Chapter 90
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: How Dare You Defile a God? (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As Isabel raised her hand, the surroundings blazed with blinding light.
An intense radiance that made even her eyebrows furrow swallowed her whole.
"Ugh.... Ugh...."
It was one confusion after another. Suddenly being hailed as a hero was disorienting enough, but the piercing beam of light that forced its way through her closed eyelids left her utterly unable to collect her thoughts.
You can open your eyes now.
After clutching the holy sword's hilt tightly and shielding her eyes with her other arm for a while, a clear voice resonated directly into her mind.
As she tentatively opened her eyes just a crack as instructed, the beam that had seemed about to engulf the world shattered in an instant into tiny fragments, scattering to the ground like flower petals.
"Gasp...!"
Just when she thought it was finally over, a sudden heaviness weighed down her hand gripping the holy sword. It was as if someone had plopped a massive boulder on top, making her whole body sway with the force.
What is this...?
Bracing both legs firmly against the ground, she furrowed her brows slightly and lifted her hand holding the holy sword. The unmistakably different weight caused her head to tilt involuntarily.
The holy sword... has changed.
The holy sword, which had looked garishly coated in jewels and gold, was transformed. Its shape was similar, but like a crab shedding its shell, all the tacky, multicolored gems that had adorned it were gone.
The blade, previously so blunt it could barely be called a sword, was now razor-sharp, and the once uniformly golden surface had taken on distinct variations centered along the edges of its parts.
But... this thing is way heavier than I expected...
It was a one-handed sword, yet it felt like gripping a two-handed greatsword. She could lift it, but it would surely be a hindrance in combat.
"It seems it hasn't fully accepted you yet."
"Pardon?"
"That sword is a holy sword, but also an ego sword. In other words, it has a will of its own. Until it truly recognizes you as its master, it'll feel awkward to wield."
...Ego sword?
She didn't know the details, but she'd heard of them in old legends. Swords that fought with their own will, placing great importance on compatibility with their wielder and unleashing explosive power when aligned.
However, most such swords were demonic blades that lured people toward evil, so ego swords didn't have the most positive reputation in common tales.
Wait, then the voice telling me to open my eyes just now... was this thing?
It wasn't a voice whispering in her ear, but one echoing deep in her brain.
She couldn't be certain, but the odds pointed to the sword.
"Still, if your temperaments align well, it'll be quite useful. Take it."
"Ah, yes... Understood."
"By the way... You're not my follower this time, are you?"
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. No point telling you—you wouldn't get it anyway."
Saintess Amaness let out a deep sigh after those cryptic words. Lifting her head, her gaze shifted toward Priest Isaiah standing at the back.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
What the hell are those two talking about? Too far away to make out a single word. And pushing through that sea of people to the front of the chapel now? No way she had the guts.
Haa... I'm dying of anxiety here... seriously...
While waiting, she racked her brain to recall every detail of her conversation with Amaness from a year ago. In truth, it had all been one-sided lecturing from Amaness, but she needed to prepare meticulously.
No matter that she was the one at fault for dragging me into this world, Amaness ultimately held my life in her hands.
A single flick of her finger could reduce me to scattered limbs, so survival meant squeezing every last drop of memory and knowledge from my mind.
"Priest, your face looks awful. Are you alright?"
"Ah, yes, I'm fine."
"Did you maybe hurt yourself when you fell earlier...?"
"No, no. Really, I'm okay."
My distorted reflection stared back from Nun Rachel's eyes.
Somehow, I'd tensed up without realizing it.
Well, my entire future hinged on how this played out, so it felt just like being a death row inmate awaiting the axe.
Surely she won't kill me... right?
What was certain was that she harbored ill feelings toward me. A year ago, she'd called it my "karma" or whatever—clearly furious about something. The problem? I still had zero clue what.
Even now, a year later, no idea. I'd just gotten royally screwed by Bishop Lisa through no fault of my own, without doing a damn thing. A hint would've been nice, but no such luck. Maddening.
Alright, play it humble for now.
No matter how unfairly I was being treated, throwing a tantrum would guarantee I got nothing out of this.
Expressing raw emotion wouldn't help anyway—I needed to focus on appeasement first.
At minimum, walk away with something.
Having sorted her thoughts to some degree, she stared straight ahead. Isabel and Saintess Amaness's conversation dragged on for quite a while, but now it finally seemed to be wrapping up.
Swish—
Amaness finally turned away from Isabel. Her milky white eyes locked onto me at last.
Gulp—
Clasping her hands tightly together, she swallowed hard. She needed to stay calm now of all times, but her heart pounded like it might explode.
"Isaiah!"
Amaness's voice rang crystal clear across the vast distance. She flinched like a trembling aspen, then clenched her fist with a grim expression.
Glancing sidelong at Nun Rachel, the woman looked up at her impassively, unsurprised—as if she already knew everything.
"I'll be right back."
"Yes... Go ahead."
After their brief exchange, she sighed deeply and faced forward.
Just from Amaness calling her name once, every eye in the place had swiveled her way.
No more standing there awkwardly—she took one step, then another. Midway, her eyes met Bishop Lisa's right in front of her.
The bishop's gaze demanded answers: What the hell is going on?
But she couldn't explain right now, so she averted her eyes, moved to Isabel's side, and knelt on one knee just like her.
"Priest?"
Isabel's single word from right beside carried a flood of emotions—from why she had been summoned to what was happening.
Though she already knew full well, she played along as if equally in the dark, shooting back an innocent look.
"Yes, Lord. You called for me?"
"Isaiah, let's have a private word. You know why, right?"
"..."
"Answer me."
"Ah, yes... Understood."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Under the watchful eyes of the entire congregation, I was dragged by Saintess Amaness's hand into a small room.
Fuck... I figured I'd get hauled off roughly, but this high-handed? No clue how to explain this later.
Well, that's tomorrow's problem.
What mattered right now was something else entirely.
Saintess Amaness sighed deeply and leaned back against the chair.
Already scared witless, I bristled like a hedgehog, every nerve on edge.
"Long time no see, Isaiah."
"L-Lord... H-Have you been well...?"
My head swirled with a storm of stray thoughts. No earthly idea where to even begin...
Right up until facing her, I'd had mountains of things I wanted to say. But now, with her right there, my mouth was glued shut.
She wasn't even controlling my movements like last time, yet my whole body felt bound tight by invisible chains.
"Haa... So, now that you've tasted it from the other side, have you finally come to your senses?"
"Y-Yes?"
Huh? Tasted what from the other side?
I tried parsing it my way, but the subject was a total mystery. What the hell had I "tasted"? Last time and now, it was all just baffling, meaningful nonsense.
"Wh-What do you mean by 'tasted'...?"
"Wow... Now you're straight-up playing dumb... I knew you were a raving lunatic, but... Isaiah, if you've done something awful to me, shouldn't you start with an apology?"
"No, really, what are you—"
"Hey!"
Eeeeee—
Guh!
An excruciating headache beyond words, paired with a piercing ring in my ears. Amaness's fury-laced shout sent the divine power churning wildly through my body.
"You saw it with your own eyes, yet you lie to me? You knew from the start. Why else would you go straight to Lisa, that wench? Admit it."
Fuck... What the hell? I'm trying to make sense of it, but nothing clicks. Why is going to Bishop Lisa first such a big deal? Zero clue.
"Haha..."
Amaness barked a laugh laced with near-mad glee. Ignoring my agony, she brushed thick dust from a nearby chair piled high with it.
"Remember this place? Where you first violated me... You can't have forgotten."
V-Violated?
As the wave of pain finally ebbed, I lifted my head. Scanning the room as she said, but I didn't recognize...
Huh?
That chair...
A sudden flash pierced my mind. That was the chair I'd used the first time I assaulted Saintess Amaness back in Satta.
"Ah, finally remembered, have you?"
Seeing my face stiffen, she curled her lips into a venomous smirk.
...Looks like this woman remembers the game world's events.
```