Chapter 28 – The Stolen Mysteries

In the forbidden treasure room at the innermost of the『Ghost Road』.

After being stabbed by the two piercing gaze, Shouji tried talking his way out in panic, but he did not know what to do.

His back was sweating, and he was examining the other party responses cautiously.

He was concerned about the wraiths around Alistia, but he figured it was probably the Priest’s holy magic or something. Anyway, the most important thing was not to make Leschia angry. It would be bad if he broke his promise by feigning illness and was discovered that he had been stealing while using her as a decoy.

The dispute would turn into a fight to the death immediately.

Now that his evil deed has been exposed, it’s a critical moment for Shouji, as it could mean the difference between life and death.

Needless to say, Leschia is on the side of justice. She is on the opposite side from himself. Their moral codes are like water and oil, as they do not mix. It was obvious what would happen if his plan to kidnap the women and ransom them was discovered. She is also a dangerous opponent to argue when he thinks about public opinion.

「Shouji」
「You guys go on ahead, I will take care of this」

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Shouji gave off wonderful atmosphere and looked at Leschia with a sad, young man face.

「I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you anything……」
「I know! If you told me, then it will be found out! But, you were acting to save the people, right! I’m impressed you know, really! With this, I can now write a recommendation for you to be a Guardian Braver!」

The truth is there is no way he could tell her anything―― But the exited Leschia interpreted it conveniently.

He have always thought her to be a good-natured, naive, foolish woman, but it seems he can win her over. When he dropped his hand from her waist to her leggings―― And to her curved buttocks, Leschia’s eyes fluttered a little in surprise, but she did not say anything. The touch of the soft flesh of the buttocks made an evil desire crept into his mind.

It would be better for the future if he eat her at this point.

He knew she liked him, but if he brought it up into a love affair as things are, she would interpret any contradictions or omissions in the story as she saw fit.

Shouji’s eyes was filled with agitation, but when he made his decision, he acted quickly.

「Leschia!」
「Kyaa」

Pretending to be in love with her and losing control of himself―― Then put their lips together.

He held the back of her head with his strong arms so that she could not escape, and embraced her as if he were tying her down, without saying a word.

「Nnn!? Ahh……」

He closed his eyes, sucked on her lips and plunged his tongue in mercilessly.

He began to violate her mouth, tracing and crawling over her gums and the underside of her tongue. Leschia’s tongue did not twine around, but her resistance was thin.

He can do it―― He can push her.
Shouji changed his approach from forceful to soft touch.
He rubbed her slender back and stroked her hair gently so as not to disheveled it. Caressing while kissing her, he tickles her sexual feelings. He was proud of his ability to make her surrender.

When he let go of her lips, Leschia looks back at him with a somewhat bewildered look on her face.

「Fuwaaah…… S-Shouji?」
「I have liked you since the first time I saw you. But because of our different status…… I couldn’t say it directly…… I’m sorry. Doing something like this…… It’s too sudden, right」

It is not that he like her or anything, but as a man who kissed her without her consent, Shouji quickly turned his face away as if to regret his wickedness. He stuck out his tongue where it could not be seen, but no one saw it.

「N-No…… It’s not like I hate it or anything, I have always thought it would be nice…… to go on a few dates with you and maybe kiss you or something…… ah, but, we did it…… Ahaha―― ah」

He embraced and pressed her mouth once again.

The kiss was awkward. It was frustrating, and when he whispered in her ear to intertwine their tongues, Leschia, whose cheeks was dyed with red, smiled shyly. She was trying to cover up her embarrassment by laughing. Is it because of her lively personality?

「I, umm, clumsy, or rather, not used to it…… Haha, sorry」
「I thought you were seduced a lot」
「Umm, not really. Everyone, keep their distance from me, and they’re afraid of me…… You see, it’s because I’m a flower on a high peak」

She shrugged her shoulder in a funny way.
She has a well-shaped face and a sporty style that is refined. Her beauty that still retains dignified and tenderness is charming.

Perhaps, the fact that she has crushed numerous monsters with her『Karma Legs』that defies the laws of physics has terrifies the opposite sex.

「Ugh, aaaahhhhhhhhh!?」

A heartbreaking scream resounded.

The owner of the voice was a silver-haired boy in armor―― Kielnir, who witnessed Shouji and Leschia hugging each other and raised his voice. The footsteps of the members of the 『Torch The Blades』entering the room in succession was heard.

「Leschia-san! W-what are you doing!? You! Get the hell away from my master!」
「What’s wrong with this lively kid?」

Approaching him angrily, Kielnir took off his gauntlet looking annoyed. He threw it at his face, as if it was a glove, and Shouji took it with a snap. He assessed the object reflexively and found that it was crafted finely. A custom-made piece of craftsmanship.

「I challenge you to a duel!」
「Judging from your appearance, it seems that you’re a child from the upper class…… Nobles and commoners don’t duel easily. No matter which side wins, it’s only a loss for both sides. You don’t even receive such education properly?」
「Don’t you dare insult me. you insolent! I don’t give a shit about such a thing! Fight me with her on the line!」
「Uwaaa…… I don’t know what it is, but it’s hot」

Sheila, the magician, clapped her hands and cheered in a dull voice. I’m not sure what to make of it. Shouji separate from Leschia and confronted Kielnir, who was about to blows out his spirit. He was uncomfortable taking on the inexperienced boy knight, but he was troubled whether if he should treat him lightly.

The reason for fighting is also trivial.
The opponent has loses his mind, and from his appearance, he looks like a little fish, so it’s hard to motivate him.

「Don’t look down on me too much!」

What drew Shouji’s attention was the fact that he readied his stance without drawing his sword.

There must be a reason why he is bare-handed even though he is armed with a sword. He is the type who has a secret weapon.
From the sensation, he is the same as himself.
Amusingly, he is the chosen one.

「Alright. I accept the duel. I think I can have fun with you」

With a gruesome grin, he held the cork of the speed-potion with his teeth―― Tossing the cork onto the grass and swallowing the elixir to strengthen his legs. His muscles are pumping under his jeans. He have come all this way especially. He decided to use the same martial arts of the woman he fell in love with to defeat him brutally.

He can easily trace the footwork of Leschia’s『Karma Legs』that he have seen so many times.

「Wait! Kielnir, I don’t permit you to challenge him!」
「Ugh, but――」
「Some of you might already know, but let me introduce him. This person is Shouji Quikk, The Street Braver. It’s thanks to him that the dead have returned. As a courtesy, please express your gratitude」

The leader’s loud voice was effective.

The members did not question it much, but they verbally thanked him, albeit in a formal manner.

As for Shouji, when he was praised by so many people, he began to lose his malice.
He began to realize that the praise he was receiving was due to the fact that he had kidnapped the women. They were praising him for saving the victims.

「So, Leschia. Has the enemy been settled?」

It must have been a wise man who set up the stage.

When he prompted her about his concerns, Leschia suddently turned her head to where Alistia was standing, but her cheeks twitched and stiffened.

「Ah…… Not there…… Hey, guys. Did you catch Alistia-san?」
「I felt a black shadow pass over my head, but then I heard Kielnir screaming…… So, I took priority here unintentionally」

The big man with a spear, Ludophine, replied in a evasive tone and exchanged glances with the other members.

They cannot help but move in the direction of helping their comrade out of his predicament.

Leschia was ashamed and covered her face with the palm of her hand.

「Uhh! We’re going to chase her! Let’s go!」

　※　※

It was time to say goodbye to the Haunted Land.
Alistia was flying in the sky with the wraiths pulling her arm. There are only about ten of it left. There were more than a few thousand of them at one time, but they were reduced to ashes.

「『Gate』」

Originally, the secret art was used to send the dead to the underworld, but it was reversed to summon the ghost from the other side―― She prayed for the most powerful heroic spirit to come. Since this place is the geographic center point of the spiritual vein, even miscellaneous spirits will gather here. But it is okay. Numbers are power. And that power would bring her closer to her ideal.

「In the end, I can only bring one person……」

She looked at the woman in the robe who was hugged in the wraith’s arms.

Was it Sherika?―― In the end, she ended up only bringing back a woman with no special features, and just have some accomplishment in magic. Speaking of help, it is a relief that she was conceived. Because she can revive even if it is just one person.

「Onee-sama, would like to enter?」

She spoke to the tall wraith who was always standing by her side.

She did not turn around and did not respond. Even if she touched her withered body and understood her heart, she would only receive words that sounded like ramblings. Even though the Lord Wraith mother’s body is entrusted with many souls without will, she is almost as crazy as the other wraiths. No one would know her or be interested in her, but the reason she has not lost her holiness is simply because she is repeating the words of her prayers before her death. The true nature of the holy attributes is just such a trivial matter,

They are seeking salvation, but at the same time, they have a strong grudge and have become monsters. A pitiful existence.

It is a pity that they have already forgotten what the object of their grudge is.

「It cannot be like this……」

A tear spilled from one of her eyes.
She wiped the corner of her eyes. Perhaps it was because of her defeat, or perhaps she was feeling a little sentimental.

An inexplicable sadness was welling up in her chest.
Those who were meant to be Priests, but lost to the trials. That is the Priest Wraiths here. If she think about it, the reason she started this plan may have been because of the death of her sister, whom she adored. As the Karma Legs Hero said, she just wanted to see her again. So she came up with the idea of resurrecting her under the guise of salvation.

Just for the sake of one person―― She cannot admit it at this point.

「Did I looked down on the heroes power too much? Well, it cannot be helped…… I will take you to the capital. We can find many pregnant women in Error Knife」

That is right.
There was no need to be fixated about self-production. If the holy magic allows them to tamper with reincarnation, she can pour their pitiful souls at random into the women in the maternity hospital and medical buildings.

By repeatedly re-summoning them, the number of wraiths Alistia was able to take in increased.

The swirling black mass―― It turned into a tornado as she head towards the entrance.

A few meters away left.

「Lox. There is something amazing coming here. It is a tourist attraction, so is it a special event?」
「No, Your Highness. This is a dungeon with a bunch of monsters. It is time for you to learn some common sense already. And from the smell, I’m guessing that’s the requested woman」
「I see, we do not need anyone else, then. Somehow. there is unnatural about her physiologically」

A carefree voice came from near the entrance.

When she think about a hunter-style girl riding a white wolf was looking up at them, light exploded from her hands.

The light balls that radiated out like bullets shot through Alistia’s entire body. I’m not sure what to make of it. The countless wraiths were similarly riddled with holes and shredded into pieces.

After being shot down, Alistia lost her flight momentum and fell down to the ground like a ragdoll.

In the blink of an eye, she was wounded beyond belief. The blood loss was terrible. Her stomach was filled with holes, her internal organs were missing, and her left arm was missing from the elbow. A puddle of blood came up from her gullet and poured out of her mouth.

Her vision was blurred by dizziness and intense pain.

The important things that made up her body were leaking out one by one.

「Oi, Lox! There is a priestess-san here though! Perhaps, this was not good, right!? I think I shot her in the right place!?」
「No, it’s good to attack because if it continue like that, I’ll take a lot of damage, not to mention the indifferent Your Highness. Besides, if she is a priestess, she can heal herself」
「I am not indifferent…… I just unrelated with pain. Hey, are you okay?」

The silver-haired girl wrinkles her brow and looks down at her. Even in this situation, she looked so divine that she carried a halo. Their atmosphere is similar to the hateful heroes, but the crucial difference is that they have black panther ears. There are no chosen ones among the beastmen.

Alistia was turned upwards by the white wolf’s nose. It might have been a consideration to make it easier for her to cast a spell. She tried to breathe, and chant the holy magic incantations while holding back the pain, and to let the healing power dwells in her right hand.

「…… Ah, w……hy?」

No light of compassion appeared in her right hand. She was stunned. She had been favored by the God since she was a child, but now she could not even use simple recovery magic. She do not even feel the flow of holy magic that used to circulate around her body. She was able to perform miracles that could not be done, even by a Royal Priest.

It i as if she has become powerless. Why? Why did it suddenly become useless?

Was it because she wanted to send a horde of wraiths to the human city? Even if she have not done it yet. does it mean that the God has abandoned her because she thought of something foolish? Impossible. If that is the case, God should blame her for imprisoning the women in the dungeon. Isn’t it so incomprehensible?

「Don’t…… tell, me」

Is this the divine punishment the God have prepared for them?

Have the God been waiting for this moment, pretending to overlook the plan?
The God gave them a future and a hope, and now the God want to usurp it all at the most grievous time?
Then, that is just too cruel.

「What’s wrong? Why didn’t you heal?」
「Ah…… The, the……」
「The? The, what?」
「The child….. I…… couldn’t…… there is no room, didn’t…… created it…… so, I can only…… let someone else do it…… then, I tried my best…… to do it in my own way…… I-I really…… t-tried my best」

She wanted to spit a curse word at someone.
She cursed her inadequate and imperfect body―― She wanted everyone to be cursed, but she could not resist the desire to communicate and to be understood. She felt so pathetic and frustrated that it crushed her heart.

The silver-haired girl got off from the wolf’s back and grasped her remaining right hand. It did not matter whether she was trying to suppress her trembling or to respond to her salvation.

Her hand was filled with vitality, warm, and soft.
Even though she was the one who killed her, when she saw her beautiful face darkened, she strangely felt less hateful.

The only thing she can feel is a sense of emptiness that it is over.

「I am sorry…… for not understanding you……」

She felt sleepy and tried to close her eyes. but she could not even get her eyelids to budge. But then a dark curtain fell over her vision.

Alistia died without being able to save anyone, and without anyone being able to save her.