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‘Now, if I just do this… done.’
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At last, I finally removed all the restraints from Bliss’s feet.
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I wiped the nonexistent sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
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Phew… It took quite an effort just to get this done.
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There was a key for the restraints, but I couldn’t use it, which led to quite the struggle.
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The reason I couldn’t use the key was because of Bliss. She had altered the restraints so that the key wouldn’t fit into the keyhole.
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In the end, I never even got to try using the key.
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I had specifically gotten the key from the goblin leader to make it easier to release the restraints…
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But what good is a key if you can’t even use it?
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Since the key didn’t work, I eventually had to rely on magic to solve the problem.
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Perhaps the key will be useful for unlocking the restraints on the other priests.
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But if they all did this kind of nonsense with their restraints…
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I don’t want to think about that possibility.
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Hiding the neatly cut restraints behind me, I said,
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“You can get up now.”
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“Is it completely removed?”
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“Yes.”
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The reason I’m hiding the cut restraints is because showing them might raise suspicion.
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The nun, Ruina, that they see shouldn’t be capable of using magic, so I need to keep such items out of sight.
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I tossed the cut restraints into a corner of the room. That way, they won’t be visible to her.
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Now that Bliss’s restraints are all removed, should I go and rescue the other priests?
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Considering that a high priest like Bliss is in this state, I wonder what condition the mid-rank and junior priests are in… They’re probably hoping for salvation as well.
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I’m tempted to wonder if converting a mid-rank priest is necessary when there’s already a high priest here, but if they’re converted, they might prove useful down the line.
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The more allies, the better.
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Just thinking of the little lambs who will look up to me fills me with joy.
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Hehehe.
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Sigh… damn it.
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Why does nothing go my way?
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Before my eyes, a peculiar scene is unfolding.
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Bliss, now freed from her restraints, attempts to rise with both hands and feet.
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She uses her arms to support her body, stretches her legs, and starts to stand…
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But then she collapses back down.
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Not giving up, she tries again to stand.
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Yet again, she falls back with a thud.
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It’s like watching a newborn calf trying to stand for the first time…
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I thought of waiting until she could stand on her own, but I don’t think I can anymore.
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I walked over to Bliss and asked,
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“What’s the matter?”
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“I… can’t stand.”
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Bliss looked at me and answered weakly.
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What kind of nonsense is this?
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“Why… why can’t you?”
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“My arms and legs have no strength.”
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“Then just heal yourself…?”
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With healing—an ability unique to priests that can create strength even from nothing—she should be able to restore the strength to her weakened legs.
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So why is she in this state, leaving such a useful power unused?
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“I… used up all my divine power before you arrived, Ruina… so I can’t use any healing right now.”
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Damn it. No wonder the restraints were so beat up—there was a reason.
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She must have used all her divine power before I got here.
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Well, this is a problem. I need to find the others quickly and sway their minds before the hero arrives.
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But how should I handle this?
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I asked her,
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“So what do we do now?”
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“Would… you give me your hand?”
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“Excuse me?”
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What kind of nonsense is this now?
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With a hesitant voice, as if embarrassed, she replied while glancing at me,
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“I mean… if you’d just help me up by holding my hand… I think I could stand…”
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Hmm… Pulling her up by the hand…
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That’s a good idea.
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Why didn’t I think of that?
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Was I subconsciously avoiding contact with her because of her previous attitude toward me?
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“That’s a good idea.”
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I extended my hand to her.
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“Here, take my hand.”
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“Y-yes.”
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Bliss gently held onto my hand.
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“I’ll pull you up on the count of three, alright? One, two.”
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“Three.”
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With perfect timing, I pulled her up with some strength, and she successfully stood.
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“Alright, now that you’re up, let’s head out.”
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Now that she’s up, we can really start moving.
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I turned away from her and began walking toward the door.
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As I stepped into the corridor, intending to proceed to the next room,
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I felt someone tugging at my clothes from below.
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Considering the tug is coming from below, I don’t even need to look to know who it is.
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“What’s wrong?”
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I looked down to find Reina staring up at me.
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“Sister hasn’t come out yet.”
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Reina pointed towards the room where Bliss had been.
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Sure enough, Bliss hadn’t come out of the room…
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Why? I had even helped her stand.
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Perplexed, I turned back and stepped into the room again.
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Once inside, I found Bliss standing in the exact same spot as before.
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“What are you doing?”
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“I… I can’t walk…”
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Bliss avoided my gaze as she replied.
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“What?”
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What kind of nonsense is this?
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When I stared at Bliss without saying anything, she spoke in a crawling voice.
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“I feel like I might fall if I try to take even one step…”
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This is a complete disaster.
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“Sigh… so, what should we do then…?”
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I sighed as I spoke.
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What should I do?
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Do I have to wait for her to recover?
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That would be such a waste of time…
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While I was pondering what to do, Bliss hesitated before speaking up.
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“If you could… support me, I think I could walk. Is that… possible?”
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“Hmm…”
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Support her? As in, shoulder-to-shoulder walking, like that?
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I thought carefully.
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I don’t particularly enjoy being physically close to others for too long. But… this is an emergency, so I have no choice.
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Sighing inwardly yet again, I approached her.
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How many sighs have I let out by now…
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“Alright… hold on. Ugh.”
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I placed her arm over my shoulder and held her by the waist to support her.
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As soon as I held her waist, I felt Bliss flinch.
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Was that too sudden?
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Well, not my concern. Time is of the essence right now!
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“Okay, you ready? Let’s start walking.”
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“Y-Yes!”
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With her strangely hesitant response, we took our first step forward.
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Ten minutes into supporting her like this.
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I’m regretting my decision.
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Ugh… supporting someone is exhausting.
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I should have waited a bit and then set off… Trying to save those ten minutes by supporting her feels like a huge mistake now.
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At first, having her so close to me felt a bit odd.
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But damn, after a few steps, any awkwardness vanished, replaced by pure exhaustion.
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“When do you think your divine power will return?”
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“Just a little… If we wait a bit longer, I think I’ll have enough for healing.”
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“How long, exactly?”
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“If you could wait just five minutes… it should be enough.”
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Damn, that’s still a lot of time.
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“If it never comes back, that would be fine too…”
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Hm? Did she just mutter something?
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“Did you just say something to me?”
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“Ah… no, nothing?”
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Bliss stammered awkwardly.
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What was that… I’m sure she said something?
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She wouldn’t be talking behind my back, would she?
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Anyway, five minutes… How am I going to endure five minutes?
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It feels like my shoulder might pop out at any moment.
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“Five minutes, huh. By the way, why’s your face so red? And why’s your breathing so rough?”
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As I pointed out, her breathing was indeed quite labored.
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Damn, I’m the one supporting her—why is she the one out of breath? And even if that’s understandable… why is her face so red?
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At first, I thought it was just the torchlight creating an illusion, but on closer inspection, her face was definitely quite flushed.
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Why on earth?
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Let’s think carefully.
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Labored breathing and a flushed face.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
Could it be…
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A cold?
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It sounds absurd, but people’s faces only turn red when they’re angry or embarrassed, and she doesn’t look angry… and it’s not likely she’s feeling embarrassed, is it?
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So, considering her flushed face, there must be some other reason…
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Did she perhaps catch a cold after shouting her throat hoarse on that freezing floor?
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Damn… that’s serious.
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Does this magical fantasy land even have cold medicine?
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If not…
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No, I’ll have faith in Bliss.
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She’s a priest—there’s no way she’d catch a cold, right?
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I’m choosing to believe that she’s just out of breath because she’s exhausted.
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It’s possible for the supported person to get tired too!
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
It’s probably just exhaustion causing her labored breathing!
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
But if she starts coughing…
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Then… I’ll have to make a run for it.
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“Th-That’s…”
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Was it because of my abrupt question? Bliss reacted as if she were flustered.
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Maybe that was too random of a question.
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Before the warm mood I’d established goes completely cold, I should change the subject quickly.
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With a hint of concern in my voice, I said,
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“Are you alright? Should we slow down a bit?”
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
Definitely not asking that because I want a break myself.
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“No, it’s fine.”
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But Bliss refused firmly.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
Damn it.
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Holding back the grimace that threatened to appear on my face due to her answer, I forced a smile and said,
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“Alright, let’s pick up the pace then. After all, there are people waiting for our help right now.”
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
“Y-Yes!”
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
Help… right. As if.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
I’m the one in need of help right now.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
Someone, please come and help me.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
Damn it!!!
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
I made a miscalculation.
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I thought we’d be fine with just the two of us.
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I thought having someone as strong as Bliss, who’s about as powerful as a paladin, would be enough.
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I thought that as long as I wasn’t far from her, we’d be safe.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
But all of that was wrong.
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It’s now the time in the morning when the signal to reveal one’s position should go up, just as I instructed earlier.
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But the signal that went up into the sky…
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Only two.
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One was mine, and the other likely Olivia’s magic.
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Which means… the signal from the priests hasn’t gone up for over an hour now.
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I immediately headed toward the location of their last signal.
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Since I made sure not to stray too far from their position, I was able to reach the place where their last signal was raised quickly.
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I searched the entire area thoroughly.
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But even after one hour, then two hours of searching…
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I couldn’t find a single trace of them.
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“Damn…”
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I had no choice but to accept it.
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They were gone.
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I kept searching for them afterward, but not a trace was found.
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Finally, it was time for us to gather at the meeting place, so I began making my way there.
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“So, you’re saying they’ve disappeared?”
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“Yes.”
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“Sigh… Why did this happen? I thought a high priest was as strong as a paladin?”
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“I don’t know either.”
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“Hah… So, the culprit behind this incident must be at least paladin-level, right?”
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“Most likely.”
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At my answer, Olivia let out a sigh.
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“So, what now? The sun’s already set.”
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“I… I’m thinking of continuing the search.”
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“What? Dane, can’t you see it’s already dark?”
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“We don’t have time. Who knows what might happen to them while we’re standing around like this.”
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“Sigh… Fine, but on one condition: Agnes and I are coming with you.”
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“But it might be dangerous.”
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At my response, Olivia’s brow furrowed.
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“Quiet! You think I care about that right now? Even if you tell me not to, I’m coming, so just accept it!”
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“Alright…”
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I thought it would be safer if I went alone, but… I understood where Olivia was coming from, so I reluctantly agreed.
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Yeah, the more people, the better.
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Right now, I need to focus on how to find them as quickly as possible.
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I hope they’re safe.
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After a final check of our gear, we resumed the search through the forest.
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Our search area was the spot where their last signal had disappeared.
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We began combing through that area meticulously once more.
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“Dane, are you sure this is the place?”
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“Yes.”
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Olivia looked at me with a skeptical expression.
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“Are you sure?”
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“I’m sure.”
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“Hard to believe…”
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Just as I was about to respond to her words,
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“Dane! Olivia! Come over here! I found something!”
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We heard Agnes calling us.
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“What is it? She’s not calling us over for another person-shaped tree, is she?”
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With a doubtful look, Olivia and I walked over to where Agnes was.
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And when we reached her…
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“Take a look at this.”
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Agnes was pointing at something shaped like a person.
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“This is… armor?”
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“Yes, Dane, armor.”
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“Why is it here?”
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“I don’t know.”
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Agnes shook her head.
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Olivia knelt down and placed her hand briefly on the armor, then brushed her hand off and stood back up.
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“There’s no sign of life. And it’s empty inside.”
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“So, Olivia, this is…”
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“Yes, it’s a doll.”
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Upon hearing Olivia’s words, I started to think.
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When I’d checked here before, this wasn’t here—yet now it suddenly appeared.
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Suspicious.
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A doll… why is there a doll here? And one wearing armor, no less.
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An armored doll… an armored doll…
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Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind.
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“Could it be…?”
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“Why, Dane? Do you know something?”
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Digging through my memories, I began to speak.
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“Once, while I was on a walk with Aelia in the forest…
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We came across someone lying on the ground.
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Aelia couldn’t just leave them there, so, as always, she used her healing power on them.
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But soon after she used her healing power, she suddenly fell asleep.
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It was alarming, but I propped her against a tree, thinking she might just be tired, though it felt strange.
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Then, right after she fell asleep, something bizarre happened.”
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“What happened?”
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“A sudden attack by demonfolk.”
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“What?”
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“Yes, not long after she fell asleep, demonfolk launched an assault.
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It was odd because that area was known to be safe, free from the Demon King’s forces, which is why we were walking there.
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Regardless, I fought them off to protect her while she slept. It was tough, but I managed to fend them off.
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Afterward, I took both the sleeping Aelia and the armored person back to the shelter.”
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“When I returned to the shelter, I took off its helmet to check its identity.
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And when I removed it, I couldn’t help but be shocked.”
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“Why?” Agnes asked, turning her head towards me.
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“It was completely empty inside.”
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“What?”
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“The armor was hollow. There was no one inside.”
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“So, that means…”
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“Yeah, it was a doll. An armored doll. Just like this one here.”
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I looked at Olivia.
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“Olivia, you said earlier that this was a doll, right?”
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“Yes… that’s what I said.”
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“Alright. Then, can you start preparing a purification spell?”
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“Huh…? Why?”
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“There’s something I want to test.”
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“Understood.”
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As Olivia began chanting, I recalled the past encounter.
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Back then, what we did to that doll was to channel divine power into it.
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And if this doll is the same type…
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It should respond to divine energy.
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I drew the holy sword from its scabbard.
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Although I couldn’t use the holy sword’s full power right now, its blade could still hold my divine energy.
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I infused divine energy into the raised sword and then plunged it downwards.
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~Thunk.
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I held my breath and looked around.
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‘Alright, what’s going to happen now?’
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But no matter how much I looked around, nothing changed.
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A creeping doubt began to form in my mind, wondering if I had miscalculated.
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Then, at that moment, a change began.
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“Dane? Maybe you should pull the sword… out… ah…”
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Agnes’s eyes started to lose focus as she spoke to me.
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I shouted in a frantic voice.
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“Now, Olivia! Use the spell!”
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“May all be cleansed. [Cleanse].”
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At the same time as my cry, Olivia’s purification spell activated.
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Seeing the spell take effect, I immediately called out to Agnes.
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“Agnes! Snap out of it!”
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“Uh… hmm? Dane? Did something happen?”
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Fortunately, the light returned to her eyes.
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“So, what do we do next?”
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“Now, we just wait…”
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I was about to respond to Olivia’s question when—
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~Screeeeeeeeech!
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A piercing cry started to echo from within the forest.
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But it wasn’t just one cry.
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~Screeeeeeech.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
~Screeeeeeeeee.
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~Scree…
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~Screeeeeeeech.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
~Screeeeeeeeech.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
~Screeeeeeeeeech.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
~Screeeeeeeeeeech.
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The sounds filled the air, one after another.
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“This sound… goblins?” Olivia muttered.
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I pulled out the sword I had lodged into the doll and raised it.
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Now, it was clear.
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The priests hadn’t simply vanished.
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They had been kidnapped.
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And those who knew their whereabouts… were likely the owners of those yellow, glowing eyes watching us from within the dark forest.
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Our next course of action was clear.
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We would kill every goblin here and rescue them.
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Pointing my sword towards the dozens of glimmering yellow eyes in the darkness, I shouted,
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“Prepare for battle, everyone!”
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