Chapter 451
Chapter 451
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 451
Chapter Title: Devilish Bastards
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I headed to the Brass Celestial Society church with Elise.
"D-Demon Gate!"
The one we spoke to was that senior priest uncle from the Brass Celestial Society we'd met a few times before. After hearing our story, he clutched his bald head in shock and shouted.
"That's right! It was a gate leading to Pandemonium! The succubus used that passage to infiltrate the real world!!! From that horrific edge of hell!!!! To achieve her evil ambitions!!!!"
I shouted back in a frenzy myself.
I'd built up a rapport with this guy over time—from the underground waterway incident to the slum immortality cult mess, I'd gotten rewards twice.
Hell, I hadn't even used the holy water from the second reward to take down that corrupted kobold queen.
The second batch of holy water had just sat unused in my house. By now, it was probably past its expiration, with all the divine power evaporated. Damn stuff had no preservatives.
That was quite a while ago, too.
"Pandemonium!!! Oh Verde, a hell gate!!! The demons' threat is ever-present!!!"
The senior priest hurriedly pulled out his rosary and gripped it tight.
"Whew...! First, allow me to express our deepest gratitude for your efforts in safeguarding world peace. But do you have any evidence...?"
Regaining his composure, the senior priest asked for proof. Elise pulled out the high imp's bracelet we'd looted back then from her bosom.
"This is a trophy from slaying and looting a high imp, one of the demonkin. It must be an item from hell. Regrettably, since the succubus opened the gate and fled, we couldn't retrieve proof of her death. But I swear on the God of Order that the story I just told is the truth."
"Hmm... So this is a high imp's..."
Elise and the senior priest exchanged views on demonkin and info on high imps. The two churches didn't mingle much, apparently, and each religion had slightly different classifications for demons.
Of course, they glossed over those differences with some flexibility.
Both churches persecuted demons anyway and wanted more of them exterminated. They were comrades who just worshiped different gods.
"We had suspected the mass imp outbreak. Pandemonium, you say... Well, you've already reported this incident before, and it's been verified, so we'll trust you and investigate."
Anyway, they'd look into it.
The Brass Celestial Society's brass holy knights were murder machines. Even if demons were hiding in the woods somewhere, once those guys got deployed, it'd be demon stew or inhuman slaughter pancakes on the menu that very day.
"If we find traces, we'll reward you. Come back again."
"Yes, of course. Thank you for investigating. Oh, Priest? One thing I'm curious about."
"What is it?"
I recalled reporting the slum immortality cult to this church after wiping them out. Back then, chaos from the Ezath uproar had pulled away their holy knights, so they couldn't investigate properly.
They'd said they'd follow up later, but I hadn't bothered checking since I wasn't that interested.
But now that I was here, better to hear the update. It was happening right by my house now, after all—practically my business.
"What happened with that immortality cult I reported last time? You said you couldn't investigate properly because your forces were tied up, right?"
"Ah, that incident? I forgot to tell you."
The senior priest began explaining.
"Like the underground waterway before it, we'd captured evidence and clear facts of heretics infiltrating the city twice. We coordinated with Lord Iswant and the Brass Celestial Society, of course."
Elise and I had toppled the heretics' giant like David felling Goliath. With the bodies left behind, once the Ezath crisis wrapped up, the Brass Celestial Society assembled forces, linked up with the other church and the lord, and investigated all winter.
"We couldn't uncover their goals or identity, but we confirmed they're obsessed with undead rituals. They were likely behind that massive undead outbreak too."
Necromancers.
But what about that infiltration tunnel for the big guy?
"What about the tunnel in that building's basement?"
"The tunnel... We investigated it, but it was incomplete, so we couldn't trace where it led."
"Damn."
"But we sealed them all off and screened the slums, judging everyone involved. The threats hanging over the city have all been eliminated."
They'd checked outside the city too but found nothing notable.
After that, the priest rambled about countermeasures with the lord, post-processing, and such. No more heretic incursions into the city from now on.
Since it was a big deal, they'd handle it properly—reassuring.
"Then farewell."
"Take care, Priest."
With that, we got the bracelet back and stepped outside with Elise. It was still early morning.
"I should hurry back to the church and report this."
"When do you leave?"
"In a couple days, the report should be ready."
"Kinda sucks we're parting already."
Why wasn't there a Radiant Cross Society church here?
"Hee hee, same for me, Holy One. Aren't you hungry?"
"Starving. Let's grab food."
As usual, we picked a nearby restaurant, went in, and ate. Over the meal, we chatted about demons and succubi.
This incident seemed more like a straight demon case than tied to heretics.
"Oh, when you get back, tell 'em about the heretics in the Fog Plains too. Those bastards are seriously dangerous."
"Of course. I've already drafted a report based on your testimony. Thank you for even this."
"Heh heh, no biggie. Include this too."
I pulled the heretics' insignias from the Fog Plains massacre out of my pocket and handed them to Elise.
Stuff I'd saved for her.
"This...? Heretic insignias!"
Elise's eyes widened as she took them.
"From the Fog Plains heretics. I said I'd show you, remember?"
"Thank you, Holy One! I never dreamed you'd give me these...!"
"Don't need 'em. Use for the public good."
"Got it!"
Lisha said the insignias themselves weren't special.
She'd just copied the symbol and compared to other cults—no matches.
New cult maybe?
Lisha thought it possible but admitted she didn't know every cult.
The heretic symbol from the kobold idol investigation when we first met Elise. Still a mystery.
After eating with Elise, we strolled the streets.
"Elise. You using those clothes I bought you well?"
"Of course. On my days off, I wear the casual clothes we bought when going out."
"Heh heh, good. What do you do out?"
"I visit the arena or guide the local riffraff. Without my habit, thugs pick fights more often, but it makes spotting criminals easier—so I'm glad."
No way.
Prime undercover work.
Ignorant thugs messing with Elise? Broken limbs that day. If they were lucky. Her raw combat power outstripped mine.
"Nice... Wait, what's that?"
"A clown?"
We were chatting as we walked the city.
Whoop-de-doo!
A clown-masked man over there shouted loud, waving a sign. Looked like some arena event soon.
"Come one, come all! It starts soon! The brutal criminal execution! Today's condemned is—the feared!!! Serial rapist-murderer Talis!!! And get this! His crimes are so heinous, the executioner's not human—it's a monster! No better chance than today! Come see, come see!"
Arena doing a monster execution on a criminal. Common stuff. Wasn't the last one's ogre executioner?
Arena content was brutal by nature. With little entertainment, folks lapped it up. Even modern Earth loved fights.
"Oho, a monster?"
"Talis... So he got caught."
"Nothing better to do—wanna watch?"
"Sure!"
Onlookers murmured at the clown's pitch and headed to the arena.
But what monster for an execution?
"...Holy One."
"Elise?"
Then Elise grabbed my arm.
Her eyes already sparkled.
Oh no.
The "execution" word flipped her switch.
"Heh heh, let's go!"
"As expected of the Holy One!"
"Must burn a criminal's end into your eyes!"
"Wise and righteous words! Their deaths deserve insult! Eaten by a monster would be perfect!"
Oh yeah, Radiant Cross doctrine said those killed by monsters wandered purgatory? Vague memory from ages ago.
"Lalala~!"
I bolted to the arena with Elise.
The whole way, she chattered like a canary about criminal executions and monster slaughters at Krasheim Arena. Clearly thrilled.
Buzz buzz.
The arena was packed, no room to breathe.
Super loud, shouts everywhere. This before it even started.
How infamous was this guy?
"Ho... Holy One! Can't see! Like infiltrating that heretic gathering—too crowded!"
"Piggyback time!"
"Piggyback...? What's that?"
"Hop on my shoulders quick!"
I hoisted Elise up piggyback-style.
Her thighs brushed my hair-covered ears.
"Eek... Em, embarrassing. And ticklish..."
"See now?"
"Clear... Ah! Starting!"
"Ooh."
Rooooar!
Cheers erupted as the execution began.
Clank.
The door opened, revealing a man in arm shackles.
That the serial rapist-murderer?
Beaten blue all over from jail. James Cameron would cast him as Na'vi in Avatar 2 on sight.
"Holy One! He's out! The brute! Blue skin!!!"
Elise squeezed her thighs, gripping my head, yelling.
"I see. Criminal face from the start!"
"Now the monster...!"
Clank.
Opposite door opened.
Curious what beast, I peered—dark green monster I'd seen before crawled out slow.
Squeeeee!
"It's hereeeee!!! Our arena's secret acquisition—a troll!!! Troll's out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To execute the brute!!!!!!!!!!!! Folks!!!!!!!!! Watch!!!!!!"
It was a troll a bit bigger than a grown man.
Ferocious look, tough and savage.
But legs thin as a kid's arms.
"Today's the arena's new executioner Drakus's debut!!!"
The announcer auntie shouted, unleashing thunderous cheers.
"Holy One, a troll! Evil troll! Deserves death! Want to kill it now! But the legs!"
"Handicap."
Coolcool.
It was the troll I'd sold off before—Coolcool.