Chapter 298

Chapter 84 Breath

The rain fell in a gentle drizzle.

Clouds with a hint of gray-blue covered the sky as if it were filtered through a dark tone, only half of it was clear. Three rhinoceros carts sped by in the rain, the water rolling the yellow mud under the wheels and in the stone gullies into muddy streams, making the already difficult earthen road even more rugged ahead.

The carriage swayed violently, the rhinoceros beast’s belly covered in mud emitted wheezing breaths. The hair on its back was slicked down by the rain, shining like metal. Each step it took splashed mud in all directions. The nun driving the cart had half her body drenched, her headscarf and hair tightly pressed against her face. She paid no heed, expressionless.

In the middle carriage, the petite dark-haired girl leaned against the high armrest of the leather seat, her hands clasped together between her legs. Her head rested against the wooden pillar supporting the carriage roof, her fair and delicate face deformed by the pressure. Her mouth pouted involuntarily, her eyes slightly squinted like a cat’s, carrying a hint of drowsiness. She stared blankly ahead, her gaze unfocused.

As the carriage jolted violently, the soft flesh on the side of her face rubbed against the wooden pillars, her pouted lips pulled to one side, then flattened again. Crystal droplets of saliva dripped from her slightly open lips, about to slide down, but she sucked them back in with a sharp hiss. She smacked her lips, regaining some awareness.

…So sleepy.

I really want to bury myself in a soft, big bed, face down.

It has been more than two days since we left the royal city.

During these two days, to not waste time, the three rhinoceros carts hardly stopped, racing north day and night. The previous church drivers couldn’t hold on any longer and were replaced. The nuns of the Holy Maiden class took turns driving the carts, each taking a turn before resting in another carriage, eating something, and getting some sleep. Once they woke up, they would switch again.

Thus, the journey that was originally expected to take at least three days was shortened to just two.

But due to the rush and the rain, the roads became muddy and uneven. The carriage swayed violently, making it very uncomfortable inside. My head felt dizzy, and after a while, my bottom hurt too, making it impossible to rest properly. Several times I was so tired I barely dozed off, only to be woken up by violent jolts. Once, my forehead hit the side frame of the carriage with a loud thud, waking up Margaret, who was also dazed.

Not being able to sleep well, the food we ate was also very simple. The nuns of the Holy Maiden class carried a kind of coarse grain biscuit, which was easy to carry and didn’t spoil easily. It matched their simple and frugal lifestyle, though it tasted bland and could only barely satisfy hunger. The key was that they didn’t understand my appetite; every time they provided biscuits based on Margaret’s standards—okay, they were quite considerate, giving me almost twice as much as Margaret.

But the Holy Maiden’s appetite was very small; a woman who could be satisfied with just a chicken leg…twice that would only be two chicken legs, which couldn’t possibly be enough for me…

But I couldn’t bring myself to say it, and the biscuits were indeed unpalatable. So I endured the lack of food. The nuns were much more hardworking than me; at least I didn’t have to drive or get wet, while they were soaked through, with no time to start a fire for warmth. They were young girls, and I couldn’t bear to make further demands on them… After these two days of hunger and fatigue, I felt terrible.

Why didn’t I think of buying some good food before leaving the city…

I deeply regretted this decision.

“Haah~”

I yawned, rubbing my sore eyes, then lazily lifted my eyelids and glanced at Margaret opposite me.

The beautiful Holy Maiden was dozing off.

She sat upright, her hands crossed over her lower abdomen, her slender waist straight, her back not touching the chair, looking very ladylike. Only her closed eyes and slightly drooping head indicated she was sleeping, nodding like a pecking chick, frequently, but even with the carriage swaying violently, her upper body never tilted, maintaining this posture for a long time. I wondered if she was actually asleep.

As the Holy Maiden, Margaret must travel extensively, spending more time in carriages than in warm, comfortable houses…she must be used to this kind of life, right?

Sigh…

Raindrops hit the top of the carriage, making a continuous dripping sound, mixed with the creaking of the wheels and the occasional roar of the rhinoceros beast, constantly entering my ears, never stopping.

…Indeed, I really hate riding rhinoceros carts.

Just hold on a little longer…

We should be arriving soon.

Before this…

Gradually, my eyelids started to droop, my consciousness growing hazy.

I…

Just sleep…

for a moment…

…………

Gulp!

!

I suddenly opened my eyes, hurriedly grabbing the leather seat’s armrest to steady my leaning body, then wiped away the drool at the corner of my mouth, looking at Margaret with a dazed expression.

“…What? Did we arrive?”

The now awake Margaret shook her head at me, “Not yet, but we need to get off.”

“Why?”

Margaret turned her head, gesturing with her mouth towards the outside of the carriage.

The curtain had been rolled up somehow, and the rain outside had become much lighter. Fresh, damp air with a scent of earth filled my nose, instantly clearing my mind.

The rhinoceros cart slowly came to a stop.

I leaned sideways, poking my head out to see the magnificent gorge ahead.

We’ve arrived…

In sight, the high mountains on both sides pierced the clouds, densely covered by lush vegetation. Jagged boulders covered the mountains, resembling upright, verdant swords. Amidst the mist, a clear, purple river cut through the mountains, winding and twisting until it reached the depths of the grand canyon.

In the distance, beyond the canyon and the clouds, a rainbow of five colors could faintly be seen. A line of white birds flew slowly over the green mountains and blue waters, making the entire grand canyon seem like an otherworldly paradise.

So beautiful…

Such stunning scenery would definitely become a 5A tourist attraction in my previous life. But the people in this world clearly lacked the energy and interest to appreciate the beauty of nature.

“That’s the Laberil Grand Canyon,” Margaret’s voice echoed in my ear.

“Oh.”

“The rhinoceros cart can’t go any further, let’s get off.”

Margaret got off the carriage first.

The path here was basically at an end. The terrain ahead was perilous, almost entirely covered by strange and varied boulders, most of which were covered in moss, making walking difficult. The rhinoceros cart couldn’t pass through.

We’ll have to walk…

I slapped my face, mustering my spirits, putting on my cloak, and picking up Captain Gray’s black leather box, jumping down from the carriage. Fine raindrops fell on my face, cool but uncomfortable. I put on my hood.

Margaret talked briefly with the nuns, instructing the three drivers to stay behind and watch the rhinoceros carts. The others packed up, joining us as we entered the depths of the canyon.

“The traces of the Abyss are on the southern side of the canyon. The camp of the Church Knights is also there. We will follow the Wisteria River and should reach there before dark. Hurry up, make the best use of the time.”

Margaret led the way in front, followed closely by me, with the nuns trailing behind. We headed into the canyon.

The path ahead proved much harder to navigate than expected. The ground was full of large stones with significant height differences. The edges were very sharp, requiring careful placement of each step. The moss covering the stones was extremely slippery, and a misstep could lead to a fall, potentially causing injury if hitting a sharp corner. This situation worsened as we entered the forest, reminding me of my time in Woodworth Forest when I first arrived in this world.

Fortunately, the rocky terrain made the path less muddy, otherwise, it would have been truly uncomfortable… I didn’t mind, but I worried about others.

But the deeper we went, the more I realized I had underestimated these nuns. Clearly, their stamina wasn’t as frail as their appearance suggested, especially Margaret. After nearly two hours of walking on this challenging rocky path, she hardly breathed heavily. If these were twenty-something-year-old girls in my previous life, most would have collapsed on the ground.

Thinking about it, it was normal. After all, they were the Holy Maiden and the Holy Maiden Class. Although they were users of divine miracles, technically falling under the mage category, it didn’t mean they were weak. I wasn’t sure how the nuns in this world trained, but the Holy Maiden Class surely had different standards than regular nuns. Even without the physical strength of warriors, they were naturally stronger than ordinary people… Perhaps Margaret’s physical strength was even stronger than that of a typical knight.

Of course,

None of them were as formidable as me. Margaret had once tried to lift the black case—it was indeed lifted, but only for a short while, and she looked quite strained doing so; it would be impossible for her to wield Captain Gray’s sword skillfully.

After walking a distance along the Wisteria River, the terrain gradually opened up. The valleys on both sides receded, and the rocks gradually turned crimson. Ahead, the land became open, with red and white flowers blooming all over. The ground was still hard rock, and the view was filled with lush vegetation. Walking required lifting one’s feet high to avoid getting entangled in the branches and vines.

“We’re almost there,” Margaret said softly, turning back to me.

She led us to the top of a small valley, walked to the edge of a large boulder, and pointed toward the direction of the Wisteria River: “Do you see? The Abyssal Mud is right there.”

I looked ahead.

The swift-flowing water shimmered under the sunset, extending from the red and green wilderness to the deep canyon far away. Tall cliffs rose up, resembling natural walls stretching across the horizon, following the path of the Wisteria River.

Amidst the white mist, melodious chirping could be heard from an unknown green field, and huge red birds flew up and then landed, disappearing into the hollows of the rocks.

This was a very soothing scene.

However, this dreamlike natural beauty, which should have been intoxicating, was completely ruined by a massive chasm that crossed the Wisteria River.

The terrifying chasm cut the Wisteria River in half, extending to the stone walls of the valley on both ends, cracking into countless large fissures, like an ugly scar that could not be erased. Heart-pounding black liquid flowed quietly within the chasm, turning the surroundings into a dead zone of darkness.

On the periphery of the dead zone, there was a translucent golden light barrier, forming a large oval shape, enveloping everything dark inside. The severed Wisteria River, when its water hit the light barrier, seemed to collide with a solid wall, blocked outside and no longer flowing into the chasm.

What a spectacular skill…

It’s somewhat similar to the function of Boswell Castle…

“What is that?” I asked Margaret, pointing at the light barrier.

“That is the miracle of Cardinal Nero, the judgment power granted by the Great Sin Goddess named Annostasia. Many people in the Holy Church can perform this miracle, but only Cardinal Nero can do it to this extent.”

“Oh…” I was a bit stunned.

Such a scale of something was created by one person… How powerful.

Not long ago, I thought that one person could never fight against an army… But this light barrier alone is enough to encircle and confine more than ten thousand Iron Guard soldiers… They can’t fly, and if they’re starved for a few days, there won’t be any siege warfare… Is this one of the four most powerful cardinals in the church besides Angel?

I seem to have underestimated miracles…

Could Teresa also be this strong? If she used something like this during our battle…

And the Voracious Abyss…

It turned out that with such people supporting it, plus the five Papal Knights including my father and Carlos, even facing such a lineup, they managed to kill two people… It’s unimaginable how powerful the Abyss, which swallowed tens of thousands of people, could be…

In an instant, several thoughts flashed through my mind. I took a deep breath, hiding my shock in my heart, and remained composed on the surface, gazing into the distance.

About a kilometer away from the light barrier, countless white tents could be seen, arranged among the rubble, tightly surrounding both sides of the chasm, and even the tops of the valleys on both sides were dotted with tents. Countless Church Knights walked around the tents. From here, they looked small, but their numbers far exceeded what I had dealt with before.

“As you can see, the Abyssal Mud is now very calm. But not long ago… just before I left here last time, it was still boiling.”

The Abyssal Mud was indeed very calm.

The pitch-black mud showed no ripples, clearly different from the bubbling state I remembered. Those Abyssal Muds didn’t even flow out of the chasm.

“Miss Silvija, do you have any thoughts?” Margaret turned to me and asked softly, “Can you sense anything… I mean, the monster from the Abyss, whether it is still in the mud or somewhere else outside the mud, can you tell?”

…Hey.

There are still members of Saint Valerie’s faction here. Is it really okay to ask so directly?

Although they probably wouldn’t think in that direction… Anyway, let’s try sensing it first…

So I closed my eyes.

Actually, I wasn’t sure exactly how to do it. At this moment, I just focused on my hearing, touch, and smell. I smelled the natural fragrance in my nose, felt the gentle breeze caressing my face, and listened to the occasional calls of unknown animals. I could even faintly hear the clanking of armor and the chaotic conversations of the knights below in the valley.

Everything gradually became clear in my senses, except for that familiar, very familiar and warm aura.

It wasn’t there.

The Abyss might… really not be there anymore.

As soon as this thought surfaced in my mind, I immediately suppressed it.

…After all, this is only my second encounter with the Abyss, perhaps not every monster can give me that feeling… So don’t rush to conclusions…

I subconsciously put my thumb in my mouth and bit my nails.

Tilting my head, I thought for a moment, then asked Margaret, “Is it possible for the Abyss to quietly break through the sin barrier unnoticed?”

The saint standing beside us shook her head slightly.

“It’s impossible. Nothing can easily break through the sin barrier of the goddess, not even the Abyss… Even if it could force its way through, Cardinal Nero would definitely detect it.”

That means, to escape unnoticed, flying is the only option…

“But we often open the sin barrier to investigate the Abyss, making it easier to enter and exit. So…”

“Oh.”

Okay, it could also be invisible.

“I think we should get closer to take a look.”

I turned to meet Margaret’s gaze and saw the solemnity hidden in the depths of the saint’s aquamarine eyes.

She probably realized too that the Abyss might not be here anymore…

“Alright.”

Margaret nodded in agreement: “We’ll go to the camp of the Second Legion.”

We followed the saint down from the valley, passing through the lush valley bottom, pushing aside the thorns blocking our path, and arrived at the camp of the Church Knights.

“Your Excellency the Saint, you’ve arrived…”

“Your Excellency the Saint, may the gods always protect the Church…”

“Strong Papal Knight Miss, it’s an honor to meet you…”

The knights did not become lax due to the Abyss’s prolonged absence. They maintained a high level of alertness, having sensed our arrival long before we entered the camp. Before we reached the camp, a welcoming formation was already lined up. Two rows of knights stood at the edges of the camp, their right fists pounding their chests as they gave us a salute, while the surrounding knights greeted us with smiles.

They hadn’t seen me before and didn’t know who I was, but they recognized the Papal Knight cloak I wore. Perhaps they didn’t expect someone so young to come, and their looks were more of astonishment or curiosity rather than respect, as if they were seeing some rare creature.

A bit annoyed…

I pulled my hood lower.

“Where is Cardinal?” Margaret asked the middle-aged man who seemed to be the knight captain standing at the front of the line.

“His Excellency the Cardinal and the Deputy Commander are at the sin barrier, checking the Abyssal Mud again… I have already sent someone to inform him about Your Excellency the Saint and…”

The knight glanced at me, pondering for a moment.

“Papal Knight, I guess you are Miss Silvija?”

“Yes,” I responded softly.

The knight captain smiled: “Miss Silvija, I’ve heard much about you. I am Alexander Abelresta, the captain of the Church’s Second Knight Order. It’s an honor to meet you.”

The knight captain bowed deeply to me using standard noble etiquette, so I had to raise my skirt to return the bow.

“Miss Silvija, I cannot fully express my excitement at this moment… To be honest, I am much older, and my children are about your age. However, I have heard of your deeds and know that you single-handedly defeated the Abyss in Silgaya and did something remarkable in the royal city recently… I admire you greatly, and I am impressed by your courage and bravery at such a young age…”

His words gradually became distant in my ears.

I frowned slightly, looking toward the direction of the Abyssal Mud, my thoughts no longer focused here.

Over there…

I seemed to feel something…

Though faint, there was indeed a familiar aura.