Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Saint, You’re So Vulgar! – Chapter 26
Impossible to know how they had reached this place.
That made sense, considering they had groped along pitch-black walls just to arrive here.
There was one thing Asher and his companions knew.
After burrowing endlessly into the depths where a faint light appeared, they emerged to find massive iron bars blocking the passagea large prison cell.
This was where the missing people were.
There were about sixty of them.
However, not a single one among them was in decent shape.
Every last one was parched, as if they might dry up and die at any moment.
It was hard to believe any of them had even touched water to their lips.
A few weren't even stirring, despite still being alive.
Left as they were, it was clear they'd starve to death within days.
It was a horrific sight.
Amid it all, the one who spoke up was an old man who at least had the strength to lift his head.
And the moment Asher heard the old man's name, he was startled.
"Burbon... right?"
"That's right. That's my name."
Burbon. The first missing person Deron had mentioned.
His sunken eyes held no spark of life.
He glanced briefly at Asher and the group before dropping his head back down.
"...Doesn't matter who you are. Just lie still as best you can. That way, your strength drains slower."
It was the attitude of someone who had lost all will to live.
No hope left, merely waiting to die slowlylike a corpse in all but name. It stirred pity in Asher's heart.
So he smiled and said,
"We're from the Church. We came to rescue you all."
But the response was beyond Asher's expectations.
"I see. Then kindly don't talk to me. Opening my mouth just makes my throat burn even drier, and it hurts."
Asher froze in place.
He quickly looked around.
The others who had overheard their conversation showed no reaction to the word "rescue team."
As if they thought it pointless.
* * *
The group exchanged glances.
But in the end, the decision fell to Asher.
First, he was in the body of Saintess Versia. Second, Saintess Lubenathe other saintesswas in no state for rational thought. Third, the remaining two were the saintesses' holy knight escorts.
Anyway, back to the main point: their policy going forward.
The simplest option was to leave these missing people behind for now.
The primary goal wasn't rescue but eradicating the heretics. Once they were dealt with, they could call for support and save those left behind.
But that wasn't the morally right choice.
More importantly, it wasn't doctrinally correct.
The Church's clergy, servants of God, were the hands and feet of the Lord God, moving for the peace of His creations.
They couldn't abandon the essence for an easy path.
Of course, it wouldn't be simple.
Above all, the missing people weren't in any condition to converse.
So Asher first ordered them to restore the prisoners' strength.
"Please use the Prayer of Healing."
Versia and Satern healed the missing people.
The prisoners flinched and gasped as divine power touched their bodies.
Their complexions gradually eased, but it wasn't a fundamental solution.
'Hunger won't go away. We've only given them a bit more strength to move.'
Now, onto the next step.
Backtrack the way they came and evacuate the missing people first?
Impossible.
For starters, the entrance into this prison interior was narrow.
And the path out was far too long and treacherous.
Expecting them to make it along that route was far too optimistic.
What if even one collapsed from exhaustion along the way?
Disaster would follow.
A single corpse blocking a narrow passage would doom those trailing behind to isolation.
There was only one answer.
'We need to find another passage. There must be a path the heretics use to come and go.'
Which meant they had to encounter the enemy, no matter what.
That was when it happened.
"...Pointless effort."
Burbon, the first missing miner, whose condition had improved, clicked his tongue.
Asher forced a smile.
He approached and spoke to him.
"Could we hear your story, perhaps?"
First, they needed to grasp how things worked inside this place.
* * *
Burbon maintained his weary attitude but shared plenty of information regardless.
These were things he had experienced firsthand since being captured here.
"Some tentacle-like thing shot out. I thrashed to avoid being dragged in, but... no use. Ended up falling into this pit."
"...No escape routes?"
"Foolish question. If there were, we wouldn't be stuck here. Of course, we planned escapes at first. Even dug tunnels ourselves, trying multiple paths. But pointless. The moment we reached a certain point, tentacles appeared and tossed us back in. Found out later: 'those things' patrol periodically, count heads, and summon the tentacles if anyone's missing."
Only then did Asher realize why they lay here despite passages connecting to the outside.
They had tried. Their attempts had just collapsed disastrously.
"Rescue teams came a few times too. Not to save usthey got captured. Even the mining gear they were hiding got wrecked. The tentacles, damn things, were the problem."
"If it's our Church..."
"A holy knight came here once."
"...!"
"Shocking sight. They shoved a thin tentacle into the poor guy's ear and wiggled it around. He was fine until then, but suddenly his eyes rolled back, body shaking uncontrollably. Ended up limp and dead. Sounds minor when I say it, but everyone here remembers his screams. No one wants to end up like that."
It was obvious who.
The holy knight reported dead.
A chilling feeling washed over him.
They had used that knight to break these people's spirits.
Anger surged.
Asher suppressed it and listened to the rest.
"...So that's how it is. We just breathe, waiting for death. Sometimes they come and drag a few off. Rations come then... but it's not enough, so we're starving like this."
"Do you know roughly where this place is located inside?"
"No idea. Just that it's in the deepest corner somewhere."
Burbon nodded toward the bars.
"Only one entrance: that one."
That was the end of what they could learn from Burbon.
No more information forthcoming.
The group gathered again to discuss their next move.
Of course, there was only one option.
"We'll break through."
Asher declared.
"Sir Hyzenberg, take point. Nodraw them off. Once they realize intruders are here, their main forces will converge on you. That'll weaken defenses here. Then..."
"You mean evacuate these people. Understood."
"Whahey?! Wait a sec!"
Lubena interrupted.
"Th-then who's protecting us?!"
"Sir Terbion is here."
"No way that scrawny guy can...!"
"He's strong. No need to worry, Saintess."
Satern added a word to ease her concerns.
"No one in the Holy Knights can beat Sir Terbion in sparring. Even the Captain can only manage a draw. He's that skilled."
Versia looked at Asher.
Asher whispered, cheeks flushing.
"Y-you flatter me. Sparring and real combat are different...!"
In truth, using secret techniques could turn spars deadly for several knights.
Satern aloneAsher couldn't guarantee victory; the man's durability was such that even Captain Whale was impressed.
Anyway, it wasn't important now.
Lubena eyed Versia suspiciously at those words.
But no outburst like before.
Though she still spouted nonsense amid it all.
"Hey, she can handle herself just fine alone? The one you need to protect first is me...?"
Why was she like this?
As Asher let out a hollow chuckle, Lubena glared, and Versia replied.
"This is my Saintess."
Her beaming smile only fueled Lubena's anxiety.
Asher secretly pinched Versia's side and shot her a stern glare.
Then he cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"...Anyway, to sum up: Sir Hyzenberg draws attention, and we secure an escape route. Without their main force, we can handle the enemies here."
The only issue was not knowing how many corrupted entities lurked inside.
But it was fine. They'd verified Versia could handle a certain number.
Worst case, he could step in himself.
Asher touched the dagger hidden in his robes.
'I don't use it often, but...'
It was a weapon he'd trained with properly, after all.
He steadied his breath.
With their plan set.
Now came the crucial part: how to start.
At that moment, Versia spoke up.
"But I have a scheme."
Her smile held a distinctly sinister glint.