Led by Noll and led by Irina-san and the others, we were advancing along a steep mountain path towards the shrine.
　Thanks to the fact that the place was originally protected by the shrine, the map app doesn't show any demons at all.

''Irina-san, you're going pretty fast, are you okay?''

Yes, we've been training ourselves to travel to various shrines.

Well, the temple workers are very resilient.

　They're moving at a faster pace than we're hunting, but Irina and the others are following us without even changing their complexion.
　Do they only regularly patrol a shrine in a forest like this one? It doesn't look easy to serve the shrine.
　An older man, who came with Irina, joined our conversation further.

'Until I was able to get Dara to help me, the shrine tour was tough. It's thanks to Irina-sama's ability to communicate with Dara that we are able to do it safely like this.

No, that's not true. I just happen to be a good friend of Dara's...

　Irina-san's face is red and she looks embarrassed as she looks down.
　Wasn't that stingray cooperating with us from before?
　I don't even want to think about how long it would take to go around the shrines throughout Sevalia on horseback and on foot.

I'm sure that guardian angel has been in the temple for a long time.

I have always been the guardian of the temple. But we didn't transport people or anything else. We concentrated on protecting the body of Lord Testudo.

''And yet, he only listens to Irina-sama's requests. Even the head of the temple can't do that, so.......

　I think the head of the temple is a person in a pretty high position, but even that kind of person can't get him to cooperate.
　When I hear that story, it sounds like Dara is more of Testudo-sama's subordinate than a pure guardian angel.
　Even so, it's no wonder that the people in the temple put Irina-san in a similar position to you.

Does this mean that Irina-san has something special that can communicate with Dara?

'No, there's nothing special about me like that. It's just ... maybe it's because I've been with Dara since I was very young.

'Since you were a child.... Your sister, have you been serving the temple since that time?

'Yes, I'm at the Temple for a few personal matters...'

　Irina replies to Esther's question, turning her face away with a slightly dark expression.
　'Serving the temple from a young age, huh?

''Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have asked too much.''

'No, no. That's why I stayed with Dara. I was often scolded for it, but I still kept going there.

Oh, so that's why you've opened up to her, is it?

I don't know if it helped. But I've been able to carry him on my back for as long as I can remember.

　He speaks in such a ladylike manner now, but he used to be quite naughty.
　He said that the demons he'd met since he was a kid had started to cooperate with him when he was older.
　That kind of thing is kind of nice.
　I wonder if it was because of a similar innocence that Moffitt first missed Noor.

''Ufufu, your faith since childhood must have reached your guardian goddess. Irina-san's pure feelings must have reached Dara-san as well.

''It's such an embarrassment.... But I'm very happy to hear you say that, Sisha-san.

　Irina, who was praised by Sisha, looks embarrassed with a blush on her cheeks.
　Regardless of the circumstances, if she has served the temple from such a young age, her faith must be considerable.
　What about our priestess, who is being looked up to by that Irina-san, what about our priestess?
　Even though it's a game-like setting within the GC, there must be at least a reason for him to be a priestess properly, right?

So how did you become a priest, then?

Huh?　Me?　Until I was thrown into a church, streetfa...............what do you want me to say!　Of course you were living a clean and righteous priestly life!

You were about to say something very dangerous, weren't you?

'I'm going to be put in........ How does that make him a priest who can use such excellent recovery magic........

　What kind of setup did this guy have to become a priest.......didn't he become a priest himself?
　I end up saying something I don't understand and misrepresenting it.
　Ask me more about it when I get home I don't think we'll talk about it.
　Goooooooooo, this makes me very curious about the GC's personal scenario.

　Putting aside the story of Sisha as usual, I proceeded into the forest, aiming at the shrine while being wary of the surroundings.

'I thought it might be a trap, but so far there's nothing.

'Yes. I'm also paying attention to some magical, invisible things, but that doesn't seem to be happening either.

Magic is scary, isn't it, being able to create such a trap...

'It's easy enough to capture them once they're in range, or at least detonate them. If I were you, I'd set up a lot of ambushes.

I'm glad to see that Estelle is not the enemy.

　I'm really glad that Estelle-san isn't an enemy........
　It looks like she's going to set up an explosive magic that's so powerful you can't escape.
　Even so, it's scary that we have to be careful about not only obvious traps like Cancer's Cave, but also things we can't see.

　Then, as I proceeded further, I saw a cave that looked like that.
　Then, Irina and the others let out a scream-like cry.

''Ah!　Yes, the warding of the shrine is still there...

Is there a shrine in that big side-hole, sir?

That's pretty obvious for a guy who says he's hiding something.

No, they put a warding over the hole so that you couldn't see the entrance when it was supposed to be there!

If you can see it in full view, that means the wards have been broken.

　The fact that the warding has been broken is a sign that someone has broken in.
　Nothing has happened up to this point, but it looks like the real battle will start inside this cave.
　Besides, if there's a battle inside, there's no way we're going to be able to call Freesia and the others with our beacons.
　I'll have to set them up near the entrance, and if things get ugly, I'll have to get out and fight outside.

　This time I'll take the lead and step into the cave, leaving Noor to take the first back.
　Speaking of traps, I say leave it to Heihachi!　
　I have Estelle's light magic to illuminate me, but it's cool and eerie inside the cave.

''When you go into a cave like this, you'll be wary of demons, but they don't seem to be there.

"Thanks to the protection of Master Testudo, there are no demons in the area to begin with. So even though the wards have been broken, it's not likely that demons will settle in the area.

　Looking at the map app, there was no sign of any demons in the cave.
　There weren't any demons in the vicinity of the forest either, and now that the shrine had just lost its function, it looks like the demons aren't there yet.
　Even so, I was still advancing with caution for demons, just in case.......

''Stop!　There's a trap right there!

　Estelle called out.
　I hurriedly stopped and held the lid of the pot at the ready and followed her instructions to get closer to where the trap was.
　Then Estelle came out of my side and stuck out her wand a little bit.
　Then a gray, circular magic circle floats to the surface and cracks and shatters.

''Ugh ... was there really a trap set up?''

I'm glad you figured it out before you got stuck.

What kind of a trap was that?

'Hmm, maybe a summoning type of magic. Maybe the demons will come out once they're in a certain range.

　A mechanism that would activate if I stepped beyond the range Estelle had indicated........
　I had no idea, and it would have been bad if Estelle wasn't there.

''Thanks to Estelle, it looks like the trap will be fine.

'You're amazing at figuring out a hidden magic circle, Esther.

He's a mage, that's normal. And it's not that well hidden. Maybe the surgeon wasn't that good.

How do you know that much...

'Yes, but you have to be careful because sometimes they deliberately set up an obvious one to hide their real intentions.

　Hey, now that you're relieved, don't be so mysterious.
　But if the opponent is based on Esther's standards, she could set a trap for you like that.
　The only impression I had was of the attack magic that Estelle always uses, but magic is too scary to be able to set a trap.
　If I'm caught in a trap, I'll have to expect a follow-up attack....

　I was worried about that, but there was no trap that even Estelle couldn't find, and she was able to disarm it while advancing smoothly into the depths.
　And finally, we arrived at our destination........

''Ah, ah........Tee, the shrine of Testudo-sama!

'Oh!　Well, wait!

It is dangerous!

　A space wider than the aisle, where the seawater flows in a circle around the middle.
　
　Seeing this, Irina-san shouted and ran out of our line.
　We hurriedly followed her and rushed to what looked like the wreckage of the shrine.



Miss Irina, it's not safe for you to run around without permission, and I hope you didn't hear me.

''After seeing you destroyed so thoroughly, you can't blame me for this reaction...''

I wonder if this will destroy the object inside.

　I had Noll alert the perimeter in case of an enemy attack, and we went in to protect Irina-san.
　She sat down and cried while holding the remains of the shrine in her hands.
　Even if it makes her lose her power, destroying the shrine so far... I don't know if it's mixed in with the rubble, but it looks like the goddess isn't safe either.
　However, there's no point in lamenting like this. We have to figure out what we're going to do.

For now, the question is whether we can keep the shrine functioning.

I've brought part of Master Testudo's body with me, just in case. But with the state of the shrine, we'll need some kind of podium to enshrine it.

'Oh, well, I'll make you that much with my magic. I'll make you something fancy, even if it's only temporary.

　Instead of Irina, who was crying and unable to speak, another temple person answered.
　We can't set up the shrine as bare, and it looks like we'll have to ask Esther to build it for us.
　But even if we build the shrine again, there's a possibility that it will be destroyed again soon....well, what should we do?
　That's when I thought about it.

Okura-dono!　Something is coming, sir!

　Noor, who had been alerted to the surroundings, raised his voice and immediately went into a battle stance to protect Irina and the others.
　Then, from somewhere, six diabolos flew into the hall we were in.
　That alone was a horrifying sight, but........but the inside of the cave shakes even more, and part of the wall is blown off.
　The one that slowly emerged from it was a huge, purple-colored, odd-shaped monster.