Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Nester Temple (1)
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Cecilia was missing? It was an incomprehensible story. There was no way she could have been kidnapped within the marquis's residence, so had she run away?
"What happened?"
When I asked, Nederman, who had brought the news, answered.
"She didn't return to her room last night."
That meant she hadn't come back after our walk...
But it was already past noon now.
They were only now looking for someone who hadn't returned in the middle of the night.
I asked.
"But why are you only searching for her now?"
"They thought she was with you."
I was so dumbfounded that I couldn't say a word.
It was absurd.
It was a refreshingly headache-inducing answer after a long time. A woman who hadn't returned to her room was with me?
Whose imagination was that?
"Why would Sister Cecilia be with Lord Genes?"
"They had dinner together yesterday, so maybe they fell in lo—"
Whack!
"Argh!"
I cut off the guy's nonsense by smacking the back of Allen's head. Nederman chuckled and continued.
"Anyway, that's why they're only now urgently looking for Cecilia. They probably never imagined she could have disappeared from within the castle."
That explained why the grounds had seemed so noisy.
"She had a personal guard knight, didn't she?"
"Yeah. That knight disappeared with Cecilia too. So the situation isn't that serious."
If she had vanished with her guard knight without any signs of resistance, it meant it was Cecilia's own decision.
It seemed more like she had run away than been kidnapped.
But why on earth had she suddenly run away?
"Does she do this often?"
"No, she's not that kind of kid. Was there anything unusual in your conversation yesterday?"
This guy.
He had come half to interrogate me.
It was only natural. I was probably the last person to see her.
But he couldn't just barge in and question me directly, so he had Nederman lead the way.
I was a guest and a Sword Master with a bad temper, after all.
"Don't take it the wrong way."
"It's not like that."
I wasn't the type with a gentle personality, but I wasn't so pigheaded that I couldn't understand something like this.
"There was nothing suspicious. We had a smooth conversation. Are you sure she left the mansion?"
"Probably. We're not certain yet, but we're keeping all possibilities open and moving accordingly."
This was the inner castle where the marquis resided. Sneaking in was hard, but slipping out unnoticed was just as difficult. She might still be inside the castle.
Iriel, who had been silent, spoke up.
"She probably used some secret hole she normally sneaks through."
When everyone's eyes turned to her at her half-certain tone, she shrugged and said.
"Everyone has at least one secret hole like that, right?"
Seeing our reactions that couldn't relate, Iriel scratched her cheek, embarrassed.
"Or maybe not. Anyway, let's help look for her too. We got free meals, so we should earn our keep. Always settle accounts properly. I don't know why she ran away, but Sister Cecilia's safety comes first."
With Iriel stepping up enthusiastically, Allen chimed in agreement.
"I think the same. We received such generous hospitality; we can't just sit idle. The world these days is no joke. It's too harsh for a naive noble lady who doesn't know the ways of the world to run away into."
I listened to them and fell into thought for a moment.
"I liked that sister, but she's all grown up and running away. She needs a good scolding to come to her senses. I know from experience; I've done it a few times myself."
"What if it's a lovers' flight with her guard knight?"
Allen pulled out a storybook trope like the storyteller he was. Nederman chuckled and said.
"The guard knight is a woman. It won't be that."
"If it's a woman, that makes it even more possible."
Iriel's eyes sparkled as she spoke, making Nederman flinch in surprise and bewilderment.
"Hmm. I doubt it's that kind of thing. Anyway, thanks for helping. I've known her since she was little, so I'm worried sick. It's probably a runaway, but that doesn't mean it's not dangerous. Then let's move together."
Ignoring the guys bonding over their agreement, I asked what I was curious about. There were points that made me suspicious.
"Is there a temple nearby that worships the Sun God? A large one with a hospital ward."
"A temple..."
Nederman seemed lost in thought at my question.
When I had met her in the shopping district, she definitely smelled of disinfectant.
She was wearing plain clothes, not noble attire.
If there was a hospital nearby, the odds were high she had come from there. Her complexion didn't look like she was sick, though.
And just before we parted last night, the things she said about believing in God.
I didn't know if she planned to become a nun after running away, but something felt off.
"Hmm, there is the Nester Temple. Not sure if it's the Sun God's, though. It's about a 30-minute ride on horseback. I don't think there's anything else fitting."
At Nederman's words, Allen added an explanation.
"If it's Nester Temple, then yes, it's the Sun God's. Why? Planning to pray?"
"Hoh, I didn't know you were that devout."
"Just tell me where it is."
"Hmm, let me see."
Nederman fetched paper and pen, even drew a map, and kindly explained.
"Probably around here."
I looked at the map he had drawn.
"If I hadn't seen you draw it, I'd think you drew it with your feet."
His drawing skills were truly abysmal. I'd believe a three-year-old had scribbled it. He smiled sheepishly.
"You can still find it with that. But why the temple?"
Everyone looked curious.
I explained the rough details. Nederman nodded, agreeing with my suspicions.
"That makes a lot of sense. But why run away just to go to a temple? Thinking of becoming a nun?"
"We'll know when we check. It's not certain, so I'll go alone. You guys handle things here."
"Leave this to us. I'm an expert in this field."
Iriel spoke with more confidence than ever. She claimed to know the runaway's psychology well from her own history of frequent escapades.
"Brag."
I shot back at her once and opened the balcony doors, leaping outside. The building's roof cushioned my landing lightly.
Even with light steps, the wind whipped fiercely past my ears.
It didn't take long to leave the castle.
Once past the outer walls, a vast forested area welcomed me.
Nederman's drawing was a mess, but I understood it perfectly and raced toward the temple.
How long did I run?
Far off, atop a hill, the temple came into view. Its size, surrounded by battlements, was larger than expected.
Inside, there were quite a few people coming and going.
I asked around and reached the hospital ward.
It was a four-story building.
Judging by the scale, it seemed to handle inpatient treatment.
I grabbed a passing priest and asked.
"Hey."
"Yes? How can I help?"
"Nothing much, just have a question."
I started to say her name but hesitated.
The first time we met, her clothes were plain, and the guard knight wasn't wearing a sword.
They might have been hiding their identities.
"Are there a lot of volunteers here?"
"Yes, many believers help out. Are you interested in volunteering?"
"No, I'm looking for someone. About up to my shoulder height, pretty girl with blonde hair and green eyes. Hangs out with a tall girl."
I described her roughly.
If Cecilia frequented this place, the priests would know. She had a striking appearance that stood out anywhere.
"Ah— you're talking about Sister Elia."
As expected, she was using a fake name.
"Did that woman come today?"
"No. Not sure, but I don't think so. Her beauty is so outstanding that the ward lights up when she visits."
"I see."
Unlike expected, Cecilia hadn't come here.
Had I wasted my effort for nothing?
But why was I going through this trouble to find that woman?
It wasn't much trouble, but there was no real reason to go out of my way.
I could have just passed on the info.
Yet I had come myself because something had felt off since earlier.
It didn't seem like a simple runaway.
Something nagged at me even now, making it hard to turn back.
My near-prescient intuition was signaling.
I called back a priest who was walking away.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"I'm new to hospital wards. Is there any place I'm absolutely not supposed to go?"
"A place you're absolutely not supposed to go?"
"Yeah."
Just before we parted, she had acted like she had someone to ask a favor of me. I didn't know what it was, but what else could she ask me for besides her own safety?
This hospital ward felt suspicious.
Honestly, it was baseless suspicion based on gut feeling.
But I trusted my intuition as much as solid evidence.
The disinfectant smell on her, the short conversation in the garden.
Her atmosphere, expression, tone, and inflection from then were vividly remembered.
She hadn't explicitly stated it, but in my memory, she was clearly saying she was at this temple.
"There is one place..."
The priest looked puzzled at me but kindly told me about the place I shouldn't go.
I planned to check it out.
Entering the hospital ward, I moved through the first floor while concealing my presence.
When I decided to hide my presence, I was no different from air to them.
They didn't even turn their heads as I passed by.
Then, I found the place the priest had described.
'No Entry for Non-Hospital Staff. Do Not Enter.'
It piqued my rebellious nature.
They said it was a storage for medicines, equipment, and such, so no entry.
I tried the doorknob lightly; it was locked.
I checked around, and when no one was passing, I forced the door open.
Crack.
With a small noise, the door opened. Beyond it was a staircase leading underground. No light entered the space, but orange glows from lamps spaced along the walls softly pushed back the darkness.
The eerie atmosphere seemed to warn that I shouldn't enter here.
That only made the suspicious scent feel thicker.
Following the stairs down revealed a long, narrow corridor.
As the priest said, the walls on both sides held sealed medical tools, medicines, and supplies neatly stored.
It seemed like a warehouse.
But why make it like this?
They apparently had no thought of using space efficiently when building it.
I walked deeper into the warehouse, which was unnecessarily long like a corridor.
And finally reached the end.
A dead end.
Tap tap.
I knocked on the blocked wall in front of me. I even infused mana to check for space beyond, but there was no gain.
"Hmm."
I let out a groan soon after.
By the atmosphere and inefficient structure, I thought there'd be something suspicious here, but oddly, my intuition missed this time.
Even monkeys fall from trees sometimes.
I clicked my tongue in regret and turned around.
As I walked away from the dead-end wall, I stopped and looked back.
That plain wall just looked a bit suspicious.
"Still, leaving it like this feels unsatisfying, doesn't it?"
Since the tree's already falling, might as well fall properly.