Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Corporal Punishment (2)
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[Did you say you failed?]
“...I apologize.”
The Pontiff on the other side of the screen looked utterly perplexed.
In all the years she had served the Pontiff, this was the first time she had to make such a report.
The Grand Assassin had failed at harming a human.
And that was for a relatively low-difficulty mission of just lightly injuring them, not even killing.
[...May I ask the reason, Seras?]
“It was more heavily guarded than expected, Your Holiness. Fortunately, my identity wasn't discovered, so I think it will take some time to approach them properly.”
Seras replied to the Pontiff over the video call, her mouth feeling parched as if it were cracking open.
It was her first time lying. And all at once, so many lies.
There had definitely been an opportunity. She had gotten close enough to inflict a deep wound on that man.
The claim that her identity wasn't discovered was a lie, and there was even less need to take time to approach him.
However.
That sensation that had enveloped her entire body when she saw that man.
That strange feeling she had experienced for the first time in her life.
“...”
Unconsciously, Seras fidgeted with her fingers and pulled her hood down deeper.
The expression she was wearing right now was definitely one she absolutely could not let the Pontiff see.
She didn't know why, but it strongly felt like it wasn't the kind of face an assassin should have when thinking of their assassination target.
[...Indeed, he is an unpredictable man.]
Fortunately, the Pontiff accepted her words without any suspicion.
The trust they had built over time was enough to make even this level of lie convincing to the other side.
She felt a little guilty, but in the end, as long as she dealt with that man, it would be fine.
Her loyalty to the Pontiff had not waned in the slightest.
[If you need anything, just say the word, Seras.]
The Pontiff said this with a benevolent smile.
[The Blessings of Heaven are watching over you.]
She had no choice but to agree.
Seras reverently bowed her head to those words.
The rightful heir who alone inherited the will of Heaven, the proxy of the angels.
The religion that had saved her, who had been so severely "discriminated" against by the Empire—the human at the pinnacle of that religion.
This was the person she must devote her life to serving.
“...”
Therefore.
That man who had bound her so tightly she couldn't even carry out an order from such a person was worth investigating more deeply.
Her plan to infiltrate Elpante and deal with him over time was all in that context.
At the very least, she needed to figure out why she was feeling this way.
Why.
Why her heart raced so annoyingly every time she thought of that man.
And the first step was to gather more detailed information on him.
Starting with what that man had been up to.
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[System Message]
[ Target ‘Seras’ is tracking you! ]
[ Judged to be a minor threat to your safety. ]
[ ‘Skill: Desperate Situation’ applied at B-rank! ]
“...”
I let out a sigh and look at the window in front of me.
Yeah. I knew it would come around this time.
That's why I timed my plans accordingly.
What I was about to do next was a sight I wanted to show that one too.
It would probably bring a little change to that one's ‘state of mind.’
[Do you want to show her this sight or something?]
‘...Why?’
[Truth be told, when I first thought about it, Lucien had many shortcomings as a saintess.]
Such words flew in from inside the Soul Linker.
It was Valkasus, maintaining his attitude of utter disbelief.
[But now, it doesn't seem that way at all.]
‘...What do you mean?’
[Doesn't it show in how she's obediently following along right now?]
The line he spoke clearly pointed to Lucien, who had handed over her leash and was being dragged along.
“...”
“...”
No sound could be heard except the rustling of grass underfoot, but I knew a terrifying gaze was piercing into me from behind, even as I deliberately avoided turning around.
“...Excuse me.”
And after walking like that for a while.
The saintess's voice finally leaked out, as if she couldn't hold it in any longer, striking the back of my neck.
“Why don't you just confess right now if you have some perverted urges?”
“...”
I'd been nagged so much by Kalliban that I'm numb to most slander now, but this I couldn't ignore.
I turn my head with a look of disbelief.
“...Pardon?”
“Why are you looking so shamelessly wronged...”
“No, in this situation, why should I be hearing this?”
“...”
The saintess gaped at me in exasperation, her expression saying she was too dumbfounded to even grasp her senses.
It took quite a while for her to even spit out the next words properly.
“What part of this situation isn't perverted?!”
She pointed as she said it, and at the end of her hand was Yuria, who was walking along with her head bowed, being dragged with us.
So.
The current situation referred to me in general—having leashed two sisters and walking through the academy outskirts late at night.
“No, really, this is necessary. There's no ulterior motive.”
It might look that way, sure.
But this was all necessary work.
Work important enough to affect my life.
“Then explain the most important part—why this is necessary! Before I smash this thing...!”
“...I'm fine, Sister.”
“Yuria?!”
“I... wronged Mr. Dawood, so...”
Yuria said that, fiddling with her leash with a gloomy expression.
“...This much is fine. I was prepared for even harsher treatment.”
The saintess, who had been fuming and snapping, froze the moment she saw that.
Then, she alternated her gaze between Yuria's abdomen and mine.
The spot where Yuria had previously stabbed me with her sword, nearly splitting me in two.
“...Fine, I get it, really...!”
The saintess said this with tears welling up, grinding her teeth.
“...At least, be gentle. It's been hurting since earlier...”
“...”
Excuse me, Saintess.
If you talk while sniffling like that, it makes me look like irredeemable trash, and with both sisters having their weaknesses in my grasp, it feels like they're being forced into something harsh.
[...Isn't that a rather accurate observation?]
“...”
[Your current appearance, well. Hmm.]
Valkasus let out a sigh and spoke.
Why.
Are you going to call me trash again?
[No. Aren't you overestimating yourself a bit?]
“...”
[At this point, 'trash' might actually be a polite way of addressing you.]
“...”
Kalliban was asleep for once, and this guy wakes up to nag me.
I sigh and reply to Valkasus.
‘...This is how they loosen up a bit.’
[What part of this act resolves their guilt?]
‘They're both too kind, that's the problem.’
If they were bad people, they wouldn't care what happened to me.
But even after everything I've done so far—calling it 'fine'—they still feel guilty, so it's not really about nearly slicing me in half.
The situation had built up over time to make them feel that way toward me.
From my perspective, I'd just treated these two—key pillars of the main scenario—well, but they couldn't just accept it without reciprocation.
You could say they were crushed by goodwill. People innately too good to just receive without giving back.
‘I'm just having them work for it.’
Even the corporal punishment for Yuria was in the same vein.
More precisely, I just needed to clearly show these two how they could 'help' me.
I'm confident that once I do, they'll perk up and work hard for me.
“...”
What I was about to have these two do was something that had to be done now, more than ever.
Once it's over, I might get cut off immediately for why I did such a thing, and it wouldn't be strange.
With their guilt maxed out, it's barely manageable, I suppose?
[...So what does dragging them on leashes have to do with it? Couldn't you just let them walk on their own?]
“...”
I keep telling you, it's necessary.
How many times do I have to say it.
‘I need to get used to the feel of it in my hands too.’
[...What?]
‘No, I have to do this pretty often from now on?’
[...]
Valkasus shut his mouth in a state of resignation.
After a long silence, as if he might say something but didn't, he forcibly changed the subject with a chuckle.
[Well, training her mental fortitude like this might be good for Lucien too. Her usual level is so lacking.]
‘Yes?’
[Doesn't she casually smoke and drink? Doesn't she slack on training despite having so much holy power? Can't even memorize the full prayer...]
“...”
No, can't you cut her some human slack?
No one can be perfect all the time.
[The role of saintess is an extremely ancient profession. In my era, that level was merely basic training.]
Valkasus was spouting peak boomer energy uncharacteristically, but it was a setting I already knew vaguely.
It wasn't an ancient relationship on the hero-demon archaeological scale, but saintess was still a very old job.
In Valkasus's generation...
‘...The God-Demon War era, right?’
The era when the first hero, blessed abundantly by Heaven, wielded the holy sword and tore apart demon lords.
The first hero with the holy sword sealed not one but ‘all’ of the demon lords—monsters that could destroy the world single-handedly.
Of course, he received all possible backup, including blessings from seraphim in the otherworld, but no one could deny it was an absurd feat.
The Holy Kingdom, once a weak state barely scraping by without resources or notable strengths, grew into today's massive hegemon based on that fact alone.
It ballooned to its current size solely on being the nation that produced the first hero.
The saintess of that time stuck by such a man's side, faithfully supporting him, so it made sense Valkasus had high standards for saintesses back then.
“...”
And if my memory was correct.
Eliya's maximum growth potential shown in the game was around that level.
As long as she could properly find the holy sword, that is.
The core of the upcoming Chapter 4, [Dark Night], was exactly that.
Who would ascend to the hero position, vacant since the previous hero's death.
The chapter where hero candidates from across the continent gather at the Golden Triangle to determine the true master of the holy sword.
Bringing Yuria and Lucien here was also to prepare for that event.
If I could properly ‘strengthen’ these two here, they would definitely be a huge help there.
“...We're here.”
At my words, Lucien and Yuria both slowly looked around.
“This is...”
Lucien, surveying the surroundings, widened her eyes and muttered that.
There's no way she wouldn't recognize this place.
The seraphim barrier, the outermost edge. The space touching the void zone at the academy's end, just a few spans of land away.
A memorable place.
It was where I had come right after getting Ultrim to communicate with the angels.
What I was here for now was similar in broad strokes.
Much more radical... and dangerous, though.
I approach a bit more and set Ultrim in place.
Last time, I needed all sorts of preparations, but now it's enhanced several times, including with Echo of Consecration.
Meaning the original purpose— the ‘summoning’ ritual— would complete in an instant.
“...Huh?”
“...Eh?”
Smoke rises from Ultrim, billowing out and spreading around, and the ‘angels’ stationed here reveal themselves in an instant.
“...!”
And the moment she sees them.
Yuria clutches her head and collapses to the ground.
“...A, ahhh...!”
She writhes in agony, letting out pained groans.
The Disconnected One scatters threatening light around. The pure white curse eating away at her body throbs wildly.
I know why she's like that.
The white demon inside her right now must be screaming its mind torn apart.
Kill them now, they're enemies you can't even share the same sky with.
“Y-Yuria?!”
Lucien tries to rush over in panic, but I grab her leash and stop her. While juggling to keep Lucien outside the ‘safe range,’
Yuria spasmodically grabs her sword and charges toward the angels.
But.
“Hold it.”
I grab the leash and restrain her too. The line goes taut. If I hadn't handed over rare materials to Vulcan to make it sturdy, it would have snapped instantly.
With my physical stats decently up lately, even with Desperate Situation at B-rank from Seras, I can manage this much.
“...”
“...You crazy bastard, what the hell did you bring here?!”
One familiar angel screamed that.
The angel who had infused some abilities into Ultrim before. He recognizes me instantly too, rushing over with a horrified look.
He's probably realized what's ‘inside’ Yuria right now.
“Long time no see, folks.”
I smile casually at him and continue.
“Mind doing me a favor?”
“What out of the blue...!”
Nothing much.
It's about the ‘strengthening’ I mentioned earlier for Lucien and Yuria.
So, shall we.
Talk about how to ‘tame’ the demon together?
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