48: Chapter 48 The Caged Bird

Before heading to the sewers, everyone began preparing their own luggage.

Tuaner finished packing her gear. "So, according to the plot, the next scene is the party getting wiped out and fleeing, and then you sacrifice yourself to Goblin Slayer?"

"There will be no party wipe, and no sacrifice. Even if there were, it would be the Elf Girl's sacrifice," Mia replied while packing.

"The Sword Maiden already sees us as a thorn in her side. If I take the Goblin Slayer of her dreams for myself, do you think she'll start fighting for her life immediately?" Mia poked Tuaner's small head hard with her long fingers.

"I was just asking," Tuaner rubbed her head.

"I'm going to the Temple of the Earth Mother Goddess in a bit. Are you coming with me or staying obediently at the inn?"

"The subtext is a warning not to provoke the Sword Maiden, right? Afraid I'll be cut in half?" Tuaner said with a grin, "I'm coming with you!"

The Temple of the Earth Mother Goddess was not as grand as the Sword Maiden's Temple of Order and Law, but it possessed a different kind of solemnity.

The kind-faced Old Priest, holding a common tin staff, let the light fall on Mia and Tuaner's shoulders. "Even as monsters, you can be moved by the power of the Earth Mother Goddess and receive her blessing. I won't make things difficult for you. Go. Although the Temple of the Earth Mother Goddess isn't as dazzling as the God of Order, it's not made of clay." After speaking, the Old Priest gave two jade-like amulets to Mia.

"Use your power to destroy this token. The protection of the Earth Mother Goddess will appear. We will also do our best to help you." Then, the Old Priest pointed toward the confessional. "Go, confess your sins to the Mother Goddess, and seek her forgiveness..."

Thus, Mia and Tuaner were kept at the Temple of the Earth Mother Goddess by the "unscrupulous old man," as Tuaner called him, until after breakfast on the third morning.

Mia's [Piety] class skill reached Lv20, and Tuaner's reached Lv5. They also each learned new skills.

Mia's was [Dispel: Removes a negative effect from a friendly Adventurer; can critical hit to remove all negative effects.]

Tuaner's was [Life Steal: Can be cast on hostile targets, stealing 10 health points from the current target every 5 seconds, distributed equally among our Adventurers.]

Carrying small gifts from the practitioners and apprentice priests at the temple, they walked toward the meeting point they had previously agreed upon with Goblin Slayer.

"Hey, long time no see!" the Dwarf Uncle greeted them. "I heard two super beautiful 'Saints' appeared at the Temple of the Earth Mother Goddess. Their beauty is as if their foreheads were kissed by the Mother Goddess, or like they sold their souls to the devil—unforgettable."

"Yes, don't doubt it. It's me and Mia," Tuaner gave the Dwarf a definite answer in a haughty tone.

"We should wait outside the temple. Goblin Slayer will be out in a bit; he went to confirm the final intel with the Sword Maiden," the Lizardman Monk said kindly.

"Mhm!" Mia nodded. Her bright red robe fluttered in the wind. She lightly stroked her wind-blown hair, silently watching Tuaner and Ryan, pursing her lips as if she had made a decision.

"I gave the [Goblin Gold Pounds] I got earlier to the Mother Goddess temple," Ryan Nephalem said with a chuckle. "Exchanged them for three stones. Did the old man give them to you? He taught me basic combat for a while when I was adventuring in this world before."

"So, that old man telling us to repent for our sins was a lie? You mean he's killed more monsters and people than the three of us combined?" Tuaner turned into a bristling cat, showing her sharp canine teeth.

"Pretty much. Legend says he was the Captain of the Royal Guard. When he was teaching me, he accidentally collapsed the sanctuary with one punch and had to pay to rebuild it himself. I always feel like I owe the old guy," Ryan said a bit sheepishly.

Tuaner retracted her proud little teeth, looking incredulous.

Goblin Slayer walked out of the temple, followed by the Elf Girl, who looked displeased.

"What's this? If this quest wasn't about your favorite thing, killing Goblins, everyone probably would've packed up and left. I don't think that woman was telling the truth." The scout's sharp intuition made the Elf Girl even more suspicious of the Sword Maiden.

The group arrived at the water gate of the Water City. After explaining the situation to the guards, Goblin Slayer led the way, carrying the canary he had specifically bought.

"Grave robbers back in my hometown use roosters," Tuaner said, playing the role of a little critic.

"Mhm, the principle is the same," Goblin Slayer's reply was concise as always.

Stopping and starting along the way, they cleared many Goblins. It was a bit busy but not exactly tense or dangerous. They reached the end of the path...

Goblin Slayer kicked open the door and charged in with his usual efficiency. It was a room resembling a ritual chamber. At the altar, a woman with long blonde hair was suspended by iron chains, her head hanging limply like a broken puppet.

No one made a move.

"Is she dead?" the Elf Archer asked in a low voice.

Goblin Slayer didn't answer, only reaching out to grip the short sword at his waist.

"Crack."

A strange sound startles everyone into turning around—only to see Mia half-kneeling on the ground, methodically taking out an iron Doorstop from her pack and carefully wedging it against the kicked-open door. She even tapped it to confirm it was sturdy before nodding and standing up in satisfaction. Ryan gave Mia an admiring look.

"...This," the Dwarf Shaman's beard twitched, "is truly..."

"Professional preparation," the Lizardman Monk nodded in praise.

Goblin Slayer glanced back: "Good. Being trapped like a rat in a hole is troublesome."

"After all, the memory of having our retreat cut off during our first adventure isn't very pleasant. Sorry for the display." But she didn't walk toward the altar, instead staying put. "I think... we should check the surroundings first?"

"[Holy Light Barrier]!" Mia didn't turn back, raising her hand to cast a protective skill toward the door behind her. An arrow tipped with specialized Goblin poison bounced off the holy light and fell to the ground.

"Ambush!" the Elf Girl shouted!

Ryan's reaction was faster than anyone's—the Paladin turned, his hulking frame holding a kite shield, wedging himself directly into the gap of the half-open door. Then he pulled out another Doorstop and jammed it into the other door, making it impossible to push open.

"Ha!" He gave a grim smile, gripping his two-handed hammer. "Now let's see who can get through?"

The dim stone room fell into an eerie silence. The torches on the walls suddenly went out all at once, except for the woman on the altar—the suspended blonde figure—whose fingers suddenly twitched.

Clink, clink-clink...

The chains started to sway on their own.

Tuaner's breathing quickened: "Is she... is she still alive?"

"She's been dead a long time. There's not even a scent of blood under her hair. Most likely, it's a skeleton." Tuaner seemed very dissatisfied with the woman on the altar. But she didn't continue complaining.

Because in the darkness, all around them, lights flickered—

The green eyes of Goblins.

The canary began to chirp uneasily...