Reincarnated in the Same World for the Nth Time - Chapter 19

It was far too late.

Shen looked out the window and then paced around the vicinity again.

“Why isn’t she coming…”

It was quite a distracting movement, but Aquila didn’t bother to stop him.

Because he was feeling the same question.

Aquila checked the current time instead.

Yuzelia had said that she would go to the temple before evening, but it was already past midnight.

At first, he didn’t think it was serious.

She said she would stop by the orphanage as well as the temple, so he thought she was getting late because she was greeting the children there.

But even after Aquila slept for three hours straight, got up, and even finished eating, there was no words from Yuzelia.

If he hadn’t known anything, he would have been worried but assumed something urgent had come up, but hadn’t she already faced Martio at the temple?

Aquila crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his arm.

“If she hasn’t come by this time, isn’t it because that bastard Bishop is keeping her from coming?”

Shen, who had peeked out the window once again, sighed and turned around.

Aquila agreed with him.

It was clear that Martio was holding Yuzelia back.

He didn’t know what they were talking about, but it couldn’t be for a good reason.

‘I wish they were just talking.’

Aquila frowned.

“I’ll go to the temple and bring Priestess Yuzelia back. No matter what that crazy Bishop says…”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Pardon?”

Shen, who had been burning with enthusiasm, widened his eyes as Aquila got up from the sofa.

The servant blinked in bewilderment a couple of times.

“You’re going too, young master?”

“I think I should be the one saying that. What are you going to do by yourself?”

Aquila pulled down and adjusted the sleeve of his shirt, glancing sideways at Shen.

“Oh, well, carefully, secretly going…”

“Carefully what? Are you saying you can secretly go to the Great Temple by yourself right now?”

Shen’s voice faded at Aquila’s question.

It seemed he realized what he was saying.

“It’s better for us to go together than for you to go alone. This is when you should use your status, Shen.”

“But it’s too late. It’s too dangerous.”

“You don’t think you’ll be in danger?”

Shen stammered again but eventually shut his mouth without saying anything.

He was clearly trying to say that he had the strength or something.

Because Aquila clearly remembered that Shen was carrying a dagger.

‘Even so, judging by the fact that he doesn’t directly express his strength, it seems he didn’t reveal it to the original Aquila Reshenhardt either.’

Aquila was about to bring his jacket himself instead of Shen, who was silent, but he was immediately stopped.

“……You’re going to go even if I say no, right? I know that you’re worried about Priestess Yuzelia too, but that’s exactly why I feel conflicted about this.”

Shen mumbled and put the jacket on Aquila himself.

His expression looked very displeased, but the hand that smoothed out the hem of the clothes was extremely careful.

Judging only by this appearance, it was hard to imagine Shen holding a knife.

A kitchen knife for cooking, maybe.

Aquila silently accepted the help.

“We’re not going alone, so stop grumbling.”

“Yes? Then who!”

“Vice-Captain Kahena is going with us. We need an escort.”

Aquila gestured towards those who were still standing guard outside the accommodation.

The proud Reshenhardt family private soldiers.

Those gathered under the current head of the Reshenhardt family, called the pinnacle of existing martial arts, were all outstanding in martial arts.

It was said to be equal to or even higher than the Imperial family’s direct knight order.

And Kahena Wegnin was one of the people who had been selected to guard Aquila.

“If Vice-Captain Kahena is going with us… I understand! I’ll call her now!”

The reason why Shen’s face lit up like this was also because he knew Kahena’s strength.

Aquila recalled the first time he met Vice-Capain Kahena.

【Information on the keyword ‘Kahena Wegnin’ has been unlocked!】

【Kahena Wegnin Vice-Captain of the Reshenhardt Knights. ‘Boisterous Berserker,’ ‘A Swordsman Who Has Passed Mid-Expert Rank.’

Records from the 29th playthrough and before: Insufficient keywords to update.】

Aquila was surprised to see the information window that appeared.

A mid-tier Sword Expert would already be among the strongest on the Delbion continent.

There are two other guards, but in reality, with just Kahena, most people wouldn’t even be able to approach.

‘To think someone at mid-tier would only hold the position of vice-commander… This family really lives up to having a Sword Master as its head.’

While Shen went out to call Kahena, Aquila brought up the system window.

【Status: Normal】

The blessing of the Sun God was still blinking slowly, but his condition wasn’t bad, thanks to getting a good night’s sleep.

‘I hope nothing happens…’

Aquila checked his status and skills and then closed the window.

***

Leaving one guard on standby at the accommodation in case they missed each other, they headed to the Great Temple of Port Plum.

The Great Temple was located in a high-altitude area, and in order to get to the temple, they had to pass through stairs or a slope.

However, because it was late, the gate leading to that place was already firmly closed.

Aquila looked at the iron gate that was too high to jump over.

It had been a long time since he had seen the Great Temple of Port Plum shrouded in darkness.

“It’s closed as expected. I can’t see any place with lights on from this side either.”

Shen peered around near the fence.

“I wonder if the orphanage is open?”

“At this hour, all the lights there should be off. It’s bedtime for all the children.”

Kahena, who had been looking around, took over Shen’s words and answered.

Her short-cropped dark gray hair revealed a clean and cool face, but the scar that ran from under her eyes to her right cheek created a fierce atmosphere.

Although she was dressed lightly as if she were just out for a walk, her sturdy body, which was easily over 180 centimeters, and the unique huge and long sword she wore on her waist gave her an atmosphere that no one could dare to approach.

“Anyway, it seems we can’t enter through the main gate, so what should we do now, Aquila, little young master?”

Kahena approached familiarly and without awkwardness, perhaps because she had a good relationship with the original Aquila.

She was polite and courteous to Shen, but somewhere, she was rowdy and especially playful.

It was clear that she was doing this on purpose, judging by the fact that she laughed loudly as soon as Aquila sighed without realizing it at Kahena’s attitude of calling him “little” every time.

“Send one person to the orphanage to check, and we’ll either call the guards or figure out how to get inside.”

“Simple and to the point. Yep, we’ll do as the headquarters says.”

Kahena smiled at Aquila and then changed her expression and instructed one of the guards who had followed them.

“You, go check the situation and then come here, or if we’re not here, go to the accommodation and inform them of the situation. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I understand.”

He bowed without complaint and left.

With that, only Aquila, Shen, and Vice-Captain Kahena remained here.

And it was when they were about to find a guard patrolling around the Great Temple nearby.

Shen, who had checked the surroundings, suddenly said.

“Isn’t there a door that leads to the back?”

“A door?”

“Like a hidden passage. There’s definitely one in a place like this, right?”

Shen scanned the exterior of the temple and its surroundings and then nodded as if it was obvious.

“Oh, a hidden passage. Good idea? Should we look for that first?”

Kahena was the first to react.

She smiled and then muttered as if adding even more to it.

“How about sneaking in and bringing her out? It seems less troublesome than calling for someone”

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to cause any more trouble in the temple, but it seemed like the afterthought was the main point.

Aquila briefly made an absurd expression as he looked at them.

‘Why are they so casually suggesting committing an illegal act?’

Shen was saying it so innocently, so he may not know better, but Kahena definitely seemed to know what she was saying.

Nevertheless, she didn’t seem to have much hesitation.

“If we can’t find it, we can just sneak out again and call someone. Simple.”

Find a hidden passage in the Great Temple, sneak in, and then bring Yuzelia back.

That was all there was to Kahena’s plan.

It would normally be an absurd story, but she was one who was moving from mid-tier to advanced Sword Expert.

That level of task would not be difficult for her.

‘Are all the guys in Reshenhardt like this?’

Aquila took in the sight of Shen, who had started agreeing, and Kahena, who was nodding.

This was the moment when Aquila had to say something…

“Okay. Then let’s go to the back door and check it out.”

Coincidentally, Aquila was also someone who hated troublesome things.

From the beginning, there was a time when he had frequented the Great Temple like his own home, so he knew plenty of ways to move around without getting caught.

He had come to the main gate on purpose because of the eyes of the public, but there was no way he could refuse when the two of them stepped up to sneak in.

Aquila took the first step.

“Oh! Our little young master is more generous than usual today!”

Kahena followed behind him, smiling as if she liked it, and Shen also followed behind her as if it was natural.

There was no one here to put on the brakes.

***

As expected, Aquila already knew where the hidden passage was.

He moved his feet, leaving Shen and Kahena, who were carefully looking around, behind.

The back of the temple was full of grass and flowers, and there was a tunnel with vines winding around the path.

There, three pairs of statues faced each other, which were modeled after the angels who served him next to the Sun God Rasphallara.

Aquila headed to the angel statue holding a scale in its right hand among them.

In his memory, the hidden passage had been made a long time ago, so it was clear that it would still be there.

Aquila checked the floor near the angel statue.

It was covered in flowers and grass, so it wasn’t easy to see, but there was a slightly cracked gap along with a protruding handle.

“I think I found it. Come here, you two.”

“Yes? Where is it?”

“Here. Pull it.”

Kahena, who lowered her body first, carefully grabbed the handle so as not to damage the flowers and pulled it up.

Then, a hidden passage appeared.

It was a staircase leading to the basement.

Kahena blinked her eyes with a surprised expression.

“Oh ho. You have a good eye? To think that a place like this would be here.”

Kahena and Shen peered down the stairs.

The gap was narrow enough for one person to enter, and the inside was dark.

This was a passage leading to a corridor near the confession room inside the Great Temple.

“Young master, that’s amazing! How did you find it?”

Shen looked at Aquila with admiration, and his eyes were filled with pure respect.

Aquila looked at those eyes and lowered his body, answering shamelessly.

“I read it in a book. It said that when you want to find something, look for the walls and floors of plausible places.”

“Wow. I guess you have to read a lot of books.”

Aquila didn’t particularly correct those words.

Because it wasn’t wrong.

“I’ll go in first, so please follow me carefully. Watch your step.”

Kahena spread one palm upward and muttered “Light,” and a sphere containing light floated up.

It was magic that illuminated the surroundings.

It was dazzling to look at steadily, but the surroundings were moderately lit as Kahena went down.

Aquila followed Kahena and went down the stairs for the second time, and Shen followed behind them.

Before going down completely, Shen pulled the handle and closed the door of the passage.

The wind that had been sweeping his cheeks and hair stopped completely.

“It’s a long way. Let’s go straight.”

Kahena was in the lead, Aquila was in the middle, and Shen was in the rear.

They walked for quite a while along the narrow road that smelled musty and dusty.

Inside the passage where the light was barely bright.

Kahena’s steps were light and unrestrained, but no footsteps were heard.

Almost no signs were felt from Shen, who was right behind him either.

Only Aquila in the middle was making footsteps, so it felt like only one person was walking.

‘As expected, both of them are not people to be taken lightly.’

Aquila held his breath.

Because it had started to bother him once he focused on it.

It was when Aquila was walking while looking at his feet that Kahena suddenly stopped walking.

“Shh. Someone’s there.”

Along with her words, the light that had been illuminating the road went out, and darkness came.