Anomaly of the Era (1)
Anomaly of the Era (1)
The Demon God of Avarice, Avaritia.
The Demon God of Sloth, Acedia.
The Demon God of Greed, Gula.
Melanie had now met three Demon Gods.
According to Sephemo's story, the next in line should have been the Demon God of Envy, Invidia.
[Why are you skipping me?]
'Because originally, it's not your turn to meet yet... Th-that aside, hey, Luxuria? Since we're on the subject, there's something I want to discuss...'
[.......]
'Ah, alright.......'
Lately, Luxuria would clam up whenever Melanie tried to bring up specific topics.
Not wanting to upset her, Melanie decided not to press further.
"......The place where the Demon God of Envy will appear is the ."
An artificial structure that rose arrogantly high, seemingly oblivious to its own theme, as if trying to reach the heavens.
Melanie was leading her party toward that location.
"The Tower of Arrogance. The Heavenly God Religion forbids approaching it, though."
"Huh? Then shouldn't we not go in?"
Pia asked in response to Hilda's added comment.
Since the Pellania Empire had the Heavenly God Religion as its state religion, its citizens couldn't be free from the religion's directives.
"They don't really enforce it. There are so many demonkin in the vicinity anyway that no one would approach it."
"If there's nothing but demonkin, we can just beat them all to death and go in!"
Lili said while swinging her arms around in circles to loosen her shoulders.
Seeing how even a simple motion created a powerful gust of wind, it seemed she had more than enough strength to make her words a reality.
"We might not even need to do that. The demonkin aren't particularly interested in the tower itself."
As Hilda said, the party hadn't encountered a single demonkin so far.
But according to Melanie's memory, a fierce battle was supposed to break out from this point onward.
[......What is this? This feeling......]
'Wh-what's wrong?'
[......It feels so good!]
'Huh?'
[It's like...... that refreshing energy you feel when you eliminate a <distortion> is filling the entire area around here! Do you have any idea what it might be?]
'Uh, uh...... Probably...'
According to the original story, they would succeed in subjugating the Demon God of Greed, Gula, but fail to capture Professor Jerahl.
Professor Jerahl would escape with his absurd running speed and continue to commit evil deeds.
This place should have been filled with the corpses of humans and demonkin controlled by Professor Jerahl.
Moreover, they were modified in a different way than before, taking on even more horrifying forms.
Hearing Melanie's explanation, Luxuria's voice became very bright.
[See! Eliminating <distortion> is such a beneficial thing for you all too, is it not! Such an evil event didn't even happen!]
Professor Jerahl's running ability was probably not something conceived by the original scenario writer but an added setting from an external factor—in other words, what Luxuria calls a <distortion>.
As a result of eliminating that distortion, the area around the tower had become this clean.
'Th-that's right!'
[......Don't be so uncharacteristically positive. It's not like I'm going to indulge you on that topic anyway.]
'Uh, what am I supposed to do then...'
"By the way, what exactly is the significance of the Tower of Arrogance? I studied the Heavenly God Religion's doctrines when I was a knight, but I've never heard it mentioned specifically."
"I can't tell you because it's taboo. Asking me, a former Saintess, about that."
"Ah, sorry..."
"I'm joking. I quit being a Saintess anyway, so it shouldn't matter."
"A, a joke?"
Lili and Pia blushed at the thought that she had become familiar enough with them to even joke around.
Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, Hilda quickly moved on to the next topic.
"It's a story from an ancient civilization, from before the Pellania Empire even existed. Humanity at that time was far more prosperous than now, beyond comparison. It was because they had no rival species like the demonkin."
"Oh...... So there was a time without demonkin...... I'm jealous."
"As they continued to develop, humanity came to think they were the most superior race in the world and wanted to prove it. So they began building a tower. To reach a position equal to the gods."
"So that's why it's called the ."
"But no matter how high they built the tower, they couldn't reach the gods. Instead, due to the endless malice born during the process, the world became infested with demonkin. The ancient civilization was ultimately destroyed by the demonkin, and much of the high-level magic from that time was lost. ......That's the story, but I suspect you might know something more."
Hilda said while looking at Melanie.
Melanie, who had been walking along in a daze, belatedly realized Hilda was addressing her.
"Huh? Uh......."
"Our Melanie knows everything! Tell us quickly!"
Having a general understanding of Sephemo's world, Melanie naturally knew the story about that tower too.
What Hilda had said was merely a story written for the convenience of the Heavenly God Religion.
"Well, it's also related to our Goddess-nim, so I'm not sure if it's okay to talk about it."
[How could it possibly be okay?]
"......She says it's not okay."
"Then shall I tell you?"
"Huh! You!"
Someone had approached their side without them noticing.
It was Yuri, the leader of the Demon Cult.
"Yuri-nim......!"
"Hello. Melanie-nim. We meet again."
"Um, by any chance, is Alina..."
"Yes, she is with us, so you need not worry. Demon Gula-nim is also safely recovering."
"Phew......."
Melanie let out a sigh of relief, and Luxuria also felt a sentiment similar to her own.
"You said they built the tower to reach a height equal to the gods. But that doesn't refer to a physical height. At that time, experiments were being conducted to literally create beings close to gods. And for those experiments, they simply needed very tall facilities. It had nothing to do with reaching the heavens."
"......."
As Hilda firmly closed her mouth, Yuri looked at her with an awkward smile.
"I'm sorry. Is this an uncomfortable story for you, Saintess-nim?"
"No. I was just worried about how ignorant I must seem to you."
"I don't see you that way. More importantly, do you believe the story from someone like me, who is treated as a heretic?"
"Seeing as Melanie doesn't deny it, it must be true."
"Ahem, ahem."
"Ah, I see. Anyway, to get to the conclusion, that experiment was a success. Humanity obtained power equal to the gods. But the story after that is similar. Demonkin, and destruction."
"Even with the power of gods, they lost the fight against the demonkin?"
"It's because the experimental subjects who possessed the power of the gods didn't side with humanity."
"......Don't tell me those experimental subjects are the Demon Gods?"
Yuri nodded in affirmation, and Melanie nervously checked Luxuria's reaction in her mind.
'I, I can't exactly cover your mouth......?'
[......Who said anything?]
* * *
The Tower of Arrogance.
Its form was as if countless modern concrete structures had been piled on top of each other, clashing with the overall medieval atmosphere of this world.
According to the story, the interior should have been severely damaged by Professor Jerahl, who siphoned off magical technologies.
The demonkin, sensing something suspicious upon seeing Jerahl's Corpse Legion, should have invaded to seize the tower first.
And the Empire, predicting the Demon God's appearance through these movements, should have dispatched an Extermination Force.
Amid the great chaos of three forces colliding, the highly sensitive Demon God Invidia should have tried to massacre everyone indiscriminately.
"Luxuria's Chosen One? She made a Chosen One? And a human girl at that? Hmm."
But inside the eerily quiet tower where nothing had happened, Invidia faced Melanie with an extremely composed attitude.
[At this point, I don't know what you were so worried about. That old man dying only has benefits, does it not?]
'Uh, just a little while ago, you were completely twisted and causing a scene!'
[In the end, didn't it work out well?]
'By your standards, maybe! But all those refugees died by human hands......!'
[I know you're thinking it's enough that at least Alina survived.]
While Melanie was bickering with Luxuria in her head, Yuri stepped forward and spoke politely.
"Invidia-nim. Will you listen? The reason the Demon Gods have awakened now is due to one person's scheme. If you act recklessly and become a target for humans, it will be according to that person's plan."
"I get it. So you're telling me to lie low as if I'm dead and not do anything unnecessary, right?"
"Uh...... Yes."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. I'll disappear now. Thanks for your concern."
With those words, Invidia truly vanished.
[......Invidia has come to where I am. What do we do now?]
'......I, I don't know.'
[What?]
'No, things were resolved too easily, so there's way too much time left until the next episode......!'
Yuri blinked and looked at Melanie.
"I thought...... it would be a bit more difficult."
"Y, yeah."
In Melanie's memory, the Demon God Invidia had a vicious and irritable personality, to the point where even Luxuria had to back down.
To think she was such a reasonable person to talk to when she wasn't in a highly sensitive state.
"Ahaha, I feel a bit relieved. Phew...... Is it thanks to you, Melanie-nim? For some reason, I feel like if I'm with you, things will work out well in the future too."
"......In the future."
Melanie's expression darkened slightly.
In the game, Yuri doesn't appear directly in the episodes after the Tower of Arrogance.
Because this is where she meets her death.