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Chapter 61 Ghouls
"The Holy Light has never rejected His call because of His race, and His adherence to the commandments and His cherishing of life."
Their piety and steadfastness even put many people who grew up under icons to shame.
Garu is one of the most competent paladins I have ever seen… although his very existence can sometimes be seen as a ‘problem’ by others.”
Sosia listened quietly, her gaze shifting between Far's aged yet resolute face and the "introverted" orc's docile nature, so different from his physique.
She nodded slightly, her eyes softening with understanding and gentleness.
Picking up a clean wooden cup, he first poured a glass of water for Far, and then poured a full glass of frothy golden wheat wine for Garu.
Garu looked at the beer pushed in front of him, raised his eyes, and shook his head somewhat embarrassedly.
He spoke to the elf in a low, clear, yet unusually distinct, universal language: "Thank you, Lady Elf. But like my teacher, plain water is fine with me."
Sosia raised an eyebrow, looked at Far, and smiled: "Far, now I'm starting to believe your nonsense."
This child certainly doesn't look like those dangerous green-skinned relatives in the wilderness; he looks more like you when you were young, equally teetotaler and stubborn.
Far smiled, his wrinkles smoothing out as if time had flowed backward a little.
Sosia poured herself a cup of floral tea with a delicate fragrance, and her tone turned serious: "I understand what you mean, Far."
Garu may be a devout guardian.
But here, in this remote border town, the "kind beastmen" that people have actually seen probably only exist in the illustrations of children's bedtime storybooks.
They were more familiar with the rumors of being robbed told by caravan guards, or the bloody figures left behind by the green-skinned tribes during their attacks, as reported in the garrison's battle reports.
She took a sip of tea. "So, you've come all this way not just to introduce me to you, my uniquely destined guardian?"
"Those old fogies in the Ilmat Church actually let an old man like you out to travel?"
Far took a sip of water, the warm liquid seemingly easing the fatigue of the long journey.
He gazed at Sosia's still beautiful face after all these years, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes—a longing for the past and a sigh at the ruthlessness of time.
"Yes, I'm getting old," he said softly. "This feeling is especially clear every time I see you."
The elves' lives are like a still, deep pool, while we humans are like a fleeting stream.
It seems like only yesterday we were in that dusty library in the upper town, arguing heatedly over a tattered document about the sealing of an ancient demon...
Today, I need to use a cane, and even need the support of young people, to walk a short distance.
He fell into a brief recollection, his voice becoming ethereal: "At that time, you had just returned from a long elven journey, filled with inquisitive curiosity about everything human."
And I was still a young pastor who wholeheartedly believed that I could cleanse all defilement with holy light and scriptures...
Remember? We and a few other friends also dealt with a horde of undead that had become agitated in the sewers of the upper city due to a reckless apprentice's necromancy experiment being leaked.
Your magical powers have pulled me out from under those rotting minions more than once.
Sosia smiled, her eyes brimming with warmth: "And your occasional sermons about 'all life has its value' are still fresh in our memories."
She put down her teacup, her tone turning curious, "However, Far, we can take our time catching up."
You came here today because of things at the docks, right?
When serious matters were brought up, both Far and Garu, who had been listening silently, turned serious.
The old pastor nodded, his voice low and solemn: "Yes. The church has received an urgent request for assistance from the guard; several people have gone missing in the dock area."
The scene not only bore the marks of brutal violence, but also carried an extremely unsettling...stench of corruption.
Ordinary water ghosts, or even some powerful aquatic monsters, wouldn't prompt an experienced guard captain to so earnestly request the church's help.
His voice was particularly clear in the now quiet tavern: "We have conducted a preliminary investigation of the nearest incident site, the abandoned shoals near the old shipyard."
The way the bloodstains were splattered did not appear to be caused by a sharp weapon. The drag marks on the victim were extremely deep, as if the victim had been forcibly dragged into the water by a tremendous force.
Most importantly, there was that lingering smell in the air... a rich, rotten smell mixed with the damp earth of the grave.
This points to a specific possibility.
Sosia leaned forward slightly, her long adventures and accumulated experience allowing her to instantly grasp the key words. Her expression changed slightly: "You mean... ghouls?"
But these kinds of spirits usually roam ancient battlefields, cemeteries, or swamps deep in the forest, rarely appearing in such an organized manner in a populated dock area… Unless, they are a variant adapted to the aquatic environment? Coming from the waterways?
"It's highly likely." Farr's expression was grave.
"According to internal church archives and some ancient records, there are indeed ghoul subspecies that have adapted to swamp or riverbank environments in certain specific regions."
They are far stronger than ordinary monsters, their skin may be covered with slippery scales or thick hide, their claws and teeth are sharp as hooks, and they have considerable resistance to ordinary swords.
Most dangerously, they feed on the corpses of intelligent beings and can spread the corruption of the undead during the feeding process, creating more low-level undead servants that obey them.
If they were allowed to establish nests underwater or in nearby abandoned shipwrecks in the dock area, or infiltrate along the waterway network…
He didn't finish speaking, but Sosia already understood the unspoken consequences.
That will no longer be a series of sporadic missing persons cases, but a calamity of the dead that could sweep across the entire Riverside district, requiring a large number of clergy and the military to quell, and countless families will be shattered in this catastrophe.
"Recently, there have been unusual disturbances from monsters deep in the forest." Sosia frowned.
"I've always suspected that something happened in the heart of the forest that caused these restless monsters to frequently harass the area around the town."
After a moment of contemplation, Far nodded slowly: "The church leadership has similar speculations."
This may not be an isolated incident, but rather a harbinger of greater chaos.
That's why this old man of mine had to come.
Most of today's young priests and adventurers have never truly experienced the terror brought by such evil creatures.
If we wait until they fully mature before trying to eradicate them, the cost will be too high.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Sosia asked.
"Although my magic is not suitable for fighting those monsters head-on, I still have some reliable sources of information in the town."
Perhaps we can get more specific eyewitness accounts, or information about any unusual activity in the dock area recently.