The Evil God's Advance (2)
Jechen eagerly showed off his abilities. Though he was now ruined, these were the authorities of a Demon King who had once shaken the lands of the constellations and struck terror into all. He presented a collection of powers that any dark mage on the Continent would gladly trade their soul for, squeezing out what little mana he had left to demonstrate an example.
"Look! With this cloning technique, not only can you disguise yourself, but exploring dangerous areas will become far easier! So..."
Yet, Seraphina, who was listening to the explanation, showed no reaction whatsoever. She merely remained silent, staring blankly into the empty air with an indifferent expression. Even the ancient Demon King, with all his vast experience, felt a wave of bewilderment. In all of Jechen's long life, such a moment had never existed. A fear he had never felt before. The initiative seized from him for the first time. The novel sensation of being at someone else's mercy.
Unable to bear the rising anxiety, Jechen finally shrieked.
"Aaargh! Say something, anything! Give me a reaction! How are they?! The authorities of this great one!!"
The yellowish-brown energy flickered wildly in all directions, as if having a fit. The ring resting on the girl's palm vibrated. Only then did Seraphina turn her head. The Saintess's ruby-red eyes stared directly at the yellowish-brown haze. The vibrating soul of the Demon King shrank back, as if suddenly self-conscious under her gaze.
Perhaps it was because of the unprecedented absence of his power. Perhaps it was due to the strange environment of this other world. Or perhaps it was because of the bizarre, colossal entity backing the girl from the shadows. The soul of the ancient Demon King found himself thinking, entirely against his will, that the girl's crimson eyes possessed a truly chilling hue.
Jechen found this reality utterly humiliating.
"Urgh... To think this great one would suffer such disgrace...!"
He muttered, choked with rising humiliation. But even if his words denied it, his body was honest. A Demon King who had been powerful since birth, who had never known fear until the very moment of his sealing—the overwhelming pressure he felt now was simply too massive. The true meaning of terror had been carved into his mind with excessive clarity.
He was afraid. He was absolutely terrified of dying. His mind told him he would rather die than endure such disgrace, yet his mouth moved on its own, pouring out flattery. The yellowish-brown energy urged the silent Saintess.
"Girl! Answer me at once! If you act now, I will allow you to use my authorities to your heart's content, in exchange for just a fraction of your mana!"
"..."
"I-I will work hard, I tell you! You will surely be satisfied! From what I can see, that monster you serve..."
"What did you say?"
"N-No, I mean! That god you serve! Surprisingly, he hasn't bestowed any authorities upon you, has he? It must be because your body cannot handle such immense power!"
"..."
"But this great one is different! I can give you all the power you need! It won't even cost you any mana, since I, the Demon King, will be the one channeling the authority! You only need to provide enough mana for me to sustain my existence!"
The ring stood itself up on Seraphina's palm. Squeezing out the absolute bare minimum of his remaining mana, it crawled across the girl's pale hand. Jechen made one final, desperate plea.
"So, quickly, give me mana! Slip this great one onto your finger! At this rate, I might truly vanish..."
It was a cry that sounded almost pitiful. At his heartfelt plea, Seraphina let out a sigh and murmured.
"Sigh... Very well. I shall temporarily postpone your punishment for daring to insult the Great One."
Seraphina picked up the ring crawling on her palm. Slipping it slightly onto her finger, she channeled her mana. A rush of the water of life. Jechen let out an ecstatic groan.
"Oooooh! Ahhhh! I live! This great one has survived!!"
But his bliss was short-lived. After letting him absorb only a tiny fraction of her mana—just enough to barely survive a few days if he minimized his movements—Seraphina pulled the yellowish-brown ring off her finger. Her hand reached back toward the box. Tossing Jechen's ring among the countless stolen goods acquired from the auction house, she whispered,
"Wait here for now. I have seen enough of your authorities. I will take them into consideration before letting you out again."
"W-Wait! Are you really leaving me like this?! When will you return?!"
"A day should be enough. Behave yourself until then."
"Arghhh!"
Seraphina ignored Jechen's screams. The shouting soon faded. Perhaps he was saving what little mana he had left instead of wasting it on telepathy. The sound vanished as soon as she stepped a short distance away. The Saintess stared at the ring containing the Demon King's soul for a moment, then left her office with trembling steps.
A short while later.
After leaving her office, Seraphina made her way to the auditorium in the cult's underground headquarters. She sat on an ornate chair upon the dais, waiting for her guest. She had already summoned them through Hector, who was currently serving as both her guard and secretary. Utilizing the brief window before her guest's arrival, she calmed her racing heart.
‘Aaaaah! It worked, right? Oh, Great God, I did well, didn't I?!’
Seraphina screamed internally, tilting her head toward the ceiling. Feeling the silver gaze upon her entire body—a sensation that had once felt awkward but now felt strangely reassuring—she recalled her desperate performance.
‘The soul of a Demon King. And of all people, Palameides, the Jechen. Dealing with the Cardinals of the Council is exhausting enough... How did such a massive figure suddenly pop up?’
She, too, had been utterly bewildered by the sudden appearance of the Demon King's soul. She had only gone to the auction house because her followers had been captured as slaves. The stolen goods she had acquired there were merely a byproduct. Who could have guessed that a relic of the Demon King would be among them? From the moment she first heard his voice, Seraphina's heart had been pounding furiously. She had only managed to act so calm by remembering the gaze of her God watching from the heavens, and the gentle touch of His hand. As His priestess, she could not afford to show weakness before a mere Demon King. She had endured through sheer willpower. Ever since her encounter with Miraj, and since her God had wiped away her tears, a profound change had taken place within Seraphina's heart.
‘Anyway... I'm just glad the negotiation went well.’
The rewards yielded by her brief performance were truly immense. Seraphina recalled the authorities Jechen had frantically described. An indestructible body. Eyes that could pierce through all truths. Perfect cloning and shapeshifting techniques that could be altered at will. Those were just his primary authorities, to say nothing of the minor passive enhancements. In particular, the cloning technique—Jechen's specialty—held the potential to solve the pressing issues currently plaguing the church following their conflict with the Haninhae.
‘With this, it might actually work.’
Seraphina sat quietly, organizing her thoughts. After some time had passed, the woman summoned by the Saintess arrived at the dais. She had cropped green hair, a voluptuous yet petite frame, and sun-kissed skin.
"S-Saintess? I was told you were looking for me."
The elf, Shellin, spoke hesitantly. With every step she took, her legs trembled violently. Her ears were no different. Though they had been cropped to look human, they were still unmistakably elven, twitching nervously in sync with her anxiety. Seeing this, Seraphina welcomed her with a gentle smile.
"Ah, you've arrived. Would you mind coming closer? There is something I wish to ask you."
Seraphina engaged in a long conversation with Shellin.
It was Shellin who spoke first. She assumed Seraphina had summoned her to reprimand her for interrupting the previous meeting. Bowing her head deeply, Shellin apologized profusely for her rudeness, explaining that she had a pathological obsession with anything related to commerce—a habit she still hadn't managed to break, even after it had landed her in slavery.
Seraphina did not scold her further. She remembered Merlin's expression at the end of the meeting—the usually jovial old man holding back his anger was a rare sight. She trusted that Merlin's scolding had been more than enough. Since Shellin genuinely seemed to regret her actions, Seraphina decided to change the subject.
"Please stand up, Shellin. I did not summon you to extract an apology. Rather, I wanted to hear more about what you mentioned back then."
"R-Really?! Wait, what I said back then... Could it be what I think it is?!"
"Yes. It so happens that the Great One has bestowed a new power upon us. I believe it is time for us to make our move on the Continent in earnest."
"T-Then! A merchant guild, for real?!"
At Shellin's ecstatic exclamation, Seraphina nodded slowly.
"I believe that would be the best approach to secure a long-term food supply. Though we still need to work out the specific details."
"...!"
"So, please tell me what you were trying to say during the meeting. You have a plan prepared, don't you? Could you explain it to me in more detail this time?"
"Of course! Ah, I shouldn't be wasting time like this! Saintess, please wait just a moment! I have a proposal I drafted beforehand, I'll go grab it right away!"
Shellin dashed out immediately. The timid girl who had practically crawled onto the dais was gone, replaced by someone taking bold, confident strides. Watching her retreating figure, Seraphina thought:
‘At least her determination is genuine. This might actually work out.’
Not long after, Shellin returned to the dais at a speed that made it look as if her feet were on fire. Her petite arms were piled high with a thick stack of documents.
"Here! Please take a look at this first! Since we can't easily reveal the church's identity, I designed this to help us acquire a new cover—"
Seraphina read through the mountain of documents as Shellin explained. She occasionally asked about the reasoning behind certain plans and clarified specific details, gradually shaping their future path. Before they knew it, the day had already come to an end. By lights-out, both women returned to their respective rooms with satisfied expressions.
The next day.
After preparing herself, Seraphina slipped Jechen's ring onto her left index finger and summoned several key members of the church. Once Yeomyeong, Nisyona, Merlin, and Shellin had all gathered in her office, Seraphina addressed them.
"I have found a way to resolve our food shortage. A method to regularly transport food from the Continent. Furthermore, if all goes well, we will be able to extend the church's influence to the Continent itself."
"...May I ask what kind of method you have in mind?"
At Yeomyeong's question, Seraphina answered confidently.
"From now on, we are going to become hunters of the Continent. S-rank hunters who hunt the monsters of the gates."