In another part of the fortress, Theresa spoke sharply to Hegrion.
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“Why are you being so impatient?”
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Hegrion flinched.
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What followed was an apology.
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“...I apologize.”
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A heavy breath escaped his lips.
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He tried to regain his composure, but it was pointless.
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To Theresa, who was nearly unparalleled in terms of wisdom in Elia, his agitation was merely a cute struggle.
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She chuckled and continued speaking.
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“Don’t be impatient. We’ll surely find the Second Prince.”
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Hegrion’s face turned red after hearing Theresa pinpoint the reason for his impatience.
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He swept the back of his neck in shame and continued in a lighter tone.
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“Yes, he is not someone who would get defeated so easily. He is probably up to something somewhere.”
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“So why are you so restless? Are you feeling guilty? As if it’s your fault that the Second Prince was left alone here?”
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Hegrion’s smile faded.
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“...You are not wrong.”
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It felt like a direct hit, and Hegrion felt an ache in his heart.
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“That’s right. I’m so ashamed that I fled, leaving the Prince behind. I regret not staying with him courageously.”
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“But you know such ’what-ifs’ are meaningless, right?”
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“I do. However, the heart does not follow one’s logic so easily.”
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Theresa laughed.
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She found it delightful to see a young man grappling with genuine concern, and it was enough to make her smile even in this gloomy space.
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“Your worries aren’t pointless. Concerns make you grow internally. If you regret it, then work harder not to make the same mistake next time.”
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“Thank you for your wise words.”
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Kkududk—
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As they were having a conversation, a hand reached out from the wall of flesh.
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Having already sensed it, Hegrion swung his claymore.
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Whoosh—!
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“Ah, such bad manners for interrupting our nice conversation.”
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Theresa’s chuckle had an unmistakable calmness.
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“We should move faster.”
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“Will you be okay?”
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“Don’t underestimate an old woman. In my youth, I made a name for myself with my fists.”
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Hegrion looked relieved.
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“Then, if you don’t mind, let’s speed up.”
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“Go ahead.”
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A warm, pink light of divinity emanated from Theresa. Then, it enveloped both of them.
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Hegrion’s eyes widened.
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“This is...”
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“It’s the power bestowed upon me. Don’t worry about losing your stamina. The one I serve is abundant in love and will share that strength with you as well.”
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A grin formed on Hegrion’s lips.
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“I guess I’ll have to send a prayer when we get back.”
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“That sounds great.”
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Hegrion looked ahead once more, and Theresa also readied herself.
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Immediately, red hands sprang up from all around them, and they began to fend them off without missing a beat.
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After walking through a corridor inside the fortress for quite some time, Vera finally noticed something odd.
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“...We’re going in circles.”
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“Yes. No matter how big the castle is, there’s no way it wouldn’t change after walking for an hour.”
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Vera frowned upon hearing Renee’s reply.
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Something was off.
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It was strange enough that they were circling the same spot, but what bothered him more was the utter silence that enveloped them.
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According to the reports, arms should have jutted out of the walls or spirits should have attacked, so the lack of any threat despite walking for hours made his sense of danger soar.
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“Is this Alaysia’s intention?”
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“It must be.”
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Renee’s expression turned serious.
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Her nerves were on edge from walking on the squishy flesh the whole time.
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Accordingly, her thoughts also sharpened, and she made an assumption.
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“It looks like we’ve been tricked. If you think about it, Alaysia probably wanted us here from the start because it would be more advantageous for her.”
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Combining her previous silence, the corruption she had planted in the soldier, and Hegrion’s escape, an assumption emerged.
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It was the assumption that Alaysia’s goal from the beginning was to lure them here.
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“What the hell is she trying to do…?”
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Vera’s tone grew increasingly grim.
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‘Is her goal to eliminate the Apostles?’
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He wondered if she was trying to finish what she couldn’t do to Elia in the past.
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He quickly dismissed the thought.
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‘No, it’s too quiet for that. Moreover, it doesn’t explain why she would lead the Saint and I in circles.’
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They wouldn’t be the only ones like this.
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It was much more reasonable to think that everyone who had entered was also going in circles.
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Vera thought that they wouldn’t resolve anything if they kept walking like this and took out something.
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“Can we stop for a moment?”
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“Have you thought of something?”
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“There’s something I want to try.”
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Renee stopped walking.
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Vera, who also halted, drew a shortsword from his pocket.
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It was none other than Gorgan’s legacy.
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‘The shortsword is an eye.’
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He recalled the knowledge he had learned during his previous battle with Gorgan.
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Using this shortsword, he would be able to see the essence of all things.
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‘I couldn’t see anything from outside the fortress.’
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It was likely that there was some mechanism blocking the power of this relic.
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However, now that they were inside the castle and seeing this flesh right in front of them, it was possible that he could see something else.
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There was the risk of being counter-attacked, but Vera fortunately had a defense for that as well.
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‘The bracelet is a veil.’
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With the bracelet protecting his soul from malicious influences, it was worth trying.
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“Are you using a legacy?”
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“Yes, can you cast a protective spell around us?”
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“...Yes, be careful.”
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He might lose consciousness if he used the legacy, like before, so he had to leave the defense to Renee.
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“...Then, here it goes.”
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Vera gripped the shortsword with both hands.
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He began to resonate his soul with the shortsword in a movement that had now become familiar to him.
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Wooong—
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There was a low hum.
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The moment it overlapped with his heartbeat, Vera stabbed the shortsword into the ground.
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Wham—!
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And so, Vera’s thoughts sank into his subconscious.
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Marie and Friede stopped in their tracks, captivated by a large cavity in front of them.
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“This is...”
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The atmosphere of the cavity was strange.