Chapter 88
The students were all going about their daily routines, seemingly unfazed by the fact. Well, after living in the same space for so long, there wasn’t much that could genuinely surprise them anymore.
Mia carefully scanned the room. Some students were reading scriptures at their desks, while others quietly chatted in the corners. Apart from the fact that there were quite a few people crammed into a single room, the scene looked fairly normal.
Probably similar scenes were unfolding in the rooms along the hallway, too.
“Are the students divided between those receiving education and those who are not?”
Even within the educational facility, there were clearly a considerable number of students, and this room, at first glance, seemed full.
It didn’t take long for Mia to notice the difference between the two groups. From their excessive calmness and the familiar features visible in their appearances, Mia once again read the traces of brainwashing. The students she had seen in the educational facility seemed not to have been fully brainwashed yet.
Then, naturally, the students in this room had all already been brainwashed.
The only reason fully brainwashed students could remain calm even when facing enemies in the middle of the dormitory was Mia’s suggestion that made them perceive the students as students. If they recognized them as enemies, things would not end well. So here too, it would be risky to lift the suggestion too hastily.
“Mia? What are you doing here?”
A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. Mia didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. There was only one person here who would know her name.
“Chloe.”
According to Mia’s recent deductions, this was not a face she wanted to see. Despite the urgent letter asking her to come, Chloe looked very flustered.
Regardless, it was a question with an answer already decided.
“Did I not call? I came as requested.”
Mia glanced around at the students, who still seemed unaffected, and added,
“Not just you, but everyone here.”
Chloe frowned and stepped back.
“You’re taking them out? But the priests won’t like it… They haven’t even properly learned how to serve the goddess yet.”
Not having properly learned how to serve the goddess… A person with exceptional faith could say that even without brainwashing. But if Chloe were such a person, she wouldn’t have sent Mia a letter in the first place.
As Mia watched her with a stunned expression, a sudden, ear-piercing sound rang out. It seemed the temple’s security system had been activated. In other words, their presence had been discovered.
“I knew it was only a matter of time.”
Mia pressed her brows and sighed. Amelie was already guiding the confused students toward the door.
“We have to leave right now!”
Mia had always treated Amelie as somewhat incompetent, but this time, Amelie was right. Now that they had been discovered, there was no room to hesitate.
Mia grabbed Chloe’s shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.
“There’s no time to explain, but I’m sure you’ve already noticed that something is off. Follow me. I’ll explain everything.”
Although her words solved nothing, Chloe’s eyes seemed to clear for a moment. A flash of the girl she had first seen months ago in Glen briefly crossed her mind.
Of course, that sharpness soon vanished, leaving only a girl who accepted the situation calmly.
“I trust you, Mia.”
As they hurriedly guided the students into the hallway, Mia’s mind raced. There were many things to consider, and priests were pouring in from all directions. She closed her eyes, focused, and created a suggestion to confuse their pursuers.
In one hallway, they misperceived the direction the group had gone. In another, a suggestion that only servants were there caused the pursuers to hesitate.
Sweat formed on her brow, and her head throbbed. But seeing the blank expressions of the students she was rescuing, giving up was no longer an option. If she didn’t resolve this situation, they could very well have to face these students with swords in battle.
“This way!”
Alaine pointed to a narrow staircase. The half-led students focused their gaze on him.
“There’s no other way but the path we came… To catch them off guard, this is our only option.”
Mia nodded and gestured for Alaine to lead the way.
At the end of the stairs was the kitchen. The chefs and servants, surprised by the sudden intrusion, looked up.
“Better this way.”
It was far preferable to running into alert priests or guards immediately. Moreover, being the kitchen, there was likely a passage connected to the outside to receive fresh supplies, and the staff here probably had lower loyalty to the temple…
Mia couldn’t finish her thoughts.
The quiet background noises—the clatter of utensils and the sizzling of food—suddenly stopped. Dozens of eyes turned toward the intruders. The sea of empty expressions sent a chill down Mia’s spine.
“Oh no…”
It had been a mistake to assume they could rely solely on faith to hold them back, thinking they weren’t important personnel. As soon as she realized this, a sigh escaped her.
“I should have considered that the kitchen staff might be as brainwashed as the students.”
For a moment, all movement in the kitchen froze. Then, as if a trigger had been pulled, an outcry erupted all at once.
“Intruders!”
“They are the enemies of Aetos, as the High Priest warned!”
A young dishwasher screamed in an unusually sharp voice. A servant carrying a large pot joined in.
For some reason, Mia’s suggestion had no effect on them.
Alaine gritted his teeth and drew his hidden sword.
“Silent escape is out of the question.”
Agreed. Mia’s mind raced. She tried to create an illusion to confuse the kitchen staff despite her exhausted power, but her concentration wavered, the image flickered, and it disappeared almost immediately.
A burly chef swung a heavy iron pan and approached them. His pupils were unnaturally dilated, and his focus lost.
“Do you dare interfere with the sacred mission bestowed by the goddess?”
Though his words were appropriately angry, his tone lacked any variation.
“We don’t want to hurt you,”
Amelie stepped forward. She assumed a standard defensive stance, ready to fight.
They had no escape, and the kitchen had many closed doors. While they debated which door to choose, a familiar male voice came from behind Mia.
“The pantry.”
The whisper was oddly calm considering the situation. Mia turned to the man.
“Heron.”
“What about the pantry?”
“There’s an elevator connected to the ground. We’ll have to go up in small groups, but it can hold people.”
“For someone with ill feelings toward the temple, you sure know the structure of the High Temple well.”
“Ah, but knowing the enemy and knowing myself is the only way to secure victory in the end, isn’t it?”
Heron was dressed like the other kitchen staff. Come to think of it, he wore the same outfit when they had met in front of the High Temple.
“Do you work here?”
“Now is hardly the time to worry about trivial matters, Your Excellency.”
Not wrong. Mia’s expression hardened.
“Everyone, this way!”
The door leading to the pantry was nearby. Mia did her best to guide the bewildered students.
If Mia’s suggestion worked correctly, the students would see a student representative leading them. While the suggestion could be applied, its effect could only be confirmed through their reactions, making certainty difficult.
