Bonus chapter...
"Speaking of the Guru... He is a religious authority in this country, right? I believe his name is Rudanaga?"
"That's right. Rudanaga the Guru... ever since that man came to our country, things have been getting weird and weird."
Shakuna clenches her fists in bitterness.
"That man came to this country about five years ago. We didn't even know where he came from. He was a mysterious man whose lineage is not known. And yet... he quickly won the hearts of the powerful in this country, including my father, and rose to the position of Guru."
"...I heard that this country has a strict status system based on bloodline. How did a man whose lineage is unknown gain power?"
"He made miracles happen. Like making rain, and driving away hordes of monsters with a single prayer. Even resurrected the dead."
"Miracles... That's a fishy story."
I question the girl who is biting her lip after my rope is released and I move my free limbs lightly.
"Isn't it just magic? Though, I don't know about making it rain, but driving away monster, and resurrecting the dead, aren't those the kind of magic that a high-ranking bishop should be able to use?"
"Of course, I know that. But... that man brought back to life a man who had been dead for years and whose bones had turned to bone."
Resurrection magic performed by bishop or resurrection items such as 'phoenix eggs' are only effective immediately after death. They lose their effectiveness within an hour after death.
"That man gained my father's trust by raising the dead queen from the grave, and became a Guru. Since then, the country has only gotten worse. The strong class system became even stricter, with the nobility taxing the people more than necessary and oppressing those who disobeyed them without mercy."
"..."
"In addition... He even tried to sacrifice the maiden, Ryuna, in order to perform a special ceremony to bring back the god...!"
"Okay... I'm beginning to get the picture. I was wondering why you princesses were bathing in a desert oasis."
Shakuna looked frustrated as she bit her back teeth, and this is what I surmised about the situation.
Rudanaga the Guru... or Rujanaga, one of the four heavenly kings of the demon king's army, has used his magic to gain power over the king and seize the center of power in this country. Rujanaga is an evil shaman called the "Snake God Priest," so it's not surprising that he could bring the dead back to life with magic that I don't know about.
Rujanaga's purpose is not clear... but he wants to sacrifice Shakuna's sister, Ryuna, in order to perform some kind of ritual.
Then, to save Ryuna from being sacrificed, Shakuna may have escaped from the palace and fled to the desert with a small escort.
"Roughly, it is not wrong, Baskerville-sama"
It was Ryuna, not Shakuna, who confirmed my guess.
"…Did I say it out loud? I think I just thought about it in my head."
"I have received [Priestess] job from the God, and I can read people's minds a little bit. Thanks to this, I know that Baskerville-sama is a trustworthy man."
"Priestess...! That's another valuable job. No wonder they're after you!"
[Priestess] is even rarer than the [Rune Knight], and there is only one [Priestess] in the [DunBrave] game.
Although its bearer can use simple recovery magic and are of little use in battle, they can foretell the future, read people's minds, receive divine prophecies, and use special abilities.
"If you can read my mind, you knew from the start that I wasn't the enemy, didn't you? I wish you could have helped me sooner."
"Please forgive me. I knew that Baskerville-sama is not as bad as he looks but it was still embarrassing to be seen naked."
"...I'm sorry."
"By the way, Baskerville-sama really has an interesting soul. Dark as an abyss. But behind it, the full moon shines brightly on the earth. The dark ones who lurk in the darkness worship, honor, and believe in you, the full moon... Such a scene is shown in my mind, Baskerville-sama."
"...Well, it's not a very pleasant sight to the eyes, is it? I'm surprised you didn't label me an enemy."
I grimace bitterly at the eerily prophetic words.
But for some reason Ryuna smiles friendly and follows up with a smile.
"It may be a horrible scene for some people... but I like it. I like Baskerville-sama's soul very much."
"...I see. Thank you."
I shrug my shoulders and smile at Ryuna who is smiling softly.
Then I noticed that Ryuna's eyes are out of focus, staring blankly at me even though they are pointed at me.
"Wait, by any chance, are your eyes...?"
"Yes. I can't see. In exchange for being able to read people's minds, I have lost the ability to see the real world."
Ryuna says simply.
It seems like an unfortunate thing to be visually impaired, but Ryuna's calm face shows no sign of such a thing.
"These eyes, which were given to me by God, tell me. Guru Rudanaga... must not be left alone. He is not a man but an evil monster. If left unchecked, he will surely bring this country to ruin."
"..."
"So please... please... Baskerville-sama. Please lend us your power, even though we are powerless. We will give you whatever reward you desire."
Ryuna breaks off, takes a deep breath, and says something outrageous.
"If you wish to take my body, I will gladly give it to you. You may do with my body what you will but please help me destroy the evil Guru."
