novelraw Chapter 104: Helping the Target
Chapter 104: Helping the Target
Istellise… Is that truly her name? It’s really close to Istellia.
The others, however, didn’t seem to notice the similarity. Of course they wouldn’t. None of them had ever seen Istellia in person. The avatar she had revealed during the divine decree had been little more than a vague silhouette, her form washed out in white light. Only I had stood before her directly, only I knew her true face.
In any case, Istellise didn’t appear to be lying. There was no hesitation in her voice or even a flicker of deceit in her eyes. Besides, there was no confirmation of this either, since she wasn’t counted as a monster and her status wasn’t shown by the System. Not even Inspect Eye revealed any information; it must be too low-leveled. As such, I decided not to press further for now.
“Right now,” I said firmly, “our priority is to get you out of this city safely.”
“No!” she snapped, shaking her head sharply. “I can’t do that. There’s something I must accomplish here in Saharan.”
Her defiance took the others aback. Boris frowned, his massive arms crossing over his chest. “Missy, do you have any idea how close you were to death? They sent an entire squad to kill you. Whatever you’re planning, staying here is nothing short of suicide.”
“If the Templars themselves—and not just assassins—are after you, then this city is no longer safe…” Michelle added, her voice filled with concern.
We might have been exceptionally strong for our levels, but there were nearly two hundred elite soldiers of the Holy Kingdom stationed here, not to mention the common troops patrolling the streets and the walls. If Istellise’s words were true and even Homuraz stood against her, then the situation could easily spiral into chaos and beyond our control.
Lucian scoffed with irritation. “We should just drag her out by force instead of letting her drag us down.”
Istellise’s eyes hardened at Lucian’s words. “You don’t understand. If I leave now, everything I’ve endured up until this point will be wasted. There is something within this city that only I can reach—something that must be retrieved, no matter the risk.”
Tuilë tilted her head, clearly amused. “Oh? Mind telling us what exactly you are trying to find?”
Istellise hesitated for several seconds, pressing her lips tight as if weighing whether to speak. At last, determination steeled her expression, though she shook her head. “I can’t tell you what it is except that it’s a sacred relic… but I can tell you where. It’s hidden beneath Homuraz’s castle. I’ve spent weeks planning a way inside, but before I could act, the Templars tracked me down and cornered me here. If you truly intend to help me, then lend me your strength.”
Before anyone could respond, a chime echoed in my ears, and a translucent blue screen appeared before me.
A quest has been generated.
Character Quest: [Help Istellise]
Istellise seeks something buried beneath the castle, but the place is heavily guarded by the Templars and hostile forces. Only by supporting her can the truth behind her origin as well as her purpose be uncovered.
Mission Type: Infiltration
Difficulty: D
Main Objective: Help Istellise infiltrate Homuraz’s castle and secure the hidden relic. (0/1)
Time Limit: 44 hours 21 minutes 53 seconds
Reward: ???
Penalty for Failure: Decrease in Istellise’s trust
Would you like to accept the quest?
[Yes/No]
The time limit matched the scenario’s own countdown. Furthermore, the quest revealed no clear reward—only three question marks. Yet, unbeknownst to anyone but me, completing this quest would ripple across future scenarios. This wasn’t just about helping Istellise. It was about altering the path of Divine Will itself.
So, the right choice here was obvious.
“Fine,” I said at last, exhaling slowly. “If what you’re saying is true, then we’ll help you.”
Istellise blinked, surprise flashing across her crimson eyes. “You… will?”
Boris chuckled, thumping his chest. “Gahaha! If the lad’s in, then so am I. Can’t back out now, can we?”
Michelle gave a firm nod. “If this is the path we must take, then I’ll do my part.”
Lucian frowned. “But I never agreed—Guh!” He doubled over as Tuilë jabbed him in the stomach.
“It seems unanimous then,” Tuilë said with a mischievous grin. “Heh. Breaking into a castle, sneaking past an army, and hunting down some secret relic? Sounds like fun to me.”
Istellise’s gaze moved across each of us before she lowered her eyes. “Then I’ll place my trust in you. I don’t know who you really are or why you’re here, but if you’re willing to stand with me, then I’ll accept it.”
You have accepted the quest.
Nevertheless, the more I looked at her, the more that resemblance to Istellia unsettled me. If she truly was tied to the goddess, then protecting her—and helping her complete this quest—wasn’t just important. It was a must.
“So, what’s your plan?” I asked. “The castle won’t be easy to breach, and we can’t risk being surrounded by their entire force without proper preparation. Also, why would the Templars of the Holy Kingdom dare to occupy Saharan, which is a major city of another kingdom, so openly? Isn’t that practically an act of war?”
The group nodded in agreement.
“They aren’t here to keep order, are they?” Michelle spoke up.
Lucian scoffed. “Keep order? Don’t be naïve. Armies don’t march into foreign cities to play guardsmen. If their only goal was capturing this woman, they wouldn’t be so brazen. It’s obvious Homuraz and the Templars are in cahoots and keeping up this image so as not to tarnish his name… But why do these names sound so familiar…” He trailed off, muttering to himself and looking as though unable to recall what he was trying to remember.
Istellise hesitated, then spoke after some hesitation. “I… do know. I was raised in the Holy Kingdom. I know their ways, their doctrine, and their endless hunger for control.” She drew in a breath before continuing. “And I know why they’ve occupied this city. They’re after the same relic I am seeking. The difference is—they don’t know what it is, or where it’s hidden. Only I know that. Which is why if I abandon Saharan now, countless innocents will suffer. The Templars will stop at nothing to get what they want.”
Being raised in the Holy Kingdom and knowing of their ways… She has to be someone important and high status, I thought. Istellise was most likely a saintess candidate, a high priest, or something close to it.
“As for the plan,” she continued in a hushed voice, her eyes flicking toward the window as if to ensure no one was listening, “I’ve secured a path into the castle’s underground treasure chamber. The sacred relic should be located there…”
She laid out the path and the plan to slip inside unnoticed. According to her, there was an old tunnel carved out by smugglers long ago—one that neither Homuraz nor the Templars had discovered. That passage would take us directly to the underground floor beneath the castle.
Boris rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Sneaking into a castle’s treasure vault, eh? Sounds exactly like a heist.”
Michelle questioned in concern, “But if the Templars and the castle guards are guarding it, won’t there be layers of protection? Even if we reach the chamber, it might not be so simple to just walk in and take it.”
Lucian folded his arms and said nothing. Meanwhile, Tuilë just grinned from ear to ear, muttering that she was more than ready for something this exciting. Typical of her.
“All right. We’ll do it your way,” I agreed.
And with that, we left our original hideout and began making preparations for what was, by all accounts, a robbery.
***
The entrance to the tunnel was hidden beneath a half-collapsed warehouse on the outskirts of Saharan. Dust choked the air, and the wooden beams overhead creaked as though they might collapse at any moment. Istellise led us inside, pointing to a trapdoor buried under a stack of broken crates, saying that it was the route that the smugglers had used long ago. I actually wondered how she had discovered it.
Boris brushed the crates aside with little effort, and the trapdoor creaked open, revealing a ladder that descended into darkness. A stale, earthy smell drifted up and filled my nostrils.
Michelle adjusted the strap of her bow and glanced at me. “Shall we?”
I nodded and went first, dropping silently into the tunnel. The passage was narrow and damp, unlike the dry night above. Faint traces of old torch mounts clung to the stone, but no light remained. Only my Night Vision skill allowed me to see clearly through the darkness.
One by one, the others followed until the trapdoor shut behind us, sealing out the world above and plunging us into complete darkness. We moved cautiously, our footsteps muffled against the dirt floor, as we used the lanterns taken from our inventories to illuminate the path ahead. The tunnel sloped steadily downward, a clear sign it was heading beneath the inner-city walls and toward the castle grounds.
After several minutes of quiet progress, the passage widened into a small chamber. Old crates and rotting barrels lay scattered, the remnants of smuggled goods long forgotten. A faint current of air drifted in from the far side, carrying with it the cold breath of stone corridors.
“That way,” Istellise whispered, pointing toward a narrow archway cut into the wall. “It leads directly beneath the castle.”
We pressed forward, the tunnel tightening again until we had to walk single-file. When I brushed my hand against the wall, it was no longer rough dirt but solid, worked stone. We were directly beneath the castle now, or at least under one of its major structures.
Michelle suddenly raised a hand. “Stop.”
Everyone froze as she crouched, running her fingers lightly over the ground. “There’s a trap ahead.”
“A trap?” I asked.
She nodded, frowning. “That’s what my detection skill tells me. Wire-based, most likely… but I can’t identify the exact mechanism. All I know is that several of them are scattered ahead at random points.”
“Smugglers could’ve set them to keep pursuers at bay,” Istellise chimed in.
“Either way, we’ll need to disarm or bypass them if we want to keep moving,” I stated.
Boris crossed his arms, grinning. “Want me to go first and clear a path? My steel skin won’t be pierced by any ordinary traps.”
I considered it for a moment, but then shook my head. “Too risky. We don’t know what kind of traps are here, and triggering one could endanger the rest of us while you charge through.”
“Hmm-hmm.” Tuilë smirked, as though this was her time to shine. “Lucky for us, I happen to have just the thing for this. Don’t underestimate a Magic Engineer.”
From her inventory, she pulled out what looked like a small, round, duck-shaped mechanical golem made of bronze and steel. Its beady glass eyes glowed faintly blue, and when she tapped its head, it gave a cheerful quack that echoed faintly through the tunnel.
Boris blinked. “...A robot duck?”
“So cute,” Michelle quipped.
“It’s not just a duck—it’s a Mecha Duck!” Tuilë declared proudly, holding it up as if presenting a treasure. “This little guy’s designed for trap disposal. Watch.”
She placed it on the ground, and with another tap, the duck’s eyes brightened. Tiny arcs of electricity crackled across its metal feathers as it waddled forward on stubby legs. Sparks danced with each step, leaving faint scorch marks along the stone floor.
“Quack. Quack. Quack.”
Michelle tilted her head in confusion. “How is the duck supposed to deal with the traps?”
“Simple,” Tuilë replied, hands on her hips. “These traps rely on thin wires and metal mechanisms. All this little fellow needs to do is zap them. The current overloads the mechanism, frying it before it can even trigger. Well, most of them.”
Sure enough, as the duck waddled a few meters ahead, a faint twang echoed as one of the wires was disturbed. Instead of the trap springing, a sharp crackle of electricity burst from the duck’s body, arcing into the wire until the entire mechanism sizzled and burned out, causing a faint stench of charred metal and smoke to drift through the air.