Chapter 158

It was a terrible smell.

Instead of the stale air that had been stagnating in the temple, a foul odor took its place.

The putrid smell pierced his nose along with the fishy stench, causing him to unconsciously cover his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

He thought it would be good to close the door, but Leandros had his back to him and was staring intently at what was inside.

"Leandros? Are you all right? What on earth is this smell?"

"...Your Grace. If I may be so bold, I wish to examine the scene beyond this door."

"Then I'll come with you."

"I don't think it's a sight Your Grace should see. There's no sign of life in this building, so please don't worry. I'll return shortly."

With those words, as soon as he reluctantly nodded, Leandros disappeared beyond the door.

In the meantime, all he could do was alternate between pondering about Russel Nabilov and the terrible smell while trying to calm his anxious heart.

* * *

Leandros was careful not to let even a glimpse of what was beyond the door be seen by the Duke.

And for good reason, because what he saw beyond the door was.

'It's truly hell.'

Leandros frowned.

This space was originally where those who managed and served the temple lived and worked.

However, the floor, which should have been a light gray close to pristine white, was covered with unidentifiable dark substances.

With each step Leandros took, the dried, sticky liquid made irritating squelching sounds.

Perhaps due to the complete lack of ventilation, the smell became increasingly intense the further he went inside.

Even for Leandros, it was impossible to analyze each component of the smell that seemed like a concentration of all the unpleasant odors in the world.

What he could discern was that most of the smell consisted of decaying meat and rotten blood.

Only when he reached the small chapel where priests and clergymen could hold separate services after passing through a short corridor did Leandros's feet stop.

An empty chair symbolizing the deity.

A simplified altar.

Behind them was a wall with colored glass windows.

On the wall, a pattern was clearly drawn from ceiling to floor.

A small circle, and semicircles touching and surrounding the circle.

A single line passing through the circle and semicircles.

Unknown patterns extending from both sides of the line.

In one way, it looked like mere scribbles,

In another way, it seemed like a pattern imbued with profound magical meaning.

And if it were neither?

Leandros slid his gaze downward.

The floor was splattered with flesh and brain matter presumed to be from those who were once clergymen.

In this eerily quiet place, the only steadfast thing was the pattern behind the deity,

As if these people had been devoured by the pattern.

Leandros slowly looked around the small chapel, but it seemed difficult to find any meaningful traces or clues.

Yet he exercised patience and persistently observed the repulsive scene multiple times. And he found one question.

No matter how fragmented a person might be, their possessions wouldn't simply evaporate.

But why couldn't he find even a fragment of priestly or clerical robes here?

If so, it would mean that those lying here were all naked.

Why on earth?

Why were believers, who should have abandoned worldly desires and kept their bodies modest, gathered here naked?

Leandros glared at the wall with the unidentified pattern for a while.

He could faintly hear Arenheit's voice echoing in his ears.

-It's said to be created when attempts to summon Shub-Niggurath fail, or in places where the goddess's contamination or mark remains.

This was the heart of the temple.

A place ruled by the one and only deity.

His keen senses were sending warnings.

* * *

Gentle hands were massaging Amelia's tired body.

As her stiff shoulders relaxed, her body felt as light as if it could float away.

Another set of hands softly caressed her arms and legs while whispering in a voice as light and gentle as cotton fluff.

"You have such soft skin."

"And your long hair. We didn't notice when it was tightly bound, but now that it's loose, it's so much more beautiful."

"Your fingertips are rough, but with some oil they would become smooth."

Who was this?

Amelia tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't move her body as if she were drugged.

At most, she could only toss her head a few times like a sleepy protest.

The whispers clung to her like thick honey.

"Has it been hard until now? Your body has become so rigid. How about it? Rest with us."

No, that's not it.

She had something to do.

She needed to return the goat, find the foolish man she had left behind, and return to the meeting place.

"What could be so urgent? There's nothing to hurry for. We have everything here."

What about His Grace? What about Sir Leandros?

What was the name of this village again?

Her thoughts weren't working as she intended. Amelia shook her head again, feeling discomfort like a white fog was settling in.

"Mother led you here. Who are you? Ah, don't think about it. Let's just stay like this."

No, I have to go. I have somewhere to be.

But still, she couldn't remember the name of the village.

It seemed like she had experienced something frightening, but it all felt like a dream now.

Mother. Father. Where is everyone? Where am I?

"Our Mother desired a strong and beautiful daughter like you. We too want to welcome you as a sister. We, the 'Daughters of Blood.'"

The hands relaxing her body became more daring.

Lukewarm hands burrowed into her thighs, sides, back, and collarbones.

As Amelia let out a low sigh, the voice became even more gentle and kind.

"Mother bestows infinite mercy upon her daughters. You'll surely come to like it too. The ultimate pleasure and beautiful people are not far away."

Amelia's head dropped helplessly.

No, that doesn't seem right.

What I want isn't that. Something unobtainable. Something I can't be certain of even risking my life.

But, why did I come here?

Certainly, certainly there was an important reason.

A voice like a beautiful trap whispered in her ear.

"If both love and sin are absent from this mansion, what could possibly be frightening? Become our sister. Become Mother's daughter."

Love and sin.

Emotions she had placed far away from herself, almost as if fleeing from them.

The things she had loved disappeared in an instant.

It was all her fault.

The moment that fact was engraved in her mind, Amelia's eyes opened wide.

Breaking through the numbing fragrance, Amelia abruptly rose, shoved away the person holding her hand, and jumped off the bed filled with red velvet cushions.

The women gathered around the reclining Amelia scattered with screams.

Where was this?

Amelia inadvertently looked down and almost screamed.

She was only wearing a short chemise that served as underwear; her modest traveling attire she had been wearing was gone.

The place where she had been lying was a massive bed. All around were luxurious cushions, rugs, and carpets.

Everything was uniformly blood-red, hurting her eyes.

And who were all these people?

Most were women with perplexed expressions, with a few men interspersed between them.

Were these the people who had been lying on the bed with her when she wasn't fully conscious?

But Amelia didn't know any of them.

So essentially, strangers had been lying with her,

"W-who are you?"

When she asked sharply, one beautiful maiden at the front stepped forward.

"Don't be too alarmed. We are all those who will become your sisters. I understand that you're confused as your consciousness has just returned."

"I n-never agreed to form s-such bonds. Who are you? Where is this?"

"This is the mansion of the lord of Valentine City. We're not dangerous people. Rather, we're helping you."

"H-helping me?"

"You followed the goat, didn't you? The black goat sent by Mother."

"M-Mother? What are you..."

Mother, black goat, these people speaking of things she didn't understand.

Amelia momentarily held her breath.

She recalled Leandros speaking about fighting a deity in Gallo.

-The goddess called Shub-Niggurath initially came in the form of a black goat and shadow. Right after that, she transformed into a massive incarnation named Pan.

If the "Mother" they spoke of had sent the black goat, that "Mother" must surely have a connection to Shub-Niggurath.

No, assuming the worst, these people might even be worshippers of Shub-Niggurath.

As Amelia stood still for a moment, the maiden who had spoken to her gave a fresh smile like a crisp spring breeze.

She probably thought Amelia had understood the situation.

"Do you believe a bit more now? That we're helping you?"

"Wh-what's going to happen to m-me?"

"Everything's fine. Don't worry. We'll tell you one by one. You're our sister, chosen by Mother. We won't hurt you, so relax..."

The maiden extended her hand.

She was as fresh and pristine as a newly bloomed daffodil.

If she were someone who knew nothing, she might have blindly taken the hand, captivated by this beauty and atmosphere.

But Amelia pushed her away and rushed toward the door with all her might.

The door, which had been locked, couldn't withstand the impact and opened weakly with a crack,

And from behind the fleeing Amelia, shrill screams were heard.

"Catch her! Catch her and paralyze her limbs! It's a body personally chosen by Mother!"

Amelia dashed down the carpet-covered corridor.

It was reckless to escape without knowing the structure of the mansion or where troops might be stationed.

But now she just had to flee somehow.

Running as best she could with legs that felt as heavy as if stones were tied to them, Amelia encountered someone at the end of the corridor.

A blond man, barely dressed with only his lower garments, was walking toward her, supporting himself against the wall.

As soon as he looked up and saw Amelia, his eyes widened.

And seeing the people pursuing her, he almost fainted.

This reaction meant he wasn't one of them.

Without a word, Amelia grabbed the man's hand and pulled.

Since she had grabbed him without slowing down at all, the man, unable to handle the sudden change, was almost dragged along.

They threw themselves into the first room visible after turning the corridor corner, locked the door, and listened.

Urgent footsteps thundered past the corridor beyond the door, and then it soon became quiet.

Realizing that their hiding place had not been discovered, Amelia's legs gave way and she slumped down.

Beside her was the man who had already collapsed.

"...W-why are you here?"

"...I don't know the reason either."

"You w-want to escape t-too, right?"

"You're stating the obvious, my lady."

Their gazes met.

And without any prompting, they both extended their hands and grasped each other's.

After shaking the tightly held hands once, Amelia stood up again.

"I th-think it would be g-good for us to exchange information. To g-get out of here, an or-ordinary plan won't b-be enough."