The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 74

In the venerable Gargantuan Castle, which boasts a history of over a millennium, there are countless hidden passageways that even the Holy Knights cannot fully account for. These remnants of the castle’s complex history of conspiracies are constantly being discovered by the Holy Knights, who promptly lock them up with magical devices to prevent passage.

A royal party hosted by the royal family was underway, making a direct escape challenging. Deciding to use one of these hidden passages, I, along with Torquemada, planned our covert departure.

After Kano utilized his skill to vanish, we left the papal-controlled reception room and headed toward an ancient archive on the same floor. This dusty archive, lined with old manuscripts, concealed a secret door behind a bookshelf, which revealed itself when I pushed against it. Although it was locked with a magical device, inputting a ten-digit ancient numeral unlocked it with a click.

Opening the door was effortless for me, the ex-Holy Knight who had discovered and sealed this passage.

Torquemada, restrained by capture cords, commented, “I see, your true identity is becoming clear, Don Michino. You were a Holy Knight.”

Without a response, I was about to step into the dark passage when Kano spoke up.

“Don, we are being pursued.”

“Ah, likely someone is gathering their subordinates using sacred arts.”

Torquemada, capable of freely manipulating his own heretics, had several under his command within the castle, impersonating inquisitors to hunt us down. I knew too well that the inquisitors affiliated with the papacy were also well-acquainted with these secret passages.

“Inspector Torquemada, you must understand that you are in no position but to comply with my demands,” I asserted as we entered the passage.

This passage, like a labyrinth filled with traps, led outside the castle, and was difficult for anyone less capable to navigate.

As we relied on the light from a magical lantern, Kano alerted, “Someone is ahead.”

Immediately, a barrage of light arrows was launched at us. I leapt forward, deflecting the arrows with a dagger, but a tingling numbness lingered in my hand—a sign of an electric attribute attack. Moreover, Kano’s invisibility skill had been nullified. Leaving Torquemada with the others, I charged towards the source of the ambush.

The dimly visible assailant, a woman clad in a monk’s robe, unleashed more arrows as she waved her staff. I parried dozens of arrows with two daggers received from Ess and Sadd, but one grazed me, sending a shock through my body.

Despite nearly being immobilized, I charged at the woman, who disliked close combat, as she jumped back, maintaining distance while counterattacking. As I continuously launched slash attacks, Kano’s voice reached me.

“Don! A formidable foe has appeared!”

Before Kano, Ess, and Sadd stood a monstrous creature resembling a hellhound, undoubtedly a heretic who had transformed using a heretic skill.

As the beast lunged at Kano, he dodged agilely. However, the beast then turned its attention to Ess and Sadd, whose faces paled. Kano positioned himself protectively in front, although his expression was clearly distraught.

While engaging the female heretic, I silently commanded the twins through Silent Voice.

“Activate your heretic skills! Fight as I’ve taught you, and you can handle her!”

Ess and Sadd nodded, drawing their swords.

The twin heretic girls danced around the beast, slashing with their daggers in a beautifully synchronized attack, confounding the beast which could only snap its jaws futilely.

Their heretic skill, “Dance of Death,” specialized in synchronized attacks, confusing their opponent. The beast, despite being repeatedly slashed, soon gazed at the twins’ alluring forms with a dazed expression—an effect of their skill.

Utilizing this distraction, even the female heretic I was confronting momentarily lost focus.

Seizing the opportunity, I closed the distance, snapping her staff with a kick, then subdued her with a capture technique, rendering her unconscious.

Next, as Ess and Sadd continued battling the beast, I launched a surprise attack, plunging my dagger into its abdomen. As its cries echoed through the corridor, the beast reverted to human form. I secured the heretic with capture cords.

Torquemada, witnessing his minions’ defeat, was visibly shaken, yet he was undoubtedly still summoning allies using his sacred arts.

I told him, “Unlike your sacred arts, my skill doesn’t allow me to control heretics at will. It’s a skill that requires earning trust, but once I engage and defeat heretics in direct combat, it becomes easier to gain their loyalty.”

“That’s a fascinating ability, but what of it?” he responded weakly.

I glanced at the fallen female heretic.

“Your sacred arts are formidable. To be humiliated and see your spouse killed yet still serve you obediently. But, Torquemada, heretics loyal to me are immune to your arts. Do you understand the implications?”

After administering a potion to the woman and helping her to stand, I handed her a knife.

“Do as you wish,” I stated.

The emotionless heretic looked at the knife for a moment before her expression twisted with rage, and she slowly approached Torquemada, hatred evident in her gaze.

“Stop this at once. Remember who your master is…” Torquemada began, but before he could finish, the woman raised the knife. In the next moment, a scream filled the corridor as the knife plunged near his groin, staining his monk’s robe with blood.

As the woman raised the knife again, I intervened.

“What will you do? Continue, and you will die a miserable death, full of stab wounds.”

Gasping for air, Torquemada exclaimed, “You’re a fool! You know as well as I do that killing an inquisitor is a grave sin. You think you can take on the papacy and get away with it?”

“However, Torquemada, the Michino Family has done nothing here. We’re merely spectators to you being attacked by a heretic, naively wondering why she wears a monk’s robe. Ess, Sadd, the document, please.”

Ess and Sadd retrieved a parchment from their cleavage, which I presented to Torquemada.

“This is a list of heretics you sold and to whom. As you know, I was once a Holy Knight, which should tell you enough.”

As I stepped back, allowing the woman to resume her attack, Torquemada cried out.

“I understand! I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you where Lily Ludwig is!”

“Where is she? Speak plainly.”

After a pause, Torquemada revealed, “Lily is here in Gargantuan Castle.”

“Gargantuan Castle?” I was taken aback. “Why would Lily be in Gargantuan Castle?”

“I cannot speak accurately as she is no longer under my control,” he continued.

“The only thing I can tell you is that Lily Ludwig, a special heretic, controlled the Holy Knights and incited a rebellion at Duke LeBlanc’s mansion recently. Tonight, she plans to activate her heretical skill, Phantasmagoria, on a scale unlike anything before.”