The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed

"Have you heard the latest rumors?"

On a morning so clear the sky seemed almost transparent, the nuns chatted idly while preparing meals for the children.

"What rumor?"

"Apparently, there's a new cult called the Death God Sect in the east."

"Oh my, the Death God Sect? Just the name sounds sinister. Is it a heretical cult?"

"It seems so. They worship a Death God or something."

Recent disturbing rumors had surfaced—followers of a Death God claimed miraculous cures: incurable diseases healed, lost sight restored, even the dead brought back to life. If one were to believe the rumors, this deity seemed omnipotent.

However, these tales, likely embellished and fabricated, found few believers in the Holy Kingdom of Kassilon. No fool there would credit such monstrous tales.

"People are so foolish."

"Foolish indeed. The Mother Superior would have us praying all day as penance for such talk."

"Mother Superior would likely agree with us. Knowing her, she'd be furious, demanding the root of this heresy be exterminated immediately."

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

The nuns giggled among themselves.

"But why is this Death God suddenly so popular? There was something else related to it, wasn't there?"

"The Slave of the Death God?"

"Yes, that's it! The Slave of the Death God!"

Elise's ears perked up at the familiar nickname.

"Recently appeared in Haarlem. Bought a nun from the black market, did you hear about that?"

"What? Someone dared to buy a nun as a slave? Are they out of their mind?"

"Keep it down. Someone might hear."

"Sorry, sorry~"

The nun playfully covered her mouth, continuing the conversation in a hushed tone.

"But they say he paid three thousand gold coins for a nun."

"Three thousand? Not in some fairytale, actual gold coins?"

"That's right. Must be planning some dirty deeds."

"It's the end times, truly. Such a person ought to be caught and dismembered."

"The paladins are already investigating the area. If they find him, they'll drag him back here."

"I'd like to see the face of such a man."

Listening in, Elise's motions paused.

She hadn't expected to become the subject of gossip.

On the surface, most of it was true.

Except that the Slave of the Death God had paid three thousand gold for a nun.

'He didn't even pay a hundred gold, let alone three thousand.'

A hundred gold—practically given away for nothing.

Even now, the thought still irritated her.

'A Death God Sect...'

This was the first Elise had heard of such a cult.

And the fact that it shared a name with her master, known as the Slave of the Death God, was troubling.

Coincidence? Or was Karami somehow connected to this Death God Sect?

Questions about him only multiplied.

'Should I ask him?'

He had told her she could come to him anytime.

That night, without hesitation, Elise sought out Karami for two consecutive nights, sharing what she had heard at the convent.

"Ah. That sect's leader is supposedly me."

"?!"

"It just turned out that way."

***

Cult System.

It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

No one knew why or how it had appeared, or who was behind it.

It wasn't necessary for the progression, and mostly ignored to avoid messing things up.

Now that it came up, Elise checked the cult system.

[Cult Name]: Death God Sect [Leader]: Karami [Followers]: 7,217

From an initial count of around 2,000 followers when the system first appeared, it had ballooned to over 7,000. With the increase, various new features had also been added.

Gained through the prayers of followers.

[Cult Skills] [Increased Vitality]: Minimally increases the vitality of followers.

[???]: Unlocks when follower count reaches 10,000.

What had started as a few inconspicuous skills and an item shop had expanded into a full game-like status screen.

Who in the world was using his name to run a cult? He was curious to see their face.

Thousands were following the Death God, yet the Order of Balance and Harmony couldn't ignore it. One wrong step and he could be marked as a heretic leader.

"Just so you know, don't think about snitching on me. I won't go down alone."

Silence.

Elise zippered her mouth shut. It seemed she had been considering turning him over to the knights.

Elise's training wasn't complete yet.

"Shall we go for a walk on all fours wearing just our underwear? Since you're a vampire, we should probably use a leash to keep you from flying away."

"I'm sorry."

"Shall we behave properly then?"

"Yes."

Occasionally, it was necessary to assert authority.

Never knowing when she might be betrayed.

Despite these considerations, Elise found herself lost in thought.

"What are you pondering so intently?"

"Nothing important."

"Perhaps a naked stroll would be better?"

"I was thinking of ways to spread the greatness of the master."

It was ultimately a futile thought.

How many days had she been with him to think of broadcasting his greatness to the world? They weren't yet at such a stage.

Surely it was for her own purposes.

It was all too apparent.

Yet he must respond, as this was the first sign of initiative Elise had shown.

"What is your plan?"

"The Order preaches balance and order, but if you delve deeper, no group is more duplicitous. We could expose their ugliness and fill the void with the master's sect."

Elise spoke rapidly, her voice unusually filled with a faint trace of resentment, unfiltered by her emotions.

"A sect..."

Frankly, it wasn't an appealing approach. The very system of a sect was irregular, and strategies derived from such irregularities were themselves irregular.

But for now, he had no choice but to observe, for it seemed Elise might act on her ideas.

"You do realize how dangerous being too overt can be?"

"I understand. I'll work as a regular nun by day and move at night."

"Alright. Since you seem thoughtful, go ahead and try. I will wait and trust in you."

***

At the highest point of Kassilon.

Elise stood at the pinnacle of the clock tower, looking down at ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) the ground.

The dazzlingly white city walls and streets.

The spires in black and white harmony stretched towards the sky.

The buildings, glittering under the moonlight, resembled a painting of a divine courtyard. Everything was immaculately clean, everything perfectly ordered.

But Elise could feel it.

Like dust whirling at the end of a broom, the filth hidden beneath the white.

The stench of unwashed, foul blood.

Even the smiles of the clergy were no different.

Upon closer inspection, the hidden truths seeped through the cracks. Every time someone's lips curled, Elise quietly calculated.

How long would those smiles last? What secrets lay behind them? Even Elise's own smile was merely a mask worn to gain others' trust.

The world was a masquerade without truth. A festival of double-faced revelers.

Elise danced at its center.

On the ground, Elise ventured into the back alleys.

She approached a black dog that growled at her. Its fur was unkempt, and it wore a red collar.

Elise crouched down and tapped her upper palate with her tongue.

Tap, tap, tap.

Though the dog was wary, it approached her slowly. Elise extended her hand, and the dog sniffed it before easing its guard.

Elise gently stroked the dog's head. It didn't resist, accustomed to human touch.

"You've been abandoned too."

People cherished it when needed, but as soon as it was useless, they were discarded without a second thought. Such was the way of the world.

"Don't worry. I'll help you find a master."

Elise snapped her fingers.

Snap.

Her thumbnail left a shallow cut on her index finger. As she extended the bleeding finger, the dog licked the wound.

Its eyes turned a deep red.

"Go find your master. When you do, give them a little bite as a sign of reunion."

***

"Let me go! Let go! Who says I'm a vampire? I'm human!"

In a household in Kassilon, a man was being dragged out by paladins.

The man looked utterly wronged, his expression not one of a vampire.

But then.

Sssss.

"Arghhh!"

As the man was pulled into the sunlight, his body caught fire instantaneously.

Clear evidence of a vampire. No other proof was needed.

"Please believe me! I'm really not a vampire! I was out in the daylight just yesterday!"

"Stop causing panic with your lies. We'll find out who you really are with an investigation."

The man was wrapped in cloth and dragged away.

The gathered crowd muttered amongst themselves.

"Mr. Hobbs a vampire? I never noticed."

"Exactly. You can't trust anyone these days."

"Poor his wife and kids."

It was indeed a major event.

A vampire in the heart of the Holy Kingdom.

And he wasn't an outsider.

He had established a family in Kassilon, regarded as a devout believer.

Bold indeed, to live in the Holy Kingdom with a vampire's body and pretend to be a believer.

He would pay dearly for mocking the god of order, Ordo.

A little away from the center of the event, Elise hugged the dog, observing.

"Good boy. You listen well."

The dog knew.

Who had abandoned it.

If being discarded was nature's law, then facing the consequences of that action was also nature's law.

Today was just the beginning.

"Pray hard. Who knows, maybe a god will save you."