Chapter 48: Unexpected Encounters in the Dark City

“If we truly intend to act, your light element is indeed a significant issue. However, if your wings are concealed, your aura won’t be too strong, resembling mine.”

I had only spoken idly, never truly believing such a possibility existed. Yet, seeing her earnestly consider the infiltration, a sudden wave of panic washed over me.

“Perhaps we should wait a little longer?”

Sally paused, startled by my words, then cast a peculiar glance my way.

“Didn’t you yourself suggest infiltrating?”

“A bit more preparation wouldn’t hurt, would it…?” I stammered, looking evasively around.

“You’re not chickening out again, are you?”

Seeing my demeanor, Sally immediately understood, a look of disdain spreading across her face.

“Who said that! Our strength isn’t formidable; we simply wish to avoid pointless sacrifices.”

Spurred by her provocation, I immediately conjured a myriad of reasons to argue back.

“Furthermore, I need to ensure your safety, and it would be challenging to look after you properly once inside the city.”

“But this opportunity seems incredibly rare right now; are you truly not going to consider it?”

Sally’s expression turned regretful, as if she believed my refusal to infiltrate the city would mean squandering a prime opportunity.

“What opportunity?” Her words piqued my curiosity.

“Look, there isn’t a single guard up there right now. If we fly over discreetly, we should avoid detection.”

As she spoke, she gestured towards the sentry posts atop the city wall; indeed, not a single magical beast was visible, nor were there any signs of aerial patrols.

“But even if we get inside, won’t our appearance immediately give us away?”

I felt this was still insufficient to sway me.

“That’s why we’ll need these.”

No sooner had she spoken than Sally produced two cloaks from her storage ring.

“This… isn’t entirely out of the question.”

Though reluctant to admit it, seeing the cloaks did make me feel the plan’s feasibility had significantly increased.

“But wouldn’t that make us even more conspicuous instead?”

I spotted another flaw: if other magical beasts weren’t wearing cloaks and only we were, it would be rather awkward.

“That’s why we must avoid areas with many dark creatures and try to target isolated ones.”

Sally, appearing somewhat impatient from having explained so much to convince me, simply laid out all the pros and cons directly.

“Of course, entering this way carries risks, but the chances of success are also high; it simply depends on whether you’re willing to bear that risk.”

“If you’re unwilling, then we’ll just keep waiting outside and rely on luck. If we’re lucky, we’ll find other magical beasts quickly; if not, it could take days. Let me be clear, our food supplies are scarce. If we continue to linger in the wilderness for much longer, even if we find our way, it will be difficult to fly back.”

“But are you certain that even if we find an isolated magical beast, we can subdue them and understand what they say?”

Despite this, I remained uneasy.

“I have a general understanding of the magical beasts’ strengths and weaknesses; naturally, we’ll pick on the weaker ones.” On this point, Sally seemed quite confident.

“With me, a Tier 4 Priest, and you, a Tier 4 Angel, that should be more than enough. As long as we avoid provoking powerful magical beasts, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”

“As for language, that’s even simpler. It’s said that every intelligent race has its own language, but for ease of communication, they generally use the common language of the continent, so we’ll definitely understand.”

‘……I suppose it’s best not to mention that I’m only Tier 3.’

At this point, with the plan so far along, there was virtually no turning back. Sally and I were alike in our reluctance to continue waiting in the desolate wilderness. Within a day or two, our supplies would undoubtedly run out. While I could manage without food for a while, Sally could not, making it imperative to find a way back as soon as possible.

At least for now, the plan seemed viable.

****

“Do you truly believe those dark creatures won’t sense the light element emanating from us?”

I tried on the cloak Sally had provided; it felt a little large.

“Once you retract your wings, you should be similar to me. Unless it’s a powerful dark creature, they generally won’t notice if they’re not paying attention. However, if your wings are exposed, we’re completely finished; even the lowest-tier magical beasts within five meters would detect your angelic presence.”

Sally again sensed my aura, nodding with evident satisfaction.

“It’s fortunate you’re so weak; that’s the only way we can slip through.”

‘I was annoyed by her insistence on adding that last remark. Is it really such an inconvenience that I’m weak!’

Once preparations were complete, we finally set our plan in motion. Since we first needed to fly into the city, we didn’t immediately don the cloaks, lest they be torn by my wings.

The first obstacle was the city wall itself, an imposing structure towering over twenty meters high—more than double the height of typical city walls. Its surface was remarkably smooth, reflecting a deep, eerie green light, making it impossible to discern its construction material.

Carrying Sally, I ascended into the air, deliberately avoiding the main gate and flying into the city from an obscure corner.

Before us stretched a vast, empty plaza, devoid of any surrounding buildings. This was precisely the kind of secluded spot we had sought for our landing, so it came as no surprise; our primary concern was being discovered by magical beasts while my wings were still visible.

From a distance, the slender, towering spires had appeared densely packed, yet upon entering the city, we discovered they were actually quite sparse. They stood scattered across various points within the city, far from our location, with the intervening spaces filled by an assortment of low-lying houses.

Having confirmed our safety, I pressed myself against a corner, retracted my wings, and swiftly donned the cloak, completely concealing my form.

Sally mirrored my actions, likewise cloaking herself.

“Now the problem arises: where do we find an isolated magical beast?”

I surveyed our surroundings; the furthest building was dozens of meters away, emitting no light whatsoever, not even from windows. Instead, a massive, tightly shut door stood prominently on its front, resembling a coffin.

“Shall we try looking on the streets?”

Sally pointed towards a gloomy alley ahead, its destination unknown to us, and I nodded in agreement.

“If we truly can’t find an isolated one, we can always come back here and try the houses. While I don’t think these strange dwellings could house humans, it’s hard to say for magical beasts.”

Having finished speaking, Sally took the lead and quickly stepped into the alley. I followed closely, only to discover once inside that the alley wasn’t particularly long. Just dozens of meters ahead, a fork in the path seemed to connect to another, wider street.

“So, cities of dark creatures are also this complex?”

Turning out of the alley, the street outside bore a resemblance to a human city. The houses on either side even had a few windows, though they all remained tightly shut.

“Where have all the magical beasts gone?”

I asked, feeling frustrated. I had assumed a city this size would be teeming with magical beasts, yet after walking for so long, we hadn’t encountered a single one.

“Shh, I think I hear something.”

Sally motioned for me to be quiet, pointing ahead. I saw a house door open on the street, from which muffled voices seemed to emanate.

We crept closer, only to discover it was a place resembling a tavern. It boasted numerous tables and chairs, a bar counter, and shelves behind it displaying various bottles and jars, almost identical to taverns in human cities.

However, the tables and chairs varied greatly in size; some were enormous, others remarkably petite, clearly not designed for human use.

“It seems there’s more than one inside, doesn’t it?”

In one corner, gathered around a table, sat a Lizardman, a Wolfman, and a horned demon, all eagerly raising their cups and drinking heartily. I wondered what they were consuming; could it also be alcohol?

From the general gist of their conversation, it sounded like they were discussing a victory or celebrating a return.

Witnessing this scene, my worldview suddenly began to crumble.

In this world, I had encountered numerous magical beasts and slain many during quests. My consistent impression of them had been fierce and brutal, prone to pouncing and biting humans on sight, fighting desperately without a second thought. Essentially, they were akin to ordinary wild animals, just more formidable.

“Do all magical beasts possess intelligence?”

I whispered to Sally. All this time, I had believed that ordinary magical beasts largely lacked intelligence, and only humanoid dark creatures could speak. However, now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“Typically, many low-tier non-humanoid magical beasts lack intelligence, but the higher their tier, the greater the chance of them possessing it. Besides, if they had no intelligence, how would you interrogate them after capturing them?”

Sally rolled her eyes at me again, incidentally providing a quick lesson in common knowledge.

‘In truth, I had always imagined capturing humanoid dark creatures like Dark Elves.’

“Actually, unintelligent magical beasts are usually the lowest-ranking entities within the dark forces. They don’t follow commands and tend to run rampant, mostly being used as cannon fodder, which is why you see them everywhere in the human world.”

“But then again, this is my first time witnessing such a vibrant, domestic side of dark creatures.”

I nodded in profound agreement with Sally’s observation, feeling as if I had stepped into the world of a cartoon. The Wolfman, in particular, reminded me of Pleasant Goat.

“So, what do we do now?”

This was clearly not a good place. Not only were there three magical beasts, not counting any behind the bar, but their intelligence also implied considerable power, certainly beyond our ability to handle.

“Let’s find somewhere else,” Sally agreed, deeming it unsuitable.

“If all else fails, we’ll just break into a secluded house and then…” She then made a gesture indicating a ruthless approach.

‘Aren’t you a Priest? Why are you acting like a thuggish bandit?’

“Why are there two Goblins lurking here so furtively?”

Just as we were discussing our departure, an incredibly deep and booming voice suddenly echoed from behind us. A sudden change then occurred: Sally and I were instantly lifted into the air from where we stood, simultaneously hoisted by our clothes from behind.