Bear School Astartes

Chapter 31: 31. Crisis of Faith

A professional soldier’s bandaging technique is rough, yet practical.

Bernie’s hand, which had been clawed by a Water Ghost, was finally bandaged amidst his muffled groans.

To ease the pain, he ordered himself a cup of rye vodka.

”Cheer up, Bernie. At least the Water Ghost’s claws are dirty, but not poisonous. Otherwise, you’d barely be alive.”

Seeing Bernie finally get treated, Lann, who had been standing on the side, wiped the beer foam from his mouth and spoke to comfort him.

This beer was offered by Philip.

Having said that, the young man turned his head and raised his glass to the Sergeant who was treating everyone.

”Thank you for your hospitality, Sergeant. But I think it’s time we discuss the real business.”

Philip Strong now had both elbows resting on the table, still pouring more drinks.

”Gulp — You heard most of the situation earlier, I don’t have much to add. I really hope you can help us catch that bastard because the lord has entrusted me with this job, and I can’t afford to mess it up.”

”What do you say, Demon Hunter?”

”Me?” Lann frowned slightly, half-sitting against the table. ”I’m certainly happy to have work, but I recently accepted a long-term commission...”

The truth is that Lann felt slightly uneasy due to his current level of [Trace Detection].

Yet the young man definitely couldn’t admit it; if his skills were doubted, how would he earn a living in Velen in the future?

”Forget about those shabby village commissions, Demon Hunter. You need to know that you’re here as a suspect, and even if I detained you for a month, it would still be reasonable and legal in Velen’s jurisdiction!”

Philip slammed his glass onto the table with a loud bang.

Even his companions beside him were startled, yet Lann didn’t even move a muscle, his hand subtly pressing down in mid-air.

”Wow~ Calm down, man.”

Lann turned to look at Bernie, who also showed a hopeful expression.

The expansion of the fishing ground wasn’t urgent, but the desecration of the place of prayer was an immediate concern in the minds of the local residents.

So Lann had nothing to argue about; if his skill level was inadequate, he could use extraordinary perception instead.

The young man’s eyes shifted, ”Sergeant, mere threats won’t get the work done properly.”

Philip grumbled impatiently, then turned to Lann.

”I can apply to the lord for a reward of two hundred Auridon, and I can give you a spare set of my armor, at least better than your cotton cloth.”

”I hate bargaining, so this is the final offer, can you accept it?”

An unexpected delight.

Lann initially thought that securing fifty or sixty Auridon would be the most he could expect, considering this was just assisting in an investigation. Unlike Bordeaux, where it was over three hundred Auridon for risking life.

Who knew the lord there could actually offer two hundred Auridon as a reward!

It’s doubtful whether a village in Velen could earn two hundred Auridon in a year.

But this also indirectly showed the severity of Dunham’s desecration.

”I don’t want the armor, exchange it for thirty Auridon.”

Philip nodded impatiently; his spare officer armor was not likely inferior to standard issue, thirty Auridon was not easy to come by.

And Lann was quite satisfied, estimating that this money was enough to modify and repair the set of advanced Bear School gear Bordeaux left behind.

The savings Bordeaux left could be supplemented into his personal savings.

Don’t mind that he currently doesn’t spend much, that’s because his collaboration with Auridon has greatly reduced his logistical pressures.

In the future, he would still need to practice alchemy, stock up on magic potions and alchemy bombs.

No money in this world means even combat effectiveness can’t be improved!

”Deal, we’ll meet here tomorrow.”

”Why tomorrow?” Philip’s cheeks were flushed, spewing alcohol breath. ”Why here?”

”Can’t we start work today? Hurry to Dunham and resolve this troublesome matter.”

Lann patiently explained to the alcohol-chugging Sergeant.

”We came by boat today, I need to go ride my horse. And why here, because I need to look at the corpse first.”

”Hmm?” Philip looked up.

Lann gestured his hands, ”I could smell the corpse stench as soon as I entered the village.”

”Oh! Right, I forgot, we placed that unfortunate chap here! Hey, you Demon Hunters have keen noses! Just as you said, tomorrow we’ll wait for you here.”

It was apparent that Philip Strong was a straightforward and generous man. Even though his family had recently gone through upheaval, he still showed enthusiasm for Lann’s exhibited skills.

Lann helped Bernie up, nodded to the dozen soldiers, and walked out of the tavern.

Following the road back to the docking site, despite one of Bernie’s hands being injured, it didn’t hinder his steering capability.

After some twists and turns, they actually arrived back in Auridon slightly earlier than yesterday.

This time, the reactions were more normal, as the village couldn’t afford to host drinking parties every day.

But when Bernie and Lann together relayed the news that he would assist in investigating the Dunham murder case to Old Allen,

It indeed gave the village elder quite a scare.

Having smoked for decades, this old smoker, caught his breath and nearly coughed his eyes out.

”Cough! Cough! You say, cough, you say murder?! In Dunham?! Plague upon us!”

Old Allen turned to glance at his wife still busy in the kitchen, quickly leading the two out of the house, closing the door behind him.

”Can’t let Hibona know about this, she’d faint from fear... but how can such news be blocked?!”

The old man clutched his pipe, murmuring helplessly.

The poorer a place, the weight of faith in people’s lives becomes heavier.

And the Meletelli faith, which is purely devoted to the poor without contention, is unprecedented in Lann’s historical knowledge, akin to the ultimate card.

Lann himself didn’t believe in gods, but during his time living here, he could somewhat understand Old Allen’s inner apprehension now.

”Lann, I’ll have Ivan repair your sword right away, the Dunham matter is entrusted to you. Our fishing ground isn’t in a hurry, especially now as Bernie is injured and needs a few days of rest. But the desecration of Meletelli... My god, to think those words would come from my mouth! You must catch the culprit!”

Lann nodded, soothing the panicked Old Allen.

As the village elder guessed, the news of the murder case in Dunham couldn’t be contained.

It’s not the three present who spread it within the village, but the fishermen who had gone out, spontaneously gathering information and rumors along the coast.

Calculating the time and distance of the crime and the spread of rumors, the transmission speed remained normal.

The bad news concerning faith spread like a plague through the village.

Even the men who were usually the least concerned were frightened, let alone the women who were the primary believers.

As Lann observed, even Madam Donald, who remained optimistic in the face of hardship and difficulty, was now clutching her clothes and looking around, completely bewildered.

Just in Auridon, over sixty percent of the women screamed incessantly upon hearing the news, then dropped everything in their hands to urgently pray to the benevolent Meletelli.

In rural areas, the productivity of women is not to be underestimated—mending, cooking, laundry, childcare... A family without a woman is viewed as incomplete and unreliable.

Having so many women unable to work at once, Auridon was already paralyzed!

Considering that Dunham normally handles the faith of dozens to hundreds of villages within a two- to three-day radius.

The panic and paralysis of hundreds of villages... Just the thought of it would send chills down one’s spine, it’s no wonder the lord took it seriously.