Chapter 71
Chapter 71
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Church (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Laura? Yumi? It’s me.”
Ignoring the guards sprawled on the floor in a daze from the enchantment, I knocked firmly on the door.
I tried to fling the door open, but it was locked tight, as if they’d prepared for any contingency.
I could have forced my way in, but that risked injuring Yumi or Laura, so I avoided such drastic measures unless absolutely necessary.
“Laura? Yumi?”
For some reason, despite my repeated knocking, there was no response from inside.
I pressed my ear to the door, but I couldn’t sense any presence within.
‘That’s strange?’
I’d already heard from the squad member I’d assigned to watch the hotel a few days ago that Yumi and Laura hadn’t left.
So I’d assumed they were definitely up here on the top floor, but they weren’t…
Suspicion crept in that the Church might have already whisked them away, but I decided to check the room anyway.
“Step back for a moment.”
I had the others fall back first, then drew my sword.
Freshly unsheathed, it gleamed like new.
“Hup.”
With a short shout, I swung the sword down.
Boom!
This was the room where key figures were sleeping, so the door was sturdier than I’d expected, but not enough to withstand my blade.
The door split in half and swung open.
I strode inside, only to freeze in shock.
Laura and Yumi lay side by side on the bed, both with flushed cheeks.
“…They got hit too?”
I knew they lacked divine power, making them vulnerable to Nania’s enchantment.
I’d thought their skills had grown enough from our eventful adventures to resist it.
But Laura and Yumi were weaker than I’d anticipated.
I glanced at Nania.
‘Or maybe Nania’s gotten stronger…’
It was common knowledge that succubi grew stronger by absorbing potent essence.
I prided myself on having the finest essence among the men of this world, and during our time at the academy, Nania had sucked it dry almost every day.
In hindsight, it made sense that her powers had grown.
I’d assumed Nania’s enchantment wasn’t that dangerous, but if it had strengthened, I needed to verify.
Cradling Yumi and Laura—who were writhing with flushed cheeks—I spoke to Nania.
“This won’t harm their bodies, right?”
Nania’s eyes widened in surprise that her enchantment had affected even Yumi and Laura.
“Yes, it went in stronger than I expected, but it won’t harm their bodies at all. Just like when Laden got hit in the dungeon before—no lasting damage.”
Her words reminded me of that time we’d entered Laura and Nania’s dungeon.
Laura had been dazed then too, and I’d taken care of her. Who knew it would happen again.
I decided to tease Laura plenty once she woke up, then pressed close to the two and slowly channeled my divine power.
Kani, who’d come with us, was skilled in divine power too, so she could have handled one.
But entrusting a party member to an outsider felt wrong.
So, though tiring, I decided to cover both myself.
Swoosh.
The divine power seeped through their veins, circulating through their bodies. Yumi woke first.
Still flushed, her delicate lashes fluttered, and her eyes opened. She froze in shock at the sight of my face right there.
Then came a brief moment of bashfulness before she quietly slipped from my arms.
Hmm, seeing Yumi embarrassed and startled—today’s haul was impressive.
Quite satisfied, I released Yumi from my embrace and focused on Laura.
True to her sleepy nature, Laura didn’t stir even after sensing my divine power.
‘In the dungeon, she’d snap out of it without this much effort.’
My divine power hadn’t regressed, so this proved Nania’s ability had grown that much stronger.
“Hmmmmm…”
After about five seconds?
Laura, who’d been twisting her legs, trembled her delicate brows and peeked her eyes open.
She rolled her eyes around, taking in the situation: glancing at the watching party members, then at me holding her, then checking her own position in my arms.
“Laura, we need to go now…”
“Kuuu…”
She clearly knew she was fine, yet brazenly closed her eyes again and pretended to sleep.
Worse, she didn’t pull away—instead burrowing deeper into my embrace.
She still didn’t grasp the gravity of the situation.
I sighed deeply and whispered in her ear.
“If you don’t get up, I’ll tell everyone about what happened in that dungeon.”
I’d shared some inner events with the party, but a few—like those just between me, Laura, and Nania—remained our secrets.
Threatened with exposure, Laura shot up at once, composing a nonchalant expression as if nothing had happened.
“Alright, let’s go! So what do we do?”
“…”
Ever since our exile to my territory, Laura’s facade had been growing thicker by the day.
***
“Woooah!”
“Down with the Church! Down with the Church!”
Flames roared high as the pre-arranged agitators simultaneously terrorized the Church’s key facilities, explosions ringing out.
Forces long resentful of the Church seized the moment to join, swelling the protests.
Those who’d collaborated with the rotten Church either scrambled to fight back aggressively or hunkered down at home, minimizing their presence.
“Beautiful.”
Rainy watched the scene from the top of the Church’s clock tower, a satisfied smile on her lips.
After learning that the Church’s few decent members were all actually demons, while the truly rotten ones were real humans…
Even the lingering affection she’d held for the Church after her excommunication had vanished entirely. That’s why she could smile amid this chaos.
“Crazy. Bitch.”
“Shhh.”
Marey and Daisy, teamed up with Rainy, clucked their tongues at her display.
Vine, ever the archer, used her keen eyesight to scout the surroundings.
It was a brutal sight: rotten priests being dragged away, fires raging.
But as an elf, Vine felt little.
Even after growing more human through the hero party, she remained at heart an arrogant, haughty elf.
She cared only for her close hero party comrades; otherwise, humans brawling meant nothing to her.
“Woooaaah!”
“Long live the Goddess!”
Overwhelmed by the anti-Church momentum, one Church direct unit routed, and furious citizens cheered.
“It’s over.”
With the main force crumbling awkwardly, Vine muttered her brief assessment.
Rainy nodded in agreement.
“Now we just need to catch the Church leadership.”
“Do you know where they are? They’ve probably fled already.”
“I know the location of the bunker they flee to in emergencies.”
“Oh, then this’ll be easy.”
Certain of victory, they chatted in a cheerful mood.
Boom boom boom!
Then, a massive explosion erupted from a nearby alley.
Instinctively sensing danger, the four women turned toward it in unison.
Each was among the world’s top powerhouses.
Their senses were honed to razor sharpness.
Clang.
Rattle.
Silently, they drew their weapons.
Rainy summoned golden hands radiating immense divine power above her own.
Vine nocked a mana-charged arrow and drew her bowstring taut.
Marey and Daisy stepped forward with swords raised, guarding Rainy and Vine.
Swoosh…
The sandstorm from the blast gradually cleared, revealing its source.
He stood amid the explosion without a hint of disarray, a faint smile on his lips.
His eyes remained narrowed in a perpetual squint, and an extraordinary aura emanated from him that all could feel.
“Who’s that guy?”
“Dunno, first time seeing him, but his robes scream high rank…”
Rainy tensed at the stranger’s appearance.
She’d only been ousted from the Church a short time ago, yet he’d risen to high office in that brief span—it proved he was an extraordinary powerhouse.
He stared fixedly at the four women, then bowed his head politely.
“Oh… Lady Rainy is here too. Allow me to introduce myself properly.”
His squinted eyes snapped wide open.
“I am Daniel, Director of External Affairs for the Church of the Goddess and the Church’s Supreme Inquisitor.”