Chapter 60 Subjugation Expedition (2)
Subjugation Expedition (2)
Wooden logs were stacked to form pillars, interlocked with timber frames to create the skeleton structure. Around this, they draped fabric to construct a simple portable tent.
Though the process was straightforward, the Holy Knight seemed accustomed to it—with just a few deft movements, the tent was swiftly assembled.
Built to serve as a temporary base, it wasn't the most stable, but it looked sturdy enough for resting without issue.
Stepping inside, I quietly settled onto the floor. The barren ground was covered only in coarse weeds, which prickled uncomfortably, though not enough to be truly bothersome.
...It's quiet.
An awkward silence lingered inside the tent. Tilting my head slightly, I caught sight of the Priestess and the Holy Knight sitting side by side.
I considered greeting them first, but the Priestess seemed preoccupied with prayer. The Holy Knight, too, appeared to be in the midst of his devotions—holding a cross with closed eyes, silent and still.
Standing there, watching them in that stifling atmosphere, was its own kind of torment. My discomfort must have been obvious, because Silpi scolded me telepathically.
[What's with the awkwardness?]
We just met.
[Ah, right. Our contractor is the introverted type.]
I could practically hear him smirking. For some reason, that smugness grated on me, and I let out an involuntary sigh.
Shut up.
[Fine. I'll keep my mouth shut.]
With that, Silpi immediately severed the link. I had told him to be quiet, but I never said he should disappear entirely.
Now, with even Silpi's mental chatter gone, the awkwardness doubled. The suffocating silence in the tent made it hard to breathe.
Since it was prayer time, I couldn't just strike up a conversation—another layer of frustration.
Just as I was reaching my limit, the Holy Knight quietly set down his cross. The blue-haired man took a steadying breath before rising to his feet.
Then, bowing his head slightly, he spoke first.
"My apologies. I couldn't speak earlier due to prayer."
"O-Oh, no. It's fine."
Truthfully, it hadn't been fine. Still, at least the prayer time hadn't dragged on too long—that was a small mercy.
The blue-haired Holy Knight cleared his throat and continued.
"I am Kal Heron, a Holy Knight of the 1st Holy Knight Division."
"Ah, I'm Id, a Spirit Knight of the Black Crow Knights."
As I spoke, I absently touched the necklace around my neck. Thankfully, the disguise necklace was still functioning properly.
My hair, which slightly obscured my vision, remained its current white hue—no issues there.
I needed a disguised identity, after all.
Adel von Este.
As the young lady of a Count's household, attending the Subjugation Expedition would have been impossible. This wasn't some ordinary event—it was practically a battlefield.
There was no way I could participate under my real status.
And so, the identity of "Id, the Spirit Knight" was born.
White hair, blue eyes. Using the same disguise necklace from before, I had taken on an entirely different persona to join the expedition.
Even now, the appearance still felt a little unnatural. But I'd have to get used to it—I'd be stuck like this for a while.
Abel had infused the necklace with a substantial amount of mana, so unless something went seriously wrong, the disguise should hold.
When the Pope had approached earlier, I'd been tense, worried the disguise might fail.
Luckily, it seems he didn't notice anything.
This necklace was, after all, a fairly powerful artifact.
Though it was odd that a disguise necklace lacked even the most basic cognitive inhibition function. Still, for assuming another's identity, it was perfect.
"Pleasure to meet you, Dame Id."
Kal extended his right hand, and I reached out to shake it.
"Likewise, Sir Kal."
His palm was rough with calluses—impressively firm, the kind of hand that inspired trust. He smiled warmly, chuckling under his breath.
Kal then turned his head slightly, gaze shifting to the Priestess still deep in prayer.
After watching her for a moment, he exhaled a quiet sigh.
"Yurph, prayer time is already over."
"Was it?"
The Priestess blinked at his words. She pulled back the hood that had been draped so deeply over her face it obscured her entirely.
Then, slowly, she rose from the floor.
The Priestess's appearance, now fully visible, was far from what I had imagined.
Her hands were thin as brittle twigs, her arms so gaunt they seemed nothing but bone. Hollows carved deep into her cheeks, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.
Priestess Yurph must have noticed my stare, because she approached me quietly. Realizing my rudeness, I quickly offered another introduction.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Id, the Spirit Knight."
"I know. I heard you."
"...Yurph."
Kal narrowed his eyes slightly, giving her a pointed look.
"Fine, fine."
With a weary flick of her head, Yurph relented. Then, with practiced formality, she bowed.
"Priestess Yurph, of the 1st Holy Knight Division. A pleasure."
Her voice was as flat as reading from a textbook without a soul. Watching this, wrinkles formed on Kal's forehead.
He seemed to have something to say, his lips twitching, but he swallowed his words with a forced sigh. Perhaps he was hoping for at least the bare minimum of courtesy.
Still, her physical condition was alarmingly severe. Her body was so frail that I doubted she could even step onto the battlefield.
I couldn't help but worry—if she got caught in the aftermath of battle, she'd be seriously hurt.
"You're really okay with this?"
"Don't worry. Even in this state, I can still perform healing just fine."
That was Yurp's response to my question. It wasn't that I doubted her healing abilities.
I was just worried—what if she got hurt on the battlefield?
[She's exhausted.]
Silpi, who had reconnected the link at some point, spoke directly into my mind. As much as I hated to admit it, she was clearly right—Yurp was exhausted.
Seeing this, Kal, who had been silently observing her, stepped forward and blocked her path.
"My apologies. She's currently fasting, so she's become quite sensitive."
"Fasting? But..."
Fasting in that condition? Her body was already so emaciated she looked like she'd collapse any second. How could she possibly be fasting?
I didn't want to interfere with religious practices, but this was pushing it.
As my expression darkened in real time, Kal hurriedly explained.
"The fasting is voluntary on her part. Believe me, I've tried to stop her, but..."
Behind him, Yurp snorted and plopped back down on the ground. Then, in a firm tone, she declared:
"I have no intention of stopping."
Kal looked utterly helpless, sighing deeply over and over.
How bad is her condition?
[..It's serious.]
Silpi's voice, sharing my vision through my eyes, dropped low. His tone was uncharacteristically grave as he continued.
[At least she's drinking water, but... in every other way, it's bad.]
How bad?
[Honestly, if it weren't for her Holy Power, she'd have collapsed long ago.]
That bad?
The fact that she was enduring this purely through sheer willpower was astounding in itself.
Just what could possibly be important enough to push her to fast in this state?
Curious, I glanced at Kal, but he shook his head as if to say he couldn't speak of it.
Confidential, then. There was clearly something far more significant tied to her fasting than I'd thought.
Not knowing what it was left me frustrated, but...
For now, all I could do was watch.
§
A massive rift hung in the air, blue energy pulsing from its center.
At the heart of that energy, the Core rolled like a grotesque eyeball.
So this was the legendary Dimensional Rift I'd only heard about.
Looks terrifying.
To close this rift, we'd first have to weaken the Core's power. That thing was the source summoning monsters from the Other World.
Which meant—starting now, Calamity-level Monsters would pour out of that rift in droves.
I'd mentally prepared myself, but facing it in person sent an unavoidable shiver down my spine. I took deep breaths, focusing all my nerves on the rift ahead.
[This is insane.]
Silpi muttered his brief assessment as he moved to my side. Turning my head, I saw the Holy Knights equally tense.
Our Knight Order's members, too, gripped their weapons tightly, not loosening their tension for a second.
At the very front, Abel adjusted his attire, gazing at the Dimensional Rift with serene composure.
Even in a situation like this, he could maintain his calm. That was definitely something worth learning from him.
[Get ready, Contractor.]
"Yeah."
As Silpi spoke, a monster burst forth from the rift.
Dozens of eyes embedded in its body, steel blades lining its wings—at a glance, it resembled some grotesque bird. The moment it spotted us, it let out a deafening roar.
SCREEEEE!
"Are you ready?"
At Kal's question, I nodded and raised my rapier. Even as part of the escort team, we couldn't avoid fighting entirely.
The subjugation team would handle most of the monsters, but the clever ones slipping through the gaps would be our responsibility.
"O Wind."
A gust brushed against my entire body.
A flash of snow-white hair fluttered at the edge of my vision.
Priestess Yurp, seemingly unshaken, watched the monsters pouring from the rift with undisturbed calm.
Meanwhile, the knights and Holy Knights of the subjugation team charged toward the horde.
"We dedicate this glory to the Goddess!!"
"Finish them!"
Auras of varying colors erupted from their bodies. Even at a glance, there were no shortage of Sword Experts and Sword Masters among them.
The Holy Knights' divine energy radiated equally formidable power. Sacred energy enveloped them, taking on distinct forms.
BOOM!
A strike infused with both Holy Power and aura split the avian monster clean in half. Behind it, an endless flood of monsters surged forth—as if announcing this was only the beginning.
The Subjugation Expedition had begun in earnest.