Chapter 71 – Heretic Saint, Forbidden Nun (4)
11. Heretic Saint, Forbidden Nun (4)
“Let’s retreat.”
“… Yes?”
“Yes?”
It was so difficult to spit out a single word. But I had to. I always thought that my judgment would determine the fate of the warriors’ corps, and even now I thought it would be better to move my legs at this time of procrastination.
“In action.”
“Now, wait a minute, Captain. Are you saying that we should retreat?”
“Uh. I don’t think we can handle it.”
“But…”
Know. Maybe my guess is just a delusion, and even if it’s not a delusion, I don’t think it’s good to go back in a hurry without achieving any purpose. Even in this situation where the nuns are in and you can’t predict what will happen if you leave them alone.
“It is true that we did a great job. But I think it’s reckless for the three of us to do something on such an overwhelming scale. It’s not like I knew it beforehand. This is no longer just about finding one abducted saintess.”
“Captain.”
“Uh.”
“It would be impossible to check only the fourth room right here, right?”
Of course it’s unreasonable.
I started running in reverse the way I had come so far. The rattling of heavy armor soon followed.
**
The church was in an uproar. No, to be precise, the ‘churches’ were in a frenzy.
The combat team dispatched from the Salem branch of the Church of Raella did not return, and the three-member warriors who entered separately came back with stories that were hard to believe…
– Even though there are sisters from the Church of Raella and the Church of Justitia, how can you completely trust the words of the warrior corps led by an outsider!
There were places that expressed this position, but when they submitted blackened necklaces and maps, it became a joint killing.
It was a situation where an emergency meeting was being held with not only directly related denominations such as the La Ella Church, but also denominations that were not related at all.
“According to Hendrick-sama’s words, 1:00 is urgent. Although the skills of our branch combat team are excellent, if they had prepared such a plan, they would have prepared a much stronger force. It would be too complacent to expect them to solve everything.”
“I agree. It’s a waste of time to discuss this, and I think we need to dispatch a heresy squad immediately.”
“If you rush in without understanding their purpose, what kind of sacrifices they will suffer.”
“Then let’s leave it as it is? The nuns now in captivity. What if, even at this moment, the ‘horror’ that they arbitrarily worship is descending to the ground instead of inside the dungeon?”
“Be careful what you say!”
“Have you seen these cowards! Salem may be erased and a second dungeon may appear! If we procrastinate a little longer!”
“Are there any words from Salem Castle?”
“Not yet…”
Messed up It was chaos. Fundamentally, good clergy did not lack assertiveness. He knew how to listen to others, but apart from that, his opinion did not change easily. It was because he had a firm belief in himself. Values changed depending on the deity worshiped.
Thump-
“Quiet—!!!”
Cestia, the organizer of the meeting, screamed. The noisy conference hall suddenly fell silent as she, who normally never raised her voice, blushed and shouted at her.
“Reason? Risks? I’m sorry, but I can’t figure it all out from where I’m sitting here. In fact, until now, we simply thought that the nun had been kidnapped. If it wasn’t for the HAT Warriors’ Corps.”
“What do you mean?”
“Right now, we need to gather our elite forces and dispatch them. Information is immediately gathered there and countermeasures are prepared.”
Cestia spread out the map provided by Hendrick and pointed to one place.
“There are only a few of them drawn on this map, but there are probably six entrances. The HAT warriors entered one of these six places and realized this regularity. I feel really fortunate.”
She took five more shots of the spots Hendrick identified. When she connected the dots, it became a regular hexagon.
“We must enter from six locations simultaneously and thwart the horror cult’s plans. That way you get more information and at the same time you get more distractions. According to the testimony of the warriors, it seems that there are no enemies that are so strong until at least the middle of each area, so the elites of each church should be able to break through easily.”
“Didn’t I tell you that killing the corrupt nuns guarding it could also be part of the plan?”
“That’s something that can be done by dividing the number of people.”
“What next?”
“After destroying each area, we must gather in the center and punish the culprits who caused this situation.”
Heretic Punishment.
Hendrick, who watched from the next room as the dungeons born of fear and the cults established in the city prospered because of it, resolved to destroy the altar of the worshipers of fear, felt strange.
**
“Yes? Sister Cestia herself?”
“Yes. Because I, who has gathered all the denominations, cannot sit here.”
While the church leaders each went to gather their strength, Sestia came to visit. She bowed her head to us, precisely to me.
“Thank you so much for risking valuable information.”
“Yes, what.”
“Hendrick.”
“Yes?”
“Can you accompany me this time?”
“… Yes?”
The mouth is open. The same goes for Kaya and Shay. What is this woman saying now?
“What are you saying now?”
“It will be difficult. It is also true that you have accomplished enough with what you have done now. But… Can you stay with me until the end? Hendrick-sama isn’t following La Ella’s path, but he seems to be getting her attention.”
“What is that?”
Just a few prayers and a few oaths?
“It is not a mouth-watering sound. Actually, Goddess-nim mentioned Hendrick-nim.”
No, Raella! You don’t have to pay that attention!
“I have a hunch that this operation will only succeed if Hendrick and his sisters work together. And if before, only our church prepared its own rewards, this time we will represent the churches in Salem to give out rewards. I’m sorry for speaking like someone who only moves because of the reward, but I hope you will consider it positively. You may think that we are in a hurry.”
In short, I was asking and asking to go to Table.
‘In terms of scale, it is safe to say that it is a large-scale subjugation war that can involve two or more sub-parties, so it goes without saying that the rewards are good. However…’
It seemed like it was going to be tough for some reason. It was like walking into a tiger’s den on his own, no matter how long it had been since he was alive in the dungeon. There was nothing I couldn’t go back to if only the ‘Nun of Horror’ level monsters appeared, but when I entered the ‘central’ area, I felt that a boss level monster would pop out.
I quietly noticed Kaya and Shay. I forcibly ordered the retreat as the situation was, but now I had to listen to their opinions as well.
“Sorry Captain, but I think I have to go. Excluding the issue of compensation, whether or not this subjugation succeeds or fails, if I do not participate, I think there will be a big burden in my heart.”
“I don’t think there is a problem with safety issues either. Cestia-sama asked to accompany you, right? I know that Cestia is the best healing nun in Salem. I don’t think she’ll go through a huge crisis, at least like in the dungeon.”
Rewards are taken as rewards.
She looked at Sestia at Shay’s confident words. She was smiling awkwardly, as if embarrassed.
“This is too much praise from Crusader Shay. But I am confident that she will not be a stumbling block.”
She spoke so modestly, but she didn’t seem to deny it. Isn’t that what you actually admit?
‘Salem’s greatest healing nun? Then it’s a different story.’
“There is one condition.”
“I will listen.”
“While you accompany my corps of warriors, you will temporarily become a member of my corps.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“No, do you know what it means and answer so easily?”
“Isn’t it a matter of command authority?”
“… You’re right. After entering, you must follow my instructions.”
“Okay. It was what I asked for in the first place, so it’s a matter of course.”
She said she was ready to leave at once, and put a small bag around her in the corner.
“Our branch has already dispatched elite members, so we do not have any additional nuns to send. I am actually the only one dispatched from the Church of Raella this time. I intend to work even harder.”
Cestia, who thought her hips were heavy, was a woman with more action than I thought.
“Now, the gathering time is approaching. We’d better leave too.”
“… Is it so. Let’s set off.”
“Yes, Mr. Hendrick. Once again, thank you for listening to my unreasonable request. I will never forget the grace you received from me, the Order, or the HAT Warriors.”
“I’ll come back and take it as a thank you.”
“Whoops. Please take good care of Sister Kaya and Crusader Shay.”
About six hours after we hurriedly escaped after defeating the three nuns of terror, we entered the ‘between heresy and forbidden’ again.
**
“We will break through as quickly as possible to where we entered.”
“Hendrick.”
“Yes, Miss Cestia.”
Hearing Kaya and Shay’s brief reply, he lightly teased his legs. On the way, Cestia spoke to her and answered her.
“You don’t have to speak at length just because of me. It’s temporary, but I’m a member of the warrior’s corps, so please feel free to talk. It will be easier for you to give instructions that way.”
“… Okay. Cestia.”
“Yes. That’s it. Hendrick.”
I felt strange. He looks young, but I felt like I was spitting flat words at my older sister who looked like she was at least in her 30s. She’s not as good as Kayana or Shay, but she’s also quite a beauty, and her body is so full of ‘charity’… Anyway, that strange feeling was blown away by the newly emerging message.
[Cestia]
Race/Gender: Human female
Class: Curing Vestal
Level: 9
Max HP: 24
Attack Power (6) : 15~19
Defense (6) : 9
Speed : 4(3.5+0.5)
Knight Regeneration/Awakening: 15%
Reconnaissance Probability: 33%
Positive traits: Warmth (increases healing skill efficiency by 10%) / Diligent (speed +0.5) / Resoluteness (slightly increases the chance of critical strikes) / Dedicated (Healing skill effect toward self -10%, healing skill effect toward others increases by 10%) )/luck (increases chance of winning rolls)
Negative Characteristics: Erotic (lust for color)/Slut (male colleague mentality increase rate +20%, female colleague mentality decrease rate +20%)/masochism (low chance to receive enemy attacks instead)
‘… What happened to this woman, the nun?’
Are you Laella? Hello? Are you Laella? How did this happen? Yes? You don’t know because you have too many daughters?
Once at level 9, another time at level 6/6 in equipment, and again at level 5 of positive traits, a total of three times, it was her chest that made her look magnificent. It was very reassuring. Shay was not exaggerating when she said she was Salem’s greatest healing nun. She hadn’t seen the skills she possessed yet, but looking at her positive traits, she seemed to be seeing a well-raised healing nun, almost to a tier 1 level. If Shay was a gemstone full of potential, Cestia was a dazzling jewel itself that had already been crafted. But the moment she sees the negative traits underneath…
“Where are you sick, Mr. Hendrick?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Hehe, you seemed to be speaking comfortably just a moment ago.”
‘It’s a femme fatale. It’s a poisoned chalice.’
I wonder if there’s a way to recruit them like Shay, the very small burnt happiness circuit went out before it even burned properly.
