Chapter 59: The Wind Blows (1)

With this, the first objective, ‘enter the shrine without clashing with the priests,’ was a great success.

There was a very minor problem along the way, but we got in secretly, right?

We hurried away from the entrance and headed for a dark, deserted corner.

Then, with the help of the light magic cast by Lily, I took out the map from my pocket and spread it out.

“Let's check one last time before we make our move.”

It was a map of the shrine's interior, which I had received from Ethesia.

“The place we need to go is here, the ‘Room of Blessing’. This is where the ‘core’ is.”

I pointed to the very center of the map.

“To get there, we have to go down to the basement through these stairs. And this is where we are now, near the entrance, so──”

Then I turned the finger that was pointing at the map and pointed to a nearby path.

“──There. We should be able to go that way.”

Seeing that the three people, except for Ibi, had nodded their heads, I folded the map and put it back in my pocket.

It wasn't just the priests outside whose numbers had doubled.

So you could say there were priests in every path we were taking.

“Got it? If we get caught, our top priority is to run, not fight. And if we are forced to fight, we must not kill anyone. We have to knock them out, understand?”

Of course, it's best not to run into them at all.

I added.

“Now, let's move.”

This place, the 「Shrine of Wind Canyon」, could in fact be called a kind of dungeon.

Just with priests instead of monsters.

Priests were patrolling to protect the core at the very back of this shrine from intruders, and traps were also installed in places where priests rarely went.

There were even ‘rest rooms’ that the priests used from time to time.

It's not a ‘treasure chest’, but there are also warehouses where things are stored.

So, it means that it's just playing the role of a dungeon, with only the enemies being different.

In fact, most players also classified this place as a dungeon.

In other words, there was a ‘pattern’.

And I, through countless repeated plays, had mastered that pattern.

Thanks to that, I had a rough idea of which path, at what timing, and how many priests would pop out.

That was the same even in a case like now, where this shrine── no, this dungeon had entered a ‘state of alert’ by triggering a certain trigger.

That's why we were able to cautiously advance through the corridors, quickly hiding whenever priests appeared.

But there were also ‘gates’ where that was impossible.

The first of those gates was the stairs, the only way to go down.

We had managed to come this far without being seen by the priests, but those three priests would not leave the front of the stairs until their replacement arrived.

So it would be impossible to go down the stairs without being seen by them.

Therefore, in a case like this, there was no choice.

“Nan nan nannannan nannannan.”

But to reveal myself.

“……?”

“Wh-What…?”

Even though this place was treated as a dungeon, unlike the monsters that would immediately become hostile and start a battle the moment they came into view, the priests here didn't immediately enter a battle just by being encountered.

First, a ‘dialogue’ would be initiated, and then a battle would start, calling you an intruder or something.

In short, before that dialogue is initiated, they are treated as neutral NPCs.

“Nananananananananna.”

Which means luring them with a [Performance] works very well.

“This song, what on earth is it…?”

“It's as if… the god is calling us……”

Sure enough, the three priests, following their DNA-engraved instinct (program), began to slowly walk towards the corner where I had started my [Performance].

At this rate, they would soon find me, and as soon as the [Performance] was over, a dialogue would be initiated and a battle would begin.

If my companions, with their footsteps silenced, were not circling behind them while I was drawing their attention.

“This is surely, the call of the god── Oof!?”

Ibi, in an instant, wrapped her arm around a priest's neck and choked him.

At the same time, Miki swung down his shield, which he was holding by both ends.

“What──”

The last priest, who had belatedly reacted and turned around after seeing the two priests next to him being attacked and falling.

『──Become mine.』

“…!”

Was 「Charmed」 by Lily, who had gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Ah…”

The ‘charmed’ priest, unable to even scream, just stared at Lily, dazed.

At that, Lily immediately covered the priest's eyes with her hands, and then.

『Sleep.』

Cast 「Sleep」 and put him to sleep.

Both were magics that were not in the divine magic that priests used, but for the succubus Lily, they were skills that she had practically been born with.

So-called ‘racial traits’.

And so, we, who had successfully put all three guards into an ‘unconscious’ state, first hid them in a place where they wouldn't be seen, and then hurried down the stairs.

There were more priests roaming around in the basement.

Since it was the floor with the ‘core’, the security had become that much tighter.

Therefore, since it was difficult to avoid all the priests' eyes like on the ground floor, this time we chose a path that they rarely used, which had traps installed instead.

Because we had specialists in trap detection and disarming.

Since the traps were installed by priests, the types of traps were mostly [Magic].

“It's on that floor.”

So when Rine detected it.

“Confirmed.”

Ibi would disarm it with her [Finesse] and we would advance.

And I could give a buff to those two's die rolls.

『Rine, you're a god-level mage.』

“…? Thank you.”

However, since playing a song, no matter how deserted it was, still had the risk of being discovered, I used 「Encourage」 instead, which had no lasting effect but could produce a similar result.

『Ibi, you're, no matter what anyone says…』

“Shut up. I can't concentrate.”

“Yes, sir.”

Such a shy person.

And so, after finding and disarming a total of three traps, we finally reached the second gate.

A place where it was impossible to pass by without being seen by the priests, just like the stairs.

And in this case, it was literally a door.

The one that led to the ‘Room of Blessing’.

The number of priests guarding the door this time was six.

Exactly twice as many as at the first gate, the stairs.

Therefore, it was impossible to take them down one by one due to the number of people.

If we used the same strategy as before, we would not be able to avoid a battle.

In other words.

“…?! What are you guys!”

This time, it was time to solve it with ‘dialogue’.

Seeing the four of us suddenly appear, the priests were greatly flustered and were about to shout.

“Intrud──”

“Wait! Calm down!”

As befits NPCs who were guarding an important place, unlike the other priests in this shrine who would just give a signal to start a battle, even if it was called a dialogue, we could actually have a ‘dialogue’ with these ones.

“We are people who have been hired by the Grand Priest himself to check the state of the ‘blessing’.”

“What? What do you mean──”

--

[Deception]

Difficulty 25

--

“That’s… ridiculous……”

--

CHA Modifier +25

Happy

--

“……Really? The Grand Priest?”

--

Success

--

“But you… are not priests…?”

“No. The Grand Priest had no choice.”

“What do you mean?”

“He said he had received intelligence that there was a traitor in this shrine.”

“Wha──”

“Nonsense! A traitor!”

The priests' reactions were divided in two.

“Don't talk nonsense!”

Three people who were enraged, saying that it was impossible, and.

“Don't tell me, really……”

Three people who seemed to be considering the possibility, as if something was bothering them.

“…Alright. Then first, I'll contact the Grand Priest myself to confirm──”

“It's an urgent matter!”

When I shouted, the priests flinched.

“We have to go in right now! The ‘blessing’ might already be in danger!”

“Wh-What…?!”

--

[Intimidation]

Difficulty 22

Great Success

--

After much deliberation, the priests opened the door for us.

Instead, one of the six went to confirm the truth of my words, two stayed to guard the front of the door, and the remaining three priests went in to watch us.

Coincidentally, they were the three who had been enraged by the mention of a traitor just now.

Kiiik──

Finally, the large door opened, and the moment the four of us and the three priests finally set foot in the ‘Room of Blessing’,

--

Main Quest

「Carrying You」

Enter the ‘Room of Blessing’ without engaging in combat. (Optional)

--

The ‘additional objective’ of this quest was achieved.

Now that we had set foot in this room with the core, it didn't matter if the priests in this place belatedly discovered the ones hidden in an ‘unconscious’ state near the stairs, or if they confirmed the facts of the [Deception] I had just made.

The goal of entering this room without a battle was achieved, and.

“That’s…”

With this, the trigger was pulled.

“The 「Blessing of the Wind God」…!”

And we saw.

In the middle of the room, something in the shape of a large monument was shining beautifully.

You can tell at a glance.

As you can see, it is not ‘losing its light’ at all.

Not broken, not contaminated.

It is standing in its place, faithfully fulfilling its duty to form the wind vein of the wind that blows in the Daian area.

“…It really is fine?”

That 「Blessing of the Wind God」 is in perfect condition.

In short, Grand Priest Mistral's claim was not a lie.

At least, there was no problem with the ‘core’ that was being protected in this shrine.

At the beginning, I said that this shrine was practically a dungeon.

And we have just reached the ‘end’ of this shrine.

In other words, it was now time for the boss battle.

──Kuung!

As if to prove this, the open door suddenly slammed shut.

“So you did have a basis for your boast.”

Then a voice began to be heard from somewhere in the room.

“When you suddenly increased the number of priests guarding this place, I thought you were just idiots.”

But, it was a voice we had all heard before.

“To think you would actually come all this way without causing any commotion. I'm honestly surprised.”

“You are…!”

And the face that soon appeared from the darkness was also a familiar face.

“Actually, I was hoping you would cause a bit more of a commotion.”

Of the young man in uniform.

The soldier we had met in the square, who had guided us to the council.

Because if we had successfully entered this (boss) room without a single battle, he was the ‘hidden boss’ of this place who would be hostile to us in place of Grand Priest Mistral (who would have come running if there had been a battle).

“──Freeze.”

And really ‘coincidentally’, the three priests who had entered this place with the four of us began to point their swords at my companions.

“Don't try anything funny.”

Just like this soldier, who had quickly come to my front and held a sword to my neck.

“…Fast. I couldn't even see you.”

“You'll have to come with me.”

The man said in a nonchalant tone, as if he had no interest in my praise, which I had thrown in as I raised my arms in a gesture of surrender.

“Where to?”

“I won't harm you if you come quietly.”

“Really?”

At those words, I couldn't hold back the dry laugh that escaped me.

“It's just a matter of location, you're going to harm me in the end, aren't you?”

The young man, once again, did not answer my question and just continued with his own words.

“The four of you…”

It was then.

“…? Wait.”

Seeing him, who seemed to have just noticed, I raised the corners of my mouth.

Right, ‘four people’.

From the moment we first revealed ourselves to the priests at the door until now, it had been just ‘four people’ who had entered the ‘dialogue’ scene.

“Why bother to go somewhere else to kill me?”

But.

“Let's just kill and be killed here.”

‘We’ are ‘five people’.

By the time the young man noticed, Rine was already behind him, pointing her staff at him.

With her 「Presence Erasure」 magic, which had allowed her to enter this room a moment later without being detected by anyone, while all the priests' attention was focused on the four of us in ‘dialogue’, dispelled.

“This──”

“Rine.”

──Kwaang!

A roar echoed.