Ch.444Half Plus Half

After that, everything went smoothly.

I explained to the others how to handle any unexpected situations, then examined the architectural plans of the Grimnir Church branch that Greta had prepared with Hush.

“I managed to get the blueprints somehow… but they’re old, so they might differ from the current layout. The basic structure should be the same since they haven’t expanded the building, but the detailed interior layout and purpose of each space might have changed. For example, look here.”

Greta pointed to a corner of the blueprint and continued.

“These areas were originally meant as resting places for priests, but now they’ve torn down the wall, combined them, and use the space as a reception room for visitors. And this large area here was designed as a training ground for paladins according to the plans… but the Grimnir Church has fewer than thirty paladins, so why would they need such a space? They must be using it for something else.”

“Hmm… so we won’t know until we get inside.”

Well, I never expected this to be easy anyway. I should be grateful just to know the basic structure.

“We should enter from here. If we climb up this pillar and move along the crossbeams, we can move without being seen. Then we approach the central prayer hall…”

After examining the blueprints thoroughly, Hush began explaining a suitable infiltration route, pointing to various locations. His calm, collected, and serious expression was truly professional.

“You’ve done this kind of thing before, haven’t you?”

“What? Oh, well, yes… That was my role, after all.”

He seemed to think I was accusing him of being an assassin, as the blood drained slightly from his face. His complexion was already dark, so it wasn’t particularly noticeable.

“…Hush.”

“Y-yes?”

“Do well.”

“Eek…!”

Hush nodded desperately.

He understood what I meant without me having to spell it out.

You’ve committed many sins, so you’ll need to work twice as hard to atone for them.

—-

After analyzing the blueprints and determining our infiltration route, Hush and I put our robes back on and checked our equipment.

Winter armor, Durandal, and the black iron daggers I’d collected from our companions.

Even a rope, just in case.

“Here, take this holy water I’ve blessed. Elpinel’s blessing will protect you from enemy magic.”

“Thank you.”

I thanked Lacy and tucked the small glass vials she handed me into the pouches on my belt.

If a conflict broke out, we’d have to face numerous priests.

I couldn’t rely solely on my mana resistance, so if I sensed any mental magic being cast, I’d need to drink this first.

“I have something too. It’s not very effective at blocking magic, but it will make your presence a bit harder to detect.”

Agnes also handed me a vial of holy water.

Though its effect differed from Lacy’s, it would be quite useful in its own way.

While I was collecting the holy water, Hush was tucking the daggers he’d received from Greta into various places inside his stealth clothes.

…Does this guy really only know how to use daggers?

A dagger is merely a secondary weapon.

In my opinion, only fools who underestimate combat would use such things as their primary weapon.

Or was that Hersella’s opinion?

Anyway, there were often incompetent people who, driven by vanity, would go around with just a single dagger…

Such people usually only realized the importance of reach when they had a blade stuck in their head, thinking, “Ah, I was an idiot.”

“Hey, don’t you use a bow or sword?”

“A bow…? That vile weapon used by fairy scum who are more filthy than pigs and more vicious than wild dogs?”

His tone was unusually fierce for Hush.

Scum? Wasn’t your mother a fairy too?

Well, since he said he was abandoned at birth, I suppose he wouldn’t have any affection for them.

But more importantly.

“…Vile weapon? Then what about Millia and me?”

I only use it as a ranged support weapon, but Millia has achieved mastery with just a bow.

“Ah! That’s… it’s fine for humans to use them. Because they’re human!”

Oh, is that so…?

What kind of standard is that?

Anyway, if he hated archers this much, it was obvious that giving him a bow and arrows would be pointless as he wouldn’t use them properly.

“What about swords?”

“I could use one if needed… but I’ve never been trained in swordsmanship. I could just swing it around, I suppose.”

“…I see. I understand.”

I’ll need to teach him proper swordsmanship if I want to make proper use of him.

—-

The companions who remained at the clothing shop checked their equipment in anticipation of any emergency as they saw us off.

It would be best if they didn’t need to get involved, but if we ended up in a direct confrontation with the Grimnir Church, tonight would be a long one.

“Be careful, sis…!”

“I will. You too, Lena.”

Lena seemed a bit frustrated that she couldn’t help, but it couldn’t be helped.

Everyone has their own specialties.

Lena’s abilities were specialized in healing miracles, which weren’t suitable for this situation.

I patted her head before leaving the clothing shop with Hush.

—-

The street, devoid of even moonlight, was silent without a single person, and the dawn air was ice-cold.

Thanks to my armor made of Rurik leather, I wasn’t particularly cold.

Hush didn’t seem to feel the cold either.

Probably thanks to his half-fairy bloodline. Those creatures are hardly affected by climate.

Hush and I moved toward the cathedral grounds, exhaling white breath through the gaps in our masks.

We occasionally encountered Grimnir Church patrols, but thanks to detecting their presence early, hiding wasn’t particularly difficult.

We just needed to climb onto nearby rooftops and lie flat.

If they had been using detection magic, we would have had to keep our distance, but they apparently didn’t think it necessary to use magic for simple street patrols.

Less than twenty minutes after setting out, we finally reached the Grimnir Church branch.

The Grimnir cathedral building resembled a combination of a temple and a tower. An ominous crimson light flickered through the windows, as if they had kept the lights on until this hour, making it seem like meeting the gaze of a giant monster crawling up from hell.

The emblem of the Grimnir Church was engraved on the wall of the towering tower.

Three horns interlocked in a triangular formation.

It was impressive how they gleamed red, perhaps colored with minerals like cinnabar.

I believe the three horns symbolize wisdom, inspiration, and the arcane.

To me, it looked like a design that evil demon worshippers would appreciate, but the Grimnir Church apparently claimed it was a sacred symbol.

Anyway, befitting the actual stronghold of the Grimnir Church, quite a few priests were patrolling around the cathedral.

Unlike the streets, they were also using detection magic.

I watched them from a distance, waiting for an opportunity to enter.

“Let me make this clear: don’t even think about killing the priests until I give permission.”

Once blood is shed, peaceful resolution becomes impossible.

We’d be left with only two choices: kill them all or be killed by them.

“Even if we unfortunately encounter them, just knock them unconscious. Understood?”

“With a dagger…?”

Hush held up one of his daggers with a troubled expression.

A blackened dagger.

The blade, meticulously sharpened to a razor edge, looked capable of cutting through human bone as easily as clay.

It was clearly a weapon meant for killing, not subduing.

Ah, this dagger-obsessed bastard, really.

“…You can hit them on the back of the head with the hilt or choke them out.”

Fairy strength is weaker than human strength, but even so, he should be able to choke someone unconscious.

If he doesn’t even have the strength to knock out a mage, he might as well just die.

“Ah, yes. I’ll do that.”

Noticing the irritation in my tone, Hush hunched his shoulders and bowed submissively.

“…Do your best. If this mission succeeds, I’ll treat you as a maid rather than a slave.”

Seeing him like that made me wonder if I’d been too harsh, so I threw him a carrot.

It would be very troublesome if Hush, filled with resentment, decided to cause a commotion and get us all killed.

Isn’t this why drill instructors in boot camps only become nice during live-fire exercises and grenade training?

“Really? Do you mean it?”

“Yes. Since you’ve committed sins, I can’t set you completely free, but it will be better than now at least.”

Hush seemed quite pleased, but for me, nothing would really change.

I wasn’t treating him like a slave even now.

Have I ever whipped him or sexually harassed him?

At most, I’ve only scolded him verbally, which means he’s already being treated like an emperor compared to most slaves.

[You’re deceiving people again. I wonder if I should seal your mouth for the sake of the world.]

Hersella, noticing this, let out what had become her usual sarcasm.

‘Strictly speaking, I’m not deceiving a person. Right?’

There’s a saying that the beginning is half the battle.

According to this, since Hush’s life began between a fairy’s legs, he’s already half fairy just by that.

Add to that the fact that he genetically contains half fairy components, and combining the two makes him 100% fairy.

So I’m not deceiving a person, but a fairy.

Isn’t that something to be praised for?