Chapter 184 - Episode Eleven - Live Fogg (1)
It was decided that I would go and get Live Fogg early tomorrow morning since I would have to prepare for it.
Once I parted with Nelgliffe, I decided to continue gathering information in Palgas village.
While I was gathering information here and there, there were always two or three Levi followers following me around, as if they were trying to keep an eye on me, which made me feel uncomfortable.
I was invited about ten times to convert to Levi Church just while I was gathering information.
This is not a village I would like to stay in too long.
Ive memorized the names and faces of those who were particularly persistent, and Im thinking of tipping them off to Nelgliffe.
I dont owe him anything, so its easy to refuse, but from the point of view of the villagers who are receiving treatment, they probably cant say no.
It would be better to assume that the entire Palgas village has already fallen into the hands of Levi Church.
The gathering of information did not go very well.
The believers were either dodging the question or showing hostility.
We could not hear much useful information from the villagers, and the only person who seemed to be able to talk to us about this and that seemed to be busy, and we did not hesitate to talk to him more than necessary.
I tried to set up an Ortem to disperse the disease in the church hall, but the Levi Followers threw it outside.
I desperately tried to resist, explaining the usefulness of the Ortem, but the atmosphere was getting worse and worse, and Mea interceded, and the situation was somehow settled, but we decided to abandon the installation of the Ortem.
I didnt have much useful information, but I was able to get a rough idea of the atmosphere of the village.
The Levi Church is completely rooted in the village, and there was an atmosphere of fear that if they tried to leave the village carelessly, they could be erased in order to avoid leaking the status of the Palgas village.
None of the letters and messengers sent out from Palgas Village had reached the Fage territory.
That much would come.
For now, I got permission from Fleur, the daughter of the Village, Heil, to rent an empty house, and decided to take a restful sleep in preparation for tomorrow.
The next day, Nelgliffe called me to the square in front of the church building.
When I, Mea, and Elia arrived, there were already nearly fifty Levi followers in number.
This still wasnt all of them, and there were still about ten people who were still attached to the sick in case they suddenly got worse, or who werent here due to other commitments.
Augen, Kamla, Sophia, come out.
With that, Nelgliffe calls out the three names.
For now, I was relieved that Chloe wasnt in it.
Two of them came out of the crowd of Levi followers and appeared in front of me.
Id like to introduce you three as my companions in the search for Live Fogg How about that? All three of them are still young, but they have experience as adventurers, and we decided that they are suitable for the search for Live Fogg. They are motivated and have been under my direct supervision for a long time, so they are three trustworthy people.
The first was a big man with a shaved head, which I could see through his robe.
I remember meeting him once yesterday.
Im pretty sure hes Augen.
His arms seem to be at least twice as thick as mine.
He had slender eyes and a good-natured smile.
Yo, nice to meet you, brother! Also, little girl!
Augen walked up to me graciously as he said it, and somewhat forcefully took my hand and tied it in a handshake.
Ha, hahaha hi, nice to meet you.
He doesnt seem like a bad person, but he might be the type Im bad at.
He looks pure and doesnt seem suspicious, so I dont have to worry about it as much as I should.
Even if its a subordinate that Nelgliffe trusts, Chloe, who is beside him all the time, is already suspicious, so even for me, I cant relax.
Its not surprising that among the three of us, my watchdog, who is receiving orders from the mastermind behind the invasion of Palgas village, could be mixed in.
If it will show itself far away from the village, we can extract the information from that person by narrowing it down, which is fine with me, but Id like to have a target in mind from the start.
The second person was a man with orange long hair.
He was wearing the formal robes of Levi Church somewhat out of place.
He has the impression of being somewhat frivolous, but he doesnt have the vibe of a scoundrel.
Yes, yes, Im Kamla. That Live Fogg has been trapped for a long time. Really, Im glad to have the opportunity to capture him again. The vanguard will be Me and Augen, so I leave the support to you.
But somehow, these two are really normal people.
I was expecting someone a bit more like, someone who seems a bit more like a suspicious, but they are really normal people.
I may have been a little too cautious and defensive.
Huh Um, that leaves one more person Uh, where is Sofia-san?
Hmm? Ohhh, if its Sophia, shes there hey, hurry and come on out of there! Youve got travelers waiting for you!
Kamla called out somewhat roughly.
Looking ahead, I see a short woman hiding behind the taller woman, sticking to her back.
Im a bit nervous So-, sorry
She runs over to us with her face slightly down.
Im, Im Sophia Fuseir. Today, I have been nominated to run for the position of White Magician to accompany you in the search for Live Fogg! There are many peculiarly toxic demons in that vicinity, so I think I can help you! Um and Um
Maybe its the nervousness, but she seems stiff No, thats fine, but
Somehow, Shes a very normal person.
Mea comes over to me and whispers in my ear.
Its a very rude thing to say, but its a legitimate question.
Ive been wary of the Levi Church for a while now, so Its a bit of a letdown.
The only thing that makes them trustworthy is that they seem to be as pure as Nelgliffe.
I might have been thinking a little too much after all
N, no, lets not loosen up.
But I was wondering if they would send out a white magician when they were short on manpower, but an expert in detoxification.
There are few people who like to approach the mountain range that borders the Riveras Nation and so on, so there is little information about that area within the Dinrat Kingdom.
So there was a nasty, poisonous demon.
I thought I could handle it on my own, but its still reassuring to have someone who knows it well.
The mountain itself isnt too far away.
This time we were going to head into the mountains on foot, so we had to leave the carriage behind.
Elia will be house-watching at Palgas Village.
Then Im counting you. Everyone, support Abel-dono single-mindedly.
However I was aware that I had accepted Live Fogg so easily and cheaply, but I didnt think that they would expect me to do so much.
I didnt realize that Nelgliffe thought so highly of me.
I have to live up to his expectations.
The Levi followers saw us off as we left the Palgas Village with Me, Mea and three Levi followers.
As we walked, I had a bad feeling about this, so I looked back.
Elia was being held firmly by a smiling Levi follower with both shoulders.
Theyre talking to her about this and that, but its probably related to the solicitation anyway.
Elia didnt take up the invitation but just looked at us with a tearful face and her mouth kept flapping open and close.
Im sure it was something along the lines of, Sir Customer, please come back quickly.
I made a small cross with my hand and prayed.
Did something happen, Abel?
No, I thought Ive got to get back soon for the sake of those suffering from the disease.