Chapter 206

Chapter 206: A Difficult Thing

As ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍soon as Ria and the others got out of the wagon, their hands were bound and they were moved underground in the castle.

Remembering ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍her experience in Rimis, Ria tried to calm her troubled heart, but after being locked in the underground prison, it became difficult to even pretend to be calm.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍knights who had silently guided the people underground locked the door just as silently and disappeared.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍moment the sound of people’s footsteps faded beyond the door, Ria sprang to her feet.

Then ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍she used the dagger hidden in her hand to cut herself free.

“What ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍are you doing?”

The woman who had ridden in the wagon with Ria asked in surprise at Ria’s sudden action.

“Preparing.”

Ria answered quickly as she cut through the rope binding the woman’s hands.

“Preparing? Preparing for what?”

The rope that had tied her hands until they went numb had been cut, but the woman only stared blankly, unable to even think of moving.

“To help my companions, and to save you.”

At her answer, the woman asked again as if she could not understand.

“We can’t escape from here. This is god’s castle. We can’t defy His will.”

Seeing the woman still make no attempt to move, Ria smiled.

“I know. That’s why I’m here.”

-W-wouldn’t it be better if we all just went together? I’m weaker than you two, but I’ll still be of help.

Ria asked in a trembling voice.

Their objective was the holy object and Imperial Family blood anyway.

It was a question of whether, once they entered the castle, she could not simply move together with Ratel and Jing.

Ria still remembered the black mass that had swallowed people.

That black mass that had swallowed Ratel and the scrawny priest.

She was afraid of being separated alone and approaching that unsettling thing.

-There’s no need for me to go in alone.

-Ria, you won’t be going in alone.

-Pardon?

When Ria asked back, Ran continued speaking as he silently packed his bag.

-This is different from Rimis. More than enough people will walk into it on their own two feet. Those people will go in with Ria.

-Then those people will......

-They’ll all die. If we leave them alone. Renin will ask about the people who ran off with the holy object, but they won’t know anything.

-......

At Ran’s answer, Ria swallowed.

That might happen.

No, it definitely would.

If I can’t persuade them.

Ratel was not someone suited to persuading people, and Jing was too extraordinary to persuade people.

Could they make people believe the words of two men who had suddenly appeared?

More than anything else, there was no time for that.

-This is Ria’s choice. Whether you give Ratel help he doesn’t need, or overcome your fear to persuade the people.

What suddenly came to mind were the faces of the villagers.

Faces she had felt something subtle for, faces she might have liked, if not loved.

No, thinking again, perhaps she had loved them too.

Considering that she had mourned them before the death of a father she could not even remember.

Could she pretend not to see the people who would draw near to death without knowing anything, just like them?

Ria looked at him as he stood after shouldering his packed bag, still wearing an expressionless face.

-Did you just test me? To see whether I have the nerve to follow this or not.

-It’s true I frightened you a little. Because it’s not an easy thing.

Ria pressed her ear behind the door and focused on whether there were still footsteps from anyone guarding outside.

Simply thinking of the powerful enemy called the Imperial Family was frightening, but it also created one very small advantage.

People did not think of escaping.

Of course, the entrance to the underground would be guarded, but it seemed they had not placed guards in front of every door.

Ria inserted the small hand knife into the gap in the door and checked whether there was anything catching.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

The woman spoke sharply to Ria, who continued working without a word.

“We have to escape. If we stay here, we’ll all die.”

After answering simply, Ria fixed the knife where a click sounded and struck it down with her fist like a hammer.

With a clatter, the lock fell to the floor.

“There. Everyone, we can leave now.”

Ria said with a bright expression as she looked around at the people.

“I’m not going. You all stay still too.”

At the woman’s rebuke, the children who had been hesitating, unable to decide what to do, stopped moving.

The woman took one step away from Ria as if wary of her.

“We don’t have time. My companions will be here soon. You all have to leave too.”

“Are you insane? What are you trying to make us do?! If we do something like that, we’ll be trapped in eternal misfortune!”

Ria knew that the woman’s fear came from devout faith.

Her life had already been difficult enough.

The idea that even death might not be peaceful was a fear that could not be ignored.

She too knew that agony.

“Kind person, what’s your name?”

At Ria’s question, the woman’s suspicion toward her only deepened, but Ria did not intend to back down.

“Why do you want my name? What are you going to use it for?”

Ria carefully approached the woman, who defensively widened the distance between them, and took her hand.

“We’re just introducing ourselves. I read in a book that after people reveal their names, they recognize each other as individual persons, so exchanging names is very important. What I’m trying to do right now is, well...... an honest conversation. A confession of the truth.”

Ria continued speaking slowly so that the woman would not become agitated.

“First, I’m Ria. I came from somewhere pretty far from here. It’s a small village famous for fighting, and I won the competition there. Thanks to that, I was able to leave the village and go to a Temple in a larger city.”

“Hey, does this look like the kind of situation where we sit around and trade life stories?”

“I’m not trying to tell you my worthless life story.”

Ria answered firmly.

“I’m trying to tell you what I experienced at that Temple. Very honestly. Not long ago, I went through a situation very similar to today. Back then, I couldn’t do anything. I was far too late.”

The more serious Ria’s face became, the more the woman’s expression crumpled.

“What does that mean?”

The woman, frowning at Ria’s disjointed story, asked.

Ria took a breath to begin.

“You said you were prepared to die. That if being thrown into a monster’s mouth is god’s will, you would gladly obey.”

After confirming that the woman nodded slowly, Ria continued.

“It isn’t monsters that are eating people. It’s the holy object they’re guarding.”

“A holy object?”

The woman still did not understand and frowned.

“......It’s just an object passed down from the old days. The problem is that it absorbs people. The Imperial Family member in this castle is using people like us to put it to sleep. That means he’s feeding us to it.”

Ria whispered to the woman in a lowered voice so the children would not hear.

She did not bother to say it was something belonging to Sierra Abalan.

Because she judged that causing more confusion would do no good.

The woman’s face went blank, seemed to regain itself, then went blank again.

“I know it’s confusing. But you have to accept......”

“What if that too is god’s will?”

Cut off, Ria looked down at the woman who was glaring at her with shaking eyes.

It really was not easy.

Feeling anew that there had not been even the slightest exaggeration in Ran’s warning, Ria let out a sigh.

“Abalan protects us and frees us from endless misfortune. Perhaps this too is part of His great will......”

“Even if they’re standing by while monsters are being created by using people as sacrifices?”

The woman, who had been justifying reality, stopped speaking.

Ria continued.

“For every person devoured, one new monster is born. I saw that with my own eyes.”

“Why are you telling such lies?”

“It isn’t a lie. My father and the villagers died that way too.”

“......”

The woman fell silent and looked at Ria.

“I can still hear their voices vividly. Some were kind, some were a little mischievous, and some were greedy. What’s certain is that all of them had dreams and were full of hope.”

Ria looked at the children watching her and the woman from the corner of the room, trembling in fear.

The woman’s gaze also moved to the young children.

“If you stay here and wait for death, one more monster that will threaten people will be born. And that monster may disappear by the hand of the Imperial Family. Isn’t that too hollow?”

Bang!

The sound of something falling came from outside the door.

To Ria, it sounded exactly like the weight of one person collapsing.

Ratel and Jing had already obtained Imperial Family blood and arrived here.

Ria looked at the woman urgently.

“We really don’t have time now. I’m not telling you to become sinners. We’ll commit the sin. You only need to take the children and run away. You’ll be escaping from this place because you couldn’t withstand our threats.”

“Aren’t you afraid of becoming a sinner?”

At her unexpected question, Ria hesitated to answer.

There was no way she was not afraid.

In truth, ever since she followed the three people, there had not been a single day when she had not been afraid.

“I am afraid. But maybe because I’m among people who don’t even care about such things, I also think living while committing sins is more doable than I expected.”

Bang!

The moment Ria finished answering, the sound rang out again.

This time, it came from somewhere closer to the door.

Ria hurriedly looked around at the woman and the children.

“Even if you run, nothing will happen to you. We’ll steal the holy object and flee, and then chasing us will push everyone else down the priority list for a while. No, since we’ll have taken the holy object, they’re more likely to think you disappeared after becoming its food.”

Ria slowly took the hand of the young child who had been hiding behind the woman.

The woman did not stop her.

Smiling faintly at that, Ria slowly drew the child out.

One by one, the children followed behind the child and moved as Ria led them.

The woman, who remained in the room until the very end, eventually moved her feet too.

Ratel and Jing, who had come down underground, were able to join Ria before long.

“There are more than I expected.”

Ratel gave one look at the people she had brought and tossed that out.

At his reaction, which for some reason felt irritating, Ria narrowed her eyes and secretly glared at Ratel.

“What is it?”

But she was still too inexperienced to escape Ratel’s sight.

When Ratel frowned, Ria quickly created an awkward smile.

She knew she was being servile, but Ratel was still too frightening for her to express her dissatisfaction as it was.

“I’m glad, that’s all. Glad. You really came at just the right time.”

“For someone who’s glad, your mouth looks like it’s about to spasm.”

“This is just how I smile.”

“Enough, both of you. If we act like this, it will only make the people tremble with anxiety.”

Jing said that while looking over the people observing the three with eyes full of fear.

Ria, who was afraid of defying Ratel any further, quickly nodded and ran over to the people.

Ratel looked at Ria and the people with strange eyes.

“I didn’t know moving those people would be this easy.”

At his mutter, Jing placed a hand on Ratel’s shoulder.

He felt as if he understood where the faint hollowness in Ratel’s voice came from.

“It was not easy.”

At his answer, Ratel nodded.

“I wasn’t trying to belittle Ria’s efforts.”

“I know. That is not what I meant.”

When Ratel frowned at Jing’s answer, Jing patted his shoulder once more.

“You and Ran risked your lives and destroyed the first curse once, did you not? Ria was able to bring everyone out because of everyone.”

At his comfort, Ratel looked again at the people following behind him uneasily.

“In the past, lives weren’t enough.”

Vaguely, Jing realized which past Ratel’s “past” referred to.

He also understood that the words muttered like a whisper were not as light as their volume.

Jing knew this was not something he could thoughtlessly comfort him about.

No matter how old one became, there were far too many problems for which there was no proper answer.

He only knew that sometimes it was better to simply reveal one’s honest thoughts as they were.

“Things will change now. From now on, I will be with you, and Ria too, and His Highness as well.”

Ratel, who had been staring at Jing with unreadable eyes, slowly nodded.

“You’re right. The larger the stakes, the larger the profit.”

......Is that really an appropriate comparison?

Jing, troubled by the rather strange expression that made his own life a die on a gambling table, finally sighed and patted Ratel’s shoulder.

“......For now, you must not set foot near a gambling table until the day you die.”

At that, Ratel gave a short laugh and shrugged.

“Someone said I’m a very lucky bastard.”

That was a remark that made cold sweat form.

For someone who already had limitless nerve, what irresponsible fool had said such a thing without knowing what he might stake as the bet?

“I do not know what lout told you that, but do not take it to heart.”

At Jing’s serious advice, Ratel’s smile deepened.

The corners of his mouth, which Jing usually even suspected might be paralyzed, were moving actively today, stirring Jing’s anxiety.

“Listen well. Luck is not something you can trust in the first place. If something called luck truly exerts its power, that would only be when you lose badly on the first round. Losing so much you can never go near a gambling table again. Do you understand? So......”

“We’ve arrived.”

Ratel, cutting off Jing before his words could grow longer, stopped walking.

Jing, who had been about to begin a round of scolding, stopped speaking and looked in the direction Ratel’s finger pointed.

It was a door that looked especially cold.

Leaving Jing behind as he frowned at the instinctive sense of revulsion, Ratel walked forward and placed his hand on the door.

“This time, it’s not a gamble, so there’s no need to worry.”

At Ratel’s words, his face returned to bluntness, Jing swallowed and nodded.

“Then I’ll leave the back to you.”

As if no long words were needed, Ratel opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside.