MTM 33

Even from far away it had looked overwhelming, and up close it was no less. The spire rose high enough to pierce the sky, and under it hung a massive bell engraved with intricate patterns. Beneath the arch that held the bell stood a row of sculptures depicting an angel holding a sword and a kneeling pilgrim, all carved in fine detail.

The entrance of the cathedral was naturally vast and tall. At both ends of the staircase stood two angel statues. One held a holy scripture, and the other joined both hands in prayer. Even the white pillars along the stairs carried an antique grandeur that made it impossible not to look around.

When they had entered Belnok, the city had been filled with crowds of people, priests, and holy knights, but the cathedral was different. Except for two guards stationed on either side of the entrance, there was no one else. Perhaps it was because this place already lay within a secure zone.

Maybe that was why. Harto felt relaxed, as if he were sightseeing in Europe. His mood lifted so quickly that he completely forgot about the worries he had a moment ago about Ares Carseon.

“Watch your step.”

“Okay.”

Harto climbed the stairs with Zed slowly. When they reached the entrance, one of the guards stepped forward.

“What business do you have?”

Zed immediately answered, as if he had been waiting.

“I heard that a holy knight apprentice was brought here last night. I’m worried about his condition, and I was wondering if I could have a short visit.”

The guard looked at him suspiciously.

“Hmm… I heard he’s from a mercenary group. Are you one too?”

Instead of answering, Zed took out a small pouch filled with gold coins from his sleeve. The guard, showing no sign of surprise, snatched it quickly and signaled to the other guard with his eyes.

“Wait here.”

At the guard’s order, Zed stepped back. The two guards whispered behind a pillar, and after a short while, they each returned to their posts.

“Ahem.”

The guard who had taken the pouch came back to Zed with a ledger in his hand.

“Write your name and your status here.”

He spoke stiffly and handed the ledger over. Zed wrote his name and Harto’s name.

“Open the gate!”

There was no need to check the ledger again. When the guard’s shout rang out, the huge doors of the cathedral began to open slowly.

The two stepped inside.

“Wait.”

At that moment, the guard thrust out his spear and blocked their path.

“I forgot to do the body search.”

Zed narrowed his eyes. Even after he had handed over a good amount of gold, it seemed the guard had no intention of skipping the inspection.

The guard searched Zed’s body from top to bottom. Zed wore light clothes, and there was nothing that could be used as a weapon, so he passed. The next turn was Harto, who stood behind him.

‘Ah… what do I do… I have the dagger…’

Harto stiffened and stared at Zed, who stood motionless ahead of him. Zed met his eyes and nodded. It seemed to mean not to worry.

‘But maybe I should tell the guard that I have a dagger…’

As the guard approached, Harto tensed up and looked up at him. The guard hesitated slightly.

“……”

Without saying anything, the guard lifted Harto’s cloak a little, glanced underneath, and gave him a light tap on the back.

“Go in.”

Right after that, the guard shouted for the gates to be closed again.

“……?”

Clunk. Thud.

Before Harto could even react, the massive doors closed with a loud sound. Harto flinched and approached Zed. He wanted to ask why the guard had let them through without searching properly, but there were eyes watching them here too.

Harto remained silent and followed Zed while looking around the still interior.

The outer walls were made of faded marble, and the ceiling was lined with long, arched windows. Old paintings hung along the walls, but most had faded into indistinct shapes, making it impossible to tell what they once depicted.

At the center of the cathedral lay a large hall, and from it branched several corridors. Every corridor but one was covered in ornate gold decorations. The only one sealed by a gray stone gate clearly showed what kind of place it was.

A guard stood in front of the stone gate. He opened his mouth and yawned, then saw Zed and Harto and lazily gestured for them to come closer.

Zed pulled Harto’s shoulder closer. In that brief space, Harto whispered softly so only Zed could hear.

“But is it always this hard to enter the cathedral?”

Harto thought of the cathedrals he had seen in his previous life. He had only seen them in travel programs, so he didn’t know the details of the architecture, but he was sure they hadn’t looked this closed-off like a fortress.

“No. I expected the security to be strict, but I didn’t know it would be this sealed.”

Zed seemed to think the same.

“Name.”

When they reached the stone gate, the guard asked for their names and immediately opened the door.

“Go down the underground stairs.”

He looked like someone dealing with a nuisance, and he yawned again without even glancing at Harto.

Clack.

The moment they stepped onto the dark stairs, the door closed behind them. They went down following the dim light leaking through cracks in the wall. When they had gone deep enough, Harto spoke to Zed.

“Zed, you already knew they wouldn’t search me?”

Zed smiled.

“Yes. They might suspect me, but no one would think someone harmless like you could have a weapon.”

It was hard to tell if that was good or bad. Being called harmless sounded nice, but depending on the situation, that could also mean weak. But Harto felt a little proud that he could at least be of some help.

“But who’s the holy knight apprentice? Is it someone you know?”

When Harto asked, Zed told him about what had happened at the inn the night before. The fight between the apprentices had been surprising, but the fact that there had been no information about the Night Rage mercenary group in the newsletter was a bigger issue.

“Ah. Then the person you’re meeting now is your comrade… wait, no. You said probably not, so you’re going to check if he’s connected to the mercenary group, right?”

When Zed saw that Harto had figured it out, he smiled. Even though Harto couldn’t see his face clearly in the dark, he was sure Zed was smiling widely.

“Yes, that’s right. You’ve gotten clever.”

“I can handle that much.”

Feeling proud, Harto stepped more firmly as they went down.

“I think we’re here.”

The smell of mold filled the air once they reached the underground. The dampness was different from above, and Harto let out a small breath.

Clank.

Someone approached after sensing their presence and opened an iron gate. The screeching sound echoed. A gatekeeper in a black robe, hood drawn up over his head like a monk, stood there.

“We’re here to see the holy knight apprentice who was brought in last night.”

After Zed briefly stated their purpose, the gatekeeper looked at both Zed and Harto without a word and then walked slowly ahead. The corridor, unexpectedly wide, wasn’t too dark because torches lined the walls.

“Visitor.”

The gatekeeper spoke in a low voice after walking a short distance. When they followed his gaze, someone sat behind the bars of an underground cell. The man, who had been muttering to himself against the wall, turned his head slowly.

“Who the hell came to see me? This is annoying… oh!”

Maybe it was because of the flickering torchlight, but his eyes gleamed and fixed directly on Harto. No one in the Cathedral had paid any attention to him until now, so Harto flinched and hid behind Zed at.

“It’s me. Zed.”

Zed shielded Harto’s body slightly as he spoke, as if to reassure him.

“Zed? Ah! Zed Shaden that I know?”

“That’s right. I came just in case, and it’s you, Allen.”

Zed recognized Allen, who had once been one of the elite soldiers of the Night Rage mercenary group a year ago. He recognized him more by his voice than his face, because he had become thinner, and his hair darker, so if they had passed by each other in the street, Zed wouldn’t have noticed him.

After leaving the group, Allen briefly told them what had happened over the past year. He had settled in the mountains and survived by stealing, then before winter came, he had gone down to a village. Later, he had done all kinds of odd jobs, and when someone told him that he could get food, lodging, and a bit of money if he went to the city, he was tempted and applied to be a holy knight apprentice.

Even if Belnok had become corrupt, it was hard to believe they would accept someone like Allen, whose identity wasn’t clear, as a holy knight apprentice. But Allen himself didn’t seem to care. He was complaining about the man he had fought with at the inn, saying that he’d rather quit than put up with that kind of treatment.

“But… who’s that? A new one?”

Allen’s eyes turned to Harto, who was peeking out from behind Zed.

“He’s pretty.”

“……”

The mercenaries really couldn’t resist anything pretty. Harto didn’t feel pleased by the compliment. He only felt nervous from that direct gaze.