The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 20: Damn

Indeed, Ignotus’s destination was close to this stratum’s prison.

A certain hidden... valley he wanted to explore, something that exploded in popularity in his past life. It was next to Oblivia, one of Runethera’s five bodies of water.

Oblivia was a river that ended in House Death’s land.

Of course, he wasn’t going there, though he liked to court death for fun; he wasn’t keen on unavoidable death, because yes, this action would be no different than suicide.

No, he needed this river because it’d help to lead him to that valley he was after.

Only with it could he find the valley, as it was what he had grown used to navigating to find his way when all Hell broke loose... in quite a literal sense of the word.

He knew better than to stumble around and hope to chance upon the valley, for insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

And though he wasn’t exactly the sanest of people, he wouldn’t like to die so soon.

’It always worked out... until it didn’t.’

Chuckling at that thought, he heard a voice, and no, it was real:

’What’s so funny?’

He, reminded that his Soul held a passenger, deflected:

’Nothing... you think my plan worked?’

Understanding that, She played along:

’I’m sure. Your belongings are registered under Felix, while your prison sentence is written under Theodore Genus. If your family were notified, I doubt they’d be sending you to prison still, even if they have abandoned you as you claimed...’

Her voice turned quiet at the end.

’I’ve seen many go crazy after their Ascension, stress tearing through their pitiful minds. To the two in the Parish, I’m certain you won’t seem any different. You’ve played the role of insanity quite well.’

Ignotus raised a brow.

’Role? What role?’

She laughed, thinking it was a joke, and he didn’t correct her.

Sure, he was honestly playing the part, but that was still him, only exaggerated.

Eris would soon know that... he was sure.

’Very sure.’

Now, the prison wagon he was thrown in was a rickety old thing, creaking every time the wheels rolled over a pebble, smelling of vomit, piss, shit, and something burnt.

A perfect first-class ride.

Ignotus sat with his back straight against the wood, his arms resting on his knees.

His long legs were stretched out, forcing the burly, scarred man opposite him to tuck his own feet in.

The man didn’t complain. In fact, he looked anywhere but at Ignotus, obviously terrified of him.

Beside Ignotus, Felix was curled into a ball, clutching his knees to his chest.

He looked like he was trying to fold himself out of existence.

Every bump in the road made him whimper.

"Young Lord."

Felix’s voice trembled so hard it sounded like he was vibrating.

"Are we... are we going to die here?"

Ignotus chuckled, making the other prisoners flinch.

"Die? Here? By these kids?"

One prisoner, a brute with a tattoo of a skull on his forehead, accidentally made eye contact with Ignotus before immediately looking away, suddenly finding the grain of the wooden floor fascinating.

"No, Spoon. This is just a taxi."

The men here had built scarred bodies, with missing teeth and eyes.

These were the sort that would scare a farmer’s crops into growing faster.

And yet, every single one of them avoided even glancing in Ignotus’s direction.

Again, Ignotus, thin as he was, had height, even by this realm’s standards. So seeing him dressed in black, with an entirely relaxed posture, chuckling aimlessly every other minute?

He was bad news.

A noble’s brat gone rough, maybe?

But, yeah, no, they weren’t going to guess.

They were smart enough to know better than to poke the strange one.

Ignotus, without them realizing, gave them an approving nod.

’Good boys.’

A few of the men scratched at their beards as if they suddenly itched, though he didn’t seem to notice, his eyes locked on the Hierophant steering this wagon.

For the past many hours, and now, in the morning of a new day, noise came from only him, his cheeks red, though not because of Ignotus’s slap; yes, that was too weak to even make him flinch, but because of his anger.

Hierophants were no weaker than Priests, the Ninth Class, after all.

"You worm! You pest! I’ll see you scourged, drowned, burned—"

Ignotus covered both his ears, having had enough of his drivel.

"Blah blah blah, you’ve been saying the same two insults for the past hour. Change the record a little, yeah? Switch things up; maybe tell me about your wife. Do you love her? I bet not. You must have a mistress or something of the like. I know you’re that type of man."

The Hierophant’s face turned purple, barely stopping himself from accidentally killing the two poor horses pulling the wagon along.

"MISTRESS?! I SERVE THE DIVINE!"

"Oh, so your wife’s ugly?"

The other prisoners hid their laughs by coughing into their fists.

"Please stop... please stop provoking him..."

Felix looked horrified, burying his face in his hands.

"YOU—!"

The Hierophant’s grip nearly cut the leather held in his fist.

"QUIET BOY."

Ignotus yawned, leaning back fully, and muttered:

"Maaaaaan... when’s Calamity going to hit? I’m bored out of my mind!"

"What?"

Felix looked up, his eyes wide.

"Calamity? What are you talking ab—"

The Hierophant puffed up again, ready for another rant.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Only to let out a scream.