Chapter 29: The Action Begins

Lorena tensed as Cynthia approached, the gray-haired girl’s presence radiating an unexpected pressure.

Their eyes had met briefly at the city gate, but now, that calm gaze felt like a weight pressing down on her.

As a Paladin, though, Lorena wouldn’t back down.

“I have no objections,” she replied, her voice steady.

“Then let’s do it here. One sword.”

Cynthia nodded toward the fine longsword at Lorena’s waist.
“Don’t hold back. Come on.”

“Alright.”

Ina, perched on the sofa, twitched nervously.
“L-Lorena… Cynthia-chan… you’re using swords here?”

She knew Cynthia’s strength all too well.

A duel here?

Even if Lorena was weaker, she outclassed that quasi-A-rank Sarunda.

Ina’s face darkened, but she shrank back.
“Are you two trying to wreck this place?!”

“Don’t worry, Miss Ina. I won’t hurt her.”

The words, surprisingly, came from Lorena, not Cynthia.

“…”

Ina hesitated, then sighed.
“Just… don’t break the furniture. I’m not paying for damages.”

Neither responded, stepping back to face each other.

“You’re not using a weapon?” Lorena asked.

“Don’t need one. Go.”

A metallic ring echoed, and Lorena’s confidence shattered into confusion and shock.

Her sword was stopped—not by a weapon, but by Cynthia’s two fingers.

Cynthia’s index and middle fingers clamped the blade, holding it immobile.

Lorena hadn’t even seen her move.
One moment, her sword was free; the next, it was caught.

No matter how hard she pulled or pushed, the blade wouldn’t budge.

Where does that tiny body get such strength?! Is this even human?!

Both turned to Ina, curled up on the sofa, glaring at them.

Before they could react, Ina pointed silently at a nearby wooden table.

A deep crack marred its edge.

“Didn’t I say be careful?!”

Ina exploded, jabbing a finger at them.
“Why’d you go so hard?! Your clash cracked the table! A bit more, and you’d tear the roof off!”

“Uh… well, Lorena passed my test,” Cynthia said, dodging the topic.

“Yeah, I can protect you in the sewers!” Lorena chimed in.

Ina buried her face in her hands, exasperated.
“Ugh… I just hope this mission doesn’t go wrong…”

the branch church.”

“I checked the church area,” Lorena added.
“Every entrance there’s guarded. We’d need a detour.”

“How about the side entrance guarded by city soldiers?” Lorena suggested.
“The Guild’s pass should get us through.”

“Possible, but…”

Ina leaned over the map, pointing to a specific mark.
“This one. The drainage outlet.”

“The drain? That’s too far,” Lorena said, puzzled.
“It’d take ages to reach the target area.”

“It’s unguarded, isn’t it?” Cynthia said, catching Ina’s logic.
“We can’t be sure the city guards aren’t in league with the Church.”

“That’s… unlikely, right?” Lorena frowned.

“No guarantee,” Ina said firmly.
“Why are only the church-area entrances guarded by Paladins?”

“Large systems like the sewers, even near the church, should be under city guard control.”

“When risks like this arise, the lord shouldn’t delegate to the Church.”

Ina looked at Lorena, her voice dropping.
“Unless two things are true. One: the lord struck a deal with the Church.”

“And the other?”

Ina glanced at Cynthia, her gaze heavy.
“Even with residents and himself at risk, the lord tasked the Guild with clearing the monsters, not his own forces.”

“The other possibility…”

Cynthia finished, “…is that someone in the Church is coercing him.”