Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 527 - 481: Hunting Over?

The last hunt.

Silvette sighed softly to herself, following Ralph southward.

The priests in the wine cellar, this was the final revelation given to her by the Blood Angel in her dream, the last fragment of the cursed sword was there.

Silvette quickened her pace, only by doing so could she keep up with those two long legs, increasingly feeling dissatisfied with her petite frame. She jogged a few steps to catch up with Ralph and looked at his swaying large hand. The alchemical fire gun was held in the other hand, as an excuse to avoid the female sheriff’s flirtations. Silvette chuckled lightly; this peculiar pair was truly entertaining. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Truly entertaining indeed.

Ralph would definitely handle the last monster with ease, being the Kingslayer and now armed with Sage’s Stone bullets provided by the legendary Alchemist, even the powerful priests in the wine cellar wouldn’t stand a chance against this despicable man.

The death of the priests was foreseeable, as was her own end.

The cursed bloodline of Loshutar, the endpoint of Silvette Loshutar.

The days of frantically leading the villagers to struggle for survival were distant memories when compared to slumbering in a soft down bed. Now, finally, the ordeal of Degonris could be lifted, together with the cursed life she carried.

A slight feeling emerged in Silvette’s heart, a hint of reluctance. The tales of the Kingslayer and the Alchemist lingered in her ears; the sky beyond Degonris wasn’t just an expanse of unbroken gloom. The torrential rains of Cassandra, the sunshine of Naranya, the spires of Cassandra, the flower bars of Naranya, how she longed to see them. A bit of resentment bubbled up; why did her memory only hold the grey of Degonris, why did these different-colored individuals appear before her eyes only as she sank into the gloom? How annoying, this desire unattainable, why must my sacrifice be the prerequisite for Degonris’s salvation?

How annoying, the corners of her eyes so itchy.

Ralph’s grim face flashed into her mind, his voice indifferent as he said, "I am your ally, Silvette." Yes, Ralph and Verlet, they were people of different colors; they shouldn’t become part of the bleak tapestry of Degonris. I am the mayor of Degonris, the lady of this land. It is my duty, my mission. For the people, for Ralph, for Verlet, for myself, I must do this.

As Ralph moved toward the target, he felt an unusual sensation in his hand. He turned his head and saw those beautiful purple eyes, an enchanting charisma that would leave anyone in awe, but it did not thaw the ice in his gaze.

Silvette grabbed Ralph’s hand.

"What’s wrong, girl?"

"Can you walk a little slower? You’re going too fast." Silvette kicked her legs a bit, the white fuzzy socks under her pleated skirt already wet from the dew on the grass leaves.

"No." The girl’s coquetry was utterly ineffective on the monster uncle; Ralph continued at his own pace.

Silvette smiled and kept up with Ralph, her palm held in his warm and firm grasp, the warmth and tension eased the journey considerably.

...

The wooden door was kicked open; the southern wine cellar was much smaller underground than above. After the upper structures had been dismantled by Alchemy, what was left for everyone was a tiny basement.

A figure was kneeling in the center.

The regular priest robe of the Holy Light Church was stained with blood, the cross insignia looking sinister amidst the crimson.

Maintaining the appearance of an ordinary human, it was a middle-aged man with a gentle gaze. Although his halo of baldness detracted greatly from his charm, the high cheekbones and sharp nose did redeem quite a bit of favor. This was a typical Holy Light Priest and a sage scholar, if one overlooked the blood at the corner of his mouth and the sharp fangs revealed in his smile.

Ralph took position at the entrance with his gun, the only exit, with the two women behind him, peeking into the interior of the basement through the gaps.

"Priest?"

The man had long finished his prayers and looked at Ralph with a gentle smile, which seemed eerie amid the blood stains. He did not take any unnecessary actions, just watched.

"Yes, I am the fourth. But I have a name. You may call me Schuderman. I was a priest and still am, but what I pray to has changed and may offend you."

"No offense. I do not believe in Holy Light, nor in vampires."

Schuderman chuckled, pointing at Ralph and said with a laugh, "Such directness in a man like you, having not been burned at the stake, is evidence enough of the Holy Light’s error."

Ralph coldly replied like a zombie.

"The right and wrong of Holy Light is none of my business, but your life and death is," Ralph gripped the fire gun, his index finger pressing against the trigger, "Mister Schuderman, do me a favor, will you? Go die."

"Of course."

Schuderman maintained his smile, much like a rich merchant bestowing a slice of bread upon a pauper.

The unexpected response was enough to cause someone to let their guard down due to sheer astonishment, among other flaws.

But Ralph did not slacken, instead, he pressed further.

"Since that’s possible, then Mr. Schuderman, could you raise your hands where I can see them, bow your head and don’t move, and wait for my bullet to pierce through your skull?"

Schuderman laughed, but still chose to comply.

"I mean no harm, sir. I understand the crucial role I play, and I am prepared to sacrifice myself."

Ralph moved to a position about a meter away from Schuderman, his fire gun aimed at the vampire’s forehead. At this distance, he might be torn apart by a sudden move from the priest, but the gunman was definitely within range of the Sage’s Stone bullet inside his gun.

There were no sudden incidents; Schuderman seemed like a penitent facing death with equanimity.

"An attack of conscience? Mr. Vampire." Now that the end was within sight, Ralph was in no hurry. He knew very little about the so-called ritual, and the previous monsters seemed incapable of civilized discussion. He needed information, and information was more important than time.

Silvette peeked out from behind Ralph, observing this rational priest.

"He’s not a native of Degonris; he’s arrived here not long ago."

Schuderman also saw Silvette, and in his peaceful eyes, a diseased fervor flashed at the sight of her, but Ralph’s fire gun helped him maintain his composure.

"Seeing a determined girl’s strong progress, why wouldn’t I be benevolent? Miss Silvette, you have potential, you could enjoy that grace, just like my students, you are also qualified."

"And what would that qualification be?"

"The qualification to be perfect, to be the antithesis of God, to become the Antichrist." Schuderman looked at the girl, his face showing an intoxicated expression. Without waiting for Ralph to ask, he shared his knowledge with the girl. "I followed the clues of the Antichrist to this place, a journey that has transformed me. This is my final destination, I thought I would be the first, but I was wrong, there are countless forerunners before me. This is a revelation, this is God’s guidance, we’ve found our true destination. Not long after, an elegant God’s Servant brought us the ’Stairway,’ a grace, yet our impure souls were clearly still unworthy. To become the Antichrist, one needs the right qualification."

"The qualification of the Purifier."

"The Stairway provided by God’s Servant made us purer, but we are ultimately tainted, unable to become that guide. We originally thought such Purifiers no longer existed, until recently when a new Purifier was born, she is also my student. Joy instantly filled my mind, I love her, and I invited her with satisfaction, watching her merge with us. She is our angel, the most crucial part of the ritual."

"Just as I said, dear Silvette. My life has no further aspirations, my student is about to usher in a great transcendence. So, I am more than willing to offer myself up, to fulfill your duty."

"But please remember, no one can stop..."

Bang.

The Sage’s Stone bullet went through Schuderman’s brain, and he turned to ashes, still smiling.

"I can make you shut up, and I can stop you."

Among the ashes, a blood-red ruby and a crucifix pendant appeared before the two of them.

Ralph took the cross, passing the gemstone adorned with the obvious figure of a sword to Silvette.

She was still puzzled at this point.

"Why would he want to help us, doesn’t he understand that everything we are doing is to stop whatever is happening inside that castle?"

Ralph shrugged his shoulders.

"Because zealots are extremely self-absorbed madmen, they believe what they trust is the ultimate truth which cannot be stopped."

Ralph’s eyes twinkled with a sinister light; madness often conceals profound objectives.

Apart from the possibility of some evil ritual of Antichrist ascension happening in the castle, they gained nothing. Additionally, this vampire named Schuderman, was too eager.