Chapter 27: The Corrupt Priest, Sajita Forgorn.
Sajita Forgorn.
Sajita Forgorn.
"Kill! Kill!"
Hearing my mother’s cheerful voice remarking how terrified he was, I swiftly swung my frost-steel sword. The blade sliced through the air and struck the neck of the man who had burst through the tent. The solid steel edge cleanly cut through flesh and bone. The severed head rolled across the ground.
Thud.
Two bodies now lay half-collapsed against the tent. Outside, a commotion erupted.
"Shit! What the hell? He died as soon as he went in! Damn it!"
"Didn’t you say there was a fucking monster inside waiting to eat us?!"
"I-I’m not going in! You go first!"
"Don’t push me, brat! I’m not going in either, fuck!"
They were far more disorganized than I’d expected. Had I been nervous for nothing? Given this was a sizable mercenary group, I’d assumed some discipline—but clearly, I’d overestimated them.
I tapped the massive man groaning over his severed arm.
"That wound will kill you soon if untreated. Tell me who hired you, and I’ll ensure you get medical aid. If there’s a skilled doctor nearby, they might even reattach your arm."
The middle-aged man’s body was flabby and sagging, though his frame suggested he’d once been formidable. Now, he was just another mercenary—useless without his arm.
The real threat was the mercenary leader standing a short distance away.
His muscles balanced bulk and agility. He stared blankly, undecided but ready to fight. His armor prioritized mobility yet reinforced vital areas with metal plates.
"S-Sajita! Help me! I’m dying here!"
The man who’d earlier called me "brother" now lay pitifully begging his leader. Clearly, he had no intention of answering.
There was another mouth to interrogate. No need to spare this one.
I swung my sword toward his neck—a painless, merciful end.
Clang!
A spear deflected my strike. The follow-up thrust writhed toward my vitals like a snake. I stepped back, parrying with my sword. The spear retreated smoothly, as if never intending to hit me.
Sajita—the man called Sajita—slipped between me and the armless mercenary, shield in hand.
Clang!
The heavy collision gave me the upper hand, but another spear thrust forced me back.
"I thought you’d stay still," Sajita said in a low voice, helmeted and disheveled, his platinum hair peeking out. He looked to be in his early thirties.
"I wanted to," he replied curtly before roaring, "Someone get in here and take Penguin! Now!"
No one entered. Only murmurs outside:
"S-Sajita said to come in…?"
"Fuck that! You go!"
"Don’t push me, assholes!"
Sajita gritted his teeth. "Would releasing this man be acceptable?"
I smiled softly and drew Slaughterer. "No."
Mercy for a living enemy was folly—especially alone in hostile territory. I revved Slaughterer, its blades screaming.
Wheeeeeeeeeeng!
I lunged, swinging Slaughterer at Sajita. He calmly raised his shield—a solid frost-steel slab that should’ve torn like paper. Yet it held. Sparks flew as he deflected the force with masterful technique.
Not content to defend, Sajita thrust his spear at my opening. His skill surpassed mine, but my physical prowess negated it. I pivoted, wrenching Slaughterer’s trajectory—a crude but powerful movement.
Wheeeeeeng!
Slaughterer howled for flesh. Sajita released his spear and retreated, narrowly avoiding the whirling blades. He burst from the tent, shouting, "Everyone clear out!"
I chased him outside. Mercenaries surrounded the tent. Slaughterer would handle them.
"Fall back!" Sajita near-screamed.
Ignoring him, I tore into the nearest mercenary. Entrails and blood sprayed. Snow reddened.
Wheeeeeeng!
I plunged into their ranks. They scattered like sheep before a wolf, my robes soaking in blood.
"Move!"
Sajita’s spear jabbed at my side. I blocked with a corpse, then shredded both corpse and spear with Slaughterer. He discarded the weapon, movements impressively efficient.
"Penguin’s in my tent! Grab him while I handle this priest!" Sajita yelled, snatching a new spear.
Clang!
His strike hit Slaughterer’s side. I charged, aiming a punch at his jaw. He blocked with a plated shoulder—bang!—the metal crumpled as he flew into a snowdrift.
"Shoot!" he screamed.
Kill!!! Mother’s warning rang. But no arrows came.
"These fucking cowards!" Sajita spat, realizing his men had fled with their loot.
I powered down Slaughterer and smiled. "Shall we continue?"
Sajita threw down his spear and sighed. "I surrender. I’ll talk. Just spare me."
I accepted—I needed answers. He entered his tent and checked the armless man. "He’s dead."
"Changed your mind?" I asked.
Sajita closed the corpse’s eyes. "No. I wanted to beat you to death, but… feels odd seeing him gone. May I bury Penguin?"
"After my questions."
He confessed everything: the organization chasing Dakia was "Illeh." Whether Illeh wanted her or was hired remained unclear. His group had merely been subcontractors.
Sajita dug graves for his men. I joined with a shovel.
"You don’t have to help."
"Faster together," I said.
He muttered, "Together…" and kept digging.
Once done, he asked, "May I go?"
I’d considered killing him, but his solitary effort stayed my hand. "Do you hate me?"
He chuckled. "Would you kill me if I did?"
I smiled. "Why keep alive someone who hates me?"
"Fair."
He hesitated, then spoke bitterly: "Mercenary life means killing comrades one day, working together the next. I don’t hate you. Just… lonely. This group was doomed anyway."
"What now?"
"Alone for the first time in fifteen years. I’ll likely keep mercenary work."
"Consider a new employer who pays well."
"Huh?" He looked uncharacteristically naive.
Kill!
Per Mother’s reminder, I harvested divinity from the corpses after Sajita prayed.
[Divinity: 2023]
At the inn, Dakia chewed bread groggily. Carmen had eaten earlier; Dakia ate alone.
She choked, gulped water, and stared at my blood-caked face and hair. "What the hell happened?!"
"I’ll explain after washing up. It’s handled."
She nodded. "Who’s behind you?"
I gestured to Sajita, standing like a stray cat. "My lady. Interested in hiring a mercenary who can fight?”
