Those Waiting for the End (3)

"Ah, the Saintess is here as well. Please, come in and sit down."

The governor guided us inside, his voice thick with exhaustion.

The temporary two-story office was cramped. It was impossible to fit all of us—our party of four, the Bishop, Isis, and Aryen. In the end, only the Bishop, Isis, and I remained on the second floor.

The governor brought a chair over to a small table, rubbing his lower back.

"Monitoring the reconstruction site requires standing still for long periods... Haha. Please forgive my unsightly posture."

Bishop Andre smiled warmly.

"You are working hard. How could striving for the region's recovery ever be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠called ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠unsightly?"

"These are harsh times for everyone."

The governor smiled bitterly at the Bishop's words. Deep shadows carved themselves into his wrinkled face.

"You said you received word from His Majesty."

"Yes. The Bishop said he would help root out the heretics spreading throughout the area."

Bishop Andre nodded, looking at me and Isis.

"It is a matter of punishing those who deceive the masses. Fortunately, the Hero has also graciously accepted my request to help weed out the heretics."

"I see... Even the Hero."

The governor's voice trailed off as he looked at me. I couldn't look him straight in the eye. To him, at least in this place, I wouldn't seem like a good person or a savior.

"It hasn't been long since you defeated the fourth Calamity, has it? You must still be exhausted, yet you willingly came to help our province. I cannot thank you enough."

"I will do my best."

The governor bowed, and I quickly bowed back. There was no ill intent, nor was he being sarcastic, but that only made his words sting like sharp arrows.

"And the Saintess, after leaving the Hero's party, immediately came to help Vaktins. We received so much help from you then. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Isis merely nodded. I quietly observed her pale face. She began to look up toward me, but quickly cast her eyes down. Her deep blue eyes had been trembling ever since our reunion.

"Since I must oversee the reconstruction, I won't be of much help with this investigation. Aside from occasional progress meetings, there isn't much I can do. If you need anything..."

Bishop Andre spoke up, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"If there is still an active church, we would like to use it as our base of operations."

"...Yes. There is an old church a bit away from the settlement. I believe the believers still visit it diligently. I heard that the Saintess's healing work there greatly helped solidify their faith."

"Excellent. We will make sure to drive out the heretics eating away at this region."

Bishop Andre looked at Isis.

"Isis, make sure to comfort the believers here along with the other priests."

Honestly, Isis looks like the one who needs comforting right now.

I frowned and looked at Isis, but she turned her face away, as if she wanted to avoid even having me in her field of vision, and nodded slowly.

"When do you plan to begin the investigation?"

Bishop Andre clapped his hands lightly and rubbed them together.

"As soon as our headquarters is set up at the church. You said the Doomsday Cult's main area of activity is near the settlement housing the refugees, correct?"

"...Yes. Many left when the evacuation order was issued, but many still refuse to leave. We tried to use the guards, but any more pressure would have caused severe conflict."

"Understood. We will be careful, but if the heretics' resistance is strong..."

The Bishop's eyes pierced the governor like daggers.

"Please keep in mind that we may have to employ some 'rough methods.'"

"...Of course, I am aware."

The governor nodded, his expression stiffening. The Bishop stood up with a benevolent smile. Isis and I stood up in a hurry and followed him.

The governor watched us, then suddenly stopped me.

"Hero."

His gaze held a complex mix of emotions: resentment, pity, anger, resignation. I knew resignation was the most terrifying of them all.

"The residents will not welcome you warmly. Some might even resent you. Especially after the news from the North, from Evernode, spread here."

I bit my lip. The taste of blood entered my throat and nose.

"...I cannot say much, but please, show them mercy."

"Yes. I understand."

Beside me, Isis opened her mouth to speak but froze, unable to voice her thoughts.

The Bishop stood at the door, looking at us as if urging us to hurry. I tapped Isis's shoulder lightly.

"Let's go."

Isis flinched violently at my touch and stepped back. Only then could I meet her eyes. Was this the first time since I transmigrated?

Back then, her eyes burned with anger. Demanding to know why I kicked him out of the party, fierce, emotional, yet confident.

But now, her eyes were like those of a child trembling in fear.

Seeing those eyes, I frowned reflexively. The depth of her suffering seemed too much for her to bear.

"Isis," I coaxed her gently once more.

Isis looked at me as if snapping out of a daze. I sighed softly and nodded toward the Bishop, who was staring intently at Isis.

"Let's hurry. The others are waiting."

The church the governor mentioned was on high ground, so it was relatively intact compared to the other ruins.

The autumn rain showed no signs of stopping even in the afternoon.

Once Daphne used magic to quickly tidy up the church's interior, the Bishop immediately gathered everyone.

"First, before we begin the investigation, I will explain a few precautions."

There was a blackboard on the wall, suggesting it was once used as a school. The Bishop picked up a piece of chalk the size of a pinky joint from the floor and began explaining like a teacher.

"We will split into two groups. One group will conduct a large-scale investigation during the day, and the other will secretly monitor them at night. Of course, as I mentioned, the night is dangerous, so the monitoring will be handled by the Inquisitors. I warn you..."

Thump. The Bishop tapped the blackboard with the chalk.

"Unless it is an exceptional circumstance, individual activity in the settlement at night is strictly forbidden. Darkness is the attribute of the Evil God, and it is the active hour of the cultists who operate in the shadows. Their power grows exceptionally strong at night. No matter how strong we are—even you, Mercenary Aryen—it could be dangerous."

He wrote 'No Night Activity' on the board and moved his hand next to it.

"The symbol of the Doomsday Cult—that is, the symbol of the Evil God—looks like this."

The Bishop drew a pentagram on the board.

"A star...?"

"Please understand that I can only show it to you like this, as drawing it directly is too profane. Their symbol is a pentagram with its head pointing to the ground. That is," the Bishop pointed to the top of the star, "think of it as this pentagram turned upside down. We shall call it the inverted pentagram. They will have this symbol somewhere on their bodies, whether as a tattoo or an emblem."

Bishop Andre glared at the star before wiping it away in disgust.

"One more thing. Hasty actions are strictly forbidden. We are short on staff. If we blindly arrest heretics the moment we see them, they will flee before we can strike their leaders, or we might get counterattacked."

Next to 'No Night Activity', he wrote 'No Haste'.

"Our goal is to gradually approach them, identify the leader of the Calamity worshippers, capture them, and wipe them out in one fell swoop. Keep this in mind."

Bishop Andre put down the chalk and dusted off his hands.

"Now, let us begin the inquiry. Everyone, take your assigned roles. Hero, it might be uncomfortable, but please make sure to wear your helmet. Just think of yourself as a soldier escorting me."

A helmet. I frowned and nodded. I felt like the Bishop was taking a subtle pleasure in making the Hero act as his escort soldier.

"Isis, you will join us later. If you get involved while we are still assessing the atmosphere and learning how to investigate, it might arouse unnecessary suspicion. Please wait here with the Inquisitors."

"...Understood."

The Bishop stood up and looked at me.

"Now, let us go, Hero."

What a psycho.

"Isis."

Isis stopped at the Bishop's voice and turned around. The investigation team was leaving the church.

Daphne was disguised as the Bishop's administrator, Georg as a knight, and Elroy and Marianne as guards.

The rain had turned into a drizzle, falling lightly on their raincoats and armor.

"Bishop."

Bishop Andre's expression and voice were incredibly stern.

"How long are you going to stay in that state?"

Isis blinked, looking at him. She couldn't speak. She didn't have the courage to say what happened that day, or why she was trembling so much.

"I know you went through a lot while supporting the recovery efforts here, but we need your help now. Regardless of what happened, the residents here trust you."

At the word "trust," Isis's eyes rippled again. The Bishop saw this clearly but didn't ask why.

"I hope you pull yourself together quickly. A simple inquiry won't take long, and soon it will be the Saintess's turn to step forward."

"...Yes, I understand."

Bishop Andre looked past Isis's shoulder. Aryen was sitting on a chair, quietly watching.

"Watch over Isis, Mercenary."

With that, the Bishop walked toward the Hero's party.

Isis watched them recede, then slowly returned to the church, curling her legs up on a chair.

Once the Hero's party was out of sight, the only sound left was the drizzle tapping against the leaves.

"Say, Aryen."

Aryen turned his head toward Isis. Deep shadows and faint light fell across his face. He was the same as always, even now. Isis didn't know if she should be relieved by that.

"If I had stopped you back then... if I had said we should go with Elroy's plan, how would you have reacted?"

Aryen closed his eyes slowly, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then opened them.

"Nothing would have changed. I would have stuck to my opinion. Even if our party's opinion leaned that way, I would have gone to the Commander-in-Chief and persuaded him to change his mind."

"...Why are you so sure?"

Aryen's voice was dry.

"If we had fought like that, someone in our party would have definitely died. It could have been Georg, it could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have been Nella, or it could have been you. I don't know what would have happened to the Hero."

Aryen shook his head.

"Even then, there was no guarantee we could stop the Kraken. And if the party fell there, there would be no next time. We would have just had to sit on our hands and watch."

Isis buried her face in her knees. Aryen's voice continued.

"After everything has already happened, regretting our choices won't change a thing."

The last sentence was muttered to himself. Aryen patted Isis's shoulder and stood up.

"This is my way. Weighing possibilities with human lives is what I've done my entire life."

Left alone in the church, Isis stared at the falling rain, imagining the sound of the Hero's footsteps as he walked down toward the settlement.

"I thought it would be terrible from what I heard, but..." Daphne muttered.

I sighed inwardly, looking at the settlement through the visor of my helmet.

"...This is."

The settlement was far from clean or decent. Shacks made of patched-together planks were crammed together, forming a maze of alleys. The air was thick with a foul stench.

Without proper drainage, the smell of excrement, unwashed bodies, and rotting flesh hung heavy.

Yet, there was a bizarre sense of dissonance in the way the people behaved.

"How strange," Bishop Andre muttered.

I couldn't help but agree.

Every single person in the settlement had a peaceful smile on their face.