In the western continent, between the Kingdom of Yustil in the north and the Kingdom of Tarum in the northwest, lies the city of Trist, within the USeven Kingdoms Alliance.
This city has no fixed ruler.
It's just teeming with those who wish to become one.
Originally, Trist City was a kind of buffer zone established by Yustil and Tarum.
Exhausted from long territorial disputes, the two nations each put forth a member of their noble branches to be wed, establishing the Trist County and designating it as a neutral area.
The problem was that the geographic location of Trist County, situated along a river, meant that it had significant trading rights.
It was such a crucial location that the two countries had even gone to war to claim it.
Given that money and people naturally flocked to the area, considerable ability and skill were required to manage it properly.
However, Trist County lacked that kind of capability. After all, it was a puppet family established from the start, so it was inevitable.
Moreover, neither the Kingdom of Yustil nor the Kingdom of Tarum could intervene. Both nations were too wary of each other to interfere recklessly.
With a nominal ruler in place, various factions began to vie for control of the trade rights, and it was only a matter of time before the city descended into chaos.
Criminals and smugglers ran rampant, and bloodshed became a daily occurrence. Now, decades later, people no longer referred to this place as the County of Trist. The City of Sin, Hell on Earth, the Paradise of Outlaws.
These were the phrases that now described Trist City.
***
"Until recently, Trist City was divided between two families."
Continuing the explanation, Alius spoke.
"The Lanfelt family and the Pulad family."
Both families originated from lowly backgrounds, starting out as organizations involved in smuggling and prostitution.
However, as their power grew, they began to claim themselves as the true heirs of Trist County, engaging in a power struggle.
"It's not entirely a lie. Both families do have the blood of Trist County flowing through them."
Both sides had taken in the descendants of the fallen County of Trist into their families, securing the legitimacy of their bloodline.
Of course, neither the Kingdom of Yustil nor the Kingdom of Tarum recognized this.
For the two kingdoms, the bloodline of a count without tradition meant little. What mattered was who could effectively manage Trist City.
It didn't matter who, as long as they could firmly control the city. Then, they would be recognized as the count.
Though it wasn't openly stated, this was the proposition of both the Kingdom of Yustil and the Kingdom of Tarum.
Thanks to this, the Lanfelt and Pulad families had continued their deadly feud for decades.
"Both sides were so evenly matched that the balance didn't easily collapse."
Alius's voice lowered.
"...However, recently, that balance of power has been broken."
It was due to the rampant spread of the Darkness of Doom.
A lawless area like Trist City was the perfect place for necromancers to operate in secret.
Naturally, all sorts of necromancers flocked to Trist City to avoid pursuit. And inevitably, they clashed with the existing powers that controlled the city.
The Pulad family was the one primarily involved in these clashes.
Necromancers mainly targeted human lives to use as sacrifices. The Lanfelt family, which focused on smuggling, had little reason to come into conflict with them.
On the other hand, the Pulad family, involved in prostitution and the slave trade, found their domains overlapping with those of the necromancers.
"So, the Pulad family was the one that primarily dealt with the necromancers."
The problem was that, during this process, a significant number of necromancers were recruited into the family.
"Even the unforgivable power of necromancy seemed quite attractive to them."
Surprisingly, the necromancers readily accepted the recruitment offers.
No matter how much they claimed to serve a lord of darkness, they were originally just third-rate people living miserable lives. Once they were offered money, women, and pleasures, they quickly succumbed.
"They were insignificant people who just happened to acquire power by chance, so it's only natural."
Alius continued his explanation, revealing his blatant contempt.
"With the power of necromancy, the Pulad family broke the stalemate. They fiercely attacked the Lanfelt family and began to seize full control of Trist City."
"I see."
Serati, who had been listening, nodded and asked,
"Then, the Pulad family currently controls Trist City?"
She assumed they had gathered to punish the Pulad family.
However, Alius shook his head.
"No, the victorious side was the Lanfelt family."
"What?"
He smirked at the bewildered Serati.
"They say a long tail will eventually be stepped on."
The Lanfelt family, while being driven back, discovered traces of necromancy in their enemy and informed the Hatoba Church, with whom they had long-standing ties.
Once the existence of necromancy was confirmed, the Church of the Earth immediately took action. The Lanfelt family, unusually, cooperated fully.
With local cooperation, the church aggressively pursued the Pulad family.
"In the end, the long feud ended with the victory of the Lanfelt family. All those associated with necromancy were executed, and the Pulad family was left in ruins, barely maintaining their lineage."
Unable to comprehend, Riltein asked.
"Then, why did you summon us? Isn't the situation already over?"
"Haa, well, that's the thing...."
Alius let out a deep sigh.
"There are suspicions that the Lanfelt family, which took control of Trist City, is also employing necromancers."
***
Whether it's the Lanfelt family or the Pulad family, both are criminal organizations.
They're all the same, so how could one side act morally or righteously?
The Lanfelt family, just as much as the Pulad family, had been actively recruiting necromancers.
The difference was that, unlike the Pulad family, who were intoxicated by the power of necromancy, the Lanfelt family had been working hard to keep their existence hidden.
This was the reason why the Lanfelt family had been initially pushed back.
"In hindsight, this might have been their strategy from the beginning. They probably intended to borrow the power of the Churches of the Seven Goddesses to deal with their opponents decisively while maintaining their own power."
The mage Riltein, astounded, asked,
"So, even though they were also employing necromancers, they accused their rivals of being necromancers? And the priests of the Church didn't realize this?"
"There's a problem with identifying friend from foe when necromancers who possess the Darkness of Doom fight each other. The Church only discovered this recently."
When necromancy is used, it leaves clear traces in the surrounding area. This is one of the primary methods the Churches of the Seven Goddesses uses to track down necromancers.
"But when both sides used necromancy, only the same traces of the Darkness of Doom were left behind. So, even when the victorious side accused the other of being necromancers, the Church didn't find it suspicious."
"Their brazenness in defying the Goddess is truly unforgivable. Ha ha...."
It was at that moment, while Riltein was letting out a bitter laugh, that Serati, who had been listening quietly, suddenly looked to the side with curiosity.
"Why are you sweating so much, Sir Boras?"
"Pardon? Oh, no, it's just that I'm a bit warm."
"Warm? It's actually quite chilly today."
"I, uh, tend to run hot...."
"...?"
Clearly, he had something to hide, as his expression betrayed him. Desperately making excuses, Boras anxiously glanced at Karnak.
'Is the young master managing his expression well?'
Karnak didn't even flinch.
He didn't move a muscle. Anyone could see that he was completely innocent, with no connection to the matter at hand.
In fact, he even clicked his tongue in disapproval along with the others.
"That's why they say necromancers are people you just can't associate with. It's dangerous to consider them as fellow humans."
Boras was deeply impressed.
'Wow, look at that shameless man!'
As expected, the acting skills of someone who had lived with a face of iron for over a hundred years were not ordinary.
With nothing but a look of disgust, Karnak continued speaking.
"So, this is the current situation."
On the surface, the Lanfelt family had borrowed the power of the Churches of the Seven Goddesses, while secretly employing necromancers to turn the tide. In doing so, they had become the undisputed rulers of Trist City.
"In that case, we can't openly investigate the Lanfelt family on the grounds of necromancy. It would damage the reputation of the Hatoba Church, which has already deemed them innocent."
"Exactly. That's why I gathered you all."
If they wanted to avoid escalating the situation, it was better to move a small group of elites rather than deploy a large force.
"The higher-ups believe that since it's the Hatoba Church's mistake, we must handle it ourselves. It's not just about saving face; the church's trust is at stake."
Everyone's expressions turned serious at Alius's words.
The reason why saving face is so important in human affairs is because losing it comes with tangible losses.
Damaged reputation means damaged trust, and losing trust makes it harder to gain cooperation. Without cooperation, capturing necromancers becomes more difficult, leading to more innocent victims in the process.
"Excessive pride can be poisonous, but maintaining the necessary amount of face is crucial. I understand the situation."
Serati, having grasped the situation, inquired about their next steps.
"So, when do we depart?"
"We plan to move out first thing tomorrow morning."
"You're moving quickly? Well, you did summon us rather urgently today."
"There's a reason for that."
Alius began to explain the circumstances.
"In fact, this isn't the first attempt to investigate the Lanfelt family."
The Hatoba Church had already tried several times to infiltrate the Lanfelt family. And each time, the teams had disappeared without a trace.
"At some point, all contact with them was completely lost. It was as if they had vanished into thin air."
The victims weren't inexperienced novices. They were skilled darkness hunters and seasoned adventurers.
Erasing such individuals without leaving any trace, no matter how much the Lanfelt family had taken control of a city, was not an easy feat.
Karnak pointed this out.
"Our information is leaking, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Alius lowered his voice, as if embarrassed.
"One of the main suspects within the current Lanfelt family is, unfortunately, connected to our church."
The person under suspicion was Bishop Shutraff, the head of the Trist diocese.
He was a high-ranking cleric within the Hatoba Church, and had played a leading role in helping the Lanfelt family drive out the Pulad family.
"We realized this too late, but we couldn't afford to make it public. It would mean admitting that a cleric of the Hatoba Church was colluding with necromancers."
Therefore, this operation was entirely Alius's own initiative. He hadn't even informed his superior, the bishop of Derat City.
"Fortunately, as a First-tier Inquisitor, I have enough authority to act on this. I won't face reprimand as long as I submit a report afterward."
His plan was as follows:
Publicly, Alius, Karnak's party, Riltein, and Serati would move separately. Each would pretend to be searching for necromancers in the surrounding areas, as they normally did.
These days, rumors about necromancy were rampant across the continent, so such activities wouldn't raise any suspicions.
"And then we'll rendezvous, conceal our identities, and head to Trist City. Once inside, we'll track down the Lanfelt family's trail."
Serati's expression hardened.
"That sounds dangerous."
Not only Serati, but everyone present was undoubtedly an expert in dealing with necromancers. They had already proven their skills by cooperating with Alius.
However, this time, the enemy wasn't just necromancers.
They were up against a vast power that had ruled a city for nearly several decades.
"Doesn't that mean the entire city could become our enemy?"
"That's exactly why I called you all."
The objective wasn't to punish the Lanfelt family.
The goal was to find "evidence" to punish the Lanfelt family.
Alius looked around the room with a trusting gaze.
"If it's you, I'm confident you can at least get out safely, even in the worst-case scenario."
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