Chapter 26 : I Have a Plan

It was impossible to determine how they had arrived at this place.

Understandably so—this was a location they had painstakingly reached, feeling their way along the walls in utter darkness.

Usher and his companions knew only one thing:

After digging endlessly through the depths, they finally glimpsed a faint light, only to emerge in front of a massive prison barred with iron grates.

And inside were the missing persons they were seeking.

The number of people was approximately sixty.

However, not a single one of them appeared to be in a normal state.

All of them were so emaciated it seemed they might wither away at any moment.

It was questionable whether they had been given any food at all.

Some of them, though alive, showed no signs of movement.

If left like this, it was evident they would succumb to starvation within a few days.

It was a horrifying sight.

Among them, the only one who managed to speak was an old man who had just enough strength to lift his head.

And the moment Usher heard the man’s name, he was startled.

“Bourbon…?”

“That’s right. That’s my name.”

Bourbon.

He was the first person reported missing, as Usher had heard from Daren.

The old man’s sunken eyes held no life.

After glancing briefly at Usher and his group, he lowered his head back to the ground.

“…It doesn’t matter who you are. Just lie as still as you can. That way, your strength will drain more slowly.”

His demeanor was that of someone who had lost all will to live.

He seemed like a corpse waiting for death, devoid of any hope, and the sight filled Usher with pity.

Smiling, Usher spoke.

“We’ve come from the Church. We’re here to rescue you.”

But the response was far from what Usher had anticipated.

“Is that so? I understand, but please don’t speak to me. Talking dries my throat and burns like fire.”

At that moment, Usher froze in place.

He glanced around.

Even those who had been listening to the conversation showed little reaction to the word “rescue.”

It was as if they believed it to be meaningless.

The group exchanged glances.

However, the final decision rested with Usher.

The first reason was that he inhabited the body of the Saintess Bersia.

The second was that the other Saintess, Rubena, was not in a condition to think clearly.

And lastly, the remaining two were knights assigned to guard the Saintess.

Returning to the matter at hand, they had to decide their next course of action.

The simplest option was to leave the missing persons behind for now.

The primary objective was not rescue but the eradication of the heretics.

Once that was achieved, reinforcements could be called in to save whoever remained.

But this was neither a morally correct decision nor aligned with Church doctrine.

The clergy of the Church, as servants of the divine, were meant to act as the hands and feet of God, ensuring the peace of his creations.

Abandoning that principle for convenience was unacceptable.

Of course, it was not an easy task.

Above all, the missing persons were not in a state to communicate.

Thus, Usher ordered them to begin by restoring their strength.

“Use the Prayer of Healing.”

Bersia and Saturn tended to the missing persons.

As the divine energy touched their bodies, the victims shuddered and gasped for air.

Their complexions gradually improved, but it was not a fundamental solution.

‘The hunger won’t go away. At best, we’ve given them enough energy to move a little more.’

Now it was time to consider their next step.

Could they retrace their steps and escort the missing persons out?

Impossible.

The entrance to this prison was narrow.

Moreover, the path leading outside was too long and treacherous.

Expecting these people to traverse it was overly optimistic.

What if even one of them lost strength and died along the way?

It would be a disaster.

A single corpse blocking the path could cause those following to be trapped and perish as well.

There was only one answer.

‘I must find another passage. Surely, the heretics have a route they use.’

In other words, they had to confront the heretics, no matter what.

At that moment, Bourbon, the first of the missing miners whose condition had improved slightly, clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Usher forced a smile.

He approached Bourbon and spoke.

“Could you tell me what you know about this place?”

First, they needed to understand the workings of this area.

Though Bourbon maintained an exasperated attitude, he revealed much about what had transpired.

It was all based on his direct experiences since being captured.

“Some kind of tentacle-like thing extended out. I tried to resist being dragged in, but it was futile. I ended up falling into this pit.”

“…Was there no way to escape?”

“What a foolish question. If there was, do you think we’d still be here? Of course, we initially tried to escape. We dug tunnels and created several paths.

But it was useless.

The moment we reached a certain point, tentacles would appear and throw us back into this pit.

Eventually, we realized that ‘they’—those who patrol periodically—counted our numbers.

If someone was missing, they would summon those tentacles.”

Now, Usher understood why, despite there being a passage to the outside, these people remained in this prison.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t tried.

Their attempts had been met with overwhelming failure, leaving them in this state.

“There were rescue teams before. But instead of rescuing anyone, they ended up captured.

The excavation equipment they brought was destroyed as well.

The tentacles—those cursed tentacles were the problem.”

“If it’s our Church…”

“A Holy Knight has been here before.”

“…!”

“It was a shocking scene.

Those things stuck thin tentacles into his ears, and the knight, who was fine just moments before, started convulsing violently, his eyes rolling back.

In the end, he collapsed and died.

Hearing me say it like this might make it sound trivial, but the people here still remember his screams.

No one wants to end up like him.”

It was clear who he was referring to.

It had to be the Holy Knight who was reported dead.

A horrible feeling overcame Usher.

The heretics had used that knight to crush the spirits of the prisoners.

Anger surged within him.

Suppressing it, Usher continued listening.

“…And so, this is how things are.

We’re just breathing, waiting for our deaths.

Sometimes, they come and drag a few people away.

That’s when they distribute rations…

But it’s never enough, so we’re all starving to death like this.”

“Do you know where this place is located inside the complex?”

“I don’t.

All I know is that it’s the farthest, most secluded corner.”

Bourbon gestured toward the iron bars.

“That’s the only entrance.”

That was all the information Bourbon could provide.

There was nothing more to learn.

The group gathered to discuss their next steps.

Of course, there was only one choice.

“We’ll break through.”

Usher spoke.

“Sir Heisenberg, I’d like to ask you to take the lead—or rather, act as a decoy.

Once the enemy realizes an intrusion, their main forces will converge on you.

That will weaken their defenses on our side.

At that moment…”

“We’ll escape with these people. Understood.”

“W-Wait! Hey! Hold on!”

Rubena interrupted, alarmed.

“Then who’s going to protect us?”

“Sir Therbion is here, isn’t he?”

“That frail guy? What can he possibly do…!”

“Sir Therbion is strong.

You don’t need to worry, Saintess.”

Saturn added, trying to ease her concerns.

“There’s no one in the Holy Knights who can defeat Sir Therbion in a duel.

Even the Knight Commander can barely match him in skill.

That’s how capable he is.”

Hearing this, Bersia glanced at Usher.

Blushing, Usher murmured,

“That’s… an exaggeration.

A duel and real battle are different…”

In truth, there were knights whose abilities in real combat could decide life and death with a single move.

Even with Sir Saturn, Usher wasn’t entirely confident; Saturn’s physical durability was impressive enough to make even the Knight Commander, Sir Whale, shake his head in disbelief.

Regardless, this wasn’t the time for such discussions.

Rubena cast a skeptical look at Bersia, but she didn’t seem on the verge of a breakdown this time.

Even so, she added nonsensically:

“Hey, that guy can handle himself just fine.

The one you should prioritize protecting is me, got it?”

Why was she like this?

Even as he let out a hollow laugh, Rubena glared, and Bersia replied with a bright smile.

“My Saintess is this one here.”

Her cheerful words only seemed to heighten Rubena’s anxiety.

Usher shot Bersia a sharp glare while discreetly pinching her side.

Clearing his throat, he redirected the conversation.

“…Anyway, let’s summarize.

Sir Heisenberg will draw their attention, while we secure an escape route.

Once their main forces are diverted, we’ll be able to handle the remaining enemies ourselves.”

The only concern was not knowing how many unknown entities might be lurking in this place.

But that was fine.

Based on what they’d observed, Bersia could handle a certain level of threat.

If necessary, Usher could step in himself.

He reached for the dagger tucked in his coat.

‘I don’t use it often, but…’

It was a weapon he was trained to wield, so it would suffice.

He steadied his breathing.

With the plan set, the next question was how to start.

At that moment, Bersia suddenly spoke.

“I have a plan.”

She smiled sweetly, but there was a distinct, ominous glint in her eyes.