episode_0086

“Hey, Glen. Hey. Hey…”

“Um…why…”

“Wake up. Hurry up!”

Glenn was still nervous about being touched in the dark.

However, soon, my guard was lowered by the familiar human scent that I could sense with my sense of smell and the familiar voice that I could hear.

“What the… Seriously… all of a sudden…”

“Not all of a sudden. Wake up!”

“Hey, what the…”

It was Grimes. Glenn sat up at the sound of his urgent voice.

I was still feeling dizzy and a bit headachey. I had some drinks at the victory dinner last night, and my whole body was feeling a bit shaky.

“Get your gear and come out quickly! We’re in big trouble!”

“What, big deal?”

Only then was Glenn able to look around.

Accommodation for guests. The room where Tiller, Manny, and Grimes stayed was occupied only by him and Grimes. The Benedictine monks were given a different room by consideration of Leones, as it was a four-person room.

Anyway, Glenn, who had been looking around, saw that Tiller and Manny’s place was empty and in disarray. In addition, it was still dark. There seemed to be a light outside the room, but it was dark enough both outside the window and inside the room to be able to recognize it.

“It’s still the middle of the night? Why all of a sudden…”

“That’s not it…”

Grimes glanced out the window, at the darkness outside, and answered in a sinister voice.

“It’s not midnight. It’s already…the time when the sun is up and shining on the forest!”

“What?”

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The two men ran out of the Gray Tree Mansion in a hurry. Glenn prepared himself quickly and came out under Grimes’ guidance, but he still thought about the words Grimes had muttered while guiding him.

‘Me, Tiller, and Meny started our shifts right after eating. Me, Tiller, Meny in that order. After switching with Tiller, I was sleeping in my room… when Tiller and Meny suddenly came running and said that there was something strange in the forest. When I looked, bewildered, I saw that darkness in the forest… that energy was approaching, quickly encroaching on the surroundings! It even swallowed the totem that the elf priest gave us! So I hurriedly came back and reported to Leones and Sieta! But even in that short moment…’

“What the hell…you’re already here?”

Glenn couldn’t help but curse as he realized why Grimes was being so agitated.

It was only natural. How could one not be surprised when the dark energy surged before their eyes like a wave, engulfing the forest and enveloping the elven territory to a height that blocked even the sunlight in the sky?

Not only Glenn and Grimes, but many elves rushed out of their homes, looking in awe at the enormous wave of energy. Some sat down on the ground in frustration, while others bowed their heads and prayed to someone.

“Oh my god…”

“Goddess of the Moon…have pity on us…”

“Wow, what is the royal family doing! Such a ridiculous disaster…”

“It’s strange. It wasn’t like this until yesterday… When on earth did it suddenly get to this point…”

Glenn wanted to sympathize with the last words of the elves’ cries. Surely, no one had expected that the dark energy would advance this far last night. All the things he had said to Leones yesterday, about how it would take several days to enter the elven territory, had all been in vain.

Clearly, pressure was being put on Glenn and the Saints to figure out the cause and solve the problem on the spot.

“Oh, Mr. Glenn, Mr. Grimes! You came out early?”

“What a terrible morning, both of you. Fate is keeping this noble heart away from beautiful women.”

And then two humans approached from nearby, accompanied by a familiar voice.

It was Tiller and Meni. They both had energy in their voices, but their expressions were not good. It was obvious that they had found Glenn and Grimes and had brightened their expressions a little.

“Yeah, Tiller. Manny. I heard about the situation from Grimes. When exactly did it start like this?”

“Uh, right before I started shifting with Meni…”

Tiller was just about to begin his explanation.

“Oh my god…!”

“Hmm, this is…Saintess, I guess…”

“How are you, everyone? But, that’s…”

Familiar voices were heard in the ears of the four people.

When Glenn turned his gaze, he saw the precious Militia, the two church members, and Glenn’s younger brother just stepping out of the mansion. They shared different expressions of shock.

“Wow…what is this…I thought someone put up a curtain in the sky…oh my god…”

In the midst of all this, Glenn almost snickered at the sight of his younger sister expressing her feelings with a little bit of composure. This guy’s calm and innocent demeanor really felt like his younger sister. However, the seriousness of the situation forced Glenn to restrain himself from expressing his emotions.

Among the group that had just rushed out of the mansion, the saintess spotted Glenn and Grimes and quickly approached them. Glenn suddenly noticed that the saintess’s attire was simplified. Her shoulders were slightly exposed and her clothes looked lighter than usual…

“Hey, Saintess… This is no joke. How come you don’t get angry?”

What the hell is this kid talking about at a time like this! Glenn was about to punch Grimes, who was giggling right next to him, but he ignored her because the saintess was right in front of him.

“Milli…”

“Ah, um…Glen…and, Grimes. What happened last night?”

The saintess suddenly noticed Grimes’ expression behind Glenn and changed her address. Instead of answering, Glenn gave Grimes a quick glance.

Grimes noticed Glenn’s gaze and opened her mouth brightly.

“Hello, Saintess! Last night, while I was taking turns guarding with Tiller and Meni, I discovered something strange and reported it to Leones and Sieta! After assessing the situation, the two of them went up to the observation deck at the top of the Gray Mansion and told Tiller, Meni, and me to assess the situation and report back to the people inside when the morning came!”

“When morning comes, Irani…you don’t wake me up right away?”

“That’s right. Why did you wake me up so late?”

The saintess immediately began to question herself, and Glenn agreed. It was certainly strange. If such a strange phenomenon were to suddenly strike, wouldn’t it be reasonable to wake up the two most powerful people in this forest right away?

The answer to that question came from behind the two people.

“I told you not to wake them up. You are the two best fighters in this forest, so you should preserve your stamina to prepare for the future, right?”

The elf priestess, Sieta Dreamside, appeared before the group, looking lively but slightly tired.

“Wow, Sieta-sama! Welcome! As you said, I woke them up in the morning!”

“Sieta…you must have had a hard time last night. Are you okay?”

Grimes proudly reported her mission, openly and proudly. And Milicia asked Sieta, who was approaching, with a worried expression. Glenn thought it was reasonable. Sieta was dressed no differently than yesterday, and her expression was full of fatigue. In particular, the dark circles under her eyes seemed to prove how she had been the night before. However, the confident smile on her lips did not fade.

“Thank you, Grimes! I’ve been with my parents all night, putting up a shield to block the energy interference. The energy will probably be slow for a while. I appreciate your concern, but…you shouldn’t underestimate the energy of our elves, right? Even if we stay up all night for a day or two, it won’t even matter! ”

You say that, but you’re dripping with fatigue, what are you…

Glenn initially took the slowdown in his energy as positive news. However, it didn’t take long for his mood to be shattered by the negative news.

“It’s fortunate that the Saint and Glenn are able to get some sleep. Because you two need to go into the forest with me. Estil will be here with a potion in a little while. Let’s drink it and then rush in!”

What, what did you say?

Glenn clenched his fists in shock at the news. The saintess also asked in a slightly nervous voice about the sudden entrance.

“Ah… Is it really just me, Sieta, and Glen? Is it really just the three of us…”

“Hmm, honestly, I was thinking about including Wena too, and she wanted to come too…”

No, wait a minute. Now that you mention it…!

Glenn looked around. There was no one in sight. Why did I realize it now? That guy is gone! Glenn asked urgently to Sieta, who started to say something.

“Anyway, I’m grateful that you two are okay. If you want to endure the bloody adventure that’s about to begin, at least-”

“Now, wait a minute. Sietta, sir! Briwen…where is the Briwen you mentioned? There must be two of you…”

Yes. Glenn, whose memories of yesterday came back to him, recalled the last scene of the dinner. It was Sieta who took Briwen, who looked a little tired, in her arms. After that, Glenn, of course, could not find Briwen until this morning.

Sieta smiled slightly self-deprecatingly.

“I was going to tell you now, but… I think she’s overdone it. She’s resting in my room right now. I think it’d be best to just leave her alone until tomorrow. That’s if we’re all okay…”

“B, Briwen?”

Oh, no. Are you that tired, Briwen?

Certainly, Briwen had taken on many tasks for a sudden request. She had increased the party’s travel speed with wind magic, and had also carried out all sorts of reconnaissance and guard duty without fail. Unlike Glenn, who had somehow managed to conserve his magic and stamina in case of an emergency for the party, Briwen had consumed her magic and stamina to their limit just before reaching the Elven Forest.

“Oh my, as a companion, you didn’t know at all? When I tried to wake you up, you were groaning and sweating so much and I couldn’t wake you up. Well, if you weren’t sleeping in the same room, then you wouldn’t know…Anyway, I heard that you two have a longer relationship than I thought, but you didn’t even realize that! You’re annoying, you’re annoying!”

What, what kind of nonsense are you talking about, you elf!

Glenn blushed without thinking. Milicia, who was next to him, also hardened her expression at this sound. Once again, Glenn felt a problem of compatibility with Sieta, who honestly expressed her feelings without any hesitation.

“Oh, I see. I see… Are we really going to rush in with just the three of us? Like we joked about yesterday?”

“Huh? Did I make a joke yesterday? Anyway, that’s right! The three of us are done! After a while, Estil will come and give you a potion, and you just have to gulp it down, put on a shield, and charge in. That’s the end… no, the adventure begins. Little Knight! ”

“Can you take off the little one?”

Glenn finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and let out a sarcastic remark, but Sieta didn’t seem to care.

It was not just miserable, it was gloomy. The suicide squad responsible for this situation was only three people. Even if those three people were recognized for their abilities, it was still gloomy.

If they failed, it would have been a crisis that would have put the Elf Forest, or rather the entire continent, in danger.

“So that’s how it is…Grimes? Would you like to evacuate the other elves together with the adventurers? The location is…Come closer.”

Sieta took Glenn’s sullen silence as agreement and turned her attention to someone else. She turned to Grimes, a middle-aged adventurer who was looking at her with a blank expression.

“Oh, yes, yes!”

Sieta reached out her hand to Grimes, who had come running in a hurry and was standing in front of her. With a tap, Sieta’s beautiful hand touched Grimes’ forehead.

That kid, I wonder if he washed his face. But maybe Sieta herself was too busy to wash it… Glenn stopped fantasizing about it for fear of the aftermath.

“Okay, you remember? Take me to that place.”

“Yes…Yes! I remembered. Tiller, Manny! Let’s go!”

“Hey, do you know where it is, sir?”

“Oh, this is an escape without a plan… Is this also another direction of love…”

With Tiller and Meni in tow, Grimes hurried away from the group. Glenn couldn’t help but admire Meni’s nonsense as they walked away.

‘He’s a great guy, really. And Grimes, you…’

As Glenn watched the scene where Grimes was trying to persuade a young elf woman nearby to evacuate… no, to flee, he heard Sieta’s voice in his ear again.

“My father and mother are staying at home, so everyone else, please evacuate inside. Even if we fail, my parents will quickly notice and evacuate everyone inside the gray mansion! There’s a secret magic hidden there! ”

“Thank goodness. I was worried about the people gathered here… Ah, Estil is here.”

While the saintess was relieved to hear that the safety of her party was assured, a familiar face emerged from the gray mansion once again.

“Hehe, hehe…three people…I finished it and brought it.”

The little girl, holding three vials in her arms, ran towards the three people who were talking. With a pale face and uneven breathing, Glenn couldn’t help but give up after seeing the condition of the fourth member of the explorers he had been absentmindedly thinking about.

‘This guy’s stamina is in such bad shape, and Briwen is exhausted… Seriously, nothing in life is easy. At least if that elf princess was okay… What a brat!’

As Glenn finished his speech with an inadvertent curse at the warrior, Estil’s voice rang again in his ears.

“Even if it tastes weird, drink it all down. Hey, Glenn. What are you doing if you’re not drinking?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Glenn quickly noticed the vial in his hand and brought it to his lips.

Ugh, the taste was mysterious. It seemed like bitterness and sweetness, saltiness and spiciness coexisted. No, it seemed like the tastes were playing separately, attacking my mouth and tongue in different directions. Even when it went down my throat, the feeling of it going down my throat was so strange and uncomfortable.

However, as a high-level adventurer and a knight, it would certainly help to keep the atmosphere of the suicide squad in check if he didn’t reveal his terrible taste…

“Ugh, this is tasteless! Thud thud!”

Sieta proved that Glenn was the only one who saved face like this by causing a ruckus right beside him.

“Don’t spit it out, Sieta! I barely made it, but that precious thing!”

“How can you drink this! Could you add some honey to it?”

“Do you think this is some kind of honey wine? You must be dreaming! It’s made by boiling ‘Sangtwinae’, a herb that can produce sacred energy on its own, and various medicinal herbs, so it can’t possibly taste good!”

“Just try it, it’s horrible!”

“If I haven’t seen it, how would I know what it tastes like?”

Glenn, who had been looking at the eldest member of the group with pity for being the most immature, turned his gaze to Milicia. It was out of curiosity and concern as to what Milicia Airgrants, a saint and the one with the most calm and rational judgment and attitude among the group, would do.

The saintess had a pale expression. Certainly, it was not an expression that looked delicious. However, the words she slowly muttered afterward showed that Glenn’s faith was not in vain.

“Thank you, Estiel. But…I feel a little uneasy. I feel a little…strange.”

“Ah, thank you for your honest review, Saintess. Do you feel any discomfort coming from your body? It’s okay, even a little.”

“Yes. That seems to be the case…ugh…”

The saintess covered her mouth with her hand as she commented on Estil’s potion. However, Estil looked satisfied. The discomfort and unpleasant taste that the saintess felt were definitely the effects of Estil’s special potion.

“Anyway… Sangtwinae is a herb that has been used since ancient times to drive away ‘demons’ and purify energy, so it has also been brewed as a potion to heal people who are on the verge of death due to addiction to demonic energy. Since I added other herbs to the herb and infused it with some magical power… it will protect you from demonic energy infiltrating your body for at least two to three hours. Externally… I will trust in your strengths. ”

Estil finished, looking back and forth between Sieta and Milicia. The saint nodded gently, lowered her head slightly, closed her eyes, and began to carefully recite something.

And next to her, Sieta… raised both arms. Like a priest offering a hymn and a sacrifice to a god. She was a priest, but…

“Goddess of the Moon, grant me and my friends your grace!”

Sieta shouted quite loudly toward the sky. However, nothing changed. However, Sieta did not move an inch from that spot, and looked up at the sky without moving. In the meantime, the saintess raised her head.

“Glen.”

“Yeah.”

A soft light lingered in the hands of the saintess who approached Glenn. The saintess carefully placed her hands on Glenn’s hair.

Something, a warm feeling, seemed to start from his hand, spread to Glenn’s head, and gradually descended to his body, enveloping him. No, it wasn’t his imagination at all.

‘Wow…’

The effect was even more dramatic than the last time he had received the blessing. A warm, soft white light enveloped Glenn’s entire body, forming a very thin border.

“Okay! Your Majesty?”

“Yes.”

Meanwhile, Sieta, who had been looking up at the sky, turned her head back to the ground and called Milicia. Milicia naturally approached Sieta at those words. Sieta lowered her left arm out of the two raised arms and held out her hand. Milicia took that hand.

“Can you feel it?”

“Ah… This is the energy of the goddess of the moon… Yes. I can definitely feel it. ”

“Rather than a specific… think of it as clothing, no, armor, that covers your entire body. Then it will come naturally. Come on.”

“Yes… Oh, that’s amazing.”

As Sieta had said, the saintess reminded him of armor, and the soft light that enveloped her body was clearly visible to Glenn. Unlike the protective shield protecting Glenn, it was a cold blue light reminiscent of moonlight.

Eventually, Sieta herself succeeded in forming a protective shield. At the same time, she did not forget to provide an additional explanation for this miraculous phenomenon.

“If you were to tell me about my shield… No, it’s not my shield, it’s the grace of the Goddess of the Moon… Anyway, if you were to tell me about this shield, it basically maintains the same protection for three hours without having to recharge with holy power. And if the moon is up, it never disappears until the moon sets! The catch is that it’s morning right now! ”

Glenn nodded, although he was not sure whether to take this as good news. Following Sieta, Milicia also did not forget to explain. He also gave instructions to the attendants.

“Glenn? This shield will never be completely consumed unless you and I are within a 5-meter radius. Even if you are far away, you can maintain maximum protection for at least an hour, so don’t worry. And…Sister Esther, Benedict…Please take Alina and wait inside the mansion. If something happens…Please evacuate according to Leones’ instructions. ”

“Seo, Saintess…!”

“Um, is that really okay, Your Majesty… if only the three of you go…”

Esther looked visibly uneasy, and the Benedict monk also cautiously expressed his opinion. However, Milicia was firm. He shook his head and raised both arms, placing them on Esther and Benedict’s shoulders.

Esther flinched in surprise, and the Benedict monk closed his eyes tightly as if he had expected this.

“Even if I fail here, it is not the end. As long as you, those in the Elven Forest, and many people in the kingdom are here, hope will never be lost. Above all…I think you two are underestimating me too much…but as a saint who defeated the Demon King, I have no intention of losing to such an aura. So don’t worry too much. I will definitely…return to you with news of victory. ”

“Seo, Saintess… Millie…!”

Only then, as if her emotions were welling up, Sister Esther could not stop crying. And she was held in the arms of the saint.

Milishia smiled helplessly at her friend’s frail appearance and patted him on the back.

“Eh, Esther too…”

“You have to…come back? Okay? If you don’t…I won’t let you go…”

“Yes. Of course. Mr. Benedict? Please.”

“I will keep that in mind, Saint.”

The Benedictine monk bowed to the saint with a slightly moved face, but with a mature dignity.

Glenn, who was quietly watching the conversation between the three believers, suddenly heard Alina’s voice coming to his side.

“I, I should have been hugged by the saintess too… I feel a bit awkward…”

“You always hugged me so well, so why are you asking me this now…”

“There you are, Glenn!”

Glenn, who was scolding his younger brother, was startled by the voice suddenly calling him. He didn’t even need to know who it was. There was only one person in the group who called him so aggressively.

“Why, all of a sudden.”

“If you give me even one sliver of your virginity…I’ll just twist your whole body!”

“Ha…”

What was that?

“Don’t worry. I’ll get it done in one breath.”

So, I ended up answering with a bit of bravado. I was also quite anxious about the topic.

In this way, the suicide squad was formed.

It was a hastily organized suicide squad that was trying to destroy the root of this situation, whether it was death or hope.