Chapter 474

In the old, somewhat dilapidated castle, the group advanced cautiously.

They formed a long, narrow formation. The knight walked at the very front, with the warrior about three paces behind him, and the mage another three paces farther back. Behind them came the priest, followed by the ranger.

This formation placed extreme emphasis on defense. The knight and warrior in front needed no explanation; behind them, the ranger was quick to react, while the priest was at least clad in armor. Even if they came under attack, they could hold out for a while, keeping the mage in the middle well protected.

Yui herself did not think she needed that much protection. Although this mage lacked sufficient physical training, her combat experience more than made up for her body's lack of martial strength. Even if she were suddenly attacked by an evil spirit, she would not be utterly unable to fight back, left waiting helplessly for death.

But she did not reject her companions' goodwill. On the contrary, she was delighted by it.

A team that cared for one another might not be powerful enough, but at least it was warm enough.

The five moved along the walls, walking slowly and pausing from time to time to inspect their surroundings carefully. At Yui's reminder, the priest cautiously used a cleric's innate senses and his own energy to resist any spiritual attacks from the evil spirit. With that means of observation unavailable, they could only rely more heavily on their eyes and ears, searching the surroundings for the slightest trace.

Whenever they passed a window, the warrior tore down the drapes covering it. This meant the castle's owner would need to spend a small sum repairing the place, but compared to the trouble it might cause that unknown owner, the light