Ch.82Concert (3)

A few days ago.

Sharlotte received news from her informant.

A branch of Liszt had been attacked.

Although it wasn’t a major incident that would become public knowledge since it was a small branch, the fact that black magicians were involved made it a serious matter that required attention.

After hearing the report, Sharlotte immediately set out to investigate.

“Are you going out again?”

“I understand Your Highness is working hard for the ‘Rose,’ but trying to cure the disease by using them is too dangerous an idea.”

“The political situation is already chaotic enough.”

“Please be aware of the responsibility that rests on your shoulders.”

As usual, she ignored the nagging comments.

Having been tracking traces of cultists for several months, she headed to the scene without hesitation this time as well.

She didn’t inform the imperial family about her actions.

There were extremely few people she could trust.

Sharlotte moved with only a small escort.

‘This is difficult.’

When the girl arrived at the branch, the church had been closed for investigation, but there was little to be found.

All that remained were the pools of blood she had been told about in the report.

Despite the horrific scene, there were no bodies or flesh to be found anywhere, making it a ghostly situation for investigators.

Sharlotte pondered with her characteristically expressionless face.

Were the missing people really taken somewhere else?

If so, where should I look for them?

Should I redirect the search to surrounding cities now?

She was deep in these thoughts when:

“What is this…?”

After briefly stepping away to make contact and returning, she found all the guards watching the church unconscious.

Even her close escorts were unconscious.

The church doors were wide open.

Something ominous seemed to be happening.

Sharlotte moved toward the church interior where sounds could be heard, keeping her breathing as quiet as possible.

She didn’t forget to grip the sword at her waist.

“……”

A dark corridor filled with an eerie atmosphere.

She walked following the dim light.

As she descended the stairs leading to the basement, she could see mysterious figures standing beyond the corner.

Each one was covered in pure white robes.

‘Those are…’

The figures seemed to be searching for something.

While carefully observing their busy movements, Sharlotte soon noticed a familiar face among them.

Her red lips unconsciously murmured the boy’s name.

“…Judas Snakus?”

A person Sharlotte had been interested in all along.

A few months ago, she had discovered by chance that Judas was hiding a chilling power, and since then she had been circling around him, keeping an eye on him.

Of course, it wasn’t out of caution.

It was simply a matter of curiosity.

Usually, someone with such power would naturally emit a foul odor, but the boy didn’t give off any dangerous scent at all.

Rather, he carried a refreshing winter fragrance that made her want to keep inhaling it.

‘Why is he here…?’

Could he be connected to this incident?

Sharlotte continued to spy on the unfolding scene while hiding her body behind a wall.

As time passed briefly.

“Break.”

Suddenly, the boy chanted a spell.

The fired projectile hit the dead-end wall, then shattered numerous barriers, revealing a hidden space.

It was the moment when traces invisible even to Sharlotte’s eyes were revealed.

“Such petty tricks won’t work.”

With that casual remark to himself, the snake stepped toward the corridor made of unknown material.

The other mysterious figures followed behind him.

Sharlotte hesitated in place.

Rational judgment told her it would be better to retreat, but something kept pulling at the girl’s intuition.

She felt like she would miss something important if she didn’t follow.

‘Maybe… I could find a clue about the Rose.’

After a brief deliberation, Sharlotte lifted her foot as if she had made up her mind.

She suppressed her presence as much as possible.

The pure white robes of the mysterious figures fluttered.

The bright red corridor stretched on.

Strange music lingered in her ears.

Despite the somewhat bizarre scenery, the young princess did not hesitate in her steps.

Thinking of the Rose waiting for her in the stars.

***

We traversed the corridor with unwavering steps.

A wide and long path.

Perhaps because everything was red, it was an aesthetically disturbing landscape.

But what could one expect from cultists anyway.

“Master.”

As I looked around the empty surroundings, the girl beside me gently spoke up.

It was Neria, who had been going through documents.

She seemed to have finished analyzing the current situation.

“I’ve examined the cathedral’s blueprints, but there’s nothing special. The corridor we’re walking through shouldn’t exist. It seems the cultists created this space themselves.”

“I thought as much.”

“What do you think, Master?”

“Considering they created such a large space and even hid it with barriers… there must be something beyond.”

“Indeed, the Demonic Energy in the air is getting thicker as the corridor deepens.”

“Let’s continue forward. Stay alert.”

“As you wish.”

We began to walk through the blood-stained corridor once more.

After walking for some time.

About 10 minutes later.

“Master. Someone has collapsed ahead.”

In the distance, someone could be seen sprawled on the ground.

A man covered entirely in black.

Judging by the priest’s robe he was wearing, he seemed to be one of the people who went missing during the recent attack.

“I’ll check his condition. If he’s still breathing, I’ll immediately call for a medic to treat—”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Pardon?”

“Just wait where you are.”

Despite discovering the man, I didn’t allow the members to approach.

There was a reason I didn’t approach carelessly.

Those who had experienced the Great Purge seemed to have noticed.

His attire, which should have been pure white, was now dyed pitch black.

‘I was afraid of this.’

Faint music could be heard from somewhere.

At the same time, the fallen priest twitched a few times, then suddenly stood up and charged toward us.

His face was covered in bright red blood.

His pupils, which should have been bright, now contained only darkness.

“KIAAAAAAA!!!”

Though it came from human lips, the scream was anything but human.

It resembled the cry of a beast wandering through hell.

Rotten blood flowed down like tears.

A priest tainted by Demonic Energy.

Having succumbed to fear, embracing despair, losing faith—this was the price paid by a lamb who abandoned belief.

The priest, who had lost his sanity, violently swung the iron mace in his hand.

“……”

SWAAAAAAK-!

Following the monstrous cry, the rosary in his pocket shook.

On the cross that once loved God, sins that could no longer be erased were now stained.

I quietly flicked my finger.

Then.

Slash-.

With a rather weak sound, the priest’s head flew off.

The body, having lost its center, staggered briefly before collapsing to the ground in pitiful ruin.

A body crumbling miserably.

“…Bad premonitions never seem to be wrong.”

I muttered as if grinding my teeth.

I carefully scanned the surroundings.

Come to think of it, this was a familiar terrain.

Although this was my first visit to this branch, including my past life, I had cleared similar stage layouts several times before.

It seemed like a “work” touched by the same person.

“Vice Captain.”

“Yes.”

“From now on, we will eliminate all priests we encounter. We will only rescue those whose minds remain completely intact. Anyone showing even slight abnormality will be dealt with.”

“Understood.”

Neria nodded without argument.

I looked down at the corpse lying at my feet, shaking off the shadows remaining on my fingertips.

A priest whose eyes had rolled back, pickled in Demonic Energy.

‘I didn’t expect them to start activities so soon.’

Only then did I begin to hear the faint music.

A stream of maddeningly beautiful melody flowing over abominable greed.

In the midst of the unknown performance.

I murmured that name.

‘The Conductor.’

A mid-boss appearing in the latter half of the original work.

A self-proclaimed artist.

And simultaneously, the nightmare that caused the most casualties during the Great Purge five years ago.

We had stepped into a world designed by him.

If the structure of this place was like the other stages I remembered, we didn’t have much time left.

The lives of the missing collaborators were hanging by a thread.

“From now on, we’ll break through at full power.”

“I’ll take the lead.”

“Irene?”

“I’ll be faster at handling the small fry.”

Whoosh-!

Irene stepped forward, igniting her sword tip with fire.

Her auburn hair turned red.

Her eyes, which had been deep black, were now burning with a red glow.

The girl drew a slash with her sword.

SWAAAAAAK-!

“KIEEEEEK!!”

Another priest charging from the opposite end of the corridor.

Already blackened beyond redemption, he was exposed to the red line shot forth, and immediately engulfed in brilliant flames.

It was the flame of life purifying corruption.

Whoosh-!

“Let’s go.”

The flames danced vividly even in the darkness.

The fox turned to look at us silently.

After pausing briefly, I and the members nodded and began to sprint forward.

Behind our rushing steps, only pure white robes fluttered.