No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 74

EP.74 Kindness and Calculation (8)

The first step was to contact the gnome government and obtain approval for the plan.

No matter how much they had initially agreed or how unused this land was, it still belonged to the gnomes. Someone of my position couldn’t just act recklessly.

Additionally, we needed people who knew we were venturing into that area. It was akin to leaving a plan and emergency contacts before heading into the depths of a mountain. In case something went wrong, we’d need someone to rescue us.

Of course, among the gnomes assisting us, it was doubtful any could actually reach the center of that lake to save us.

Lee Si-yoon would remain at the lodging. Some of the knights and most of the hunters would also stay behind to monitor the situation.

One of the holy relic chocolates would likely be with Si-yoon. I had handed Han Yu-ri two pieces when we parted yesterday. Presumably, she would have given at least one to Si-yoon.

"Haah."

I let out a long breath.

"Nervous?"

"Well, yes," I replied, exhaling softly.

"Still, it’s better than last time."

"Oh, really? Gained some composure?"

"Well, it’s not my first time, and I remember how Ria protected me so thoroughly back then."

"…..."

Ria’s cheeks turned faintly pink at my words.

She really was weak to compliments.

Praising her swordsmanship or combat skills didn’t have much effect—that was just stating facts. But expressing personal gratitude like this? That was enough to fluster her.

It was good to know I had another way to catch her off guard besides her face.

Still, her blush wasn’t as bright as it used to be.

"Pfft."

Before I realized it, Ria had clasped my cheeks with both hands, startling me.

I widened my eyes and glared at her in protest, but she just smirked.

...Apparently, Ria was developing her own methods of retaliation.

*

Before executing the plan, I gave several warnings to the group.

There was a very high chance we would have to fight monsters up there.

The group took my warnings seriously and prepared accordingly. The knights donned armor sanctified by my power, equipped with weapons and shields, while the hunters double-checked their gear and readiness.

In hindsight, perhaps my warning wasn’t even necessary. Hunters were professionals trained to deal with the unknown, after all.

As with most plans, the beginning went relatively smoothly.

The ice bridge turned out sturdier than expected. While it didn’t look as elegant as something out of an animated movie, it was strong enough to support several people at once.

In fact, even over the ominous black lake, ice pillars formed to provide additional support.

Gloria and Han Yu-ri seemed to be in a silent competition, creating ice as if vying for supremacy. Surprisingly, this rivalry worked to our advantage.

Even as we carefully tore open the sandbags and tossed them into the water, everything seemed fine.

"…..."

I looked up at the sky.

The blazing sunlight bore down on us.

But there was another kind of light descending upon me, distinct from the sun.

Normally, I would have waved my hand to dispel that radiance from above—but not this time.

Somehow, I felt I would need every ounce of strength that being above could offer me today.

"Everyone," I called out.

Bubble, bubble.

Bubbles began rising to the surface above the sandbags we had thrown into the lake. It resembled tar boiling and churning.

I immediately recognized it as a warning sign.

"Prepare yourselves," I said firmly.

At my command, Ria unsheathed her sword with a sharp swish.

Srrrng.

The knights and hunters followed suit, drawing their weapons in unison.

Then, the lake erupted.

A scene one would never associate with an oasis unfolded before us. The black lake rippled violently as if struck by an earthquake, and waves surged outward, crashing against the shore.

Fortunately, the areas near the lake's edge that I had purified earlier were unaffected for the time being.

"Monsters!" someone shouted.

Perhaps the holy sandbags we had pushed into the lake had been perceived as a threat. From the depths of the black lake, monsters began to rise.

Some of them bore a humanoid appearance, while others resembled beasts. Yet all shared one eerie trait: their bodies appeared to be coated in a viscous, tar-like substance.

Thud. Thud.

Deep below, the lakebed seemed to tremble, shaking the icy bridge violently.

"Everyone, run!"

Ria’s shout rang out as the group bolted toward the outer edge of the lake.

Ria, always by my side, grabbed my arm and pulled me along.

Near the lake's edge, where the bridge connected to solid ground, our allies fought fiercely. Those stationed at the bridgehead struck down the approaching monsters. The sanctified swords glimmered with white light as they cleaved through the grotesque creatures, sending heads tumbling.

But even as those monsters disintegrated into sand or dissolved into clear water, more continued to rise from the lake’s depths.

Worse still, the creatures were growing larger with each passing moment. Initially, the biggest among them were human-sized. Now, massive forms resembling elephants, rhinoceroses, or impossibly large crocodiles began to emerge.

Gunfire echoed in the distance.

The gnomes stationed on the nearby hill were providing covering fire. Unfortunately, their weapons, largely powered by magic, seemed to have little effect on the monsters.

Amid the sporadic bursts of white light, likely from priests among their ranks, Han Yu-ri suddenly let out a panicked cry.

"Aah…!"

She skidded forward uncontrollably, her momentum carrying her toward the edge of the ice bridge.

Gloria caught her just in time, yanking her back with a firm grip.

Crack.

Boom!

From beneath the bridge, something massive surged upward, smashing through the thick ice we had been traversing.

The bridge broke apart in the middle, collapsing with a loud splash before fragments of ice drifted on the lake like shattered glaciers.

Thrown backward by the shockwave, I suddenly found myself face-to-face with a gigantic, unblinking eye.

"……"

It was a magical construct, an orb of raw power embedded within the creature. This time, however, it was properly nestled in its eye socket.

Its massive face bore no other features—just that one, overwhelming eye staring directly at me.

Though we stood at the brink of disaster, everyone around me seemed frozen in time. Not a single sound escaped their lips.

The enormous eye, half-submerged in the lake, began to rise slowly. As it emerged, streams of black water cascaded down, forming a dark waterfall. Beyond the falling water, its skeletal frame came into view.

"…Hah."

I let out a quiet sound as the light shining on my face grew slightly stronger.

Ria glanced at me with a look that clearly said, Are you serious?

Well, this wasn't the best-case scenario. Ideally, we would have destroyed this lake before something like that had a chance to appear.

But it wasn't the worst-case scenario either.

That thing, with only its "bones" formed, was incomplete. It wasn’t in its full form yet. That meant there was still hope. Their plan was still in the making.

"Ria," I called.

"…Are you seriously planning to fight that thing?" Ria asked incredulously.

Even so, she had already moved to stand by my side.

I pulled out my gun and shot the head of a monster trying to climb onto the ice. Then I shouted, "Gloria! Yu-ri! Can you assist? Everyone else, too!"

"You're asking for something absurd," Gloria replied dryly.

"Well, running away isn’t exactly a better option either. Guess we’ve got no choice," she added with a sigh.

"Alright, let’s do this!"

Not too long ago, Han Yu-ri used to speak formally to me. But this casual attitude? I was more accustomed to it—it felt familiar, like a scene from a novel. And somehow, it made me happy.

Ria dashed forward with powerful strides.

As if she were running on air, steps of ice formed beneath her feet.

I followed close behind, shooting at the monsters trying to climb the stairs.

Behind us, magic spells flew in, blasting away the heads of more creatures. Those approaching from the rear were quickly dealt with by the knights holding the line.

A massive gust of wind whistled past.

A giant hand was reaching toward us, large enough to crush the ice stairs in one swipe.

Not a chance.

I threw a small stone at the incoming hand.

Boom!

The stone glowed with a brilliant white light and struck the hand, obliterating it. The sight resembled a small explosion—the hand collapsed from within, turning into liquid and dripping away.

Of course, I hadn’t come all this way unprepared. I still had a few more of those stones.

"Anna," Ria called to me.

"Next time a hand comes, leave it be."

"What?"

Before I could question her, Ria seemed to have an idea. She wrapped an arm firmly around my waist.

"Wait, Ria—"

Before I could protest, she pulled me close.

The others behind us moved in sync, quickly retreating.

The giant eye refocused on us. Around it, thin spear-like projections emerged and shot toward us. Ria swung her sword with precision, slicing them apart midair.

Then—

Whoosh!

Ria leapt upward, holding me tightly.

The massive hand surged toward us again.

"Trust me," she said.

With those words, Ria dropped us straight onto the hand.

...Well, we’d come this far, hadn’t we?

At this point, what else could I do but trust her—