Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Butterfly Effect
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After finishing up my business and stepping out of the dome, the Saintess was clutching her head with a thoroughly deflated expression.
A lit cigarette was in her hand.
“...Can the Saintess really smoke something like that?”
“I can’t help it when I’m stressed. I might’ve died ages ago without these.”
“...”
Why was she suddenly saying something so ominous?
“It’s still tough right now. Because of you.”
“Pardon?”
“You know this? Once you hold a certain level of divine power, you sometimes get communications with beings from the other side.”
“...”
“It’s ringing in my head. One of the angels in that building is screaming that you’re trash, full of righteous fury.”
“...I see.”
Yeah.
I could tell just from that.
[ Target ‘Fallen Angel A1101’ recognizes you as trash not worth associating with! ]
[ Negative influence is imprinted! ]
[ Collectible reward is granted! ]
[ Skill: Dominion of Evil activates. You gain 1 usable command on the target! ]
“...”
Lately, it felt like my reputation was hitting rock bottom more often than not, but what could I do?
More importantly, this.
I pulled out a few arm-sized ingots of metal in front of Lucien.
Her expression turned serious the moment she saw them.
“...This is.”
No matter how roughly they were handled, a Saintess was still a Saintess. She recognized it immediately.
The ‘Heart of the Star’ inside that dome right now was made from this stuff, after all.
[ Star Iron Ingot ]
[ Material: Weapons & Armor ]
[ It has high conductivity to all types of abilities, especially synergizing well with divine power. Nothing can damage Star Iron except more Star Iron or metals from Pandemonium.
▶ Strong resistance to all curses when used in equipment crafting.
▶ Gains special effects when combined with certain materials. ]
Man, just looking at it was dazzling.
As expected from the material that makes up the protagonist’s key weapon, it was loaded with all sorts of utilities.
“Where on earth did you get this much Star Iron? This is metal from myths...!”
“The one in there calling me trash is also someone straight out of myths, if you think about it.”
“...”
She seemed to concede with a ‘Yeah, true?’ vibe and shut her mouth.
“I’m planning to give some to Yuria as a gift.”
As I scratched my cheek and said that, Lucien’s eyes went wide.
“...Pardon?”
She blinked a few times after.
As if slowly piecing together what I’d just said.
Then the Saintess jumped up from her spot. She alternated shocked glances between the Star Iron ingots and me.
“W-Wait a second. This is Star Iron. Wars have broken out over half this amount.”
True enough. This wasn’t ordinary value.
But the curse on your sister wasn’t ordinary either.
“I’m not giving it all away, anyway. I’ve set aside what I need, so just take it.”
And that was true.
This was less than half of what I’d ripped off that Fallen Angel.
I was saving the rest for other uses.
“That’s not the issue...!”
“Like I said last time, if I don’t give you this, things are gonna get bad.”
I said it firmly.
I didn’t call the Curse of Severance one of the most vicious in the game for nothing.
Even a near-sacred material ripped from threatening an angel directly couldn’t fully lift it.
“...True, that is.”
Lucien replied darkly, then bowed her head and fell silent for a moment.
“But I can’t just keep taking help like this...”
“No.”
I cut in with a serious tone.
“You two are that important to me. Star Iron’s no big deal, so take it.”
“...”
More precisely, Yuria could only be used in the upcoming Chapter 2 boss fight once she had Star Iron gear.
Considering their roles in the Boy King boss fight, no amount of emphasis on their importance would be too much.
“This is just the start, anyway. I plan to stick with you to the end. Think of it as a token of sincerity.”
And, well.
These two were key to one of the main plotlines in the late game, the ‘Pontifex Conquest’. Handing out Star Iron was pocket change—
[ The other party knows about your womanizing, so they harbor distrust and resist seduction! ]
[ But they ultimately fail to resist! ]
[ Target ‘Lucien’s favorability stage slightly changes! ]
[ Favorability stage rises from ‘Interest Stage 1’ to ‘Interest Stage 1.5’! ]
“...”
What the hell was this?
What seduction? What resistance?
“...Don’t do that, seriously.”
Lucien spoke up, her face flushed beet red and trembling.
“Pardon?”
“It was just suspicion before, but now I’m sure. How many women have you tricked like this?”
“...”
“There’s a limit to how suggestively you talk... If Yuria weren’t in that state, even I’d have fallen for it...”
“...What do you...?”
“I don’t know! Don’t make me explain it myself, you shameless bastard!”
“...”
Dawood Campbell, second life achievement.
Got called a shameless bastard by the Saintess.
Where the hell was this going...?
“Anyway!”
She cleared her throat a few times, cough cough, and continued with her still-red face.
“Last time you helped, you said it wasn’t free. You must want something from us this time too, right?”
Quick on the uptake.
As expected from someone who’d rolled around in the Saintess role.
“Yeah, well. Nothing major.”
I chose my words carefully.
Very carefully.
Like I said, these two were core to the Boy King conquest.
Which meant their roles were... pretty outlandish.
And whenever I explained stuff like this normally, I tended to get misunderstandings.
So, calmly explain the plan—
“No. I can tell from your face you’re cooking up something insane, so don’t pick and choose—just spit it out. What is it?”
“...”
That was harsh.
●
Truth be told, I was prepared for things not always going exactly to ‘plan’.
But maybe I should’ve mulled it over more.
The Butterfly Effect was always a bigger bastard than I expected.
●
[ Main Quest ] 〖 Chapter 2 – Boy King 〗
[ 1 day until the ‘Academy Raid’ incident! ]
I read the window floating in front of me.
‘Only one day left, huh.’
There’d been all sorts of commotions, but I’d done all the prep I could.
The boss fight itself might be larger scale than the Purifier one, but it’d probably be way smoother than that.
Compared to then, I’d prepped and grown a lot.
Enhancement of the Ultrim of Divinity via the ‘Echo of Consecration’ Main Quest reward, equipment forged from Star Iron to control Yuria Grayhauncher’s curse—and passing on the necessary tasks to the Grayhauncher sisters through that gear.
Elnoor’s relayed message suddenly came to mind.
“Professor Vulcan from the Crafting Faculty wants to see you sometime.”
“Oh? He must like all the weird rare-material commissions I dumped on him.”
“No. He said he wants to kill you for demanding them done in a day.”
“...”
“But he wants to buy you a meal first.”
How kind.
Still, Elpante’s Crafting Faculty had solid skills, so the completed item was probably delivered to Yuria by now.
Just like this one got to me.
[Item Info]
[ Ultrim of Divinity ] [ Item Grade: C+ → B+ ]
[ Echo of Consecration applied once! ]
[ Embedded skills have changed! ]
◎ Embedded Skills ◎
■ [ Asceticism → Proof of Faith ] [ Skill Grade: C → B ]
[ For a short time, converts all stat bonuses to ‘Endurance’ and ‘Divinity’. ]
[ Consumes a small amount of mana. ]
※ [ Evolvable skill! ]
Evolves into [ Martyr ]!
■ [ Divine Shield → Stigmata ] [ Skill Grade: C → B ]
[ Generates a regenerating barrier for a set duration. ]
[ Consumes a small amount of mana. ]
[ Barrier strength influenced by ‘Endurance’ stat. ]
[ Barrier regen speed influenced by ‘Divinity’ stat. ]
※ [ Evolvable skill! ]
Evolves into [ Shallow Grave ]!
Yeah.
Skill evolutions that’d normally take a year of carrying it around were done in one item.
Proof of Faith and Stigmata were clear upgrades from the old skills.
Especially Proof of Faith puffing up the ‘Divinity’ stat short-term was encouraging.
Desperate Situation boosted base stats but not abilities. Considering the bonus from its high grade, funneling it all into divinity would be insanely powerful.
The ‘regenerating’ barrier was huge too.
If they couldn’t shatter it in one go, the shield would persist?
Its defensive power in real combat would be several times a plain Divine Shield.
‘This’ll help a ton with survival.’
I stretched.
All that was left was passing Atalante a general counterplan for tomorrow’s raid.
“...It’s late.”
I muttered, walking the academy paths.
Dusk was falling nearby, casting a reddish glow around.
This time of day, the academy was always bustling with students wrapping up and scattering in groups.
“...”
If I said I never felt envious seeing that, I’d be lying.
What did it feel like to live a ‘full’ student life like that? I was pretty curious. Never properly went to school.
Past or present. Couldn’t even in the ‘outside’ world.
Finally got isekai’d into an academy game, and somehow I spent more time darting around fixing incidents than in class.
“What’re you staring at so intently?”
That voice came right then.
I turned to see a woman in a flipped mask.
She gave off an utterly plain vibe, but had this oddly captivating presence you couldn’t ignore.
“...”
Weird feeling.
No hostility at all. Suspicious mask, voice modulated—textbook shady.
Yet it came off cozy, comforting even.
‘...Hmm.’
I scanned her up and down.
Anyone approaching me like this usually got suspicion first, but her... well.
Bluntly, she seemed weak—no real guard up. Didn’t even need Detection to tell. I’d honed that sense hanging with strong folks.
Slightly better than non-Desperate Situation me. Maybe a hair below average civilian.
I tilted my head.
“Do you know me?”
“Huh? No, first time today. You were looking at others with such a wistful gaze.”
“...That obvious?”
“Yep.”
She giggled and hopped over, naturally falling in behind me as I headed to the dean’s office.
“Spot a girl you like? Your girlfriend might get mad.”
“...No girlfriend.”
Not just currently—it’d never happened.
Sadly.
“Huh, really? No girlfriend or anything? You don’t look unpopular.”
“...”
I gave a wry smile.
First compliment of my life, huh.
“...Not wrong.”
If anything, popularity wasn’t the issue.
It was with the wrong targets.
“Hmm? That’s a smile with baggage.”
“No real baggage.”
Baggage was just me flailing to survive, dragging everyone in.
Butterfly Effect style.
‘No baggage, but responsibility? Yeah.’
No matter how oblivious or unintentional I played it, that favorability stage glaring in my face said otherwise. Pretending ignorance was bullshit.
So if they ended up attached to me regardless of how.
Not now, but someday. Definitely.
I’d take responsibility. Settle it.
I had that much awareness, at least.
“Whoa. Wistful face again.”
“...More like fear, technically.”
Yeah. Taking responsibility was fine.
But devils came wired with obsession and possession as base.
Flip side: if those types started a lovers’ quarrel.
It wouldn’t stay lovers’—it’d turn into a sticky, horrific slaughterfest. High odds.
Most soul-sluts like me probably died for that reason.
I agreed with Atalante—ultimately, seduce every devil vessel to survive—but the fallout hit me hardest.
‘...Hang in there.’
Priority one: spec up to survive.
No joke—sandwiched by girls who liked me was already high death risk...?
Accepting feelings came after I could handle that risk...!
“...”
The masked woman, who’d been quietly observing my inner turmoil, suddenly burst out laughing.
“You’re fun to just watch. Never boring even alone.”
“...Really?”
“Yeah. More than expected.”
“...”
I tilted my head.
“...‘More than expected’?”
This woman.
She knew something about me.
Probably nothing big.
Stories about me were circulating lately. Easy to assume she’d heard some.
But.
Something nagged. Bad.
“Um, well.”
She nodded, humming.
“Ever heard of the Butterfly Effect?”
“...”
Somehow familiar phrase—I stopped walking.
“I wasn’t interested in you, wasn’t even planning to come here today. But one thing led to another, and now you’re all I see.”
Weird feeling.
Chill running up my spine.
“All your actions led to me being here today. Total Butterfly Effect, right?”
“...Pardon?”
“Figured you, always one step ahead, were some scheming mastermind.”
She leaned in, hands behind back.
“Not at all. Way more peculiar than thought. Ordinary in a special way. Weird that someone like you holds the reins with devil-tier folks.”
The weird feeling solidified.
Knowing I was tangled with ‘devils’—few across the continent.
Barely any even among hegemon leaders.
That info dropping casually? No way she’s normal human.
“So I like you. More than the stories—seeing you in person, way more.”
Her vibe stayed utterly unchanged. Not a speck.
Calm, quiet, harmlessly plain.
“...Who the hell are you.”
“Just know I’m Dawood Campbell’s #1 fan. Might treasure you more than those devil-attached girls swarming you?”
“What?”
“Those cursed bitches around you piss me off just existing.”
So when that calm voice uttered that.
“I wanna kill them. Seeing them cling like they’re special, when they know nothing about you.”
Cold sweat was inevitable.
No clue what she meant. Vibe still the same. Plain, harmless.
No threat anywhere.
But rationally yes—instinct screamed ‘danger’.
Louder than ever.
Head-spinning levels.
No physical pressure, but that ‘twisted aura’ from her made me step back instinctively.
“Only I can understand you. Only I can see your ‘true self’.”
She giggled. Advanced a step as I retreated.
“In this world, uniquely. Only me. The only ‘villain’ who can face you as an equal. Devils can’t either.”
“...You.”
“Others just get played by you. Chess pieces. No one matches your spark.”
She continued in a laughing voice.
Flat tone pouring dizzying malice.
“Boring, annoying—wanna kill them all. Leave just you and me. Life’d be fun then.”
“Who. Are you.”
Guts twisting.
Barely squeezed out words.
“Hmm...”
She stepped back, grinning.
“Think of me as a scout?”
“What’re you talking about.”
“You haven’t finished preps for Valkasus’s raid, right?”
Nape prickling.
“You’ve got counters galore... but ‘deployment’ is lacking. Need at least four near the clock tower. That’d squash Valkasus easy.”
Breath freezing.
“Plan’s perfect. Counters solid. I’d do the same. But.”
This bitch.
“If the incident hits ‘one day’ early, most of it crumbles, right?”
She was doing to me what I did to ‘enemies’.
Predict every move, counterpunch ahead.
“I expect more from you.”
She glanced at the clock tower.
“I just set that up. Even I couldn’t handle it in your shoes. But you...”
Then.
“You can show something, right?”
Words poured again.
“You can make me fall harder, right?”
She pulled something from her bosom.
Small awl-like thing.
I knew it.
“...Firmament Splitter?”
“Huh? You know it?”
How could I not.
This kicked off Chapter 2.
Disabled the academy’s barrier dome, letting Valkasus’s alchemy flood in.
Insanely potent, rare relic.
Unknown to any but devil worshipper leaders.
“...”
Fist clenched tight.
Meaning.
Dead giveaway on who she was.
“Oh yeah, no intro.”
She brushed back her hair.
“Hi, Dawood Campbell. I’m a Forerunner. Not my name, but that’s what they call me around here.”
Forerunner.
Devil worshippers’ leader.
“But hey.”
She tossed that at me.
—Ever heard of the Butterfly Effect?
Then immediately.
Massive light burst from the Firmament Splitter. Slammed the dome barrier overhead—cracks spiderwebbed across it.
“...”
Watching what was basically the Chapter 2 boss fight start.
!!Alert!!
[ Scenario alteration detected! ]
[ Emergency event triggered! ]
[ Main Quest timer drastically shortened! ]
Only one thought in my head.
Butterfly Effect? Yeah.
I knew it.
“...”
No one taught better that nothing came easy for me.
Better than anyone.
[ Main Quest ] 〖 Chapter 2 – Boy King 〗
[ ‘Academy Raid’ incident begins! ]
[ Defend the academy! ]
Really.
It did.
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