The Female Knight of Doom - TFKOD 28: Dungeon

It’s the God of Doom’s voice.

The dagger was slid back into the sheath that was fastened to Alice’s thigh, “I’ll go with you.”

A large man shoved her from behind after she finished speaking, causing the guards to sigh with relief.

She had made up her mind to give up, but she was not going to be a little lamb.

Already nimble, she took the large man’s hand and threw him over her shoulder, “Don’t get handsy.”

No one could stop Alice because she moved so quickly.

She slammed the large man who had fallen to the ground. His back appeared to be injured, and he struggled a few times, but he was unable to stand. There was no time to pull him up, and the atmosphere was very tense now.

Everyone was watching her.

She appeared somewhat unkempt, like a beast trapped in a cage.

She assumed a defensive stance despite her declaration that she was going to surrender. She had ripped open her skirt and tied it around her waist for convenience.

Originally designed to be worn to entice people, the dress now resembled a battle robe with a few missing pieces of fabric.

Chainmail could be seen through the prostitute’s clothing. Swords and spears were too strong for her flesh and blood to withstand.

The only weapon she was holding was a small dagger. Enchanted as it was, it was unable to handle so many people.

But her eyes startled these men, and nobody in the group dared to act again. They had to wait for the earl’s orders while glancing at her.

Earl Rachel watched the scene from the corner of the room, his face expressionless, “Since Miss Alice is willing to stay, then please let her live in the dungeon for a while, you accompany her to go… don’t hurt her.”

The earl’s final sentence was more of a means of providing his men with a means of escape because he had witnessed the cowardice in these people’s eyes than it was an attempt to show preference for the inmates.

The guards kept Alice surrounded and brought her to the dungeon at the earl’s insistence. She was still carrying her dagger because no one dared to touch her again or, of course, search her.

It was a combination of leading the way and escorting her.

In other words, everyone didn’t sigh with relief until she was in the dungeon and the door was locked.

Originally, the Rachel mansion was a castle.

The alliance between the northern nobles has grown more stable in recent years. For many years, there has been no war in the Rachel territory. The castle’s defensive role has diminished. This mansion was created after some reconstruction, which can improve the masters’ quality of life.

Still intact, though, are the underground dungeons and the like. Ordinary inmates are not housed here; there is another prison in the city.

Alice is the only prisoner left in this dungeon.

She might want to give credit to the earl, who had ordered the dungeon to be aired and the straw changed in anticipation of a young lady arriving, so that the stench was not too strong.

It was still a little chilly, though, because the weather had not really warmed up yet and the dungeon was without fire. When she left, she felt a little guilty about forgetting her new fur coat.

Luckily, there was plenty of straw to keep the cold out that way.

When the earl’s men left, they took the only source of light with them, leaving the dungeon completely dark.

As she paid close attention to what was going on outside the cell, the footsteps of those individuals eventually faded away, leaving her alone. The dungeon was free of jailers, and she appeared to be able to unwind for a while.

She was simply too sleepy and too exhausted today to give careful thought to the issue of the God of Doom. She wrapped herself in straw and dozed off before she could think of anything.

Alice had no idea how long she had been asleep.

When she awoke, everything was still completely dark. But now that she was awake, her eyes had adjusted to the darkness a little, and she could make out outlines here and there.

She could smell the aroma of food, but there was no sound outside. She opened her eyes wide and strained to see, following a dim memory and impression to the door.

Unaware of the delivery time, she found bread and soup at the window opening. The chef in the mansion most likely prepared these dishes; they tasted good. When she finally mustered up enough strength, she gobbled them up.

Nothing was visible to her eyes, and she was confined in this dungeon with nothing to do. Right now, waiting was the only thing she could do.

However, for what reason was she waiting? She was unaware of it herself.

It is very difficult to wait in this cold and dark place.

Luckily, there were at least two things to think about despite the fact that she was unable to do anything: the location of that unique crown, which she knew too little about and could not figure out by guessing, so she had to put it aside for the time being; and the God of Doom, who had been silent for months but had now finally spoken.

In the past, Alice had naturally been surprised when she heard the God of Doom’s voice reappear in her ears. But she was unable to be joyful at the moment, and it wasn’t until now that she had the strength to carefully remember what had transpired.

If it weren’t for that one sentence, she might not have made a decision in her haste at that crucial moment. She was forced to surrender and be imprisoned here by the God of Doom’s instruction.

She was sitting in this dungeon now, and she had no idea why she had been given that instruction.

It is implied that because He is referred to as “the Future,” He must have more foresight than she does. He would also not hurt her now that she is his only believer.

After giving it some thought, she bowed her head as she always did and started to pray.

This time, she employed a general prayer that, by simply altering the object, could be offered to any god.

Ordinary people did not often use this prayer, which asked for the god’s descent.

Alice’s mother, for some reason, recited it daily during her lifetime, requesting Fragna’s descent. Sadly, she remembered that her mother had never been successful.

But she thought it should be simpler to call forth the benevolent God of Doom than Fragna. She eventually noticed that the chilly dungeon’s air was getting progressively warmer, as though someone had just materialized and was seated in front of her.

Alice’s eyes opened.

She was unable to see anything in the dungeon because it was so dark that it didn’t seem to matter if her eyes were open or closed. She couldn’t tell if she saw anything, even if she did. Even though she was aware of this, she had the hazy impression that a human figure had materialized in front of her.

She couldn’t tell if it was a fantasy brought on by her desire or if it was real.

She tentatively extended her hand, hoping to make contact with the figure before her, but she was unsuccessful.

Nothing was touched by her palm as it went through the area where she believed someone was, piercing the figure’s outline.

She was about to give up when the god’s voice resumed its appearance in her ear, “Alice, don’t be afraid.”

There was nobody else in the dungeon, so it was very quiet. And it was so evident that this voice could never be a delusion—it was his distinct tenderness.

Abruptly, her heart calmed, “I’m not afraid.”

After responding to this one question, she was hesitant to speak to the god again.

She was unsure of what to say. She was unable to speak because her words were stuck in her throat. Now it seemed impossible to say the words of gratitude she had been planning to say in a few months.

Ultimately, it seemed too insignificant to express gratitude verbally for saving her life.

Luckily, the person she wished to express gratitude to was not a typical person; He had already understood her words before she had even said them, “You don’t need to thank me, nor do you need to feel embarrassed.”

“The only person who could possibly follow me is you,” He said in a voice that was always as windy as the wind. “Who knows how many hundreds of years it will be before I get to meet the next one if I don’t save you.”

“How could that be?” Alice exclaimed, “So many kids visit the temple every year. There must be one or two naughty people who want to talk to you just as much as I do, right?”

She posed this query, and the god laughed in response, “Indeed, there are some naughty ones—you guessed it. However, you are the only one who can actually follow me.”

Although she was unaware of the god’s reasoning, the notion of being “one of a kind” always made people feel something.

She was a little happy to hear this, but she was also a little nervous, so she muttered, “Claiming to be your followers, yet in reality, they don’t even know your divine name…”

His voice reverberated in the silence, “To formally make you my follower, I have come here to conduct a ceremony for you. Such a ceremony, like the one you were at when you were twelve, should normally be performed by a priest in the prayer room of a revered temple. Unfortunately, this crucial ceremony can only take place in this dungeon because I lack a temple and a priest. For you, it’s just too much of a shame.” His tone gradually seemed a little dejected by the end of this sentence.

“It’s okay!” Alice said hastily, “My lifelong dream is to be able to become your follower. Where the ceremony is held is irrelevant.”

She herself was momentarily surprised when she said those words.

She hadn’t even given this much thought until a few months ago; when He saved her, she made the decision to follow him. It seemed too flattering now to say it was her lifelong wish, and anyway, it wasn’t totally accurate.

Perhaps she simply doesn’t want to hear about his letdown.

Regretfully, He is able to fully perceive her thoughts because they are always transparent to him.

“This shouldn’t make you feel ashamed. A god is not real if there are no believers. More than you need me, I need you. It was merely a reward, whether it was boosting your physical prowess or healing you from the previous battle. I’m not deserving of god’s name if I can’t help you in some way. However, I can’t do much for you if you’re not formally under my name. I answered your call to come here today because, despite the dungeon’s simplicity, the private, quiet setting is ideal for hosting a ceremony for you. Are you prepared for what I have to ask now?”

Alice felt warm all over because his words were always so gentle.

She got to her feet, brushed the straw from her body, and turned to face him, “I’m ready.”

Although she could not see anything and everything was completely dark, she had the impression that the God of Doom, who never revealed his face, had materialized and was standing across from her.

His voice came from the opposite direction, and he was acting more solemnly than normal, “I am here today to oversee the ceremony and grant you my faith. Your body is the altar on which sacrifices are offered, this dungeon is our temple, and the fire within your heart is our lamp. I am the god you have chosen to serve, and I am also your priest.”

“Yes.”

“Please kneel down and let me bless you.”

Alice felt one of the hands resting on her head as she dropped to one knee.

“Today, I, Moira Oltmonroy Kristana Elliott Cecilion, the God of the Future and the Lord of Doom, am welcoming my follower. Give up your name, believer.”

“Alice.”

“I associate your name with mine, and I accept it. I accept you as one of my followers. You will stand up for me, you will pray for me, and your name will be associated with my glory from this day on.”

“Yes.”

“I also swear to love you, watch over you, bless you, and keep you safe. I consent to being addressed by my given name, Cecilion. Whenever you call, I’ll come to you.”

“I seal our covenant by kissing you. As long as blood flows in this body and these lips stay red, you will continue to be my believer.”

Something touched Alice’s lips, and she felt as though a shock of electricity went through her. She shivered, gasping. Her lips seemed to be burning, but she was unable to determine whether the sensation was due to embarrassment or a byproduct of the ritual.

The god’s voice came from the other side before she could respond, “The ceremony is over.”

‘This is the end, I see.’

However, the burning feeling on her lips persisted.

After giving it a lot of thought, she eventually inquired, “You… are you awake?”