Chapter 19 : Salvation (3)

After the five minutes Bliss mentioned had passed, it was time to stop supporting her.

“How much of your divine power has returned?”

“Enough to heal, at least…”

“Then it should be okay to stop now, right?”

“Yes…”

When I released Bliss’s arm from my shoulder, she began chanting a prayer and used her healing power, freeing my shoulder once again.

Oh, the relief of my shoulder being free from her weight!

Now that she could walk again, we could hurry to where the other clergy members were trapped.

I turned my head toward Bliss.

Hmm?

I was about to urge Bliss to pick up the pace, but something seemed off about her expression.

Could she still be in pain somewhere? If so, that’s troublesome…

I spoke with a concerned tone.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Oh… no?”

“You don’t look well, so I just thought I’d ask. If that’s not it, then let’s hurry.”

“Yes.”

Hmm… no matter how I look, it still seems strange. 

Bliss’s expression remains stiff as I glance at her sideways.

She was fine while I was supporting her; why the sudden change? 

Could it be that she really is hurt, seeing how this happened as soon as I stopped?

Even if her expression looks worse than before… since she insists she’s fine, I suppose it’s okay?

Although I feel a bit uneasy, she’s following along without a word, so I’ll just ignore it and focus on my task.

Right now, my priority is figuring out what to say to persuade the others.

How can I convince them to side with me? 

Should I say I’ve come under divine calling to save them? 

Or perhaps I could rely on prophecy again?

I continued walking while mentally rehearsing a few lines for the clergy.

Thanks to Bliss’s recovery, we could pass through the corridor faster than before.

After traversing several passageways as we did when finding Bliss,

“We’ll arrive once we pass through here.”

We reached the room where the goblin chief said the other clergy member was held.

Once again, it was too dark to see inside, but since Bliss was in the location the goblin chief had indicated, the cleric must be in there too.

The cleric we were looking for this time was a mid-level priest. 

They might not have as much influence as the high priest Bliss, but having them on our side would still be beneficial.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Our trio stepped into the darkness of the room.

The torch in Bliss’s hand illuminated the darkness within.

And at the end of the now-brightened room,

“Let’s see… as expected, here they are.”

Sure enough, a cleric was bound and held captive.

The cleric who emerged from the shadows was a woman with black hair and black eyes.

Her face was rather nice, so I imagine she was popular before ending up here.

But this was the goblins’ den.

What would have been beautiful hair had become dull and frizzy, and her eyes had lost focus, turning hazy. 

Just like when I first saw Bliss, seeing her like this stirred a deep feeling of pity.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem mortally wounded, and her clothes were intact, so it appears nothing too severe happened to her. 

The goblin chief had also mentioned not giving such orders.

Wait a minute, then what about me? Why was I nearly subjected to such things?

Anyway, even with the surroundings brightened, this woman didn’t turn her head once. 

I saw this earlier with Bliss… has her mind, like Bliss’s, broken as well?

Then again, staying mentally sound in this place would be strange. 

And she’s been imprisoned even longer than us, hasn’t she?

If the high priest Bliss lost her mind, there’s no way this mid-level priest’s mind would remain intact.

So… the first task should be to bring her mind back. Only once she’s lucid can we start persuading her.

I cautiously spoke to her as I did when rescuing Bliss.

“Excuse me.”

But as expected, there was no response from her.

“Excuse me?”

I raised my voice slightly, but

She didn’t even turn her head.

“Can she not hear us…”

Should I try shaking her to bring her to her senses again? 

Or should I call out one more time?

While I was debating what to do, Reina started approaching the cleric.

“Sister, wake up.”

Reina scurried over, gently shook the cleric’s shoulder, and spoke.

Then,

“Eek!”

The cleric let out a loud scream and began convulsing suddenly.

“Kyaa! Ruina!”

Startled, Reina squealed cutely and quickly ran behind me, hiding herself.

“What… what was that?”

Peeking her head out, she asked me.

“Well…”

I trailed off in my reply and turned my gaze to the cleric.

It seems I misjudged her condition.

I thought she was relatively okay, but seeing her now, it’s clear her mind hasn’t recovered even if her body has. Right after Reina touched her, she’s been

“Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I hate bugs, I hate bugs, I hate bugs, please don’t give me bugs, I hate bugs.”

Repeating those words, pleading with us.

Oh dear… could it be that she was forced to eat dinner here? That would certainly be traumatic.

Shuddering, I couldn’t help but feel a chill at the thought of that dreadful experience.

Ha… how exactly am I supposed to handle this?

At least Bliss could understand me. But this one… can she even comprehend my words?

I looked at the cleric, who kept repeating the same phrase, and pondered.

Let’s start with what I can do.

“I hate bugs, I hate bugs, I hate bugs, I hate bugs…”

“Excuse me.”

“I hate bugs, I hate bugs, I hate bugs, I hate bugs…”

Hmm, no use.

If that’s the case, I have no choice but to use my last resort.

I braced myself as I prepared to use my final option. It might be a bit hard to do, considering what it entails.

There’s an old saying that a broken machine can be fixed with a whack. 

When I heard that as a child, I wondered,

So, what about broken people? 

Can a broken person be fixed with a hit?

Unfortunately, I never found the answer, as in modern society, hitting people is off-limits.

If I were to search for that answer, I’d likely end up socially buried, so I had to abandon the idea.

But today, I’m finally going to find the answer to that question.

“Brace yourself.”

I rolled up my sleeves and gave her a warning. She likely couldn’t hear it, but saying it made me feel less guilty about what I was about to do.

With my warning given, I raised my hand, sleeve rolled up. 

And then I brought my hand down,

~Smack!

The slap echoed in the room, a somewhat strange sound reverberating as flesh met flesh.

And it seemed my shock therapy…

“Huh… huh? Huh?”

…had a successful effect.

Just moments ago, she was repeating the same words over and over, but now she looked around, startled. 

If I were to rate this on effectiveness, I’d give it a perfect score.

“Wh… who are you?”

The cleric, who had been looking around in surprise, finally spotted us and asked. 

I carefully spoke to her to avoid scaring her further.

“We are—”

“Kyaaa! It’s a demon!”

She started screaming as soon as she saw me.

What… what the hell?

As she screamed “demon,” I couldn’t help but tremble involuntarily.

Uh… what do I do now?

The word “demon” left me frozen.

As I stood there, feeling pricked and glancing around, I heard Bliss yell beside me with an angry face.

“How dare this woman speak so disrespectfully about Lady Ruina!”

Oh, now what are you doing, Bliss… Weren’t you the one causing trouble just a moment ago?

Regaining focus, I turned back toward the cleric.

How am I supposed to deal with this? 

Things just keep getting more tangled.

First… I should calm my pounding heart by taking deep breaths.

I inhaled deeply, calming my startled heart.

“Kyaa! I’m going to die! Lord Naias, please save me!”

Meanwhile, the cleric continued screaming.

After calming myself with a deep breath, I thought about what to do next.

The biggest disturbance right now is the cleric’s screaming. 

First, I need to silence her.

With that decided, I quickly approached her.

“Mmph! Mmmph!”

I clamped my hand over her mouth.

“Excuse me. Could you please listen to me?”

I attempted to initiate a conversation.

“Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!”

“We’re not demons.”

“Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!”

“We’re human.”

“Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!”

However, despite my efforts, her resistance only intensified. If this continued, a conversation would be impossible.

With each struggle from her, my anger gradually rose.

‘Damn it, there’s a limit to how much I can tolerate.’

Feeling my head getting hotter, I tried once more to talk to her.

“Just listen—”

“Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!”

That’s it. I’ve had enough. I’ve been patient long enough.

Finally fed up, I released my hand from her mouth.

“Kyaaaa!”

Her scream rang out again as soon as I let go.

But I ignored it, raised my hand again, and

~Smack!-

Slapped her cheek once more.

“Kyaaaa!”

~Smack!-

“Kyaaaa!”

~Smack!-

“Ouch…”

~Smack!-

“S-stop…”

~Smack!-

“Haang!”

~Smack!-

“Ugh…”

The sound of slapping filled the room for a while, but soon, silence returned.

Each time she made a sound, I slapped her cheek, and eventually, she stopped screaming.

The effect didn’t end there. 

Now, just raising my hand made her flinch.

Phew. 

It seems she’s finally ready to talk. Sometimes, a firm hand really is the answer for someone who won’t listen.

Feeling prepared, I started speaking to her again.

“Excuse me.”

“Y-yes?”

“Haven’t you been hearing me? We’re humans.”

“But… if you’re here, then you must be…”

Oh, still suspicious, are we?

I quietly raised my hand.

“Ah… okay, okay! I understand! You’re human. I get it! So, please, don’t hit me… It hurts too much… I don’t want to be hit…”

Good, that’s the spirit.

Satisfied with my results, I continued.

“We’re here to rescue you.”

“R-rescue…? Does that mean… I can go back?”

With a trembling voice, she asked me.

“Of course. Let’s go back together, okay?”

I replied, approaching her with the key.

“So just wait a moment. I’ll unlock these restraints.”

“R-really…?”

“Yes. So, will you help me?”

“Yes… yes!”

I moved behind her and spoke.

“Could you please raise your hands?”

The cleric obediently lifted her hands, unlike before. 

I took hold of her restraints, inserted the key into the lock.

With a turn of the key,

~Clink.

The restraints released and fell to the ground.

Fortunately, unlike with Bliss, the restraints hadn’t been modified, so I could use the key.

“Now for your legs.”

Using the same method, I unlocked her leg restraints as well.

“There, all set?”

“How… how did you find me?”

She looked at me, examining her freed hands and feet.

Hmm… how should I answer?

A variety of responses came to mind, like ‘divine envoy,’ ‘a calling,’ ‘a request,’ but nothing beats…

“I received a prophecy.”

A prophecy.

“A prophecy? How did you… Ah… could it be… you’re…?”

I didn’t respond to her question.

It’s more effective for her to realize it herself than for me to say it outright.

“But why would the gods care for someone like me…”

“Because that’s what the gods want.”

I replied, smiling at her questioning expression.

“The gods want it… Lord Naias has been watching over us.”

Tears began to well up in her eyes as she murmured.

And then, she hugged me, sobbing.

“Uh… uh?”

What’s going on here? 

Did she miss human contact while being trapped?

“You insolent woman! How dare you treat Lady Ruina like this!”

Then, Bliss, who had been watching quietly, approached with a cold expression.

I held her back and spoke.

“Let her be.”

“But, Lady Ruina.”

“She must have missed human contact. It’s fine, just this once.”

“Tch… understood.”

Reluctantly, Bliss halted with a dissatisfied expression.

I turned and gently patted the mid-level priestess on the head as she buried her face in my chest.

“It’s okay. I’m here now.”

“Huuuuu…”

At this moment, I must look like a saint, right? 

Gently comforting her like this. 

Perhaps this will help Bliss trust me more.

I glanced sideways at Bliss.

See, she’s… wait, not looking impressed?

Contrary to my expectations, Bliss’s expression remained icy.

Ahem… I suppose it’s time to stop here.

“Now, let’s get out of here together.”

I gently pushed the priestess away from me.

“To do that, I’ll need your help…”

I met her eyes.

“You’ll help, right?”

I said with a smile.

And the priestess, just like Bliss,

“Yes! Of course!”

She replied with a bright smile.

After that, we continued our search for other trapped clergy.

“Help! Help!”

We found one person.

“Naias, please help me!”

Then another.

“I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die…”

And another.

“Bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs…”

Finally, after finding the last person, we located all five missing clergy members. 

Out of the five, three were men, and two were women.

With everyone gathered, our group of eight began making our way out.

“Lady Ruina, what do you like?”

“Stay away from Lady Ruina.”

“Ah, Lord Naias, your grace today is…”

“I hate bugs, I hate bugs, I hate bugs…”

Is it just me, or has it gotten noisier now that we have more people?

“By the way, are we sure this is the right path? I don’t see an exit.”

“Are you questioning Lady Ruina’s words?”

When one of the men voiced his doubt, Bliss snapped at him with a chilly tone.

In contrast to her, I answered as warmly as possible.

“It’s alright. In a situation like this, it’s only natural to be cautious. 

aYou asked if this was the right path, yes? It is.”

“How can you be so sure?”

The man looked at me with suspicious eyes.

“I saw it in advance.”

“A prophecy?!”

The mid-level priest asked, her eyes lighting up.

Uh… not exactly a prophecy… but I can’t disappoint her. I guess I’ll have to go with it.

“Yes! It was a prophecy! So, just trust me!”

I shouted confidently.

“Oh, Lady Ruina! I’ll follow you with my full trust!”

“Lady Ruina, you’re amazing!”

The mid-level priest and Reina gazed at me with sparkling eyes.

Ah… this is exhausting. How long am I going to keep up this act?

The burden keeps getting heavier on my shoulders, but what choice do I have… I have to do this to survive…

I continued smiling as best I could, leading the group forward when suddenly,

“Everyone, stop for a moment.”

I halted and had the seven followers stop as well.

“What is it?”

“There’s someone ahead.”

Thanks to my enhanced hearing, I picked up faint sounds.

‘Footsteps… three people…’

I focused on the sounds coming from up ahead, thinking deeply.

Could it be that some goblins haven’t evacuated yet? No, that’s unlikely. I haven’t heard goblin sounds in a while.

If it’s not goblins…

Could it be the hero? Has the hero finally arrived here?

But it seemed too early to conclude that, since I didn’t hear any voices among them. If I could hear them speaking, I’d be able to confirm who they are.

For now, it’s best to remain cautious, just in case.

Could it be that cult of doomsday fanatics the goblin chief mentioned?

I whispered to Bliss.

“We don’t know if they’re friend or foe, so let’s stay put and confirm.”

“Should I go ahead and check?”

“No, let’s go together. There are three of them.”

Then I turned to the mid-level priest.

“Could you stay here for a moment? We need to check something up ahead.”

“Yes, of course!”

Leaving the remaining group in the mid-level priest’s care, along with Reina, Bliss and I moved stealthily down the passage.

We positioned ourselves just beside the next corridor.

“They’re coming down this path. Let’s restrain them once they’re visible, then confirm who they are.”

Bliss nodded silently at my whispered instructions.

We waited.

The footsteps grew closer from the passageway.

I held my breath, waiting for the right moment.

In the tense silence, time stretched as the dark figures finally appeared in the room.

“Now!”

I shouted and lunged toward the dark figure.

However, despite our preemptive attack, the figure swiftly dodged.

Before I could react, the figure grabbed me.

It happened in an instant.

An arm wrapped around my neck.

My body was forcefully pulled against them.

“Ahhh!”

I struggled, but my body was helplessly dragged, overwhelmed by incredible strength.

And then, in their embrace, something pressed against my neck.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

I couldn’t tell what was against my neck, but the familiar chill of steel told me enough.

It was a blade. There was a blade pressed to my neck.

Trapped, unable to move, with a blade at my throat.

Ah, damn it. I’m screwed.

Frozen in place, the dark figure leaned close, speaking in a low voice as they held the blade to my throat.

“State your identity. Who are you?”

I recognized this voice.

It was the voice I’d been hearing constantly for days.

The voice that led me on this journey.

The voice at my ear belonged to the hero.