The sound of rough breathing could be heard.
"Huff... Huff..."
The labored breathing of the committee members climbing the mountain and Princess Shartia's panting echoed from halfway up the mountain.
"It's getting too dark."
The streams of light that had been illuminating the sky clearly were now creating a crimson sunset. The warm air that had caused sweat to form on their foreheads was now giving way to a chilly breeze that made them shiver.
Hannah looked at the setting sun and muttered to herself.
"...I think we should head back."
If the carriage path hadn't collapsed, they would have arrived with time to spare. Despite their early departure, Hannah was skeptical about their current situation with the delayed arrival.
'...Something's strange.'
Hannah didn't keep this thought to herself but shared it with Shartia. Even vague information needed to be shared to avoid the worst-case scenario. She voiced the thought that had suddenly crossed her mind.
"Hey, I think it's getting too late. Shouldn't we head back down from here? I think it would be better to start again at dawn tomorrow."
At Hannah's words, Shartia nodded and looked up at the sky.
"...I suppose we should."
It was dark.
Eerie, even.
Night seemed to approach faster in the mountains.
Shartia, who had been muttering quietly to herself, raised her head to share her opinion with the guide team at the front. While searching for the missing people was important, ensuring safety had to come first.
"Everyone...!"
"This is actually better!"
Rohan, the leader of the guide team, cut off Shartia's statement with a sharp voice, insisting that Academy students wouldn't be deterred by such minor threats.
"Students from the Swordsmanship Department are basically trained in stealth operations, so we have good night vision. Since it's dark for both them and us, I think this works out well."
Rohan spoke with his shoulders squared proudly as a member of the Swordsmanship Department. Emphasizing that swordsmen were superior to mages who were vulnerable to surprise attacks, he put more strength into his steps climbing toward the mountain.
Shartia stopped walking and spoke to Rohan who was pressing forward.
"Wait a moment, Rohan."
Rohan spoke to Shartia without turning around.
"We need to go up before it gets darker, Stu.dent.Coun.cil.Pres.i.dent."
"I know that, but let's wait a bit, catch our breath, gather everyone's opinions, and then decide."
"I know the way."
"I said wait."
Rohan ignored the hesitant Shartia and put more strength into his steps climbing the mountain. He was thinking about restoring the honor of the guide team that had fallen beyond recovery.
"I saw it."
Rohan spoke about what he had seen with his own eyes while climbing the mountain.
"If we go up a little more, there's a flat area with a small church... no, a cabin. I saw it clearly with my own eyes."
"Church?"
At the mention of a church, Shartia glared at Rohan with suspicion. That wasn't what he had told her before.
"What are you talking about? You told me it was a cabin. You said with your own mouth that it was a cabin that could barely fit 30 people."
"..."
"Hey, Rohan."
"Since we're doing this, wouldn't it be better to catch them decisively and restore our honor?"
"That's not an answer..."
Rohan hardened his expression and moved forward. The guide team members following him were chattering about finishing quickly and going for drinks.
-Click.
Shartia bit her fingernail.
"Just wait. I'll deal with the punishment later, but first listen to me..."
Rohan cut off Shartia's words and spoke to the guide team members.
"Guide team. Follow me."
"I said wait."
"..."
Rohan was acting stranger than usual.
As if possessed by something, he had become less talkative and more stubborn since they started climbing the mountain. Like someone certain of success, Rohan trudged forward as if he had seen a future where he would win.
Hannah tilted her head and glared at Rohan. With an expression that suggested she would cut his throat immediately if he stepped out of line, she placed her hand on her sword hilt and waited for the right moment.
"Student Council President."
-Click..
"Should we just leave them behind?"
-Click...
"Student Council President?"
Hannah grabbed Shartia's shoulder as she hesitated. Shartia had been acting strange the higher they climbed the mountain.
She was biting her fingernails, which she normally didn't do, and seemed greatly disturbed by small variables when she usually thought more rationally than emotionally.
Shartia jumped in surprise at Hannah's approaching hand and looked back.
"Huh?"
"Why are you acting strange too, President?"
"...No. It's nothing."
Hannah glanced at Rohan who was leading the way and said:
"Doesn't he seem strange no matter how you look at it?"
"..."
"Like he's possessed by something, don't you think?"
"...I guess so."
"He wasn't this bad before. He was stubborn, but he always listened to you, President. He always said we should maintain order."
"...Right."
"This is weird... Should we just leave them behind? Following someone who won't listen is just asking for trouble."
Hannah glanced at Rohan's back and muttered quietly.
"Besides, he's a heretic. A church in the mountains is definitely suspicious."
-Click.
Shartia shook her head and told Hannah that they couldn't abandon the students.
"Let's follow them for now. If something happens, we can run away then."
"What if we can't escape?"
"Then we can use this."
Shartia reassured Hannah by showing her the ring on her hand. The ring with a red gemstone was an artifact that could summon the Imperial Knights.
"If you say so, President. Haah..."
"Just bear with it a little longer."
"Understood."
Hannah tilted her head and looked around, wondering if anyone was following them. She extended her senses sharply and followed behind Rohan.
The committee members walked for a long time.
Despite having passed the time they should have reached the summit, the committee members were still halfway up the mountain, walking for a long time.
They weren't going in circles, so why wasn't there any progress? Hannah raised her head and looked at the tired faces of the committee members.
"Haah... Where are we?"
"Are we even going the right way?"
"Damn it... I said I didn't want to come, why did they bring me?"
Hannah spoke loudly enough for Rohan to hear, noting the strangeness.
"...Everyone, stay still."
"..."
"I said stay still!"
"..."
"Doesn't this all seem strange to you?"
Hannah glared at the frozen leaders at the front. The undeniable reality was now before their eyes.
"Why is everyone just following along?"
Hannah shook her head and exhaled deeply.
"This is really strange."
"..."
"Don't you think so?"
"...Just keep moving forward."
"Shut up and be quiet for a moment."
At Hannah's words, everyone closed their mouths and maintained silence. The moonlight in the night sky might look beautiful, but...
The committee members who had been keeping silent started to get goosebumps.
-...
"Do you hear that?"
-...
"There's no sound at all right now."
Hannah looked at the fog-filled forest and spoke with an irritated voice.
"The fog is so thick we can't see ahead, and there are no animal sounds at all...! We should at least hear insects, but there's absolutely no sound!"
Hannah's cry echoed through the deep forest. The echo that something was wrong, that they should turn back now, spread through the dark forest.
"..."
The guide team members at the front seemed to finally realize something was wrong, as they looked around and placed their hands on their sword hilts.
Only Rohan continued to look ahead, walking silently, not responding to anyone's questions, just moving forward.
"Don't be afraid."
"Chief?"
"Don't be afraid and move forward."
"Chief, what's wrong with you?"
"Go."
With goosebumps rising from the spine, one of the guide team members grabbed Rohan's shoulder.
And then.
"Aaaaargh!!!!"
Feeling Rohan's cold sweat soaking his hand, the guide team member turned pale and fell to the ground.
"Ch...Chief...? What's wrong with you!"
"Go..."
Rohan was frozen.
He was walking while staring straight ahead with a pale face. Trembling like an aspen tree, Rohan kept saying:
"Go forward!"
As if his mouth wasn't moving according to his will.
"I said go forward!"
He was shouting while his body trembled violently.
"What the..."
Hannah couldn't gather her thoughts at the unfolding situation. In the fog where she couldn't see an inch ahead, the only things she could rely on were the people visible in front of her.
"...Damn it."
The moment she realized the guide had gone wrong, Hannah drew the sword at her waist and gathered her aura. Thinking she should at least clear the fog in front of them,
She raised her sword high.
And at that moment.
"...Ha."
As the thick fog began to clear, a small church appeared before their eyes.
Yes, the church Rohan had mentioned.
That eerie place revealed itself.
A wide yard.
A building with a bell tower.
A church with lights on every floor.
An eerie wind began to blow.
-Oh Lord!!!!!
The sound of many people praying came from inside the church. The sound was so loud it was strange they hadn't heard it until now, creating an eerie atmosphere as it came from inside the church.
"...Isn't that our junior's voice?"
A familiar voice was heard among the cries, and questions from those who recognized the voice echoed back.
-My Lord... forgive this sinner... forgive this sinner's incompetence!
The thunderous prayer sound echoed bizarrely once more. In the windows of the church, the shadows of people praying with their hands clasped could be seen, and cold sweat was flowing from the hands of those watching.
The reason was unknown.
It was just an inexplicable bizarreness weighing down on everyone's shoulders.
"Oh... damn."
Hannah, who realized before anyone else that the situation was going wrong, quickly turned around and shouted.
"Everyone, snap out of it and...!"
-...
Hannah's frown turned to a blank expression as she turned around. All the committee members were frozen in place, unable to move.
"..."
Their bodies couldn't move.
Except for Mikhail, Hannah, and Yuria, no one could turn their heads away from looking at the church.
With intense fear, their trembling legs made their pupils quiver, and their rough breathing was preparing them for the terror to come.
Shartia, unable to move due to the intense fear, swallowed as she looked at the towering spire.
'Something's wrong.'
It was chilling.
The faint light leaking from the top of the spire looked so ominous.
Like a small lantern burning, the shadow flickering in the round window seemed to be leaning against the window frame, watching her.
'...I need to run away.'
Under the slightly trembling voice, Shartia's instincts began to dance.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her fingers wouldn't move.
She needed to activate the artifact on her finger, but her fingers wouldn't budge out of fear.
After her heart had pounded heavily about ten times.
-Click.
The lights in the spire began to go out.
One. Two. Three.
Whoever was watching from the spire was coming down to the ground as they turned off the lights. It shouldn't be possible to hear, but...
-Tap.
It didn't make sense to hear footsteps from this distance.
-Tap.
The sound of someone coming down the stairs was all too vivid in Shartia's ears.
Shartia closed her eyes tightly and cried out.
'Please...'
Begging her body to move.
As time passed, soaking her entire body in cold sweat, the moment the last light on the first floor went out, the church door began to open with a bizarre sound.
-Creeeeeak...!!!
They couldn't see an inch ahead.
Not a bit of light was coming through the open door. Only the shadows of many young people sitting in the church were visible.
The interior wasn't visible.
-Tap.
"Gulp..."
-Tap...
"...Please."
-Tap...
The silhouette of an elderly woman began to appear from beyond the church door. A middle-aged woman in white ceremonial robes slowly, very slowly revealed herself outside the church.
"Ah... new believers have arrived."
The woman spoke with a bright smile.
"What should I do? I haven't prepared dinner."
The woman, who appeared to be in her forties, spoke while looking directly into Mikhail's eyes.
"Why don't you come inside first? We have many good words to share."
Cruelly, holding a black Bible.
"Don't we, Mr. Mikhail?"
She opened her mouth, mentioning someone's nightmare.
"I've heard a lot about you from believer 'Yung'."