I can hear heavy breathing.
-Ugh... Ugh...
The breathing of the executives climbing the mountain and Shalltear's breathing could be heard from the middle of the mountain.
"It's too dark."
The rays of light that had once illuminated the clear sky had now transformed into a crimson sunset. The warm air that had once made my forehead sweat was now exuding a chilling chill.
Hannah muttered to herself as she watched the setting sun.
"...I think I should go back."
If the carriage road hadn't collapsed along the way, there would still be time left to arrive. Hannah, despite leaving early, was now delayed, and she was skeptical about the situation.
'...It's strange.'
Hannah didn't keep this feeling to herself, but told Shalltear. Sharing even vague information could help avoid the worst-case scenario. A thought suddenly crossed Hannah's mind.
"Hey, it seems a little late. Wouldn't it be better to head down now? Maybe we could start over again tomorrow morning."
At Hannah's words, Sharltia nodded and looked up at the sky.
"...I guess that's what I should do."
It was dark.
It was also gloomy.
Because it was in the mountains, it seemed like night would come sooner.
Shalltear, muttering softly to herself, raised her head and attempted to express her opinion to the vanguard. While the search for the missing was crucial, ensuring safety was paramount.
"Everyone...!"
"It's rather good!"
Rohan, the leader of the leadership team, cut off Shalltear's words with a sharp voice. He said that the Academy students wouldn't be daunted by such a threat.
"Students in the swordsmanship department basically learn undercover so they have sharp eyesight. Since it's dark for them and us anyway, I think it's a good thing."
Rohan spoke with pride, as a member of the swordsmanship school. He emphasized the superiority of swordsmen over mages, who were invulnerable to surprise attacks, and with a surge of strength he climbed the mountain.
Sharltia stopped walking towards Rohan, who was spurring her on, and spoke.
"Wait a minute, Rohan."
Without looking back at Rohan, he spoke to Shalltear.
"We need to get up before it gets dark, Mr. Student Council President."
"I know, so let's wait a bit and go. Let's catch our breath, gather opinions among ourselves, and then make a decision."
"I know the way."
"Okay, just wait."
Rohan ignored Shalltear's hesitation and continued his ascent. He thought this was the perfect opportunity to restore the honor of the leadership, which had fallen to the point of no return.
"I saw it."
Rohan climbed the mountain and told what he had seen with his own eyes.
"I saw with my own eyes that if I went up a little further, there was a flat land, and there was a small church... no, a hut."
"church?"
At the mention of the church, Shalltear glared at Rohan and questioned him. That wasn't what she'd heard from him.
"What are you talking about? You told me it was a cabin. You said with your own mouth that it could barely fit 30 people."
"..."
"Hey. Rohan."
"If we're going to do it anyway, wouldn't it be better to make sure we get it right and restore our honor?"
“You call that a thing….”
Rohan hardened his expression and stepped forward. The leaders following him were chattering, suggesting they hurry up and grab a drink.
-Same.
Shalltear bit her fingernails.
"Just wait. I'll punish you later. Just listen to me for now..."
Rohan interrupted Sharltia and spoke to the leader.
"Leaders. Follow me."
"Wait."
"..."
Rohan was acting stranger than usual.
From the moment he climbed the mountain, as if possessed, he became silent and stubborn. Like someone certain of success, Rohan began to trudge forward, as if he had seen a future where he would triumph.
Hannah tilted her head and glared at Rohan. With an expression that said she would immediately decapitate him if he were to make a move, she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword and waited for the right moment.
"Student President."
-Same..
"Should I just throw it away?"
-Same...
"Student President?"
Hannah grabbed Shalltear's shoulder as she hesitated. The higher they climbed the mountain, the more strange Shalltear became.
Because it seemed like a person who normally doesn't bite his nails and thinks rationally rather than emotionally was greatly shaken by small variables.
At Hannah's approaching hand, Shalltear looked back in surprise.
"uh?"
"Why is even the chairman like that?"
"...No. Just."
Hannah glanced at Rohan, who was leading the way, and said.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s strange, right?”
"..."
"Isn't it strange, like someone possessed by something?"
"...I know."
"It wasn't to that extent. He was stubborn, but he listened to the student body president. He said we still had to maintain order."
"...right."
"It's weird... Should I just abandon it and go? If I follow someone who doesn't listen, something bad will happen, right?"
Hannah glanced at Rohan's back and muttered softly.
"And they're pagans. The church in the mountains is absolutely untouchable."
-Same.
Shalltear shook her head and told Hannah, "But I can't abandon my students."
"Let's follow for now. If something happens, we can just run away."
"What if I can't escape?"
"You can use this then."
Shalltear reassured Hannah by showing her the ring in her hand. The ring, engraved with a red gem, was an artifact that summoned the Imperial Knights.
"If the student body president says so, then I understand. Haa..."
"Just hold on a little longer."
"All right."
Hannah tilted her head and looked around, wondering if anyone was following her. Sharpening her senses, she followed Rohan.
The executives walked for a long time like that.
Even though it was past time to reach the top of the mountain, the executives were still halfway up the mountain and were walking for a long time.
We haven't even been going around in circles, so why is there no progress? Hannah looked up and looked at the exhausted faces of the executives.
"Haa... Where are you?"
"Are you going the right way?"
"Fuck... I said I wouldn't go with you, so why did you bring me?"
Hannah spoke strangely, loud enough for Rohan to hear.
"...Everyone, stay still."
"...“
"Stay still!"
"..."
"Isn't it weird for everyone?"
Hannah glared at the frozen leader, saying, "Now, the undeniable reality has come into view."
"Why is everyone just following me?"
Hannah shook her head and took a deep breath.
"It's so weird."
"...“
"Isn't that so?"
"...For now, go forward."
"Shut up and be quiet."
Everyone fell silent at Hannah's words. One might ask, "What's so strange about the moonlight rising in the night sky?"
The executives who had been keeping silent began to feel goosebumps.
-...
"Can you hear me?"
-...
"I can't hear anything right now."
Hannah spoke in an annoyed voice, looking out into the foggy forest.
“The fog is so thick I can’t see in front of me, and I can’t hear any animals…! I should at least hear the sound of insects, but I can’t hear anything.”
Hannah's scream echoed deafeningly through the deep mountains. It was strange. It was wrong from the start. She demanded they turn back now. The echoes spread through the dark forest.
"..."
The leaders of the vanguard, now realizing that something was wrong, looked around and placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.
Only Rohan walked forward, looking straight ahead, without answering anyone's questions.
"Don't be afraid."
"Manager?"
“Don’t be afraid and move forward.”
"What's wrong, Manager?"
"go."
One of the leaders grabbed Rohan's shoulder as goosebumps ran down his spine.
and.
"Eww!!!!"
The leader's face turned pale and he fell to the floor at the sight of Rohan's cold sweat dripping down his hand.
"Boss...Boss...? What's wrong!“
"go..."
Rohan was frozen.
He walked forward, his face pale and gazing intently ahead. Trembling like an aspen leaf, Rohan continued speaking.
"Go forward!"
As if the mouth does not move as one wishes.
"Go forward!"
He was shaking and screaming.
"what..."
Hannah couldn't come to her senses as the situation unfolded. In the fog, unable to see even an inch ahead, all she had to rely on was the people in front of her.
"...Fuck."
The moment she realized her guide was wrong, Hannah drew her sword from her waist and gathered her aura. Thinking she needed to clear the fog before her eyes,
He raised his sword high.
And that moment.
"...under."
As the thick fog cleared, a small church appeared before our eyes.
Yes, the church that Rohan was talking about.
The gloomy place came into view.
A large yard.
In a building with a bell tower.
A church with lights on every floor.
A gloomy wind began to blow.
-Oh my god!!!!!
Inside the church, the sound of countless people praying could be heard. It was so loud that it was hard to believe I hadn't heard it before, and the church was filled with an ominous atmosphere.
"...Isn't that our junior's voice?"
A familiar voice is heard in the cry, and the question of the one who remembers that voice is answered.
-My God... forgive me, this sinner... this sinner's incompetence!
A loud, thunderous prayer echoed again, eerily. Inside the church, shadows of people clasped hands in prayer were visible through the windows, and cold sweat flowed from the hands of those watching.
The reason was unknown.
Just, an inexplicable strangeness was weighing on each other's shoulders.
"What the... fuck."
Hannah, who realized before anyone else that things were going wrong, quickly turned around and screamed.
"First of all, everyone, wake up...!"
-...
Hannah turned around, her frown fading into a blank expression. All the executives were frozen in their seats, unable to move.
"...“
My body couldn't move.
Except for Michael, Hannah, and Yuria, no one could turn their heads away from the church.
My legs were trembling with deep fear, making my pupils dilate, and my breathing was becoming rough, warming up the fear that was to come.
Shalltear, unable to move due to deep fear, looked up at the towering spire and held her breath.
Something is wrong.
It was creepy.
The soft light coming from the top of the spire looked so ominous.
The shadows that flickered on the round window, like a small lantern burning, seemed to be leaning against the window frame and looking at me.
'...I have to run away.'
Beneath the small, trembling voice, Shalltear's instincts began to dance.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My fingers wouldn't move.
I was supposed to activate the artifact on my finger, but I was so scared that my finger wouldn't budge.
My pounding heart must have skipped a beat about ten times.
-Click.
The lights in the spire began to go out.
One. Two. Three.
The person who had been watching from the top of the spire was gradually descending to the ground, turning off the lights. He clearly shouldn't have been heard.
-Again.
It doesn't make sense to hear footsteps on this street.
-Again.
The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs was so vivid in Sharltia's ears.
Shalltear shut her eyes tightly and shouted.
'please...'
Please move.
After a moment of being drenched in cold sweat, the lights on the last floor went out. The church door opened with a strange sound.
-Kkiiiik...!!!
I couldn't see an inch ahead.
Not a single ray of light came through the open door. Only the shadows of the countless young people sitting in the church were visible.
The inside was not visible.
-Again.
"Gulp..."
-Again...
"...please."
-Again...
Beyond the church door, the silhouette of an old woman began to appear. A middle-aged woman in white robes slowly, very slowly, emerged from the church.
"Ah... new believers have arrived."
The woman said with a bright smile.
"What should I do? I didn't prepare dinner."
An elderly woman who appeared to be in her forties looked straight into Mikhail's eyes and spoke.
"Would you like to come inside first? I have a lot of good advice for you."
Holding a black Bible, he was cruel.
"Isn't that so, Mr. Mikhail?"
He opened his mouth, bringing up someone's nightmare.
"I've heard a lot from Saint 'Yong'."