A Head for a Head

We'd been riding for days. How many, I had no idea. I could've asked the Goddess and found out — but she was my precious woman, not a damn clock.

Keeping an eye on the color the medal was showing, we kept going.

Clippity-clop, clippity-clop! Rattle, rattle!

A tedious atmosphere, a tedious backdrop, tedious yawns, tedious stretches, tedious hours. Just when I was starting to wonder if this was all some nasty nightmare—

Clippity-clop-clippity-clop! Whoooooosh!

A sudden gust of wind slammed into us. I flinched and looked out the window — we'd broken free of the underground passage, bounced along a rough stretch of road for a bit, and were finally tearing down a proper highway.

Lumina let out a whoop.

"Yahoooo! Air! Actual air! Fuckin' love it!"

I let out a sigh of relief. Thank god.

A few days of riding and we'd finally made it out. The capital should be coming up soon, right?

Once you hit the main road, it wouldn't take long. I glanced back. That underground passage... yeah, I never wanted to go through that again. Was that what joining the military felt like?

"Finally feels like we can breathe."

"Ohoho, I know, riiight?"

Aki chimed in after Auntie. I lazily turned my head toward the window.

It was already early evening. The sun had just gone down, dusk settling in. The thought of sleeping in an actual bed for the first time in ages made my back itch with anticipation.

Should've just slept on the carriage roof, like some Bohemian gypsy.

I shook my head. That'd just make me look like a freeloading bum. A lecherous hero's gotta have style first. Sigh.

We tore down the highway and finally arrived at the capital's checkpoint.

Just get through here and we're in!

The capital of the Dharma Empire, Myra, lived up to its reputation — packed with processions of people from every direction. All roads lead to Myra, they said. And they were right.

Though compared to Seoul back home, this was nothing.

Seoul was the kind of place stuffed to bursting with people relative to its landmass. Myra looked downright spacious by comparison. The lines, too. Calling them "processions" was generous — they were about as long as the wait at a decent restaurant.

In Seoul, the roads would be packed solid even if it wasn't a holiday!

Wait. What the hell was I comparing this to?

Finally, our turn. During the inspection, a soldier asked something unexpected.

"Hey. You lot heroes?"

"Technically, just me."

At my answer, the guard stepped back.

"The hero stays at the checkpoint for a day, gets a physical exam, then you can pass."

"Huh? Come again?"

What the hell was this? Was there a pandemic going around? What's with the detention and the exam?

The other guard across from him tilted his head, looking confused.

"Hey, what are you talking about? There was no such order."

"There was a classified directive."

"The hell are you on about? From who? Sergeant Ferguson would've said something if there was."

"There was one, alright. From someone higher up."

The two guards started arguing.

Something's off here. One of them's lying. But why bother lying?

While I was still turning it over, the guard who'd demanded the exam pointed at me.

"Hey. You gonna crawl out or what, you two-bit hero?"

This was straight-up abuse of power. Why should I put up with this kind of bullshit just because I was a hero?

I was about to say something when someone beat me to it.

"You. What's your name, and who's your superior? Speak."

Auntie. The guard's face twisted.

"And you are?"

Auntie introduced herself while producing her saintess insignia. This was one of those moments where she absolutely demolished him. Style poured off her face, her voice, her every movement.

The guard's face crumpled further in shock.

"H-huh... the Saintess of Extreme Cold?!"

"I came for a brief visit. And this is the kind of absurd inspection you conduct? Give me your superior's name. This instant. I shall have words with him in the name of a Saintess."

Auntie was going full throttle now. The guard, on the other hand, was panicking.

"N-no, ma'am! I must have been mistaken. All clear — you may pass!"

And just like that, we were through. Though a lingering unease stayed with us.

That said, I was stunned. So were the other women.

"A-Auntie... that was insane!"

Auntie smiled seductively at my words. God, she was sexy.

"Heh. Over something so trivial?"

That smile, dripping with the composure of the strong. I wanted it. Aki tilted her head.

"But why would they suddenly start stopping heroes?"

"That soldier just now... I think he might be connected to Those Who Recite Sins."

Auntie nodded at my answer.

"I think so too. Mentioning a directive that didn't exist, trying to inspect only the hero... it's suspicious. Strange. This never used to happen."

Something only Auntie could say, having lived in the capital for so long. It was definitely weird. A checkpoint like this, out of nowhere.

In the game, events like this only popped up when there was an epidemic going around.

I was reminded all over again just how far Those Who Recite Sins could reach.

"We need to assume Those Who Recite Sins can get their hands into anything."

I sighed, then called out to Lumina.

"Lumina, nearest inn!"

"Got it. Just look for a sign with a bed and a pillow, right?"

"Yep!"

The carriage shifted direction slightly. Watching it, I sank into thought. James. So that's how you want to play it? You think I don't want to use my brain either?

This son of a bitch actually wanted a battle of wits? Not that calling it a "battle of wits" wasn't laughable. You little shit. I may not know what's going on in that head of yours, but I know how this world's cults are structured!

I'd planned to rest for a bit after arriving in the capital. But this bastard just had to light a fire. Fine by me. Let's do this, you son of a bitch.

If you're really a cardinal, there are other cardinals besides you. I probably can't touch you directly. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠So... I'll make the first move!

I licked my lips and lifted my head. Lumina's voice rang out.

"We're at the inn!"

"Okay, thanks!"

I hopped down from the carriage and headed to the counter, already looking forward to tomorrow. The innkeeper took one look at us and immediately made a face.

"Ahh, well. What with all the heroes and such flooding in lately, I've only got two rooms left."

"Two rooms, please."

I ordered two rooms without a second thought. We had plenty of money anyway.

Clink!

The innkeeper handed over two keys. I took them and checked. Third-floor rooms. The inn was a five-story building — a decent mid-sized place.

In the game, sleeping at an inn like this fully restored your HP and MP.

We went up to the third floor, and I turned around. The women were looking at me with expectant faces.

What exactly were they expecting?

Lumina asked, her eyes gleaming with a manic light.

"So. Who're you sleeping with?"

I knew this was coming. Unfortunately for them, I was being a little serious right now.

"Sorry, ladies, but you'll be sharing a room. There's probably three beds anyway."

Auntie glared at me with a cold expression.

"And why is that?"

Aki wasn't having it either.

"I don't get it! Whyyy!"

"Look, everyone. As much as you like me, could you respect my privacy a little? I'm the only guy here. I can be sensitive too, you know."

I gave them a perfectly reasonable explanation. Of course, the real reason was something else entirely. The women reluctantly accepted it. I handed over the key and smiled.

"See you in the morning!"

I called out cheerfully and went into my room. The moment I was inside, I washed up and collapsed onto the bed.

That cozy, heart-pounding feeling you get when you finally rest after a hard workout washed over me. The darkened ceiling seemed to spin. Outside the window, the city was packed with the sounds of people.

"Goddess. You can come out now."

Tssst!

"Didst thou summon me?"

"I wanted to sleep in the same bed as you. You'll watch over me, right?"

The Goddess heard me and her face went red. Then she snorted.

"Hmph. If thou art so desperate as to beg for mine aid, I suppose I cannot refuse! Very well. Thy Goddess shall stay by thy side!"

She lay down beside me. The bed gained a little more weight. That hollow feeling I'd had when I was alone filled right up. I leaned into her voluptuous body.

I'm a truly happy man. The happiest in this world!

And with that, I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning.

I got up early on purpose. A quick wash, skipped breakfast entirely, and headed outside. Along the way, the Goddess asked.

Somewhere fun!

I answered, fidgeting with the necklace around my neck. Yeah. A real fuckin' fun place.

I pulled up the capital's geography in my head. Myra, like Seoul, had a river running right through the middle. The river's name was Fate. It split the city into east and west.

"Excuse me, sir — can I ask for directions? Are there any chapels around here?"

"Haha, I've been working around here a long time. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Chapels? You think there's just one or two?"

"Whoa, as expected of the capital! Even the chapels are everywhere!"

"Ugh, they've been popping up like crazy lately. It's not even a trend or anything. Anyway, if a building's got a cross on it, it's probably a chapel."

"Thank you!"

The upside of looking like this: everyone treated you kindly and actually answered your questions. If I looked like some bruiser, everyone would be on guard.

Not that I'd get ignored or picked on, but still.

I decided to start by scouting the area. No matter how much of a cult they were, they still looked like a religious organization on the surface. Setting up in a chapel and praying was the basic routine.

I was sure of it. In the game and in the original, whether they were genuine or a cult, they all did the same thing.

I spent about an hour rushing around. Seeing the capital with my own eyes was a whole new experience. If they ever made an AR game, could they even pull off this level of realism? I doubted it.

Being the capital, there were a ton of people and a shitload of buildings.

I'd already counted thirty chapels. I got a rough sense of how many people were at each.

Which meant I knew exactly where I needed to go.

I needed to avoid the crowded chapels. Those were the ones most likely to have James's people. One of the game's main scenarios was the cults starting a war — and the cause of that war? Everyone wanting to be bishop, splitting into factions, picking sides, until it all blew up.

Meaning this bastard James definitely had a faction. And because of him, other factions would've formed too. Why? Because that's just how people are.

Reminded me of when I worked part-time at a café. The manager's faction versus ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the owner's faction. I couldn't even remember what those assholes were fighting about.

It was probably something stupid. Which meant I needed to find a cardinal who was opposed to James.

I headed back to the chapel I'd noted earlier — the one with the fewest people. The moment I stepped inside, I could hear the faithful praying.

"He who recites our sins in person, and as heaven and earth are remade..."

This necklace... the way it unlocks the next effect seems different from Dawn.

So what was it, then? Titles suddenly came to mind. Upgrading titles required paying points. So for this...?

After thinking it over, I gave the necklace a light tap.

Called it. This was the way. Nice and convenient. Real classy, even. I smirked and paid. As much as you want!

I looked over the newly unlocked ability.

Lao, you son of a bitch — just how long were you stuck with this thing to brainwash that many people?

I felt a wave of exasperation, then grinned. This ability was mine now. I could do whatever I wanted with it!

I approached the most isolated worshipper and put a hand on his shoulder. I activated the brainwash. The necklace glowed brightly.

"I'll ask you this. What's the name of the cardinal you serve?"

The worshipper lifted his head. A man with a patchy beard.

"Manhee..."

"Manhee?!"

"Mani... Cardinal Mani Rimani..."

"Good. Take me to him."

Whether the brainwash had taken properly or not, the worshipper stood up and started leading the way.

Alright. Operation start!