Regardless of what she would be in the future, it is undeniable that at this moment, she did not desire to be a knight of Cainhurst. After all, she did not even knew what that meant. She answered the 'correct' answer. She simply shook her head as she raised her hands slightly.
"No, thou may hath the wrong idea, my dear Hunter. I holds no desire to be a knight of Cainhurst. In fact, I do not even hold knowledge on what that is.", she reassured the hunter.
"You don't know what a knight of Cainhurst is? Then why are you seeking the Castle of Cainhurst? How are you even holding up a conversation about Cainhurst in the first place?"
"I do know that they offer their services to the Vilebloods. I know the term, my dear Alfred. I am just hold no other knowledge besides the name."
"Ah... I see. Rest assure, for it is not uncommon to only hear of the names and nothing more. Names only are useless, don't you think? Personally, I find it rather lacklustre to know the name and nothing more."
She disagreed with this statement but she let the man go on without interrupting. It was of no use to argue over the use of names. She simply wanted to know about the Vilebloods.
"To begin, we must start with Brygenwerth. Brygenwerth is the beginning of many things and that includes the Vilebloods. When people think of Brygenwerth, they usually think of the Healing Church.
The scholars of Brygenwerth were cowards. They hide their researches away from humanity and feared the Old Blood! Can you believe it? The blood they so feared is what most assumed to be the next step of humanity and yet they hid it away like it was poison!
And so, Master Laurence broke off with Willem and went on to form the Healing Church in order to aid humanity. It is thanks to him that you and I can yet lives. The Blood treated the various diseases the were rampant before. Almost anything could be cured by the blood.
Oh! Praise the good blood!"
Alfred started his rant in a matter that reminded her of a cultist. But she merely kept her head down as if she too was 'praising the good blood'. Not quite sane by the looks of it. An uncomfortable shudder passes through her as she is currently watching this man slowly descend into madness.
She did not do anything about it. He was already so deeply ingrained that it has become his very nature. Even if she removed every trace of the 'old blood' the was soaking onto his bones and seeping into his veins, his ... devotion would remain. Furthermore, she was certain that the act would be considered a hostile act by the hunter who was slowly losing his reason.
"But Master Laurence wasn't the only traitor you see. There is another. I do not know the traitor's accursed name but unlike the acts of Master Laurence, his acts only brought upon disaster.
I will impart upon you a bit of wisdom, from the eminent Master Logarius. Once a scholar betrayed his fellows at Byrgenwerth and brought forbidden blood back with him to Cainhurst Castle. It was there that the first of the inhuman Vilebloods was born, the Vilebloods are fiendish creatures who threaten the purity of the Church's blood healing. The ruler of the Vilebloods is still alive today... and so, to honour my master's wishes... I search for the path to Cainhurst Castle."
Ugh, racist much?
She could not judge his words on whether they were absolutely true. This man has proved in every bit of conversation that he was biased in every possible way. Who was he to decide whether blood healing is pure or not.
And again, who was she to decide whether Alfred was biased or not. She could not judge for she did not know the entire picture. The only thing she was certain was that Cainhurst and the Church were no allies.
They were to only two institutes with different versions of the old blood from beneath the tomb of the gods. With the way the people, alongside the church behaved, it is bound to be a very hostile relationship.
"Why would Logarius leave the ruler of the Vilebloods alive? Surely, he would leave the ruler alive. After all, he seemed to be a very strong minded executioner.", she asked.
"In his time Master Logarius led his Executioners into Cainhurst Castle to cleanse it of the Vilebloods, but all did not go well. And Master Logarius became a blessed anchor, guarding us from evil. Tragic, tragic times... That Master Logarius should be abandoned in the accursed domain of the Vilebloods. I must free him, so that he may be properly honoured in martyrdom."
A student obsessed with his master. It was clear where his hate for the Vilebloods came from. It reminded her of Wanda in some way. But, these are clearly two different circumstances. This 'ruler' of the Vilebloods may be able to evade the arms of death.
And so, this Master Logarius has turned himself into an anchor to seal off Cainhurst. A sound strategy indeed. Not bad if it weren't for the fact that he can't do it forever. He was a hunter. Not a deity or some other being meant to live till the end of time.
"One last question, my dear Alfred. It has nothing to with the Vilebloods but I am a little curious about Old Yharnam. Could thou enlighten on the affairs of the old city?"
"Old Yharnam? That is easy. Long ago, Old Yharnam was overrun by the plague of beasts, and left to rot and decay. It was blocked off for good, and now the only voices heard there are the howls of beasts.
One of the Holy Chalices that unlocks the tomb of the gods is said to be there. The church is determined to obtain this Old Yharnam chalice... But we've yet to hear word of any success. Perhaps they're facing some difficulties?"
A Holy Chalice to unlock the tomb of the gods? She should have kept quiet. Now, it seems that there are many more things to do.
She still had a few more questions but she felt an intrusion into her soul. She did not know what it was but it was an object she could manifest into the physical world. Finally, a 'quest' she was supposed to do for the trial.
"Ah, is that so? I am grateful for the information. I bid thee farewell.", she bowed as Alfred returned to praying without saying anything.
It was a bit weird how he did not behave like a real person but more like a non-living being meant to act like a living being. She was well aware how weird her exit to the conversation was but since this was just a dream, she let it go.
Or perhaps she was simply overthinking again and Alfred, the Hunter of Vilebloods, simply was far from normal. She may have been talking to a mad man without even realizing. Although it was not her first time talking to another man going mad, talking with Alfred felt different.
She walked outside the cathedral and stopped at a random corner of the road. She took out the 'quest' that had intruded into her soul and took a look at it. She did not went home for she did not knew what that was without checking it.
It was a letter. And it was addressed to her. She opened it and found it to be a summons. The letter was summoning her to Cainhurst. Ah, so that was why the letter only popped up after talking to Alfred. It was to ensure she knew information about Cainhurst.
Yharnam had many problems and many more quests she can possibly see herself doing but for this 'trial', she believed Cainhurst to be the final answer. There might not even be a fight. It could be just a talk too. She was right in thinking Lady Maria had something to do with this dream.
It was guiding her to an obelisk monument near a place called Hemwick Charnel Lane. It seems her journey to this dream held one main purpose or 'quest' as the Ashen One like to call it. He called such things the main quest. However, she recalled him getting sidetracked so often. Starting one quest after another and doing those so called 'side-quests' before returning to his original purpose.
She wondered whether she should follow his ideas. Normally, she might do so, but now she needed to get over with this as fast as possible. Although, the fact stands that she might miss some vital information, she was pretty sure, she could return here anytime. It has been this way since she arrived. She realized it due to her 'children'. Although she did not explicitly birthed them, they were still connected to here in some way. They were more like anchors that allow her to return here anytime she wished to.
She quickly made her way back home. She would leave soon after speaking with her children. Or her anchors to this dream. A simple matter. Although there was a faint feeling her children would protest, she would not bring them along to her 'quest'. After all, there was no telling what might happen.
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This is Chapter 149.
Sorry for being gone for such a long time.
I will try to upload regularly again.