Oh, Iyer! Iyerpol! – Chapter 73

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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“A little rat has crept in.”

Nikolai raised her sword, feeling the weight of the man’s gaze, like a massive serpent coiling around her limbs.

His skin was pale, devoid of any trace of blood.

Long, wavy white hair framed his face.

His eyes, with reversed colors – white irises and black pupils – held an unsettling intensity.

He wore the form of a man, yet he was distinctly inhuman.

Nikolai recognized him, despite never having seen him before.

‘A demon.’

She felt a wave of revulsion wash over her as she met his gaze.

Pointing her sword at the man, Nikolai asked, her voice low and steady.

“Was it you? Did you abduct the villagers?”

“…….”

The man simply smiled, a silent affirmation.

Realizing this man was responsible for the disappearances, Nikolai tightened her grip on her sword.

“Are the villagers safe?”

“If you’re referring to the humans we’ve taken, they are unharmed. For now.”

“You…”

“Don’t be angry, human woman. Their fate isn’t in my hands. It rests with ‘Him.’”

Him?

Nikolai’s brow furrowed.

“If He desires, they will be taken alive. If not…”

“…….”

“There’s no need to keep unnecessary baggage, is there?”

A smile played on the man’s lips, a serpentine smile, Nikolai thought.

His words were a thinly veiled threat.

He would kill them if they weren’t needed.

The urge to attack was overwhelming, but Nikolai maintained her composure.

She needed information, not a reckless confrontation.

“Why did you take the villagers?”

She asked, her voice cold.

“To welcome ‘Him’ when He arrives.”

“Welcome… Him?”

Nikolai recalled the reports she had studied in Tillasden, the information about demons.

‘[Demons perform summoning rituals, offering human blood sacrifices to summon devils.]’

She had dismissed those reports as unreliable, but this man’s words seemed to confirm them.

The abducted villagers were sacrifices, and this man intended to summon a devil using their blood.

‘Hundreds of villagers… sacrificed for a ritual?’

And he had said they would be taken alive if ‘He’ desired.

They intended to use the villagers as a source of blood, like livestock.

The thought made Nikolai’s stomach churn.

She wanted to attack, but she had one final question.

Despite her simmering rage, her voice remained icy.

“Are you… one of the demons who attacked humans in ancient times?”

“Demons?”

The man tilted his head, as if he had never heard the word before.

“I’ve never been called that. Never even heard of it.”

“Then who are you?!”

Nikolai’s voice finally cracked, her anger breaking through.

The man smiled, his mismatched eyes curving into crescents, his lips pulling back to reveal his teeth.

“I’d love to tell you, but… I must be cautious. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize ‘His’ plans.”

“You…!”

Infuriated, Nikolai charged, but the villagers blocked her path.

They stood motionless, their faces blank, refusing to move.

Seeing her frustration, the man brought a finger to his lips.

“Hush… human woman. I don’t want any unnecessary commotion. I wouldn’t want to ruin ‘His’ plans.”

“You bastard…!”

“I’d love to play with you, but please understand my position.”

He snapped his fingers.

The villagers, who had been staring blankly at him, turned their heads towards Nikolai.

Their lifeless eyes fixed on her, and she instinctively took a step back.

As she retreated, they closed in, forming a tight circle around her.

Nikolai gritted her teeth, scanning the crowd.

She caught a glimpse of the man, a smirk on his face.

“Just sleep for a while. You might be part of His plan, too.”

His words echoed in her ears.

He rose from the statue, and Nikolai tried to shout, but a sharp blow to the back of her head sent her crashing to the ground.

Her vision blurred, and she saw the man leading the villagers away.

She tried to cling to consciousness, but it slipped away like dissipating fog.

Lying on the ground, she watched them leave, her eyes slowly closing.

“Don’t be impatient, human woman. We’ll meet again soon.”

His whisper was the last thing she heard before darkness consumed her.

Nikolai was found by the next patrol unit.

She lay unconscious in the deserted village square.

And so, a third village fell victim to the mysterious disappearances.

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I was idly twisting twine, gazing at the night sky outside the window, when the room suddenly darkened.

“Huh?”

I looked up.

The moon, which had been shining brightly moments before, was now hidden behind a thick cloud.

Strange.

The sky had been clear just a moment ago.

Clear enough to see without a lamp.

I had been enjoying the quiet stillness of the pre-dawn hours…

A little disappointed, I decided to get up.

My watch shift was approaching.

Creak

“Hello? Is it my turn yet?”

I opened the door and whispered, trying not to wake the sleeping soldiers.

No response.

The first watch had ended long ago, and the second should be ending soon… why hadn’t anyone come to relieve me?

Were they deliberately ignoring me because I was the Adventurer Representative?

“Hello…?”

I whispered again, a little louder this time.

Still no response.

I tilted my head, then realized what was happening.

Ah. They must be asleep.

It was that awkward time of night, when sleep was heaviest.

They had been patrolling all day, so they must be exhausted.

I’ll go wake them. It’s time to switch shifts anyway.

I left my room.

“…Huh?”

Something was wrong.

The doors to the other rooms, where the soldiers were sleeping, were open.

Wide open.

I peeked inside.

“…Empty?”

The soldiers were gone.

The blankets were on the floor, and the rooms looked slightly disheveled.

I hadn’t heard anyone get up… where had they gone?

Were they excluding me because I was an adventurer?

If that was the case, I might actually cry…

Shaking my head, I continued towards the living area, where the soldiers on watch should have been.

The living area was dark, like the other rooms, but even in the darkness, my vision was perfect.

I saw a figure sitting in a chair.

A soldier, sitting upright.

Oh.

They were on watch after all.

Feeling a surge of relief, I approached and tapped the soldier on the shoulder.

“Hey, it’s my turn…”

Whoosh!

The soldier suddenly stood up, startling me.

I stumbled back, my heart pounding.

What was that about? Did I wake him up?

I was wide awake now, thanks to him.

“…….”

“Hello?”

I called out softly, but the soldier didn’t respond.

He just stood there, motionless, like a recruit caught sleeping on duty.

Was he… dead? Standing up?

“Hello…”

“…….”

I was about to call out again when the soldier began to move.

He walked slowly towards the front door.

I poked him in the back, but he didn’t react.

He moved like a puppet.

He reached the door and opened it, stepping outside.

“What the…?”

It was like a scene from a horror story.

I muttered to myself, but no one answered.

I was probably the only one left in the house.

A shiver ran down my spine.

I rubbed my arms, looking around the empty house.

There was only one thing left to do.

“Oh, for crying out loud.”

I always said a bad feeling was usually right.

And sometimes, even when you had a bad feeling, you had to follow it.

Like now.

Cursing under my breath, I stepped outside and followed the slowly walking soldier.

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[Nah that shi is creepy as hell]