Chapter 114: Caught Red-Handed
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114: Caught Red-Handed
As soon as I was dragged back to the Church, I was subjected to various purification rituals.
“Fortunately, there were no traces of demonic influence.”
“See? I told you so.”
“Then you’re saying you committed those acts while perfectly sane...?”
“....”
The Saintess looked at me as if I were a madman.
I had nothing to say in my defense, so I could only avert my eyes.
“Um, should we start by bringing out the bodies...?”
“Y-yes, let’s do that.”
In the end, Paramel and Rosier, unable to watch any longer, managed to smooth over the situation.
The Saintess let out a deep sigh and patted my shoulder.
“If your performance hadn't been so good, I wouldn't have believed you.”
“I’m glad my performance was good, then.”
“Indeed. Paramel, Rosier, you two may go and rest. I will take over the porter’s handover.”
“Um, Saintess. I would like to go with you as well,” Rosier said.
“Is that so?”
“As for me... I’ll go submit the report,” Paramel added.
“Yes, good work.”
“See you next time, Mr. Paramel.”
“Yes... Good work to you too, Mr. Porter.”
Paramel left to report to the higher-ups, while the Saintess, Rosier, and I headed down to the Church’s basement.
“May the Goddess’s grace be with you. Welcome, Saintess.”
“Yes, yes. We have quite a few bodies this time.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Also, two Inquisitors perished within the Labyrinth. Porter, bring out the bodies of Raphael and Sasaro.”
“Got it.”
I placed Sasaro’s bloodless corpse and Raphael’s body—which looked fine on the outside but was a mess internally—onto the Altar of Resurrection.
“Hoo. Lord Raphael’s internal organs are all twisted due to an overdose of healing magic... and Lord Sasaro has almost no blood left in his body. Did you encounter a vampire in the Labyrinth?”
“No, it wasn't that...”
I explained to the coroner about the pale pink flesh monster we had seen below the Layer Division.
“A species that hasn't been recorded yet.”
“I’m not sure if it was summoned from the Deep Layer or if the heretics created it,” the Saintess added.
After bringing out the rest of the adventurers' bodies, we went back upstairs.
“We can’t leave the heretics' bodies at the Church headquarters, so we’ll have to go outside.”
“Outside?”
“Yes. There is a cemetery and burial ground owned by the Church near the Labyrinth City. We’ll likely head there.”
Ultimately, we headed to the Church-owned burial ground with the priests to unload the heretics' corpses.
We traveled in a carriage provided by the Church, under the heavy protection of combat priests. This was a precaution in case any heretics remaining outside the Labyrinth decided to ambush us.
Of course, nothing happened. The heretics' forces were mostly dismantled, and those who remained would have hidden themselves in the shadows of the Underground City.
“I didn't know there was a place like this outside the city.”
“There’s rarely a reason to come out here. Besides, it’s off-limits to outsiders.”
We exited through the western gate of the Labyrinth City and traveled for about forty minutes by carriage.
A large graveyard revealed itself, along with buildings where undertakers and gravekeepers resided.
I was told that when Inquisitors or priests of the Church die, they are brought here to be interred.
The plan was to burn all the heretics' bodies, but since there was no suitable place to pile them up within the Labyrinth City, it seemed we had come here instead.
“May the Goddess protect you. It’s been a long time, Saintess. You are as beautiful as ever.”
“Good to see you, Luke. You’ve aged quite a bit.”
“Time hasn't seen fit to pass me by. Ho ho.”
He was an old man with white hair and a beard.
The aura radiating from him was on par with Rosier’s, if not stronger.
I could feel the presence of a powerhouse like Sasaro. He was likely a former Inquisitor or a similar 'hound' of the Church.
“I’ve prepared an open space over here. Once you unload the heretics' bodies, the gravekeepers and I will handle the disposal.”
“Then I’ll start bringing them out now.”
One, two, three....
“Good heavens, just how many are there...?”
“There are enough to make one sick.”
Luke the undertaker and the gravekeepers stood with their mouths agape.
Hundreds of heretic corpses were pouring out of my inventory.
“Move them to the side for now!”
“Crazy... so many heretics...”
I had killed quite a lot of them while disguised as the Blue Apostle, after all.
Though they had almost no combat ability, I had wiped out the entire worker class that served as the foundation of the heretics' power. It was only natural that their numbers were vast.
“That’s the last of the heretics. And this is the body of the Blue Apostle.”
“You even caught an Apostle!?”
“Fufu. Indeed. We caught him easily thanks to the porter’s idea.”
“You flatter me.”
The Saintess was actually praising me for once.
“The Apostle’s body must be handled separately, so please wait a moment. Mike, bring the Coffin of the Heavens.”
“Yes, Lord Luke.”
I didn't know what the Coffin of the Heavens was, but it felt like something used to guide the souls of high-ranking heretics to the Goddess. The problem was that since Fainel’s soul was already in my hands, he wouldn't be able to ascend even if they used the coffin.
“You’ve worked hard. With such a staggering number of bodies, it will take a few days to process them all.”
“Good luck, Luke.”
The Saintess patted the old undertaker’s shoulder and climbed back into the carriage.
“Let’s head back. This concludes the first expedition. We’ll handle the monster carcasses tomorrow.”
“Yes, Saintess.”
With this, the urgent matters were finished.
The bodies to be resurrected had been handed over, and the heretics' corpses had been delivered to the Church.
My job was done. The rest was for the Church priests to handle.
“Whew. Let’s plan for the next expedition in about a week. Though Raphael and Sasaro won’t be able to join us.”
“Ah...”
There was such a thing as resurrection aftereffects. Because of that, they probably wouldn't be able to move right away.
Other Inquisitors or adventurers with deep faith would likely be drafted in their place.
“More importantly, Porter.”
“Yes?”
“You did well. I know you’re still a Bronze Badge, but you moved quite effectively.”
“I just followed everyone around.”
“Following along is hard work in itself. More than that... have you thought about joining the Church?”
“Uh... that’s...”
“I’m not asking you to become a priest or anything like that. You can just put your name on the Church’s registry.”
The Saintess was suggesting I at least get my name on the books.
She didn't mean for me to be completely unaffiliated, but rather to hold the rank of a lay believer who follows the Goddess.
“That way, I can grant you benefits.”
“Benefits?”
“Yes. For instance, private audiences with me.”
“That’s a bit...”
“Goodness. Do you think being able to talk to the Saintess like this is an easy thing?”
“I know it’s not, but...”
Did I really need to talk to this crazy Saintess?
“Enough. Just put your name down. Understood?”
“Is this mandatory...?”
“Yes. It’s mandatory. By my authority as Saintess, I will place your name on the registry.”
When she pushed that hard, it was difficult to refuse.
‘Well, it might not be so bad.’
I wouldn't have to attend mass, and there were no particular obligations, yet I could enjoy the benefits.
I might as well put my name down.
But why was the Saintess trying so hard to give me benefits and special treatment? Did she like me that much?
—Hmm. What a sly girl.
‘Pardon?’
—That girl is planning to link you with the Church so she can get a foot in the door of the Underground City development project.
‘Ah.’
Hearing Helena’s words, it made sense.
I had shown the Saintess my abilities and my ambition. That was likely why she wanted to tie me to the Church.
‘Even if the Church gets involved, it doesn't really matter. In the end, my goal doesn't stop at just occupying the Underground City.’
—True... occupying the Underground City is just one of the stepping stones for your grander goal.
‘Exactly.’
It didn't matter if the Church had a stake. In fact, if the Church became my ally, the Underground City development project would likely proceed much more easily and quickly.
“We’ve arrived.”
By the time I had organized my thoughts, the coachman dropped us off in front of the Church.
The sun was setting.
“Then, head on in. I’ll send someone to the guild later, so we can discuss the rewards and the monster processing fees then.”
“Yes, good work today.”
“Yes, yes. Goodbye.”
The Saintess left with a casual farewell and disappeared into the Church.
Only Rosier and I were left.
“Um, Sion.”
“Yes?”
“Are you free the day after tomorrow, by any chance?”
“Uh, I think I should be free then.”
“Then would you like to meet at the Central Plaza in the morning?”
“Central Plaza in the morning. Got it. I’ll try my best to make time.”
“Thank you. Then...”
Just as she was about to leave, Rosier grabbed my wrist again and took two steps closer.
The distance between us vanished instantly. I could feel her breath. Our faces were so close our lips were almost touching.
“Thank you for being kind to me in the Labyrinth. Um, can we... continue this relationship in the future?”
The relationship between Rosier and me.
It was a bit too stiff to be called a romance.
But it was too intense to be a simple fling.
How was I supposed to convince Yuria and Lady Leah?
No, in the first place, those two weren't the type to be convinced.
But to draw a line with Rosier now... she had already come too close.
In the end, I could only give a vague answer.
“...Yes. It should probably be fine, right?”
“I don't need such a half-hearted answer. I want you to tell me it’s definitely fine.”
The hand gripping my wrist tightened.
Rosier was forcing me to give a definitive 'yes.'
With her pushing so hard, I had nowhere to run. Eventually, I confessed my thoughts to her.
“Uh, no, actually, I wonder if my opinion even matters...”
It was true. Was my opinion even important?
“Is it because of Miss Yuria and Miss Leah?”
“Yes...”
“I don't mind sharing Sion with those two. So they shouldn't mind either.”
“.....”
It was incredibly self-centered, but coming from Rosier, an Inquisitor, her words carried weight.
“This won’t do. I’ll just visit Miss Yuria’s house tomorrow.”
“You’re coming to visit tomorrow...?”
“Yes. If it’s hard for Sion to say, I’ll go and explain things properly.”
“Uh, wait, if you do that...”
“See you tomorrow, Sion.”
“Ah...”
After kissing my forehead, Rosier disappeared into the Church.
“What do I do?”
If Rosier, Yuria, and Leah fought...
‘Lady Leah would be retired instantly, and it would be a good match between Yuria and Rosier.’
Rosier, who was closer to a Platinum Badge, would likely defeat Yuria in the end. But Yuria wouldn't go down easily either. She would definitely inflict a fatal wound on Rosier.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
—It is the fate of a philanderer, so just accept it.
‘I never wanted to be a philanderer...’
—Fate has a way of arriving while ignoring an individual’s wishes. It is best to just go with the flow.
“Ah....”
As Helena advised, did I have no choice but to go with the flow...?
I don't know. Let’s just go home. Tomorrow’s problems are for tomorrow’s me...
“Hey, Sion. Who was that just now?”
“....Huh? Yu-Yuria...?”
The moment I turned around, Yuria emerged from the corner of the alley.
It seemed she had seen everything that just happened.
I felt exactly like a husband caught cheating by his wife.
“Another woman?”
“I-it’s not like that, Yuria.”
“......”
Yuria just stared down at me silently.
Cold sweat poured down my back.
“Yuria. Yuria! Wait! Let me explain the situation! What happened was...!”
“Forget it. Let’s go home.”
“Huh? Uh, uhhh?”
With an expressionless face, Yuria strode toward me, picked me up, and held me in a princess carry.
I was terrified.
“Yu-Yuria...”
“Shut up. We’ll talk at home.”
“Okay...”
Trembling with fear, I had no choice but to be carried away by Yuria.