Chapter 43: Preparation
As soon as she opened her eyes, the beak mask came into view, and she was startled.
“Haak…”
No matter how Sugar reacted, Claude pointed the wand in his hand at Sugar's head and chanted the incantation. Of course, the incantation was spoken by the crow perched on her shoulder. It was a rough voice mixed with the metallic sound.
Dispel Magic
“ … What did you just do?”
No answer, just scanning her up and down. Even through the mask, the sticky gaze was felt.
“ What are you doing? Can't you speak?”
No reply.
Instead, he grabbed her cheeks and turned them this way and that. Lifting her eyelids with gloved hands, opening her mouth. Observing as if examining a patient. Silent observation.
She couldn't resist because she was tied to the chair from shoulders to ankles.
“ Damn it, really…”
Sugar didn't usually use bad words, but in this dark room without windows, with only a faint magical light, tied up like an experimental animal being observed, it came out.
Who is this person? The one who directly damaged one of her five senses in this world.
“ Claude. Stop.”
Then the familiar voice stopped him. Claude didn't turn his head, but spoke through the crow.
“ I couldn't even think about the timing, right? Because of you trying to frame me as a disobedient subordinate? ”
“ Just from the tone, you seem like my superior. ”
“ Ah, so you mean to tell me that you were the one who contributed the most to bringing Sugar? ”
Rubshi, who had been responding with an expressionless face, showed a slight smile.
“ … When did you start saying such bold things. It was like you were following me around yesterday. ”
Only then did Claude's head turn toward Rubshi.
“ You were really cute in the old days. Calling you Rubshi noona and following you around. ”
“ Why? Is it embarrassing to talk about the old days? I've been thinking about the old days a lot lately. ”
As if not wanting to hear more, she turned and left the room.
The crow's voice mixed with metallic tones fell silent.
Now only Sugar and Rubshi remained in the dark cell.
As Sugar glared silently, the blind apostle approached slightly.
“ Sugar. How are you feeling? ”
“ … Are you in a position to worry about me? ”
The trust, the resolve to fight, all of it was lightly trampled by you.
All the efforts to escape the cult's grasp passed by. The plan to use magic to escape the cult kidnappers. But it ended up like this without even properly handling it.
With just a single sleep magic.
Rubshi probably didn't want to hurt her, but Sugar felt as if she was being ignored. No need to fight with a kid like you.
It was so absurd that she almost laughed.
“ Just go. ”
“ … Haa. Sugar. Don't be angry. If you show such power in front of us, what will happen? ”
“ What? ”
After being saved from the Evil God's power, this is how it turns out? As Sugar frowned, she continued.
“ That friend is the most talkative in our cult. You saw the crows talking, right? Thanks to that, all the apostles learned about your charm that day. So, you'll receive plenty of love and attention from everyone! Envy me. ”
“ … ”
She said it exaggeratedly, clapping her hands.
The content was so eerie, and the way of speaking was twisted somehow.
As she looked at this woman with a questioning gaze, Rubshi started loosening the ropes.
“ Sugar. I'll say this much. From now on, I'll take care of you for the rest of my life. You'll live a different life from before... but I'll try to ensure as much freedom as possible even within the cult. Still, are you scared and don't want to be with us? ”
“ No. I never want to be with you. ”
“ … That's right. ”
The ominous gaze Claude had been giving her came to mind, still trembling. Even if Rubshi is beside her, she doesn't expect it. She's already betrayed once, and betraying twice isn't hard.
Sugar has a place to return to. A future she wants to draw under the bright sky, not inside the dark cult. With that firm heart, she said it, and Rubshi smiled bitterly.
“ Still, think about it. I've prepared a gift for you to enter the cult. I wonder what it is, right? ”
“ I don't need that kind of– ”
In an instant, she approached right in front of Sugar's nose and cut her off.
“ Hide it until the baptism ceremony. ”
She poked her finger into the center of Sugar's chest.
Too small and too fast, it was a mistake.
“ Say it again? Until the baptism ceremony ends, it's a secret. ”
“ … ”
Smiling brightly, she started loosening the ropes again.
“ Claude too. Even if I told him not to tie me up like this. I can't let you escape... ”
Muttering so that it could be heard, when she loosened the ropes, Sugar, who found physical freedom, got up with a suspicious face.
“ What is your intention? ”
“ What intention? To show you around the inside. Since we're going to be family soon... Ah, if you cause trouble, I'll use sleep magic immediately, so be good. ”
As Rubshi went out first, Sugar followed. It was suspicious, but she couldn't stay inside forever.
Then, a crow that she didn't know when it started followed them out of the cell and sat on Rubshi's shoulder.
As if to monitor them indefinitely.
High ceiling.
Torches placed everywhere illuminate the darkness, but it's still dark.
In the center, a high altar.
Black-clothed people bustling around it. Moving large oil bowls or ritual decorations, seemingly busy with the baptism preparation. Their eyes were all empty, creepy. Unlike Rubshi, they seemed like they had lost themselves, doll-like feeling.
“ This is... ”
“ Yes. The altar. Remember? I said I originally came to this area because I had the mission to set up the altar, right? ”
“ … ”
“ Here, we'll finish the baptism ceremony as simply as possible, and then go to the headquarters to show your appearance to all the believers. And we'll have the honorable opportunity to meet that person. How is it? Amazing, right? ”
“ … ”
Since she didn't want to interrupt, Rubshi continued rambling.
“ The baptism ceremony is important, the baptism ceremony. When you receive it, it means you've become that person's person. Those who don't receive it are never treated as believers. Moreover, their magical properties change a little, so they can move a little from that person's power. This is none of your concern, Sugar, right? Ah! It's also that it's easy to be caught by those shabby and unholy knights, but anyway, since you'll be protected by the apostles...—”
“ … ”
Responding with silence, she focused on the mana flowing in her body. From the head to the right shoulder. To the wrist, then back, this time to the chest. From the chest to the lower body.
As she was circulating her consciousness like that, she found something.
She had thought it strange as soon as she opened her eyes. Something was constantly felt as foreign in her body. This was the first time.
A black magic power isolated in the center of her chest without being absorbed.
It was surrounded by pure magic power several times, gradually changing into Sugar's. Due to the influence of the incident before, it seemed accumulated in the body.
“ Stop. Don't touch it as much as possible. ”
Imagining an image where they don't touch each other due to a very thin wall. Adjust the flow. Now absorption should have stopped.
Then, how to use this. The Evil God's power is damnable, but at this moment, it's a hand of salvation.
Want to release it blindly? Right now, use it on Rubshi and escape?
While thinking, the words she heard from Rubshi earlier came to mind.
“ Hide it until the baptism ceremony. ”
Poking her chest. I already saw through the magic power you're holding.
She couldn't figure out what he was thinking.
If she knew this fact, she wouldn't have left it like this, but should have completely disabled it. Can't leave a magic bomb that harms them lying around.
When she was kidnapped with a strange expression.
As she frowned at Rubshi's face, it was the same as usual. With a slight smile, explaining information about the cult non-stop.
“ Ah, you don't fear heights, do you? The altar is too high, I was worried you might not like it during the baptism ceremony. ”
“ … ”
“ What. For Sugar, that height is nothing. Even if an accident happens, you'll be safe. And... there's the entrance there. Too small, I didn't notice? ”
“ …! ”
Following Rubshi's gesture, narrowing her eyes, she saw a door at the high place following the stairs attached to the wall. No guards, which is sloppy.
“ That one is not yet. First, the baptism ceremony. ”
As she looked up desperately, she said firmly from the side.
But Sugar was not the type to listen silently.
Now, it might be possible.
In this moment when surveillance is loose, disable Rubshi with the Evil God's power, and run out immediately...
She's already betrayed once. Is the 'hide it until the baptism ceremony' that this human who betrayed said really something to listen to?
Rather, isn't it trying to deceive again? Just like deceiving with 'the child's will is important'.
Sugar immediately transferred a small amount of the Evil God's power. This is the chance now. Repeating in her mind not to trust you again. Surrounding herself with her own magic power without damaging the magic channels and internal organs, she quickly moved it towards the hand.
And at the moment of releasing it.
“ Sleep. ”
Again this!
Sleep magic is annoying.
She seemed to hear Rubshi sighing in her heavy consciousness.
“ Be good and stay quiet... ”
“ It's nothing special. Just. Since I knew the escape route location, I thought the mood might change, so I cast it just in case. To wake you up at the baptism ceremony. ”
“ It's pitiful. ”
“ Of course. How sharp I am even like this. You saw it yesterday, right? ”
The crow that finished the conversation became quiet again.
Rubshi carefully hugged Sugar and took her to the cell.
About one hour until the baptism ceremony.
“ Something should happen soon... ”
So, listening carefully, she heard the crows bustling.
Immediately asked the crow on her shoulder.
“ Claude. Did something happen now? ”
“ Hmm. ”
He's hiding something.
Because of the common and huge goal 'Sugar', they bound together by chance, but he probably didn't fully trust. That's natural.
“ Of course, that's not what I want to say. ”
Rubshi, with a meaningful smile, laid Sugar down in the cell and came out.
And immediately holding a staff, went up the stairs to the entrance. After removing the barrier, the cold air of the winter mountain hit her cheeks.
Listening to it, she heard distant explosion sounds carried by the wind.
Well, it should hit on time.
The man wearing the beak mask was uncomfortable.
It was supposed to be the day of the cult's new turning point today. The start of the plan to escape the underground and embrace the continent. Unintentionally, but with this girl, he was about to take the first step. So, he should be happy, but.
“ Something feels off... ”
The feeling was oddly not good.
First, Rubshi is too friendly.
He confirmed the determination and love for the cult. Confirmed, but something felt off.
“ Is it because I just want to hate that woman that I feel this way? ”
Because the connection is deep. It had been broken at some point, but basically, she was always friendly to him, so it's not strange.
Is it because I just want to deeply reject that woman that I think this way.
She's not being sensitive. For now, assume it's overthinking.
Next, the outside guards.
From a while ago, the contacts of the disciples stationed as guards on the mountain started cutting off one by one. With one hour left until the baptism ceremony. Suspicious, so I sent a crow, but couldn't properly capture the cause.
“ … It would be better to advance the time a bit. ”
It was noisy yesterday. The knights might go wild catching the descent.
Claude put down the knife he was polishing and looked around.
The preparations were ready to perform the surgery as soon as the baptism ceremony ended, but anyway, this had to be postponed.
No matter how much Rubshi showed determination, if she knew about this surgery plan, she might cause a commotion, so he wanted to finish it quickly and secretly.
Unfortunately, he had no choice. He had consumed a lot of the preliminary body because he manifested part of that person's power to deal with Rubshi yesterday. For a while, it would be good to act carefully.
If you try to take too much, you'll lose everything. Just bringing the girl who can appease that person is a blessing.
“ Speaking of which, the boy side... ”
The girl Rubshi noticed had this power, what about the boy?
The fusion body released into the underground sewer, the child who apparently eliminated it in an instant.
When this matter is settled, I have to deal with that kid too. No matter how flashy, in the end, it's a child. Everything is in my hands.
Claude came out of the private room and looked around the altar where the baptism preparation was in full swing. He was satisfied with all this and stood there.