The First Holy Relic
It was the dead of night, just before the turn of the date, when Jing finally arrived in Limis. He hesitated at the entrance to the town, debating his next move. Should he go inside, or return to the forest to look for Ran again? From the mountains all the way to the town, he hadn't found a single trace of him. Though he had ridden hard and called out Ran's name the entire way, his cries had met only silence.
The strange Orc's claim that it had seen Ran in the mountains hadn't been a lie. It had accurately described Ran's appearance, details Jing had never shared. Ran had definitely been in the forest. Yet, the fact that he hadn't answered meant one of three things: he had already escaped the mountains and reached Limis, he had been attacked by wild beasts, or, as Ratel suggested, he had run away.
Given Ran's ability to calm even a panicked horse, it was highly unlikely he would have been quietly eaten by beasts, so the second theory was out. And since there was no way Ran would have run away, only the first assumption remained—that he had already reached Limis.
Yet, his feet felt heavy. Jing looked back several times, casting lingering glances at the distant mountains. Even though he knew it was illogical, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Ran was still out there, lost in those woods.
Upon entering Limis, Jing immediately sought out an inn near the Temple. Since they had agreed to wait at least a day, he planned to rest for the night and head to the Temple first thing in the morning. Dragging his exhausted body inside, Jing bypassed the noisy patrons lingering late into the night and approached the innkeeper.
"Give me a room. I'm alone, so the size doesn't matter."
But the innkeeper only narrowed his eyes, staring at the coins Jing offered.
"What is it? If there are no rooms, just say so. I'd like to turn in early tonight."
"No, we have plenty of rooms. Plenty... but, if you don't mind me asking, where are you coming from?"
"Does my answer determine whether I get a bed or not?"
Sensing Jing's irritation, the man quickly waved his hands in apology.
"No, it's not that! The truth is, a few hours ago, two people from Lucha Village were dragged away by the Temple knights. I had to refund every single coin they paid me. I only ask because if you're from Lucha as well, the Temple might come calling for you too."
As the innkeeper's explanation dragged on to avoid offense, Jing's face contorted.
"By any chance, were the ones dragged away a young man and a young woman?"
The innkeeper nodded, wide-eyed with surprise. "Yes, exactly! One man, one woman."
"And they were dragged to the Temple? They didn't walk in of their own free will?"
When Jing showed such intense interest, the innkeeper frowned in confusion but continued. "The knights just burst into the inn out of nowhere, demanded the guests from Lucha Village, and hauled them off. Because of that, I lost out on the rent for two whole rooms."
Jing snatched back the coins he had offered the grumbling innkeeper and slipped them back into his pouch.
"Oh? You're not staying tonight?"
The startled innkeeper stared at Jing's bag with regret, but Jing shook his head.
"No, I'll pass. I'll be back later."
Leaving behind the disappointed innkeeper and the lodging, Jing kicked open the inn door and stormed out. His destination was the Temple. Dragging them away by force was no way to treat the tournament champions.
Lia and Ratel slowly descended the stone steps leading underground, flanked by knights. To be precise, Ratel was walking under the threat of a sword pressed against his back, while Lia was slung over a knight's shoulder.
They had already passed through several doors and crossed multiple bridges, yet the staircase seemed endless. Hanging upside down over the man's shoulder, staring down into the abyss, Lia panicked once more and began to thrash.
"Mmph!!! Mmmph!!!"
She squirmed and struggled, trying to scream past her gag, but no one paid her any mind.
"Stay still. Stop making a fuss."
Ratel, who hadn't been gagged because he had surrendered quietly, offered her some dry advice.
"Mmmph!!!"
Infuriated by his nonchalance, Lia tried to kick him, but she was quickly pinned down again.
"Damn it, someone else take this wild filly. She won't stop squirming for a single second."
Losing his temper, the knight carrying Lia dumped her unceremoniously onto the stone floor.
"Stop that! These are the ones sacrificing themselves for our sake. We must show them respect until the very end."
A sharp voice rang out from the rear of the line. It came from a priest who looked ready to collapse at any moment—the Thin Priest, sent down on Priest Blat's orders. A flicker of annoyance crossed the knights' faces, but they quickly masked it.
"Apologies, Father. We will pick her up immediately."
Realizing their slip, the knights hastily hoisted Lia back up.
"Mmmph!!!"
At the mention of a "sacrifice" she had never agreed to, Lia thrashed even more violently, twisting her body in protest. Watching the knights struggle to handle her, Ratel stepped closer.
"What? If you're trying to help your friend..."
Before the knight could finish his sentence, Ratel slammed his forehead directly into Lia's.
Smack!
"Aaargh!!!"
With a sickening crack, Lia let out a muffled shriek and instantly went limp. Leaving the stunned knights gaping, Ratel turned back around.
"She's knocked out. Just carry her."
"Do you... do you not realize what is about to happen to you?" Dumbfounded by Ratel's brutal efficiency, the Thin Priest stared at him in sheer disbelief.
"I know. You're going to kill us. Isn't it better to go out without feeling any pain?"
The priest's face stiffened at the boy's calm, indifferent response. "Are... aren't you afraid? You don't even know what lies down there."
"What indeed? Why is the executioner more terrified than the condemned?" Ratel deliberately pressed the weak-willed priest, testing what he knew.
"Shut your mouth, brat!" The knight behind Ratel shoved his sword closer, the cold steel brushing against his neck.
But the Thin Priest raised a hand to stop them. "No, leave him be. He deserves to know why he must die." He glanced around warily, then lowered his voice to a whisper. "We are heading to the chamber of Sierra the Great's Holy Relic. You two are to be sacrificed to it."
"Is what's down there really Sierra the Great's Holy Relic?"
At Ratel's question, the priest nodded solemnly. "You are dying a glorious death. You are dying for God. So, you have no reason to resent anyone."
Watching him mutter as if chanting a self-soothing mantra, Ratel tilted his head. "Did Sierra Abaran himself tell you that? To feed people to his relic?"
"Since the divine relic has begun to consume humans, that too must be the will of God."
"It started consuming humans?"
As Ratel repeated the words, the priest's face turned stark white. "Since you die for God, you will be rewarded in the afterlife."
Ignoring the priest's unprompted reassurance, Ratel pressed on with his next question. "If it's that dangerous, is it really safe for a priest to tag along? Are you being sacrificed too?"
The Thin Priest practically jumped out of his skin. "What nonsense are you spouting?! Only you two are being sacrificed! There is a sealed chamber below where the Holy Relic is kept. We are only going to push you inside."
Having blurted out the horrific truth, the priest gasped, clapping both hands over his mouth in shock at his own words. He stole a glance at Ratel, only to realize the boy's face wasn't twisted in terror like all the others before him. Instead, one corner of Ratel's mouth was curled upward in a smirk.
Has he lost his mind? Why is he smiling?
As the priest stared blankly, Ratel asked his final question. "So, as long as we have someone who can open the door, we can see the relic?"
Unable to grasp the implication, the scrawny priest flinched as he met Ratel's gleaming golden eyes.
"Then we don't need the rest of them, do we?"
Cowardly as he was, it didn't take long for the priest to realize what those words meant.
Thud!
Ratel whipped his leg around and kicked the knight standing right behind him. Without even a chance to scream, the knight tumbled backward down the steep stone stairs. The heavy clatter of armor slamming against stone echoed through the shaft, followed shortly by a dull thud as he hit the bottom, accompanied by a choked groan. The bottom was closer than it seemed.
"Looks like we're almost there."
The priest stared dumbly at Ratel, utterly bewildered by his sudden change in attitude. "Y-You... what do you think you're doing? How dare you, in front of a priest..."
He stammered, backing away while repeating useless threats that held absolutely no weight to Ratel. In the meantime, Ratel had already sent the remaining two knights plunging down the stairs. He turned his gaze back to the trembling priest.
"Lead the way. To this Holy Relic of yours."
The marching order was rearranged. The priest led the way, followed by Ratel and Lia. The sword that had once threatened Ratel's back was now pressed firmly against the priest's spine. Feeling the sharp tip of the blade threatening to pierce his robes at the slightest hesitation, the scrawny priest hurried down the stairs.
"Um, Ratel? I'm really grateful you saved me, so I'll forgive you for headbutting me. But why aren't you untying my hands?" Walking beside him, Lia asked with a deep scowl. For some reason, while Ratel had readily removed her gag, he had left her hands bound tightly behind her back.
"I'll untie them when the time comes."
There was no further explanation. Annoyed by his blunt, uncooperative attitude, Lia pressed him again. "Then can't I just go back up? Since I can't use my arms, it seems way too dangerous for me to go down there."
"No," Ratel replied without even looking at her.
"Why not?!"
"Because once you see what's down there, you'll only get in my way. You might even try to call for help."
"Why would I get in your way?" Lia demanded, but Ratel only stared down at her in silence. He simply muttered for her to wait quietly outside when they arrived, then shut his mouth.
Meanwhile, they reached the bottom of the stairs. The vast underground space was lined with rows of ancient, cell-like chambers. Ratel gave the priest's back a light poke with his dagger. Flinching, the priest pointed a trembling finger toward the very end of the corridor.
"I-It's over there. If you open that stone door, what you are looking for is inside."
Ratel grabbed the priest by the arm and dragged him to the door. "Open it," Ratel commanded, drawing the sword he had confiscated from one of the fallen knights.
With shaking hands, the priest produced a key. Soon, with a heavy clatter, the massive stone door swung open. A light far different from the dim flicker of candlelight leaked from within, but Ratel stepped inside without a moment's hesitation.
And there, he came face-to-face with the first Holy Relic.
The sword of Sierra Abaran, glowing with an eerie, mesmerizing light.