Chapter 87: The High Priest’s Rampage
[space_man][space_man]Nuythos, led out by Yarolk, was sitting in front of the room. He hadn’t resisted much when being taken out of the room, but he wouldn’t move from the front of the door.
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[space_man][space_man]Yarolk gave up on taking him any further and left to urge the other priests and monks to evacuate.
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[space_man][space_man]Nuythos had entered the church because he was captivated by the previous Saintess. He desired the Saintess. Therefore, he rose to the position of High Priest and established rules within the church to have his way with the Saintess.
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[space_man][space_man]Now, there was a Saintess in the room. But that Saintess had also become another man’s. He was supposed to be here because he desired the Saintess, but……
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[space_man][space_man]Nuythos slowly stood up and put his hand on the door. Then, it was repelled with a *bashin* sound. Nuythos, his face dyed with anger, pounded on the door.
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[space_man][space_man]*Open it! Let me in!* He didn’t say the words, but he continued to pound on the door with a strong grudge.
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[space_man][space_man]He didn’t know how long he had been pounding when he suddenly felt the barrier that had been on the door disappear.
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[space_man][space_man]When he tried to open the door again, this time it opened smoothly. The scene inside was disastrous. The bookshelves on the walls were destroyed, and his desk had been blown away somewhere.
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[space_man][space_man]He saw the Saintess in the corner casting healing magic on her pawn. And beside her, the man who had stolen the Saintess from him was sitting down, supported by the red-haired woman.
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[space_man][space_man]Why did that man lay his hands on the Saintess even though he had another woman? He couldn’t understand it at all.
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[space_man][space_man]He staggered towards where his desk had been. Those in the room didn’t seem to care about him at all.
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[space_man][space_man]The floor where the desk had been was crafted to be removable. Inside, there was a large fur that had been delivered the other day by the pawn he had sent to the Linus territory for confirmation.
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[space_man][space_man]He had found it dead in the snowy mountains, skinned it, and brought it back. He had known from the moment he saw it that this fur held a strong grudge.
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[space_man][space_man]He knew that if he used something like this, he would lose his sanity. But he wanted it…… He wanted the Saintess…… He wanted to have her in his possession……
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[space_man][space_man]Nuythos donned the large, pale fur and began to chant a spell. At the same time, he activated the only perception interference magic he could use and continued to chant a complete spell, different from the pawn’s, so that no one would notice.
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[space_man][space_man]Eld and Marie had noticed the door opening when Moira was casting healing magic on Orpha. But since it didn’t seem like anyone had entered, they thought it had probably opened on its own, warped by the impact of the battle.
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[space_man][space_man]The next time they felt something strange was when Yarolk rushed into the room after Orpha’s treatment was finished.
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[space_man][space_man]”Wh-where did the High Priest go!?”
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[space_man][space_man]Yarolk was out of breath as he said this.
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[space_man][space_man]”I don’t know. Didn’t you evacuate him?”
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[space_man][space_man]”Yes, but he wouldn’t move from the front of the door, so I prioritized evacuating the others first. When I finished that and came back, he was nowhere to be found……”
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[space_man][space_man]Hearing this, Eld looked around. But nothing had changed.
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[space_man][space_man]”Marie, maximize your magic perception and check. I have a bad feeling……”
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[space_man][space_man]At Eld’s words, Marie activated her magic perception. And she sensed magic in the corner of the room where there shouldn’t have been any before.
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[space_man][space_man]”S-something’s there……”
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[space_man][space_man]The place Marie pointed to was where the High Priest’s desk had been. Eld took Tempera and created ice around the area Marie had pointed to.
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[space_man][space_man]Then he froze the inside. It froze more and more, and a part that wouldn’t freeze formed, like a hole in the center. There was something in that part. Eld slashed at it with the flame-bladed Tempera.
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[space_man][space_man]Eld’s strike cut through the air. And the cut part cracked, revealing the contents.
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[space_man][space_man]Inside was the High Priest Nuythos, wearing a large, pale fur. He was chanting some kind of spell. And the spell was the same one that Orpha had chanted earlier.
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[space_man][space_man]Eld hurriedly tried to grab Nuythos to stop him from chanting the spell. But at that moment, the spell’s chanting finished, and Nuythos was enveloped in light along with the fur.
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[space_man][space_man]Everyone present was blinded by the light and closed their eyes. When they opened their eyes again, an Ice Tiger the size of an adult man was there. Unlike Orpha, it seemed to be a normal four-legged Ice Tiger.
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[space_man][space_man]”D-did the magic fail?”
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[space_man][space_man]Moira asked timidly, in a situation different from before.
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[space_man][space_man]”I-I don’t know…… It’s a forbidden spell, so I don’t know that much about it……”
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[space_man][space_man]Eld cautiously approached the Ice Tiger. The Ice Tiger, confirming Eld, growled lowly and threatened him. Eld kept his distance. The Ice Tiger roared loudly and began to grow its body larger and larger.
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[space_man][space_man]The group was stunned. The Ice Tiger continued to grow its body, ignoring them. And when it reached the ceiling, they thought it would stop growing, but it went right through the ceiling and destroyed it.
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[space_man][space_man]They were stunned by that too, but Eld came to his senses and shouted.
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[space_man][space_man]”Moira! Enclose the entire church with a barrier this time!! Yarolk, take Orpha and run away quickly!!”
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[space_man][space_man]At Eld’s voice, Moira and Yarolk came to their senses and did as they were told. After confirming that Yarolk had taken Orpha away, Marie took out the magic sword Meteor from her subspace.
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[space_man][space_man]”It looks like it’s going to be tough to fight without a weapon, so I guess I have no choice but to use it.
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[space_man][space_man]Hey, can you save me this time?”
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[space_man][space_man]”I don’t know. I think there’s a chance since the fur and the High Priest haven’t fully merged yet, but……”
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[space_man][space_man]If the opponent didn’t move, there was still something they could do. But the gigantic monster was staring at them.
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[space_man][space_man]”I doubt it’s going to stay still.”
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[space_man][space_man]Eld held Tempera at the ready.
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[space_man][space_man]”Moira, can you use a spell to restrain the opponent?”
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[space_man][space_man]He asked Moira without taking his eyes off the giant monster.
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[space_man][space_man]”W-well, I can, but…… I don’t know how long I can restrain it until I try……”
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[space_man][space_man]”That’s fine. Just restrain it so it can’t move before we attack.”
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[space_man][space_man]”B-but isn’t that pretty difficult!? I’m not a combatant, so I can’t do that kind of precise thing!”
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[space_man][space_man]Moira cried out in a voice that sounded like she was about to cry.
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[space_man][space_man]”Moira, Eld’s recklessness is nothing new. If you’ve decided to be with Eld, brace yourself and show him you can do it.”
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[space_man][space_man]Marie also said this without taking her eyes off the giant monster, sounding somewhat exasperated. It was something she could say because they had been together for a long time, and it was encouragement for Moira, who was trying to be with them from now on.
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[space_man][space_man]”Okay. I don’t know how far I can go, but I’ll support you two with all my might!”
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[space_man][space_man]Moira braced herself and held up the magic sword Healing.