In fact, I'd hit the middle-aged man for a reason. Ten percent of it was for my personal feelings, but the remaining ninety percent was for other reasons.
"H-he used violence against Uncle Andre!"
"Who just shouted?" I deliberately lowered my voice as I unleashed the pressure I had honed as a warrior.
It was unlikely that anyone here had ever withstood the sharpness of a killing intent that was refined to its peak. A warrior's honed killing intent was completely different from that of a primitive beast.
I saw the villagers flinching and shutting their mouths. Most of them had probably been instigated by this Andre. In such a small village like this with a closed-off society, going against the trend meant being excluded. In other words, they might've come together as a group, but at least half, or maybe even more, likely weren't entirely on board with what was happening.
That meant the way to reverse the situation was simple. I just needed to change the trend.
Of course, I didn't know if it would actually work or not.
"Was it you? The pale-faced bastard," I called out.
Most of the villagers had white faces, perhaps because the north didn't get a lot of sunlight, but there was one person who was particularly pale. He kept trying to avoid my gaze, but he flinched the moment our eyes met. He immediately tried to hide in the crowd, but it wasn't possible.
I picked up a stone lying nearby. It was probably one that had struck Ramon or Araxad in the face. Then I hurled it straight at the back of the person who was trying to hide.
"Kuaaack!" He let out a piercing scream as he fell to the ground.
I declared, "From now on, anyone I point out should step out. If you want to run, go ahead and try it. There are a lot of stones around here."
"My back, my back..."
"It's still intact, so quit complaining unless you want to get another one to the head.
The man shut his mouth, and his face contorted as he wailed silently. I could feel the terrified gazes of the villagers.
The quietly watching Araxad approached. Did he think this was a bad development? He began, "Luan."
"Leave it to me from here on out. Senior, your role is over." I threw Araxad's own words back at him, and the lizardman's eyes narrowed slightly in response.
"Mm. I understand."
I pointed out the people I had identified while watching the situation from inside the building. There were six people in total. They were all young men.
"W-what are you doing right now?"
The one who finally managed to speak was an old man gripping a hoe in his aged hands. He hadn't uttered a single word earlier when the crowd was cornering Ramon and Araxad. If I had to categorize him, I would say he was neutral or moderate. Of course, this was just the impression I got.
I asked, "Elder, do you know these guys?"
"Uh? I-I mean..."
"Please answer. It's important," I said in a slightly forceful voice.
Some people would see it as being rude, but I thought this was the proper response. For some people, sharp words worked better than being nice. I didn't care if that was human nature or not. It was simply what experience had taught me.
Thus, I personally judged that Corrupted's response of trying to accommodate everyone was a mistake.
Of course, they probably had no choice. Even if the approach was the same, the fact that it came from non-humans would've changed how these villagers reacted.
The old man watched the people I picked out and immediately tilted his head in confusion. "Umm. I know at least five of them. Their leader is Viktor, and they are people who keep causing trouble."
"Trouble?"
"That's right. Breaking communal equipment more than once, scaring others, harassing the residents' dogs and cats for no reason..."
"Oho."
"I often hear them talking about how badly they want to leave this boring village."
In other words, they were playing as gangsters in this small village. That alone gave me half the certainty I needed, but it still wasn't enough.
"Who is the one you don't know?" I asked.
"That young man." The old man pointed to one of the six people, someone who gave off a particularly gloomy impression.
Even Viktor's group looked at him in a puzzled manner as if they had never seen him before.
I reached out toward the gloomy man. He naturally resisted, but quieted down quickly after a slap on the face.
"Does anyone know this man?" I grabbed him by the back of the neck and lifted him up to show him around. It was as if I'd grabbed the neck of a neighborhood stray cat.
The gazes of the villagers all gathered inmy direction.
"I have never seen him before."
"Yes. He isn't from around here."
Perhaps they were starting to sense that something was off. The crowd started murmuring.
Then a middle-aged woman hesitantly raised her hand. "Uh, he has been boarding at my house for a while."
"Boarding? Is there an inn in this village?"
I wasn't looking down on her, but there had to be a steady stream of visitors for an inn to function properly. It was hard to imagine many people heading to a frozen land like this.
"It isn't a proper inn. I have a room at home and I know how to cook. If a traveling merchant happens to pass through, I offer them a room and cook them a meal."
"Aha. Then how long has it been since he arrived?"
"Around two weeks."
"That isn't a short time. However, no one besides the landlady has seen this man...?" I deliberately let my words trail off in a suspicious manner. Then the atmosphere around me changed slightly.
I waited to let the tension build. Then I continued, "This man is likely a member of the Dark Church."
"D-don't make me laugh! I'm not a—"
I slapped the back of his head to make him shut up.
"If you think about it, there is more than one strange thing here. Chief Snero, who is so responsible, kind, and exemplary, actually became a church member."
Of course, I had no idea if Snero was responsible, kind, and exemplary. I didn't know for sure, but I didn't need the truth at this moment. The important thing was that Chief Snero was a famous figure among the villagers. That meant there was no need to forcibly push my point. On the contrary, I decided to show him some respect.
I met the eyes of the villagers who were watching me and continued, "However, it is a different story if someone convinced him."
"Surely you don't mean..."
"You're saying that this young man deceived the innocent village chief?"
In fact, he wasn't innocent at all. However, I kept my mouth shut. The key was to not react emotionally and keep silent while maintaining a blank expression as much as possible. Even if they were arriving at the conclusion I wanted based on my tricks, they had to feel like they had come up with it.
I continued, "It is one of the tricks of the church. They recruit the most influential person before devouring a village."
The gloomy man shouted, "T-this is the first time I've heard of this! I am just a humble herbalist who came to the north for the rare perennials—"
Bam!
I drove my fist into his face and he finally quieted down. Once he was completely knocked out, I threw his body forward.
Then I walked over to the five trembling young men. I crouched in front of them and tilted my head, calling out, "Hey! Did you know what this guy was up to?"
"H-huh?"
"Aren't you in on it together? That's why you stirred up the crowd just now and acted with him during the commotion."
"T-that isn't true!
"We have never seen him before. Yes."
The overly polite way they acted made me laugh. It was absurd.
Obviously, Araxad was much more frightening and intimidating than me just standing there. That was true even without looking at the difference between a lizardman and a human. The difference between a veteran warrior with scars all over his body, and myself who had just started training in the last few months, was bound to be huge.
However, they were rude to Araxad. They didn't hesitate to insult him and even threw rocks at him. Meanwhile, in front of me, they were groveling and ready to hand over anything if I asked.
Did Corrupted understand that their attempts to show kindness, to blend in and be accepted by human society, could lead to bad results?
I continued, "This is the first time you've seen him, but you got along so well? It's best for you to answer honestly."
"I-it is true!"
"We were just so scared of the lesser races that we didn't have a choice."
I wondered if they had guessed it beforehand, but they protested and shouted as if they had been waiting for my words. It seemed that even these villagers knew that getting involved with the Dark Church meant they would be ruined.
The old man, who had been watching the situation, interrupted again. "Wait."
"Huh?"
"These kids might be troublemakers, but they were born and raised in this village. No matter what, they wouldn't betray their hometown, right?"
"T-that's right. Viktor might be immature, but he would never get involved with the church," a middle-aged woman with an anxious expression added. Judging from her words and her appearance, she seemed to be Viktor's mother.
"And I'm sorry, but your response is far too violent. The outsider is definitely suspicious, but isn't it too early to be certain that he is a church member?"
They made a series of reasonable points that weren't easy to refute.
I had anticipated this type of reaction, so I just nodded calmly and said, "You're correct. Then let's call an expert."
"Expert?"
"Sister Razbet." I muttered in a low voice, but I was certain that she could hear me.
Moments later, the door opened rather roughly, revealing Verita. She replied, "Brother, did you call me?"
"Yes." It was a public occasion so I spoke politely to her. I pointed to Verita, showing her to the villagers.
"That person is...?"
"As you can see, she is a nun of the Seventy-Two Churches. She is an outstanding person who is acknowledged by the Seventy-Two Churches and the Hero Society."
"The Seventy-Two Churches!"
At this moment, the atmosphere changed drastically. The uneasy tension filling the air vanished, and gazes of envy and admiration fell on Verita. Disregarding what she was truly like on the inside, she was a beautiful and gentle nun on the outside.
Verita received my formal introduction and smiled slightly. "You are praising me too much."
"By the way, she was the one who found out that the chief had made contact with church members."
If it was Verita, she definitely would've heard everything we discussed inside. That meant she would go along with the story, even if it was somewhat forced.
The moment all eyes fell on her, Verita folded her hands in prayer and said gently, "It is unfortunate. Village Chief Snero was a devout follower of the Seventy-Two Churches, but in the end, he succumbed to the temptations of a wicked heretic."
"C-Chief Snero wouldn't do that...!"
"Normally, he would be able to overcome it easily. However, I know that the village chief lost his family not long ago and fell into despair. The rift it created in his heart was the perfect opening for the sinister Dark Church to exploit."
"Ah."
"That's right. He lost his entire family to a snow troll just three weeks ago."
"On the outside, he looked fine. I thought he was okay."
The murmurs from the crowd added credibility to my story. Those who had been skeptical about my aggressive words or forceful assertions seemed to have come around after Verita's appearance.
It was largely thanks to the fact that the Seventy-Two Churches was practically the state religion of the empire. Normally, in most parts of the empire, the title of "hero of the Hero Society" was more praised than the reputation of the Seventy-Two Churches.
However, the situation was a bit different in this village. It seemed the power of religion was particularly great here. The village chief had been carrying a rosary of the Seventy-Two Churches. It was ironic, but the fact that he had a rosary meant that Chief Snero could have served as the village's pastor.
In any case, Verita's appearance was more effective than I expected. Still, I kept my expression neutral and looked at the five gangsters. Their expressions had been stiff ever since she appeared.
I walked over to them, crouched down, and whispered, "You know, I don't really care whether you tell the truth or lie. After all, there is a way to find out everything."
"Huh?"
"The nun here is also an inquisitor."
Viktor's face paled and his eyes widened.
"If we have a nice chat together in the interrogation room, we will soon know everything about your true colors."
Viktor said nothing.
"If you really have nothing to hide, you won't mind being interrogated, right?"
At this, one who looked particularly stupid among the five of them looked at me nervously and asked, "W-what will happen if we are found to have colluded with them?"
"Nikolai! What nonsense...!"
"You'll get what you wanted."
"Huh?"
"You said you didn't want to live in this village any longer, right? Collusion with the church is a felony. The empire has handed over full authority to the church on this matter, so they have the right to interrogate and judge heretics independently. That way you can go to the church's headquarters. Take a good look at your hometown while you can. This is probably the last time you will see it."
"The headquarters?"
"It can't be..."
The faces of the five brats visibly paled.
I had technically told the truth, but I had no intention or time to escort them all the way to headquarters. So strictly speaking, what I said was a lie.
I glanced at Verita, wondering if she'd caught the deeper meaning behind my words.
Verita's eyes locked with mine and she said, "Everything he said is true. However, God teaches us to treat the mistakes of the young with mercy as long as they show a willingness to repent."
"T-that means...?"
"If you confess to everything right now, I will handle the matter myself without sending off a formal report."
Everything went smoothly after that. The five of them broke down and admitted to instigating the villagers.
"How can this be?"
"I can't believe a church member was actually hiding in this small village."
The villagers seemed genuinely shocked. I said calmly, "It seems that good people like you have fallen for the church's disgusting instigation."
"Huh?"
"Otherwise, why else would honest people living and working hard in a remote part of the empire insult heroes of the Hero Society, the ones who contribute to the empire's peace?"
The villagers looked at each other.
Then someone said, "Right?"
"It must've been these punks who messed with my head for a moment."
"Ugh, those disgusting church bastards."
The people who had been willing to go to war with Corrupted just moments ago now put down or hid their weapons.
Araxad and Ramon blinked in disbelief at how quickly the villagers' attitudes had changed. They seemed to be thinking, How cunning.
To be honest, most of these villagers were annoying, but as Ramon said, that didn't mean they could just be beaten up. This was the best solution right now.
Eventually, Verita talked to the old man on everyone's behalf and dispersed the villagers.
"Is it over?" Ramon asked in a daze.
"For now."
"Amazing. I never would have thought this could be resolved with just words."
I told him, "It wasn't really resolved, just put on hold. I guess we put out the immediate fire for the time being."
It wasn't a humble statement. It was the truth. Unless the residents' thoughts changed, conflicts with Corrupted would occur again.
"Even so..."
As Ramon kept talking, I realized that someone was lingering and not ready to leave.
It was a very small boy who called out, "E-excuse me!"
"What is it? Kid, do you have something to say?"
"Yes, there is something I want to ask."
He seemed timid, but that was the opposite of the first impression he gave me. On the contrary, he had strong eyes. He seemed to be like a little boss of the village. He was trembling slightly, but it didn't seem to be due to the cold.
"This child..." Verita murmured.
I was also curious. Even though I had never seen him before, there was something strangely familiar about him. After a moment, I realized why.
"Have you seen my younger brother?"
The moment I heard the word "brother," what crossed my mind was the child I had saved from the other side of the stone door, but who turned out to be a church member. That child had self-destructed and died.
"His name is Daniel."
This boy was a member of that follower's family.