Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 295
TL: Elphie / PR: Marm
Irene slowly opened her eyes.
âUghâŚâ
A sharp headache struck her instantly, forcing her to shut them again with a grimace.
What� What happened?
Luckily, her mind quickly pieced together the events before she lost consciousness.
Princess Cecilia had attacked her.
Just as she was about to defend herself, the ground beneath her had turned into darkness, swallowing her whole.
And thenâŚ
âMonster Transmigration Success?â
Yes, that was what that tentacle-like creature had shouted.
A sinister monster, gleefully shaking its entire body as if celebrating her fall into the abyss.
âAnd it called me Your Majesty.â
Who was it talking to?
It couldnât have been Irene. Then was it referring to Princess Cecilia?
At the thought of her, Irene’s eyes flew open, and she pushed herself up.
Now wasnât the time to lie around nursing her aches.
âThe princess was holding an artifact.â
If Princess Cecilia was nearby, she might still be dangerous.
First, Irene needed to figure out where she was and what kind of situation she was in.
Looking around, she saw a ceiling illuminated by an artifactâs glow.
The place was extravagant, but it didnât feel entirely unfamiliar. It was most likely an opulent castle or mansion.
âIf it’s a place like this, there should be people around.â
Yet the only thing that filled the air was an unsettling silence, and an awful, pungent stench.
Irene recognized it immediately.
It was the scent of blood and filthâthe stench of people torn apart by monsters in a dungeon.
“Why…?”
How could a place so beautiful be filled with such a horrific stench?
Irene pressed her hand to the floor and pushed herself up.
Squish.
A sickeningly wet sound reached her ears as something warm and sticky clung to her palm.
A shiver ran down her spine as she slowly looked down.
“âŚâŚ!”
She barely managed to swallow the scream rising in her throat.
The entire hallway was soaked in blood, as if a crimson carpet had been rolled out.
It wasnât hard to determine whose blood it was.
Scattered throughout the corridor were dismembered bodies, torn apart beyond recognition.
Irene squeezed her eyes shut, hopingâprayingâthat when she opened them again, the nightmare would be gone.
But when she did⌠the gruesome scene was clearer than ever.
This wasnât a dream.
âWhat happened here? Where am I?â
Irene trembled as she pushed herself to her feet. The blood on her hands, now beginning to coagulate, dripped down in thick, sticky trails.
Her eyes darted around until she spotted her bag resting atop a corpse. It was the only thing unstained by the carnage. With shaking hands, she grabbed it and forced her trembling legs to move.
Where is this place? What happened here?
Her mind was flooded with questions, but survival came first. She had to get out of here.
Forcing herself through the gruesome corridor, she scanned her surroundings until she found a small room.
Thankfully, there was no blood or corpses.
Relief washed over her as she stumbled inside, shutting the door behind her before collapsing onto the floor.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs. She couldn’t believe what she’d just seen.
“The monster realm…”
So that monster wasnât lying after all. Never in her life had she witnessed such a horrifying scene.
Irene shuddered and held her breath, listening outside the door.
The blood she had touched was still warm.That means this happened recently.
If that was the case, then whoever had caused this tragedy must still be nearby.
If she made a sound, she would be discovered.
Irene held her breath, carefully checking the artifacts in her possession.
‘Thank goodness Michael prepared so much for me.’
Since this was her first advanced dungeon in a while, Michael had been extra thorough about her safety.
Not only did she have her usual defensive artifacts, but Michael had also given her some of his ownâalong with a few borrowed from the Fortress, practically through sheer force of will.
Irene mentally reviewed their abilities.
One could completely erase her presence within a certain radius for an entire day upon activation. Others could withstand attacks from even high-level monsters.
Even if she were to face a horde of massive beasts, she’d be fine.
Reassured by her artifacts, she then searched for something to use as a weapon.
‘I donât have one.’
She broke out in a cold sweat.
When joining dungeon expeditions, Irene had never needed to wield a weapon.
Because Michael had always been her sword.
Moreover, after experiencing multiple battles, Irene had learned that carrying artifacts with stronger defensive properties was far more beneficial than carrying a weapon.
Forgetting even her intent to stay hidden, she hastily rummaged through her bag.
Then, at the very bottom, her fingers brushed against something hard.
“This⌠isn’t this that dagger?”
It was the very object that Hand of Appraisal had reacted to, as if urging her to find it.
She had no memory of acquiring it, just like Infinite Healingâno recollection of placing it in her drawer.
She had intended to take it to the Hand of Appraisal, but after receiving that strange metal fragment, she had simply tucked it away again.
“Why is this here?”
She had no memory of packing it.
Staring at the dagger for a moment, Irene cautiously pulled it from its sheath.
“Hah⌔
As soon as she unsheathed it, she let out a quiet sigh. At least it could serve as a weapon. The blade was rusted, pockmarked with countless scratches, and its edge was crumbling away.
Still, having something was better than nothing. With that thought, Irene secured the dagger at her waist and reached into her pocket.
âThis is still here too.â
The metal fragment that had been on her mind all along.
An artifact called the Impossibilityâone whose abilities she had verified, yet still couldn’t fully believe.
Slipping the Impossibility back into her pocket, Irene gripped the dagger and rose to her feet.
âWhat happened to Princess Cecilia?â
Since she had lost consciousness so quickly, she had no way of knowing if the princess had fallen along with her.
But remembering how the darkness had spread wide across the floor back then, there was a high chance Cecilia had been swallowed up as well.
Which meant she was likely somewhere nearby.
âI have to find her first.â
Irene could only hope the princess was still unconscious. That would make subduing her much easier.
âThen after thatâŚâ
What was she supposed to do with her?
There was no doubtâCecilia had tried to kill her.
