Necromancer Of The Black Bible (29)

The situation was developing in an interesting way.

Our carriage was moving at pace, but it would still take some time to reach the forest entrance blocked by the bandits.

In the meantime, I sat in the carriage, closed my eyes, and observed what was happening there.

With my senses heightened, I could see their figures vividly and even hear their conversations.

A standoff between the bandit leader Volg and the guard captain Garson.

Garson boldly proposed a one-on-one duel, but honestly, it was reckless.

‘He has no reason to accept. They could just overwhelm them with numbers.’

There were over a hundred bandits at a glance, while the guards numbered barely twenty.

And they were surrounded.

Such a disparity couldn’t be overcome by training alone.

‘Unless they had a Swordmaster or a mage, this fight was unwinnable.’

Just as I thought that, something unexpected happened.

Volg accepted Garson’s proposal.

And he chose someone else to fight in his stead.

“Verdin! You’ll fight. Win, and I’ll see you richly rewarded!”

I couldn’t see his face, but Volg’s tone brimmed with arrogance—he clearly thought victory was assured.

And the one he called, Verdin, carried the same confidence.

Garson’s aura wavered slightly before him, while Verdin’s was utterly steady.

And then.

‘Their very aura is on another level.’

Verdin’s energy was far more intense than Garson’s.

It was as if a crimson aura enveloped his entire body.

Equinox’s voice echoed as he watched with me.

[Honored Master, who do you think will win?]

[Verdin. He’ll win.]

[And your basis for that judgment?]

[Because of their auras. Verdin’s is sharper and stronger than Garson’s—he must be stronger.]

[An excellent insight.]

As we spoke, Verdin and Garson’s duel began.

Garson’s stance and energy weren’t bad, but Verdin completely outclassed him.

He was perhaps on par with William when he fought without his demon sword.

‘Interesting.’

Even from afar, watching a duel was always entertaining.

I sharpened my senses to study them closely.

Garson struck first.

Drawing his longsword, he lunged with a swift thrust.

It was surprisingly quick for his build.

That one move explained why the convoy’s overseer trusted him so much.

‘He’s formidable.’

Most opponents would’ve had their throats pierced right then.

But Verdin dodged it with just a tilt of his head.

Garson followed up with a second thrust, anticipating the dodge, but Verdin parried it effortlessly.

Verdin wielded a scimitar, a curved blade built more for slashing than thrusting.

It seemed equally useful for deflecting thrusts.

Verdin deflected the second thrust, sank low, stepped forward, then leapt lightly upward and slashed diagonally.

It was a movement like a graceful sword dance.

His blade traced a clean, elegant arc—and slashed Garson’s throat.

‘That easily?’

Verdin’s swordsmanship was clearly several levels above Garson’s.

It was despair for the victims, but fascinating for me.

That such a fighter belonged to a bandit gang.

Garson’s level was enough to captain the guards of a great trading house, yet Verdin was just another bandit. It was strange.

[Keep watching. You’ll find something even more interesting.]

At Equinox’s urging, I observed even more closely.

With Garson beheaded in a single stroke, the expected sequence unfolded.

The bandits overwhelmed the guards instantly, and the convoy’s overseer declared surrender.

‘Tch. They’re finished.’

Bandits never bothered with what wasn’t profitable.

And nobles were usually killed—the ransom was more trouble than it was worth.

Erasing all trace of the capture was the simplest way.

So the men in the carriages would die, and the women dragged off as spoils.

But they were lucky—our carriage wasn’t far off.

“Hold there! Stop this slaughter!”

Sanchez shouted from the driver’s seat.

And in that moment, I noticed something strange.

‘Huh?’

Verdin stood beside Volg, the bandit chief.

Seeing the two together, I realized what Equinox meant by “something more interesting.”

‘Verdin’s stronger than Volg!’

Yet he stood beneath him.

I looked again and again, but the difference was obvious.

Volg couldn’t match Verdin. He might rival Garson, but was clearly weaker than Verdin.

Yet Verdin bowed his head to him.

[Heh heh… Finally noticed, have you?]

[I don’t get it. Why would someone like him do that?]

[Watch longer and you’ll see. But remember this: a human’s vision is narrow. Their power is not only in strength.]

It was a short line, but it held much meaning.

The more I turned it over, the more the scene looked different.

‘Perhaps Verdin underestimates himself.’

While Volg might possess a charisma and domineering tongue that ensnared others.

That dynamic could be the key to resolving this.

As I collected my thoughts, our carriage stopped.

From the driver’s seat, Sanchez shouted again,

“Stop at once! We are priests of the Kallios Theocracy! Such acts will not be tolerated near the Church’s lands!”

The atmosphere grew tense.

The bandits hesitated, until Volg stepped forward.

“This has nothing to do with the church. Just move along.”

As expected.

Though the leader had changed, they still had no intent of crossing the Theocracy.

A wise choice.

A hundred bandits couldn’t stand against the church nearby.

But the problem was Sanchez’s will.

He had no intention of letting this pass.

“As a Priest of the Church, I cannot overlook innocent lives being taken.”

His words soured the air.

Then William asked me quietly,

[Will you just watch?]

[It’s about time I step in.]

I opened the carriage door and stepped out.

Volg, who’d been glaring at Sanchez, smirked at me.

“Well, well… and here I thought who it was—an esteemed high priest of the church.”

“You know who I am?”

“Not your name. But the eyes of your lackeys tell me enough—you’re not someone a thug like me should trifle with.”

A good start.

If he showed me respect, perhaps this could end in words.

I looked at Volg with a calm expression.

Our eyes met, and I felt him flinch.

“Will you grant the request of a priest of the church?”

I asked as politely as I could—though I expected refusal.

As expected, he rolled his eyes and answered gruffly.

“This matter has nothing to do with the church, Father. These carriages bear no holy crest. As long as we don’t touch the crest, we can do as we please. Isn’t that the rule your church set for us?”

I was slightly surprised at how logically he put it.

It was a moment that proved Equinox’s words—man’s power was not in strength alone.

Perhaps his true ability lay not in brute strength, but in that silver tongue.

I put on a stern face and said,

“So you won’t touch the crest—but you’ll refuse a priest’s request?”

Volg hesitated, then replied.

“That’s right.”

I studied his eyes.

I hadn’t before—but now I could see many things.

Eyes mixed with fear and bravado.

And beneath it all, greed.

[With greed like that, he’ll move just as we expect.]

I agreed with Equinox.

The powerful were nearly always like that—driven by greed, beyond a few words to sway.

If I provoked that greed and bravado once more, I could shape this how I wished.

‘But how should I say it?’

Then Sanchez, unable to hold back, shouted from the driver’s seat.

“How dare you speak so to a High Priest! Do you not know what will happen once we return to the Church?!”

‘Perfect.’

I smiled inwardly and restrained Sanchez.

He likely had no idea his words had just sealed their fate.

Now I only had to give it a push.

I inclined my head lightly to Volg.

“Forget his words. My junior let his emotions get the better of him. We’ll be off now.”

I turned back toward the carriage with Sanchez—and at that moment, the bandits surrounded us.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Sanchez shouted in panic, but Volg only chuckled darkly.

“The young priest is very clever.”

“Wh-what?!”

“If priests of the church will speak so, then surely we cannot simply let you walk away?”

Volg laughed richly.

Sanchez, clearly unprepared for this, shouted again.

“Y-you mean to lay hands on Priests of the Church?!”

“No, no. Let’s make one thing clear.”

Volg wagged a finger left and right, then spoke.

“I am not touching the church itself—only you, who are apart from it.”

“If we die here, are you not afraid of the repercussions?!”

“Oh, come now.”

Volg looked down at Sanchez with mock pity.

Then he sneered.

“If you all die here, how will the church ever know? And how will they ever connect it to us?”

Sanchez was struck dumb.

He looked at me as if to resort to force, but I shook my head.

Volg smirked at us.

“Today is indeed a lucky day. From the looks of those robes, these priests will fetch quite a price. Boys! Treat our guests with the utmost courtesy!”

And so, we were taken captive by Volg’s Shadowfang bandits.

A most satisfying turn of events.