The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.210 Entering (4)

”Kya-ha-ha! Fool! Fool!”

”I’m not a fool.”

”Fool! Fool!”

”I’m not a fool.”

The annoying giggling echoed faintly in my hazy mind, muddled by a strong shock.

Today alone, it was already the second time I’d fainted.

Unlike the first time when my consciousness completely disappeared, this time I still had some fragments of awareness left, but frankly, it didn’t make much difference.

Drip, drip.

My limp body, sagging like cheese, was dragged somewhere by their hands.

There was no resistance, not even a single moan of pain could I whisper.

An unpleasant drowsiness, as if a thin wall was set between my body and consciousness, completely drained my strength to resist.

”Haha! Ksi is a fool! A silly fool! Mother said we capture intruders, not kill them!”

”I was trying to catch you. I was trying!”

”Liar! Pai saw you trying to smash her head! I’m going to tell Mother!”

”Oh no! No! Not that!”

Every time the girl with the boisterous demeanor mocked, the expression of another girl visibly darkened.

Mother. The moment that name was mentioned, the air of anxiety surged.

The same person who had just tried to crush my head without changing her expression trembled at such playful words, and it was chilling in a different way than before.

I felt the taste of blood in my mouth as I grabbed hold of my consciousness again.

Escape was hopeless.

So all I could do now was eavesdrop on their conversation to gather information.

Fortunately, they didn’t seem to have any intention of harming me at the moment.

Though it was still a guess, it seemed that the first girl I encountered, Ksi, had misunderstood an order from above and had tried to kill me because of it.

There was plenty of information I could still gather.

The Saint Candidates, presumed to be the cause of this series of events, were likely not a mere group of individuals but part of an organized group with a leader.

Moreover, learning about the identity of the being they referred to as “Mother” was quite a significant yield.

Being captured might even be a blessing in disguise.

Well, no matter how much incredible information I gathered, if I couldn’t survive here, it would all be pointless.

”We’re home! You’re in big trouble now!”

”Aah. Aahhh!”

At the threatening words from the girl who called herself Pai, Ksi panicked and started stomping her feet.

If one were to only observe the situation from a distance, it might appear like a peaceful scene resembling a quarrel between siblings born in the same year.

But the emotions flooding my mind were far from anything resembling warmth or comfort.

Thud.

My heart sank; this certainly referred to the situation I was in.

Just after she announced that they had reached their destination, I struggled to lift my gaze, which had been weakly glued to the ground.

The first thing that came into view was the massive city wall and two gigantic monsters standing guard on either side.

The fact that they dwarfed Lady Evan was formidable and threatening enough, but at that moment, what entirely captivated my mind was the unbelievable spectacle unfolding inside the castle gate, not the scenery outside.

Crackle, crackle.

”What is… happening…?”

”Huh? Did the intruder wake up?”

I had to pretend to be unconscious, but I accidentally let out a sound.

It might not be too late now.

If I pretended to close my eyes and feigned sleep, perhaps I could dismiss my earlier mistake as mere mumbling in my sleep.

Yet for some reason.

My wide-open eyes remained firmly locked ahead, unable to blink even once.

The scenery of the city unfolding inside the wall was a perfect match for my memories.

Sleek buildings and pastoral homes formed a beautiful harmony in the urban landscape.

The throngs of people in that vibrant stage allowed me to fully feel the city’s vitality.

But there was one glaring difference.

The only striking contrast was that they all seemed entranced, staring at the black boxes strewn all around.

I belatedly realized the identity of those black boxes was a TV.

It was absurd that such a civilized artifact appeared in a city that had only just reached a medieval level.

The residents watching the TV screen, which only perpetually replayed nauseating noise, looked alien beyond words.

A memory I had momentarily forgotten suddenly resurfaced in my mind.

A space where there was literally nothing: no sun, no wind, no water, no earth, no darkness, and no light.

In that place, a sight of the Saintess gazing endlessly at a broken TV screen overlapped with the residents’ expressions.

”What is your purpose…!”

Her response to that question was as innocently naive as a child speaking of future dreams.

”Huh? Are you interested in the new world Mother is creating?”

◈◈◈

”Hoo…”

With a sigh of relief, Apis calmed her chest for a moment.

Not long after Regis’s whereabouts became uncertain, when the Saint began quarreling with the Hero, it seemed like a big disaster was brewing.

However, the chaos that felt uncontainable dwindled with a single cool statement from the Saint.

”Brother is alive.”

After that, everything progressed smoothly.

The Saint made all the party members that seemed like they wouldn’t come down from the sky for anything return to the ground briefly until they found Regis.

Then, she started an unexpected speech, stating they must entirely trust and follow her words to regain Regis.

Though her words and actions resembled those of a child who had just started speaking, Apis instinctively sensed the depth of intellect hidden in every statement.

Even the Hero, who had instinctively guarded against and loathed the Saint’s words and actions on a primal level, willingly partook in the ensuing discussion, which was simply astonishing.

Of course, there were minor bumps along the way.

However, considering that the Hero didn’t even attempt to draw his sword on the Saint, one could imagine how smoothly the conversation went.

”While Yong-yong flies around in the sky, we’ll enter through another door. Don’t worry about the guidance. Welna knows everything.”

The Saint’s argument was exceedingly simple.

While Evan drew the attention of those black chains in the sky, they would enter a dungeon entrance known only to her.

”Wait a second! The entrance to a dungeon is theoretically supposed to be just one! But now you’re talking about entering a new entrance. What does that even mean…?”

Among the party members, who had become a chaotic mess after losing Regis, Apis, who managed to maintain her composure, briefly expressed her doubts, but only for a moment.

”It’s fine. What’s over there isn’t the entrance; it’s a hole made to look like one. The real entrance is separate.”

”What?! That’s not possible!”

”Stop with the nonsense! Just follow Welna for now. We don’t have time!”

”…!”

It was clear she was brimming with fierce conviction in each of her words.

But still, should such absurd statements be taken at face value?

As Apis wavered between instinct and experience, an unexpectedly familiar figure awakened her.

”It’s okay, Apis. That statement must be true.”

”H-Hero…?”

Not just Apis, every person present widened their eyes in astonishment.

”That woman can be trusted in matters related to the Priestess, at least in that field.”

The Hero’s eyes, which were laced with an intensity unlike ever before, were incomparable to his usual demeanor.

A statement he’d once made during a drinking session floated up in Apis’s mind.

For the sake of Regis, he had asserted he would gladly lick the feet of the person he hated most in this world.

She desperately realized that his past words were not mere drunken bragging.

”This one time, I will trust you.”

”Alright.”

The atmosphere engulfing them felt like a menacing storm rather than a simple exchange between those who were forming a close cooperation.

It was as if insurmountable natural disasters were whirling together instead of living beings colliding.

That unfathomable turbulence was so terrifying that even the dragon, Evan, took a moment to hesitate.

”Then I will draw the attention of that thing from the sky for a while. As much as I would like to help more, I have to be cautious since I might have a daughter.”

”No! Ms. Evan! We have already received enough help! For the world’s sake! Time and time again! Thank you very much!”

The Hero’s expression, sincerely thanking Evan, was as bright as if he had turned back to just a moment ago.

”Then let’s go. Saintess.”

”…Alright, buddy.”

The instant she turned to the Saint, the light in the Hero’s eyes dimmed again.

That brightness was thick and dark like a black diamond.

The union of the Hero and the Saint.

Even though the situation I had longed for in the fairy tale books was unfolding right before my eyes, the corners of Apis’s mouth trembled in terror, a feeling she did not even comprehend.

Thud!

That anxiety continued until the Saint found the entrance to another dungeon, just as she had stated.

But Apis was unaware.

The bomb that lay within the Hero party was not just the Saint and the Hero.

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