The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 52 Fernandez’s Warning

Cherry-Chloe didn't stay long.

After she left, Fernandez came in.

Smell of cigarettes.

"I thought I'd have to stay out in the wind all night."

"Don't be ridiculous, Fernandez."

The sturdy man picked up the stool and put it under his buttocks, like a bear sitting on a nail.

"I think you are the one who likes to joke, Roland." Fernandez pointed at him a few times, looking at him unkindly: "Do you know who you killed?"

Roland was surprised: "I didn't have time to ask his name."

Fernandez: ...

little bastard.

The priest choked on his breath and glared at him fiercely: "...That is the real ritualist."

There were no outsiders in the room, and the man no longer concealed the anger in his voice: "Any ritualist is stronger than you, and has many times more experience than you - how dare you expose a cultist on the spot and attack him instead of asking for help from the Inquisition or the Supervisory Bureau?"

"Even if you had sent a servant here, he wouldn't have been injured like this."

Fernandez was telling the truth, not threatening: "Your waist is broken, and your intestines are like cooked noodles. You wish you could roll them up with a fork. Your shoulder and upper arm bones are broken, and your metacarpal bones and calves are also fractured to varying degrees."

Roland was shocked.

He seems...

It doesn’t seem to be that serious?
He was indeed unable to straighten his back, but the pain in his arms and shoulders did not seem as 'terrible' as Fernandez said.

"It was Lady Enid who found Bishop Kratov, and I and the ritualist from the Supervisory Bureau arrived in time. We should also be thankful that we haven't entered the 'Death Season' yet. Otherwise, it's hard to say whether you can survive."

It wasn't a question of whether to save him or not, but given Roland's injuries at the time, it would be difficult for him to survive until the high-level ritualists were ready for the ceremony.

"Death Season?"

Fernandez was furious and scared.

There are few executive officers.

He tapped Roland's forehead with his thick finger, much harder than Cherry had just done.

Pressing Roland's head into the pillow so hard.

"Every winter, when everything withers, we call it the 'death season'."

"Because the church's ritualists can perform some expensive but effective rituals - such as special rituals to expel minor diseases, treat external injuries, or prolong life for a short period of time..."

“That is a ceremony that truly borrows the power of the gods and involves the participation of the gods.”

"Except in winter."

"Winter is the domain of the Lord of the White Crown of the Wasteland. Our special rituals cannot be effective in winter."

It was the first time he had heard of the Death Season.

It turns out that the ceremony has such restrictions.

Fernandez waved his hand. "It's just a few, a few special ceremonies... Are you interrupting?"

Roland shook his head innocently.

"They call us Burners, saying we are a bunch of reckless, brainless extremists. I don't think anyone is as reckless as you. You can break the record, Roland. An apprentice dares to attack a formal ritualist."

"Thank you, Fernandez." Roland nudged Fernandez's finger with his forehead. "Mrs. Chloe's shooting skills are very accurate. It's a pity that she didn't become a detective."

"I didn't praise you."

Fernandez retorted, rubbing his face vigorously with his big hands: "I am also responsible. I was going to tell you slowly..."

Then she looked at him suspiciously: "Why do you always run into this kind of thing?"

As soon as Roland heard it, he knew that Fernandez was in trouble.

He bared his white teeth, gloating without any moral sense: "You got scolded?"

Fernandez snorted and glanced at him.

That's not the case.

Lady Enid's scolding.

"You can't even teach the reserve? The methods for dealing with aliens, ghosts and cultists are the most basic... What's going on in your head all day long?"

'Are you planning to stay as an executive for a few more years?'

'Fernandez, promotion isn't what you want, is it?'

"How about I use all my connections to get you transferred to the Supervisory Bureau? You might be better at helping nobles raise horses than being an executive officer, right?"

A yesterday that I cannot bear to look back on.

Not only did Enid not treat him well, but some of the old men in the courtroom also looked at him with strange eyes.

To be honest, it’s not that he didn’t teach, it’s that he didn’t have enough time.

According to the system, it will take some time to learn all these. Moreover, Roland's daily activities - except for going home, he is either by his side or in the court. Fernandez never thought that he would encounter these things one after another. How did he catch up with them?

An apprentice?
"So fundamentally, it's you, Fernandez..."

Fernandez looked up and glared at him.

Roland pursed his lips, but his face was full of smiles.

"Ugh."

Seeing him like this, the priest could no longer be serious.

He scratched his head and said in a low voice: "Actually, you did a pretty good job... Well, I mean, we do this all the time. When we are not prepared..."

"Just a sudden and ruthless attack!"

"The executive officers are not like those 'ladies' in the Supervisory Bureau." He clenched his fist and waved it slightly. "...I've never seen an apprentice dare to do this. You are really good."

Roland: "I had no choice, Fernandez. He had already attacked Mrs. Chloe. I didn't know how serious the consequences would be if I let him continue to set up the "field". In order to save people, I had to interrupt him. "

"I didn't have time to send for help."

Fernandez raised his eyebrows and said something ambiguous: "Don't think I'm easy to fool."

"Except for the little girl from Taylor's family and Chloe, all the ladies in the house were injured... Do you know that if Lady Enid hadn't stepped in, you would definitely be taken to court - some people said that you 'bumped' her and ignored her request for help."

"To be exact, it was 'kicked away'."

Roland was very calm about this.

"I don't know those ladies. They have to survive on their own."

"I am blind after all."

Fernandez twitched his lips and remained silent for a while.

“…I now think it’s a good thing that you didn’t embark on the Holy Flame Path.” He muttered, “You won’t go far on this path.”

"Fernandez?"

"You don't have enough 'qualifications'."

The man seemed to be meeting Roland for the first time.

This handsome and usually gentle boy had only frozen indifference in his eyes after tearing off that warm outer layer.

Fernandez looked away and no longer met Roland's gaze.

He talked about the attack that happened three days ago.

There is a coincidence here.

"Do you remember the zombies on Fleet Street?"

"Summoned by the ritualist you and Cherry-Chloe killed."

At this point, Fernandez couldn't help but become curious: "How did you know that he was a cultist? How dare you attack him directly? Do you know that if you guessed wrong--"

Roland pointed at his nose and said, "The smell of the zombie that attacked me, the smell on his body, and the smell of the box under the table are so familiar."

Fernandez's eyes widened in disbelief: "Smell?"

"Yes, it is the smell, Fernandez. People with poor eyesight usually have good ears and noses."

In fact, the reason why Roland took action was the familiar red in his eyes.

Secondly, it’s the smell.

But he couldn't explain it to Fernandez.

"…The traitor of the Ring of Eternal Silence! They are actually involved with the Cradle of Flesh and Blood. That organization is like a prostitute who accepts anyone who comes..."

Fernandez cursed: "There were three ritualists at the banquet that night. One was a traitor of the Ring of Eternal Silence, a first ring; the other two were ritualists of the Cradle of Flesh and Blood, one a second ring and one a first ring."

"Only those lunatics would dare to instigate three low-level trash to come to the banquet and provoke..."

"What is the use?"

"Trash is still trash..."

but.

Roland didn't understand.

"Killing the rich and nobles at the banquet... who are you provoking?"

"And, Fernandez, the cultist seems to be against the Inquisition... no, against the Church..."

Roland recalled the man's tone and demeanor at the time. He always felt that this was not simply the hatred of a mouse towards a cat.

Besides, three low-level ritualists...

Is it too little?

This question directly hit the priest, who was full of anger.

He turned his face away and didn't answer.

(End of this chapter)