Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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“Where are you rushing off to like that?”

“Don’t mind me.”

“You pretend not to care, but…”

I ignored Runox, who was following behind me, and continued walking. A human sacrifice, not an animal on the altar. I tried my best to look away from it. I wanted to think of it as just a peculiar custom of this place. After all, this wasn’t Earth. My values formed through memories of my past life might be wrong in this world.

But it just wouldn’t do. Sitting there with my bowl empty, I had to leave the inn.

“Good thinking, Seris. Enlightening the ignorant and guiding them on the right path. That’s the mission of a wizard. I knew you would understand.”

The morning wind was chilly. Naturally, my steps quickened as I wove through the bustling people preparing for the early day.

As I got closer to the docks, the smell of the sea grew stronger. The salty breeze carried a fishy scent. A smell one couldn’t help but get used to while traveling. It conjured images of the color red. The smell of human blood.

With enhanced physical abilities, my sense of smell sharpened. The scent of blood was not an illusion.

“Which way?”

“That way.”

I looked in the direction Runox pointed. In a secluded corner of the dock, there stood an altar made of black stone, facing the sea, where one usually wouldn’t expect to see one.

The altar was empty.

“There’s nothing here?”

“How strange…”

Runox tilted his head at my question. He strode over to the altar confidently.

I frowned at the sight. The altar certainly reeked of human blood. However, I couldn’t see any traces of the sacrifices he claimed to have witnessed.

Could they have cleaned up after the ceremony?

Just as I thought that, an unexpected group of men draped in white robes rushed in from all directions, blocking Runox and me.

“Do not approach. You’ll disturb the ceremony.”

Runox frowned at the man blocking his path.

“A ceremony? Are you offering a special sacrifice to the Sea God?”

“Have you ever seen a Sea God’s sacrifice?”

The man raised his eyebrows in response to Runox’s question. The black patterns on his white robe rippled as if in response to the waves.

“I caught a glimpse from afar. They were dancing atop that altar with candles lit and a large sword in hand…”

“It’s just a ritual to calm the Sea God’s anger. Nothing that outsiders should concern themselves with. Did you happen to see the end of the ceremony?”

“Was there something else after? They danced all day, so I just watched for a bit and left…”

At Runox’s response, the eyebrows of the man in white robes twitched. A strange atmosphere lingered. Runox took a step back.

“If I have offended you, I genuinely apologize. I was merely curious and was just watching.”

The man in the white robe frowned, seemingly displeased, but he didn’t press any further. He nodded and said,

“Be careful. You don’t want to get kicked out of here.”

“I’ll remember that.”

With those final words, Runox turned away. I had no choice but to follow suit, feeling the stares of the Sea God Church members on my back.

Just as we exited the docks, Runox, who had been walking in silence, spoke up. What came out of his mouth was not sign language. It was Dadel, the common language used by the Karma Empire and Aben Kingdom.

“What do you think? Doesn’t it seem suspicious?”

Indeed, it felt suspicious. An altar built in an unobtrusive location and the fishy scent wafting around it. Not to mention the aggressive behavior of the Sea God Church members.

“It does seem suspicious. But why did you back off so easily?”

“The altar was spotless. They probably didn’t want others seeing evidence of the ritual. Based on what I observed while wandering around last night, common folks here seem to have no idea that human sacrifices are being made. In that situation, blindly shouting for disappeared corpses wouldn’t make sense, would it? If they flat out denied it, they’d get away with it… Who do you think the locals would believe, this rooted religious organization or outsiders like us?”

“You have quite the insight…”

“You’re making some rather rude remarks, you know?”

“I’m sorry if that’s how it sounded.”

“Hmm. Anyway, what are you planning to do? You’ll surely join me, right?”

I fell silent at Runox’s words. After a long pause, we arrived at the inn where I was staying. I stood at the entrance and asked Runox,

“What will you be doing first?”

“First, I think I’ll learn about the doctrines of the Sea God Church.”

“The doctrines of the Sea God Church…?”

“Knowing what they think and why they act is important for planning our next steps, right?”

“Where will you learn that? Are you going to join the Sea God Church?”

“I already have it covered.”

Runox answered my question by pulling out a black booklet from his robe.

“This is a scripture that ordinary followers study.”

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding from the black book. Reading that might not mess with my head, right? Maybe I’d end up with a fish-shaped mark somewhere on my body.

I sighed and nodded.

“What will you do after checking everything?”

“If, indeed, as I suspect, the Sea God Church is a misguided religion… then I plan to bring it to its knees.”

“Just the two of us…?”

“Exactly.”

“You actually intend to kill a god?”

“If necessary, yes. If it can enlighten the ignorant…”

“It looks like it was about the size of an island… Is that even possible?”

“We have to believe it’s possible. Belief is the beginning of magic.”

Runox adjusted his glasses and smiled slightly. The sunlight glinted off his glasses.

“Alright, let’s take a look then.”

“Good thinking.”

Runox and I spent an entire day poring over the small booklet. There were still many characters I hadn’t learned yet, but with Runox’s help, I managed to decipher everything.

“Hmm…?”

“Ugh…”

After interpreting the content of the scripture, I found it generally mundane. There wasn’t even a single character referencing the human sacrifices Runox mentioned. The only notable point was that when followers die, their souls cross over to the Sea God’s domain and be with him.

“The last part is troubling. That the souls join him… Only dark magic has the power to bind souls somewhere.”

“Do you think it’s related to dark magic?”

“There were no signs of dark magic among the cultists performing the rituals. It’s just a possibility. It’s hard to say with certainty that dark magic is involved.”

By this point, it was clearly a situation we couldn’t just overlook. If what Runox suspected was true and dark magic was involved, then the entire continent of Beastmen was in danger.

Just then, a sudden shaking came, as if a massive earthquake struck the inn.

Kugugugu-!

“What… is this…?”

Every hair on my body bristled. I instinctively realized something – a giant creature was boldly announcing its presence.

Right after, a strange howling echoed through the air. A low, deep sound that couldn’t possibly have come from a normal throat, as if slowly rising from the depths of the sea.

“The Sea God must be awakening,”

“Those ships that went out today won’t be coming back.”

The locals, along with the Beastmen eating in the inn, nodded as they looked out beyond the inn. They seemed quite accustomed to this earthquake and the horrifying howls.

After exchanging glances with Runox, I dashed outside the inn, where a Nightmare awaited. It had likely escaped the stable to protect me from the ominous howl.

The mane of the Nightmare stood stiff, and the sharp protrusions of the crystal stone looked incredibly threatening.

Pruuuuk-

The Nightmare reacting this way meant danger was imminent. I naturally hopped atop it. Runox looked up at me and asked,

“Hey, what about me…?”

“Oh, sorry! It doesn’t let men ride.”

With a sigh at my words, Runox pulled up his mana. It seemed he used a physical enhancement spell, as rough mana swirled around his limbs.

“Let’s run for it. I need to see what that Sea God looks like.”

I thought the same. The moment I mounted the Nightmare, Runox followed closely behind. Some residents and Sea God Church members also seemed to be moving to catch a glimpse of the Sea God. People who emerged from buildings were rushing towards the docks.

As I burst out between the white buildings, my view opened up, revealing the Blue Sea. I squinted in the distance, staring at a faint silhouette.

[■■■■]

A sound so profound it couldn’t be expressed in human language rode the wind. The Sea God emerged, pushing aside the clouds high in the sky, slowly drifting away.

“The sea water is receding…”

Runox’s words arrived a bit late. Just as he said, the Blue Sea that had filled the docks was quickly pulling back. The ships that had been floating on the water sank to the bottom.

When the sea water completely drained and revealed the floor, a man in white robes from the Sea God Church spread his arms wide and shouted,

“It’s the Sea God’s blessing!”

“Ohhhh!”

Before he could finish his words, the residents leaped into the exposed muddy ground. The sinking mud splashed up towards the sky as they began to fight over the fallen fish. The fish flopping on the mud were all the size of an adult man’s forearm.

I gazed at the Sea God, hidden among the clouds, and asked Runox,

“Do you think we can catch it?”

Runox fell silent. Just when the cold wind brushed against my cheeks, he opened his mouth.

“Why do you ask something so obvious?”

Even after seeing a monster beyond comprehension, Runox’s belief remained unshaken. He adjusted his glasses and confidently walked forward.

“Where are you going?”

“What do you mean, Seris? The path to the Sea God has opened.”

“You mean we’re going over there…? How do you know when the water will come back in…?”

“Isn’t that why we need to hurry?”

Runox stepped boldly into the murky mud. His blue leather shoes stood firm against the squelching mud.