episode_0160

159.

“…That’s how it happened.”

A grand chapel, filled with solemnity and decorum. Erina, standing at the pulpit, finished the now-familiar service and added a few words. She subtly avoided mentioning the inherent danger. Hanna, regaining her composure, listened quietly.

Most of the congregation was out working, but she trusted they would get the message.

Reactions varied. Most wore worried expressions, but some shone with interest. There were, undoubtedly, those who were scared. After checking everyone’s reaction, Erina spoke again.

“So, I’ve decided to head to the ruins in this region. I intend to take some people with me.”

Several people raised their hands, volunteering.

“Thank you. But I’ve already made my selections. I’ll call on those who are needed later. Of course, refusal is always an option. While the task isn’t particularly dangerous, some risk is involved.”

After prior consultation with Prim, Titania, and Hanna, among others, she had already chosen her team. Given that each parishioner had their own duties, mobilizing everyone was, naturally, impossible. Bearing this in mind, the selected members were, unsurprisingly, based on those she had befriended early on in her journey.

“Alright, everyone, that’s all for today’s service. You are dismissed.”

““Yes!!””

Even as they busily left the chapel, order was strictly maintained. Quietly watching them leave one by one, a rarely seen face caught her eye, prompting her to call out.

“Rollin!”

Her dwarven heritage made her inevitably noticeable, but Rollin had been spending a lot of time alone, excavating a mountain, resulting in minimal contact. Although she claimed it was related to her ancestors, Erina simply took it at face value.

At Erina’s call, Rollin came trotting over, slightly embarrassed. Though she hadn’t said anything, she seemed to have secretly hoped to be called upon.

“Uh…uhm… What is it?”

“Do you have a moment?”

Her face turned crimson. The question about her time implied a certain… proposition. Thinking about that unique something that could never be replaced, she felt her own body heat up.

“O-of course. A-anywhere… h-here?!”

She had attended the service precisely for this reason. Aside from the service itself being somewhat rewarding, she had been anticipating this moment, and it appeared everyone else present felt the same.

“Here? Oh, no, I wanted to ask you something.”

“……!. Oh, alright. Ask away.”

“Do you happen to know much about the ruins?”

“Ruins?”

Her flaming face quickly returned to normal. Her eyes shifted, ablaze with avarice, as if her racial instincts had been awakened.

“You see, near here, there are some incredibly old…”

“……Hmmm.”

Rollin pondered for a moment, then snapped her fingers.

“Ah, that structure. It’s a little different to call it ruins.”

“Different?”

“At first, I thought it was built by my own kin. Our magnificent architectural prowess would surely have continued through the generations.”

Like Titania and the succubi, Rollin was an individual who had appeared across time. The circumstances remained unclear, but that was the result. Acknowledging this fact, she realized she wasn’t tracing the footsteps of her ancestors, but rather investigating those of her descendants, a rather delicate position. That’s why her movements became somewhat relaxed.

“But, it’s not of our style. Not only that, it’s unlike any existing architectural style. In fact, that kind of ore doesn’t exist in nature.”

“Aren’t many tools made by mixing various materials…? It could be something unique to this region, made in that way, right?”

“That possibility is extremely low. This era is an unfathomably distant future to me, but this technology is even further ahead.”

“…….”

Erina vaguely suspected that the current timeline was significantly altered by something. She had sensed it in her first encounter with Hanna, and the ruins at that time also felt like a fragment of future technology, making it more difficult to deny.

“Are you done with your questions? Because, I have a request of my own… ”

“Ah, just one more. I’ll plant a seed nice and deep inside your womb.”

“…gulp.”

“Have you heard of the phenomenon, ‘dissipation’?”

Given Prim and Titania’s incredibly long lifespans, it was possible Rollin might not know, but there was no harm in asking.

“Dissipation…?”

Her complexion rapidly worsened.

“I, I don’t know. It’s simply a catastrophe…”

“I see. Thank you for your story. Since a promise is a promise, come closer.”

Erina gave the eagerly awaiting Rollin a light taste of divine grace, very light indeed. Sweet, addictive semen soaked the chapel floor.

‘Then… I should begin in earnest.’

Erina went up to her room and asked Kira to assemble everyone. After a short wait, the room filled with people. About a dozen or so girls gathered, brimming with confidence. They had split the party into two; using any more people would attract unwanted attention. It was the minimum number she had in mind.

The two parties were for investigation and accompanying Erina.

“……Then, Kira, I’ll ask you to investigate as thoroughly as possible. Perhaps there’s something in the library relevant to our purpose.”

“Yeah. Leave it to me.”

“The rest of you, please wait here for a moment.”

Kira, leading six people, set off immediately to explore, carrying out their assigned task. Only after confirming their departure through the window, did Erina speak.

“You are truly the most trustworthy to me.”

“Heehee. Trust me completely.” Aries said, puffing out her chest.

It was an elite party. Levi, Aries, Austie, and Hanna. The four with whom she’d spent the most time.

“It’s been a while since we’ve all gone together like this.”

“That’s right, Levi. Lately, there hasn’t been much opportunity to go out.”

“Well, please take care of me…”

“Aw, you’re still being so stiff? Between us, huh?”

Levi patted Hanna’s back reassuringly as she fidgeted.

“Why did you leave us behind?”

“There’s no grand reason. Just that what lies ahead could be more dangerous than anything we’ve faced before.”

“If that’s not a grand reason, what is?!”

“Aries, are you scared?”

They were laughing and joking, but knowing the current situation, they couldn’t be entirely carefree. They hadn’t directly faced it like Erina, so their sense of crisis wasn’t severe, but a vague feeling was stirring their nerves.

“Alright everyone, let’s prepare to set off. Pack only what you need for the journey.”

“How many days will it be? It shouldn’t take long if it’s nearby, right?”

“I wonder. From what I’ve heard, this doesn’t seem like something easily resolved.”

“Like Austie said. I can’t possibly guess either so let’s only bring the bare necessities, enough to fit into a small handbag.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with Erina’s words.

“But, aren’t Prim-nim and Tita-nim going with us?”

“Those two will move separately. If we move together, it might increase hostility unnecessarily. Let’s approach cautiously first.”

“Like approaching a stray cat…”

“……Perhaps? Anyways, everyone, disperse! Meet at the entrance in 30 minutes.”

The preparation time wasn’t excessively abundant, but it wasn’t insufficient either. The slightly urgent situation made it ideal to only pack essentials.

Everyone gathered at the entrance after completing their preparations. While not necessarily filled with a sense of fatalistic resolve, their bright eyes and determined expressions were reassuring.

“Are there any demons or monsters nearby?”

Levi asked subtly.

“No. We’re carefully scanning a wide area; there aren’t any, except for one person within our church.”

“What are you going to do with her? We’re used to it now… but those are some seriously massive boobs….”

“I’m still looking for a solution. She seems to have adapted to it as well, so I’ve pushed her down the priority list. Perhaps, someday, she’ll return to her normal body.”

Due to Erina’s carelessness, the succubus’s breasts had grown into monstrous proportions. To solve this, she needed to gain experience with the skill through experiments or whatever means necessary, using people as subjects; however, the side effects and also the unknown amount of experience needed made the problem a delicate one to handle.

Regardless, the absence of magical energy was fortuitous, as it seemed that Fried Church had thoroughly eliminated the threats. This was tremendously good news for Hanna, who lacked any combat ability.

“Oh my, Hanna-san, what’s that?”

While hurrying to meet the deadline, everyone noticed the baggage she was arranging upon arrival at the entrance.

It was an object of an unfamiliar design. This was likely a newly invented item based on Hanna’s memories from her original world.

“Ah… so they don’t exist in this world…. I’ve only ever handled it once before, so I’m a little worried, though.”

“What is it? What is it?”

Aries’ interest piqued, and she poked her head toward Hanna.

“Due to the materials, I think it’s disposable…. It’s best not to use it…”

“That just makes me even more curious.”

As Aries came too close, Hanna, overwhelmed by embarrassment, bowed her head and replied in a hushed voice.

“It’s called a… gun.”