In A Fantasy World I Can Absorbs Abilities

Chapter 41 What's Going On?

Not only had he failed to rescue the goddess, but he had been captured and was now at the mercy of a monstrous man—if the creature could even be called human.

'How did I end up here?' Leonardo lamented, tears streaming down his face. "Goddess, please forgive your unworthy servant!"

If there were anyone left in the world still unyielding in their faith, Leonardo wished he could introduce them to this monstrous elder. A few beatings, and they too would abandon all convictions, pleading for mercy as he had.

Alfred, the monstrous elder, watched Leonardo mutter with disdain. Leonardo, trembling under Alfred's sharp gaze, hurried to organize his subordinates to carry the loot.

All the storage pouches were now full, leaving them no choice but to use the corpses to transport more goods. His loyal followers had been reduced to mere porters.

The humiliation was unbearable.

'Damn monster!' Leonardo thought, glancing nervously at Alfred.

As if it weren't enough to be dragged along like a sack of grain, Leonardo was now forced to scavenge every village they passed, gathering anything of value with the skeletons and zombies under his command.

He felt utterly defeated and dejected.

'One day, I'll rescue the goddess and escape this monster's grasp.'

No matter what plans Leonardo devised, Alfred paid him no mind. To Alfred, Leonardo was nothing more than a bonus gift for his grandson.

Unintentionally intercepting all the spoils meant for the Small Nobles' Alliance, Alfred was quite satisfied with the treasures he had amassed for his grandson.

Oblivious to his new role as a "buy-one-get-one-free" gift, Leonardo worked tirelessly. Not that it mattered—knowing wouldn't improve his situation anyway.

Baron Kensington and the other nobles returned empty-handed, their expressions laden with disappointment and frustration.

As the army marched onward, Michael managed to slip away from Louis and his escort knights, approaching the Baron with concern.

"What happened? Why have you come back empty-handed?"

"Ah... It seems those fanatics have finally caught on. They've disappeared, taking all their valuables with them. Even the granaries were completely empty. I suppose this is the end of it," the Baron replied with a weary sigh.

"Don't give up yet," Michael suggested. "Tomorrow, focus on smaller villages. They likely didn't have time to send their followers to collect everything from those."

Baron Kensington's eyes lit up at the suggestion.

Of course! Smaller villages, ones not connected to major roads, were bound to have something worth taking.

Michael then briefed the Baron on the training conducted that day. As the leader of the Alliance, the Baron deserved respect, even if his performance left much to be desired.

Unimpressed but unwilling to bother further, Kensington dismissed Michael, instructing him to manage things until the supply unit rejoined the main forces. For good measure, he gave Michael the nominal title of deputy commander to make his authority clear.

That evening, Count Charles scouted for the next campsite, growing increasingly anxious.

With the fanatics spreading like a plague, there was no telling when they might invade his lands. Yet, the army's sluggish pace made him uneasy.

At this rate, it would take them five days to cover a mere 40 kilometers.

Calling for Louis's escort knight, Chris, the Count inquired about the cause of the delays.

"So, what's slowing the supply unit down?"

Chris hesitated before responding. "It's... a dire situation, my lord. The wagons are being pulled by people, not animals, and the majority of the soldiers are untrained serfs. Naturally, their pace is slow. Honestly, I didn't understand it at first, but after observing their efforts, I can see they're all trying their best."

Chris, who had been impressed by Michael's tireless efforts during the training exercises, unintentionally found himself defending the young knight. Unlike the older knights, who idled at the rear of the convoy, Michael had been the only one actively managing the soldiers.

Unbeknownst to Chris, the older knights were absent because they were busy pillaging. With everyone's stories aligned, Chris had no reason to doubt the narrative.

Hearing this, Count Charles had no choice but to pray the fanatics wouldn't descend upon his lands.

In truth, Charles had little reason to worry. The fanatics had no plans to approach his domain, as their appearance was part of the Lumina Holy Nation's grand scheme.

Three days earlier, Orpheus, the sub-priest, had been in a secret meeting with Xenon, the leader of the Seventh Holy Knights, dispatched by the Holy Nation.

According to the original plan, Count Charles's punitive force should have arrived by now and engaged the fanatics in battle. However, the punitive force was nowhere to be seen.

Their arrival was crucial to the Holy Nation's agenda—a grand spectacle to announce the revival of the Lumina faith.

Growing impatient with the punitive force's snail-like pace, Orpheus decided to deal with a thorn in his side in the meantime.

Sliding a pouch of 10,000 gold coins across the table to Xenon, Orpheus said, "I hope this will suffice."

Xenon peeked inside the pouch and smiled broadly. "Ha! You certainly know how to make a point. Now, tell me about this so-called priest."

Orpheus, relieved that his gesture had been well-received, explained, "I regret to inform you that I let that corpse peddler slip away. I've found someone to impersonate him for now, but if he resurfaces, it could become problematic."

"Hmm. So you need him captured and eliminated?" Xenon asked, his tone casual.

"Yes," Orpheus replied, feigning remorse. "At first, I thought he might have caught on and fled, but upon reflection, it seems more likely that he's returned to that wretched fragment of the Outer God he worships. He's been known to offer sacrifices there on occasion."

Xenon nodded in understanding. With the hefty bribe in hand, there was no reason to refuse. He had also brought a sacred relic designed to detect traces of the Outer God, so the timing was perfect.

"I'll handle it," Xenon assured him. "Fortunately, His Holiness granted me a relic capable of sensing the presence of the Outer God. It will make the task much simpler."

Xenon's connection to the Holy Nation's pope was well-known, as was the nepotism within the church's upper echelons.