Volume 6 Chapter 3 Part 1 (2/2)
The man tightened his grip on the object and the ground swelled up, revealing a pathway leading underground.
”This way.”
Wilhelm followed the man down the underground pa.s.sage. The 3 mels wide tunnel they entered continued in both directions.
No light illuminated the dark corridor; when the man closed the entrance, utter darkness filled the surroundings. Only when the man lit the lantern he was holding could they see several mels in front.
The man proceeded without hesitation through the barely lit tunnel. He turned left at a crossroad, right at the next T-intersection.
Wilhelm could not fully understand how the complicated network of paths was connected.
The succession of similar-looking paths coupled with the obstructing darkness would disrupt the sense of direction of any intruder.
Even with Wilhelms sharp senses, he lost track of how much time had pa.s.sed since they entered.
If he lost sight of the man, it would be very difficult to find his way out alone.
Just as Wilhelm thought so, the man stopped in his tracks.
The path that looked like it would continue forever had approached its end.
”Its here.”
The man shone his lantern on a certain spot on the wall and pushed it. This caused the wall to slide and reveal a stairway large enough for one adult man to pa.s.s through.
As Wilhelm proceeded to follow the man up the steps, he had already pushed the ceiling open and was checking the surroundings of the exit.
What the underground tunnel led to was a tiny room. The two men exited it and found themselves in a corridor lined with gorgeous decorations.
”Were inside the Church?”
Wilhelm had no recollection of the place, but the scenery outside the windows allowed him to estimate his current whereabouts.
It appeared they were inside one of the buildings at the edge of the Church compound.
”There are paths leading to the Church strewn throughout this city. Although very few know that this is the entrance.”
”Just memorizing your way through it is pretty impressive.”
”After 30 years of exploration, I know it like the back of my hand. But enough idle talk, let us head to the person awaiting us.”
Despite being inside the Church, there were few people in the surroundings. Wilhelms detection ability barely perceived any human presence around them.
As the two descended several stairs, proceeding as not to meet anyone else, they finally reached a corridor with doors on the left and right sides.
Wilhelm was wondering what the doors concealed, but as the man proceeded straight without paying the slightest attention to the doors, Wilhelm gave up on his mental investigation.
If its unrelated to Millies rescue, then theres no point in knowing.
He had received messages from s.h.i.+ns party while moving, but chose not to open them in front of the man.
After proceeding further down the corridor the two came upon a door clearly different than the others.
The lavishly decorated door, which occupied a whole section as a room, was also where the corridor came to an end.
”Wait here.”
After saying so, the man knocked on the door with a peculiar rhythm, and the door opened by itself.
It stopped after a few seconds, leaving an opening large enough for one adult person to pa.s.s through.
The man then stepped through the opening and Wilhelm followed after him.
The room inside was quite large, its floor rising higher in the back. It looked just like an altar, and Wilhelm was baffled and impressed at the same time that anyone would live in a room like that.
”Milady Hermie. I have brought sir Wilhelm.”
”Well done.”
The man had walked up to the canopy and reported Wilhelms arrival, which prompted an answer from a crystalline voice beyond the heavy curtains.
After a little while, the owner of the voice emerged from behind the curtains and showed herself.
”Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Hermie Schultz.”
”So youre the 'Soothsaying Holy Woman'?”
”I am often addressed thus, yes. However, such a pseudonym has barely any meaning at present.”
Hermies expression clouded. Wilhelms eyes turned to the collar around her neck.
Wilhelm a.s.sumed that the eerie-looking thing was the manipulation item that Jai had mentioned.
”What did you call me for?”
”To return Millie.”
With these words, Hermie opened the canopys curtains wide, revealing a king-size bed and Millie sitting on it.
”Will!!!”
Millie had known Wilhelm had arrived from his voice, and as Hermie opened the curtains she jumped up and ran to him.
Her eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears, Millie grabbed onto Wilhelm.
Wilhelm held her gently as not to hurt her.
”Will-nii, is s.h.i.+a-neeis s.h.i.+a-nee okay!?!”
”Dont you worry, shes as lively as they come.”
Those words spread great relief in Millies heart.
She had heard from Hermie that Ras.h.i.+a was safe, but she could not erase all doubts until hearing the same from someone she trusted.
”Whats happening here, though? You were supposed to have been abducted by that Bulk b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
Why was Millie in a place like that? Wilhelm inquired Hermie while patting the little girls head.
”I and this girl share the same ability. Bulk ordered me to teach her how to control it.”
Teach her how to control it. That alone wouldnt be a problem.
However, Bulk would never give her back just like that.
”Bulk plans to offer her as sacrifice. I suppose he only thinks of her ability as a way to raise her worth as sacrifice.”
Hermie did not know what effect that could have on the ritual. She did not want to know either.
If things continued on as they were, both her and Millie would not be able to escape Bulks grasp.
Having realized that, Hermie took the risky decision of ordering one of her men to bring Wilhelm there, in order to save Millie.
”Sacrifice?”
Wilhelm was surprised to hear a word so foreign to him. He knew of the existence of the Summit Faction, but he thought they were terrorists that attacked without discrimination.
After Hermie explained about the Summit Faction and their activities, faint blue veins could be seen emerging on Wilhelms forehead.
”What insane b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. But I still dont understand why you called for me. You should have known that Im not the only one coming to save Millie, right?”
Wilhelm swallowed his anger and interrogated Hermie again. Why call him specifically, when calling s.h.i.+n or Schnee would have resolved everything faster?
”I am aware that there are others trying to save Millie. But my ability allowed me to see only you and the female elf. And about her, all I could see was very rough and uncertain. Once, I saw you saving a woman called Ras.h.i.+a, and there was a black-haired man with youbut I only saw him that time. My power has its limits, after all.”
Hermie thus confessed her inability to see s.h.i.+n, Schnee or s.h.i.+baid.
Wilhelm knew how outside the norm those three were, so he did not find such a reason hard to accept. Difference in level and status, quality of weapons and armor, superiority of speciesthere were too many possible reasons.
”I see. Thinking about those guys, its not strange that Im the only one you could see. Enough about them though.”
That was all Wilhelm could say at that point.
He too was similar to them as for being outside the norm, but compared to s.h.i.+n and the others he still paled.
”Back to the topic, what do you plan to do now? Even if Millies safe, youll still be sacrificed, wont you?”
Thinking that it wasnt something to talk about then and there, Wilhelm returned to the topic at hand.
”II cannot escape.”
Hermie spoke while s.h.i.+fting her gaze to the ground. Resignation was palpable in her words.
Looking at the source for that feeling, Wilhelm spoke.
”The item that forces obedience upon those who equip it, huh.”
”You knew?”
”I heard from an informant. Looks like its that collar?”
”Exactly. I have only received orders that prevent me from doing certain actions now, so I can move freely to a pointbut if I receive the order, I can do the cruelest things without hesitation.”
Hermies pupils trembled while she talked, her fingers brus.h.i.+ng against the collar. Wilhelm could not know what horrible things she had been forced to do until now.
But judging from Hermies pained expression, it couldnt have been anything pleasant.
”Are you conscious after you receive an order?”
”I amvaguely conscious. I suppose I could say it feels like being in a dream.”
Hermie explained how she wasnt fully conscious. Wilhelm thought that if she was, her emotional state now would be much worse.
”I cant do anything about that thing around your neck. Sorry, but Im going back with Millie.”
”Will-nii!?”
”That is fine. That is not why I had you come here, after all.”
Wilhelms words made Millie raise her voice in disbelief. She was about to appeal to Wilhelm to save her, but then her eyes met Wilhelms expression of suppressed regret.
Hermie understood his feelings and nodded after hearing his words. The smile appearing on her lips was born from being genuinely happy that Millie would be safe.
While feeling Millies gaze, Wilhelm knew he was feeling irritated. There was something he didnt like about Hermies expression.
”Whats up with that face?”
”Eh?”
The sudden question changed Hermies expression from smiling to confused.
Hermie thought that her release of the kidnapped Millie could have been considered suspicious by Wilhelm.
She had expected the possibility of being asked if she was being manipulated and was just trying to make them lower their guard.
Fortunately that didnt happen: Wilhelm agreed to take Millie back without hesitation.
Maybe because she had found some solace in that, Hermie could not understand Wilhelms words immediately.
”Its the face of someone who doesnt care about themselves.”
”if thats what you think, could you please hear my request?”
As she understood Wilhelms words, a thought formed within Hermie.
Maybe she would be able to accomplish the other objective for calling Wilhelm there.
”What?”
”Please, kill me.”
”Lady Hermie!?”
”Hermie-nee!?”
Hermies words were followed by shocked exclamations from the guide and Millie.
The real purpose of the man who brought Wilhelm to take Millie back was saving Hermie.
Hearing the same Hermie ask Wilhelm to kill her would obviously cause him to raise his voice.
”Are you serious?”
”Even if I keep on living like this, I would just cause problems for many people. If I die and Millie disappears from here, Bulks plot will fail too. Because of this collar, I cannot do it with my own hands, soI beg of you.”
”That cannot happen!! Do you want the earnest efforts of all those trying to save you to be in vain!?”
”It will be too late if things continue like this.”
Hermies eyes were resolute as she stated so.
”What have you seen?”
”I hgwah!”
Hermie was about to start talking, when her face twisted into a grimace of pain. Through her fingers tightly holding her neck, Wilhelm noticed the words etched on the collars light up.
”Myapologies. The collar prevents me from saying any more. But if things go on like thisthe Eltnia continent will fall in ruin.”
”.the Demon, huh?”
Wilhelm guessed what Hermie meant to say through her fragmented words.
He was gathering information on Bulk his own way too; his information sources were not limited to Jai.
Among the pieces of information Wilhelm had collected, there were connections between Bulk and the Demon, albeit not confirmed.
”It is a very powerful one as well. If you understand me, please”
”Sorry, but I cant do that.”
Wilhelm cut off Hermies words while patting Millies head, who was silently looking up at him.
(Im not usually one to rely on others, but)
Wilhelm was a seasoned warrior too. The thing that Hermie talked about, something which could destroy the whole continenthe had felt, ever so slightly, traces of it ever since he arrived in Sigurd.
It wasnt within Sigurd itself, but not too far from it, something of unknown nature was beginning to move.
From that supposedly dangerous thing, however, Wilhelm could not feel any deathly presence.
The reason was that until hearing Hermies words, he did not perceive that sense of irritation as something concrete.
But now he understood the reason. He felt that something even larger than the menace Hermie spoke about was blocking it.
There was only one thing he could think of.
”Even if I dont kill you here, that enemy or whatever isnt going to accomplish anything, you know.”
”How can you be so sure!? That is not something mere humans can compare to!”
Instigated by Wilhelms lack of sense of danger, Hermie loudly let out her feelings.
She could not express it in words, but Hermie had seen it through her 'Star Reader' ability. The ma.s.sive shadow emerging from the ritual site, and the destruction in its wake.
Hermie knew that even if she pleaded to the people trying to help her such as the man who guided Wilhelm to kill her, they would never consent.
She had Wilhelm come not only to entrust Millie to him, but also to ask him to kill her.
”If it was only me in Sigurd, it would have worked, maybe.”
The lack of worry in Wilhelms words clouded Hermies expression further.
There was a definite difference between Wilhelm and Hermies reactions to the coming danger.
The cause for this difference was one simple thing. Knowing a certain person or not.
Who could ever predict it?
That the race talked about in myths was now here in this city?
Who could ever predict it?
That he and his comrades were already on the move?