Chapter 12
After another commotion, we were led by the knights in a quiet atmosphere.
In terms of story progression, the place we're heading to is probably the hearth, the center of Rondan.
In the land of death where snowstorms rage, the hearth was the heart that made the land habitable for people, and a city had formed around it with people concentrated here.
Perhaps because of this, the number of people passing by us started to increase.
When I glanced at them to check their condition, the atmosphere didn't seem very good.
Is this what they mean by a dark fantasy world?
Most people were walking with their backs bent, looking at the ground with gloomy eyes.
It seemed close to a 'correction' of posture to prevent mistakes like mine, unknowingly seeing the giant.
The only people who had their backs straight were...
"Everyone, look! Why do you think such a desperate situation has come upon us?
It's because you don't believe in our one true god, Luminus!
If you don't believe in Luminus, you'll live an unhappy life and even after death, you'll go to a place full of Outer Gods with your back bent, but if you believe, you can be saved!"
...Only cultists who seemed to have more loose screws than me, a self-proclaimed lunatic.
"Oh, God, please save us."
"Why have you abandoned us?"
"We will offer tributes. Things that are not needed in this world."
To see them kneeling, holding idols of the god they created, praying or preaching.
Objects completely unaffected by Outer Gods showed their original appearance as the Super Chicken Mod had no effect.
It wasn't scary, but it gave me a strong feeling of the end times.
Before long, people wearing rabbit doll masks appeared and started to stop the idol worshippers' sermons.
"It's the knights!"
When one person shouted, others also started to lower their bodies in surprise.
However, just one, an idol worshipper who was preaching about Luminus, kept his head up stiffly until the end.
"Hey, let go! You lot, do you want to fall into the abyss without Luminus' light?"
"You idol worshipper, can't you just stop and get lost?"
"Just arrest him. Rondan's second rule: Do not worship false gods. This is a serious violation of regulations. Throw him in jail."
A junior with a rabbit mask said to his senior, who was sucking on a smoking candy.
"Senior, the prison is currently closed due to the actual situation, isn't it?"
Hearing this, the senior rabbit mask cursed "Damn Outer Gods," then shook his head, holding it.
"Sigh, just throw him in the detention center at the branch office then."
The old-looking idol worshipper shouted until his voice was hoarse.
"Let go! You fools, we need enlightenment, enlightenment I tell you!"
Even as he was being dragged away, he took out a paper from his chest and started waving it around.
"Sign it! The hearth and firewood are just big towers, and the only one truly protecting us from the snow is the Observer who governs light, Luminus!"
Everyone who saw the paper quickly turned their heads and kept their eyes down.
I, who am immune to mental disorders, took a peek, but it was so scribbled that I couldn't read what was written.
"Yes, yes, we understand. If you show us text that hasn't gone through the purification ritual, we'll have to add another charge."
Enlightenment my ass.
Just thinking about sucking money like blood while possessing mosquitoes.
As I was thinking this, suddenly a soft singing voice started to echo from somewhere.
"♪~"
"What's this voice?"
I thought it was a beautiful tone, like jade beads dropping.
I listened in admiration to the voice that was somehow sorrowful.
But unlike me, the surroundings started to scatter in all directions frantically.
"Damn, it's a mental attack! Everyone cover your ears!"
One person shouted loudly, and as if this wasn't the first time, actions were taken swiftly.
All the city residents and knights covered their ears with both hands, and even the Hunter spread his bound hands as much as possible, blocking his eardrums with his middle fingers to cut off the sound, and crouched down.
As they did so, the released believer started to slowly back away with a grinning expression.
"Heeee! Thank you, Observer!"
In the end, the worshipper ran away in a hurry.
The timing was really...
Should we say he's lucky, seeing him escape before getting caught?
By the way, thanks to the Super Chicken Mod, it sounded like a simple song to me, but that old man didn't seem to be covering his ears either.
I wonder if he'll be okay.
Well, he'll manage somehow.
"Today's not a good day. We have a long way to go."
As the sound stopped, the knights got up and started walking again.
Soon, other people also got up, and as if nothing had happened, they started walking with the same gloomy expressions as before.
I also pretended to cover my ears and tried my best not to show any strange behavior, so I avoided getting scolded by the knights again.
After passing by numerous people, before going to the tower, we entered some building.
As the masked woman roughly opened the door and entered, this time two men wearing cat masks hurriedly stood up from their seats and saluted.
"W-we are honored to meet the Vice Captain, who is the right hand of the esteemed Imperial Princess, and her subordinates!"
"Right, who's the branch manager here now?"
"It's Black Lion!"
"Call him."
"Y-yes! Understood!"
Despite looking so tired, the two quickly ran inside the building.
After a while, the person called Black Lion, who came out sweating, was wearing a tiger doll mask.
Wait, why a tiger if he's called a lion?
As I was thinking this, the branch manager saluted as soon as he made eye contact with the Vice Captain.
After the Vice Captain returned the salute, the branch manager quickly lowered his hand and returned to attention.
"Reporting the current situation of the 4th Branch. 5 on night sleep, 3 injured are excused, currently 5 knights..."
"I didn't come to hear that, so stop."
As the Vice Captain waved her hand and spoke, the branch manager finally asked the main point.
"May I ask why you've come here instead of going to the hearth..."
"It's nothing special, but I plan to communicate with the Imperial Princess for official business, so I'd like you to take care of these people."
"...Who are they?"
"Prisoners from the underground prison."
"Ah... You brought them from there?"
"That's right. We can't take criminals to where the Imperial Princess is. I plan to ask for judgment here."
The branch manager's eyes turned cold as soon as he heard the Vice Captain's words.
Ugh, look at those eyes.
It seemed like they were saying "Why not just let them die," so I didn't want to make eye contact.
"Anyway, I'm counting on you."
"Yes, yes... Understood."
Fortunately, it seemed she didn't want to explain in detail, so after saying that, the three of them really left us behind and departed leisurely.
Wait, they're suddenly abandoning us like this?
As I was looking around in confusion, the knights approached and pulled on the blue tape binding us.
"Since we have orders from the Vice Captain, we'll take charge of your safety. Follow us."
The place we were guided to was a room full of iron bars inside.
So even here, we end up locked in a detention center, huh.
A life where I've never committed a crime...
Should I say it's at least better that we've moved from a lightless underground prison to an above-ground detention center?
There was no one there, but it seemed like a space created in preparation for temporarily confining people like this.
The iron door made a creaking sound as it opened, as if it hadn't done its job for a long time, and we entered the prison following the branch manager's gesture.
"Wait here. Don't try to come out recklessly."
After saying that, the branch manager roughly closed the door and locked it with a key.
The only fortunate thing might be that he just left the detention center right after that.
If he had kept standing in front, it would have been nerve-wracking and we wouldn't be able to rest.
The space became uncomfortably quiet like that.
As nothing particularly came to mind to say, I just stayed still, but Agartha, seemingly bored, started tapping the floor with her feet.
I thought she would stop on her own if left alone, but instead, the sound started to get louder.
Just as I was about to tell her to stop.
"Uuugh... Uwaah!"
Agartha wailed.
Agartha was super noisy, the noisiest among humans.
Wow.
She really can't stay still even for one minute!
I couldn't help but admire that sight, which even inspired respect.
"Hey, why is everyone so quiet? We're going to wither and die of boredom at this rate."
"Is there a need to open your mouth?"
"No! Until just now, we were at least chatting and all?"
"What a useless waste of energy."
"If you don't use energy at times like this, it's just going to waste."
Agartha made an "Hmm" sound as if thinking about something, and finally, as if she had succeeded in coming up with something, she nodded.
"If we keep going like this, we might be a community of fate."
"...Nonsense."
"So, since we can't escape with guards around, how about we talk about our pasts? There might be stories we can relate to."
"If there's a type I can relate to someone who makes a living by stealing, I'd rather meet a quick end."
"Come on, it might be different once you hear it. Since I spoke first, I'll start."
I thought the usual nonsense would come out of Agartha's mouth.
Of course, her expression was as bored as if she was saying such things.
"I'm the daughter of a thief who raped my mother."
The story Agartha casually blurted out was a very shocking statement.