Chapter 135
The black spire that soared high into the sky.
The hills of skulls piled up around it.
It was a place with a savage scenery, reminiscent of a demon king’s castle from a fairy tale. Ironically, however, this was the main base of one of the three major sacred orders of the Western Continent.
The holy site of the Slaughter Cult, the Slaughter Tower.
Aden had to enter the labyrinth hidden beneath that Slaughter Tower.
“The problem is how to get the remaining priests out of the tower.”
About six hundred priests of the Slaughter Cult had left to fight the troll army on the grey land, but fifty priests remained for minimal security.
In fact, entering the tower itself would not be difficult.
As long as Priestess Lunia vouched for his identity, entering the tower wouldn’t be a problem.
The issue was that what they were planning to do inside would certainly be recognized as an act of hostility by the priests.
An act that would make them fight to the death without asking questions.
Thus, conflict was inevitable, and for the operation, they needed to divert the attention of the priests inside the Slaughter Cult.
“Of course, we could just kill them all and go in, but…”
With Aden’s current abilities, having reached the realm of superhuman, it would be a bit challenging but entirely possible.
However, that method was not an option.
“Prince Aden, that’s a good idea! Very efficient! But I don’t recommend it!”
Lunia laughed at Aden’s muttering, but her eyes did not laugh at all.
“They are all my faithful brothers and sisters who serve the god of death and slaughter with me!”
With a beautiful, ice-cold smile on her face, she spoke firmly.
“If you intend to commit innocent slaughter against them, I will be the first to ‘condemn’ you, Prince Aden.”
Though she was a spare, Priestess Lunia was also a candidate for the next saintess and a bearer of the Holy Mark.
She had the responsibility to protect the followers of the Slaughter Cult.
Such an act would not be permissible in front of Priestess Lunia.
Seeing her fierce appearance, Aden waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t worry, Priestess Lunia. That won’t happen.”
Anyway, Aden had no intention of killing them.
It would be unpleasant and not to his taste.
‘And more importantly, there’s a better way to definitely draw their attention.’
Aden looked to the side with a meaningful smile.
-Human. Ukurak, why did you bring me here? Ukurak, it’s time for a snack, ugh…
For this operation, Aden had brought three people.
Priestess Lunia, the thief Unknown, and the ogre lord Ukurak.
He had brought them through the world of Hetos’ Workshop.
“Hey! Now you even deliver ogres directly? You damned brat…”
-Ugh, ugh…
“Hetos, you’ll see something worse later, so what will you do if you’re surprised by this?”
“Damn it? What? Worse? What else are you planning to bring into my workshop?”
“Want me to tell you?”
“…No, don’t! Don’t say it! I’d rather not know! You crazy bastard!”
Even while bursting with anger, Hetos was the kind of person who would do everything if asked.
-Ugh. It’s too hot here, but cold. Strange.
The scorching heat of the wasteland didn’t suit the frost ogre Ukurak, and the mountain of skulls and the spire over there gave off an ominous chill.
Moreover, standing next to him was the human-dressed demon (Priestess Lunia), who was waving her hand, saying, “Nice to see you again, friendly ogre! Haha!”
Ukurak just wanted to hurry back and finish eating his beef.
Then Ukurak trembled as he looked at Aden.
-Human. Ukurak, why are you looking at me like that? Ugh.
“Looking at you how? What kind of look?”
-Ugh, ugh…
Ukurak felt an ominousness in Aden’s meaningful smile and somewhat chilly eyes.
Aden smiled as harmlessly as he could.
“It’s nothing. Just something I want you to handle.”
Ukurak felt even more uneasy.
And Ukurak’s unease became a reality.
* * *
There were two people patrolling the outskirts of the Slaughter Tower.
They were the female priests assigned to the outer security duty.
Their angelic faces were filled with sorrow and suffering.
Their appearance would naturally make anyone feel pity and want to approach and console them.
“I’m bored, Sister Syria.”
“I agree, Sister Lily. Ah, the other brothers must be crushing those little worms with excitement!”
“Just thinking about crushing those worms is thrilling! Sister Syria!”
But if one heard their conversation, they would be shocked and turn away in fright.
Sister Syria puffed up her cheeks and swung her arms in the air as if she were angry.
If she had just done that, she would have looked quite cute, but unfortunately, she was holding a large, threatening scythe in her hand.
“Just thinking about it makes me so envious! If only I hadn’t drawn a blank in the lottery!”
The fifty people left in the Slaughter Tower were all the losers who drew blanks in the lottery.
Everyone had wanted to participate in the war against the troll army.
When they lost the lottery, the fifty who drew blanks were almost in tears.
“It’s sad, but this too is our fate, the will of the god of slaughter for us…”
“Sigh, after we switch patrols, I think I’ll go back and torture the orc chief we caught the day before yesterday, Sister Lily.”
“That orc must already be out of his mind from the other brothers’ earlier actions, Sister Syria.”
Sister Lily made a gesture of craziness by twirling her finger by her head.
“Then, the troll we caught ten days ago…”
“That one’s already lost it too…”
“Then at least the gnoll lord we caught three days ago!”
“That one too…”
“Ahh! I’m so frustrated! I wish a lord-class monster would fall from somewhere! Something that gives a good feeling when crushing its head!”
But at that moment.
-Ughhhaaaahhh…!
A loud roar echoed to the horizon.
A roar filled with intense mana that made their whole bodies tingle!
Sister Syria and Sister Lily instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.
And there stood an ogre.
An ogre nearly twice the size of a normal one, exuding a fierce presence from its entire body.
A monster that clearly surpassed the chieftain level, giving off the aura of a lord-class monster.
The peculiar thing was that, despite its overwhelming appearance, it had a solemn expression and tears streaming from its eyes.
“…Huh?”
“…Oh my?”
Sister Syria and Sister Lily blinked with blank expressions.
“Sister Syria, am I dreaming?”
“It’s strange, Sister Lily. I’m also dreaming of a white furry ogre appearing before me.”
“Remarkably, I’m dreaming the same dream. An ogre that looks lord-class, Sister Syria.”
“What are the odds of both of us dreaming the same dream at the same time, Sister Lily?”
“Probably extremely low. So, this must be reality, Sister Syria?”
“Then a lord-class monster has really appeared before us, Sister Lily?”
-Ughhaaahh…!
Despite feeling uneasy, the ogre lord Ukurak roared again to assert his presence.
At that moment.
Clank, clank, clank!
The drawbridge of the Slaughter Tower lowered rapidly as if roasting beans in a flash.
Through the opened drawbridge, the remaining forty-eight priests of the Slaughter Cult revealed themselves.
Ballista, halberds, whips, dual axes, crossbows, maces, saw blades…
They each had their beloved weapons ready in their hands, prepared in no time.
“A monster…”
“An ogre…”
They muttered in voices as if bewitched.
“Look at that fur. It’s not just an ogre; it’s a frost ogre…”
“A rare monster…”
“A lord-class too… Slurp.”
Someone gulped.
The priests instinctively radiated their aura.
Sister Syria and Sister Lily quietly made the sign of the cross.
“It seems the great god of slaughter has given us a gift, Sister Syria.”
“Praise be to the merciful god of slaughter.”
As they quietly finished making the sign of the cross and looked up.
Grin, grin, grin, grin, grin, grin, grin, grin, grin.
All fifty priests who were left out of the holy war smiled with joy.
Creepy.
Ogre Lord Ukurak felt an unprecedented level of fear as he stared into those hundred mad eyes.
It was certainly hot, but a chill ran down his spine even more than being in his homeland.
Whoosh!
Dark crimson holy power surged from the priests’ bodies.
The fifty priests let out a thunderous, mad cry.
“A blood sacrifice for the god of slaughter…!”
“A blood sacrifice for the god of slaughter…!”
-Ughhaaaahhh…!
With a shrill scream, Ogre Lord Ukurak ran for his life, while the fifty priests of the Slaughter Cult, armed with weapons, gleefully chased him, laughing heartily.
Their sweet, clear voices rang out.
“Stop right there! Big ogre…!”
“A lord-class ogre! A real lord-class ogre…!”
“I’m going to decorate my room with that skull!”
“What nonsense, I claimed the head first!”
“I’ll tear off the skin and make it into my cute new doll!”
“We can have ogre stew for dinner tonight! Leave the cooking to me!”
“I want the bones! I’ve always wanted furniture made from lord-class monster
bones!”
-Ughhh! Save meee!
Hearing the creepy words from behind, Ukurak ran with all his might to survive, tears streaming down his face.
Thanks to that, the fifty priests of the Slaughter Cult chasing Ukurak vanished in an instant.
Silence.
Only the tower with its open drawbridge remained in place.
After a while, Aden, Unknown, and Priestess Lunia appeared in front of the drawbridge of the Slaughter Tower.
“Hmm, that guy is indeed useful.”
Aden smirked as he looked in the direction where the priests and Ukurak had disappeared.
The operation named ‘Ukurak, We Won’t Forget Your Sacrifice’ was a great success.
Priestess Lunia laughed heartily.
“It was a great plan, Prince Aden! To exploit the brothers’ frustration of not being able to join the battle and use Mr. Ogre as bait! I understand, but leaving the gate wide open and emptying the house completely, I’ll have to punish them later!”
“…Good luck. I hope you survive.”
-The cursed sword Seere pretends to wipe tears, saying, “This is the first time I’ve felt sorry for an ogre!”
Unknown, feeling a sense of camaraderie with Ukurak, quietly closed his eyes and prayed for his safety, and the cursed sword Seere also expressed sympathy for the ogre.
“What are you all doing? Let’s go in before anything happens to that ogre.”
Aden urged the group as he entered the Slaughter Tower, which now had no guards.
Curse sighed and said.
-…Aden Albireo, you are worse than a demon.
Of course, Aden ignored that nonsense.
If sacrificing one ogre could breach the Slaughter Tower’s defenses, it was a profitable deal.
The thief Unknown asked Aden in a trembling voice.
“Um, can I just back out now…? You see, I actually have a dangerous illness if I enter the tower…”
“Sure. Do whatever you want.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah, but then we’ll execute the ‘We Won’t Forget Your Sacrifice, Unknown’ plan.”
“What are you doing? Let’s hurry inside together!”
Thus, Aden’s party safely entered the Slaughter Tower, stepping over Ukurak’s ‘inevitable sacrifice.’