Chapter 277: Hello? (1)

Chapter 277: Hello? (1)

–Crunch…

The
soft, plump body of a woman mercilessly pressed down on my torso.

The
cat ears poking through the nun’s veil and the sensation of the pure
white cat tail wrapped around my waist conveyed a strong sense of
delight.

Looking
into those eyes gazing up at me from the perfect angle inside the
helmet, I found myself once again marveling at Serif’s appearance.

Could
sisters really be this different from each other?

Unlike
Idelbert, who was wild enough to survive well on her own if thrown
into the wilderness, Serif naturally evoked a desire to protect her,
to ensure not even a single hair on her body would be harmed.

I
could understand why Idelbert wanted to kill the Envy worshiper who
targeted Serif.

If
someone targeted such a little sister, they deserved nothing but
death.

-Squeeze…

“Eek…!”

As
I embraced Serif, she flinched in surprise and her cat ears perked
up.

“Isn’t
that the saint from the Earth Mother Order…?”

“What’s
going on? Are my eyes deceiving me? That saint is embracing a man so
passionately…?”

“No
way. It must be someone else who just looks similar.”

“But
that priest’s robe is—”

“Ah,
um…”

Serif’s
red eyes darted around as she heard the explorers whispering around
us.

It
was clear how impulsively she had thrown herself into my arms.

I
led Serif to a deserted alley to escape people’s gazes. Only then did
the tense Serif urgently ask:

“A-are
you hurt anywhere, Balkan?! Cleassia, no. What name and appearance
did that woman have? She’s dangerous! Nate Elin headed to the temple
first, so for now—”

“First,
please calm down a bit.”

“Ah.
Yes. Whew…”

“Take
a deep breath. Slowly.”

“Yes…Hoo…”

I
first calmed Serif, who was urgently asking about my well-being and
recent events.

Fortunately,
she followed my instructions and regulated her breathing slowly.

Looking
at her now more relaxed expression, I asked:

“I
only contacted you a day ago, and you’re already here?”

It
was just yesterday that I met Cleassia and sent a signal to Serif.

She
was on the surface, and she arrived here in just one day?

It
was an insane speed beyond being astonishing, and hard to believe
even for Serif, a level 50 high priest.

“Yes.
I was lucky. I left as quickly as possible before the labyrinth
entrance portal closed, found two transfer traps to cross levels… I
came quite, intensely.”

Only
then did I notice her priest robes torn and tattered in several
places.

Imagining
Serif rushing here without hesitation and enduring injuries after
receiving my contact made my heart flutter slightly.

Who
wouldn’t be happy knowing someone put everything aside and hurried
here out of concern for your safety?

“Excuse
me for a moment.”

“Eh,
wh-what are you…?”

When
I carefully moved my hand to her side chest, where her ribs meet the
boundary of her plump breasts, her cheeks flushed red with
embarrassment.

But
soon Serif’s eyes widened as she felt the warm sensation of healing
miracle flowing from my fingertips.

“My
goodness…You’ve become so familiar with healing miracles in such a
short time…Amazing!”

“It’s
thanks to having a good teacher.”

“Eh…?
I-I couldn’t have been that helpful…”

“If
you hadn’t walked me through it step by step, I wouldn’t have had any
idea how to start.”

“R-really…?
Hehe…Next time, I should teach you various other things too…”

It
was actually thanks to Serif that I made the connection between the
Radiance Blessing and miracle applications in the first place.

She
seemed happy yet embarrassed that her teachings had been helpful,
blushing and swishing her cat tail back and forth before suddenly
coming to her senses and asking:

“By
the way, what about that woman? You being here means that woman’s
location—”

“I
caught her.”

“Pardon?”

“I
said I caught her. That one.”

When
I said I had already caught Cleassia, she tilted her head with a
puzzled expression.

“Caught
her? That woman? Who did? Did someone else help you?”

“I
caught her myself.”

“…What?”

My
simple answer brought even greater confusion to her face.

Well,
given the last time Serif saw me, I wouldn’t have been able to catch
that person…but now that I’ve grown stronger, it’s different.

“Would
you like to go see for yourself?”

Since
seeing with her own eyes would help her understand faster, I headed
toward the temple with the saint.

“Well,
look who’s graced us with their presence.”

Those
were the first words Cleassia uttered from behind the iron bars of
the temple’s underground prison when she saw Serif.

Serif’s
expression hardened at these first words filled with slight disgust
and contempt.

“You’ve
got quite a mouth on you! You insolent traitor!”

Nate
Elin, the paladin escort who had confirmed Cleassia’s imprisonment
before Serif and I arrived, reproached her on Serif’s behalf, but to
no effect.

“Strange
words. I never betrayed anyone to begin with. We never had any faith
in the Earth Mother goddess from the start.”

“…’We,’
you say.”

“……”

I
glanced at Serif, who was murmuring coldly as if devoid of emotion.

That
cold expression was not the smile she had shown me just moments ago.

“…When
you say ‘we’.”

That
mechanical, cool expression I had vaguely sensed whenever Serif
smiled at others.

“Does
that include the high priest who worked with you while you pretended
to be a believer with your false face?”

And
that question must be the reason why Serif has been chasing after
Envy’s worshiper all this time.

Moreover,
if what she said was true, it seemed that Cleassia had previously
infiltrated the temple by changing her face and name with the
blessing imbued with Envy’s power.

“That
person whom I considered a mother, the priest who brought us sisters
from the back alley to the temple and taught us faith…the one my
sister killed…”

The
priest killed by Idelbert in the past was the one who picked up the
abandoned Serif and Idelbert from the back alley and the priest who
must have cared for Serif so tenderly that she once felt like a
mother.

Serif
had made efforts in various ways to investigate the death of her
benefactor, and now.

“…Was
that person also one of those you call ‘we’?”

At
the question asking whether the person she thought was her benefactor
was actually a minion of the Envy Worshiper who manipulated and
brainwashed others…Cleassia’s lips twisted strangely.

Just
as those lips were about to open—

Step.

Footsteps
from behind pressed down on the tense atmosphere around.

“Everyone
out.”

Serif’s
cat tail stood straight up at the brief voice.

Eventually,
Serif’s red eyes turned toward the source of the footsteps.

“Idelbert…”

Idelbert,
the black cat beastkin with similarly red eyes, raised her head at
Serif’s murmur.

After
gazing at her sister who had called her name with a complicated
expression for a moment, Idelbert sighed and turned her head toward
me.

“Disciple.
Why do you keep coming here? This is a restricted area for authorized
personnel only.”

“The
paladins who saw my helmet let me in without any hesitation.”

“That’s
because the saint is behind you.”

“Master,
you’re not exactly authorized personnel either.”

“I
have some standing around here. Besides, I’ve been staying at the
temple since my house collapsed because of Diana anyway.”

-Grab.

Idelbert
grabbed my wrist and led me.

“Let’s
go. We need to leave early tomorrow morning to capture the Envy
Worshiper. The letter you sent through that criminal woman should
arrive around then too.”

“Wait.
What did you say?!”

Serif
grabbed my wrist and pulled me sharply in response to Idelbert’s
muttered words.

Then
Idelbert’s grip tightened even more.

This
time, Idelbert pulled my arm and embraced me tightly into her arms.

Suddenly
caught between two female cat sisters, with my wrists being pulled in
both directions—a blissful punishment, if you could call it that.

Despite
the awkward situation, the two women continued arguing while staring
at each other.

“You’re
going to capture the Envy Worshiper tomorrow? With Balkan?! Do you
think that makes any sense?! No, more importantly, how did you even
find out that person’s location—”

“You
don’t need to know. Stay out of it, Saint. This is my business.”

“Like
this time, the Envy Worshiper has caused great harm to the Order. Not
just the Order, but they’ve planted spies everywhere, corrupting the
Labyrinth City—they’re an undisputed villain! As a high priest with
the title of Saint, I have the right to ask about this matter!”

The
white cat beastkin and the black cat beastkin glared at each other.

Although
the black cat beastkin was much taller and better built, forcing the
white cat to look up at her, those red eyes didn’t back down at all.

I
watched Idelbert staring into Serif’s passionate eyes and expressed
my doubt.

‘Why
won’t she tell her?’

Idelbert’s
current goal is to eliminate the Envy Worshiper.

The
reason is that the Envy Worshiper tried to brainwash Serif, and
almost succeeded.

Recalling
Serif’s words just now, the person who attempted the brainwashing was
clearly the high priest who brought Idelbert and Serif to the Order.

But
whether due to remnants of the brainwashing or something else, Serif
seemed not to know in detail why Idelbert killed the high priest, and
Idelbert, despite knowing the truth, remained silent and willingly
played the villain.

Though
Idelbert’s true intentions were unclear, as a brother who also has a
sister, I could somewhat understand her actions.

‘Is
she worried about Serif?’

Perhaps
Idelbert was hoping that her sister wouldn’t get involved in
dangerous matters.

After
all, when Serif reluctantly uttered the word “sister,” all
of Idelbert’s cool composure had crumbled into a broad smile.

As
a brother with a sister, I could fully sympathize with that feeling,
but…

‘Doing
this will only be poisonous.’

I
could also predict the outcome of such an immature approach.

Trouble
born from misunderstandings and lack of communication becomes poison
for both parties.

“If
that’s your attitude, I have my own methods.”

While
I understand the desire to protect one’s sister, what becomes of a
sister who is unilaterally isolated from danger disguised as a
benefactor, left only with questions and confusion?

“Explorer
Union Leader Idelbert Adeline. As Serif Adeline, Saint of the Earth
Mother Order, I request.”

She
will chase after the truth, even if tossed by countless waves and
winds and struck against rocks.

“I
will also participate in the subjugation of the Envy Worshiper.”

At
her sister’s declaration to head to the front lines to learn the
truth, the older sister’s expression hardened.