Necromancer Of The Black Bible (24)

Two days earlier.

Two investigators dispatched from the Kallios Theocracy arrived at the village of Hainche.

When they arrived, the village was deserted.

The two young men who had requested the investigation only guided them as far as the orphanage, where Raiernov’s traces vanished, before leaving to join the other villagers in hiding.

The investigators searched the orphanage thoroughly, the lone building left behind, but found nothing.

After spending the day and into the next morning, they heard a strange sound.

Krrruuuum—

A heavy rumble that shook the entire mountain.

Hearing this, the senior investigator, Sanchez, felt compelled to investigate.

“The villagers called this the roar of a Sand Dragon. What do you think?”

“I don’t know, sir. I’ve never seen a Sand Dragon.”

Mobin, the junior aide, merely scratched his head.

But Sanchez was different.

In his ten years as an investigator, he had dealt with many cases.

His specialty was missing persons and mysterious events, and his record was well recognized within the Theocracy.

And Sanchez’s instincts pointed toward the mountain.

“If Father Raiernov were here, he would never have ignored this rumble.”

Sanchez was close to Raiernov.

High Priest Mikel von Raiernov.

He was Sanchez’s mentor, colleague, and family.

It was Raiernov who had taken Sanchez, an orphan, to the Theocracy’s monastery.

He gave Sanchez great help in training his holy power at the monastery.

Whenever Sanchez hit a wall, Raiernov gave him the right solution, enabling him to reach his current standing.

That was why Sanchez volunteered to come here, even for such a remote incident—because of his bond with Raiernov.

‘I will find him, no matter what.’

Sanchez swore firmly to himself and continued reasoning.

“If I were Father Raiernov, I would never have left the orphans in such a dangerous place.”

“You’re right, sir. Father Raiernov would never do that. But…”

Mobin, after thinking for a moment, continued.

“What could he have done with the children and others at the orphanage? Even if the stories of the Sand Dragon are true, it wouldn’t have devoured only the people and left no trace.”

Mobin’s point was valid.

The orphanage was tidy.

There were no signs of a collapsed building or a fight inside.

No blood or corpses were found either.

This was not the work of a giant monster like a Sand Dragon.

Sanchez went through each possible cause for such an incident.

‘There’s a goblin settlement not far from here. Could it be them? No, goblins aren’t this meticulous. Then the elves of the Incomplete Forest? They have crossed mountains to abduct in groups before. But with Father Raiernov’s power, he would never have gone quietly. Besides…’

The Incomplete Forest and the Theocracy signed a peace treaty about fifty years ago. It stipulated that showing one’s identification crest ensured no attack or detainment.

Therefore, the chance of the elves being involved was slim.

Then Mobin spoke.

“Could this be the work of black magicians?”

“Why do you think that?”

“It feels similar to a village I saw once, sacrificed by them.”

Sanchez thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“No… If that were true, there would be signs of a sacrifice here.”

“True. There are none.”

Sacrifices to black magicians usually leave traces. Cleanly stripped bones, tainted with dark energy, easy to recognize.

“And there should’ve been a magic circle. Mobin, you searched all day yesterday—did you see one?”

“…No.”

“Exactly. For those two reasons, it’s hard to conclude it was black magicians.”

Mobin reluctantly nodded at Sanchez’s conclusion.

Sanchez looked at him with a pleased smile.

“Mobin. Always judge a scene based on evidence. Feelings and intuition alone won’t uncover the truth. Understand?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Mobin finally nodded, and Sanchez shared the reasoning he had put together.

“This wasn’t a monster’s doing. The orphanage being cleared so neatly points to human work.”

“But it doesn’t look like bandits either. The headmaster’s safe was untouched, and food in the kitchen was left to rot.”

“Right. The children’s clothes were mostly left as well. With this evidence, what situation can you assume?”

At Sanchez’s question, Mobin thought briefly and answered.

“Someone took them away temporarily for some reason. They likely thought it would take little time, but circumstances changed, preventing their return. Something like that?”

“Exactly.”

Sanchez smiled in satisfaction and continued.

“I believe the one who led them away was Father Raiernov. If he heard the strange sound from the mountain, he would have ensured the children were evacuated somewhere safe—then gone alone to investigate its source.”

“Then the reason he hasn’t returned yet is…”

“That’s enough.”

Sanchez cut him off.

He didn’t want to indulge in ominous speculation.

‘Father Raiernov must still be alive.’

Sanchez knew Raiernov’s power. Though still only a High Priest, he believed Raiernov alone was destined to become Archpriest.

A man like that could not have died in such a remote place.

‘He must have been delayed by circumstances.’

Thinking this, Sanchez looked out at the mountain.

The eerie rumble still seemed to echo from the mountain.

Sanchez led Mobin outside the orphanage.

Then he closed his eyes and released his holy power. A radiant light flowed from his hand, enveloping the surroundings.

It was the gift of detection, able to discern sounds that could not be heard.

Sanchez had used such faint clues to uncover truths many times.

‘This time will be no different. I will uncover the truth.’

Sanchez gazed sharply into the light he had spread, and soon Mobin spoke beside him.

“The source of the sound is revealed. It’s definitely coming from the mountain.”

“Good. Are you ready?”

At Sanchez’s question, Mobin dashed inside, returning with an old leather bag and a staff.

Then he nodded.

“I’m ready.”

“Let’s go.”

Sanchez led the way, following the direction of the detection light.

It led somewhere into the mountain, but the path was difficult and troublesome.

Unaccustomed to rough paths, Mobin stumbled repeatedly, and even Sanchez had his robes snagged on thorns.

After hours of walking.

They finally arrived at a cave.

A cave with strangely shaped stones at its entrance.

It looked as if a violent battle had taken place there.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of bones were scattered on the floor, and one cave wall had a massive hole.

Sanchez once again used his detection gift to scan the area.

Then, seeing a campfire still warm, he spoke.

“Someone was here.”

From deeper in the cave, Mobin’s voice called back as he examined things.

“It does seem so. There are dried herbs here.”

“Really?”

Brightening, Sanchez went to Mobin’s side.

“Show me.”

“Here… sir.”

Mobin held out a wooden bowl and some dried plants he had picked up.

They looked like ordinary dried leaves and petals, but they weren’t.

‘Moonlight flowers… and Elf’s Tears.’

Moonlight flowers amplify a mage’s mana, while Elf’s Tears sharpen sight and hearing.

Drying herbs is not something common folk can easily do.

Only mages or priests with higher education can select such herbs among countless plants and process them.

Finding dried herbs here was no small matter.

Moreover, these two herbs were favorites of Raiernov.

‘This might have been Father Raiernov’s dwelling.’

The more Sanchez looked around, the clearer his conviction became.

Bones tainted with dark mana and animal bones.

A campfire kept for warmth overnight.

A withered corpse lying in one corner.

And the massive hole in the wall.

From it, heavy tracks showed something had crawled out.

Put together, a picture emerged.

‘Father Raiernov must have followed the mountain’s sound here, spent days investigating its source, used his gift to draw out the monster, and defeated it.’

The corpse in the corner was enormous.

The scattered scales and the body’s form suggested a tremendous battle had taken place here.

Mobin, observing beside him, spoke.

“This looks like a Sand Dragon.”

“That must be it.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never even read of such a monster in the monastery’s library.”

Mobin touched the giant corpse briefly, then looked at Sanchez and asked:

“But how could Father Raiernov have defeated such a giant creature?”

The question carried much within it.

It seemed Mobin had already reached a conclusion similar to Sanchez’s.

Sanchez, oddly proud, patted Mobin’s head and replied.

“Well. That’s something I’d like to ask him myself.”

The two gazed at the huge hole sucking in cold air.

The tracks below made it clear the Sand Dragon had emerged from there.

The death of one Sand Dragon here was good news, but Raiernov’s absence was ominous.

‘Could it be…’

Sanchez peered into the hole extending downward.

He could not tell what lurked in the deep darkness, but based on his investigation so far, there were two possibilities.

‘Either Father Raiernov or another Sand Dragon.’

Raiernov had clearly defeated the first Sand Dragon and descended here.

The footprints on the ground showed it. Yet he had not come back, meaning something might have happened below.

‘Please, let him be safe.’

Sanchez grasped his staff and cast the power of protection on himself and Mobin.

Then he bestowed the blessing of battle as well.

Thus prepared, the two descended into the cave.

A single slip could leave them defenseless, so Sanchez and Mobin moved down slowly and carefully.

Eventually, they arrived in a vast cave where a lava river flowed.

And there they saw.

The dried, dead corpse of a massive Sand Dragon on one side—and Raiernov standing before it.

Raiernov stood there, unchanged, alongside a large boy.