Chapter 38: The Outcry

Salser patted Jeanne on the shoulder, signaling her to turn her head and cast a faint light into her eyes.

Jeanne was puzzled, but as she turned her gaze back to Saya, her face began to pale. The executioner-like gaze that first appeared in the Inquisitor’s pupils quickly extinguished, and the person who even the most dreadful heretics feared regained her calm—an indifferent calm like that of a raptor lying in wait.

The conversation paused for a while, and the four people, along with a Dark Young, each lost in their own thoughts.

A light from the spirit vision also flickered in Salser’s eyes.

Despite being the smallest of its kind, the appearance of the Dark Young in front of them would make any normal person nauseous. Its black, trunk-like body was topped with more than a dozen slimy, sticky tentacles, like the tails of pythons, with eyeballs the size of a head embedded within the mass of tentacles. A dark green eyeball in the center swiveled around, resembling a glass bead filled with mud and waterweeds.

Although it had four tree-root-like hooves, short and stout, when it descended the stairs earlier, it moved like a large, wet mass of black snakes, writhing and flowing down with its tentacles.

Moreover, the creature had many mouths, but they were all tightly closed, not dripping with the thick, slimy saliva like a normal Dark Young would, making it appear tamed and trained.

He felt defeated, bested by the person who had married the Dark Young.

"Um—hello? I'm A... cough, Effie, so you ventured here alone out of love, to seek Mr. Prinn who’s lost his memories? It’s straight out of a knight’s tale!" Astolfo spoke to the Dark Young named Saya with great interest. Of course, in his eyes, she was just a beautiful young girl—with snow-white, tender cheeks and skin, clear pupils, and a petite body, undoubtedly a beautiful maiden.

“Sort of—like that,” Saya pondered for a moment, holding Prinn’s hand, “I, well, have always lived with Prinn since the past, and coming here hasn’t changed much. Even though he has lost his memory, it’s not really a big deal—living here is actually no different from the outside.”

As they conversed, Jeanne stared intently at the Dark Young who placed a tentacle in the young man’s hand. She nudged Salser with her elbow, signaling him to connect the soul tentacle:

“What an eye-opener. Do all you dark wizards fancy falling in love with such creatures? Salser, have you ever married any slime monster? I imagine for you, beauty is measured in tentacles—the more, the merrier, correct? And when those bizarre eyeballs fixate on you, does it thrill you to the point of madness?”

Salser replied without changing his expression:

“Should you ever tumble into a heap of tentacles, it would indeed thrill me to the point of madness."

“In that case, I would immediately ignite the Holy Flame and commit suicide, dragging your soul into the lowest Warren with me.”

“Yeah, right, you are the type to commit suicide when in bed with a man.”

“I think you’re more suited to be in bed with men.”

“Your language is getting dirtier.” Salser said.

“I’ve always spoken this way to cultists,” Jeanne immediately added, “Let’s not talk about this for now, do you think he’s trustworthy?”

“No dark wizard is trustworthy.” Salser answered her succinctly.

“Hmm, very true, I also agree to eliminate all of you.”

“Can you discuss this properly?”

“I am discussing properly,” Jeanne glanced at Salser, then said without changing her expression, “Although I want to draw my sword and kill this couple of dark wizard and Dark Young front of me right now, the timing and place are not quite right.”

“Enemies are everywhere, acquiring new ones will be the end of us,” Salser said, “Whether what he said is true or false is not the point, at least this one seems able to communicate normally.”

“Is it because you accepted his bribe? The magic book that should have been burned is being held in your arms, do you cherish it with the same tenderness as a lover??”

“This book is now my lover.”

“…You are beyond help, there’s no cure for you.” Jeanne muttered.

Salser gently tapped his knee, watching the three people who were discussing the daily life of Zobeide city, then said, “There’s too much unknown about this city. Just now, he mentioned the Moon Beasts, the Fallen, the loss of memory, and assimilation with the city. Jeanne, listen to me, whether what he says is true or false, it’s not a big deal at the moment. In less than half a month, we can leave this damned place, but we still don’t know what will happen if we stay here. At least I need to confirm in this little library whether this dream will scratch a bit of skin on my arm or erode my entire viscera with ulcers…”

“You’ve said so much, but it’s all useless speculation. Do you think adding more words would make it sounds more convincing?”

“At least he looks kind, doesn’t he!?” 

“The nun who baptized me told me, never trust men who appear too kind.”

“Then she must have been deceived in love before,” Salser muttered, then said, “You can’t use an exception to cover the general case.”

Jeanne rolled her eyes, “Don’t talk to me about logical terms, I hate that stuff the most.”

“What an uncultured and uneducated peasant girl who even hates studying! How did someone as illiterate as you become an Inquisitor?”

“Before I became an Inquisitor, I participated in suppressing three rituals where Dark Young led their followers to sacrifice villages and common folks.”

“And how many knights died under your command?”

“I led those men to eradicate five cultist lairs, from the ritual to summon the King in Yellow’s kin in Sains to the slaughterhouse of the Skin Brotherhood in Lado Valley calling upon the Skinless One. Their sacrifices were noble.”

“What else do you do besides exterminating cultists? Eat and sleep?”

“I led the local French army to defeat those Celtic barbarians, blocking the disgusting expansion of their Round Table knights. I almost beheaded that Gawain, leaving the bones of their boastful army scattered across the Aide wilderness, and hanged a bunch of who wanted to surrender along the entire Roseton Avenue.”

“You're abusing your power for personal gain! You unprincipled peasant girl!”

“Then I am abusing my power! Would you dare accuse me? That local bishop named Pierre blocked my escape route at the city gate—so I appealed directly to the Steel Magistrate for a criminal trial! The Inquisition’s confession record was three votes in favor, one abstention, one against, beheading executed immediately—I hung his headless body at the city gate for three months! I nailed his head on Roseton Avenue for a whole year! What do you think the status of an Inquisitor who eradicated five cultist lairs is? Not even the dukes of France dare make me kneel!”

“And you still have the fucking face to say you’ve given everything for the Lord!?” Salser cursed out loud.

Jeanne slammed the table, stood up, and pushed her chair back with a roar:

“My hometown also gave everything for the Lord! If those stinking Celtic barbarians want to play tricks, then I’ll show them what it means to abuse power!”

“Both of you?” Prinn coughed softly, “Miss Effie has disappeared, I think she must have woken up.” 

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