“Are you awake?”

Ivy opened her eyes upon hearing the voice. She was startled to see Dismas looking down at her, but she soon wrapped her arms around her head due to a terrible headache. Ivy had a feeling that she saw something important in her dream, but she couldn’t remember anything now that she was awake.

Dismas held out a glass of water in front of Ivy when she quietly groaned.

Ivy hesitated for a moment, but took the glass to her mouth. Upon glancing around at her surroundings, Ivy saw walls made of red granite and countless symbols representing the emperor built outside the window.

There was only one place like this throughout the entire empire. It was Cabragh, the capital city of the West. To be exact, Ivy was in the Red Citadel, the base of the Order of Surtr.

“I know that you’re worried. But you are safe here, Saintess. I promise you that there is nothing to worry about,” Dismas said.

Ivy bit her lips.

“Am I a hostage?”

“Hostage? No way. How could I dare to treat the Saintess as a hostage? All I did was rescue you. I apologize for taking advantage of your good intentions in the process of doing so. I will ask for forgiveness by getting myself whipped a hundred times.”

Ivy looked slightly fed up. She had seen a knight of the Order of Surtr getting whipped as a piacular rite before. They borrowed the hand of a fellow knight, since punishing themselves on...