The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 272: Cliff the Red Lion

Wrench gave Roland a unique nickname.

"Strong Man"

But Roland didn't like it.

Because that doesn't describe him...personally.

At noon, someone entered the ward.

A man in a gray cloak - he was even taller and stronger than Fernandez, with wrists as thick as bowls, wearing torn short boots with rolled leather, and he had an unpleasant smell.

Burgundy beard.

Brown eyes.

His beard and hair were tangled together, like a roaring lion.

Behind him walked a slender, almost hairless black hound with an iron collar around its neck.

His footsteps were so heavy and loud that they woke Roland up almost as soon as he entered the room.

"Oh, morning, little survivor."

He was not surprised that Roland woke up. He greeted him and without waiting for the person on the bed to reply, he scratched his butt and walked out the door.

A few minutes later, he came in with a paper bag, went to the bedside, and roughly turned it upside down.

Some bread and boiled potatoes fell on the sheets.

"Eat."

He sat down on Roland's bed without Roland's consent.

The fragile bed board let out a loud wail.

Roland adjusted his posture slightly so that he could land more safely if the bed broke and he fell.

“…Excuse me, who are you——”

"Cliff."

He stuffed the round black bread into Roland's hands and tore it in half with his thick fingers. He peeled the potatoes and spread them on the bread.

"Eat."

He said it again.

"I have already notified the people from the Inquisition. He should be here soon... He is really too busy."

Roland thanked him quietly and took a bite of the black bread spread with potatoes.

The rough, hard texture gives you the feeling of being back in the workhouse.

Seeing Roland taking action, he seemed very happy and broke off a small piece of the coarse food and put it in his mouth to chew.

"As soon as the black crows arrived, they asked about you and the girl."

Roland asked, "How is my captain, Fernandez? Fernandez de Winson, and Cinder Kratov."

Obviously Fernandez de Vincenzo is more famous.

Chris smiled with his white teeth: "The Owl of the Inquisition is not that easy to die. We arrived in time, and many ritualists survived... Oh, and Kratov you mentioned. She is not seriously injured, just her arm is broken and there is a hole in her shoulder."

Roland: ...

This is a serious injury.

Speaking of injuries, Cliff couldn't help but look Roland up and down, with curiosity in his words: "You are the luckiest. There are no wounds on your body. Those women checked you four or five times, but it was not enough. I thought you were going to die..."

Roland: ...

"Can you ask him to elaborate on this examination?"
-
To shut up.

"Blind 'strong man'."

"Oh, by the way, I haven't introduced myself yet." Cliff smiled and stretched out his hand: "I'm from the Great Whirlpool. The Great Whirlpool, the Path of the Beast, the Five Rings, Cliff Heyman."

The room fell silent.

Clive Heyman…

The Heymans.

Roland blinked, grabbed his big hand and shook it twice: "Collins. Roland Collins. Executor of the Inquisition, first ring, the path of non-Crown God."

This made Cliff show a certain degree of nervousness.

He looked at Roland and saw that he looked normal. He tried to lower his voice and said, "...You can achieve something even if you are not a crown god, Collins. Look, at least you survived, didn't you?"

Is he comforting me?
A 'Hyman'.

"Thank you, Mr. Heiman. I believe in the Father of All Things, and I preach His words to fools in this world, which is the truth I uphold in this life. I don't care whether I walk on the path of the Crown God or not. The path of non-Crown God will not wear out a pious and kind heart, right?"

Cliff Heyman was confused and scratched his chin.

"He didn't understand."

Roland: ...
-
How could it be possible. "Thank you, Mr. Heyman."

This sentence did receive a reply.

Cliff laughed and patted Roland on the shoulder. "You are the most beautiful and delicate person I have ever seen. No wonder they checked you repeatedly - perhaps they were afraid that you were injured. Few people in the Inquisition are willing to say 'thank you', especially when talking about your 'father' -"

The Maelstrom followers will not like the Holy Cross.

Doctrinally, the two recognize completely different things.

They would rather like the Ring of Eternal Silence and accept the Lord of the White Crown of the Wasteland.

Because death is also a part of nature.

"Can I go see the captain?"

Roland asked.

Cliff shook his head, "The surviving ritualists are not allowed to leave their 'wards' - in fact, we are not in the city."

This closely connected, makeshift structure was built by the ritualists who arrived and served as both a ward and a cage.

"You need to tell us what happened in Bristol."

He sounded a little serious, but stopped Roland from saying the next thing: "Don't tell me, Collins, don't tell me. The leaders of various sects will arrive in Bristol one after another. When the time comes, they, we, will want an answer."

"Talk to them."

He picked up the half piece of bread and potato that Roland had broken off and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth.

Very rude.

"…some people have discovered quite a few interesting things here."

"what?"

Cliff glanced at him and said, "…an ancient species that has long disappeared from history, including monsters that can transform humans. Don't worry, this is no longer a secret."

dong dong.

A woman in a black dress stood in the corridor and knocked on the open wooden door.

Cliff Heyman looked back in shock, then immediately jumped up from the bed as if he had been pricked by a needle!
He patted his trousers, raising a handful of choking dust.

"M-Ma'am!"

He stuttered, and his slightly dull and rough face looked particularly uneasy under his messy burgundy hair.

"Good…good day!"

He said this, but his big hands were rubbing his pants, showing her more teeth.

The smile is a bit scary.

"…Good day, Mr. Heyman."

The woman replied silently, as if she was already used to this man's attitude.

"What can I do for you? There are potatoes and eggs in the pot, and bread...bread...I see someone brought butter, if you want--"

"Mr. Heyman."

She interrupted, "I want to talk to my men, is that okay?"

Cliff Heyman scratched his head, a little hesitant: "... Before everyone is present, no one other than the guards is allowed to contact..."

"Just chatting."

The brown-haired woman curled her lips slightly, raised the paper bag in her hand and shook it.

Clatter.

"By the way, give something that can be called 'food' to a believer who has been hungry for a long time and has suffered a lot."

Cliff looked at her, but when their eyes met, he quickly looked away.

"…Just a moment, ma'am."

"of course."

He held his head high and chest out, and under the gazes of two strange people, he adjusted his collar, which was totally unnecessary to fix, and the chest hair that was sticking out from under the collar.

Stride out.

“He seems to think he’s handsome.”

Roland: ...

The woman in the black dress outside the door walked in slowly and closed the door casually.

"It's nice to see you looking so energetic, Roland."

A hand reached out and was held by Roland.

"Good day, Enid."

(End of this chapter)