Antagonist Protection Service-Chapter 105: I Am The Lord Thy God (4)

As I was staring at the back of that pink hair, it suddenly shifted to look directly at me.

No, not just me, but passing over everyone else in the hall.

"Everyone. I will investigate the remainder of this building, and you will stay here. Oh, and you two, you will follow me."

'Hm?'

Gesturing with her chin towards me and the teal-haired girl, she swiftly turned her body so as to say she wasn't going to listen to any objections, taking off in a seemingly random direction.

The two of us only looked at each other simultaneously, nodded, then briskly moved our feet to catch up with her.

Thus, we explored beyond the doors of the nave, first of all to beyond the church's North Transept, finding, quite surprisingly, some decently-maintained living facilities.

The area included a wide room with enough beds for about half-a-dozen people, a public bathroom with a number of toilet cubicles and sinks, and even a room that contained a shower bath, all adjacent to each other.

Needless to say, there was no way to escape the church that was found.

Returning to the main area and exploring the opposite side, through the door of the South Transept, a mirrored layout was found.

"I suppose these areas would be everyone's intended quarters for the duration of our little sojourn here. And how quaint it is."

Looking as if she were concealing a laugh just below the surface, the pink-haired girl gave such a judgement. Personally, I was already thinking something along those lines considering how much food and water there was stored in the kitchen, and this discovery only served to reinforce that belief.

"That is so... the thought of being trapped here for an unknown amount of days is quite tempering, but it is indeed a relief that the provided facilities are sanitary, at least..."

The teal-haired girl sighed and said as much. I glanced at the two of them in silence as the other continued.

"I would have preferred individual rooms with locks, but if it is like this, it does indeed make keeping an observant eye easier, so it isn't a terrible result... Hm, no, considering that the possibility for the unknown betrayer 「Judas」 to be the culprit is high, he would doubtless possess the means to bypass such simple methods of protection. I suppose, then, this is the best result we could have hoped for. To keep mutual watch, that is."

"Ah, that's right. It is also nice that the standard of these living areas appear quite decent, isn't it? Hopefully, it might not be so bad after all."

At the teal-haired girl's smiling attempt to make the most out of what we had, the other bore a deep frown and, crossing her arms, blatantly scoffed.

"Nice? We have not yet to see what's in store, don't be foolish. No matter how desirable the interior conditions, a cage is a cage. The only 'quality' of consequence is the escapability for the captured――Evidently, our own appears to be rather lacking in that regard."

Letting her thoughts be known freely beside me, I simply examined the places absent-mindedly.

We were trapped, yes, but the conditions really weren't all that bad... Including the food, the sleeping quarters, the bathrooms and the bathing areas, we had pretty much everything we could have asked for, bar perhaps an area for entertainment purposes... or nature, or fresh air, or direct access to sunlight.

...I suppose her words were right in the end.

This definitely wasn't anything like a resort or a holiday home, or anything positive like that.

'A cage is a cage, huh...'

Then, naturally single-handedly, the pink-haired girl decided, shooting a particular glance at me for some reason.

"This South Transept will be the womens' quarters, with the North Transept belonging to the men. Do not mix it up."

"Uh... right."

'Why're you singling me out? It's not like I'd do something weird.'

Well, considering they were the exact same layout and facilities, and I could certainly understand why there might be concern in regards to the womens' safety, there was no reason to argue.

I wasn't someone who would do what she was likely afraid of anyway, so it didn't matter.

In addition to the North and South Transepts, which held the now-determined male and female quarters respectively, there was the previously discovered kitchen, adjoined to the entrance antechamber. These three areas, plus the central nave, constituted the whole church in which we found ourselves.

As confirmed previously, the stored supplies were bountiful, and patently sufficient enough to last all twelve of us days or perhaps even weeks without concern.

With that in mind, assuming that nothing unexpected happened in the meantime, we had plenty of time to figure out firstly what to do, and second, how to go about it.

That is to say, at least from everyone else's perspective, how to escape.

This was a task we should all be able to peacefully discuss and cooperate on together, right?

Assuming nothing unexpected happened, that is.

"―Ah, you're back. Did you find anything?"

As we returned to the nave, where the others were still waiting in the same groups as previously, the man with the little sister was the first to open his mouth.

"Yes. On each side, there is..."

The teal-haired girl approached them with a gentle smile to reveal our findings, whilst the girl with pink hair returned once more to the apse's altar; watching the actions of the latter closely, my gaze flickered down to what lay atop said altar.

That blank book, which she picked up――

"..."

"Hm. It doesn't appear to want to budge. Curious..."

―Or at least, tried to.

I observed her attempt to pick up the book, which failed spectacularly, and even when using her fingernails to pry it off the altar's top, it didn't seem to yield an inch.

"Hmm. Now, this really is something that tickles the brain. How intriguing. A key...?"

Muttering that low under her breath, I could've sworn I caught the ends of her mouth curling up ever-so-slightly as her tongue whipped out to lick her lips. For some reason, that single instant caused my brows to furrow indiscriminately.

Right after that, she spun around, facing everyone who now looked in our same direction having listened to the teal-haired's explanation.

And, with those gleaming yellow eyes, bearing the reflection of a lemon, or akin to the radiance of the sun in a bright blue sky...

Heavy music resounded.

"―We have ten... no, eleven days, I suppose."

"H-how'd you figure that out? Or, what, is it just a guess...?"

A question from the highschooler boy, which could only be considered something natural to ask. She answered without so much as batting an eye.

"'Thou hast as many days as thou hast sins.'―The final line of this here inscription states as such, and just beside it, the Decalogue of the Christian Bible is also listed out. A simple deduction, really. In fact, if you couldn't even figure that much out, might you also be the sort of incompetent referenced in my earlier statement?"

Saying that with a single raised eyebrow and folded arms, she seemed to question the very intelligence of the boy who asked.

Or rather, she was just blatantly insulting him.

"Please, there's no need for such hostility... In any case, yes, we all understand the logic. But, could you enlighten us as to how you arrived at the conclusion of eleven days rather than ten?"

Before anyone else had the chance, teal-hair intervened and asked that, letting the discussion continue in a forward-moving direction whilst simultaneously preventing any fights or arguments from breaking out.

Just as pink-haired opened her mouth to respond, however, the clergyman spoke.

"It is because the Seventh Day is a day of rest―the Sabbath day as it were, which is also mentioned among the listed Commandments. I would imagine such is the reasoning behind the assessment?"

Casting a glance to who he interrupted, the domineering girl rolled her eyes.

"Indeed."

Certainly, that made sense to me.

If we were here for ten days, one day for each of the Ten Commandments, plus one additional day to save the Seventh as a 'rest day', then it would absolutely follow that eleven days is how long we have here.

Even I knew that the Seventh Day was a day of rest, after all.

The question then becomes, though... what are we supposed to do with these assigned eleven days?

As well as, of course, what would happen once those eleven days are up?

Even if we were to assume that each day relates to each of the Commandments in their listed order, that didn't explain what we were supposed to be using that time for.

"Then, what're we supposed to be doing for these eleven days? Even if we know they correlate to each of the Commandments, it doesn't explain anything..."

'Oh, I had the same question.'

Fortunately, as if plucking the words straight out of my mouth, the forthgoing highschooler boy asked that.

Honestly, I don't know what kind of answer I expected. The truth was, I didn't expect an answer that actually answered the question candidly, because I genuinely didn't think it was a question we had the answer to.

Alas, I must have forgotten.

"――Isn't it obvious by using your little peanut brains for just a fraction of a moment?"

With us, we had a person who went by the title of the 'Detective'.

"You all are to repent. Simultaneously, as it appears we have a yet unknown 「Judas」 among us, or rather, amongst the penitent congregation that you all have so selfishly become, intentionally or otherwise, with mal-intent or otherwise, and forgetting or otherwise, I suppose the expectation has been placed on the collective to bring said betrayer to retribution. As bothersome it might be."

With an eloquent silver tongue and a smoothly-flowing, almost melodic voice, she spoke unmuddledly down to us all.

"Now then. To start us off, I would be surprised if any one of you was actually stupid enough to respond positively, but I suppose there is no harm in asking in any case."

New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on ƒгeewebnovёl.com.

Sweeping a piercing gave over everyone, she raised a simple question.

"Is there anyone who would like to step forth as 「Judas」 right away?"

Needless to say, nothing but worldly silence followed her question.