ocean-life Chapter 240: Sanctuary of Federica (3)
Chapter 240: Sanctuary of Federica (3)
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 240: Sanctuary of Federica (3)
"Laugh."
Liltara involuntarily flinched.
The place where Ketal had been held was the deepest prison in the sacred ground, a place for confining special criminals, and powerful divine forces protected it.
Yet, the iron bars of that prison were twisted effortlessly.
Ketal could have escaped at any time.
He had simply been biding his time.
“Wait a moment. If you leave like that, the alarm will...”
“No problem.”
Ketal swung his fist.
A gust of wind flew towards the end of the prison, destroying the mechanism.
Liltara closed her mouth.
“Now then, shall we move?”
Ketal leisurely walked out of the prison.
Liltara quietly followed behind him.
“The question you have is whether the saint and the elders are truly upholding Federica’s values. Isn't that right?”
“...Yes.”
Liltara nodded.
Were they, like the believers they had forced into deprivation, also in a state of deprivation?
Were they following Federica’s will?
“Let’s go and confirm that now.”
Ketal walked briskly.
His unhesitating demeanor left Liltara startled, prompting her to speak up.
“Well, I know of a few places that seem suspicious. Perhaps we could start by checking those out...”
“No need. I already know.”
“What?”
Ketal confidently entered a church located on the outskirts of the sacred ground.
He walked straight into the confessional, tapping a device on the floor.
Then, with a rumble, the floor opened, revealing a staircase leading downward.
“Here it is.”
Liltara's eyes widened.
“...Have you been here before?”
Ketal’s movements had shown certainty that a hidden passageway existed there.
It was as if he already knew about it.
But this was his first time in this place.
“No. This is my first visit.”
“Then how did you...”
“It’s the expansion of my senses. That’s how I figured it out.”
“...What?”
Liltara looked at Ketal in astonishment.
The idea of expanding his senses to detect a secret passage in a church at the edge of the sacred ground was beyond belief.
But Ketal was just as surprised.
‘It wasn’t like this before.’
He had always possessed perceptive abilities beyond common understanding, but he had never been able to locate secret passages within the sacred ground perfectly.
In the past, it would have taken him several attempts to find something like this.
His senses had sharpened.
And it wasn’t hard to guess why.
‘Mystic power.’
The mystic power he had obtained with the help of the ancient dragon Ignisia.
The beast that howled with discontent within him.
It had sharpened his senses, even though he wasn’t using the mystic power directly.
Changes were occurring within him.
“This is strange indeed.”
His power had been stagnant for a very long time.
One could even say he had hit his limit.
But now, that limit was slowly being broken.
“Well, let’s head down.”
“Yes.”
They descended the stairs and walked through a narrow passageway.
After a while, they came upon a small room with two doors.
“We’ll enter here.”
Ketal opened the door on the left.
A wave of cold air swept over Liltara’s entire body as soon as the door opened.
Her eyes widened as she looked inside.
“A-ah.”
Inside, there was a vast array of food supplies.
Meat with a tantalizing color.
Freshly preserved fish.
Sweet honey and fruits.
Luxurious wine.
And even spices and seasonings.
It could easily be mistaken for a royal pantry.
There was even a high-end kitchen attached, suitable for preparing these ingredients.
“A-ah...”
Liltara’s face twisted in disbelief.
What was this?
Was this not the abundance that they had so adamantly rejected?
Ketal picked up a piece of meat and ate it raw.
“It’s of high quality. A single piece of this could buy a hundred of the jerky you eat.”
“......”
Should they move on to the next room?
They left the food storage and moved to the door on the right.
It was a banquet hall.
A chandelier adorned with various jewels.
A luxurious carpet.
In one corner, there was even a lavish bathhouse.
Liltara let out a groan.
“...What is it?”
“Tomorrow, do nothing.”
Liltara's eyes widened at the unexpected request.
Ketal spoke quietly.
“No matter what happens tomorrow, you are only an individual. Do nothing, and do not get involved. Can you promise me that?”
“...Yes, I understand.”
Though she didn't fully grasp his meaning, Liltara nodded.
Ketal smiled in satisfaction.
“Alright then.”
Everything was in place.
The audience was ready.
Now, all that was left was to enjoy the show.
* * *
The Next Day.
The Holy Knights brought Ketal out of the prison.
They were puzzled by the appearance of the iron bars, which Ketal had restored to their original state, but they chained him up and led him away.
They took him to the very center of the sacred ground.
There, the Saint, the Elders, and every follower of Federica was waiting.
Among them was Liltara.
“Ooooooh!”
“Federica, please accept our offering!”
“Grant your blessings to the servants who follow your guidance!”
The followers were crying out in near frenzy.
It was the very image of fanaticism.
In their midst, Liltara stood silent, her expression somber.
Seeing her, Ketal smiled.
In the center of the crowd was an altar.
“What’s that for?”
“It is the altar on which you will be offered to Federica,” the Saint said calmly.
“Your body will be burned, and your soul will be sent to Federica's realm. Consider it an honor to meet Federica as a sinner.”
“In other words, you're going to kill me.”
Ketal smiled brightly and looked up at the sky above the altar.
“If that’s the case, Saint of Federica, what will you do if I resist?”
Ketal asked.
“What if I refuse to approach the altar? What if I reject it?”
“Then, unfortunately, we will have to proceed by force. Kostia.”
“Yes.”
The chief inquisitor, Kostia, along with his subordinates, grabbed Ketal, intending to drag him to the altar by force.
“Uh, uh?”
But Kostia’s expression began to stiffen.
No matter how hard they tried, Ketal’s body wouldn’t budge.
It was like trying to push a deeply rooted tree.
The Saint frowned at the sight of them struggling.
“Kostia. What are you doing?”
“Just give me a moment, please. This... Move!”
Kostia enveloped himself in divine power and rammed his shoulder into Ketal, intending to shove him with all his strength.
Thud!
But it was Kostia who fell.
He stumbled back from the force and landed on the ground with a shocked expression.
The Saint’s face slowly hardened.
“...What.”
Something was wrong.
It felt like realizing that the gears, which had seemed to grind along despite creaking, had been misaligned from the start.
“Unfortunately, I’m not ready to die just yet,”
Ketal murmured lazily.
“I have nothing more to ask of you.”
He hadn’t resisted them until now.
He had followed all their orders, never once rebelling.
Because he was curious to see what they would do with him.
He had thought he could find some enjoyment in the process.
But now, it was over.
He had enjoyed everything there was to enjoy.
“It seems you want something from me, but I’m not going up there.”
Ketal bared his teeth at the sky.
His gaze met the one watching from the heavens.
Ketal clenched his fists.
Clang!
The chains shattered.
The Saint was aghast.
Ketal raised his fist.
“If you have complaints, come down and say them yourself.”
He swung his fist.
A gust of wind from Ketal’s punch flew straight toward the altar.
“Federica!”
The Saint cried out in panic, gathering divine power to create a barrier to protect the altar from the wind.
But it was impossible.
The barrier shattered like a rotten fence hit by a speeding carriage.
The wind, having lost none of its force, smashed into the altar.
Boom!
The altar exploded.
The altar they had painstakingly built, meant to be an offering to their god, crumbled and collapsed.
Screams echoed.
The sacred ground, steeped in fanaticism, was instantly plunged into chaos.
Amid the turmoil, Ketal clenched his fist in satisfaction.
“Hoo! That’s good! The fruit is always sweetest at the end of the wait!”
He laughed, truly enjoying himself.
“Well then.”
The time for the harvest had finally come.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]