Warlock's Wanders

Chapter III

The priest's frustration reverberated in his words, his voice laden with exasperation.

"Aargh, for fuck's sake, it's you," he began, his face contorted with a mix of surprise and fear. "Oh, man, I lost my fucking marbles! That really startled me, you know?" His growing fear became palpable, casting a shadow over his features.

In an attempt to ease the tension, the monk swiftly raised his open palms, a gesture of peace. This prompted the guards to loosen their grip on their sheathes, their wary gazes shifting ever so slightly.

"Calm down, okay, mate? I'm not here to slit your throat," the monk assured, his voice carrying a touch of reassurance. Yet, despite his attempt to quell the rising anxiety, the priest continued to gesture violently, his frustration unabated.

"I'm on the fucking edge today, I nearly got bit myself; do you know how many injuries our men took? It's a damn miracle you finally showed up! You know, the—"

The monk's fury surged within him, eclipsing the priest's words. With a sharp bark, he silenced the priest and the entire surrounding area fell into an abrupt hush. "Shut the fuck up!" he commanded with force, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. The sudden silence that followed was almost tangible. "Thank you," he then said.

Yongsheng wei Jianyu advanced slowly towards the group, his measured steps leaving a calculated distance between himself and Amano Seitaro, not out of consideration, but rather due to the presence of the two town guards flanking the priest. Before the monk could speak, the priest interjected in an apologetic tone.

"L-look, I know I-I owe you a couple ch-chromosomes—" he stammered, his voice tinged with nervousness.

"Seitaro?" Yongsheng's tone held a note of impatience, prompting the priest to continue.

"...b-but I promise to rep-r-repay you very-very soon, alright? It's not that big of a—"

"Seitaro!" Cutting off the priest's rambling, Yongsheng glanced down and to the side, displaying his disinterest in the priest's personal affairs. "I'm not here for the money, really," he went on, his voice tinged with nonchalance. "I just don't want any of the Realms in the Old Omniverse overrun with Chromonsters."

Seitaro's hope-filled expression flickered briefly before he regained his composure. "So you're going to help us with-"

"Yes, you're perceptive as ever," Yongsheng remarked, a hint of sarcasm lacing his words. He kicked a flat stone, watching it skid off to the side. "But I'm still not going to do it for free. You know? Scam me once, shame on you, scam me twice, off wit' yer' 'ead, right? Something like that."

Seitaro nodded fervently. "Of course, I will pay anything," he responded promptly, eager to comply with the warrior's terms.

"...Right, so first of all, tell me about the situation." Yongsheng turned his gaze to the left, surveying the expansive field behind the church. A crude wooden fence enclosed the area, while in the distance, a small but vibrant forest beckoned. Other than that, there appeared to be nothing particularly noteworthy.

"So, erm... So I went outside at sunrise to sow rice, as usual," the priest began, his voice tinged with unease at the memories. "Then I saw the tall grass tremble in the distance, as if something crawled through it from the forest. There was no wind, so I thought maybe it's a small critter, but... then a... I don't even know, it was horrifying, a tiny, yet unbelievably repulsive and foul creature with a human face ran into my field, screeching. I just saw it, and then I ran back home... I didn't really come back there myself, but, uhm... our people tried to help, and... yeah," he finished, his nervous fidgeting betraying his fear.