Haut’s Unorthodox Intervention

Jack sprang up, letting out a shriek, and drew his sword. Faust, who had been beside me, did the same. Nocturne, sensing the mood, subtly shifted his weight, making space. Watching them, I asked, “Why the swords?”

“We have to catch it, at least!” Jack exclaimed.

“Then go change your equipment first. That gear is too much for your current level,” I replied, unconcerned. “And offer a prayer before you go.”

“This isn’t the time to nitpick over details! People are dying!” he protested.

“Wouldn’t it be even more meaningless if you two died?”

At my words, Jack faltered, his gaze darting between the outside world and me. Silently, I retrieved a set of armor from my inventory for them to wear. It was the White Glory set, which they usually refused to wear in crowded places, claiming it was too embarrassing.

NPCs were running around in a frantic commotion. They screamed and chattered, shoving and fighting each other to descend into the shop’s basement, or else they scrambled upstairs.

‘Strange. Their reaction is far too extreme.’

The distance was considerably closing, yet why hadn’t the guards intervened? Jack and Faust, having fully changed into their armor, knelt and began to pray.

As Nocturne hadn’t yet received baptism, I simply handed him a health potion.

“Drink it if things get dicey, just in case,” I advised.

“Aren’t you going, Sir Haut?” he asked.

“Well, since they want to try catching it, I’ll send them. If that doesn’t work, I suppose I’ll step in.”

I gave Nocturne a casual reply and applied a series of buffs. I bestowed every possible enhancement: increased attack power, defense, health, speed, recovery rate, strength, and agility, among others.

‘Hmm, perhaps I overdid it?’

“What is this, exactly?” Nocturne asked, bewildered.

“Buffs. Oh, do you want to be baptized too? You’re not going to worship another god, are you?”

‘Should I just do it now? He probably wouldn’t know how to use it immediately, but I’d have to do it eventually anyway.’

“B-baptism? Now? Here?” he stammered.

“Then where else?”

Nocturne clenched and unclenched his hands, then stared at me. His expression was utterly unreadable, a face I hadn’t seen before. ‘Why is he reacting like this?’

“Sir Haut, didn’t you say you weren’t an apostle?”

“I’m a worshipper, though. Besides, Debora really likes me. And I only have eyes for our goddess,” I explained. “As you said, there are no apostles, so I’m the only one who can perform a baptism, aren’t I?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just… I’m not entirely sure myself, but I heard baptisms require a diocese or something similar. There’s nothing like that here, is there?”

“Why isn’t there? I’m here. Anyway, you’ll get baptized, right?”

“Y-yes, well… if I’m going to be an apostle anyway, it’s certainly good to get it…”

“Good, then.”

I retrieved a statue of Debora from my inventory, one I had carved previously. It was an ornate statue, crafted from black iron, combined with glass stone and obsidian. The larger version was back at the base.

‘Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever explained that to him. I’ll have to tell him when we get back.’

I took out a Shadow Coin and placed it before the statue. Rummaging for a suitable offering, I then produced five diamonds, each the size of a fist. ‘Wouldn’t anything less be an insult?’

“My heavens, is this… a diamond? And such a large one?” Nocturne gasped.

“As expected of a thief, you have a supernatural eye for gems. Those with lower appraisal skills often mistake them for mere crystals,” I said with a smirk.

“No, but why are they so enormous?”

“The even larger ones were used to create the video projection magic for the base’s ceiling, so they’re gone,” I clarified. “If I find another one later, I’ll give it to you. For now, extend your hand.”

Nocturne awkwardly extended his hand, which I promptly seized and pressed my lips to its back. A faint tremor ran through him. Immediately after, a faint, purplish mist began to rise from the spot I had kissed, enveloping Nocturne.

[ O Goddess, who is everywhere yet never present, known by all yet found by none. This foolish servant, who follows fortune, steps into your mystery and enigma. Grant your divine protection. ]

‘I don’t remember it very well. It’s just a prayer where matching keywords is enough, so it doesn’t matter. When I prayed for our Bebe, I made sure to be incredibly long and elaborate, addressing every single detail.’

I had even offered my entire Twilight Set as a tribute, which was my best equipment at the time. The Twilight Set was a sacred artifact, impossible to reacquire within the game. It was one of the most sought-after items, yet I had sacrificed it. I would have done anything for Bebe.

‘Looking back now, it all seems pointless. I only learned about the ring much later; should I have offered that too? Would our Bebe not have died then? I don’t know. It’s already in the past.’

With the brief prayer, the purplish mist glowed with a myriad of colors, enveloped Nocturne, and then vanished. As I released his hand, Nocturne examined his body with a bewildered expression.

“Debora doesn’t exactly respond consistently like they do, so you can’t expect a grand blessing,” I explained. “However, simply receiving baptism means Debora’s divine protection will be with you, slightly increasing your resistance and evasion against evil attributes.”

Additional effects include a high chance of a sudden surge in luck, encountering favorable events, or narrowly escaping danger. Unfortunately, it’s literally ‘luck,’ so it’s not guaranteed. But if the probability isn’t 0%, it feels like a fifty-fifty chance anyway, doesn’t it?

“I-I don’t know what this is, but isn’t it incredibly amazing?” Nocturne exclaimed.

“Well, it’s basic, isn’t it? This much,” I replied nonchalantly.

“When we were baptized, such phenomena… did not occur. This isn’t normal,” Faust interjected.

After a moment, as if his prayer had concluded, Faust looked at me with a peculiar expression. A beat later, Nocturne jumped up, exclaiming, “See! This guy always says everything is ‘normal’! Who in their right mind would call this ordinary?”

“More importantly, if you’re ready, shouldn’t you head out? I can see the demon over there.”

The NPCs who had been running around frantically had largely disappeared. There was almost nothing visible outside. A few remained, huddled in a corner of the shop, trembling and staring at us, but they showed no will to fight; they seemed to be ordinary NPCs.

‘Combat-capable NPCs usually rush out when a demon appears, but it seems there are none nearby.’

The demon was now close enough to be seen clearly through the window. It was approaching at a leisurely pace, indulging in a gruesome feast: seizing a screaming NPC, tearing off its head, devouring it, and then discarding the body.

Jack and Faust rushed out. I tapped the now-empty spot beside me.

“You can see better here. Watch from this spot,” I told Nocturne.

“W-what exactly is that?” he asked, aghast.

“Ah. Is this your first time seeing one? That’s a ‘Nameless Demon’,” I replied. “They’re so weak they don’t even get a name.”

The one that appeared this time had something resembling a fox tail attached to its rear. It looked like black sludge melting, but touching it wouldn’t actually make one melt. Getting its bodily fluids on you would be annoying to clean, but since the kids were so weak, at least their equipment needed to be good.

Nocturne moved to the spot I had tapped, then grimaced at the demon through the window.

“…That’s the weakest one?” he asked incredulously.

“The ‘Twisted Pilgod’ I showed you recently could crush that thing with a single finger.”

It’s fine for me since I can catch them as easily as breathing, but for them, it’s clearly too much. Considering I’ve leveled up at least seven times that I can recall, and their ‘sprout’ status hasn’t dropped, my hypothesis might be correct.

They must have genuinely been Level 1. Faust’s level increased one less than Jack and Nocturne’s, so perhaps Faust was originally around Level 3. Jack and Nocturne, like other NPCs, likely started at the absolute bottom, Level 1. I can’t be certain since I haven’t calculated it precisely.

Jack and Faust, having burst out of the shop, blocked the demon’s path. Meanwhile, the pursuing guards began to fire arrows from behind.

‘Why are they doing that now?’ I mused.

“Uh… is something wrong?” Nocturne inquired.

“They’re firing arrows directly at the demon while the kids are blocking it. That’s strange,” I pointed out. “They’re not even charging in with their swords.”

The kids are trying to block it, yet the guards are shooting arrows that might hit them too. That’s more of a hindrance. Look now: Jack and Faust, startled by the incoming arrows, couldn’t attack the demon and instead retreated.

The demon, unfazed by the arrows, continued to shriek and rampage. It wasn’t targeting Jack and Faust, who were amply protected by blessings, but rather slaughtering the humans loitering nearby. Several guards who had been firing arrows were struck by the demon, their heads falling cleanly from their necks.

“Excuse me, Sir Haut. Didn’t you say you catch demons for the sake of humans?” Nocturne asked hesitantly.

“That’s right, for now, anyway,” I confirmed.

“C-can those people be killed?”

“Of course not. This isn’t going as I expected. They should have caught it much sooner…”

This is truly strange. The guards, after firing a few arrows, began to flee one by one. They’re supposed to protect the city. Why are they running? They should be catching the demon. They fled over rooftops, beyond walls, and even by dragging out hidden NPCs and throwing them as distractions. ‘What kind of people are these?’

‘This won’t do. Everyone’s going to die.’ Jack and Faust were barely holding on thanks to their equipment, but at this rate, they wouldn’t catch it before sunset. I rose from my seat and, piece by piece, removed my remaining pants and shoes.

“Oh, why are you taking off your clothes?” Nocturne asked, confused.

“Because it reduces durability, and it’s a waste,” I explained.

“Wh-wha-whaaaat?!”

I casually stowed them in my inventory and drew my familiar Rusty Fork. ‘It’s been so long since I’ve had a reason to use this; it feels quite nostalgic.’

As I moved to leave the shop, Nocturne scurried after me and stopped me.

“B-but Sir Haut, you had so many cool sets of armor! If you just wore one of them…” he pleaded.

“Demon blood is incredibly difficult to wash off, you see. I only made them wear armor because their stats are so low; I don’t need it.”

“And what’s with the fork in your hand?! At least take a poker with you!” he cried.

“Ugh, you’re annoying. Your defense is weak, so don’t interfere.”

Since he kept grabbing me, I lifted Nocturne and hung him on a torch stand in front of the shop. He struggled belatedly, but merely dangled, kicking his feet in the air, without falling to the ground.

I walked leisurely, even waving my hand at the demon.

“Hello, friend! Is this your first time meeting a demon hunter?” I called out.

‘I know it’s silly, but please don’t criticize me too much; it’s a rare chance to roleplay.’

As if hearing my voice, Jack and Faust turned their heads towards me. ‘Those idiots, getting distracted during combat is dangerous.’

But even stranger, the demon froze the moment it saw me. It rolled its rotting eyeballs, then slowly began to back away.

‘Why is that one acting like that now?’

I glanced behind me, but I was the only one on the street. ‘I have no idea why it’s behaving like this.’