Chapter 329 - Chapter Twelve: The Island of Wyverns ⑤
"What are you doing?"
The priest's voice is heard.
He seems to be right outside the door.
Most likely, the older brother came to let us know that the priest was coming.
Damn! Just when we had a chance.
I hurriedly signaled the sister and deactivated [Thought Communication].
The door is starting to open, but the older brother is sitting on his backside in front of the door, getting in the way. The priest is banging on it, trying to open it.
"S-Sorry. I tripped. I'll open it now."
When the older brother stood up and opened the door, the priest entered with several apprentice priests.
"What were you doing!"
"My apologies. I tripped."
"Be careful!"
"Yes. I am very sorry."
Anyone would trip. Don't say it so many times. How did you even become a priest like that? You're being annoying.
When the sister stood up and offered the chair to the priest, he sat down as if it were natural, without even saying a word of thanks.
"Priest Jeanne. Look at this."
He pinched a ring and thrust it before my eyes.
The stone is black. It must be a [Magic-Sealing Ring].
"Fufufu. It took some time, but I finally succeeded in making it. How about it? With this, I can seal your magic that harms the wyverns."
He's showing it off boastfully to everyone.
"Ooh!" the people following behind stirred.
Hmph! You can buy those anytime if you go to the Marcelo Company!
I want to shout it, but it's still too early. Anyway, even if my magic is sealed, it's only holy magic and the First King series, so it's only a deterrent.
"Do it!"
He gave instructions to the men standing by.
What's with that attitude, he's just a villain!
I was flipped over and made to wear the [Magic-Sealing Ring].
"Your magic shall be sealed forever!"
At the priest's pretentious password, the ring seemed to react. I have a sensation as if my strength has strangely left me.
"Oooooh!"
The men stirred again.
A [Magic-Sealing Ring] should glow at the moment it activates. They must have seen that light.
"Bind this person to a door board. And place her on the altar in the back. I will perform the prayers handed down from ancient times. And tomorrow at noon, the Ritual of Purification shall be held."
After looking down at the prostrate men, he left the room with a satisfied look.
My autumn/winter Green Marble was stripped off and I was put in work clothes.
The men bound me to the door board and said "Heave-ho" as they lifted it.
The sister stepped forward, but I restrained her with my eyes here too.
There's one night. During that time, she has no choice but to persuade the older brother through writing. Up to this point, except for the [Magic-Sealing Ring], it's within expectations. I had heard from the sister what was likely to happen and had discussed it in advance.
Even though it was inside the hut, two people holding torches led the way, and four people carried the door board. Even though it's a door board, there are long poles on both sides, so it seems easy to carry. The older brother was at the front right.
As I was being carried, the ceiling changed from round logs to rock at one point. It seems they dug a cave and built a hut at the entrance. If it's integrated with the mountain surface, if they cover it with soil and plants when not in use, it won't be found easily. Perhaps the roof is covered with shrubs.
I was carried straight to the back and placed on something like an altar in a wide area.
Two large torches were making a crackling sound.
In front, tapestries of the Goddess and the God of War were hanging.
The priest came wearing priestly robes. Although they are priestly robes, they are painted blue, as is typical of the north.
"Now, prior to the Ritual of Purification, I shall perform the prayers."
The priest stood next to me as I was placed on the altar, and the others knelt behind him. Since the older brother was there and the sister wasn't, it must have been a men-only ritual originally.
The priest took a scroll from his bosom and read the prayer. The men chanted along. The fact that they weren't reciting from memory makes me want to believe it's because they haven't done it for a long time.
The wording was in ancient language, so I didn't understand all of it, but it was to obtain permission from the Goddess and the God of War to offer me to the wyverns. The fact that he specifically read a scroll indicates that it's not recorded in the prayer book. The book of doctrine is likely made at the Great Church on the island. Despite that, it's not included. Ancient people must have made it, but they might have had a sense of doing something they felt guilty about.
When the prayer ended, the end of the ritual was declared.
"This person shall be purified by the wyverns. She shall be placed here until before noon tomorrow to reflect on her insolent life. Therefore, no one shall approach."
Everyone left, leaving me alone.
Will I be eaten by a wyvern just like this?
The Black Dragon Child was taught by its mother dragon that humans don't taste good.
If that's true, it might somehow overlook me.
Damn, if only I could use [Light]...
Both the Water Dragon and the Black Dragon Child felt a sense of familiarity with [Light]. Surely the wyverns will be the same.
After that, Gwyn-sama's search... Since Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama are together, I can have expectations. If only I could call out Dune or Mel.
Come to think of it, leaving Dune aside, Mel could be called by James-sama too. Suppose a message went from Henry-sama's group to James-sama via the Sertorian Royal Palace; how long would it take for Mel to get here?
I'm sure Mel is about as fast as a high-speed bowl, so it would be faster to go pick her up in an ultra-high-speed bowl. From the Finis Royal Capital to the Medioland Royal Capital, it took three and a half hours at ultra-high speed. Since it took about three hours from the Finis Royal Capital to this island, including a break, it would take seven hours in total. If they went to pick her up, it would take fourteen hours for a round trip. Since I was captured before noon, if they departed immediately, they could return to this island tonight. At the latest, if they depart Medioland tonight, they might make it in time. I don't know if they'll move for just one person like me, but it's too early to give up.
While I was calculating like that, I seem to have fallen asleep.
I was shaken awake.
"Priest Jeanne. I'll help you now."
The siblings came together.
The two of them undo my restraints.
"I heard from my sister through writing. As I thought, you were not someone who would kill the wyverns."
Even if only for an instant, he had witnessed the effect of [Thought Communication]. I'm glad I didn't rush and waited for a chance.
"The priest has gone toward the facility outside the island. Now there are only about four guards here. Since two of them are guarding the [Teleportation Circle] in the basement, there are practically two. Let's use them well."
I thought about whether I could persuade them, but the ritual has already begun. It seems the guards are not allowed to talk to the sacrifice when the priest is not there. There are more people in the facility outside the island. I was told we have no choice but to run.
"T-This is terrible. Priest Jeanne has escaped!"
When the older brother made a fuss at the entrance of the room with the altar, the two guards came running with a dota-dota.
"W-What? Is it true?"
The moment they entered, the sister put a kick into one's solar plexus and landed one on the jaw. A complete KO.
"W-What are you doing! Ugh!"
The older brother beat the remaining one with a stick. As expected of Finis. The combat power of a nation where everyone is a soldier is no joke.
When we jumped out of the hut, the older brother shouted "The sacrifice has escaped!" toward the basement, and for some reason, he fell flat on the floor after shouting in a restrained voice. He's pointing toward the darkness outside the hut to the two who came up. Apparently, there are stairs descending to the foot of the mountain.
"P-Priest Jeanne has escaped. P-Please chase her immediately."
He fell flat just like that.
He's not lying.
"D-Damn it! I won't let her escape! Hey, let's chase!"
"Yeah, leave the rest to me!"
When the sister threw a stone toward the darkness, the leaves rustled with a basa-basa.
"That way!"
The two guards ran toward the darkness just like that.
The night forest at the northern edge is hot, despite it being October. (T/N: Likely due to the exertion of running).
No wonder. We're running like crazy.
Since it's almost a new moon, it's pitch black. Because the priest put the [Magic-Sealing Ring] on my finger, I can't use [Light] either.
The guide is the older brother, the apprentice priest. The one pulling my hand is his sister.
We are heading for the Dragon's Altar.
"We can probably gain some time. So, let's go to the ridge ahead of here once, and from there, we'll descend the mountain."
Apparently, the Dragon's Altar is on that ridge.
I thought I might be eaten by a wyvern, but it seems that's not the case.
"Wyverns are similar to humans; they sleep at night and are active during the day. It's the middle of the night now. They should be asleep."
Come to think of it, the Black Dragon Child and the Water Dragon were like that too. Unless there's a reason, they sleep in the middle of the night. Even if they have commonalities in appearance, they are different from nocturnal monsters like wyverns (T/N: Referring to the lesser species), worms, and lindwurms.
He said it wasn't that far from the hut to the altar. However, we must have run on the mountain path for half an hour already. The reason my breath is holding out might be because the cat stone was taken off.
We are running in the darkness, but human eyes are quite something, and I gradually became accustomed to the dark.
We are running on a mountain path, but I became able to distinguish between the path and the undergrowth.
Though, the path is almost straight, and since I'm gripping the rope held by the apprentice priest leading the way, it's no problem even if it's dark. I almost tripped many times, but each time I was supported by the sister.
There is a large rock.
As we climbed up, suddenly, the view opened up.
The star-filled sky was shining so largely and brilliantly that it felt like I could reach out and touch it.
The fact that I can see the North Star on the left means this night sky is spreading toward the east.
Unfortunately, the Star of the Class of 175 seemed to be in the western sky on the mountain side and was not visible.
"This is the Dragon's Altar."
It seems they used a natural rock as it was.
I heard that in the mountains around here, such rocks poke their faces out from the mountain surface here and there, and they seem to have made one of them into the Dragon's Altar.
"Other altars are made of processed flat stones piled up, so they can be recognized even from a distance, but this new altar is raw stone as it is. So you won't know even if you come right nearby."
It must be a secret altar. It seems few even among those who worship the wyverns know about it.
"I can't see because it's dark, but there are four depressions where iron bars can be inserted. That door board also has four holes and is made so it can be fixed. Actually, after the information was brought that Priest Jeanne was coming to this island, it was made in a hurry."
In short, it's for my use.
Most likely, the apprentice priest who recommended that I see the seals brought the information. How thorough.
We decided to rest once on top of this rock. This place is apparently absolutely safe.
"Is there a reason?"
I try asking. There aren't many places that are absolutely safe. First of all, it's the middle of the night in the mountains. There will be monsters too.
"Look over there. Can't you see a large shadow?"
In the direction he's pointing, there's a part where it's black and the stars can't be seen. It must be a large rock.
"The wyverns' nest is right near that great rock."
Eh! Are you serious?
"Even though it's the middle of the night, if you make a fuss, the wyverns will wake up. No one is in a good mood when woken up from sleep. Besides, near the wyverns' nest, there are no monsters or animals."
Recalling when we escaped from the hut, no one was raising their voice. They were avoiding waking the dragons carelessly.
"Could it be that if you're caught by the pursuers, you intend to raise a loud voice?"
"That's right. You understood well."
It's quite a gamble.
"It's okay. Even if the wyverns fly over, you just have to stay still and cling to the rock without panicking. The others will likely run away while screaming, so the wyverns will surely take care of them for us."
As expected of the north. The fighting priest is radical.
The sister brought a water bottle, so we shared a drink. Furthermore, she handed me a chunk of cheese.
I haven't eaten anything since I was snatched away. I said thank you and ate it while chewing slowly, bit by bit. Because if I suddenly gorged on it, my stomach might be surprised.
"After this, we'll descend the mountain along the ridge. We'll reach the foot by dawn. There's a mountain hut there, so let's rest there."
If it goes well, we might be able to ask a hunter for help. And we might run into Gwyn-sama's search party. Light has begun to be seen.
When I steadied my breath and said "Let's go" and got off the rock.
Suddenly, there was a dull sound, and the older brother was knocked down.
A sword is pressed against the sister's throat. In other words, they aren't priests.
"It's just as the priest said. These siblings might betray us."
We were surrounded by several men.
"Were you called Priest Jeanne? If you make a sound, these siblings will be disposed of on the spot. If you don't like that, keep quiet."
They must be villagers. They have a northern accent. I heard that most people on this island have understood the language because they have been connected to various places by sea since before they belonged to Finis. However, they are still accented, so I can only somewhat understand.
As a result of returning to the start, the number of people bound to door boards increased to three. We were bound tightly, and even gagged.
"To forget the debt of being raised since childhood and defile the ritual, what an insolent fellow! You shall clear that sin in the Ritual of Purification! I'm changing the schedule! The Ritual of Purification shall be at dawn tomorrow, the time the wyverns wake up. I'll purify these fellows early!"
The priest said that and left with several apprentice priests and villagers.
This time, three guards were left. All three have swords.
"Are they your companions? They seem to be heroes. They've occupied the altar of our village. But you won't be found. After all, this is the highest mountain on this island. Wyverns have good eyes, so they can see all the way to distant ridges. The village altar is clearly visible to the wyverns. However, there's a considerable distance from here. They won't make it in time for tomorrow's ritual. Give up. Besides, even if they made it in time, there are six wyverns. I wonder if they can win against two heroes who have reached a good age?"
When one of the guards said that, the other two smirked.
"Priest. I've heard your reputation. But wyverns are no good. You mustn't touch them. This village has its own way of living. You should not have come to this island."
This guy...
What 'way of living of this village'! You men have lived comfortably while offering living girls to the wyverns! Don't act so high and mighty when you've lived on top of the deaths of those girls!
Because of the gag, it probably only sounded like fugu-fugu, but the spirit seemed to be transmitted.
The three of them looked down together.