GILF Hunter

Chapter 521: 521 What Brings You Here

The guards standing at the northern entrance of Labyrinth’s fortress walls spotted a group of visitors approaching and turned their heads.

It was a group of unknown identity, clad in suspicious robes.

The guards spoke to the visitors who had drawn near with curious faces.

’It’s my first time seeing visitors coming through the north gate.’

’The lines are long elsewhere, but this side seemed to have no people. This isn’t a restricted area, is it?’

’Not at all. Please, come this way.’

They were strange visitors in many ways.

Many people went in and out of Labyrinth, but almost no one lined up at this entrance, which was closest to the Abyss.

It was because a chilling energy continuously flowed from the Abyss, making one feel unpleasant just by approaching or even looking in that direction.

Perhaps due to that nature, a superstition had spread that one would be cursed just by going near the Abyss. Because of that, travelers and merchants who were particularly sensitive to superstitions never went near the northern entrance. Even if they had business in this direction, it was common to take a long detour to other entrances.

The only ones who usually used the northern entrance were a few mercenaries occasionally heading into the Abyss.

’Ah, and since we’ve come all this way, I wanted to see the Abyss up close once. I heard something quite big happened over here recently.’

’...I’ve never seen such a person either.’

These suspicious visitors were apparently not ordinary travelers. Far from avoiding the Abyss, they said they had gone as close as the Abyss Guard allowed to sightsee at the entrance.

In any other city, guards would have immediately pulled back the hoods of such an unidentified group or pointed spears at them. However, in this city, this type of attire was a common sight.

It was because there were more than a few people trying to enter while hiding their identities to escape something.

The guard first demanded identification from them.

Regardless of their actual identity, they needed an entry permit to go inside.

’Could you provide something to prove your identity or an entry permit? If it’s your first visit, please register over there.’

’Wait, it should be over here.... Ah, here it is.’

What the person at the front pulled out was a token used in the Temple—an item priests used for identification.

Those who didn’t know how to use Holy Magic would not see letters appear even if they held it, so it couldn’t be used for impersonation even if someone luckily obtained one.

Confirming it was authentic, the guard checked the list.

’Is further verification needed?’

’No. You’re on the scheduled visit list. Please go ahead.’

’Thank you.’

Perhaps thanks to the Grand Temple having sent notice of the visit in advance, they were able to enter the city without difficulty.

They had hidden their identities as much as possible so the public wouldn’t recognize them, but secretly infiltrating while hiding from the city authorities would have been close to a direct challenge.

Hiding their identity from ordinary citizens was enough to avoid interference with their work.

The priests who entered the city continued to walk the streets gathered together, still wearing their hoods.

Though they were a suspicious group, mercenaries and passersby only gave them a brief glance and passed them by without much concern.

’Priestess Priscia?’

’It would be better not to call me that on the street.’

’Ah, yes. Ms. Priscia.’

The identity of the group with hidden faces was... priests who had come from the Grand Temple.

Someone from behind spoke softly to the priest walking at the very front.

’What do you plan to do now?’

’First, we should visit the temple here. It seems the Saintess is hiding to avoid us. There’s someone I need to meet at the temple first.’

Saying so, the group of priests headed toward the Labyrinth’s temple.

They were not ordinary priests, but priests belonging to the order called [White Wings].

Of course, while it was called a knightly order, it wasn’t actually composed of knights. It had merely inherited the name according to ancient legends; most of the personnel were priests.

Their role was the search for the Saintess.

They were priests formed when a prophecy of the Saintess’s appearance was handed down, performing the mission of finding and bringing back the Saintess who would be somewhere.

Because it was a very honorable mission, it was a position everyone stepped forward to take... but unfortunately, this time a fairly large problem arose for the order.

They couldn’t find the Saintess mentioned in the prophecy anywhere.

Because of that, the [White Wings] order had been stuck at the Grand Temple since its formation, unable to disband.

The regulations only stated they would disband when they found and brought back the Saintess, and no regulations were set for when they couldn’t find her.

Of course, they couldn’t hold onto that many priests forever, so the ordinary priests were sent back to where they originally worked under various excuses.

Only Priscia, the person in charge of the order, remained while maintaining her nominal title.

That order had been reconvened for the first time in years after catching a new clue.

’But is this place correct?’

’The direction was definitely this way.’

’But aren’t there quite a lot of towns and cities in this direction?’

’My intuition tells me this is the place.’

A female priest with pure white hair and a determined face that looked like she wouldn’t have an ounce of flexibility—Priscia muttered so.

She had thought Labyrinth was suspicious for a long time, and she was just thinking it was strange that she couldn’t find any clues no matter how much she searched.

In such a situation, the direction where the wave was detected again was the direction of Labyrinth. No matter how she thought about it, it was here.

Furthermore....

The fact that a large number of knights had suddenly retired and settled in Labyrinth recently.

Even Frenda, who was a high-ranking priest, suddenly said she would quit being a high priest and requested to have her workplace moved here.

Everyone must have noticed something in Labyrinth and returned here.

’This time, we must find the Saintess and return.’

’Of course. We naturally want to do that as well.’

The White Wings order was originally a very honorable role, but because of the situation that had occurred, they were receiving strange looks.

To think the Saintess had descended, but they couldn’t find where she was.

Until now, not a single person had failed that mission.

’Could it be... that the Grand Master’s faith is a bit...?’

...She was just in a position where she couldn’t say anything even while knowing such rumors were circulating.

Priscia walked toward the temple with an expression that said she would never miss her this time.

* * *

’Ms. Frenda. A visitor has come to see you.’

’A visitor?’

Could it be... Captain Ian?

Frenda, hearing the word visitor, stood up abruptly with that thought.

However, despite Frenda’s face lighting up, the visitor who came to see her was an unexpected person.

Beyond the level of it not being Ian, a visitor she hadn’t imagined at all came to find Frenda.

’Su... Supervisor?’

’It’s been a while. Priestess Frenda.’

Frenda flinched in surprise upon seeing Priscia’s face.

She couldn’t understand the reason why this person, who should be at the Grand Temple, had come all the way here.

’Pl-please speak comfortably. I’m just an ordinary priest now....’

’You would return anytime if you just sent a single letter. Well, every priest has a period of straying once in their life.’

Frenda spoke in a very intimidated manner, watching Priscia’s reaction.

When she was a high priest, Frenda’s position was higher, but now Frenda was an ordinary priest.

Moreover, regardless of that, given Priscia’s role, she wasn’t someone Frenda could deal with comfortably even back when she was a high priest.

’Wh-what brings you here? You hated Labyrinth, didn’t you?’

’I did. It’s because the environment of Labyrinth inevitably ruins the priests. Since the cost of living is high, their sense of money returns warped.’

The reason Priscia hated Labyrinth was because the priests dispatched there returned having become far too much like mercenaries. She had no particular feelings toward Labyrinth itself.

It was natural since they lived in the city where the most mercenaries in the world gathered. Anyway, most of those who caused trouble, large or small, were those with Labyrinth experience.

Priscia skipped over such unimportant talk and immediately spoke to Frenda.

’Just because it’s not to my personal liking doesn’t mean I can’t do my job. This time, I’ve come because I have something to discuss with Priestess Frenda. Didn’t you expect this to some extent?’

’...’

Could it be... I was caught?

Frenda swallowed hard.

She said she didn’t know the reason why Priscia had come, but in truth... it was because there was a reason she could guess to some extent.

...It must be that she was caught failing to properly maintain her purity.

She had tried her best not to cross the line in her own way, but if asked seriously by her conscience, she couldn’t boldly say she was innocent.

’Th-that’s....’

’I’ve come knowing everything, so shall we skip the useless words between us?’

Was doing it from the back really too much after all?

Frenda squeezed her eyes shut.

Priscia, seeing Frenda’s flustered face, felt certain.

’As expected, the Saintess is here, isn’t she?’

’That, I did it just... once... pardon?’

’...Pardon?’

Their gazes met, both looking as if they were asking what the other was talking about.