TFPOTRN | CHAPTER 32

~CHAPTER 32~

Sian, can you lie a little?

What?

If you’re good at lying, it’ll be easier for me to get into the basement.

I will… try.

Lying was something he had barely ever spoken aloud.

Falsehood was wrong, and for someone who served God, it was no different from sinning.

If I were going down alone, I wouldn’t need to lie.

But then I’d have to be separated from Serena.

Leaving Serena alone was already worrying enough, but “she” was here.

There was no way he could allow that.

Even if Serena had no magic and felt completely human now, he couldn’t know how she would appear to “her.”

That’s why I didn’t want them entering here.

But once they said a child was trapped and they had come to save that child, there was simply no stopping them.

How could one not be moved when someone risked their safety for another person, a child at that.

Serena, you really…

Even after becoming a demon to save others, she was still the same.

He silently vowed to stay at her side and protect her.

A holy knight protecting a demon.

If someone had said this to him half a year ago, he would have exploded in anger, saying it made no sense.

If I want to protect her, I must change too.

Sian firmed his resolve and looked toward the priest again.

***

Even with his resolve, putting it into action was not easy.

Sian managed to speak his lie as if he were chewing on needles.

Anyone could tell by his expression that he was lying.

Even his tone is awkward…

I watched Sian with a mix of sympathy and gratitude.

But it’s a bit too obvious.

Worrying the priest would notice, I studied his reaction.

“Ah, I see. Then this way…”

But the priest accepted it easily.

If anything, that only made me feel even more guilty.

Sian and I followed him inside.

The interior of the temple felt much like the outside.

Calm if one wanted to phrase it kindly, old if not.

Nothing looks dangerous.

I still couldn’t understand why Sian had been so worried.

The priest guiding us seemed friendly and talkative.

“You’re here to check the documents, right? The interval is shorter than last time.”

“Ah, I’m not here to check records today…”

He trailed off and glanced at me.

“We’re here to look at the basement.”

“…The basement?”

For a moment, I saw it.

A fine crack in the priest’s calm smile.

“Yes. His Grace ordered me to inspect it.”

“Ah… suddenly?”

“This isn’t the only place I’m checking. It’s a formal procedure, so I’d appreciate your cooperation.”

Unlike his earlier awkward lie, Sian now spoke smoothly and calmly.

He didn’t even stumble.

And since he invoked the High Priest’s authority, the priest had no real excuse to refuse.

It really was a matter of justification.

“…If that’s the case. Please, this way.”

The priest turned and guided us again.

This direction was completely opposite of where we were originally going, but the temple wasn’t large, so we reached the basement door quickly.

“Here it is. If you go down, that’s the basement.”

“I see, then…”

“Ah, wait. I should come with—”

The priest cut himself off abruptly.

Sian’s hand, almost touching the doorknob, paused.

The priest stared at me.

His eyes scanned me for a few seconds.

Then he smiled.

“…No, never mind. I just remembered I have something to do. I’m afraid I can’t accompany you. I hope you understand.”

“Of course.”

Sian nodded.

“We’ll look around quickly.”

“Very well…”

He bowed politely and walked away.

He was about to follow us. Why change his mind?

The priest walked off without any hesitation.

Hearing his steps fade, I told myself it was for the best.

With him tailing us, searching for the child would have been impossible.

But… was it really alright for them to be this careless?

Even with Sian using the High Priest’s name?

Something felt off, but I ignored it.

What?

I turned and saw the priest standing not far away, staring at me.

His face was empty of emotion.

Completely different from the gentle smile he’d shown Sian.

If anything, a frown would have been less unsettling.

But his expression showed nothing at all.

Like a hollow soul.

A wave of discomfort crawled up my spine.

But I didn’t have time nor energy to pick a fight.

“Let’s go.”

I ignored his gaze and turned.

Sian had already opened the door and was waiting.

We went down.

The basement was larger than expected.

Far larger than the temple above.

This tiny temple has a basement this big?

The whole situation felt shady.

I shook off the image of the priest’s blank, unsettling face.

“Are you alright?”

Sian looked worried.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Good. But it seems what you’re looking for isn’t here.”

He glanced around and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“You’re right… there really isn’t anything.”

“There wouldn’t be a ‘child to save’ in a temple anyway.”

He seemed pleased that his faith in people remained unbroken.

And he was partly right.

The basement was wide but open, with no separate rooms.

We could see most of it at a glance.

Just a storage area full of old things covered in dust.

I don’t think Ifrit gave me the wrong information.

Maybe that was why the priest allowed us in so easily.

But then what was that eerie feeling?

Was it just in my head?

“Serena?”

Sian’s voice snapped me back.

“Yes?”

“I called you several times. Are you sure you’re alright?”

He looked genuinely worried.

“You look pale. Are you hurt?”

“No, no. Not at all.”

I waved my hands quickly.

He looked ready to drag me to a doctor at any moment.

I nodded hard, trying to look fine.

“I’m really okay. I’ll look a little more.”

We didn’t come this far to just glance around.

Ifrit wouldn’t risk his meeting with the World Tree over false information.

I took a step.

I approached the stone wall, checking if there might be a hidden mechanism.

Then—

“Ah?”

The floor suddenly dropped beneath my feet.

A trap?

Even though Sian was only a few steps away.

“Serena!”

His voice hit my ears as everything went dark.

The last thing I saw was Sian’s horrified face.