FSFSLU 13

Chapter 13

Tetina’s main street.

Denk, who had been leaning against Mohican while waiting for Isabel, straightened up when he saw her running from the direction of the church.

“Did you get permission, miss?”

“They didn’t give me permission!”

“I figured as much.”

As soon as she returned, Isabel dug into her backpack and handed Denk the carriage rental fee. Denk refused, insisting it was enough that she had healed both him and Mohican, but Isabel stubbornly tried to push the money into his hands.

The more Denk refused, the more her face puffed up in a pout, until finally Isabel was openly sulking.

“Why won’t you take it!”

“Wait, miss, hold on a second!”

Denk wiped sweat from his forehead as he tried to calm her.

“I was joking about the discount. I never intended to take your money in the first place.”

“Why not!”

“Because you healed me and this guy. Didn’t I tell you? Normally just fixing a horse’s knee costs thousands of sonak. Even priests say treating animals is harder than treating people.”

“Oh, that’s true!”

Sacred power, by nature, was specialized in healing and recovery regardless of race. But since the ones wielding it were human, ordinary priests struggled when it came to healing non-human beings.

That was also why, during the Elf Annihilation, every elf except Erica had perished.

“That’s only possible because it’s me!”

“Impressive.”

“Thank you! Anyway, take the money. I’ll just give you a little!”

In the end, Denk accepted 10 nips from Isabel.

He sighed and slipped the coins into his pocket. Isabel wore a triumphant expression as if shouting, ‘See, you should’ve just taken it right away!’

“Feeling like you won, miss?”

“Of course!”

“Good for you. So where are you planning to go now?”

At that question, Isabel looked a little troubled.

Instead of answering, she turned as if to dash away.

Startled, Denk grabbed her arm. But she was moving so quickly that her body lifted like she was on a swing before landing back down.

Isabel looked surprised for a moment, then giggled.

“This is fun!”

“If you hadn’t healed my habitual dislocation, you would’ve ripped my arm out, miss.”

“Does it still hurt a lot?”

“Thanks to you, it’s fine. But more importantly, why are you in such a hurry?”

“Miss Emily didn’t give me permission, so I lied and snuck out. I’m going to Rat Hole on my own!”

Denk pressed his forehead into his palm. Irresistible, this girl.

She’d already been warned about how dangerous Rat Hole was. Denk had only seen it briefly himself, but Emily had been dead serious when she tried to stop Isabel from going.

‘And yet this girl insists on going anyway…’

Of course, Denk had no reason to interfere. His work as a carriage driver was over, and he’d been paid. They were strangers now.

Still, he couldn’t help but worry.

“…Do you even know where Rat Hole is?”

“I’ll ask the townsfolk!”

“…Haa.”

Isabel tilted her head curiously at Denk, who was rubbing his forehead and looking troubled.

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

“Do you really have to go? Why?”

“For world peace!”

“Quite generous of you, worrying about the whole world.”

Denk let go of her hand, scratched the back of his head, and averted his gaze.

“Miss, I’m from Rat Hole.”

For Denk, it wasn’t exactly something to be proud of. In fact, he had often been distrusted for that very reason.

So admitting his origins to Isabel had required no small amount of courage.

But Isabel wasn’t the type to think about such things deeply.

Instead—

“Really? Do you know someone named Marcel?” she asked, eyes sparkling.

Faced with such a gaze, it was hard to say, ‘No, I’ve never heard that name.’

“If we lived in the same area, I’d know, but since I’ve never heard of him, he must’ve been in a different part of Rat Hole. Are you going there to see this friend?”

“That’s part of it! Too bad though, it would’ve been nice if you knew him.”

Denk gave a small laugh.

“Even if you asked people how to get there, no one would tell you. Especially not to someone like you.”

“It’s not good to have prejudices about Tetina’s people being unfriendly!”

“…I don’t have that prejudice. Actually, it’s because they are kind that they won’t tell you.”

“Why?”

“Because they’d be worried about you.”

Denk knew better than anyone what a vile place Rat Hole was. For a frail priestess to walk in there alone was incredibly dangerous.

And yet—

“I digress. The point is, since I’m from there, I know how to get in. So…”

Denk couldn’t turn his back on her.

If he left Isabel alone, she might end up in something far worse.

After all, she had healed his shoulder and Mohican’s knee—he owed her.

If Isabel was going to Rat Hole no matter what, he at least wanted to escort her safely to the entrance.

“I’ll take you.”

“How much will it cost?”

“I’m not taking any money.”

When Isabel’s face grew stern, Denk hurried to add,

“Not by carriage. You’ll ride on Mohican. Don’t you want to?”

Isabel hesitated.

“Then I’d have to pay for riding Mohican…”

“You don’t need to.”

“Why? Isn’t Mohican how you make money?”

“My work is with the carriage, not Mohican himself. So it’s fine.”

“Ahh, I see…”

Isabel still looked half-confused, but Denk urged her to hurry.

(Narrator’s POV)

Hmm. So it came to this.

Denk personally escorting Isabel was good for both her and me.

After all, I only knew what <The Long Tale> described, and nothing else. I couldn’t guide her to Rat Hole’s exact entrance from Tetina.

So all I could do was dig deeper into what Rat Hole actually was.

According to <The Long Tale>, Rat Hole survived off mining.

Though rich ores drew many people, it lay deep in the mountains, where goblins and kobolds roamed freely. On top of that, old magical mining tools, left unmaintained, spewed oil and pollutants.

With no way to treat them, the filth was funneled through streams and canals, until the rivers ran foul and oily. That was why Rat Hole’s other name was “Sewer City.”

The natural environment and infrastructure were a mess, the people grew irritable, and unwary outsiders were often robbed or killed by monsters.

And yet, fixing the place would take immense manpower, resources, and time—so it had simply been left to rot.

I had already explained all this to Isabel. The reason she ignored Emily’s warning was because she had already heard it from me.

“Do you know what kind of place you’re walking into?”

When I asked her that last night, Isabel had only smiled.

“Of course! You told me yourself, Hero.”

Yes—because in <The Long Tale>, the party often shared their pasts when resting. Isabel had heard about Rat Hole directly from Marcel, who had grown up there.

It was good that she was prepared.

Still, we needed a clear goal.

If she went just to “meet the hero,” that would be a problem for me.

“Other than meeting Marcel, there’s another purpose.”

“What is it?”

“There’s a cursed sword hidden in Rat Hole. Did you know?”

“I… didn’t! I thought only a holy sword was hidden there!”

Of course she didn’t. It wasn’t that she was forgetful—it was that this was knowledge she could never have.

Because until Dyke died at Marcel’s hands, he had never revealed how he came to wield the cursed sword.

Only I, who had read his past in the novel, knew.

“Isabel. Our goal is to find the cursed sword and either hand it to the Church… or destroy it outright. What matters is making sure no one ever draws it. You saw it in the first run, right? Once drawn, the sword is bound to its wielder.”

The Demon Lord’s Black Knight, Dyke, had summoned the cursed sword from nothingness, wielding it at will. His overwhelming strength, mana, and the unique “Cursed Swordsmanship” made him a terrifying foe.

But the blade consumed him in the end, and he died by Marcel’s hand.

Even now, it’s tragic to think about. Marcel was forced to slay his own brother.

“Oh, and remember—even if you recognize Marcel, he won’t recognize you.”

“You’re right… Just trust me!”

And not long after saying that, Isabel was now on her way to Rat Hole with Denk guiding her.

She could’ve saved her money, but she insisted on paying the carriage fare anyway.

Her morals were admirable, but really, she didn’t act like a regressor at all.

If anything, my worries only grew. She even left her staff behind…

“Haa…”

Honestly, I wish Denk would escort her all the way inside Rat Hole.

She’s just too reckless for me to handle alone.

For now, I’ll rest while Denk takes the lead.

Because after that, I’ll have to endure the exhausting task of guiding Isabel again.

The rhythmic clop of hooves.

Perched on Mohican’s back, Isabel felt pleasantly relaxed, while Denk held the reins, walking ahead.

The carriage had been left at Tetina’s rental office.

“Mister, doesn’t your leg hurt?”

“Not really, though I feel like a knight’s squire right now.”

“Did you know? Knights with squires are always rich.”

“You heal so well, miss, you could become rich as a doctor.”

“If I used sacred power just to make money, the goddess would be angry!”

“You’re a picky one.”

“If She were really picky, She wouldn’t have given me sacred power at all!”

“Fair enough.”

“What will you do after you drop me off?”

“Hmm, probably smoke. Haven’t had a cigarette in a day and a half, I’m dying.”

“You still want to smoke even though it’s bad for your health?”

“You haven’t said a single wrong thing since earlier.”

Neither of them liked to think too deeply, so their banter, though frivolous, was perfect for passing time.

Clop, clop, clop.

Following a side road leading toward the outskirts, Isabel began to sing.

“Your tone just changed, miss. Why bring up the Holy Goddess all of a sudden?”

“I was singing! It’s a hymn.”

“Oh… a song, huh.”

They continued on until they reached the city’s outer wall.

“No houses around here. Monsters sometimes come down from that mountain.”

“They climb over this wall?”

“If they did, we’d be lucky. Some smash straight through. That’s why Tetina has so many holy knights.”

Isabel nodded at Denk’s explanation.

The sound of hooves echoed off the tall wall.

“Mohican’s trembling.”

“Animals are more sensitive than us. You’ll smell it soon.”

“Oh! Something really stinks!”

It was a cloying, suffocating stench that seemed to numb her nose the longer she inhaled.

The toxic fumes of Rat Hole.

“It’s awful! This is my first time experiencing it.”

“They use semi-permanent mining gear down there, but since it’s never maintained, it pumps out poison constantly.”

Finally, Mohican and Denk stopped, facing a foggy mountain trail.

Denk sighed and pointed.

“Go in here.”

“Marcel told me about this part! If I follow the path, I’ll reach the tunnels, right?”

“Yeah. The tunnels are actually kept in decent shape—wide enough for carriages. Originally, only the entrance was called Rat Hole, but over time the whole city got the name…”

Denk helped Isabel down. She pulled her staff from the saddle loop and checked her backpack. Everything was there.

Pinching her nose, she cried,

“This smell is terrible!”

“You’ll get used to it.”

“But isn’t it harmful to our bodies?”

“It is. A little toxic gas mixed in. That’s why I wish you wouldn’t go…”

Then—

A dazzling light enveloped Isabel.

Denk stumbled back in shock. Even Mohican, who usually flinched at forest spirits, didn’t move an inch.

The light faded, leaving Isabel looking more vibrant than before.

“W-what was that, miss?”

“Blessing of Purification!”

Blessings, like healing, were the signature skill of a priest, used on oneself or others.

Isabel had cast it on herself, purifying the toxins in her body.

She then extended the blessing to Denk and Mohican.

“The gas you inhaled should be completely purified now. Thank you for everything!”

“Th-thanks, miss. But are you really fine going alone?”

At his worried question, Isabel gave a mischievous grin.

Then she ran off up the mountain path, her footsteps echoing.

“….”

If Mohican hadn’t snorted just then, Denk might’ve kept staring blankly after her.

‘What an amazing girl. I hope she stays safe.’

He turned back—and only then noticed it.

Isabel had left another 10 nips on Mohican’s saddle.

“So that’s why you weren’t moving? Afraid the coins would fall?”

When Denk pocketed them, Mohican started moving again. Smart beast.

“Guess I’ll head back…”

Yawning wide, Denk climbed onto Mohican.

Clop, clop, clop.

He’d driven all night to reach Tetina, then gotten no rest thanks to Isabel’s antics with her staff. He still hadn’t slept.

“Might as well nap at the rental office…” he muttered as they ambled along.

And from that day on—

“This is driving me crazy…”

Denk found himself in agony.

Because Isabel’s Blessing of Purification lasted three days.

During those three days, every bit of smoke he inhaled from his cigarettes was cleansed away.

His coworkers howled with laughter at his withdrawal symptoms. Even trying to sneak secondhand smoke from their cigarettes failed—the blessing blocked even that.

Denk’s lungs became the cleanest they’d been since his twenties.

But—

“I’m dying…”

His mental health was another matter.