PMEVBO 114

When I returned to the outdoor banquet hall where I had hunted the second ginseng monster, fortunately, neither the attendant nor the priest was in sight. Thanks to that, I was able to search at my leisure while pretending to look for the ring.

Hunt the monsters!

(2/3)

Even after searching everywhere except the castle grounds, the whereabouts of the last one remained a complete mystery.

Maybe we just missed each other…

I started the search all over again. I combed through places I’d already checked as thoroughly as if it were the first time.

After spending half a day circling the area about ten times, I eventually had to admit it.

Damn it, looks like it’s in the main castle after all…

It was almost midnight. Time for Iser, who had attended the meeting, to return to the 9th floor. I gritted my teeth and walked into the castle, which I had been avoiding all along. But as soon as I stepped into the castle, I was stunned.

…What?

It wasn’t even a hall, just a lobby, but it was crowded.

People slumped here and there drinking, others leaned against the walls dozing off, and there were even some unconscious on the floor. Judging by their clothes, they must all be priests.

…It looked like a college subway station around dawn.

It was the first time I’d ever seen clergy behaving so unrestrainedly. After all, I was still a minor before I was exiled to Hayut Castle.

Since there was no age limit for ordination, there were many minors among the clergy of the Holy City. They, too, had to stay in the castle during the festival week. Instead, they were confined to the top floor of the castle and could only drink juice.

Anyway.

It didn’t look like this when I passed by on my way to the lounge…

…How much did they drink in half a day?

The thought of having to wade through a place teeming with drunks made me feel so helpless that I couldn’t even describe it. For all I know, the thing might be inside a human body. It can even walk through walls.

I decided to start with someone I could actually talk to.

“I’m looking for something, could you step aside for a moment?”

I made my way around the first-floor ​unauthorized copy​lobby, dealing with slurring drunks, but I couldn’t find any sign of the ginseng monster.

…I guess I have no choice.

I approached a middle-aged priest nearby. He was sleeping in a position that would surely make him regret it when he woke up. Seeing him sitting with his back against a pillar and his head tilted way back, made my own neck ache. I hesitated slightly, then picked him up.

At that moment, the priest, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly opened his eyes.

“Ugh! What, what is it? Is it morning…?”

“I’m sorry. I’m looking for something.”

Unfortunately, the spot where he had been sitting was empty. I sighed and gently laid the priest down on the floor.

“Thanks for your help. It’s still nighttime, so you should get some more sleep.”

Even after checking every single spot where people were sleeping, I found nothing.

…I’m going to lose my mind.

As I leaned against the wall to catch my breath, my eyes fell on the statue standing in the center of the lobby.

A statue of a giant snake with its mouth wide open in unauthorized copy a threatening manner, and a man kneeling before it with his hands clasped in prayer.

From where I stood, I couldn’t see the nameplate placed beneath the statue. Even so, I had no trouble recalling the title of the work.

“The Devoted Hail”

A thousand years ago, a demon appeared out of nowhere and killed countless people.

Hail was the first human to stand up to that demon. Unlike other heroes, he possessed no overwhelming strength, he was even frail. Yet he had a noble resolve to fight against evil, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

Hail’s prayer moved the Creator God Debiamas. He sent a being to this land to confront the wicked demon in Hail’s stead.

The warrior of God who descended upon this land in that way was the current Pope.

This wasn’t even written in the data from when I was cosplaying as a romance novel character…

It was surprising that this information was included in Lucariel’s unlocked memories. I guess he must have picked it up somewhere since he was a native of the Holy City?

However, as I smiled forlornly and looked at the statue again, I started doubting my own eyes.

What? Why is he holding something like that…?

Saint Hail was holding a lush bouquet of flowers. A sacred scene unauthorized copyfrom scripture suddenly looked like a proposal scene confessing love.

The saint’s sacred veil looked just like a bride’s shy veil. Instead of the resolve to defeat the devil even at the cost of his life, I felt a pure love, a vow to love the devil with all his heart.

At that exact moment, in the windless room, the bouquet began to flutter.

……Now that I think about it, that monster’s head did look like a bouquet.

Wow…… That’s some serious blasphemy.

The ginseng monster was hiding its body behind Saint Hail’s hand. It peeked out only its head. Not long after, our eyes met. At that moment, the flowers forming its head all stood on end.

I immediately jumped with all my might toward where it was. …No, I tried to.

“Ugh…”

The priest, who had been staggering past me, lost his balance just then. I reflexively grabbed the falling priest and helped him up.

“Ah… thank you…”

I barely registered his thanks as I checked the monster’s position… but it was already too late. The creature jumped into the air and disappeared through the ceiling.

Fuck…

If I had my way, I’d smash through the ceiling and chase after it. But that wasn’t an option. I ran my hand through my hair, trying to quell the rising frustration.

When I reached the second floor via the stairs, the scene before me was familiar. Maze-like corridors with rooms lined up on either side. I’d been here just a few hours ago…the floor where the lounge was located.

…I have to search all these rooms?

The price I paid for letting the monster slip away in the lobby was too high.

It was standard practice to leave empty rooms wide open so they were easily recognizable at a glance. But now, almost every room was closed. That meant they were all in use.

So that was why the lobby was so crowded.

The lounge was full, so they were using the lobby as a substitute.

There are two ways to go about this.

Either blow the doors off like that madman Atsula, or threaten a servant to get the master key. Honestly, the former was more appealing. But damaging a castle built a thousand years ago was a heavy burden. Both options were equally thuggish, but the latter was at least somewhat more bearable.

…Alright. I’ll go with the latter.

Just then, I spotted an attendant walking ahead of me. I took a deep breath and closed the distance between us.

“Excuse me, just a moment……”

“Yes, please speak.”

The attendant, whose shoulder I had grabbed, turned around and looked at me. …I thought he was tall for a reason, it was someone I knew. He was the attendant who had poured me water at the outdoor banquet hall.

“Priest?”

Unlike me, who froze upon recognizing him, the attendant remained calm. He didn’t seem to have recognize me.

Well, I suppose there are plenty of faces like that in this castle right now……

I spoke without hesitation.

“……Do you have the master key for the lounge?”

“I do have it… but do you need it?”

He asked as he pulled the key from his pants pocket and held it out.

“Yes, I need it.”

“May I ask why?”

“I think I lost my ring in the lounge.”

I couldn’t think of a more plausible excuse.

“Oh, a ring.”

I was still holding onto his shoulder. Just as I was about to pull my hand away, his gaze met mine. It was a scrutinizing gaze; it searched for even the slightest sign that I had been wearing a ring. But there was no such thing as a lost ring to begin with. My conscience pricked me, but I quickly pulled myself together.

If he says he can’t lend me the key, I’ll have to extort it out of him.

The attendant, completely unaware of my impure motives, met my gaze.

“That must be a problem for you.”

“……Can you lend me the key?”

“According to the rules, it would be difficult for me to hand over the key, but instead, I’ll have to accompany you…… Would that be fine?”

…I have to drag someone around with me?

Well, I guess this much of a compromise is unavoidable…

In the end, I nodded. But the problem came next.

“Thank you for your understanding. So, which room should I open for you?”

Knowing this was bound to happen, I closed my eyes and replied,

“……All of them.”