Jeanne walked back to the familiar, central floor of the manor. The villagers were nowhere to be found. Aside from a few shredded pieces of cloth and dried streaks of dark red, no trace of their presence remained.
"It looks like they weren't killed right here," Jeanne said calmly, after taking in the quiet room. "They must have been dragged deeper into the complex to feed that central flesh mass or the sea beast shortly after we entered."
Her eyes held little sadness. The locals had brought this fate upon themselves through their stubborn choices; when people willingly walk into a tiger's den, not even the gods above can save them.
Irene, however, couldn't shake the heavy knot in her chest. As a newly appointed Inquisitor who had yet to oversee many field assignments, she found it impossible to forgive herself.
She felt that their deaths were a direct result of her own failure. Even though the villagers had chosen their own path, the guilt weighed on her like lead.
She stood in silence, staring at the empty hall. Jeanne could see Irene's knuckles turning white as she squeezed the handle of her weapon, consumed by self-blame.
"Don't waste your energy beating yourself up over this," Jeanne said gently, breaking the silence. "Right now, your priority is to report everything back to your superiors. Getting this information to the Inquisition as fast as possible is what truly matters."
Jeanne didn't know how to comfort the young judge, so she shifted Irene's attention back to her duties, hoping time would heal the wound.
Jeanne's words struck home. Irene snapped out of her daze, realizing that the Saintess was right. Her immediate task was to report the existence of these subterranean tunnels so the Iberian Inquisition could launch a sweeping search across the country.
Setting aside her grief, Irene prepared to head back to the nearby mobile city to brief her master on the impending threat.
"Where will you go from here?" Jeanne asked, turning her eyes toward Skadi. The Abyssal Hunter clearly had no intention of entering a crowded human city.
An undocumented Aegir wandering into an Iberian city would invite endless scrutiny, especially given Skadi's terrifying combat prowess.
Even with testimonials from Irene and Jeanne, it wouldn't change much. Irene was still just a novice judge, and Jeanne herself had yet to win the full trust of the local authorities.
Skadi lowered her gaze, contemplating her options for a moment. "I'm not sure. I think I'll walk along the coastal roads for a bit, then head back to Rhodes Island."
With no clear path forward, staying in one place only invited unnecessary worry. Returning to Rhodes Island to consult Kal'tsit seemed like the most sensible course of action.
"In that case, I'll walk with you," Jeanne said with a light wave of her hand. She had no desire to return to the mobile city either; once this detour was over, it would soon be time for her to head back to Laterano.
Both Irene and Skadi looked at her in surprise, not expecting Jeanne to part ways with the Inquisition so abruptly.
Before Skadi could voice a refusal, Jeanne cut in with a reasoned point:
"Your presence comes with unique risks. If something were to happen to you out here, it could escalate into a massive catastrophe. Having two of us together is much safer for everyone involved."
Skadi found herself unable to argue. She was acutely aware of her body's strange condition, and having someone of Jeanne's caliber nearby provided a crucial safety net.
"Alright then," Skadi agreed with a quiet nod. "I'll be in your care for the road ahead."
She stepped aside to wait while Jeanne said her farewells to Irene.
"You're really not coming back with me?" Irene asked, her brow furrowing slightly.
"No need," Jeanne replied. "There's nothing left for me in the city. Compared to urban matters, I'm far more concerned about Skadi's situation—as you can tell, her background isn't simple. But could I ask a favor? Please keep her presence a secret from your superiors."
Jeanne spoke with an apologetic smile. If the Iberian authorities learned of an Abyssal Hunter wandering their lands, they would stop at nothing to detain her for research.
Irene hesitated for a second before looking straight into Jeanne's eyes. She gave a firm, quiet nod, agreeing to keep the secret despite the professional risk.
While she didn't fully grasp the details, Irene trusted Jeanne's judgment completely, believing the Saintess had good reasons for her request.
"Thank you," Jeanne smiled warmly. With that issue settled, she bid Irene farewell and turned to leave the ruined manor with Skadi.
"Be careful out there! The wilderness can be dangerous!" Irene called out, waving goodbye. She watched their receding backs with mixed emotions.
The events of this assignment would remain etched in her memory forever. She would never forget her very first major field task, nor these two extraordinary companions.
Shaking off her lingering thoughts, Irene quickened her pace toward the nearby mobile city. She needed to reach her master immediately.
"So, where to first?" Jeanne asked, glancing at Skadi as the hunter gazed out toward the distant ocean.
"I... don't know," the homeless hunter murmured, her eyes showing a rare trace of hesitation. She truly had no place to call home on these vast lands.
Skadi looked around at the unfamiliar landscape. Everything on the surface felt strange and alien, leaving her with no clear destination.
"Could we... get a little closer to the shoreline?" Skadi asked hesitantly, as if worried Jeanne might refuse.
She knew approaching the coast alone carried immense risks. If Jeanne hadn't been accompanying her, the most she would have done was stand atop a high cliff to gaze at the sea from a safe distance before leaving.
With Jeanne by her side, approaching the shore became far more feasible. Jeanne possessed the ability to fly, a capability that rendered ground-bound sea beasts largely helpless.
Jeanne considered the request for a moment and saw no harm in it. She nodded in agreement, and the pair set off toward the coast.
Unbeknownst to them, their lack of familiarity with Iberia's current landscape was leading them straight toward the most dangerous, lawless region in the country.
That coastal zone was currently overrun by waves of displaced refugees and fanatical cultists from The Deep Sea Church. To make matters worse, the local Inquisitors stationed there were among the most unhinged and radical of their order. Trouble was bound to find them on the road ahead.
Meanwhile, Irene arrived back at the mobile city and went straight to her leader's quarters.
When her leader saw Irene return entirely alone, a cold sweat broke out across his forehead. He knew Jeanne's true standing, and if anything had happened to the Saintess, the diplomatic fallout would be catastrophic.
As Irene detailed everything that had transpired in the subterranean complex, the cold sweat of panic gave way to a cold sweat of sheer horror. The intelligence she brought back was appalling.
Yet it finally explained why so many unexpected monster attacks had been breaking out far inland, away from the coast. This crucial warning could save tens of thousands of lives. Without losing a single second, her leader immediately dispatched an urgent report to the High Inquisition.