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Chapter 17: Revelations

With the light of a new day Makoto finally arrived at the gates of Shivercliff.

Immediately the guard on duty recognized the unconscious Mayor and ran together with a few others towards Makoto.

"You did it stranger! You saved the Mayor!"

Smiling faces could be seen all around him but Makoto did not feel like smiling.

"Bring everyone from the Village and tell them to assemble at the market place, there is something you all need to know."

He said with a tired voice and walked through the gates, leaving the stunned guards behind who then did as they were told.

Half an hour later every single one of the residents of Shivercliff had been woken up and stood in a big crowd around Makoto who was standing in the middle of the village, the Mayor still on his shoulder.

After making sure that the last of the guardsman had arrived, Makoto dropped the man from his shoulder and slapped him a few times to wake him up.

The crowd around him was horrified and started to protest but a glare from Makoto shut them up.

Slowly but surely the Mayor woke up and a confused expression was visible on his face as he was looking up to the surrounding townsfolk.

"Now that you are awake you human trash, we can start this whole thing."

Makoto said, his voice growing louder and grabbing the attention of everyone around.

"Alright listen up everybody! I will tell you this once and only once as I'm tired of dealing with this entire situation.

Your dear Mayor here was the one who kidnapped all the other villagers."

He casually said, dropping a bomb on all the surrounding people.

A few "I-impossible!", "You liar!" And "I don't believe it!" Could be heard all around him but he paid them no mind and continued.

"Now I know this seems hard to believe but he was one of the leaders of a strange cult that plagues this land, they sacrifice innocent lives to appease their deity, whoever the fuck that is."

"Who can tell us if you are actually telling the truth, outsider!?"

One of the guards said and many others beside him nodded at that.

"I can't but he can."

Makoto said and kicked the Mayor who was still lying on the ground.

All the eyes around them looked at the man and he immediately used this chance he was given.

"H-he is lying! You must believe me! This man is a mons-"

Before he could continue, Makoto shoved his foot into the Mayor's face, silencing him.

The surrounding people showed their displeasure at how Makoto handled the situation and a few guards grasped for their weapons.

"Alright, I see my words will not convince you so maybe logic will. One of the guards, go into the Mayor's house.

In his cellar you will find a tunnel that leads deep into the woods and to the Ritual site I just carried this lying sack of shit from.

If you find the tunnel, come back here and testify that I'm telling the truth, until then we shall wait, is that ok with all of you?"

Makoto asked and many reluctantly nodded.

If he didn't have such high Intimacy with the whole village because of the many tasks he did, Makoto probably would have found himself in jail already at his point.

One of the guards disappeared and returned after a few minutes during which Makoto still kept his foot inside the Mayor's mouth.

"The stranger speaks the truth, there is an incredibly long tunnel in the basement of the Mayor's house.

I have no idea where it could lead but that it exists in the first place is... suspicious."

The guard admitted and many people around him had a shocked expression.

"Alright, now that you all have a bit of doubt, search the Mayor and see if you can find any clues indicating that I am right about him.

Considering his whole house was left in a mess, my guess is that he took all the important evidence that could be used against him with him, am I right Mister human trash?"

Makoto asked the man beneath his foot with a big smile and a terrified expression was visible on the gagged Mayor's face.

Two guards went on their knees and searched the Mayor's pockets, clearly uncomfortable doing so but after only a few moments they found multiple pieces of paper, one of which was a list with all the names of the villagers on it and certain names had been crossed off it.

"What the hell is this?!

Ritual-list?

And every single person in the village is on it... unbelievable."

The evidence had been revealed and a few skeptic faces could be seen between the stunned expressions in the crowd.

"The stranger could have planted those papers inside the Mayor's pockets!"

Someone in the crowd said and Makoto laughed after hearing It.

"Very true but then we would have the problem with the tunnel that exists in the Mayor's house and you can't tell me that that is also my fault, I have been in this village for only a few days after all."

His words convinced a few more and in the end Makoto decided to play his final card.

"Naturally I can understand if you still don't believe me but let me ask the victims, the families that have lost someone dear to them one thing.

Whenever someone went missing, did they go anywhere particular, did they say they would meet someone? Please try to remember if you can."

Many faces in the crowd showed confusion until shortly after they all started to go pale and a woman broke down, crying her pain and anguish out after realizing the truth.

Finally, a middle aged man stepped forward and spoke.

"I think mine was the same situation like many others here. My son went to see the Mayor... just like he always did but this time he didn't come back... tell me stranger, what happened with them all?"

He looked at Makoto with a mixed expression, both hopeful and fearful at the same time.

Accompanied by a dark feeling, rage started coursing through his veins when Makoto spoke.

"When I found the Mayor he was surrounded by his fanatic believers together with a mountain of corpses... I'm sorry."

He said after seeing the horrified expression of the middle aged man and unable to look into his face anymore, Makoto looked towards the horizon where the morning sun started to show.

"I'm sorry I was too late..."

He whispered, more to himself than to the surrounding crowd as even more women and men around him broke down crying, some even going as far as screaming their pain out.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Captain of the guard approached Makoto, his face a twisted mask of fury.

"Thank you stranger, you might not have brought back our loved ones but you did bring back the criminal who took their lives. For that you have my gratitude."

Makoto could clearly see that the Captain of the guard had also lost someone dear to him so without even needing to be asked he just nodded and lifted his foot that had until now pinned down the Mayor.

Right away a pair of guards grabbed the man beneath his armpits and escorted the struggling and protesting trash away.

A little lost and dead tired, Makoto watched the crowd around him slowly dissipate until only a few others remained.

The papers that had been pulled from the Mayor's pocket were lying on the ground, discarded by the masses.

With a sudden interest, Makoto picked them up.

He found the list that one of the guards also had seen and a few other papers, describing how to correctly drain a corpse of its blood and similar things.

All in all it was pretty disturbing reading these fanatic scribbles and the disgust inside Makoto towards the Blood Moon Church only grew.

Finally reaching the last paper he was completely stunned after reading it and he couldn't help but go over it again and again to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him.

Ritual of the North!Our dear blood brother who governs over Shivercliff, we are in dire need to please the Blood God so our Cardinal has decided that it is your turn to show your devotion and love for our great cause.

May the blood run strong as we await your return to the headquarters of the Marine City. If everything goes as planned the Chapel will be ready for the final Ritual and the fulfillment of our eternal dream!

Stunned, Makoto stood there and stared at the piece of paper in his hands, right away a system message appeared before him.

End of a Cult! (Quest)You have found information about the secret headquarters of the Blood Moon Church, an evil cult that has brought death all over Asuria.

Find the Chapel and end the lives of everyone in it, officially destroying the tumor that plagues these lands.Rewards:UnknownDifficulty:EPenalties:If Quest is declined or failed, Chaos and destruction will be set free into these lands.Requirements:Chain Quest

This was actually the first time that Makoto had received a Quest with an added difficulty to it.

Some of the Quests he had done before had not been easy at all and only now it showed difficulty?

"Just what kind of Quest is this..."

He couldn't help but wonder while looking at the window floating before him.

It was not really a hard choice for him as Makoto detested those rituals from the bottom of his heart, without delaying any longer he accepted the Quest.

Still holding the piece of paper in his hands a few things that had been unclear before, fell into place.

"So that was how the Blood Moon Church issued that bounty. Because their headquarters are in Talis, whoever survived the Ritual that I stopped had to travel the same distance as me.

And whoever it was just had to inform someone or be near the gate.

After that I enter the town wearing the armor that is handed out and crafted exclusively from the Blood Moon Church, fit the overall description of appearance and on top of that the ring I got also displays my name... that explains a lot..."

Again the ring that Makoto only wore when hunting monsters was partially responsible for the misfortune that befell him...

He had a serious desire to just toss the thing from his Inventory but stopped himself in the end.

It had literally been bad luck that got him into this situation, but now because of these events he had the opportunity to stop an evil and insane cult so what more could he ask for?

Crumbling the paper in his hands into a ball, a dark smile appeared on Makoto's face.

.....

He decided to return to Boran, as the Quest 'The Blood Offering' he had accepted was still not complete even when he handed over the Mayor.

After entering the Inn he immediately noticed a change as the normally smiling Boran was slumped on a nearby chair with his face in his hands.

Hearing him enter, the man lifted his head and a visible trail of tears that flowed down his cheeks could be seen.

Distraught and lost, Boran looked into his eyes.

"Is it really true what you said? Are they all dead?"

The man's voice trembled while asking but his stare was like steel, unyielding.

With a frown and a slight nod, Makoto confirmed Boran's deepest fears and again new tears gushed forth.

"My daughter was one of his victims... I can't believe that anyone would do something like this..."

Unable to do anything else, Makoto listened to his words while looking at the broken man.

A father no more.

Just like before a cold and inhuman rage filled his very core and Makoto could feel his fingers twitch with the desire to break the neck of the one responsible.

Determined, he stepped forward and put a hand on the man's trembling shoulder.

"I will make them pay Boran, trust me."

His voice was as sinister as the silent promise he had just given.

Without looking back, Makoto turned and left the Inn.

It was time to put and end to things...

Quest complete!

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Chapter of todayyyyyyyy.

Hope you all enjoy and the final chapter of Volume 1 will be Chapter 19!

As always if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comment section.

Wish you all a great weekend and see you tomorrow :D