CHAPTER 051
"Magic works here, so the communication sphere should work too!"
But the communication sphere flickered and then lost its light. The connection was cut off.
"Why does other magic work but not communication magic?"
I stared at the communication sphere, feeling dejected.
I thought I'd be able to hear Lewis's voice... It felt like the flame of hope had been extinguished.
But I couldn't just stand there in a daze.
It's not like I've been here for hours. How could I be so despairing already? Since I'm inside the temple, I'll be rescued eventually.
"Isn't there another secret route somewhere?"
The wall I pushed earlier didn't work, so I gave up on that.
I calmly started pressing other bricks on different walls. Despite my efforts, the large, sand-colored bricks didn't budge.
If I got in, there must be a way out!
Trying to suppress my anxiety, I busily searched the room.
Then I found something.
One of the bricks I had been randomly pushing suddenly sank inward.
"What?!"
This time, the left wall moved.
It didn't rotate like before. It just lifted towards the ceiling.
"Wow... Is this temple a dungeon? The walls move on their own without me doing anything."
I murmured to myself without realizing it.
The room that appeared behind the lifted wall felt very different from where I had been.
It was covered in incomprehensible murals.
There were many murals in the previous room too, but they depicted people, or rather, gods or their representatives.
It made sense since the temple murals were meant to tell the stories of the gods.
But here, there weren't any people, just patterns everywhere. They looked familiar.
Is this a magic circle...?
I felt like I'd seen it in the magic book Michael had shown me. I couldn't be sure since I didn't know magic.
"What is this?"
As I muttered, looking around in a daze, there was a loud bang from somewhere.
At the same time, the faint voices of people I had heard earlier became clearer.
"Stop it! The temple is collapsing!"
What? The temple is collapsing? I'm still trapped in here!
Something major seemed to have happened in the temple while I was trapped.
I quickly started pounding on the wall. Whatever this weird thing was, I needed to get out and think about it later.
"Help! There's someone in here!"
At that moment, the loud bang happened again. It wasn't just once.
"What...?"
The unsettling sound was getting closer.
Is the building really collapsing?
Before I could think further, a loud crash resounded right nearby.
"Ahh!"
Oh my god! I crouched down, screaming.
The sound wasn't a joke. It must have been the sound of the wall in my room being blown away.
Dust suddenly flew into the air.
I held my breath to avoid inhaling it.
As the dust settled, I saw a large hole in the middle of the wall.
That! I could have been hit by that!
I alternated between looking at the gaping hole and the scattered rubble on the floor.
Someone stood beyond the large hole. It was still hard to see clearly through the dust.
This doesn't seem like something a priest would do...
As I stared in shock, the dust completely cleared, and the figure became recognizable.
"Marquis?"
It was Lewis, whom I had failed to contact!
"Is it really you, Marquis?"
I called out to Lewis, dazed, then snapped back to reality.
How did he get here?
"How did you get here?"
Not just arriving but in such a dramatic way!
When I asked in surprise, Lewis replied nonchalantly.
"I came to find you."
I could see a series of holes in the wall behind Lewis.
How many walls did you break through...?
The cries about the temple collapsing weren't exaggerated. I was more worried about the temple than my shocked heart.
"Was the commotion in the temple because of you, Marquis? What do we do now..."
"I'll pay for the damages."
"But you damaged a temple, not just any building."
"Maybe it's a good chance to rebuild it. It’s so old and worn out."
"The cost will be enormous."
"Money is the least of my worries. What am I without my power and wealth?"
"Uh... you have everything. Nothing's left out."
"Exactly."
That was sarcasm!
Talking to him is futile. It might be impossible to make Lewis realize the gravity of the situation.
"But how did you get here?"
How did he barge in like this without any contact?
"I went to the Croft mansion, and they said you were at the temple."
He must have heard I was at the temple after going to the Croft mansion.
"Did the Duke let you in?"
"No. I just asked the butler where you were from outside. But when I got to the temple, they said you had disappeared."
Lewis's frown showed how displeased he had been.
But his expression soon changed. His eyes looked more serious as he gazed at me.
"Are you sure you're okay? You look startled."
"Of course, I was startled. The wall just exploded. I almost got hit by your door, Marquis!"
"Sorry. I got impatient because I couldn't see you."
Lewis quickly admitted his mistake and asked.
"But you were trapped before I came. Were you okay then?"
"Uh..."
Of course, I wasn't okay. I was anxious, thinking I might not get out for a while.
I spoke honestly.
"I was worried I might not get out... and I thought of you, Marquis."
"You thought of me?"
"Yes. I just... thought of you."
Ugh, it's still terrifying to think about.
When I spoke dejectedly, Lewis let out a short laugh.
He seemed a bit happier for some reason.
"Let's get out of here."
Lewis extended his hand to me.
"Yes."
But before we left! There was something I had to address.
"Marquis, these patterns..."
I pointed to the patterns covering the walls.
"They're magic circles."
"They really are magic circles?"
"Yes."
Lewis murmured what I was genuinely curious about.
"But why are these here in the temple? They weren't in the other rooms."
"Exactly. They're only in this room. What on earth..."
With a puzzled look, he extended his hand again.
"Let's think about it outside."
As soon as I took his hand, my vision blurred.
I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them to see the bright outside world. It wasn't the suffocating room anymore.
We're outside!
The bright sunlight and the noisy voices of people confirmed it.
"We're out!"
"Are you that happy?"
"Of course! I was so worried I'd never get out!"
While I was sharing my excitement about escaping with Lewis, I heard a loud voice.
"Let me go! Selina is still in there!"
"The building is dangerous. But the Marquis went in, so—"
"If they haven't come out yet, it means Lewis is also lost."
Bella and Charlotte?
"Bella!"
I quickly called out to Bella before she could rush in. She and Charlotte turned to look at me.
Then they both opened their mouths in astonishment.
"You're alive!"
"Of course! I’m alive!"
There were many other priests gathered outside the temple. Some of them looked angry at the situation.
"Defiling a sacred temple! This is blasphemy!"
"How could the Marquis do such a thing? We must lodge a complaint with the tower—"
No wonder they're angry. The temple is damaged.
I looked at them apologetically.
At that moment, an elderly man in a different attire from the other priests approached us.
I could tell at a glance. This must be the High Priest!
His face was somewhat stiff, but he spoke to us calmly.
"I need an explanation from both of you."
"Well..."
I decided to answer.
"I leaned against the wall, and it rotated. I got trapped, so the Marquis came for me."
It was an extreme method, but it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't gotten trapped in the first place.
Lewis added.
"I heard people talking and opened the place where Miss Elsner was trapped, but she wasn’t there."
"What? I didn't move from room to room, though."
All I did was explore another room connected to the one I was trapped in.
When I tilted my head in confusion, Lewis smirked and said.
"So I had to search for you, opening other walls as I went."
There weren't any handles on the walls. He must have blown them away and phrased it nicely...
I could imagine what had happened.
No wonder I heard frantic cries. People were evacuating, fearing the temple might collapse!
"What..."
The High Priest's eyes widened in surprise.
He paused for a moment, then said.
"This isn't something to discuss here. Please follow me."
Following the High Priest, Lewis and I moved.
It was so hectic that I didn't have time to talk to my friends.
The High Priest led us to the temple's reception room.
As soon as Lewis sat down, he asked.
"There were magic circles in the room where Miss Elsner was trapped. What are they?"
I could finally hear the secret behind them. I waited anxiously for the High Priest's response.
But the High Priest said something unexpected.
"Magic circles? Are you saying there were magic circles in that room?"
Huh, he doesn't know?
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