The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.207 Assault (1)

“Is that it? It looks way more ominous than I heard.”

As Evan-san’s rare, agitated tone rang out, all of our gazes, scattered here and there, twisted in unison towards one direction.

Among the howling winds that made our ears ring, there wasn’t a single person who could have not heard that faint declaration.

There was no way we could miss it.

The underlying tension woven into that seemingly calm melody was explicitly reminding us of the gravity of the situation we were in.

“Is it just me, or does it seem much bigger than last time…?”

“No, it definitely looks bigger to me too…”

Apis murmured while sweating cold, and I quietly agreed.

It was quite rare for a dungeon to change its shape, but it wasn’t unheard of either.

Even veterans who had been tackling dungeons for decades found dungeons to be unpredictable.

Let alone if the target was something like a Demon King, it wouldn’t be surprising if it got a bit bigger.

But could it really be a dungeon?

The ominous suspicion that rudely crept in through the cracks of our heightened vigilance was lingering without fading away.

High altitudes where even birds couldn’t easily reach.

A towering black pillar, staining the cloudy sky like cotton pulled from a pillow, was emanating a wicked aura unmatched by any in the past.

“Grraaaar…”

A sudden, feral growl escaped Evan-san’s mouth, but no one dared to ask why.

Naturally, the sinister premonition radiating from the monstrosity before us was triggering an instinctual sense of danger one would expect from a living being.

More than a disaster, it was a sentient malice.

No, it was something lurking beyond the abyss, filled with wicked intent.

We absolutely mustn’t get entangled with that.

It felt as though every single cell in my body was screaming, and my trembling continued for a while.

“Anyway, what should we do about that?”

“Ugh…”

Just then, Apis pointed with her chin to behind me.

Given the circumstances, I wanted to offer some encouragement to not worry, but what actually came out of my mouth was a moan filled with anxiety.

“You should turn back right now.”

“No way.”

Our eyes, red and blue, were locked onto each other.

The more the strong wills of the two clashed, the more the shadow hanging over my heart grew endlessly darker.

“Welna is going to that place with big brother. No, I have to go. So don’t hold me back.”

“You’re the one causing the hold-up. Do you think we’re off on a picnic right now? It’s not too late to go back to where the Sister is waiting—”

“No way.”

Crunch.

As the conversation abruptly cut off, that brutal grinding noise unmistakably conveyed the depth of the Hero’s anger at the moment.

Currently, we were faced with an unpredictable, immense calamity.

Under normal circumstances, the Saintess should have been waiting safely at Haren’s house while we tackled the dungeon, but she had secretly stowed away with the party, a situation that was nothing short of unprecedented.

It seemed she had forced herself into the baggage we brought along.

It was astonishing enough that the impatient Saintess had curled up in that cramped space for half a day.

I could only admire the fact that not just anyone, but the Hero had been deceived for such a long time.

At this point, the image of the Sister, realizing that the Saintess had gone missing and screaming in anguish, was vividly clear in my mind.

“That place is dangerous. Welna has to protect big brother. You need Welna.”

“If you’re worried about the Priest’s safety, don’t. The Priest has me. Not you. Me.”

“No, you can’t. You can’t protect big brother. I have to do it.”

“…What?”

Thwak!

With the sound of something breaking through contemplation, the Hero slowly brought a hand to his sword.

I instinctively realized.

The standoff that could have collapsed at any moment had just veered completely off-course.

Truth be told, it was remarkable that we had withstood for this long.

“Alright! Everyone, cut it out!”

With a firm tone, I boldly threw myself between the two.

Maybe it was the height that was causing the strain on my breathing, but despite that, the air surrounding these two was noticeably lacking in oxygen compared to anywhere else.

“Hero! Put down the sword. And Saintess, stop being so stubborn.”

“Ugh! Yes…”

“….”

My trembling words might have seemed pathetic at first glance, but luckily they held enough strength to mediate between the two.

While there was still some unwillingness lingering, in the end, the Hero sheathed his sword.

The Saintess didn’t provide a response of her own, but there were no further signs of defiance.

“Haa…”

I took a moment to gather myself with a sigh of relief.

While the Saintess sneaking away was indeed an unpredictable situation, it wasn’t a problem so grave that it was impossible to handle.

“Evan-san, after we breach the dungeon, please take the Saintess back to her home. I’m counting on you.”

“Got it. Sure thing, weak human.”

After briefly asking for Evan-san’s understanding, I quietly approached the Saintess.

Her head was bowed so low that I couldn’t gauge her expression, but I could tell she was feeling quite down.

“Ugh!”

Damn it!

The Hero’s cheerful snort, seemingly filled with that sentiment, briefly broke my concentration, but I quickly steadied my mind.

“Saintess. We definitely did wrong by leaving without saying anything, but even so, you shouldn’t just come along without telling the Sister. She’d worry.”

“….”

“I truly appreciate your concern for me. But the dungeon is tens or even thousands of times more dangerous than you think. I wish for your safety.”

“….”

Fortunately, the Saintess’s resistance was much weaker than I had anticipated.

If she had thrown a tantrum like usual, I was prepared to speak a bit sternly to get her to leave.

This made things easier for me.

“Big brother will definitely come back. So please trust big brother and wait just a little with the Sister, okay? Huh? Welna?”

With a gentle smile, I cautiously brought my pinky finger to hers.

There wasn’t an immediate response or even a nod, but there were no signs of rejection like thrashing about either.

At this point, I had done well.

This plain reaction indicated that although the Saintess might not fully grasp the situation, she at least understood it to some degree.

“I’m sorry, Welna. But big brother…”

“…No!”

“Huh?”

“That’s not it!”

“W-Welna…?”

A response that exceeded my expectations popped up a sudden question mark in my mind.

The Saintess wasn’t crying or throwing a fit.

She only faced me squarely, her firm eyes earnestly pleading for something.

Had I ever seen such seriousness from her before?

No, at least to my knowledge, I had never.

“That’s not true!”

Vroom—!!

Right at that moment, before I could finish my words, Evan-san’s urgent voice rang out, and in the blink of an eye, my surroundings turned hazy.

“—!?”

Evan-san’s body tilted, perfectly horizontal a moment ago, causing our movements to become chaotic.

Thanks to everyone reflexively clinging to Evan-san’s limbs, fortunately, no one fell to the ground.

However, immediately after, Evan-san’s loud warning urgently cautioned us of what was to come next.

“It’s coming! Hold on tight!”

My body moved ahead of my head, instinctively wrapping around the Saintess to protect her.

It was right at that moment that I finally had the chance to glance around.

“Hero! Apis! Lowville! Everyone, gather here!”

Dawna, the only one among us completely free of hands due to being carried by Bigtim, boldly called out as she lifted her staff.

“Shield! Round Shield that protects the weak! Proclaim to all foolish beings who dare approach those bound by a pact with me, that fighting is in vain! Declaring! Scaring!”

From the series of spellcasting, I could surmise that the magic Dawna was about to unleash was a defensive spell.

One question lingered, though: what was she trying to protect us from?

Unlike the comrades who quickly realized the direction of the attack through movements and air flow, I, limited to just sensing danger, could barely grasp that we were under attack.

An assault that could stagger Evan-san in this unfathomably high air.

Who… how… and why?

As my mind became tangled like a complicated mess for a while, soon, I was to learn the answer to that question at this very spot.

“Wha…!?”

From the black pillar before me, numerous chains burst out like tentacles.

That menacing movement, writhing restlessly like it was hunting for prey, was clearly aimed right at us.

Chwa-reul-leug!

Right at that moment, a huge chain hurtling towards Evan-san, who was still struggling to regain momentum, due to us hanging on.

It was only because the Hero urgently called out my name that I realized the trajectory was aiming straight for me.

“Priest—!!!”

Boom! And Crack!

The bone-chilling impact, followed by a fierce pain.

My consciousness, which had been clear until that point, completely severed from that moment onward.

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