The Priest of Complete Dispel ~ Every Time I Save a Cursed Beautiful Girl with My Status Abnormal Cure Skill, For Some Reason Her Dependence on Me Maxes Out ~ - Chapter 43: Medina, Infiltration

Chapter 43: Medina, Infiltration

――Time rewound to the previous night.

“Lady Medina. I want you to sneak into the facility that Archbishop Bulldog owns underground and gather as much information as possible.”

The mission that the saint candidate Iris had entrusted to her.

The fourteen-year-old assassin Medina accepted the request without hesitation, in order to respond to her earnest gaze.

The location lay beyond a narrow alley devoid of people.

Blending into the darkness of the night, she silenced even her footsteps and suppressed even her breathing. Medina, who had completely concealed her form, advanced like a shadow, just as Iris had instructed.

When she descended the stone stairs leading underground, two men stood there imposingly.

They had the rough appearance of bandits, but honed muscles bulged across their entire bodies.

Yet no matter how skilled they might be in combat, they could not detect Medina’s <Stealth>.

She was, so to speak, air that did not even stir the wind.

No one could have noticed the presence that slipped through the spot.

Further ahead, several doors lined up.

One of them stood half-open, with orange light leaking from the gap.

Medina approached cautiously, probed for any signs of presence, and pushed the door open without making a sound.

……She went unnoticed.

She slipped into the room just like that.

There stood a luxurious-looking sofa and a polished table.

Steam still rose faintly from the two teacups lined up there.

Two figures sat on the sofa, elegantly tilting their cups.

“――So, what can you provide us with?”

A low voice resonated. The man in white clerical robes with red hair――the moment Medina caught sight of him, anger blazed in her chest.

Her hand instinctively reached for the knife at her waist.

It was no wonder. He was the very one who had locked Medina in the cave, exposed her to the goblins’ ravages, and even given them magical tools to control them.

(Bulldog……! But not now……!)

She clenched her back teeth and suppressed her killing intent.

The mission was strictly to gather information. She could not act on her own and cause trouble for Shu or Iris.

“Yes. I run a guild specializing in adult goods in the Miledia Empire.”

“Hoh……”

“We carry many items that do not circulate in the kingdom. If Your Excellency the Archbishop could distribute these to your customers, it would bring great profit to both sides.”

The one facing Bulldog was a merchant from the western great power, the Miledia Empire.

It seemed they were in the midst of a business negotiation.

“This is the merchandise, then.”

The merchant took out items of glossy shapes from his bag.

Bulldog picked them up from the table with a dubious expression.

“This is a product called a suction rotor. It is said that no woman can fail to feel pleasure from it, and it enjoys explosive popularity in the empire. ……It may not suit extreme enthusiasts, but if circulated in the kingdom, it will surely sell.”

“……I see. If I pass them to the merchants connected on the surface, a substantial profit will flow into my pocket.”

“Yes. For us as well, there is value simply in the empire’s goods spreading abroad.”

The four great powers had repeated conflicts since ancient times.

Beyond wars, the greatest factor was that they worshipped different gods.

Because of that, culture and goods did not flow easily to other countries. That was precisely why backroom deals like the one unfolding here held meaning.

“――Very well.”

“Then, please sign this contract.”

With the pen running across the page, Bulldog concluded the contract with the empire merchant.

Once the merchant departed, silence returned to the room.

The remaining Bulldog took a sip of his tea and sank deeply into the sofa.

“Step by step……making steady progress. As long as I keep stacking it up, eventually I will reach the seat of cardinal――and once that happens, this country will be mine in all but name. Heh, hehehe……”

Archbishop Bulldog muttered to himself as if to no one in particular and wore a sinister smile.

――Unaware that a cold, sharp blade pressed against the nape of his neck.

(The documents……would that kind of contract serve as evidence? But it’s not direct wrongdoing…… Still, I have to report it……)

She murmured softly in her heart and suppressed her killing intent.

Once she confirmed that Bulldog had sunk into the sofa and begun to doze off drowsily, Medina left the room without a sound.

The next destination――she turned back once in front of the heavy double doors and confirmed that no one was around.

The moment she slowly pushed them open, a dense air carried an unusual smell that assaulted her nose.

(Wh-what……is this……?)

Lascivious voices flew in disarray. Naked men and women tangled on the floor and against the walls, repeating bestial couplings.

The scene of countless people entangled was truly a den of vice――.

(What Lady Iris mentioned……was this……)

She had heard about it from Iris beforehand, so she knew such a room existed. But the impact of actually witnessing the sight far exceeded her imagination.

(This isn’t……this isn’t love……)

What resurfaced in her mind was the time with Shu.

An act that, though clumsy, held warmth. Yet what she saw now was a scene devoid of love or dignity, simply ravaged by pleasure and domination. The women’s eyes appeared vacant and clouded, as if their souls had been drained.

“……Ah, delicious. This place is the best when you’re hungry.”

A chilling voice echoed from the corner of the room.

In that instant, what jumped into her view was――the eerie sight of faint white essence being drawn up from the men’s and women’s bodies.

(Something’s……being sucked……!)

The moment she laid eyes on the owner of the voice, a freezing terror ran down Medina’s spine.

Pale purple skin, hair white as snow. Two horns protruded from amid it.

(D-de-demon……that’s……Dorotheia……!)

Just recalling the name she had heard from Iris made her knees tremble.

――If discovered, she would be killed in an instant. It was an existence with that much certainty.

“Ora! Get knocked up, you lewd sow!”

At that moment, a sudden roar echoed through.

The instant she heard that voice, the blood drained from Medina’s face.

(Eh……eh……this voice……!?)

Straining her eyes, she saw a man pinning down a woman and thrusting his hips violently.

Though he hid the upper half of his face with a mask, it was a voice etched into her ears and unforgettable.

――The guard Jilbe.

The young man who had stood at the inspection at Hares’ gate just the other day and genuinely rejoiced at Glen’s safety.

But now, he exposed an ugly form that treated the woman as mere object and unleashed his desires.

(Why……but I have to……report it……!)

She bit her trembling lips and reached for the door.

――Clang.

With a sharp sound, deep claw marks etched into the wall right beside her head.

(Eek……!?)

By a hair’s breadth. If it had shifted just a few centimeters, Medina’s head would have been pierced.

The thing that had torn the wall was Dorotheia’s long, sharp claw.

“Hmm~~? I felt like something was around here……”

Her form remained unseen. Her presence should not have been detected.

Yet, whether from an abnormal sense of smell or a sixth sense, Dorotheia had indeed sensed something.

Medina desperately held her breath, pressed both hands over her mouth, and endured without letting out a sound, tears spilling forth.

“Oh my, Lady Dorotheia. Swinging your claws in a place like this?”

Then, from the door behind, one person appeared.

“……Samuel, is it? No, it’s nothing. I just felt like sharpening my claws.”

“Is that so? I would appreciate it if you did not damage the walls too much. This is underground, after all; it could collapse.”

“Hmph……I know that. I’ve had quite a bit of fun in this place myself. ……So, what is it?”

“Yes. Regarding the adventurers who returned to this city. There are some I would like you to quietly dispose of.”

(Eh……no way……!)

The instant she heard “adventurers,” several figures flashed in Medina’s mind.

“Hoh……Are they skilled?”

“They are well-known even in the city. ……They are the ones who annihilated the goblin cave operated by Archbishop Bulldog.”

“In other words, the ones who defeated that Goblin Queen……?”

“Yes. It’s hard to believe, but it seems they returned alive.”

“……Interesting. This might be a bit enjoyable.”

“The targets are these――”

The photo presented showed――the four members of “Silver Blade” led by Glen.

(Mr. Glen and the others……are being targeted……!)

She strained to listen to the conversation unfolding before her eyes and simply waited for the time to pass.

Once the two departed, Medina desperately held back the strength draining from her entire body and left the spot.