Chapter 87
Mia’s gaze was fixed on the Deputy Priest. Because he was drawing everyone’s attention toward himself, it didn’t seem particularly strange that Mia was staring at him.
Mia tried to use her power to influence the Deputy Priest’s perception. But the more effort she put into it, the more it felt like trying to catch smoke.
The harder she tried to extend her ability, the more distant the thought of planting a suggestion in him felt. A drop of sweat formed on Mia’s forehead and slid down along her temple.
If only I could make him look away just once…
It didn’t need to be a huge, dangerous scene like the barrier she had seen in front of the temple. Something simple, something that could divert his attention for just a moment, would be enough. For example, a wall collapsing, or something exploding… anything that would take a little time to handle without completely changing the surroundings.
Perhaps as a result of her effort, the Deputy Priest’s brows suddenly furrowed. The brief hope that had flitted across her mind when his unshakable sermon paused disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
He scanned the hall as if sensing an invisible threat. When his gaze swept past the three of them, Mia instinctively held her breath.
Fortunately, the suggestion that hid their identities still seemed intact.
Whether it was because the matter was relatively minor and gave him no reason to suspect anything, or because he was too focused on the larger events to care about the “students” sitting in front of him, either way, it was lucky they hadn’t been discovered.
Mia gave up on the futile attempt and focused on the students. Soon, all sorts of insects began crawling over the crystal cups. The dark wings of the insects reflected the light unpleasantly, and their thin legs started swimming in the opaque liquid.
At least, that’s what the students saw.
The effect was fast. It took only a few seconds for the first few to react, and the shock that spread from them rippled through the hall like a stone thrown into still water.
As expected, insects are faster to affect than monsters.
Screaming children were harder to control than those frozen in fear, unable to do anything.
One child screamed and pushed a junior priest aside. Since he hadn’t consciously done it, it was awkward to punish him. With a clink, the cups fell to the floor. The sound acted like a signal flare, sending waves of disgust and terror through the room.
As the students stepped back, chairs scraped against the stone floor. Confused murmurs grew into a discordant chorus of fearful cries.
Overwhelming the senses happened in an instant. The loud noise and the thudding of running feet made maintaining the suggestion increasingly difficult. Every cry and movement placed a mental load on Mia as if it were a physical blow.
Perhaps sensing her weakening will, Amelie approached and whispered urgently in her ear.
“It seems to be working. Please continue.”
Mia gritted her teeth and expanded the suggestion. To the dozens of eyes gathered in the hall, the marble floor must have appeared to crack and split.
Yet even amidst all this, only the Deputy Priest seemed unaffected. If he noticed them, all their efforts would be for nothing, so Mia had to use more power.
The cracks spread like spiderwebs, and more insects crawled through them. The junior priests staggered.
Clang! Numerous cups fell to the floor and shattered. The glowing liquid pooled on the floor.
At the peak of the chaos, the Deputy Priest’s voice cut through the noise like a blade.
“Stop!”
One shout, followed by the staff striking the floor. The crystal Mia had once dismissed as unnecessary shone brilliantly. She could physically feel the suggestions she had painstakingly placed shatter like glass.
Finally, the Deputy Priest’s eyes locked precisely on their location.
“Intruders! Clearly heretics from Etalon, come to corrupt the sacred ceremony of Veridian!”
He pointed directly at them and shouted. Mia’s heart sank as their disguise was blown.
“Run!”
Having used so much power, her hoarse voice could only manage that order.
The three of them dashed toward the door hidden behind the wall decorations. Aleine reached it first.
Kicking the door open revealed a narrow staircase plunging into darkness. A pungent, bitter smell of unknown chemicals reached Mia’s nose.
From behind them, the priests’ commands echoed down the stairs.
“Catch the heretics! They must not continue to disrupt the sacred ceremony!”
Darkness enveloped them. The only light remaining was the torch flickering against the wall.
Having overused her newly discovered ability, Mia’s senses were extremely heightened. Her body trembled violently from the lingering tension and the last reserves of strength.
Since they had fled blindly, there was no way to know what awaited at the end of the stairs. But they couldn’t give up now.
If they failed, it wouldn’t just be her life at risk. Even the lives of the two soldiers with her, and the paths of Etalon and Etienne ahead, would depend entirely on her will.
There was no time to succumb to weakness. Failure was not an option. Preparing for the coming battle, Mia forced strength into her slackening body.
With every step, the air grew colder, and the darkness felt more suffocating. But at least, they were moving toward somewhere unknown. That meant they could uncover new information, find Chloe, and learn more.
There was still hope.
A slim chance, but for now, it was enough.
Mia led the group through the lower corridors of the temple. The path was complex, and darkness and tension made all her senses extremely sharp. The cool, dry air tickled her throat. The faint scent of old parchment and incense lingered around them.
“Are we sure this is the right way?”
Mia frowned at the whispering soldier. She, too, was unfamiliar with this temple. How could she know the correct path?
While it was possible to radiate her sacred power to roughly understand the surroundings, that required mental capacity she couldn’t spare while maintaining the suggestion.
“Since no one we were looking for was along the path we passed, we can at least judge that the probability of them being here is higher.”
Even forming this short sentence took considerable effort. Forcing suggestions on the priests had been taxing.
Fortunately, around the next corner appeared a large door. Unlike the other doors they had passed, this one was intricately carved with symbols of the goddess, indicating a meaningful location.
Mia forced her influence to spread along the corridor behind them, giving the impression that it was empty. Anyone within the corridor’s length wouldn’t sense anything unusual if they came this far. The drug Heron had given them was working; it was the first time she hadn’t fainted despite using this much power.
Taking a deep breath, Mia pushed the door open.
The scene beyond was not what she had expected. She had guessed that anything hidden this deep would be a prison or a special ceremonial chamber, but it was neither chains nor a massive altar.
“A dorm…?”
Aleine asked, dumbfounded. Mia unconsciously nodded. Even without experience in communal living, she knew what a dorm looked like. There was little doubt that this space was meant for student residence.
Why on earth is such a place so deep underground?
Neatly arranged beds lined the walls, each with a small trunk at the foot. Tapestries depicting the goddess’s power hung between tall windows, through which the late afternoon sun streamed.
Wait… sunlight?
This was clearly underground. How could sunlight penetrate this far?
