Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: In the Name of Glory (7)
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***
'No wonder she followed along so smoothly, like water flowing! For an excuse thrown together on the spot, it unraveled too perfectly! Where did she start piecing it together? From the beginning? When I brought in Jekkus? When I confessed I had no ties to the Queen? When I mentioned the Salvation Church's intel?'
Unlike his chaotic mind, the Professor's mouth moved calmly.
"I pledge my oath. I, the Professor, swear to devote myself to humanity until the day my own will remains intact."
He deliberately omitted the usual hero's oath phrasing like "[in accordance with the Church's will]." Damn it, yeah! It stung his pride! He'd been completely played! By that snake of a woman!
Senadis, who had been looking down at the Professor with satisfaction, glanced at the surrounding priests and holy knights.
"There. Another hero has been born. Normally, I'd like to take time to bestow blessings as per procedure, but as you know, the information 'Hero Professor' has shared is urgent. I'll perform a simplified blessing myself, so priests and holy knights, form up forces immediately and head to the Singing Helm Tavern."
"We obey the will of the Light."
"Latura, Ro Haram."
The priests and holy knights bolted out of the temple the moment the head bishop gave permission. Heresy headquarters right in their own backyard. Must have been unbearable.
Now alone in the temple with the Professor, Senadis knelt before him without minding her robes soaking in the spilled incense oil on the floor, meeting his gaze.
"You're quick on the uptake, and your grasp of situations and responses are impressive. Ah, Ro Haram. Act, and my hand shall be there. How perfectly suited this talent You've sent us."
With the priests gone, she stopped hiding her true intentions. Her tone shifted from solemn and sacred to casual. She knew he'd seen through her cunning nature, so she dropped the facade. How could he not? The moment the priests left, he'd been grinding his teeth.
"Since when... was this planned?"
"Hmm... tough question. The original plan diverged so much from the outcome. I don't even know if it went according to plan or not."
She said this while pulling a worn, twice-folded letter from her bosom.
"I first heard about you through this letter."
"What's... that?"
"Hehe. Why don't you read it yourself?"
The Professor glared at her fox-like smirk, then snatched the letter irritably from her hand and unfolded it.
"This is..."
"Surprised? When the Church's informant first delivered it, I doubted it was real multiple times. After all, Charlotte de Agate—that epitome of a steel knight—personally wrote a letter of recommendation for some man!"
The paper in the Professor's hand bore Charlotte's seal amid noble rhetoric awkwardly praising how devoted this "Professor" could be to Lordric and his aptitude for knighthood.
"Wha... what?"
Charlotte wrote a recommendation? On top of carrying him to the temple and causing a scene to save his life?
- Soy Sauce Gaybar: ??????
- Speed Wagon: Oh.
- Mukaba: Charlotte sis route... is open? From that iron wall?
- Heung An Mandu: Is this that ugly guy's charm or whatever.
- Jokasss: Yo, Professor's stream just hit top 50 in community broadcast rankings. Rumor's it's Charlotte de Agate攻略 full clear.
- G Visual Novel G: Hello, everyone. From those who remember the beauty of forgotten worlds, 'Adult Play Cooperative Union.' We offer thanks to the pioneers still striving to open new paths, along with a small token of goodwill. We'll visit often. Thank you.
+Player `G Visual Novel G` has donated 500,000 sealings!
- Take a Look: Suspiciously loaded...
- Speed Wagon: Unlock conditions: Battlefield contribution 30%+ on a field allied with her / Charlotte de Agate's approval / Near-total ally wipe, especially those around Charlotte all dead / Player near-death injuries, devotion in the process known / After all that, drive off enemies with Charlotte surviving. /
Tightest confirmed info. Speculation.
- G Visual Novel G: Share~
- Beauty Praise: Share~
- Absolute Trash: Share~
- Former Idol Singer: They say the world of heroes is filled with eccentrics like stars in the night sky... and now one finds the uncharted path to Peach Blossom Land... I'll put this life-saving intel to good use.
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.
.
.
Uh... um... Everyone seems pretty shocked. Me too. I knew Charlotte thought well of me, but a recommendation letter? That embodiment of chivalry, dropping a parachute? Isn't this what people call a green light?
The Professor grinned dopily, then unwittingly slapped his knee.
'Damn it! If that infection hadn't been untreatable back then, he could've jumped straight to the royal knight route! With some finesse, Charlotte as a companion too!'
Ah, his gut twisted. If he'd played it safer then, no such hellish grind—he'd be gaming happily like everyone else. Royal knight's a super A-rank job. A hundred times easier than now.
Regardless of the Professor's churning insides, Senadis continued.
"The Radiant Church takes great interest in Lady Agate. Naturally. Worshippers of the Light God paying attention to the 'Sun of the Battlefield.' Some priests even thought she might be a saint sent by Ro Haram. For such a woman—who's never been close to a man her whole life—to privately recommend one? Intrigued, I ordered a little digging... and then, as you know, suspicious info came rolling in wholesale."
"So the oracle talk was all lies?"
"As if I'd invoke Ro Haram's name for falsehoods. The oracle was exactly as I said. But I already knew its target was the heretic Salvation Church. The Radiant name echoes everywhere under the sun. How could the Church not know of such brazen heretics?"
"You son of a—
"Son?"
"—bitch."
The Professor nearly cursed in disbelief but swallowed it. She's still the bishop. Mouth off, and he'd die. Slowly, calmly, figure it out.
Unable to hide his boiling rage, Senadis smiled amusedly at his face again.
"But things veered from my expectations. The plan was to swoop in, appeal to the priests' mercy to save you from certain heresy execution, induct you into the Church, and use you to lure Lady Agate."
Tap tap.
The head bishop tapped the Professor's forehead with her finger, beaming like a field of blooming flowers.
"But upon meeting you, turns out you're incredibly sharp, witty, politically savvy, and—even claim to receive Queen intel? Who could've imagined you'd be this valuable? The moment you revealed the Salvation Church's base—unknown even to us—I realized. Ah, the Lord sent you for us. The perfect tool to guide His lost children through the dark night.
Per Lady Agate's letter, your strategic prowess far exceeds mortals. Discarding such talent would waste humanity and defy Ro Haram's will."
"Tch!"
The Professor irritably swatted her hand, but Senadis rose unperturbed, approaching the Ro Haram statue.
"You know this, but I'll say it plainly for both our sakes. Professor, you can't defy the Church's will. You're too entangled with Mutants already. No matter how you spin it, we can brand you heretic. You know that, right?"
"...Damn it."
"I'll take that as agreement. I planned to bait you for Lady Agate's hero enshrinement... but with your card, no need to antagonize Lordric and steal their knight."
The Professor sensed the conversation circling. She knew his identity, planned to use him for Agate. But no longer needed Charlotte—instead, him. For what? Why?
Irritated, he said,
"A hero is one tasked by the Church. Enough beating around the bush. What massive mission requires this much circling?"
"...Latura, Ro Haram. Forgive us."
After quiet prayer before the statue, Senadis turned. Beneath the massive icon, she seemed profoundly distant.
Hesitant, she spoke.
"Monsters multiply endlessly. Lordric's lost three cities already. Not just our Radiant Church—all temples speak of the coming darkness."
"Anyone who's stood on a battlefield once kn—
"We're forming a suicide squad. One that plunges into the enemy's heart, risking all to behead the source of all evil: the Queen."
Senadis savored the weight, uttering each word solemnly.
"Professor, use your abilities to lead that squad. Be their pathfinder. Guide the flames to the Queen's side."
***
'Death sentence.'
The word that flashed first upon hearing "suicide squad."
The term reeked of death. A group resolved to die for the mission. Plunge into Mutant-held lands, sever the Queen's head—the root of it all.
'Reckless. No idea the roster, but success odds too low. Nine out of ten failures...'
Then, a sticky, unpleasant premonition struck the Professor.
"...A mission with no chance of survival, let alone success. You call yourselves men of the cloth?"
"Bright light always births shadow. As Ro Haram's servants, we rightly revere even His shadow children. For the Light, we're ready to sink into shadow."
"Pretty words for 'we'll do the dirty work....'"
'The Church doesn't care if the squad succeeds.'
Success or failure, once they launch and infiltrate enemy lines, mission accomplished. Even if no Queen's head, it signals humans—small elite force—can target their greatest weakness. The Queen's spawn, lording like world owners, speaking Mutants effectively checked. Prioritizing her safety over theirs, they'll shrink from threats. Humanity buys time. Plus, ambiguous potentials die off—win-win for the Church.
"The more we talk, the more it pains me to send you. Figuring the squad's purpose so quick. I'd love to force you into priesthood somehow..."
"Spare me the insincere crap."
"Hehe. If not tainted by evil hands, we could've worked together."
That's the conclusion. He proved himself in the confession rite, but Mutant-tainted—untrustworthy. Perfect for a talent-needed suicide run.
Senadis lifted an oval metal necklace with a hollow center from the altar vessels, draping it over the Professor's neck. Large enough to reach from collarbone to solar plexus, uncomfortable but radiating potent holy power—high-grade relic.
"You, hero who swore to remain human despite evil's taint. I, Ro Haram's servant, gatherer of light, El Senadis, bless you. May this relic 'Light of Nelphia' illuminate your perilous path ahead."
"...Blessings for a dead man? Why not a holy sword or something?"
"Giving relics is already overreach. Grand Bishop said once squad launches, that's it."
Head bowed, hands clasped in prayer, Senadis said,
"Still, you're a Church hero I appointed—undeniable. We send you to death, yet I pray you return alive."
"Pray for your 'defiled one'?"
"Ro Haram will forgive that much."
Having hung the relic, Senadis deeply bowed to the kneeling Professor.
"We pray for your safe return, Hero, Professor. My attendant priest awaits outside. Go now, Hero. May the Light be with you."
"......"
The Professor glared silently, then rose. Senadis kept her bowed posture, head down, as he walked to the door. It felt profoundly, profoundly uncomfortable.
"...Well, you said nice words at the end, so I'll give one back."
Hand on the doorknob, not turning,
"You should quit being bishop. For your own good. So wordy sending one to die. If you know refusal's impossible, just say 'go die.'"
"....."
"Quit it all, go back to low priest, stare at light and live. Don't wear ill-fitting robes for high-ups' words."
"....The Lord needs me."
"Sheesh. First pitiful overachiever I've seen."
Creak—
Sunlight streamed in as the Professor opened the door, squinting at the brightness.
"...Closing the door."
Bang!
Slamming it irritably, he followed the waiting priest out.
[The crying woman needs comforting, right? It says so?]
'Not this time. No comfort works.'
Senadis cried sending him off. Head buried in shame. Even she, scheming in the Church's shadows, mere pawn. Forced to play evil, condemn someone to death.
"Can't stand folks banding over ideology or beliefs."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, muttering. Muttering."
Trailing the attendant priest, the Professor couldn't shake the unease.
***
"Where to?"
"Temple rear garden has guest quarters. Your mission comrades await there."
"Comrades..."
Following through the manicured garden, the Professor pondered.
'Forced mission, but not total loss. Could be a good opportunity.'
Sudden suicide squad, but overall frame familiar to Professor—no, community.
'Rank 3, Thousand Stream Emperor's exact mission. Same event.'
Identical to top ranker's World 3 clear path. Professor's erratic play suddenly on rails.
'Issue: Thousand Stream Emperor had hero unit buddies stacked pre-mission, and his control godlike solo.'
Many call Thousand Stream Emperor's World 3 data "fake" or "half-assed." Post-clear, he ignored next worlds, pure self-power grind. Early World squad mission, absurd power gap overcome by control freak assassination of Queen.
'Compare to him then? Pathetic.'
Early World, but swordmaster class with sword aura cleaving gates one swing. Videos showed broken sword pulling 2m+ sword auras, even claw ki kicks shredding Mutants. Tried warrior—zero clue. Form screams real deal.
Me?
Mutant blood-dependent body. Even with, barely trails his toe. Buddies? None now. Sustain maybe mine better. Mutant turf fight.
Same route, but can't brute like him.
'Key: who the comrades?'
If I'm weak, they must be strong. His squad: Burning Bow, Rom Snake, Argalea Princess?
Don't ask much. No hero units needed—just proper shares. Probably Church-picked thorns like me. Please, usable ones!
"Here. Beyond's restricted—go alone. Comrades know the mission."
The priest left briskly.
- Soy Sauce Gaybar: Oh, gacha again? Buddy gacha?
- Deer Drug Please: 'Church-picked awkward folks' pack. 10-pull honey.
- Jokasss: At least one named. Gotta threaten Queen deep.
'Please! No nameds needed! Healer DPS tank—no, I tank—healer mage DPS combo!'
Praying fervently, the Professor opened the door to his suicide squad comrades.
***
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