Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (3)
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The capital of the Empire, a certain mansion.
Even late into the night, a small candle flame flickered within that mansion.
Though it was time for everyone else to be asleep, one man couldn't find rest.
"Damn it, damn it!"
The man paced restlessly around the room, his teeth chattering anxiously.
Cold sweat beaded on his face from sheer terror.
His heart pounded several times faster than usual.
His feet refused to stay still.
If anyone had seen him, they would have dragged him straight to a priest at the cathedral.
Something must have possessed him—please take a look.
Unfortunately, he lived alone.
There was no one to check on him.
"I'm done for. It's all over!"
The man had recently tried a promising business venture that came to mind.
But it seemed neither the world nor the gods were on his side.
The venture, which lasted a few months, collapsed under a mountain of debt.
He'd spent months on the run from debt collectors.
Now, he had nowhere left to flee and no strength left to do so.
All he could do was tremble through each day, haunted by terrifying nightmares.
In his dreams, a monster resembling a debt collector always chased him.
He ran down streets, darted through alleys, twisted through maze-like paths, but it always caught up.
The chase always ended in death.
He'd wake from the dream at that moment, only to face the despairing reality.
"Hah, hah. Is that the only path left?"
The man, panting heavily, glanced at the table.
On it lay the item he had prepared.
The only escape from this wretched life.
He swallowed hard and walked to the table, picking it up.
"If I do this..."
At that moment of resolve, a man in a black robe appeared behind him.
The robed figure spoke in a low, grating, eerie voice.
"What a waste."
"Wh-who are you?!"
The man whipped around in horror.
The door was locked, and no windows were open.
Did I leave something ajar?
No, impossible!
Then how did this black-robed man get in?
His new fear left that question unanswered.
The black-robed man took a step forward and asked again.
"I said, what a waste."
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"A better life. And all your efforts so far."
Hearing this, the man's face lit up in shock.
How does he know about my life?
A normal person might brush it off as a common guess.
But he was far from normal now.
He stared at the man for a moment, then hung his head, shoulders shaking.
The black-robed figure chuckled softly and waved his hand.
Black energy began to coil slowly around the man's feet.
But lost in thought, he didn't notice.
It really was a waste.
Dying like this would end the pain, but who would redeem his efforts?
The gods were said to love all people.
Yet because they loved everyone, they offered salvation to none.
Only one.
They bestowed their love solely on the saintess, commanding her to share it.
The gods were truly cruel.
Unable to save anyone themselves, they appointed a proxy.
That proxy, being human like him, couldn't love everyone.
In the end, it meant the gods loved all but saved none.
It was enough to create wretches like him.
Resenting the gods and despairing at his plight, he lifted his head.
His bloodshot eyes showed he was beyond rational thought.
In a cracked voice, he poured out to the man before him.
"It's a waste. Such a terrible waste it drives me mad. But there's no other way."
"I have just the thing for someone like you."
The black-robed man pulled a vial of potion from his robes and placed it on the table.
The man stared at it and asked what it was.
"A potion that will realize the true desires within you."
"True desires?"
"Exactly as it sounds. Don't you want revenge on the debt collectors? Don't you want to punish those who wouldn't help you?"
At those words, rage slowly boiled up within the man.
Recalling the horrors the robed man described, he lunged for the vial.
And gulped it down without hesitation.
He slammed it down with a clunk and looked at the black robe.
"The effect lasts a month. I hope you achieve what you desire within that time."
With that, the black-robed man vanished.
Soon, joyous laughter echoed through the man's house.
The sounds of tearing flesh and twisting bones rang out, but the laughter drowned them.
At last, the black energy lingering in the now-empty house faded away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A place where beautiful nature harmonized with white buildings.
Most structures were built from white marble and such to exude sanctity.
They called themselves servants of the Goddess, propagators of her will.
Known as the Holy Empire to themselves, but the Holy Kingdom to neighboring nations.
Shortly after the saintess returned to the Holy Kingdom, a major incident occurred.
"You've all read it, I presume."
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Quite entertaining, really. Most entertaining."
An elderly man with a long chin beard smirked slyly.
He occupied one seat at a round table.
About ten others sat around it as well.
This was the circular chamber where the archbishops held their meetings.
Today wasn't originally a meeting day.
But the recent publication of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde prompted an emergency session.
Summoned so hastily, a few couldn't attend.
But with a majority vote, decisions could still be made.
The gathered archbishops discussed the novel placed in the center.
"What do you think we should do?"
"What else? Designate it banned, of course! How dare they encroach on the domain of the gods!"
A white-haired man flushed red with anger, more vehement than the others.
Several nodded in agreement.
But some were skeptical.
A man with particularly lush hair spoke discontentedly.
"Banning it isn't so simple. And designating it banned might make people question the Holy Kingdom's rulings, no?"
"What do you mean?"
"Simply put, it might seem like the Holy Kingdom is admitting such things are real."
Silence fell over the chamber at his words.
Even those who had favored banning it fell quiet.
Then the long-bearded man who had smirked first spoke up.
"That's excessive worry."
"My point is about the saintess."
"Ahem."
They all coughed awkwardly and looked away, as if it were a sore topic.
But the lush-haired man stated firmly.
"Anyway, that's my stance. What say you?"
He looked around for opinions.
It was decision time.
"I favor the ban."
"Me too."
"I'm opposed."
"I'll abstain."
"Same."
Five in favor, three opposed, two abstentions—the ban was decided.
They left the chamber to prepare the announcement.
Meanwhile, before the ban, Hepiriya had secured a copy.
Back in the Holy Kingdom, it was hard to obtain, but her connections made it possible.
"Hehe, nice. Not what I made it for, but still."
So what if it strayed from the original purpose?
She'd gained a bonus benefit.
Hepiriya slowly opened the book and began reading.
Thinking it was a shame it was so short this time.
But as she read on, worry clouded her face.
Upon turning the final page, she let out a weary sigh.
"No matter how I look at it, it feels like the author sees right through the Holy Kingdom's internals."
Hepiriya gazed down at Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, pondering the author.
What was the author's intent in writing this?
Good and evil, the soul—these were major topics in the Holy Kingdom.
Core doctrines revolved around them.
Especially good and evil, judged by the gods, with their word as the standard.
Yet humans arbitrarily defining them?
Well, Dr. Jekyll might have followed divine words on good and evil.
But the soul was something the Holy Kingdom held sacred.
It could be seen as defying the Holy Kingdom.
Hepiriya didn't care much, though.
What caught her attention was how it seemed aimed at the archbishops.
Their public image was of pious, devout clerics.
Internally, they were rotten, at best.
"Like with Sherlock Holmes, the author clearly wants the Holy Kingdom to change!"
Edn would have denied any such intent if he'd heard.
But Edn wasn't here.
Hepiriya resolved to purge the archbishops no matter what.
Preparations were nearly complete; she just needed the final key.
The problem was she hadn't found it yet.
The house was built, the door installed, but no key.
"Sigh. What to do?"
As she pondered, someone knocked urgently and burst in.
Normally, they'd ask permission.
Hepiriya held off scolding to hear what it was.
She was one of the saintess's aides.
Profusely apologetic yet urgent, she said,
"Forgive the intrusion while you rest, Saintess. The Empire has requested cooperation regarding a black magician incident."
"Black magician?"
A good idea struck Hepiriya at the report.
This might be her chance.
She quickly prepared to move.