Chapter 12: The Demon God Cult
Chapter 12: The Demon God Cult
Clack, clack. The sound of heels echoed, and in response, a presence stirred within the room. Poor believer.
The owner of the heels looked down with pitying eyes at the young man who had recently come of age as he rushed toward her.
"Sister... Sister..."
The man’s face was buried in her stunningly voluptuous figure, which was barely contained by thin fabric. He rubbed his crotch against her thighs, visible through her stockings, his every movement saturated with foul desire.
It had been only a month since he reached adulthood. A sprout of the future who should have been dreaming of a bright and promising life had instead plummeted into a life defined by lust.
The owner of the heels—the one he called "Sister"—reached down and began to stroke the turgid member straining against his trousers.
The young man, panting and driven into a heat by that simple touch alone, was a pathetic, inferior specimen—hardly even a man. He would likely never father a child for the rest of his life.
A thrill ran down the nun's spine. She felt a surge of euphoria watching the man break exactly as she had intended.
"Ah... you poor thing. It is alright. God will forgive even someone like you. Now, just like this... Hehe."
In sync with her stroking fingers, the inferior seeds he forcefully expelled stained the nun's thighs. The pure white liquid trickled down her legs as if coating honey-slicked skin.
"Let us repent. Our God will grant salvation even to the version of you that exists now."
The nun wiped the flowing liquid with a finger and tasted its bitterness, an obscene smile playing on her lips. She was delighted by the completion of a faithful follower.
"Now, let us be together from now on. Here, in our Demon God Cult."
*
One of the things I found peculiar after arriving in this world was that the Demon Race, contrary to their name, were not a barbaric or exclusionary people.
Of course, there were many races among them who looked terrifying or difficult to approach at first glance, but most were highly social and not particularly bellicose.
The Demon Race did not live in a world of "might makes right" where only strength mattered; rather, they existed as a community governed by a reasonably rational order.
The foundation of this order was the Demon Council, centered around the Blood Throne—which granted shackles, duties, and rights bound by blood—and a consultative body of the seven demon races.
These two forces regulating their internal affairs prevented the various demon races from drifting apart. Thanks to this, even now, as they declined under the pressure of humanity, they were able to exist without internal strife under a stable state of public security.
If those two elements supported the Demon Race through rules, the Demon God Cult supported them through faith.
Our destination, Lakeside, was a metropolis that had amassed great wealth and a large population through logistics and trade centered around Lake Kaibal. The Demon God Cult was a major religion there, leading tens of thousands of followers.
When I asked Lena if a religion worshipping demons was even possible in a metropolis with so much foot traffic, she answered with total confidence.
"Well, we do have a bit of a knack for psychological counseling. Nothing is easier to navigate than the human heart."
Looking back and forth between Lena and Sheryl, the persuasiveness of those words hit home. Between a Three-Eyed woman who could see through human psychology and a Lust Demon who could stimulate human desire, proselytizing would be as easy as taking candy from a baby.
"Most demon races belong to the Demon God Cult, but currently, our two races—who are naturally advantaged at proselytizing—form the backbone of the organization."
"I don't really like it. It feels like we're running a scam," Sheryl muttered.
Sheryl had a blunt, straightforward side to her, and she didn't seem to care for the Demon God Cult's methods.
Unlike the Empire, which followed a monotheistic national religion, the New Religion centered in the Holy Kingdom was polytheistic.
Embracing everything from the twelve main gods centered around the Earth Mother Goddess to local indigenous deities, the New Religion had spread to every country except the Empire thanks to its tolerance. Due to this nature, it showed such distinct regional differences that it could feel like a completely different religion depending on the area.
The Demon God Cult exploited these unique religious characteristics to burrow into local societies by pretending to be a branch of the New Religion, gradually increasing its followers. This somewhat shady method was exactly what Sheryl disliked.
"Well, whether you like it or not, they say demon society wouldn't function without the Demon God Cult, so you'll have to work hard."
"I was going to say that first! Lena, I'll do my best!"
"Yes, I feel so reassured having Sheryl with me."
Whenever Sheryl wanted to look brave in front of Lena, she intentionally avoided calling her "Unnie." I couldn't tell if she was being innocent or just simple-minded.
"I can hear you, you know?"
Yeah, yeah. I shrugged and answered her in my head.
While the three of us talked, the carriage began traveling down a road where the panoramic view of Lakeside was visible.
The capital of Kaibal, boasting the largest size in the north, was both grand and beautiful.
The massive city situated beside it was larger than the demon capital, Verita, in terms of sheer scale, and it was bustling with merchants and adventurers coming and going.
I felt a slight flutter of excitement and anticipation at seeing a human city for the first time. Since coming here, I hadn't met another human, so I was curious about my own kind.
"I mean, aren't they all just people? I don't know why you're getting so worked up."
"Still, the race is different. The race."
I hadn't faced any discrimination or unfair treatment so far, but I often felt a racial or cultural gap with the various demon races, making it difficult to feel a true sense of belonging.
As members of long-lived races, the two of them were relatively indifferent to the passage of time, and the Red Oni man at the market had a completely different sense of weight. Those small differences created a subtle sense of alienation.
"Well, there will likely be plenty of downtime between the requests, so you'll have enough time to look around here and there."
"A request... I wonder how strong that goddess worshipper's will is to still be holding out."
The reason I had an excuse to visit a human city like this was all thanks to that goddess worshipper.
From what I heard, the Lust Demon nobles didn't want me wandering around outside, but it seemed they were barely able to get me out at the request of the Demon God Cult.
"According to the letter, she was dispatched from a convent directly under the Saintess. That's why mental magic like brainwashing, seduction, or insight doesn't work on her at all."
"Then can't they just bring her down with sexual techniques? You said there are plenty of Lust Demons."
The Lust Demon Race consisted of succubi, but they were also incredibly skilled at satisfying members of the same sex. I'd heard that their small tails could expand with mana to act as a pseudo-penis to provide pleasure.
Obviously, since that hadn't worked, our group was heading to Lakeside, but I felt I needed a more detailed explanation to be of any help.
"The thing is... the Saintess's Blessing is a bit special, so physical pleasure apparently doesn't cross a certain threshold. Furthermore, they say it can't be deactivated without the person's own consent..."
"I guess a trained person could endure that. So, what if we fail? Will the Holy Kingdom notice something's wrong and send an army?"
"It won't happen immediately. But as suspicion builds, the diocese's position will gradually become precarious."
I had wondered why we had to rush so much for a request to win over one woman, but it seemed the matter was more troublesome than I thought.
"If we can't win her over, she'll probably die..."
In the midst of this, Sheryl was worrying about the safety of the captured goddess worshipper. Even though the woman was technically an enemy, Sheryl's concern for her revealed a glimpse of pure humanity that I found quite admirable.
"I just don't like bullying the weak."
"Hehe, Sheryl has such a kind heart."
Sheryl leaned against the window frame to hide her face, seemingly embarrassed by Lena's praise.
The streets of Lakeside unfolded beyond the carriage window, and before long, the carriage arrived at its destination: the monastery.
"Well then, I'll change my clothes so I don't look out of place."
Certainly, if Lena entered a cathedral in her usual outfit—which emphasized her figure with tights and stockings—it would inevitably arouse suspicion.
When Lena placed a hand on her chest, her existing clothes, woven from mana, vanished. Her naked body was exposed for a split second before cotton fabric began to cover her skin.
The finished outfit had transformed into a nun's habit suitable for entering a church.
However, the top was skin-tight, clearly revealing her figure, and the habit featured high slits on the sides that exposed her thighs—it was excessively provocative.
"I think you'll actually draw more suspicion if you wear that..."
She was wearing a veil, but seeing her breasts sway with every step made her look more like someone in a costume than a nun or a priestess.
And if you looked closely, the neckline was plunged, leaving her upper cleavage completely exposed, only partially hidden by a white shawl over her shoulders. It was an utterly impious outfit.
For the record, I was wearing a sweater and denim pants Lena had bought for me—perfectly ordinary clothes.
"Oh my, everyone dresses like this here."
While I was taken aback by the nonsensical outfit, the eroticism of her revealed figure combined with the reverence of the veil created a transgressive look that I secretly found quite appealing.
The Order of Saint Benny. The large complex, where the monastery and cathedral used by the Demon God Cult stood side by side, was indeed massive enough to hold a position as a regional diocese.
Sheryl, having sent back the coachman who was a servant of the Three-Eyed Tribe, joined us, and the three of us entered the chapel following a guard who had been notified of our arrival.
The guard caught his breath upon seeing Lena's outfit and then politely escorted the three of us. Lena's appearance, with the added charm of the nun's habit, possessed a level of provocation that was inappropriate for an ordinary person to witness.
Sheryl looked displeased as she read the guard's mind, while Lena walked calmly. As I followed them while scanning our surroundings, figures soon appeared in the distance.
Several people were standing around the altar in front of the pews that lined the central aisle.
"Wait, everyone really does dress like that?"
I began to doubt my own common sense. I thought that no matter how much it was a demon religion, there would be some level of reverence for faith.
The clothes of those standing ahead all had slits even deeper than Lena's, exposing their hips, and they didn't even have shawls, leaving their cleavage and armpits fully visible.
These weren't clothes for praying in faith; they were nun's habits optimized for seducing the opposite sex. No, I doubted if these could even be called nun's habits at all.
As if reading my thoughts, one person from the group stepped forward and met my eyes.
"Bishop Sinclair..."
With a sharp impression, silver hair reaching down to her waist, and long ears, she was the bishop of this place and the only Elf in the Demon God Cult. She was the one who had summoned me.