Chapter 38

Do not provoke the Countess.

‘Easier said than done.’

The moment we set foot in this place, we had essentially already provoked her.

“Belita. Or rather, Saintess—do you happen to know anything about the Countess’s self-destruct mechanism?”

“No. Nothing at all.”

On the way back to the county on horseback, we were busy formulating a plan. The protagonist spoke while resting his hand firmly on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

“If the self-destruct device is an issue, there is the option of a surprise attack to neutralize the Countess before she can act.”

-Solving it with pure power, whoa.

“However, it would be troublesome if it’s remotely operated or a device that triggers automatically when the Countess is in danger.”

“Is a self-destruct mechanism even a possible technology?”

This game’s worldbuilding is one where magic doesn’t exist, but science is somewhat more advanced. The exterior looks medieval, but sometimes the technology is developed enough to startle even me. Of course, there are parts that are incredibly regressive as well.

“Hmm. First, I can tell you it would be difficult in most countries. However, the Kingdom of Brishwin is a leading nation that pours its efforts into scientific advancement to the point where it’s their national industry. If she is colluding with that kingdom, it wouldn’t be impossible.”

-Is it a land of science nerds?

-Aaaagh, you can’t survive there if you’re bad at math.

So the conclusion is that it could exist. Why don’t they just go ahead and build robots while they’re at it? No matter how much the developers’ whims are the absolute truth in this world…

“Isn’t this worldbuilding a bit too inconsistent?”

-Lololol.

-Let’s not ask for too much from a game like this lol.

Exactly. Because they made such a setting, we’re dealing with these nonsensical variables right now. My head is starting to throb…

“Saintess, we found it!”

As soon as we returned, Arianne, Kalat, and Ilian delivered the good news.

“We decided to dig in the lands to the east and west near the mansion, just as you suggested! But that area is so vast. We barely found it after scouring every single spot that Sir Arianne and Sir Ilian found suspicious!”

“It was at a level where I began to suspect the Saintess had some sort of grudge against us and was venting it this way.”

“Now, now! Sir Ilian. Do not say such impious things! The Saintess is not a petty person like yourself!”

“Petty? That’s quite harsh.”

Seeing them joke around so freely…

-Why is that a question? lol.

-Guess he’s not entirely sure lol.

The protagonist seemed to be thinking something similar. Anyway, that aside. Where on earth was this basement? I was curious because this was never detailed in the game.

“Don’t even get me started. It was only fast because Sir Ilian and I infused our shovels with mana to dig; otherwise, it would have taken at least another half-day.”

“It would have been different if Priest Kalat had pulled his own weight, wouldn’t it?”

“What a cold thing to say! I helped too! Can’t you see my arm muscles screaming right now?”

“Stop the nonsense. Can’t you see the Saintess is waiting?”

“Ah, right. Well, you see. That basement is…”

“…….”

For some reason, they all suddenly shut their mouths.

-??

-Where is it?

-Say something.

After glancing around, Kalat took the lead and spoke up.

“You’ll see… when you get there…”

…?

The protagonist and I were bewildered, but we followed the three of them as they led the way. In the dark of the night, holding our lanterns, the place we arrived at was the stables. It was a massive area, boasting enough space to maintain dozens of horses befitting the mansion’s scale. Was this why they were avoiding answering?

-Seeing corpses vs. digging in a dung heap.

-Hey, it’s not a dung heap lol.

-It’s basically the same thing though haha.

-Isn’t the latter better?

“When it was just us, the stench of animal waste was so agonizing, but it’s fine being near the Saintess.”

That’s thanks to the Holy Relic. I’m glad I kept it on…

“Ahaha. Sir Ilian is so fastidious that listening to him grumble was actually harder than the smell.”

Kalat, seizing the chance after always being the one teased, poked fun at Ilian. I can practically hear the sound of Ilian grinding his teeth… But wait, is there really a path to a basement here?

‘I don’t see any specifically excavated spots.’

While Ilian and Kalat bickered, the protagonist, who was looking around the stables, found something. He looked closely at the floor in a corner and cleared away the straw with his foot, revealing ground that had been dug up with something like a shovel.

‘Did Arianne and Ilian dig this?’

It was about two meters deep. Looking inside, a brick wall was visible.

“They hid it well.”

“Yes, we made sure to conceal it lest we be discovered.”

-They hid it perfectly with the straw.

The protagonist climbed into the hole and struck his mana-infused sword between the bricks to create a gap. He reached into the crack and pulled out the bricks…

Rumble…

The sound of debris falling echoed. It meant there was a significant space below. After the protagonist removed five or six more bricks, we could peer inside. It was dark, but thanks to the faint lantern light spilling into the hole, the structure was dimly visible. A square-shaped room surrounded by gray bricks…

“It looks like… a small room.”

“We were going to enter, but since it appeared to be a contaminated zone, we waited as per your instructions just in case.”

I immediately complimented Arianne.

“You did very well.”

Seriously, they did great. The demonic energy is one thing, but how could an important event like this happen with only the supporting cast? The protagonist has to be there.

The affection points are a bonus.

“Would you like to go in now? Or would you rather wait until it gets light tomorrow?”

Mentally, I’d much prefer to go when it’s light out… With the stablehand Rask gone from the mansion, daytime would certainly be safer.

‘But why bother?’

There isn’t any major danger inside anyway. Aside from the demonic energy, that is.

‘The Holy Relic only covers the ground level; the basement isn’t protected at all.’

And since the basement is pitch black without a single ray of light whether it’s day or night, it doesn’t really matter when we do this. I voiced my opinion to go in right now.

“Understood. It looks quite deep, so I’ll head down first to assess the situation.”

“No. The basement is completely outside the Relic’s protection. It’s too dangerous even for you, Sir Hereis. I will go first.”

“Then I’ll just hold the Saintess and jump down!”

“You, Priest Kalat?”

-Kalat?

-You?

…Is he trying to take us both out?

“Don’t worry! Even if I have to die, I will protect the Saintess!”

“Please don’t die. I’ll just carry her down myself.”

“I’d be a better choice than Sir Ilian. The Saintess would feel more comfortable with a fellow woman.”

“Wouldn’t she feel more secure in my arms, given my larger physique?”

-Tsk tsk, the winner has already been decided.

‘Can’t I just go down by myself?’

“You guys are really too much! You don’t understand my heart, wanting to be with the Saintess for even a second, and you just keep interfering— Whoa!”

“Priest Kalat!”

Oh no. Kalat was hovering too close to the edge of the hole and slipped! Ilian reached out an arm, but he was too late. All three knights happened to be too far from him. If I hesitated for even a moment, Kalat was done for. I immediately leaped into the pit, shouting:

“Everyone else, stay up there for now!”

“Pardon? No, wait!”

As I fell, I caught a glimpse of Ilian’s dumbfounded expression.

Thump!

The place must have been abandoned for a long time; the impact of the landing sent clouds of dust billowing upward. I let out a small cough.

“Saintess! Are you alright?”

Arianne’s voice echoed from above. I replied that I was fine and checked on Kalat, who was sprawled at my feet.

“Ugh…”

Kalat was groaning in pain, his wrist twisted at an awkward angle. It looked like he had instinctively tried to break his fall with his hands.

“Are you okay?”

“Urgh, no. I think it’s broken.”

On closer inspection, his elbow was already starting to swell, and he couldn’t move his back, either. The only silver lining was that he didn’t seem affected by the demonic energy. His face was pale, but that was likely from the physical trauma. I’d heard that those poisoned by demonic energy usually have their skin turn dark and dusky.

“…I’ll go see if there’s a physician at the mansion.”

“Don’t worry too much, Priest Kalat. We’ll get you help soon.”

The protagonist, Arianne, and Ilian assessed the situation and then climbed down into the pit. After checking Kalat’s condition with grim faces, Ilian and the protagonist prepared to climb back out.

“There’s no need for that.”

I looked up at the ceiling where the light was streaming in and gauged the height.

‘About two stories high?’

It looked to be about 6 meters. Falling vertically without anything to cushion the impact meant that if Kalat had hit his head, he could have a severe concussion—even if he seemed fine to speak right now. I didn’t know the level of medical science in this world, but the chances of treating such injuries without permanent aftereffects were slim.

‘I definitely have to give him a potion.’

When I pulled out the potion I’d purchased from the shop, everyone watched with curious eyes.

“Saintess, what is this?”

“You called it Holy Water, right? The same one you used to heal the knights in the village…”

“Yes. Drink this, and you’ll be healed in no time.”

“So you had more.”

I poured it into his mouth, and Kalat gulped it down eagerly. A moment later…

“I’m completely fine now! Truly, this is the protection of Ralphican!”

Kalat began fussing about, flexing his arms and claiming his muscles felt even stronger than before.

“You might have internal injuries that aren’t visible, so let me know immediately if anything feels strange.”

I had to be careful, as I wasn’t certain if the potion fully treated internal damage.

“Now, shall we resume the exploration?”

First, we examined the room we had fallen into, which was sealed on all sides. With rotting furniture, stacks of broken beakers, and mysterious devices scattered about, it looked like an abandoned laboratory.

“It’s clear that some kind of experiment was conducted here.”

Finding nothing else of note in the room, we decided to investigate further. Opening the door revealed a long, narrow, downward-sloping corridor.

“At least it’s lit here.”

The protagonist took the lead, followed by Kalat, then me in the middle, with Ilian and Arianne bringing up the rear. It was a formation designed so that the skilled swordsmen could respond first to any trouble from the front or back.

‘It’s a bit excessive, though.’

I only felt that way because I knew it wasn’t dangerous; the rest of the party was walking with every nerve taut. After nearly thirty minutes of navigating nothing but narrow, winding corridors, Kalat began to voice his frustration.

“At this rate, we must be far away from the mansion! Exactly how much further do we have to go…?”

No one bothered to retort to Kalat’s irritated tone. They were all feeling the same. In fact, it was probably harder on the knights, who had to maintain high alertness. As we went deeper, the air became increasingly sticky and heavy.

“Is there an underground stream nearby?”

Ilian complained, feeling the unpleasant dampness. Not long after, we reached the source of that humid, fishy smell.

“A pond in a basement like this…? And what on earth is the size of that tree?”

-What is this?

-How bizarre.

The narrow corridor opened up into a massive chamber. Construction materials lay strewn about haphazardly, covered in thick layers of dust from neglect. In the center sat a colossal pond. Seeing a pond underground was rare enough, but this one was filled with what looked like massive tree roots. Following the roots upward, the rest of the trunk was hidden by the ceiling.

‘It looks like the basement has been consumed by a giant tree.’

The protagonist let out a low groan as he saw the color of the water.

“The water in the pond is strange. It’s completely contaminated.”

The party members began searching around the pond, staying within the range of my protective barrier. I stood before the pond, looking at the straight tree trunks and the pond so large it wouldn’t be strange to call it a lake. The purple water looked dangerous, yet it had a strangely alluring, seductive quality.

“Don’t go too close.”

Ilian lightly held me back. Regardless, I peered into the pond and saw my face reflected in the water.

‘We both suit the darkness.’

An ominous purple hue that seemed to hold poison. Didn’t the overall color palette resemble the dark-toned Belita? Being a villain’s subordinate rather than a normal maid, holding poison was a fitting similarity.

‘…The recovery potion definitely purified the demonic energy in people’s bodies.’

I summoned the shop, purchased a recovery potion, popped the cap, and poured it directly into the pond.