Chapter 114
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Chapter 114
"Ahhhhh!"
"What?! What is it?!"
With a thunderous crack, the Priests burst out first. Through the narrow gap in the door, I could glimpse the chaos unfolding outside.
They'd been sleeping peacefully before the sudden commotion jolted them awake. Simultaneously, the Imperial Palace Knights and Attendants on patrol came rushing over.
"What's happened?"
"What's going on?"
Moments later, nearby officials from various departments who were on night duty came sprinting over.
"We heard an explosion coming from here!"
With so many people gathering, there was no way this incident could be swept under the rug.
By tomorrow morning, reports would flood in, and even if the accident was deemed minor with no casualties, the Construction Department would launch a full safety inspection of the entire Temple.
But then...
The Dormitory wall, which I'd thought would collapse just once, crumbled again with a deafening roar.
"Ahhhhh!"
"It's collapsing again?!"
Kibon, pressed tightly against me, let out a soft groan and clutched his forehead. Then he whispered low.
"I'm sorry..."
His breath tickled my ear from how close we were standing.
But hearing an apology from Kibon of all people!
Kibon was someone who never said those words, no matter what happened.
He rarely did anything worth apologizing for in the first place. But he'd never even used "I'm sorry" in the casual sense one might use with a superior.
Yet here it was—an apology from Kibon. It was truly shocking. I shook my head in surprise.
"Why are you apologizing? Crown Prince Kiaros must have given you too powerful a bomb!"
As I shook my head, my forehead rubbed against his chest. He held his breath, his eyes squeezing shut. Outside, absolute chaos had erupted.
"Wait, there's no one inside, is there?"
"Everyone's already come out!"
At that very moment, the ground shook with a violent crash, and the Warehouse we'd been in crumbled to pieces.
"No, the Warehouse is collapsing too!"
This wasn't part of my calculations!
Why is the Warehouse collapsing?
"Fortunately, it's already packed full of farm tools, so there's probably no one inside."
"Right? Who would be in there in the middle of the night anyway?"
Kibon and I were stunned, unable even to scream, pressed desperately against each other.
Of course, as the Warehouse collapsed, we both tumbled down.
Fortunately, the farm tools tangled together, creating a tiny pocket of space that protected us.
And in that split second, Kibon fell beneath me while shielding me with his body, so I remained completely unharmed.
From that position, I heard footsteps approaching the Warehouse.
"Sigh, we'll need to rebuild this..."
"The Construction Department didn't do a safety inspection here? It must have been in terrible condition."
Kibon and I went rigid, exchanging only bewildered glances with each other.
Throughout all this, the distance between us had become far too close.
Kibon lay on his back beneath me, his arms wrapped around me protectively, while I found myself pressed against his chest.
It was an oddly intimate position, but the confined space left me unable to move even slightly.
"...I'm terribly sorry...."
Kibon whispered the words with an expression of genuine distress. I widened my eyes and hastily shook my head in denial.
"What are you apologizing for? This is all because of Crown Prince Kiaros."
"That's true, but... I'm truly sorry...."
The gathering of so many people was manageable, but the problem lay with those lingering near the warehouse entrance.
If anyone discovered us in this state... it would be utterly catastrophic.
'If only I'd rushed out from the beginning... No, that would've been just as disastrous....'
In the end, remaining perfectly still was our only option. Each time footsteps echoed around the warehouse, my heart would race with tension.
And beneath me, Kibon's heart was pounding just as fiercely.
We were pressed so tightly together that we could feel each other's heartbeats, both of us equally tense in the darkness. When our eyes met in the gloom, heat flooded to the tips of my ears.
"Should we just leave it as is?"
"The warehouse damage is worse than the chapel's."
A couple of people lingered around the warehouse entrance, each offering their commentary.
With my body completely rigid and unable to move, our breaths mingled between us. Then it happened.
"Oh my!"
"Goodness!"
The warehouse wall collapsed once more with a tremendous crash, sending agricultural tools clattering loudly. A scream nearly escaped me, but I managed to suppress it desperately.
"Careful now, touching it will only make things worse."
"We'd better leave it alone unless we want to wake everyone."
"Let's deal with it in the morning."
Fortunately, the collapsing tools drove away those who had been lingering near the warehouse.
They rejoined the group that had been inspecting the Temple.
"Ah, there's bomb debris here."
"It must have rolled here and detonated."
They had already discovered the bomb fragments that Kibon had detonated.
"But why is there a bomb here?"
"This looks like it came from the Imperial Palace Knights. There was something about bombs in that official notice Crown Prince Kiaros distributed earlier, remember?"
"Huh? What was it?"
"The Knight Order was collecting and disposing of unexploded ordnance today when some birds grabbed a few and flew off with them. They told us to inspect the buildings and be cautious about safety hazards."
"Ah yes, that's right! That's why the Attendants came by our department earlier to conduct inspections!"
In the midst of all this, Kiaros's handling of the situation was flawless.
He had already laid the groundwork to prevent any questions about the bomb's origin.
He truly was a meticulous and thorough person.
"It seems the Palace Temple had no assigned official to verify it."
"We need to designate a responsible party. Ah, but not our department. It's too far away."
"Our department is swamped too. Tell the Construction Department to handle it. Isn't that their job anyway?"
And so, the bureaucrats perfectly completed their task by desperately trying to pass the work off to another department.
Amid the commotion, the High Priest's voice cut through.
"If there are no major issues, it seems you may depart."
At that, the gathered crowd began offering their own remarks.
"Still, you could remain here for now, couldn't you? Until the safety inspection is complete, please stay in another room within the Imperial Palace."
"That would be preferable. Come along now."
It was the obvious, sensible thing to say.
Simultaneously, it was the sound of their plan—to summon Crown Prince Kiaros and then collapse the Temple—crumbling to dust.
I heard the High Priest sigh.
"Sigh..."
In a situation like this, insisting on staying would only raise suspicion.
Eventually, the High Priest and the Priests began trudging after the Attendant, their footsteps heavy.
The sound of their footfalls grew distant.
I whispered to Kibon.
"Even after they leave, I think we should stay still for a while."
With farming implements precariously stacked all around us, I was terrified that if we moved, an even louder crash might occur.
Yet at that very moment, with a thunderous CRASH, another pile of tools collapsed. People in the distance clicked their tongues in disapproval.
"Good grief, what a disaster."
"That warehouse needs to be rebuilt from scratch. We should just relocate everything while we're at it."
It truly was a catastrophe.
Still, they made their comments without returning, which was a relief. I exhaled deeply in relief when Kibon whispered urgently.
"Please... stay absolutely still..."
"Hm? I'm not moving."
"D-don't squirm... I'm... struggling..."
"Your position is uncomfortable? Then just a moment..."
But the moment I shifted even slightly, another deafening CRASH echoed through the space—this time, part of the wall crumbled. I gasped in shock and pressed myself back against him, whispering.
"N-no, we should just stay still."
"...Ah..."
Kibon squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled a pained breath.
Though everyone seemed to have left, my heart continued pounding fiercely, refusing to settle.
Kibon felt the same way I did.
Now that the people had departed, the silence made every sound more acute—the rustle of our clothing, the mingling of our breaths—all crystalline and vivid.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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