Chapter 57

It was long.

In the distance, a figure ran towards the alley. If I kept this up, I would lose sight of it. Instinctively, I chased after the shadow that had disappeared into the alley.

As I turned the corner of the alley while running, I caught sight of five figures about fifty meters ahead. I squinted and looked closely.

...One of those five was carrying something on their shoulder.

What could they be carrying? I had a bad feeling. As I got closer while running, the figures became clearer.

It was a bag.

One of the five figures was carrying a large bag, big enough to fit a person. The bag was moving as if struggling...

"Damn... Stop struggling!!"

One of them punched the bag, and it stopped moving.

--No doubt about it.

There was a person in that bag.

...Elise wasn't at the clinic.

And the front door was wide open.

The person in that bag... it was probably Elise.

Why Elise?

Is this town so unsafe?

What was their purpose?

Ransom?

Or her body?

Questions arose, but I had no time to think. If I lost sight of them, it would be over. Now, I had to catch up with those men no matter what.

The men were turning corners in the alley and fleeing down narrow streets. But fortunately, because they were carrying Elise, I could catch up. I approached quietly, suppressing my footsteps, and took out a mace from my item box. I thought about attacking them immediately, but as I got closer, I realized...

...They were all armed.

They had swords, knives, and various weapons, all within easy reach.

Even if it was five against one, it was a bad situation, and they had weapons.

Should I have woken Yuell before chasing them?

No, Yuell was on the second floor of the clinic, sound asleep in bed. If I had gone back to wake him, I might have lost sight of them. ...But I couldn't handle five men alone.

What should I do?

Fight?

Or call for help?

It was late at night.

The surroundings were silent.

The men seemed to have chosen a deserted area to run, and there was no one who could help me.

Would someone come if I shouted?

...No, it would be bad if they noticed my presence.

It was five against one, and I could die.

Even with advanced healing magic, I could still die if I was surrounded and hit from behind. I might be killed instantly before anyone could come to my aid, and they could escape with Elise.

Even if someone came to help, there were five of them.

A knight-class expert might not be able to handle them alone. If a capable person came to help, some of them might hold them off while the one carrying Elise escaped. If I lost sight of them, I wouldn't be able to find them again. ...If that happened, it would be over.

A knight might search for them later, but it would be too late.

Elise was a very attractive young woman.

If time passed after her abduction, who knows what could happen to her.

I had to keep following them without losing sight, staying close but not too close.

Think.

Think of a way to rescue Elise from those men.

Just rescuing her wouldn't be enough.

I also needed to escape with Elise from those five men.

Should I ambush the man carrying Elise from behind and scatter slime jelly?

...No, that wouldn't work.

With Elise in my arms, they would catch up within a minute.

Right, I got a smoke bomb from the orphanage.

Could I use this to escape?

...No, even with a smoke screen, I couldn't hide my footsteps.

It was late at night.

With no one around, my footsteps echoed clearly.

They hadn't noticed me yet because they were running, but if they listened carefully, they could easily pinpoint my location.

To begin with, could I really ambush and rescue Elise from behind?

If I attacked the man carrying Elise from behind, I would be immediately beaten by the other four.

If they split into those carrying Elise and those holding me off... it would be the worst-case scenario.

I would lose sight of Elise.

Everything depended on my actions.

I couldn't afford to fail.

What should I do?

What would be the best course of action...?

...As I kept thinking, the men's pace slowed down.

Perhaps we had moved far from the clinic.

"It worked well."

"Yeah."

The men started talking.

"Damn, the Archbishop is really harsh, isn't he? Telling us to kidnap a woman suddenly today."

What did he just say?

The Archbishop...?

Why is the Archbishop involved here?

...Is the Archbishop behind Elise's abduction?

"Yeah."

"Well, it's all good, right? This is our last job, right?"

"Yeah."

He also said "suddenly today."

That means there was a reason for Elise to be kidnapped today.

Today, I was with Elise all day.

I recalled today's events.

"..."

Finally, I understood.

The reason Elise was kidnapped by the church.

...It could only be because of my Exheal.

Today, we went to the orphanage.

At the orphanage, I used Exheal on Farah.

At that time, I remember the Archbishop's subordinate was inspecting the orphanage for deterioration.

I was looking for Farah, who had wandered off... and I couldn't find her right away.

...Perhaps the Archbishop's subordinate met Farah, whom I couldn't find.

Farah's eyes, which had never seen properly, suddenly started to see because I used Exheal on her.

She was so happy and excited that she could even forgive the loss of the ring given by the Holy Maiden.

She must have been so happy and excited to see everything anew.

...Farah is only seven years old.

It's natural for her to want to share her happiness with someone.

It's not strange for her to tell someone nearby that I healed her eyes.

But if Farah told the Archbishop's subordinate that I healed her, I should be the one in that bag, not Elise.

It feels a bit different.

...No, I told Farah not to tell anyone that I healed her.

Farah must have tried to keep that secret even when talking to the Archbishop's subordinate.

So, when questioned by the Archbishop's subordinate, Farah must have said...

Not me, but "Elise healed me."

If that's the case, it makes sense.

When I was hiding in the closet, I overheard the conversation between the Archbishop and his subordinate.

It wasn't about Farah's ring.

It was about Elise, who was mistakenly believed to have the same level of healing magic as the Holy Maiden.

Why was Elise kidnapped on the Archbishop's orders?

There must be some plan related to Exheal.

I don't know what it is, but kidnapping and putting someone in a bag doesn't sound like a normal plan.

This isn't something as simple as inviting her to an important position in the church.

Kidnapping is a criminal act.

If it were to come to light, it would be a significant blow to the church.

Yet, the church kidnapped Elise... because they are confident she won't report it to the knights or the lord.

Why is the church confident Elise won't report it?

Is it because they are confident they can reconcile with her, or because they plan to take away her freedom to report?

It's definitely the latter.

I don't know the method.

It could be a slave mark, or they might imprison her somewhere... or even kill her.

At the very least, if I let them escape, Elise will never see the light of day again.

"But..."

The Archbishop is the head of the state religion.

He oversees the churches in this town and the surrounding cities.

He has money, power, and even a team capable of committing criminal acts.

He might be more powerful than the lord of this town.

Even if I rescue Elise, what will happen next?

If I report this to the lord, the Archbishop and the state religion of Medine have immense power.

The lord might prioritize the Archbishop over me.

In that case... it would be a life on the run.

Living in hiding in this walled town.

Even if I escape the town, there are monsters outside.

The world before me darkened.

I shouldn't make the church my enemy.

I should have known that.

I chased after the men.

I kept chasing.

But I couldn't think of a way to rescue Elise and escape.

I couldn't think of a good way to change the situation, both in the short term and the long term.

Elise is important to me.

I have to protect her.

...That's why I can't rush in without thinking and fail.

As I kept following the men, I finally arrived.

It was the church.

It really was the church.

The men entered the church, carrying Elise through the main gate.

No, I can't be surprised.

I have to chase after them.

I can't lose sight of Elise.

But... entering through the front door would be suicide.

...Looking around the church, I saw a window on the first floor open.

I had to sneak in through the window.

Using the plants to hide from the moonlight, I approached the window and peeked inside.

There were four beds inside.

...It seemed to be a bedroom for those who work at the church.

No one was using it, and there was no sign of anyone.

I entered the room through the window and quickly approached the door.

Then, I opened the door quietly without making a sound.

No one was there.

...But I heard voices.

I hurried in the direction of the voices, moving quickly and silently.

Soon, I came to an open area.

The moonlight shining through the stained glass windows made it look like a chapel.

Peeking into the chapel, I saw Elise.

She seemed to have been taken out of the bag, and her hands and feet were tied with ropes, and a gag was in her mouth.

And... the Archbishop and about ten other church members, including the men.

I hoped it wasn't true, but the Archbishop seemed to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping.

Elise was on the ground, glaring at the Archbishop.

She seemed to be conscious.

I was worried about her being hit in the bag, but she seemed to be okay.

"Un, unnn... unnn!"

Elise tried to say something to the Archbishop, as if protesting.

But because of the gag, her words were inaudible.

As I watched from hiding, I noticed Elise's legs were trembling slightly.

...It was natural.

She was kidnapped suddenly.

Moreover, she was hit, tied up, and now lying on the ground.

Elise's mind must be filled with anxiety and fear.

I wanted to rescue her immediately.

...But there were too many enemies.

If I rushed in without a plan, I would surely die in vain.

I needed to think calmly.

It seemed impossible to rescue her alone.

But this place seemed to be their destination for moving Elise.

If I could quickly call for help, there might be a chance to rescue Elise before she was harmed.

As I thought this,

"I have been searching for a woman like you for a long time."

The Archbishop took something out of his pocket and said to Elise.

What he held in his hand... was a gemstone.

A small gemstone that glowed faintly purple.

"Your magic power, capable of using Exheal. Your body, almost like a real succubus. You are the ideal vessel I have been seeking."

"..."

Elise, upon hearing Exheal, seemed to realize something and looked down.

She didn't even try to deny it and remained silent.

Ignoring Elise, the Archbishop continued.

"If you become the vessel, I can finally revive the succubus sealed in this gemstone... I have been waiting for this day, truly waiting for this day."

...Reviving a succubus?

What is he talking about?

...No, the Bible of Medine says the succubus was sealed by the church.

And this man is the Archbishop of Medine.

Does he really know how to revive her...?

...And that word "vessel."

It gives me a bad feeling.

"Consider it an honor. Before your life ends, I will teach you the pleasures of a woman. You need to have some experience. Being promiscuous will also increase the similarity between the vessel and the succubus."

"..."

The Archbishop, perhaps imagining Elise's