Chapter 33
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Confinement 2
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It was pitch-black darkness. In this sightless space, the only thing she could feel was the vise-like grip of ropes constricting her entire body.
Rough hemp cords dug into her wrists and ankles, her chest and thighs, even the joints of her fingers, bound so tightly that blood couldn't flow.
Priestess Sia twisted her body, gasping ragged breaths, but the knots didn't budge an inch. Every movement only chafed her skin further, adding searing pain.
'Damn it all.'
Sia ground her teeth.
After the failed assassination on the plains, she hadn't given up. Even stripped of her authority in the church, she couldn't back down now.
She had to kill the emperor to prove her worth. But the entrance to the Black Forest, guarded by the Roselia army, was an impregnable fortress.
A frontal assault against dozens of knights encamped there was impossible.
So she'd chosen infiltration via the forest's flank—a treacherous cliffside route teeming with potential beasts.
But to an assassin who hid in shadows, it seemed a familiar path.
The moment she set foot in the forest, however, she realized the truth. She wasn't the hunter—she was the prey.
Not Roselia knights. No red rose crests, no silver armor.
Figures in black plate armor, one with the forest's own darkness, emerged abruptly from the mist. No presence, no killing intent.
They encircled her as if they'd always been there, like the trees themselves.
Before her dagger could even slice the air, heavy chains whipped out, wrapping her limbs. Overwhelming force left no room for resistance.
"Urgh..."
Sia glared into the darkness, lifting her head. She sensed someone's presence ahead.
No footsteps, but a heavy pressure dominating the space drew near.
Without the sound of a torch being lit, a single blue glowstone floated into the air, illuminating the surroundings.
It was the interior of a massive cavern. Ancient imperial runes, scarred by the ages, were etched into the walls.
And before them stood an elderly man in a black robe, leaning on a staff.
His hair was thick with white, but his hunched back exuded not frailty, but the unyielding solidity of an ancient oak.
His eyes, gleaming from deep wrinkles, were profound and serene, like peering into an abyss.
"A church wench, eh? You lot are persistent bugs."
The old man spoke. Contrary to his kindly appearance, his voice carried the unshakeable resolve of stone.
"We've smelled you rats sniffing around the forest for a while now. But to dare invade our domain..."
Bound in ropes, Sia glared at him.
"Who the hell are you? Roselia's dogs?"
"Dogs..."
The old man let out a hollow chuckle.
"We're no one's dogs. Merely those who keep their oaths."
He thumped his staff against the ground. The entire cavern trembled faintly.
"The bloodline of the first emperor has returned to the forest. And you targeted him, didn't you?"
The old man's gaze drifted beyond the cavern ceiling, toward somewhere in the forest.
"..."
"No need for words. The seal will endure. Whether he comes of his own will or fate drags him here, the Abyss Gate remains shut."
"..."
"Truth be told, we'd given up. The last bloodline. Betrayed by the shield. But..."
He looked down at Sia again. His eyes held no enmity—just the indifference of one regarding an obstructing pebble.
"As long as we stand, no one can harm him. That is our vow, our very reason for being."
His words weren't prophecy or declaration. They were stated as plainly as the sun rising and setting—an undeniable fact.
The name erased from imperial history, deleted from records: the "Black Army."
Guardians of the Abyss Seal.
Abyss Sentinels.
They stood before her, real and alive.
But Sia scoffed through her nose.
"Ha!"
She twisted her lips into a sneer.
"Seals? Guardians? Don't make me laugh. While you hide in the forest clinging to old tales, the world has changed."
Madness glinted in her eyes.
"Even without that damn Abyss, our grand plan will come to pass. Saving one emperor won't stop the tide!"
The old man didn't reply. He merely lifted his staff and lightly tapped her forehead.
"Enough noise. Reflect in the darkness a while longer."
Her vision went black again.
A breeze through the crumbling chimney stirred the dry dust on the table.
The dust sparkled whitely in the afternoon sun, floating lazily before settling on the worn wooden floor.
I slouched crookedly in the rickety chair, picking at my nails. The rough splinters catching under my fingertips oddly grounded me in reality.
No clock, but the long shadows of the forest outside the window told me the sun had dipped quite low.
A full day. Exactly twenty-four hours since entering the Black Forest.
Honestly, I'd been complacent.
On the road from the capital, after that madwoman Sia had sliced and stabbed me twenty times, I should've realized.
Even with Roselia knights sealing the entrance tight, the forest was vast—plenty of holes for rats to slip through.
She was an assassin who moved like a shadow. If she wanted, she could scale the flank cliffs or burrow through underground caves anytime to come for my neck.
Especially here, near the entrance—not deep in the woods—where neither beasts nor rugged terrain would stop her.
Yet it was quiet. Unnaturally so.
The forest's silence, devoid even of birdsong, felt eerie rather than peaceful.
As if an invisible barrier enveloped this outpost, muffling all outside noise.
Though it was just the forest's outskirts near the entrance, no beast roars or toxic mists reached us here.
And that madwoman cast no shadow...
"What is this? Some hidden camera prank for ultimate laughs?"
I muttered to myself, crossing my legs. My nerves, taut from twenty deaths, were slowly melting in this abnormal safety.
As tension eased, my body reacted honestly. Comfort bred sloth, and sloth unearthed suppressed desires.
My gaze drifted naturally sideways.
There was Patrol Captain Adella.
She leaned against the wall by the window, one knee drawn up, arms resting on it as she watched outside.
But her shoulders remained rigidly tense. Since the Roselia knights left, she hadn't relaxed her guard for a second.
'Face.'
Pretty cute, actually. A small scar near her eyebrow, but her overall features were endearing—soft, unlike her sturdy build.
'Gap moe...'
My eyes slid lower.
'Breasts.'
The outline bulged prominently over her leather armor.
With each deep breath, the straps strained taut, her chest rising then slowly falling.
I could almost feel the soft flesh yielding beneath the rigid leather, tingling at my fingertips.
Lower still...
'Waist.'
Cinched tight by armor and belt, it looked firm. A smooth, flawless line flowed into her leather pants without an ounce of fat.
Each shift wrinkled the leather at her hips, accentuating the narrowness. It felt like I could wrap my hands around it fully.
And below that.
'Hips.'
Sitting on the hard wooden floor, her ass's volume didn't flatten.
If anything, pressed against the boards, it spread slightly sideways, filling her leather pants to bursting— all the more enticing.
The curve from thigh muscles formed a smooth arc, stretching the seams taut.
Unlike the fake, floppy one—this real Adella's was springy, chewy. Press a finger in, and it'd bounce back.
I swallowed hard. Afraid the gulp echoing in my throat would ring in the quiet room, I cleared it with a cough.
Adella turned her head. Her brown eyes met mine, wary, but beneath lay concern and duty toward me.
"Lord Batanias."
Her voice was low and steady.
"What are you staring at?"
She knew exactly where my gaze had lingered. Her hand unconsciously covered her thigh. Leather glove brushed pants with a soft rasp.
I shrugged shamelessly.
"Just... your armor looks heavy."
"I'm used to it."
"Still, wearing it all day must knot your shoulders. Want a massage?"
I wiggled my fingers with a grin. [Delicate Touch] tingled at my fingertips, ready to activate.
Adella's cheeks flushed faintly. She averted her eyes, turning away.
"I'm fine. Vigilance comes first."
She refused firmly, but couldn't hide the red creeping to her earlobes.
I rose from the chair and approached. The floor creaked; she flinched. I squatted beside her, resting my chin in my hand, staring openly.
"Captain, it's just us here. No one's outside."
I lowered my voice.
"No beasts, no assassins. You can loosen up a bit."
My breath nearly brushed her cheek. Adella's lashes quivered. Her gaze flicked between my lips and eyes.
"Your strap's come loose. Let me tie it for you."