Chapter 231
Chapter 231
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 231
Chapter Title: Capturing the Last Cultist
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Anyway, I tied up the two guys confirmed as cult members and shoved them into a corner.
Verita used her holy power to heal the fairly seriously injured men, and watching that scene left me stunned twice.
Once for the shamelessness of her putting on such a saintly, gentle expression while treating the guys she'd nearly beaten to death.
And twice for the fact that this woman, clearly a cult member, could wield that much holy power.
Of course, the second shock only hit me because I was the only one here who knew that.
Most of the heroes watched Verita with horrified eyes as she inflicted wounds and then healed them.
Ignoring them completely, Verita finished the treatment with a sweet smile and even left some kind words.
"There! Treatment's done, but for Sir Peron, I recommend visiting one of the 72 Temples again later. Eyes are complicated organs, after all. You might even go blind, but that's God's trial, so please don't despair."
"…Hah."
Peron's lips twisted coldly.
His one visible eye, wrapped in bandages, glared at Verita.
Resentment and hatred churned in that sharp, lone eye like midnight waves—definitely not the look of a knight.
Of course, Verita, with her strong my-pace personality, didn't seem to care at all.
"Hey, nun lady."
The scholar approached Verita.
"Yes? What is it, Lady Anna?"
"What if those two aren't cult members?"
Verita tilted her head.
"What a strange thing to say. They've already confessed, haven't they?"
"Confessions from threats don't hold up. It's pretty well-known imperial law—surely you didn't know?"
"I'm sorry, but imperial law isn't in the scriptures. That means it's not God's word."
"…Hah."
The scholar sneered.
I thought it took real skill to provoke enemies without swearing.
Just dozens of minutes ago, everyone here had looked at Verita with eyes of trust and faith...
Not anymore.
Distrust, fear, hatred, resentment.
Only sticky, murky negative emotions were directed at her now.
"...That woman looks dangerous."
The chain sickle guy sidled up and whispered to me.
Why was this guy acting so chummy all of a sudden?
Separate from that mystery, I agreed she was dangerous... but something still nagged at me.
I approached the two half-restrained cult members and asked,
"Are you two really cult members?"
The old man answered.
"We are."
"...Really?"
I peered into the old man's eyes for a moment.
His stubbornly closed lips and steadfast gaze showed he was a man of strong conviction.
Cult member or not, he wasn't the type to give me easy answers.
To put it harshly, even torture here probably wouldn't loosen his tongue easily.
Meanwhile, the knight a bit away was still glaring at Verita with a snarling face...
Call it prejudice, but yeah, a 'free' knight?
He seemed less disciplined than imperial knights.
Meaning, if I had to pick one to prod, it was him.
I headed straight to the knight, squatted in front of him, and spoke.
"Cult member... or ex-cult member, technically. Anyway, which faction were you from, Sir Knight?"
"......"
"Want me to guess? That elder over there seems quiet and taciturn, like Black Mire faction... And you look rough with shallow patience, so Golden Horn faction, right?"
I threw it out without much thought, but if true, today would be historic.
I'd clashed with Black Mire, Green Tongue, and Blood Moon factions before...
And now meeting Golden Horn and Colorless followers too.
Haven't met the Great Demon Behemoth faction? Sadly, if Leone's the cult leader, I've already met Behemoth's top follower.
So I'd encountered all six factions—a rare feat even in Heros, probably.
"Shut your mouth."
As expected, the knight growled, but that reaction was welcome.
I kept prodding with a smirk.
"But why'd an ex-cultist come to Heros for glory? Not like guilt suddenly woke you up. Was Heros's offer tempting? Promised to fully launder your identity...? Heard the cult doesn't forgive apostates easily, so you wouldn't dare face them directly. Ah, got it now."
"......"
"Just occasionally join promotion matches or Origin Trials as a cultist to help with the tests? As an ex-cultist, you know their inner workings, perfect for creating real combat scenarios. No real danger for you, mutual benefit."
"Brat. You talk too much."
The knight glared.
"Mouthy punks like you don't live long. Didn't hear promotion matches are life-or-death?"
"Of course I did. But can a tied-up knight like you even touch a hair on my head?"
"We'll see."
His sneering response turned my suspicion into certainty.
Finding these two didn't end the test.
I stood from my squat and went to the chain sickle guy.
"Rokan, help me out."
"With what?"
"You brought your weapon, right?"
"Naturally."
Rokan pointed to his waist.
His signature chain sickle was there.
"Can you chain the door with it? Like those restricted area chains on the handle."
"Possible, but why?"
"You'll see soon. No time—do it quick."
"......"
He glared at my whining, then sighed.
"Fine, this time."
He acted all serious.
I went to his designated spot, confirmed the door sealed, then drew the Seven Sins Sword.
In Heros, I'd stick to the Seven Sins Sword unless in real crisis.
White Sun Eclipse was my trump card—not for casual reveals here.
"What're you doing?"
The scholar watching me spoke up.
She seemed the chattiest one.
The noble, merchant, thug, and mage barely said a word.
The mage especially—lips never moved, like a mute.
"This."
I replied curtly and hurled the drawn Seven Sins Sword at a corner.
Thud!
It pierced thin air.
"What?!"
"What the...?!"
"Oho."
It only gleamed briefly.
The air where the blade stuck rippled like a mirage, then blood spurted as someone appeared.
A thief-like guy cloaked head to toe in black.
"Urk...!"
"What, who's that guy?"
As everyone panicked, the hidden thief yanked the Seven Sins Sword from his shoulder and flung it away, bolting for the door.
But our chain sickle waited there.
The only exit was sealed.
As the thief closed in, Rokan's eyes darkened.
The moment he entered range, Rokan's hand shot out, grabbing his collar. The thief thrashed to escape, but only sprayed more blood from his shoulder.
Rokan hoisted him up and slammed him down.
Boom!
He was a named mercenary, after all.
Not just weapons—bare-handed combat for emergencies too.
If the thief were at full strength, maybe different outcome.
Anyway, this thief was the last cultist I'd suspected.
I'd sensed him hiding in the corner while scanning the room.
Too ambiguous—cultist or examiner?
So I baited the knight, drawing out confirmation more were left.
Rokan eyed the thief, then me.
"Untie the door now? Wanna chain this one instead."
"Yeah."
At my okay, Rokan unbound the door chain and wrapped it around the thief.
"Damn it! Let go!"
The thief twisted in final resistance, but Rokan's chain was an artifact, I knew.
Replica maybe, but not breakable by brute force.
Bound, the thief yelled at the two cultists.
"Peron! Erudi! What're you doing?! You can still move! Don't just lie there! Succeed this mission, and we shorten the deadline by years—you know that!"
Deadline?
Intriguing, but too noisy.
I snuck behind the thief and smashed his occiput with the Seven Sins Sword hilt.
Thwack—he face-planted unconscious.
"...Good grief. What the hell is this?"
The watching scholar muttered in disbelief, then the silent merchant spoke.
"Double trick, huh."
The noble nearby tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
"This test had two traps on purpose. First, it felt like just one hidden cultist. Even if two were revealed, you'd never suspect a third. Preconception side effect. That satisfaction after cracking one deception..."
"Indeed."
Noble and merchant.
Not crucial now, but they'd stuck together—acquaintances, probably.
'All strangers, my ass.'
No one trustworthy.
"Exactly."
The door burst open—the examiner who'd guided me first.
He scanned us with dead eyes.
"All cultists found. First test passed. Congratulations."
No enthusiasm in his congrats, he continued.
"Among participants here, C-grade or below heroes are safe from demotion. Those who excelled in spotting cultists are noted—for year-end evaluations, look forward."
His gaze hit me and Verita.
We'd shone brightest in the hunt.
'No comment.'
Verita aside, my methods were rough, but no warnings.
Results over process?
Pragmatism, or results-first.
Maybe Heros's motto.
"Second test starts immediately. Pass this, get C-grade hero status. Warning: twice as dangerous. Anyone quitting, speak now."
'Ah, so that's the format.'
Made sense.
First test D-grade, second C, third B... each pass promotes one rank.
Two tests to my goal.
The old man raised his hand.
"I'll stop here. Injuries too severe to continue."
Ex-cultist too, participating formally.
Their mission differed—'don't get exposed,' probably.
"Noted, Erudi. But as B-grade hero, quitting now means demotion to C. Fine?"
"Yes. Thinking retirement anyway. Fulfilled 20-year Heros term."
"Good. Reported upstairs. Anyone else?"
"......"
"Then all nine remaining proceed to second test."
He eyed us.
"One hour to regroup. After, assemble at Heros HQ back gate."
* * *
Nothing much to do in that hour.
No major injuries, not hungry.
I arrived at the back gate early.
"Urk."
"Oh."
Ran into Verita, of all people.
She looked freshly arrived too.
"Greetings, brother! Early bird, huh. That last move was impressive. I missed that cultist's stealth... Without you, we'd all have failed. That level of concealment—assassination cult faction, maybe?"
"......"
"Hm? You look pale. You okay?"
"My face is always like this. More like, you wield holy power pretty well."
No one around, but this was Heros. Beings beyond my senses possible.
"......"
Verita smiled, knowing my implication—cultist-nun hybrid smile.
"Of course, thanks to God's grace."
"Believe in a lot of gods?"
72 Temples obviously polytheistic.
Not what I meant.
"Brother, faith has types, and mine holds no lies. So wielding healing power's no surprise."
"Ah, sure. Anyway, how'd you know those two were cultists?"
"As I said, my eyes are special. Even without shared faith, I can discern identities visually."
"......"
Her casual reply left me speechless.
So, Colorless follower lets her track city-scale...
Non-follower cultists, direct sight reveals them?
'Insane.'
Ability to reliably detect cultists.
Empire, Heros, Sun Church would pay fortunes for it.
Tragedy: owned by Dark Cult.
'Can't let her meet Evan...'
Otherwise, her utility endless, depending on use.
Staring at her beaming smile, I thought that...
But honestly, no confidence controlling this lunatic.
"By the way, is Her Highness safe?"
"Her Highness? What princess?"
"Huh?"
Verita blinked, then tilted her head.
"Didn't you meet Lady Leone?"