#Episode 19
Bernardo consoled the deacons and added,
“Father Jospeh will soon be canonized and become a saint, so please do not worry too much. Someone will soon be appointed to the vacant priest position in the Haidus diocese.”
“That’s a relief.”
Only then did the deacons sigh in relief. Being canonized as a saint was an immense honor for a believer.
After briefly commemorating Joseph, Bernardo immediately began investigating the events that had transpired in Haidus.
The deacons, who were in the cathedral and had not witnessed the scene, were summoned along with the villagers who had participated in the vampire hunt to meet with Bernardo.
“Everyone, please tell the Holy Knight exactly what happened that day.”
The knight’s armor was polished to a shine, and his large physique was intimidating. Knowing his imposing physical presence, Bernardo greeted the villagers with a friendly smile.
“Hello, brothers.”
Despite his greeting, the summoned villagers hesitated, looking at each other nervously.
“Well…”
But they couldn’t stay silent forever. Eventually, the villagers began to speak, though their words were jumbled and incoherent.
Bernardo extracted the key points from their ramblings and soon understood the general outline of what had happened in Haidus.
‘Father Joseph must have been greedy.’
Believing that the ‘Lamp of Lamphas’ would be enough to subdue lower vampires, Joseph had ventured out alone. But vampires are not to be underestimated. Their danger lies not in the sheer amount of their magic but in their long-honed cunning.
These vile beings always had several contingencies prepared, and unless one was a seasoned vampire hunter, it was nearly impossible to anticipate and counter all their tricks.
Despite uncovering most of the truth, some suspicious points remained. For instance, why would a vampire enter the village only to kill a single priest and then flee? But the most puzzling aspect was the presence of the boy brought by the minion.
‘A human boy, neither a minion nor an ordinary servant…’
It was not unusual for vampires to carry’s human children. There were known cases.
A minion, once free of a vampire’s mind control during the day, often couldn’t protect their masters when the vampires were weakened.
However, the familiars of high-ranking vampires were different; they retained autonomy and followed orders even during the day.
Lower vampires, on the other hand, had to find other ways to protect themselves during the day.
They often brainwashed vulnerable children to become loyal servants, who could also serve as emergency food.
Of course, since vampires couldn’t properly care for human children, most of them either died quickly or were eaten by the vampires.
The boy that had brought to Haidus was likely just another seedling among many destined to wither away…¹
But why? Bernardo’s intuition told him that this boy was not an ordinary servant and that he should investigate further.
“Do you know anything more about the boy?”
“We don’t know much. The vampire kept him close at all times…”
“Oh, but the village doctor might know. The boy was covered in wounds when he was brought here, so he was taken to the hospital. The doctor even said he personally treated the boy.”
Upon hearing that the doctor might know more, the villagers nodded in agreement.
“Where is the doctor now?”
“He’s staying at the inn. His hospital was burned down in the vampire attack… He’s drowning his sorrows with alcohol, so he may won’t be very friendly to you.”
Among the villagers who had helped burn down the hospital were some present at the meeting. But they pretended it wasn’t their fault. Upon learning that the doctor was holed up at the inn, Bernardo and Matteus immediately headed there.
***
The doctor’s eyes widened when he heard that the Holy Knights had come in person. Despite his efforts to drown his senses in alcohol, his drunkenness vanished instantly.
“What brings the Holy Knights to see me?”
The doctor’s tone was sharp. His lifelong work, the hospital, had been completely destroyed because of Father Joseph, leaving him with a deep resentment toward the Lamphas Church.
However, a Holy Knight, especially one dispatched solo, held a much higher rank than Father Joseph. If he antagonized them, he could be accused of heresy, which would be disastrous. Therefore, no matter how dissatisfied he was, he couldn’t afford to show his anger openly.
‘Damn it. I’ll just play along and claim I don’t remember anything. Why should I provide them with information after they destroyed my hospital?’
Suppressing his discontent, the doctor forced a friendly smile.
“If you have any questions, please ask. I will answer sincerely.”
Bernardo, who was in charge of the investigation among the Holy Knights, could see right through the doctor’s thoughts. Smiling with narrowed eyes, Bernardo spoke.
“If you provide useful information, you will be rewarded accordingly.”
‘Apologize for getting me involved and then try to buy me off with money? Ha!’
The doctor scoffed internally and was about to retort when—
Thud.
Matteus, who was standing behind Bernardo, threw a pouch onto the table. It was so heavy that the table shook from the impact. The doctor, staring at the pouch for a while, finally spoke.
“He had black hair and appeared to be around ten years old. He had bruises all over his body and fractures. When I checked his pupils under a light, I confirmed his eye color was gold.”
“Is that all?”
“Of course. I only examined him once. What more could there be?”
Thud.
As soon as the doctor finished grumbling, Bernardo raised his hand, and Matteus placed another pouch on the table.
“…Come to think of it, the boy had a ring. It looked like a crude signet ring made of metal. I found it curious because the boy wore it around his neck so preciously.”
“Was there anything peculiar about the ring?”
“Hmm….”
The doctor recalled. Despite his role as a medical professional and intellectual in the village, he found the idea of coveting a poor child’s possession humiliating. He had deliberately avoided showing interest in the ring.
If only his hospital hadn’t been destroyed, he wouldn’t be spilling patient information for a few coins.
‘Wait, considering Lamphas Church destroyed my hospital, they owe me this money, don’t they?’
Thud.
“Most signet rings have initials or family crests engraved on them, don’t they? But this one didn’t have initials. It had a faint engraving of a creature, either a snake or a dragon, biting its own tail.”
“…Is that true?”
For the first time, Bernardo’s face contorted.
‘If you won’t believe me, why ask?’ The doctor thought, incredulous, but he nodded.
“Of course.”
No sooner had the doctor confirmed this than Bernardo, leaving three pouches on the table, abruptly stood up and left.
Equally taken aback, Matteus hurriedly followed Bernardo.
“Young Master!”
The doctor was left alone in the inn. He grumbled in frustration about their abrupt departure.
“How can someone who worships the Holy Dragon not know how to give a proper thanks? Religious folks never fail to disappoint me in every aspect.”
🍓 :
¹ Suggests that the boy brought to Haidus is viewed as just one of many young, inexperienced individuals who are likely to fail or perish. The term “plantlet” metaphorically compares the boy to a young plant, implying he is in an early, vulnerable stage of life. The phrase “destined to wither away” indicates a pessimistic outlook on his future, suggesting he is expected to not survive or succeed.
