Chapter 299: Those who Dance Together
…Happiness and salvation are here. Well then…come here, my beloved children.
Caria and Eldith, upon hearing the words that spilled out from the lips of Ariene as the Saint of the Great Holy Church, gurgled involuntarily.
How funny. How could someone like her make a joke like that. In this place, how could they find value in such an invitation?
The Saint in front of them was an unmistakable enemy, and she was probably even involved in Lugis’ predicament and Filaret’s disappearance. If there was someone who could accept the other person’s words without a single doubt in their minds, then that person would be a very happy and ignorant person.
Originally, that invitation was not even considered.
Caria noticed the strange presence stroking her chest. Ariene’s words shouldn’t be accepted and shouldn’t have room to enter.
“But for some reason it echoes pleasantly in my ears. It feels as if Ariene’s words are gently enveloping the very inside of my skull.”
“I’ve never felt anything like this before.” Caria slightly blinked her even-hollowed silver eyes and bit her lips.
Naturally, her heart became gradually convinced that the other person’s words were correct, and that such doubts, and even reason, spilled out of her skull. Caria felt the urge to let everything go and lean back. Even a strange sound resounded in her ears.
It was a nostalgic, good feeling. Caria’s body became lighter, and even the conviction that she was leaning on the right thing oozed out. She could easily imagine that if she bowed down to such words, her heart would be filled with warm happiness.
Beside her, Eldith spoke. Those blue eyes stared at Ariene and the darkness around her.
「…Don’t get lost, Caria. Do what you always do. 」
It was a voice that carefully chose the words. Caria also lowered her chin slightly to respond.
“That’s right. I have to focus. There’s nothing to be confused about.”
One step at a time, Caria got closer to Ariene. She took another step forward.
Caria cautiously approached the altar and lowered her position as she headed toward it. Beyond her vision, Ariene was seen with what appeared to be a soft smile.
She could feel the sticky air clinging to her cheeks. The golden eyes were now clearly visible even in the gloomy space.
She sighed and suppressed her breath.
In the next moment, the silver exploded toward the gold. A giant-like strength creaked both the sword and the air.
Would it be worthless?
Who knows, but Caria slashed everything away. In other words, Ariene’s words, and the words that Helot Stanley once said, were the same for her.
“I already have happiness, salvation, and even righteousness in my hands. No, to put it the other way around, as long as I have something in my hands, I don’t need happiness, salvation, or righteousness.”
That’s why Caria decided to kill this woman right now.
Lugis’ childhood friend. Ariene was a woman who had earned the right to accept Lugis’ feelings just because she had been with him for a long time.
“Ah, how disgusting.” Just by knowing such existence, Caria’s heart creaked and even created a distorted sound.
“Ugly. It’s the worst. It’s vile.” What came to her mind right now was what Caria hated the most and even made her spit.
“Even now I feel joy. To wield a sword against my love rival with a just cause.” Caria’s chest was filled with joy for being able to take revenge on his life. Even in such a predicament, it was still good.
What would Lugis say about this dingy feeling? If later he found out that she had killed Ariene, would he curse her?
But even so. The lust for the most perfect affection seemed unstoppable.
A flash of light ran off toward the white neck. It was truly a swipe of great power that had the means to reap humans, and yet it was the smart blow of a human being that had all sorts of training put into it.
A supreme and perfect flash. As if being sucked into the silver light, the white neck was drawn to it. In the meantime, Caria saw Ariene’s lips moving slowly.
She didn’t scream or show the pain that tore one apart. She simply said the following.
「I don’t know why. I really don’t know, Caria Burdnick. 」
It was a very natural way to mutter a question. It was nothing mysterious, but rather too ordinary.
Those words were uttered with the silver sword around her neck.
Caria opened her silver eyes. Ariene’s white neck was just there as if nothing had happened, even as it blocked the silver sword.
Without gouging out her flesh or creating a single bruise. It was as if the silver sword was merely attached to her neck.
Caria reflexively pulled back her sword while letting her ferocious turmoil emerge in her chest, and once more thrusted her sword at her saint. This time, a straight stab to gouge out her heart.
The silver sword cut through the midair with a sharpness that one wouldn’t expect from an immediate stabbing. Once swallowed, both humans and magic beasts would naturally die. A fatal flash.
Ariene’s body received that flash again without any movement, without even showing any signs to avoid it. However, no scratches were inflicted on her skin.
At that moment, Caria felt a chill rather than fear from the strange feeling that was conveyed to her hands.
What should she do? If her blade was so hard that it couldn’t pass through, the withdrawal would return to her hands. At least, the silver longsword should reverberate at the impact.
But there was nothing at all. The sword had no withdrawal waves, it was just attached to Ariene.
It was as if her own swing had returned to nothing. Caria’s thoughts were fleeting, and she stopped her movements on her own.
She couldn’t keep up with the reasoning that the impossible was possible.
In front of her enemy, her strikes were a complete failure. The reality was so harsh that Caria’s head was engulfed in fever. But Ariene’s body seemed to pay no heed and a sound came out of her lips.
「Both you and Eldith, Filaret La Volgograd…or rather, Helot Stanley and even Offal. Why are you trying to find value in that person?」
Ariene’s voice implied as if she really didn’t understand. Caria noticed that the golden eyes were staring at Lugis behind her back.
And at the same time, what meant those words?
The whole view of the dimly lit altar finally came into Caria’s field of vision when she approached Ariene’s body. There, she could see two things.
One whose life was taken and just went to sleep peacefully. The body of Helot Stanley. Just by looking at it, Caria could tell he was gone. He was laid in the altar as if he were to be buried with dignity.
The other had a familiar face. Her characteristic black hair had lost its glow and spread out on the floor. Her expression was pale, and although she may be breathing, she was quite exhausted. Her body was restrained by a magical equipment that bound the limits of her will.
For Caria, there was no point in asking who it was. She knew only one thing. Apparently, swords and foolish magic didn’t work against this Saint.
If so, the means to defeat her would be something else.
「There’s no need for him to be seen as someone worthy, because he already has worth from the very beginning…」
Caria strongly stepped in the floor at the same time as she professed those words. It was not to approach the enemy, but to step away from it.
If she could take the Saint’s life with her own sword, she would do so. However, since she couldn’t, all she had to do was step away for now. Eldith’s blue eyes twinkled and reflected in the corner of Caria’s vision.
The moment Caria left the area close to the altar, the space was filled with a black haze around Ariene. Clear twilight, completely invisible. The dense black mist produced by the elf’s curse no longer turned everything into black itself but scraped away the whole space.
「…Actually, I wish I was the only one who knew his worth.」
At the same time as Eldith professed those words, the golden person named Ariene was completely swallowed by the black mist and disappeared.
Chapter 299: Those who Dance Together
…Happiness and salvation are here. Well then…come here, my beloved children.
Caria and Eldith, upon hearing the words that spilled out from the lips of Ariene as the Saint of the Great Holy Church, gurgled involuntarily.
How funny. How could someone like her make a joke like that. In this place, how could they find value in such an invitation?
The Saint in front of them was an unmistakable enemy, and she was probably even involved in Lugis’ predicament and Filaret’s disappearance. If there was someone who could accept the other person’s words without a single doubt in their minds, then that person would be a very happy and ignorant person.
Originally, that invitation was not even considered.
Caria noticed the strange presence stroking her chest. Ariene’s words shouldn’t be accepted and shouldn’t have room to enter.
“But for some reason it echoes pleasantly in my ears. It feels as if Ariene’s words are gently enveloping the very inside of my skull.”
“I’ve never felt anything like this before.” Caria slightly blinked her even-hollowed silver eyes and bit her lips.
Naturally, her heart became gradually convinced that the other person’s words were correct, and that such doubts, and even reason, spilled out of her skull. Caria felt the urge to let everything go and lean back. Even a strange sound resounded in her ears.
It was a nostalgic, good feeling. Caria’s body became lighter, and even the conviction that she was leaning on the right thing oozed out. She could easily imagine that if she bowed down to such words, her heart would be filled with warm happiness.
Beside her, Eldith spoke. Those blue eyes stared at Ariene and the darkness around her.
「…Don’t get lost, Caria. Do what you always do. 」
It was a voice that carefully chose the words. Caria also lowered her chin slightly to respond.
“That’s right. I have to focus. There’s nothing to be confused about.”
One step at a time, Caria got closer to Ariene. She took another step forward.
Caria cautiously approached the altar and lowered her position as she headed toward it. Beyond her vision, Ariene was seen with what appeared to be a soft smile.
She could feel the sticky air clinging to her cheeks. The golden eyes were now clearly visible even in the gloomy space.
She sighed and suppressed her breath.
In the next moment, the silver exploded toward the gold. A giant-like strength creaked both the sword and the air.
Would it be worthless?
Who knows, but Caria slashed everything away. In other words, Ariene’s words, and the words that Helot Stanley once said, were the same for her.
“I already have happiness, salvation, and even righteousness in my hands. No, to put it the other way around, as long as I have something in my hands, I don’t need happiness, salvation, or righteousness.”
That’s why Caria decided to kill this woman right now.
Lugis’ childhood friend. Ariene was a woman who had earned the right to accept Lugis’ feelings just because she had been with him for a long time.
“Ah, how disgusting.” Just by knowing such existence, Caria’s heart creaked and even created a distorted sound.
“Ugly. It’s the worst. It’s vile.” What came to her mind right now was what Caria hated the most and even made her spit.
“Even now I feel joy. To wield a sword against my love rival with a just cause.” Caria’s chest was filled with joy for being able to take revenge on his life. Even in such a predicament, it was still good.
What would Lugis say about this dingy feeling? If later he found out that she had killed Ariene, would he curse her?
But even so. The lust for the most perfect affection seemed unstoppable.
A flash of light ran off toward the white neck. It was truly a swipe of great power that had the means to reap humans, and yet it was the smart blow of a human being that had all sorts of training put into it.
A supreme and perfect flash. As if being sucked into the silver light, the white neck was drawn to it. In the meantime, Caria saw Ariene’s lips moving slowly.
She didn’t scream or show the pain that tore one apart. She simply said the following.
「I don’t know why. I really don’t know, Caria Burdnick. 」
It was a very natural way to mutter a question. It was nothing mysterious, but rather too ordinary.
Those words were uttered with the silver sword around her neck.
Caria opened her silver eyes. Ariene’s white neck was just there as if nothing had happened, even as it blocked the silver sword.
Without gouging out her flesh or creating a single bruise. It was as if the silver sword was merely attached to her neck.
Caria reflexively pulled back her sword while letting her ferocious turmoil emerge in her chest, and once more thrusted her sword at her saint. This time, a straight stab to gouge out her heart.
The silver sword cut through the midair with a sharpness that one wouldn’t expect from an immediate stabbing. Once swallowed, both humans and magic beasts would naturally die. A fatal flash.
Ariene’s body received that flash again without any movement, without even showing any signs to avoid it. However, no scratches were inflicted on her skin.
At that moment, Caria felt a chill rather than fear from the strange feeling that was conveyed to her hands.
What should she do? If her blade was so hard that it couldn’t pass through, the withdrawal would return to her hands. At least, the silver longsword should reverberate at the impact.
But there was nothing at all. The sword had no withdrawal waves, it was just attached to Ariene.
It was as if her own swing had returned to nothing. Caria’s thoughts were fleeting, and she stopped her movements on her own.
She couldn’t keep up with the reasoning that the impossible was possible.
In front of her enemy, her strikes were a complete failure. The reality was so harsh that Caria’s head was engulfed in fever. But Ariene’s body seemed to pay no heed and a sound came out of her lips.
「Both you and Eldith, Filaret La Volgograd…or rather, Helot Stanley and even Offal. Why are you trying to find value in that person?」
Ariene’s voice implied as if she really didn’t understand. Caria noticed that the golden eyes were staring at Lugis behind her back.
And at the same time, what meant those words?
The whole view of the dimly lit altar finally came into Caria’s field of vision when she approached Ariene’s body. There, she could see two things.
One whose life was taken and just went to sleep peacefully. The body of Helot Stanley. Just by looking at it, Caria could tell he was gone. He was laid in the altar as if he were to be buried with dignity.
The other had a familiar face. Her characteristic black hair had lost its glow and spread out on the floor. Her expression was pale, and although she may be breathing, she was quite exhausted. Her body was restrained by a magical equipment that bound the limits of her will.
For Caria, there was no point in asking who it was. She knew only one thing. Apparently, swords and foolish magic didn’t work against this Saint.
If so, the means to defeat her would be something else.
「There’s no need for him to be seen as someone worthy, because he already has worth from the very beginning…」
Caria strongly stepped in the floor at the same time as she professed those words. It was not to approach the enemy, but to step away from it.
If she could take the Saint’s life with her own sword, she would do so. However, since she couldn’t, all she had to do was step away for now. Eldith’s blue eyes twinkled and reflected in the corner of Caria’s vision.
The moment Caria left the area close to the altar, the space was filled with a black haze around Ariene. Clear twilight, completely invisible. The dense black mist produced by the elf’s curse no longer turned everything into black itself but scraped away the whole space.
「…Actually, I wish I was the only one who knew his worth.」
At the same time as Eldith professed those words, the golden person named Ariene was completely swallowed by the black mist and disappeared.
