Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Episode 81
At my words urging him to make an M-oath, Alexios's face paled instantly.
"Are you crazy...?"
"If you're innocent, what's the problem? Just do it."
"It's not something that ends with that."
Then what, is there another problem?
"Right, my bad for asking a crazy person."
Alexios then left with an indescribable, subtle expression.
"What was that...?"
That was an uncomfortable reaction.
Didn't him leaving like that make it seem like I was the strange one?
Humiliating.
Well, whatever. I wasn't particularly close to him anyway.
I only hung out with him to kill time while waiting for Eleanor.
"Hmm..."
Now what?
Waiting for Eleanor was rather boring.
Normally, I would practice magic or stack [Mana Dominator], but this wasn't a training ground, so that was impossible.
If I messed up and an SSR-rank spell came out, this whole area would collapse. And I couldn't guarantee how Tia would react to that.
Frankly, it was scary.
"Then for now..."
After some thought, I decided to use the communication device connected to Tenebris.
I couldn't ask Tia for help with this. In the end, the means I could use wasn't Tenebris's information network, but their military power.
Intelligence agencies were always versatile. How much had I sacrificed to bring about this negotiation...?
I might be meeting with the imperial family soon.
-What is it, Prince Oz?
"I'm checking if the preparations are complete."
-…Please remember that we are soldiers?
"I know."
-Then do you understand how condescending that question is?
"I was bored. Why are three people watching me?"
-….
Lucia fell silent.
I had to periodically assert that I was capable.
That way, Tenebris wouldn't underestimate me.
I had already lost some initiative by making an unreasonable request this time.
To avoid being controlled by them later, I had to be in a superior position.
Actually, I also wanted to tease Lucia because I was bored.
-Could you please consider my position, having to watch someone who might bolt at any moment? Surveillance would have been easier if you hadn't acted so impulsively.
"...I don't know how I should take you speaking about surveillance so casually."
-Why bring it up now?
Well, she was right. It was too late now.
Even now, there were five people watching me who weren't from Tenebris. I would have preferred not knowing, but it was quite unpleasant.
Who knew if one of those who voted for me was a stalker mixed in?
Truly horrifying.
"Tsk... What's the Hero's status lately?"
Since I had started the conversation, I asked about other information as well.
It might be useless now, but who knew how this information could be used later.
-Entered the Demon King's castle and lost contact. Presumed dead.
"She can't be dead."
-Are you sure?
"Don't pretend you don't know. You know just by looking at the situation in the Demon Realm, right?"
The current generation's [Demon King] had the worst reputation in history. If it weren't for the unique nature of the [Demon King] title, a coup would have happened long ago.
But what if someone who could erase that unique nature drew their sword for them? Even if not as direct aid, they could at least turn a blind eye to the [Hero] infiltrating the castle.
-Still, the Demon King is a king, so wouldn't there be at least a few who would draw their swords for him?
"That's why it's taking so long. Either persuading them or quietly taking care of them without getting caught."
-That doesn't sound like something the righteous Hero would do.
"What's so special about being a Hero?"
A perfect superhuman couldn't exist.
The [Hero] was certainly a good person, good enough to be called a [Hero], but she wasn't stupid.
She knew how to compromise.
"It's certain that the Hero will win, so tell them to watch her closely. She's the one who's unpredictable."
-More so than you?
"...What do you people think I am?"
-Someone who understands why Noah calls you Master.
Wasn't that too harsh an assessment?
At least I didn't cause trouble on purpose. Everything I did was to bring about the best possible outcome. Yes, they were unavoidable.
-...You don't actually think you're being wronged, do you?
It was a shame that this misunderstanding couldn't be cleared up.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Meanwhile, Lustitia, the [Hero] who infiltrated the Demon King's castle, was in deep thought.
Quite some time had passed since she infiltrated. She had persuaded most of the soldiers and servants, but there were some who seemed impossible to sway.
Fortunately, the demons who had decided to follow her agreed to create diversions to prevent conflict, but there was one person she couldn't avoid.
"Hmm..."
Guarding the Demon King's residence was the demon with the head of a black lion, Barbatos. Even among the Demon King's army, he was said to be the strongest, and it seemed impossible to persuade him.
Lustitia didn't approach rashly. She wouldn't move until she was sure she could either persuade him or quietly defeat him.
'This is as far as I can go.'
But against Barbatos, both options seemed difficult.
Moreover, her movements were probably being tracked by now. If it was discovered that she had already reached the Demon King's castle and infiltrated it, there would be no more chances.
Even if there were demons who sympathized with her goal, those who could directly oppose the [Demon King] were few.
'My body's rhythm is starting to break down, too.'
Too much time had passed since she set foot in the Demon Realm.
Looking up at the sky stained with red demonic energy made her lose track of time.
"Hmm, did the rat hiding in the castle crawl out on its own?"
"Oh? You knew? Then why did you stay still until now?"
"Khehehe. There are always rats somewhere. But how difficult would it be to find a single rat in such a vast castle?"
"That's true!"
It was a reasonable point.
Even just the soldiers and servants staying in the Demon King's castle easily numbered in the thousands.
It was better to be prepared for her to reveal her true colors at any moment than to suspect everyone.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Hmm..."
Barbatos, the demon with the black lion's head, looked out the window.
The sky of the Demon Realm was always covered in red, but if you lived long enough, you could distinguish between day and night.
Early dawn. There was still time before the [Demon King] awoke.
"Alright."
"Why do you serve the Demon King?"
"Because it's my job."
Lustitia nodded at Barbatos's answer.
Not loyalty, not a weakness.
"What a wonderful sense of professional ethics!"
"Nothing much, I just do the work I'm paid for."
Barbatos chuckled at Lustitia's almost complimentary words.
Lustitia drew her sword, imbued with golden light.
Barbatos, in response, aimed his red spear.
"Let's see the fabled Hero's sword, shall we?"
"No. Unfortunately, the righteous Hero isn't here. As long as there are demons like you, I can only be an assassin."
The [Hero] had lost her grand cause.
If even one person drew their sword for the [Demon King], her justice couldn't be established.
But even so, she couldn't back down. There were those who relied on her. She couldn't retreat now.
So from now on, she had to wield her sword not as the [Hero] who advocated justice, but as a representative of the weak.
"Then shall we see the skills of this assassin?"
"...By all means."
Lustitia's voice was even lower than before.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It took less than a day to reach the Holy City Hedenia.
This was thanks to Tia's magic that allowed us to cross national borders.
Of course, I had to find my own way back.
Since I couldn't use [Teleport].
It would have been nice to learn it, but just because advanced-level magic was unlocked didn't mean it was simple.
Since [Mana Dominator] reached Lv. 3, I had learned two types of advanced-level magic.
[Hellfire], which boasted powerful destructive force, and [Diffuse Lightning], which covered a wide area.
Of course, even though I succeeded in using them, I still needed time to get used to them.
Drawing three-dimensional, not planar, magic formations was still difficult.
"Wow... Master, look at that. The Holy City is quite a beautiful place."
Buildings based on pure white.
Perhaps because of the devotees wandering around, bathed in divine power, my eyes didn't get tired even looking at the pure white buildings.
"More than that, it's so strange to hear the word 'beautiful' coming from your mouth."
Did you even have that kind of sensibility?
"...Master, sometimes you look at me like I'm a barbarian."
"Judging by your actions, you're no different from a barbarian."
If there was something more noticeable than yourself, you, who immediately thought of destruction and violence, what were you if not a barbarian?
No, maybe a barbarian with convictions was better.
"If you were even half as much like Arietta, I wouldn't judge you so harshly..."
"You overestimate the Saintess, Master. It's all just an illusion you have about the title of Saintess! She's no different from me."
"Sure. That's why you got three times as many votes as her."
"...Let's stop talking about that. We'll both just get hurt."
"Right..."
Talking about the vote only resulted in both her and me receiving incurable wounds.
That kind of thing shouldn't have happened in the first place... I took a short break after the final exams, and this is what happened.
Fate is cruel.
"So, anyway, while we're on the topic, don't let your guard down just because this is the Holy City."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
I added an explanation to Eleanor's tilted head.
"This is a place where people live too. Not everyone is filled with love and devotion like Arietta."
Places where people live are all the same.
Not all clergy were good people, and there were many tourists from various countries here.
As a result, religious conflicts weren't uncommon.
"In a sense, Hedenia could be even more dangerous."
"Putting aside Master's overestimation of the Saintess, I'm a little curious about that reaction. Are fanatics the problem?"
"Well... you'll see for yourself. Just follow me."
One of the things that surprised me while playing Broken Sky was the appearance of Hedenia.
Of course, religious issues appear in other creative works as well.
Bigotry through fanaticism, or evil deeds committed in the name of God, things that can happen because of religion.
Such things have appeared in countless works, and now I'm suspicious whenever a religious group appears.
But Broken Sky was different. No, it might not be that different from what I mentioned above.
However...
"Ah! You apostates who believe in these false gods! Do you know how insignificant the gods you believe in are?!"
Fortunately, it seemed I didn't have to go far to find the scene I was looking for.
A group of people in suspicious-looking robes were giving a speech in the middle of the square.
Found it. The characteristics of the Holy City Hedenia.
"A cult. Is that what you wanted to show me, Master?"
"Let's watch a little longer."
There were plenty of these kinds of crazy people in reality, too. Crazy people disrupting other religious events.
But that was called fake madness. The real madness began now.
"Brother? Is there something wrong?"
"Foolish ones! Do you think the god you believe in is truly holy? The only true god in this world is the Demon god Baal!"
"The Demon god Baal... you say?"
I didn't know if the god Baal actually existed.
But if I couldn't remember, it was probably a cult.
There were many who believed in such cults.
Moreover, for such people, Hedenia, which worshipped a single god, was an intolerable existence.
Of course, for a religious group like Hedenia, controlling and suppressing them wouldn't be a problem. However...
"Listen! You foolish ones!"
The man who appeared to be the leader of the cult shouted towards the good priests of Hedenia who were staring blankly at them.
"The Demon God we serve, Baal, comes from the east, bringing death! He is the great one who has drawn his sword to purify this world!"
Now that I saw it, I think it was in Broken Sky as well.
Doomsday cults that interpreted the Chrysos incident to their liking and used it to agitate others.
Parade was the most representative and radical of them, but there were many such groups of lunatics.
But they were just a rabble. They couldn't beat the real deal.
"He has the faces of countless animals and eight legs to question sins, so all you foolish ones who serve false gods, repent at once!"
"Repent! Repent! Repent!"
The man's incitement and the cultists gathered around him were in a highly agitated state, as if they were about to cause trouble at any moment.
So, how did the priests react to them?
"HAHAHAHA!"
They laughed heartily, watching the cultists' frenzy.
"What...?"
Seeing all the surrounding priests laughing at once, the man who appeared to be the cult leader became flustered.
It was a somewhat chilling sight, even to me.
"It seems there's been a misunderstanding, brother."
"...A misunderstanding?"
"Yes, a misunderstanding."
The man looked suspiciously at the priest approaching him with a benevolent smile.
It was a situation where throwing stones wouldn't have been strange, but the opponent was claiming it was a misunderstanding.
Did that mean they acknowledged their doctrine?
Hedenia, who worshipped a single god?
No, that couldn't be.
The work had already begun.
"Aren't we all priests who serve the same god?"
"What nonsense are you talking about..."
"HAHAHAHA! Brother. The one true god we serve, 'Ein', has many names. Of course, among them is the name Baal."
"Huh...?"
"Isn't that what's written in Moros, chapter 427, verse 6?"
Hedenia could be considered quite malicious, even among religious groups. Instead of acknowledging other doctrines, they chose a different path.
"I understand. There are many who sometimes perceive fragments of 'Ein' as different miracles. Why should we fight? We are all brothers who serve the same god."
They swallowed all the doctrines claimed by others whole.
Just the Moros chapter alone had over 400 verses, so how many more were there?
Since they affirmed the opponent's doctrine, it was difficult for the opponent to deny it. This method was quite vicious.
"But it's outdated."
"...."
"Come in, brother. The Holy City Hedenia has collected all the doctrines about Baal, another face of 'Ein'."
"No, but..."
"Haha, there's no need to be reserved. Aren't we all brothers serving the same god? We will guide you to fill the gaps in your faith."
The man and the cult were then led away by the numerous priests. Since they were a cult that was fanatical about something, they were easily drawn in by such guidance.
The expression of the man who seemed to be the cult leader was different, but I didn't care about that.
"See? Noah. Be careful, too. You'll end up like that if you mutter something about gods."
"...What happens to the people who are taken away?"
"They'll come out as new people."
That was a kind of brainwashing.
By the time this cult appeared in this square again, they would probably have become devout priests serving 'Ein'.