While You Were Away (2)
The pink mass of flesh glistened with translucent fluid.
It writhed for a moment beside the fallen Emily, then stretched slender tentacles toward her face and chest.
Thump.
But the tentacles could advance no further, stopped cold by an invisible barrier surrounding her.
A skill that generates a protective barrier proportional to the caster's faith. A passive skill that continues to shield its user even while unconscious.
As if unable to grasp the situation, the tentacles tapped against it several more times—but the barrier did not so much as flicker. Still, they refused to give up. Covering the shield completely, they writhed and squirmed across its surface.
Squirm. Squirm.
Dozens of tentacles crawled over the transparent membrane. It was a sight so horrific that Emily was fortunate to have already lost consciousness.
Step. Step.
Then a man in a black robe walked toward them. He approached the tentacles and reached out a hand; they coiled around it as if in answer. Where they touched, the hem of his robe melted and dripped away—but he paid it no mind, stroking the writhing mass. His gaze shifted to the fallen Emily.
"So this is the priestess of the Hero's Party."
He had thought knocking her unconscious would make everything proceed without a hitch, but things had stalled in an unexpected place. Still, she wouldn't hold out much longer.
"The sun will set soon. Just a little—just a little longer...!"
His voice rose in agitation, eyes bloodshot red. As if answering his emotion, the blue flames flared violently.
Drip.
Fluid from the tentacles slid down the barrier and touched the hem of her priestess robes.
The figures who appeared before Kyle and Mela were people in shabby clothes. Seeing Kyle, they began to murmur and chatter among themselves.
"It's the Hero!"
"Ohhh, the Hero!"
Kyle recognized them at once.
People from the slums.
Even in a prosperous commercial city, the poor existed. This was the street where they gathered to live.
Even so...
Kyle glanced sideways at Mela—a look that asked why she had brought him here.
"..."
But Mela gave no answer. Or rather, she had nothing she could say. She had merely followed Hex's instructions without knowing his intent. And so the two of them stood there, awkward and uncertain what to do next.
What broke the impasse was a question from someone in the crowd.
"Did Lady Emily return safely?"
Confusion crossed Kyle's face. Why was Emily's name coming up here?
"Emily was here?"
They nodded at his question, then began competing to praise her good deeds—stories of how she had healed someone, how she had given them food. Listening, Kyle thought.
Emily went to the cathedral.
Unlike combat skills that could be learned from others or from skill books, a priestess's skills were acquired through holy relics or by receiving divine revelation at consecrated structures. Having gained considerable experience on the journey here, Emily had headed to the cathedral to learn new ones.
And at the cathedral, they would have asked something of her.
They would have entrusted her with the cathedral's periodic relief work for the poor. Having a member of the Hero's Party act on their behalf would greatly elevate their standing within the church. Emily was the type who couldn't refuse a request, so she would have accepted. And while she was engaged in that relief work, someone had approached her.
"Who was it?"
"A merchant named Multu. One of the wealthiest men even in Aiden."
To rank among the richest in Aiden, a city that thrived on commerce, meant he was extraordinarily wealthy.
"He spoke with Lady Emily about something, then they left together in a carriage."
The poor people spoke with worried expressions.
"That man has taken several people from here before. And none of them have returned."
Only then did Kyle understand why they had approached him to ask after Emily.
Emily is in danger.
Her holy magic was like a sturdy fortress wall, protecting her from external threats—but against malice she herself failed to recognize, she was utterly defenseless. Without delay, Kyle headed for Multu's mansion.
The mansion of Multu, said to be one of Aiden's foremost tycoons, was practically a castle. With numerous servants and even private soldiers under his command, he wielded more power than most territorial lords.
"A distinguished guest has arrived."
When Kyle revealed his identity, the butler guided him straight to Multu. As if he had anticipated the visit, Multu received him in the drawing room.
"I am honored to meet the Hero."
Multu was a man of pale, sickly appearance. Kyle stared at him intently, then spoke.
"Do you happen to know where Emily is?"
At the question, Multu answered with a puzzled expression.
"By Emily, do you mean the priestess who is your companion? I'm not sure why you would ask me of her whereabouts, but I have never seen her."
There was not a trace of unease on his face. Yet Kyle's expression hardened—because through the Hero's skill, he could clearly sense hostility from Multu.
Detect Evil
"The people of the slums told me. That you invited Emily here, Lord Multu."
"The slums?"
Multu laughed as if he had heard some absurd joke.
"It's rather embarrassing to say this before the Hero, but I have never set foot in such a filthy place in my life."
"Are you saying those people lied?"
"They are people who would do anything for a crust of bread. Fabricating a story to beg for the Hero's mercy would be nothing to them."
Multu's words made Kyle uncomfortable. It was clear this man had done something to Emily. But he couldn't press the matter—given his nature, he couldn't simply intimidate the other party without cause.
If it were Hex...
He would have made Multu unable to even open his mouth. Knowing he shouldn't think that way, Kyle still felt a pang of regret as he silently glared at Multu. But Multu paid no mind to the stare, leisurely lifting his teacup. At that, Kyle had to admit he couldn't get what he wanted from this man with his own methods. And so, right now, there was only one thing he could trust.
I'm counting on you, Mela.
Mela was searching Multu's chambers. They had divided their roles on the way to the mansion.
I'll deal with the merchant Multu. You investigate for any trace of Emily.
Mela immediately began searching every suspicious location. For a thief who had ranked among the best in the underworld, this was easy work. She finished her investigation quickly and arrived at the most suspicious place of all—Multu's own room.
When she joined the Hero's Party she had sworn never to steal again, but she reassured herself that this was infiltration and search, not theft. Having completed a thorough search, Mela stopped. Before her, several layers of locks had all been disengaged, and inside was a small switch.
This is no ordinary merchant's house.
Hex had told her two things: take Kyle to the slums, and use the underworld to learn the layout of merchant Multu's mansion. The layout obtained through an underworld information broker wasn't particularly unusual—except that certain locations were guarded with abnormal intensity. A place more heavily protected than a merchant's most important ledgers was clearly not normal.
Click.
When she pressed the switch, a secret passage was revealed—one that wasn't even on the blueprints the information broker had bought from a construction worker. Mela could see that the passage leading underground was blocked by a thick iron door. Examining it, she made a small sound of frustration.
"Magic..."
She was confident she could pick any physical lock, but magic was not her specialty. Mela fingered the dispel scroll in her pocket, then stopped. Layla had given it to her for situations like this, but she wanted to save it if possible.
Instead, Mela erased every trace of her entry, studied the room's structure, then climbed out the window and scaled down the wall. It was a conspicuous move, yet none of the soldiers on exterior watch spotted her.
Concealment Veil
A skill that prevents detection by anyone whose overall level and certain stats are lower than the caster's.
Around here...
Recalling the passage's position and the building's layout, Mela headed for the most suspicious spot. There, surprisingly, there were no guards and few people about. Confirming an unnaturally concealed area, she began digging around it. After a short while, having carved out a hole large enough for her body, she slipped inside.
"...!"
Looking within, Mela's eyes went wide. Blue flames floated in midair, and tentacles moved in bizarre, unnatural ways. And beneath them lay Emily, her priestess robes half-melted away.
Mela charged in at once and kicked the tentacles aside.
Thwack.
"...!"
Part of the kicked tentacle burst, spraying fluid—and when it touched her clothes and began melting them, Mela recoiled in shock. In that moment, the tentacles she had struck lunged toward her.
"Ugh!"
As multiple bundles of tentacles closed in from all directions, Mela tried to swing her dagger—but suddenly hesitated and couldn't.
Sssslip.
The tentacles coiled around Mela.