Chương 308: Meeting A Lunatic In The Woods

'... What did Hilene just do…?' Binibelle had never inquired too deeply into what the swordswoman was capable of. She knew that people who made a living out of their combat capabilities didn't like to give the details of their skills and abilities, but the halfling really wished that she could ask right now, as her brilliant blade hadn't simply destroyed the enemy with ease, but it had seemingly cleansed the souls possessing the metal frame as well.

It hadn't just been the case for the soul controlling the head, but it had been the only one to remain somewhat conscious after the fact. Which is why, despite being ghosts, the souls controlling the automatons seemed defeated after their vessel was destroyed. The blade strikes had reached them in some way, and the effect had been immediate.

Knowing that Hilene probably wouldn't be willing to give a clear explanation to something that was probably a move she preferred to keep hidden–Binibelle instead focused on the liberated soul's last word. It had unfortunately not said anything interesting about Mara Nebulo, but it had had strange things to say about Jupo in particular. Binibelle knew much about her disciple, so she was well aware that this could only have been a single person…

She rubbed her chin for a few moments, but eventually decided not to tell Jupo about this. It might be good news that the soul was now free of torment, but it was far from good that it had been tortured by Mara for so long, and it was also horrific what had happened to the soul. It hadn't faded away as a soul should. It had melted… The soul hadn't reached any afterlife. It was just gone.

At best, the person this soul used to belong to is now lost in Oblivion for eternity, and at worst, the person's existence and essence have simply been erased. This is absolutely a fate worse than death. The person hadn't just been killed, they had been defiled for a very long time, warped and made into a servant to the one who had murdered them, and then, after all of this… They wouldn't even get to rest. The halfling sighed. Indeed, it was best to keep this to herself.

They gathered the remains of the formerly possessed automatons and hurried to find a healer for Jupo's arm. The steel monster had bitten down with much force… Jupo's arm was still attached only because he kept a layer of reinforcement on his body at all times, and also because he had reacted immediately to the bite and further reinforced his arm.

Nonetheless, his mana augmentation had still been no match for the powerful jaw of the creature, which had been infused with dire amounts of nature energy due to its reckless usage of it to close the distance, giving its bite an energy-piercing effect. This resulted in Jupo's left arm being mangled and very obviously bent at a wrong angle, not to mention all the blood he was pouring.

The group did their best to patch him up, but none of them was a competent healer–Whether it was dumb luck on their end, or if they should be worried was unclear, but they couldn't begin ascending out of the ravine that a healer simply fell from the sky… He actually fell from the edge of the ravine, but from their perspective, that's how it appeared.

"I see that your left arm must be quite attractive as a snack, Jupo" The young mage lifted his head to see a familiar face. A man who looked to be around the same age gracefully floated down in what could only be an intentionally grand entrance. The new arrival's blond hair swayed slightly in his descent, and his green eyes seemed to shine with holy energy. With just a glance, his black robes, accompanied by feathers covering his shoulders, made it clear that he was a cleric of the Divine Feather.

Jupo smiled slightly, which made it clear for those who didn't recognise the man, that he wasn't a threat despite his sense of timing that was highly suspicious.

"The feathers are… New, aren't they? I thought you were a cleric without affiliations…"

"I used to be, my friend, but wouldn't you know, the Divine Feather has actually started to do things, and it gave me the opportunity to properly join their ranks as a wandering cleric. I have never looked more dashing, and look at this-" The cleric–For unclear reasons–Flexed his arms, which did show some developed muscles as they managed to push a bit against his long sleeves.

"Who the hell are you?" Hilene was the one to break the odd conversation taking place between the odd cleric and Jupo, who was currently bleeding quite severely in spite of the bandages. The man of faith gave a graceful bow.

"My apologies for the lack of introduction… I am Maarkus, a reputable cleric, healer, and exorcist. I didn't expect people to come to Louwoods. I thought I had managed to get all of the quests and extermination requests taken off concerning this creature… But seeing that Miss Binibelle is here, I can only assume that this isn't about the money""The money would still be welcome, though…" Hortus murmured to himself, but everyone heard him.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Ahah, you just need to wait a bit, the quests and such will return, and you can show the proof of your kill then, but anyway! I couldn't help but notice that Jupo was bleeding to death""I am glad you noticed, Maarkus…"

"What can I say? My healing senses were able to notice the very subtle blood dropping from your arms constantly""Is it really the moment to be joking?" Gontra growled. Maarkus raised his hands, and with a mere flick of his wrists, all the bandages unravelled, the arm was bent right back into shape, and the bleeding wounds closed, leaving only a perfectly healthy, spotless arm.

"Holy crap, when did you get this good?!" Maarkus laughed before responding.

"That's the sort of level you can achieve through sheer frustration, hopelessness, and a strong desire to headbutt walls until you lose consciousness, my friend! Aah… Love truly is harsh, isn't it?" Jupo's smile turned crooked.

"Don't tell me that…"

"I am afraid it is the case, Jupo. I did my best to push people away from this area in hopes of studying the creature and finding a way back to its source, but alas… It was fated to fail from the start""Huuh… Would you guys mind if I spoke with him in private for a few moments?" It didn't take long before Jupo and Maarkus were by themselves.

"You can not be serious. How are you still in love with her?!"

"The physician of the mind I spoke to said that I was possibly troubled with a disorder of obsessiveness, or that I had a severe case of hopeless romanticism… He didn't offer any way to cure me, though, so… Here I am""That's ridiculous. Have you tried talking to other women, at least?"

"These days, there are a bunch of Divine Feather priestesses fawning over me, but… I simply have been unable to care about this""Are you sure you aren't cursed?"

"Mister Bombidour said that I am fine in this regard""By the gods…"

"It is alright, Jupo. Some people are cursed, some people are born with defects, and I am stuck with a love that will never be requited""You mean a love for a mass murderer, psychotic woman who has turned into a monster and has unleashed a deadly plague-like curse onto the continent without a care in the world?"

"There's also this part, yes… But to me, the worst part is that she will never love me back""This is insanity, Maarkus. Didn't you try to bring her down once?"

"Yes, inside of this very forest, too! But the result was that it reignited my love for her. You win some, you lose some, heh?" The young mage sighed deeply. It was easy to forget since Maarkus looked so youthful, but he was around the same age as Mara Nebulo. He had been alive for a while now, and it seemed like the only times he hadn't been madly in love with this woman were before meeting her for the first time, and for a certain period whilst everyone believed that she was gone and dead…

Even then, it had probably just been resignation that he would never see her again that had poured water on his inner flames. No matter what she did or was, it seemed like his love was immortal. Which was incomprehensible to Jupo. Maarkus was smart enough to know that it didn't make sense for him to be so obsessed with such an awful person, but whenever he attempted to use logic and reason to pull himself out of this affection he held, images from before she vanished without a trace would flash inside of his mind.

At one point, he had to admit defeat and just see to the natural conclusion of this feeling he could not get rid of, no matter what. He could ignore it and live his life, but he didn't see that point when Mara's shadow wasn't just looming over his heart, but over the entire continent. He couldn't avoid hearing about her. Therefore, he would never be able to push this love into a corner of his mind. Thus, the only logical conclusion was to find her and probably die as a result.

An unattractive ending, but it was all he could think of at this point. If this love was going to haunt him, then it might as well kill him, too. He didn't even hold a shred of belief that she could reciprocate. He had chased her for a long time before she vanished, so he knew her very well. He had known her from when she was still a tomboy who could barely reach doorknobs. As such, Maarkus was well aware that he didn't stand a chance. It was fine, though. It was painful, but it was fine.

The exorcist shrugged and sighed.

"The Divine Feather is standing ready to deal with Mara if the need arises""The need? Why not deal with her right now if they have something they think can do the job" Maarkus raised his index finger and swung it from side to side, chuckling lightly.

"I don't mean the Divine Feather as in the church, Jupo… I mean THE Divine Feather, our deity""... I thought it was incredibly difficult for gods to access this plane?"

"It is, because of some orange fire or something, but… The Divine Feather left a vessel on our plane. Due to the restrictions on divine beings, it can only intervene in a very physical manner. As such, the Divine Feather will only show itself in its glorious form if Mara reveals herself in a destructive form… It is preparing for her to reveal herself as a walking calamity" Maarkus racked his brain for a few moments, but eventually shrugged.

"You know, a calamity, as in that huge dragon whose teeth are now an island the size of several countries off into the ocean?"

"I mean… I don't think she really has that sort of capability, wouldn't she have done something already, if so?"

"Come on, Jupo. Do you really think she would do this if she could? She's too smart for this, and besides, even if she's willing to flatten entire nations' worth of people, it doesn't mean that she really wants to. She certainly prefers to be cosy and do things quietly… Besides, she has the Nightmare Plague, does she not? What's the point of turning into a giant monster when you can stay at home and achieve the same result?"

"Right… I suppose I won't be able to dissuade you from trying to woo her until she rips you in half?"

"It is simply impossible to discourage me""Then, just come with us, will you? We're on her trail anyway, and we could use your expertise, just… Try not to speak too much of how much you love Mara, alright? She made one of us disappear, and Gontra will probably get a bit mad if you praise the one responsible too much""Do not fret, I am an expert at speaking of Mara without mentioning her name or giving clear details"