The priest did not manage to recognize Cheryl. As a veteran inquisitor, Cheryl’s disguise was not botched and clumsy like Teresa.
If the priest was to deliberately spend the time to examine Cheryl, then, his inquisitor’s special perception might be able to see through Cheryl’s disguise. However, his focus was all on Teresa right now.
Cheryl did not expose herself. Still disguised as a merchant, she brushed past the priest and walked toward the teleportation formation.
The teleportation formation teleports people in intervals. The teleportation formation to Norland will, at most, be able to contain thirty people. There was about a minute or so before the next teleportation.
Cheryl had already passed through the inspections. She was now one of the thirty people that could be teleported next.
She was already standing before the teleportation formation and waiting for it to open to her. Teresa only needed to delay things by a single minute.
“Father... I merely...”
Teresa began to panic.
She tightly held onto the suitcase in her hand and didn’t know how to respond to the priest’s question. This was especially so after Cheryl left her side. Her unease increased to a level of panic.
“I understand. Teresa, people your age are always very curious about the outside world. Originally, you had many chances to explore the outside world. Unfortunately, you’ve missed all of them. But, don’t be discouraged. There will be a day when God needs you.”
The priest did not scold Teresa. Instead, he urged for her to return to her room.
When the inquisitors of the Heresy Tribunal leaves the tribunal without permission, they would be committing a serious offense.
Every single inquisitor contained knowledge of the Church’s secrets, whether it be their powers or the things they’ve witnessed in the tribunal.
The priest was very surprised to see this young inquisitor bypassing the surveillance of the Heresy Tribunal to come to the teleportation formation. But, surprise was all that he felt.
Teresa was ready to accept the priest’s advice. But, the street before the teleportation formation was bustling with noise and excitement. After recalling what Cheryl told her, she started to hesitate.
After hesitating for a couple seconds, Teresa suddenly saw a shadow emerging from behind the priest. It was a noiseless shadow! It was Cheryl disguised as the merchant!
Cheryl had always held those inquisitors that only knew about giving commands with contempt. The main reason why she felt so much contempt for them was because she had already appeared behind that priest yet he still didn’t manage to discover her.
If it was a seasoned inquisitor, one that has experienced real battles, they would’ve turned around to strike back at her already. But... this priest who has indulged himself in the game of ‘condemnation’ was beyond rusty.
Cheryl raised the rod she found at random, aimed it at the priest’s neck and used the skill Rogues would utilize the most, ‘Sap.’
Her rod struck the priest’s neck. The enormous power of that strike instantly shattered the wooden rod. The priest’s body staggered forward a couple steps.
“Now! Teresa, run toward the teleportation formation!”
Cheryl shouted. Her voice gave Teresa strength. As the unease disappeared from the nun lady’s heart, she began to run toward the glimmering teleportation formation.
Although he was sapped by the sudden attack, the priest did not lose consciousness. He grabbed his neck, turned around and looked to Cheryl standing behind him.
“Nun Cheryl, what are you doing?”
He finally managed to see through Cheryl’s disguise. At this moment, a strangely shaped staff appeared in his hand.
As she was busy with her escape, Cheryl was not so dumb as to answer his question. She immediately caught up to Teresa running with her suitcase.
The teleportation formation was already glimmering. Teresa had stepped into the teleportation formation ahead of Cheryl. She extended her hand toward Cheryl.
The templars tasked with keeping the order had realized that something was amiss. But, using magic in the vicinity of an active teleportation formation was a very dangerous thing. As such, they rushed forth to intercept Cheryl.
But, they were all pushed away by Cheryl with her inhuman strength. The moment she stepped into the teleportation formation and held Teresa’s hand, the sound of the ground disintegrating sounded from behind her...
Accompanying the sound of spatial rotation caused by the teleportation formation, that disintegration disappeared.
“Father Kono.”
The three templars walked over to the priest in charge of keeping watch over the teleportation formation. The priest’s expression did not change much. He took a glance at the mark on the ground, a mark seemingly created by the slash of a giant sword. Then, he placed away his staff.
“Continue on with the operation of the next teleportation process. I will notify Norland and have them aid us in retrieving those two lost nuns.”
After the priest gave the order, the templars left. The priest then looked to a dark corner of the teleportation hall. He did a gesture with his hand and the sound of spatial distortion sounded from another corner.
.........
Norland. The transnational teleportation formation connecting to Norland was located in the city center. Spatial magic could be said to be the only gift Norland received from the underground civilization.
But, no matter how miraculous that sort of magic might be, there are times when it will act faulty.
Teresa grabbed her forehead. It was her first time experiencing the miraculous spatial teleportation magic. Because of that, she was feeling dizzy.
Once her dizzy sensation disappeared, Teresa looked around.
This was not Norland’s city center. Instead, it was a seemingly eerie alley.
“Cough...”
“Cheryl?”
A series of coughs allowed Teresa to find Cheryl. Teresa ran over to Cheryl who was at the end of the alley.
When she was about to ask Cheryl if they were in Norland... the liquid flowing out from Cheryl’s abdomen caused Teresa to stop.
“Blood! Your wound...”
“That old bastard left me a ‘gift’ before leaving. But, rest assured... this is nothing serious,” said Cheryl as she held her abdomen and resisted the pain.
“Sit down, quickly!”
In the past, the innocent nun would always believe in Cheryl’s words. But, this time around, she was unable to believe her.
The wound on Cheryl’s abdomen was extremely serious. The blood flowing out from the wound pooled with the water on the alley’s surface.
Perhaps inquisitors were able to restore and recover from external wounds with their own powers. But, Cheryl’s injury was not only her flesh, it was also her internal organs.
Losing her strength, Cheryl fell on her knees. She wanted to maneuver her magic power to stop her bleeding.
“God... please listen to my prayer.”
Teresa extended her hands. She was planning to use Holy Light magic to treat Cheryl’s injury. It was only then that Teresa realized that inquisitors were unable to use Holy Light magic.
Under the influence of the gray mist, the wound on Cheryl’s abdomen soon closed up. Teresa successfully managed to stop Cheryl’s bleeding.
The moment she stopped bleeding, Cheryl faintly felt the aura of several other inquisitors in the vicinity.
As long as the inquisitors do not bother to meticulously disguise themselves, they would have a special sort of connection allowing them to sense one another.
Unfortunately, those inquisitors were not her allies. Instead, they were dispatched to sentence her and Teresa.
Darkness enveloped the entire alley. The darkness seemed to want to devour Teresa and Cheryl.
What to do? With the injuries to her organs and ribs, it would be impossible for her to defeat several inquisitors.
Run out to the street and cry for help?
Even if there were people willing to help them, the inquisitors that were able to disguise themselves as anyone could still easily take their lives.
She must find help to take on those inquisitors with her! But, she didn’t know anyone in Norland, especially not anyone that would be willing to brave the dangers of battling against inquisitors.
“Cough, cough...”
Cheryl coughed up a large amount of blood again. The seriousness of her injuries made it impossible for her to run far.
In all her years being in the Heresy Tribunal, this was the first time Cheryl felt despair...
No... Cheryl... it was true that identity was not one that many people in Norland knew about. But, she had another identity that many people knew.
Cheryl leaned herself against the wall. A dim-white light appeared before her. It was the light emitted by the magic network’s interface.
The weak light completely dispersed the darkness of the alley.
Cheryl extended her blood-stained hands, signed onto the Mage Forum and wrote an all-new post.
‘Please! Save me!” Poster: Skotan Nun