state of the hallway could hardly be complimented.
The candlesticks on the walls were covered with cobwebs, and little pieces of stone that had crumbled off from the walls crunched constantly underfoot.
“Here we are,” said Elsa, stopping. The direction she pointed in was probably directly behind the sanctuary.
There on a pedestal was a statue of the Holy Mother roughly as large as a young child. The Holy Mother held her hands together in prayer and faced the entrance to the church.
The space behind the sanctuary was the holiest place in the church.
Saintly remains or bones—so-called “holy relics”—and other items important to the Church were stored here.
It was the standard place for the Church to keep precious things, and so to use it to store writings on pagan stories took a good deal of nerve.
“May God forgive us,” murmured Elsa. She took the brass key in her hand and inserted it into a small hole at the base of the statue,
The tiny keyhole was not easy to spot in the gloom. Elsa turned the key with some force, and from within the statue came the distinct sound of something unlocking.
"In his will, Father Franz said that the statue could be removed from the pedestal...but I have never seen it opened.”
"Understood," said Lawrence with a nod.
As soon as he approached the statue, Elsa backed away, worry in her eyes.
Taking hold of the statue, Lawrence hefted it with force, but it lifted unexpectedly easily.
Evidently it was hollow.
"Oof!...There.” Lawrence set the statue down beside the wall, taking care that it didn’t fall over.
Elsa looked at the space left by the statue, hesitating for a moment, but under Holo’s insistent gaze, she approached it again.
She turned the key in the opposite direction and removed it, this ti me inserting it into a small hole in the floor some distance away from the pedestal and turning it twice clockwise.
"Now...we should be able to lift the pedestal and stone free from th e floor,” Elsa said, still crouching. Holo looked at Lawrence.
Offering any opposition now would bring her sincere ire down upon him, so he sighed and prepared himself. But at that moment, he glimpsed her making an uneasy expression.
She had made a similar expression before, only to then tease Lawrence by saying, “So you like to see me this way?” Thus he could not be sure whether or not she was truly concerned, but the possibility of it was enough to give him renewed vigor.
"It seems like the only place to take hold of it...is the pedestal, Something like this—”
Not knowing exactly how to open the floor, Lawrence looked it over, then planted his feet and took hold of the pedestal. Given the way the seams of the floor stones went, it appeared that the stone nearest the church entrance would lift.
“Hng!” Lawrence braced himself and pulled up. There was an unpleasant grinding sound, like sand in a millstone—but sure enough, the pedestal lifted, along with the floor stones.
Keeping his position, he shifted his grip and lifted with all his might.
Stone ground against stone, and rusted metal creaked as the floor lifted up, revealing a dark cellar.
It did not appear to be very deep; at the foot of the stone stairs was something that looked like a bookcase.
“Shall we go in?”
"...I will go first,” said Elsa.
It seemed that at the very least, Elsa had no intention of letting Lawrence and Holo enter first and then closing the door behind them.
And in any case, having come this far, there was no point in hesitation.
“Understood. The air seems a bit stale, so be careful,” said Lawrence.
Elsa nodded, and then holding the candle in one hand, she made her way carefully down the steep steps.
Two or three steps past the point where her head was just beneath the floor, Elsa stopped to place the candle in a hollow carved in the wall. She then proceeded.
Lawrence had worried that she planned to set fire to the contents of the room, but apparently he could relax
The candlesticks on the walls were covered with cobwebs, and little pieces of stone that had crumbled off from the walls crunched constantly underfoot.
“Here we are,” said Elsa, stopping. The direction she pointed in was probably directly behind the sanctuary.
There on a pedestal was a statue of the Holy Mother roughly as large as a young child. The Holy Mother held her hands together in prayer and faced the entrance to the church.
The space behind the sanctuary was the holiest place in the church.
Saintly remains or bones—so-called “holy relics”—and other items important to the Church were stored here.
It was the standard place for the Church to keep precious things, and so to use it to store writings on pagan stories took a good deal of nerve.
“May God forgive us,” murmured Elsa. She took the brass key in her hand and inserted it into a small hole at the base of the statue,
The tiny keyhole was not easy to spot in the gloom. Elsa turned the key with some force, and from within the statue came the distinct sound of something unlocking.
"In his will, Father Franz said that the statue could be removed from the pedestal...but I have never seen it opened.”
"Understood," said Lawrence with a nod.
As soon as he approached the statue, Elsa backed away, worry in her eyes.
Taking hold of the statue, Lawrence hefted it with force, but it lifted unexpectedly easily.
Evidently it was hollow.
"Oof!...There.” Lawrence set the statue down beside the wall, taking care that it didn’t fall over.
Elsa looked at the space left by the statue, hesitating for a moment, but under Holo’s insistent gaze, she approached it again.
She turned the key in the opposite direction and removed it, this ti me inserting it into a small hole in the floor some distance away from the pedestal and turning it twice clockwise.
"Now...we should be able to lift the pedestal and stone free from th e floor,” Elsa said, still crouching. Holo looked at Lawrence.
Offering any opposition now would bring her sincere ire down upon him, so he sighed and prepared himself. But at that moment, he glimpsed her making an uneasy expression.
She had made a similar expression before, only to then tease Lawrence by saying, “So you like to see me this way?” Thus he could not be sure whether or not she was truly concerned, but the possibility of it was enough to give him renewed vigor.
"It seems like the only place to take hold of it...is the pedestal, Something like this—”
Not knowing exactly how to open the floor, Lawrence looked it over, then planted his feet and took hold of the pedestal. Given the way the seams of the floor stones went, it appeared that the stone nearest the church entrance would lift.
“Hng!” Lawrence braced himself and pulled up. There was an unpleasant grinding sound, like sand in a millstone—but sure enough, the pedestal lifted, along with the floor stones.
Keeping his position, he shifted his grip and lifted with all his might.
Stone ground against stone, and rusted metal creaked as the floor lifted up, revealing a dark cellar.
It did not appear to be very deep; at the foot of the stone stairs was something that looked like a bookcase.
“Shall we go in?”
"...I will go first,” said Elsa.
It seemed that at the very least, Elsa had no intention of letting Lawrence and Holo enter first and then closing the door behind them.
And in any case, having come this far, there was no point in hesitation.
“Understood. The air seems a bit stale, so be careful,” said Lawrence.
Elsa nodded, and then holding the candle in one hand, she made her way carefully down the steep steps.
Two or three steps past the point where her head was just beneath the floor, Elsa stopped to place the candle in a hollow carved in the wall. She then proceeded.
Lawrence had worried that she planned to set fire to the contents of the room, but apparently he could relax
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