Crushing Those Who Recite Sins (1)
It was still early evening. I summoned Rin as I stepped out of the mansion. A major fight might be coming soon — but on the other hand, I felt a weight lift off my chest.
They've just been talking past each other this whole time. I don't really get the whole parent-and-child thing, but they're family. They're people who matter to each other. They can't keep missing each other forever.
Yeah. That had to be right.
Thank god their hearts are finally connected! If those two women stick together, they'll be the strongest mother-daughter pair around!
I found myself smiling, feeling oddly warm about the whole thing. Still, that threesome with the two of them had been absolutely insane. They both had bodies to die for. Come to think of it, Renata had been a little off.
Renata-maman's belly looked a bit swollen. Hmm, must be my imagination.
There was no way she'd get pregnant that fast. Though if she did, that would be entertaining in its own right.
I was loosening up as I headed out when I ran into the butler.
"Ah, Hero. Are you heading out?"
"Yes. I'm just going to pay my respects to the acting lord. We're preparing for something big."
"Oh-ho, something big. I do hope it goes well. Kahloom is an extremely dangerous substance, after all."
Dangerous, yeah. If the lore was accurate, anyway.
"It really is, isn't it?"
"I have no idea how Those Who Recite Sins got their hands on it, but it's dangerous enough that even they probably don't grasp what they're dealing with. The acting lord is especially sensitive when it comes to Kahloom."
"Right, because of the young lord..."
"That's part of it, but there's a greater reason as well."
"A greater reason?"
What was he talking about? The butler looked at me as if he was the one surprised I didn't know.
"The acting lord was once the second daughter of an alchemist's family. You didn't know?"
"What?"
"She once lived with the dream of becoming an alchemist herself. And then the young lord ended up the way he did because of something related to alchemy. It must have broken her heart."
What? Renata had a backstory like that?
Did she?
That was unexpected. I'd taken her for a well-mannered noble young lady. Turns out she'd been through the wringer in her own way. In this world's lore, alchemists were the type to plagiarize each other's papers and trash-talk one another behind their backs.
"You're remarkably well-informed, butler."
"Heh heh. That's the bare minimum for a butler serving a lord. Ah, if you happen to have any Kahloom left over, would you spare me a little? I'd like to study it."
I happened to have a few samples in my ring, so I pulled them out. He took them case and all, looking absolutely delighted. And with that, I headed outside.
I was riding Rin at a gallop when the Goddess spoke up.
"It's all to spread your name, Goddess! Haha!"
Rin's hooves hammered the road. Crackling bolts snapped off her flanks as she tore across the ground at an overwhelming speed — crack, zzzzt, fzzzt. I drew in a deep breath, savoring the rush of it completely. And as I exhaled, the Goddess laughed.
Head back to Weverpool, of course.
No, I'm plenty used to it already. You have any idea how much aura I burned through back when I was Runner Late?
A smirk tugged at my lips. Of course, a pseudo-early-Expert and the real deal were different beasts. But I could still get a feel for it. They say a guy who's tasted meat knows how it's done, right?
I'll spread your glorious name even further, Goddess. Heh.
Well, I haven't even looked at what's inside yet.
I did need to check what was in there first. It was probably stuffed with gold and jewels, but it could just as easily be nothing but important documents. I didn't want to get my hopes up for no reason. Expectations had a way of breeding disappointment.
Then the Goddess dropped a line, completely casual.
Wait, you can see through things?
The Goddess's scoff felt extra sultry today, for some reason. So she really could see through things. The Goddess was the best, honestly.
Our Goddess really is the greatest!
I grinned and buttered her up, and she answered like she was sulking.
I'm going to sell all that gold and turn it into cash.
I'll split it among the women, of course.
The Goddess sounded a little disappointed.
Of course, most of the money has a different purpose.
That's a secret. Heh heh!
I teased her on purpose. I wanted to see how she'd react. And her reaction was exactly what I'd expected.
I laughed out loud before I could stop myself. She really was like a little girl when she got all huffy like this. I did have a separate use for that money, though. For the Goddess, that is.
The hooves hammered on. We tore along at a joyful gallop and arrived near Weverpool. Time was already racing toward night.
It really was a long way. The thought of walking this distance was actually horrifying.
And with not a single light anywhere, it's even more terrifying.
If the bushes so much as rustled right now, this would be a straight-up horror movie.
Something rustled in the undergrowth.
I yanked Rin to a halt. I flicked on the lantern at my waist, and something started emerging from the brush. A monster?
I was reaching for my scabbard when a familiar voice rang out.
"So it was you."
Someone stepped out into the middle of the path and looked at me. He came closer, step by step. It was Calsas.
"Haaah. Inspector. What now?"
"You've been quite the busy man, Hero. Public affairs and private ones alike."
"I'm busy right now. If you want to throw down, let's do it later."
Of all the people to run into — Calsas, of all people. Don't tell me he'd hidden his subordinates in the bushes and waited for me? Surely he wasn't that petty... but he was a knife-ear, so I couldn't put it past him.
I glared at him, and Calsas clicked his tongue with a perfectly calm expression.
"The lord is acting strange. You noticed, didn't you?"
"Uh... how did you...?"
An unexpected line came out of Calsas's mouth. What? He already knew? That the current lord wasn't actually the lord?
I stared at him with a grave expression. He twisted his lips into a smirk.
"That cult leader bastard tried to mind-control me as well. Naturally, it didn't work. Once you hit around Expert Mid, that sort of thing is a joke."
I already knew that much. The guy hadn't even flinched when he took a lightning bolt from Rin. That's what a Force Heart did. It made its owner stronger, and it nullified anything — magic or otherwise — used by someone weaker than them. A very game-world kind of setting, that.
"Huh. So you already knew?"
I asked in surprise, and Calsas nodded. I glanced around. He seemed to be alone.
"I did. But I have no evidence. And I can't move alone — the bastard commands thousands of followers."
Yeah, that was a hell of a force.
I dismounted. I showed Calsas everything — the ledgers, all the evidence I had. He examined it in silence.
"Hmmm."
After going through it thoroughly, Calsas handed it back with a scoff.
"Hmph. Same information I already had. Though... the volume is a bit more substantial."
"I'm on my way to wreck that cult leader right now. The prep work is already done."
Calsas tilted his head, looking me over. He seemed to be trying to figure out if I was telling the truth.
"By yourself? That'll be tough."
"No. I can do it. The buildup's been more than enough."
Calsas smiled faintly and nodded. Then, without warning, he drew his sword and leveled it right at my face.
"That had better not be bluster."
The knife-eared inspector suddenly dropped the atmosphere like a stone. I looked at the tip of his blade, then smiled easily.
"Capturing the cult leader alive might not be possible. Don't complain if I kill him."
"I intend to sit this one out regardless. Just report back when it's done. That's all."
"A report?"
"Yes. I need to add at least one line to my official report saying I observed something in this region, don't I?"
A civil servant through and through. Shameless. His report would probably read something like: An individual impersonating the lord was dealt with. Or: Provided decisive assistance in resolving the situation. I didn't even need to see it. But I figured this was the right call. It wasn't just anyone watching — it was Calsas, a government official.
This means I don't really need the evidence anymore. So I can have Dinora play along and make the cult leader drop his guard.
To make the fight easier. The bastard might have other abilities I didn't know about.
"Fine by me."
"But... how do you plan to resist his mind control?"
I laughed before I could help it. Was he actually worried about me? I climbed back onto Rin and asked.
"Is the race supremacist actually worrying about me?"
Calsas's face went stone-cold.
"Don't get the wrong idea. When this is over, you and I have an unfinished match to settle. You won't run, will you?"
Run? Like hell.
He must be pretty salty. Then again, he did get pushed around by a Runner Late.
Still, was a civil servant allowed to spend his personal time like this? No, wait. I should probably just be grateful he wasn't taking bribes. Even in Korea, civil servants collected their allowances and still stuffed their faces with bribes. That's why people started saying they should work for free.
"I have a way. There's one more person who wasn't affected by the mind control."
"Oh-ho. Interesting. Fine. Go."
I was going whether he said so or not. I rode past Calsas as he stepped aside. He was paying quite a bit of attention. His ears were even twitching.
I can't tell if he's cooler than I thought, or just a complete idiot.
I entered the Weverpool Fief. The important part started now.
Truth be told, I was worried about this too. Mind control was a genuinely broken ability. No matter how strong I was, if my mind got hijacked, that was game over. He'd make me kill myself, or order me to attack civilians and soldiers I wasn't supposed to touch.
But I'd seen it. I'd felt it.
It would've been nice to have one more mind-immunity potion, but it didn't matter. I'd slept with her for this exact reason, after all.
I headed straight for the cathedral. When I stepped inside, I found Laurel sweeping the floor by herself. I wanted to help, but I approached her first.
"Eep?"
Laurel spotted me and smiled, her cheeks flushing pink. Even a little smile like that looked sexy on her. That's a dark elf maman for you!
"Hero, you've come? Don't tell me you're here to teach me the gospel? Heheh."
"Sister, I need your blessing. Right now!"
"...Pardon?"
Laurel's ears flicked as she tilted her head at my sudden request. Of course she was surprised. But what I was counting on was her blessing. And that tied directly into the lore.
One of the buffs you get from a high-ranking nun is...
"Laurel, you're my last hidden card!"
I closed the distance toward her.