Chapter 76
The underground tunnel trembled faintly behind them.
Distant echoes of war crawled through the stone like the dying breath of a beast—BOOM. CLANG.
Faint screams swallowed by distance.Yet ahead—there was only silence.
Dim torchlight flickered across ancient walls as Commander Marco led the group through the narrow passage. Soldiers followed in tight formation, weapons still drawn more from instinct than necessity.
Captain Bochy walked close to Esabell, keeping a careful eye on her.
Her hands still trembled.
Her breathing hadn't fully steadied.
Esabell: "…I'm worried about the Princess… she…"
Marco kept walking.
His voice came out firm.
Heavy.
Marco: "We have no other option."
He glanced toward the soldiers behind him.
Marco: "Against magic attacks, our swords are useless. Better to retreat than die for nothing."
Nobody argued.
Not after what they had just survived.Soft footsteps echoed behind them.
The woman in white-and-gold robes continued walking silently alongside the group.
Calm.
Controlled.
She had barely spoken since walking alongside with them into the hidden tunnel.
Their footsteps slowed.
Then—the tunnel widened.
Ahead stood another exit carved into stone, sealed with a faint glowing sigil.
The woman finally stepped closer.
Her voice remained calm.
Almost emotionless.
Justice Worshipper: "We made it."
Bochy immediately stiffened.
His hand instinctively moved toward his weapon.
Captain Bochy: "Now tell me what's going on."
Before the tension could rise further—Marco narrowed his eyes.
Something about her robes bothered him.
The symbols.
The stitching.
Recognition slowly settled across his face.His expression hardened.
Marco: "…Wait."
The tunnel fell quieter.His eyes locked onto her.
Marco: "…You're one of them."
The woman nodded once.
Justice Worshipper: "Yes."
A brief silence followed.
Marco's hand remained near his sword.
Not threatening.Just cautious.
Marco: "…Why are you helping us?"
For the first time—she looked directly at him.
Justice Worshipper: "Because Miss Vendetta ordered it."
The name instantly cut through the confusion.
Marco's eyes sharpened.Marco: "…That blonde-haired woman?"
The Justice Worshipper nodded.
Justice Worshipper: "She is one of the three highest leaders of the Justice Worshippers."
Even Bochy frowned.
Bochy: "…Justice Worshippers?"
The woman continued without hesitation.
Justice Worshipper: "Miss Vendetta ordered me to escort all of you to safety."
Esabell blinked.
.Esabell: "…So… you're saving us?"
The woman glanced toward her briefly.
Justice Worshipper: "That is correct."
Marco still didn't relax.
Marco: "…Why would one of your highest leaders care about us specifically?"
The woman turned toward the exit.
Her voice remained calm.
But this time—there was something heavier beneath it.
Justice Worshipper: "We are here for the Princess."
Silence followed.Nobody responded.
After several more steps—
marco reached the giant stone door.
Marco stepped forward.
Placed both hands against it.
And pushed.
---Outside.
Wind.
Real wind.
Cold.Sharp.Alive.
For a moment—nobody moved.After spending so long trapped underground, even breathing felt strange.
The air smelled different.
Freedom.
But not safety.
The Justice Worshipper bent down suddenly and picked up a dead leaf from the ground.
She released it.
The wind carried it slightly east.
Her eyes narrowed.
Justice Worshipper: "The wind is coming from the south."
She pointed ahead.
Justice Worshipper: "We'll head east.
Our ship is stationed there."
Marco hesitated.
His eyes remained guarded.
Marco: "…Where exactly are you taking us?"
Justice Worshipper: "To our base."
She paused briefly
.Justice Worshipper: "Once things stabilize, we'll arrange your return home."
Captain Bochy's expression sharpened instantly.
Bochy: "Why not let us leave immediately?"
The woman answered without irritation.
Justice Worshipper: "The ship is small."
Her gaze shifted toward the distant horizon.
Justice Worshipper: "We are also waiting for our people's outside."
A pause.
Then—Justice Worshipper: "Taking the Princess safely is our highest priority."
Marco exchanged a glance with Bochy.
Neither trusted this situation.But neither had alternatives.
Finally—Marco nodded.
Marco: "…Fine."Another pause.
Then he lowered his gaze slightly.A rare gesture.
Marco: "Still…"
He exhaled quietly.
Marco: "Thank you. For saving my soldiers."
The woman looked forward.Expression unreadable.
Justice Worshipper: "Perhaps it was fate."
She gestured ahead.
Justice Worshipper: "For now…"
Justice Worshipper: "Let's keep moving."-
--Some time later—they reached the shoreline.
The group stepped carefully onto a rocky cliff overlooking hidden waters below.And there—a ship waited silently.
Black sails.Dark wood.
No kingdom symbols.
No banners.No markings.
Just silence.
Bochy's expression tightened.
One of the soldiers stepped forward cautiously.
Soldier: "…How did you even get this close without the Lord's forces detecting you?"
The Justice Worshipper answered immediately
.Justice Worshipper: "We concealed ourselves using divine magic."
Marco's expression darkened.
His eyes narrowed instantly.
Marco: "…That's forbidden."
Several soldiers stiffened.
The woman calmly shook her head.
Justice Worshipper: "No."
She turned slightly toward him.
Justice Worshipper: "Divine magic itself is not forbidden."
A pause.
Justice Worshipper: "Only its use against ordinary civilians is restricted."
Bochy frowned deeply.
Bochy: "…That's not what we were taught."
Her expression remained still...
Justice Worshipper: "Then you were misinformed."
Silence settled over the cliff.
Even the sound of wind felt louder now.
Marco stared for a moment
.Marco: "…So everything we've been told about holy magic…"
He paused.
Marco: "…was incomplete?"
The woman shook her head once.
Justice Worshipper: "Not incomplete."
A beat passed.
Then—Justice Worshipper: "Controlled."
Esabell looked unsettled.Her fingers tightened around her sleeve.
Esabell: "…But why wouldn't the royal families know?"
Marco glanced at her.
The woman stepped toward the path leading down to the ship.
Her voice quieter this time.Heavier.
Justice Worshipper: "Because they were never meant to."
She glanced back once.
Justice Worshipper: "Many truths were buried."
A pause.
Justice Worshipper: "Not by one side."Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Justice Worshipper: "…But by many."
Marco's expression hardened.
Marco: "…Manipulation."
The woman didn't deny it.
Justice Worshipper: "Yes."
Bochy slowly exhaled.Tension still remained in his shoulders.
Bochy: "…So what now?"
The woman raised a hand toward the ship.
Justice Worshipper: "Now…"Her eyes settled on Marco.
Then the soldiers.
Justice Worshipper: "…we survive long enough to understand the rest."
Silence answered her.
Far behind them—a low rumble echoed from the direction of the sanctuary.Not loud.But heavy.Like something massive was still collapsing underground.
Marco turned once.
Looking back toward the distant darkness.Toward the place buried in chaos.
Then—his grip tightened around his sword.He looked forward again.
Finally—Bochy stepped ahead.
Bochy: "Everyone."
His voice sharpened.
Bochy: "Move."Slowly—the soldiers began descending toward the ship.One by one.
Marco remained behind for only a moment longer.
Watching the horizon.Thinking.
Then—he followed.---The ship creaked softly beneath their weight.
Wood groaned against the tide.
The moment the final soldier stepped aboard—something shifted.
The silence changed.
...CHAPTER 76ENDS...