kscans

Chapter 247 - The Battle for Migul and the Plan to Rescue Augustus

The cell wasn't locked. Augustus was suspended from a ceiling beam by chains, but the shackles on his arms were made of wood.

"Hey, it's really impossible to escape carrying this guy." Riley muttered after shattering the shackles with her claws and seeing Augustus collapse to the floor. I walked to his side to check his condition. He, too, was an elf with handsome features, but his face was now red and swollen beyond recognition. The dignified air he had just days ago was gone. Suppressing the storm of emotions rising within me, I knelt to get a closer look. I reached for him, but he was so covered in wounds I didn't know where to touch. I finally settled on his shoulder and gave it a shake, but he didn't respond. I held a hand to his mouth. He was still breathing, however faintly. I stood up.

"Don't worry, I have a plan."

"Huh? If we try to carry him out, we'll be surrounded before we even get out of the basement."

"Fam came up with a plan for situations just like this."

"That dog-eared girl? She seems like the type to act on emotion. Didn't strike me as a sharp thinker…"

Riley tilted her head and mumbled. I thought Fam would probably hate to hear that from her of all people, but I kept my mouth shut.

"Even if we do get out, where will we go? This guy will die if we just leave him."

"It's fine. The problem is which way to go. To the north is the church where a priestess named Elisha is. But in this situation, I don't know what's become of the church. To the south is Karpana. I don't know much about her 'Sun Priestess' job, but someone among her Wandering People must have a healing class. The only problem is they're outside the city. Getting there will be difficult."

"Again, both options are women!" Riley spat.

As we went upstairs, the soldiers looked at us with surprise.

"Let us pass."

Riley's muffled voice echoed from beneath Ilisarie's robe.

"But…" a soldier hesitated.

"We are conducting a public execution of this man. It will draw out the members of House Starunion who have fled and gone into hiding."

Riley recited her lines as we'd rehearsed.

"But, Lady Ilisarie… your expression seems… vacant. And isn't that blood flowing from your mouth?"

"N-no, this is wine… That's right! The sweet wine of victory! I'm just a little drunk."

A dark-skinned arm, a stark contrast to Ilisarie's complexion, emerged from the robe's sleeve and wiped at her mouth. However, it didn't wipe cleanly, instead smearing the blood and making her expression even more grotesque. Ilisarie was wrapped in a robe that covered her entire body. Her back was unnaturally bulky—the source being Riley, hidden inside and manipulating her.

"L-Lady Ilisarie! Your arm… what happened to it?"

"It's the… the alcohol! This always happens when I drink!"

"And your mouth…"

"Shut up! Why are you pestering me so much?!"

Riley, with her face buried in the robe, had no idea what was happening around her. I needed to give her some kind of signal. Hastily shifting Augustus on my back, I used the hem of my clothes to wipe the blood from Ilisarie's mouth. But fresh blood immediately trickled down again. Ilisarie was dead. There was nothing I could do.

"We're in a hurry! Open the damn door!"

Riley, unable to hide her frustration any longer, shouted. The soldiers mistook the voice for Ilisarie's and scrambled to open the door.

"Damn, I heard the door open, but I have no idea what's going on…" Riley whispered.

"Ilisarie is quite drunk. It can't be helped. I'll support you, so walk straight."

I placed a hand on her waist to guide her. Before us, the brilliant light of the sun spread out.

Once outside City Hall, we stood on the hill and looked down at the city. Just as before, fires were burning in various places. Just then, we heard an explosion, and a new plume of smoke rose into the air. I couldn't tell the state of the battle, but it was clear that street fighting was still ongoing. The southern part of the city was the territory of the dog-eared House Wanland. The fact that fires were breaking out there meant that Marianne's forces hadn't been able to turn the tide. The straight road leading from the stairs was clear of fighting, but using it would be like announcing our location to the enemy. I couldn't risk a gamble on whether we'd be found by Wanland or Leafclout soldiers.

"Let's head for the church…"

I said to Riley.

"The church and the guild… House Airally and the Clovises… have already… taken them…"

The voice didn't come from inside the robe; it sounded as if Ilisarie herself was speaking.

"Riley, you're getting good at that!"

"It wasn't me! You said it! I can't see what's going on! Stop with the stupid jokes!"

Hearing Riley's muffled voice, I cautiously looked at Ilisarie's face. Her golden eyes moved and looked down at me.

"Y-you! You were dead!"

I recoiled and shouted. I had confirmed in the dungeon that her breathing had completely stopped. We had been intimate. Because of that, I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt and sentimentality. But she was one of the leaders of this rebellion. What she had done to Augustus and the other house heads was unforgivable.

"To think you would look at me with such an expression…"

I don't know how she interpreted my confusion, but Ilisarie's lips curved into a faint smile.

"…Just because I died doesn't mean all my functions ceased. I told you. Zeno's magic activates upon the subject's death and continues to move any functional parts until all systems shut down…"

I had thought Zeno's magic was only used on low-ranking soldiers. I couldn't hide my surprise that it had also been cast on someone of Ilisarie's standing.

"So you are dead, then…"

The undead soldiers I had seen before seemed to be moving based on pre-programmed commands, independent of their own will. But she was speaking, trying to convey her own thoughts.

"A difficult question… But this consciousness of mine will also, soon enough…"

Ilisarie's eyelids began to droop.

"Stay with me. If I used healing magic on you now, would you come back to life?"

"Hey! Are you planning to save this woman?! We should just dump her somewhere and be done with it!"

It was Riley who spoke in Ilisarie's place.

"More importantly, pick a destination already. How long are you going to dither?!"

The northern part of the city, the area ruled by the human House Airally. According to Ilisarie's information, with the help of the Clovises, they had taken control of the guild and Crystal Garden, Migul's largest entertainment district, where the adventurers' inns were located. Rinko and Airi, the two transfers summoned by the goddess Luche, had been at my house before the fighting started, but they should have returned there. Their whereabouts were unknown. The church was also already under House Airally's control, and they had left a small garrison before attacking the dwarf-controlled area to the west. Currently, House Wanland was fighting House Leafclout in the south, while House Skynorth was fighting House Airally in the west.

Perhaps it was because we avoided the main streets, but we managed to reach a spot with a clear view of the church without getting caught in any fighting.

"Damn, Ilisarie's face won't work on House Airally's men…"

I had thought Riley and I could break through a few guards. But there were more than ten soldiers there. They wore the same full plate mail as the House Leafclout soldiers who had been guarding City Hall, but they wore cloaks with a different crest. We had broken our two-person-in-a-robe formation, and now Riley was supporting Ilisarie by the shoulder. I, in turn, was carrying Augustus on my back. We were in no condition to fight.

"Riley, you can stop here. I'll take these two into the church."

"Huh? Don't be ridiculous. Do you think I can leave you here after coming this far? Tell me the plan!"

Riley stared intently into my face. The idea of one of us acting as a decoy to distract the soldiers crossed my mind, but I shook my head to dismiss it.

"Sorry, but I don't have a plan. I just want to get these two treated and check if Elisha is safe."

"Hey, you're still trying to save this woman?"

I gave a weak smile, shifted Augustus on my back, and started walking toward the church entrance. Riley tried to stop me by grabbing my shoulder, but she eventually sighed and followed, still supporting Ilisarie. The guards noticed us immediately and surrounded us, their spear tips leveled at us.

"The church is sealed."

"…I see. But they're seriously injured. Please, can't you just let these two in?"

My gaze shifted between Augustus and Ilisarie.

"Sorry, but our orders are to kill any adventurers on sight…"

"Why are you attacking the guild and adventurers?"

"A faction of House Starunion, along with House Wanland and House Skynorth, have betrayed the Empire and are trying to sell out Migul to the Demon Kingdom. In the midst of that, some guy claiming to be an otherworld hero is acting as a spy and inciting them. So, adventurers either die or get quarantined."

"Quarantined where?"

"The Crystal Palace. You'll be staying in the dungeon until the rebellion is suppressed."

I frowned at the soldier's words. They likely hadn't been told the true purpose of this civil war. Fortunately, they didn't react to the faces of Augustus or Ilisarie. They were probably low-ranking and didn't know who they were. Not that it mattered for Augustus, whose face was swollen beyond recognition. No matter what I said, they were unlikely to listen. It didn't seem like any of them had the authority to let us into the church anyway. But with soldiers already behind us, there was no way to retreat.

"Then why are you surrounding the church?"

"Simple. We're waiting for people like you to show up so we can finish you off."

Just as a soldier lowered his stance to thrust his spear, the church doors opened.

"Stop! What in the world are you doing?!"

A clear, dignified voice rang out. Standing there was Elisha, dressed in her priestly robes.

"Stay out of what we do outside the church. Keep quiet!" one of the soldiers retorted.

"It is our sacred mission, bestowed upon us by the gods, to save the injured and the sick. If you intend to obstruct that mission, then from this day forward, the church will close its doors to any plea for salvation you may offer. The same will apply should the members of House Airally suffer injury or illness."

At Elisha's words, the soldiers' spear tips wavered. I couldn't see their expressions through their iron masks, but their hesitation was obvious.

"But we have a mission of our own! Even for you, we cannot let them pass!" one of the soldiers shouted. Elisha nodded at his words.

"Then, how about I come to you?"

She started walking before they could answer.

Elisha gazed at my face and bowed her head.

"I am so sorry. The crystal core you entrusted to me was taken by Clovis."

"…More importantly, I'm just glad you're safe."

I gently stroked her cheek. She squirmed as if it tickled but pressed her cheek against my hand. I could feel its soft warmth.

"To think the day would come when you would say such a thing to me…"

Elisha smiled. Beside her, Riley cleared her throat.

"While you're doing that, these two are going to die. Well, one of them is already dead, but…"

We laid them out on the ground. Elisha gasped when she saw their faces.

"I heard they were hunting otherworld heroes and was worried for you, but Lord Augustus and Lady Ilisarie… What in the world is happening in the city?"

She had been forced to lock down the church during the surprise attack and had no idea what had transpired. I gave her a brief explanation while she cast healing magic on the two of them. Riley looked up at the sky, and I followed her gaze. The sun was dipping low, and the western sky was beginning to glow red. The sounds of battle still echoed in the distance. I wondered what kind of endgame Zeno Leafclout and Ishtvan Airally had in mind. It was surely a plan for a swift victory, but how long did they expect it to take? Were they prepared for a night battle after sunset? And could Marianne repel them?

"…Lord Augustus will be fine."

Elisha's voice cut through my thoughts. I looked at Augustus. The swelling on his face had gone down considerably, but he showed no signs of waking up. He didn't look to be in good condition at all. Sensing my concern, Elisha bowed her head.

"If we were inside the church, I could use the power of miracles…"

Elisha's gaze shifted to Ilisarie.

"I'm not sure about this one. I've closed the wound that went from her back to her chest, but…"

As if to embody Elisha's confusion, Ilisarie blinked her eyes and sat up. Riley and I watched, holding our breath.

"It seems I am in your debt…"

I didn't understand what she meant by 'debt', but I felt a sinister presence and was about to step back when she grabbed my wrist. The coldness of her touch sent a shiver through me. Even though I had asked her to, I couldn't believe Riley had managed to bring her all this way. Just then, with a soft click, the bracelet on my wrist came undone. I pulled my hand away and rubbed my wrist, trying to shake off the creepy sensation.

"That's a rather cruel attitude, isn't it?"

Ilisarie chuckled. I couldn't respond and remained silent. Elisha looked at me.

"You've taken considerable damage as well. Would you allow me to heal you?"

"No… I'm fine. More importantly, I'm leaving this place immediately."

"Where to?" Elisha asked.

"I want to check on the Mateo Trading Company, then meet up with the Wandering People. Augustus can rest there."

Thanks to Ilisarie removing the bracelet, I didn't have to worry about being tracked and endangering them. I didn't know what I could do, but whether I was looking for Levante or not, I felt I could get a better grasp of the situation if I left the city for a bit. I thought I had proposed the best course of action, but Riley sighed.

"Off to the next woman's place, huh? You really are a busy man…"

Next to her, Elisha was nodding.

"Understood. Let us depart at once."

"You're coming too? You'll be caught in the fighting."

"Mash, I have decided to devote myself to you, the one sent by Lady Racshell. Whatever happens, that will not change."

Elisha clasped her hands tightly over her chest.