brother."
David nodded with a proud smile.
Daniel felt a strange sensation at David's reaction. He seemed genuinely happy.
That's what made it even stranger.
For the legitimate heir to the clan, an outstanding younger brother was usually a thorn in their side.
Was he not bothered because Hamel had joined the Order?
No, there were plenty of cases where people returned to secular life and inherited the clan.
It was problematic to hold both the position of a priest and a noble title simultaneously, but other than that, there was no issue.
Perhaps sensing Daniel's gaze, David whispered softly,
"What's strange?"
"It's a bit... off."
"Haha, you're honest. Then I'll be honest too."
David chuckled.
Then, with a slightly colder expression, he continued,
"I'm not really interested in becoming the lord."
"..."
Daniel frowned slightly at the unexpected statement.
It wasn't something to say in front of a nobleman.
But fortunately, or unfortunately, David had already moved past him.
As Daniel watched his back with a complicated expression,
David raised his hand and pointed at the mansion on the hill.
"Well, we're here. Let's go in."
Standing in front of the entrance, he placed his hand on the mansion's front door as if familiar with it.
The massive door, wide enough for a carriage to pass through, swung open as if by magic.
It looked like it was welcoming the visitors, but none of them were happy.
***
Passing through the entrance, the first thing they saw was a desolate garden, seemingly unmaintained.
Withered grass and trees with yellowed, fallen leaves.
There were no guards or servants in sight.
They knocked on the mansion door just in case, but there was no answer.
After waiting for a while, Hamel simply grabbed the doorknob and turned it.
The door opened with a click.
Exchanging glances, the group entered the mansion one by one.
Just as everyone was inside,
Creak, thud!
The mansion door closed shut with a heavy sound.
"Wh-what's happening?"
Startled, Antonio tried to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge, as if it were locked.
A brief silence fell, and only the sound of someone gulping echoed through the dim mansion.
"It seems we're trapped."
"Indeed."
Daniel responded nonchalantly to Hamel's indifferent statement.
Antonio's face turned pale, and he asked,
"Trapped?! Then we have to open the door!"
"It seems the mansion has some business with us. They'll open it when they're done."
Daniel replied with a chuckle, and Antonio looked as if he might faint.
He desperately called out to David and the head priest as if seeking saviors.
"Mage-nim! Priest-nim!"
But they weren't much different.
"Is the door really locked? I didn't feel any mana flow... Perhaps it's an ability or a mechanical device?"
"Calm down, Deacon Antonio."
David was fiddling with the door with interest, and the head priest simply clasped his hands and prayed.
It seemed that no one was trying to escape this place immediately.
Antonio looked around the mansion with sad eyes.
The quiet mansion was devoid of any human presence, and the only light came from the windows.
'At least it's bright outside... Huh?'
Just as Antonio was trying to comfort himself,
He noticed an ornament stuck to the wall far down the long hallway.
Round and white...
His focus sharpened, and the object became clearer.
Finally, Antonio realized.
The round object hangs on the wall like an ornament.
It was a human head with long black hair.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]