"Now... Where shall I begin with...?"
I entered the church and I had no clue what to do next. The area was massive!
Curna and Neulon went other way. It was dormitory and there could possibly be more there than the main building.
But if there was to hide, it would surely be in church as it would be less suspicious. Furthermore, the main building has numerous exits making it easy to escape in case of emergency. One of the exit also connect church to dormitory.
As I searched for any clue and scanned my surrounding I felt footsteps approaching. I hid myself behind the nearest pillar.
It was a lady. She held a candle and with her were few knights.
𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵... 𝘐𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦—
"It's okay... You can leave now,"
"As you say, Your Holiness."
With that, knights left and went wherever the world know.
It was the same lady, or rather girl, I sort of acquainted to during Reena's treatment. Furious one...
As the knights disappeared, Priest scanned her surrounding in a rather comical manner.
She then blew off the candle.
𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩.
Once sure of none, she started moving. Her moments were diligent. With high pace yet making no sound, she keep walking down her path.
I followed her. Only wondered what made her so guarded. In this Church, what could it be.
Priest's footsteps were silent and so was the room. Even a slight hard exhale could blew away my cover.
Though she tried her best to be cloak, I could presumably say she don't know a thing. Doesn't seem much observant at all. In fact, I too deliberately hide my presence in much qualifying manner.
I keep following her until she stopped right after turning near wall.
She looked around, scanning her surroundings...
𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨...?
Then as if she tapped on the wall, stood there.
Moments later, a part of wall sunken in itself. Priest then entered the space and disappeared.
After a bit delay, I approached the wall and stood right where Priest was.
I extended my hand and examined the wall.
𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘩𝘮𝘮...
𝘈𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴!
There was indeed a hidden button.
As I examined the wall I felt the odd on wall. Slight push and I could hear a faint sound from the wall. After a moment, wall sunken and there was a way for me.
"Let's see what it leads to..."
There were stairs going down. As I took a step, door behind me closed.
I step down and followed the path. There were torches buring yet it was dark.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴...
I finally reached down and encountered door. I peeked through keyhole to see if I could actually see through. Fortunately, I could.
I scan what could possibly lie in the range of vision.
It was dark... Few torches, lighting enough for one to see in dark.
The place seem rather shady. There were all kind of stuff. It seem to me like a store room. At least, that's what I could say.
I opened the door, carefully, hoping it do not make any entertaining sound. It didn't...
...𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘥.
I sighed as I entered the room, or rather, it was pretty huge to be considered a room.
First task was to negotiate only then can I freely explore.
I scanned the room. Bookshelves with numerous papers, cleaning brooms, tattered clothes... all sort of mess.
I reached out for a file among the bookshelf. Apparently, it was not of any use. Just contained some old articles about this and that events in capital, mostly festival and celebration highlights. But,
𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦... 𝘖𝘳 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴.
Papers were definately old, but one could tell that someone has been thorough the files before not too long ago.
As my eyes wandered around the room, I heard a noise. As if something with more surface area was put against the floor or a surface.
I searched for the source, in the direction of sound. As I marched, sounds got louder and louder. Not that, a normal human could hear though.
I reached the end of the room and there was a turn by bookshelf. Peek, I finally found the girl.
She seem to be invested in herself.
In hastiness but careful manner, she was going through all sort of files.
"Tsk, it's not even here..." She was clearly irritated by the fact that she could not find what she seeks for.
Priest turned around and searched for whatever she was looking for in cabinets.
𝘏𝘮𝘮... 𝘓𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦...
I scanned my surrounding one last time.
𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸... 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.
Decided to invade her, I took my first step towards her. I made it too obvious.
Sensing a presence behind, she turned. At that moment, I picked up the speed.
I closed the distance between us.
Astonished by my approach, she was unable to comprehend and stood still in freeze mode.
"Wh—?! Ugmhhh!!"
That's when using my right hand palm, I covered her mouth, and pushed her against the wall. I used my left hand, put it at back of her head.
Her breathing rate must have skyrocketed as I could feel her warm exhales on my hand.
I could see terror in her eyes as I pinned her against the wall. Then I slowly backed off my hand which was between her head and wall. Rather, I used it to replace my other hand.
I gripped her throat, strong enough to prevent any voice from her to escape but let her breathe.
At that moment, her defensive mechanism have finnally kicked in as she realised what actually happened in a split second.
I removed my right hand and distanced myself arm length away from her, while held her with other hand... In case she try to resist or any fancy moves so there would be enough room for me to do the job.
She was starring at me with her wide eyes so decided lower the pressure.
"There is nothing in resisting. You dare to make a fuss and I will snap your neck or maybe bash your head into the wall... You understand?"
She lightly moved her head in agreement.
I scanned the room. This priest just upheaval everything which makes it harder for me to investigate.
I then turned my face to her,
"What are you doing here?" I asked, in commanding manner.
"I-I, I won't s-say anything..." She barely managed to utter words.
I peered into her eyes,
"You... Are you trying to buy some time?"
"...H-Huh?"
𝘕𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥...
There was nothing in it for me to bother about, I could tell by her face.
If anything, I would like to wrap this up early.
As I was invested in my own world, priest uttered few words.
"...S-So, you're in this too, huh?... No doubt."
"What you said?"
I relaxed my back a bit but I closed in to priest.
"Say it clearly, I ain't got you?!" I said in an intimidating manner, right to her face.
She pulled back a bit but nowhere she could go.
"Heh, I-I understood it very well, the very moment I saw you for the first time...!"
"Oh, is that so?"
"Y-You, you are with them! All the disturbance in the Kingdom... All those ambushes, You were involved! Were You Not?!"
"It seem to me, you know a lot don'tcha!"
At my words, priest laughed rather provocative manner.
"H-Heh... I can smell it from you... You scoundrel!"
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘨?
"I wonder how figured that out... I don't remember slackening."
"Sorry, but it's just that. I got a great skill of appraisal when it comes to judging people!" She said, proudly.
𝘖𝘩 𝘯𝘰, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵...
"Is that so...?"
"Y-You are a fool after all... No, not just you but your entire syndicate are just bunch of fools!"
And she started to diss me...
"You fool, couldn't you get it already. I am here for a special reason... I am aware of all the insides and I am well aware of your wrong doings, and by the time you people realise it, you all will be in dust. Just wait you brutes, I will make sure to pay every debts dearly!"
At her bold claims, I could not help but blink in astonishment, and relaxed my shoulders a bit.
𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴... 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺, 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.
Then, I just tilted my head, lazily... And sighed.
"...!"
. . . . .