The Saintess (2)
Sitting calmly to compose herself, Cecilia lowered her voice into a solemn register.
"The afflicted individual is named Perdio Hadim. He is a cardinal who serves actively as a Heresy Inquisitor."
"Perdio Hadim..."
It was a name that had never appeared in the game even once, yet it made a light bulb flash in my mind.
A tragic figure whose every record had been erased after meeting an unimaginably gruesome and disgraceful death. Yet in the setting books, his demise and the weight of his curse were emphasized repeatedly—described as a tragedy so profound that even the Goddess lamented his fate. Because of that, he had been the subject of endless lore speculation on the Origin World community boards.
"I see."
Before she could continue, I cut in quickly.
"He tried to dismantle the Catacombs—the den of black mages and a gathering ground for countless underworld syndicates—only to suffer a devastating counterattack. The enemy's sheer scale and power far exceeded expectations, and out of nowhere, an entity of a completely different tier appeared: a 'demigod-class demon.' Perdio Hadim barely managed to crawl back alive, but not before being struck by a fatal curse."
"...H-How...?! Th-That's right! Exactly right!"
"Furthermore, according to the Church's independent analysis, this curse doesn't merely eat away at the victim's life; it alters their very essence—a high-tier curse that borders on an authority. Am I wrong?"
"...!"
Cecilia's mouth snapped shut.
"And the curse's ultimate destination—"
"S-Stop! That's enough! You can't say any more! That's top secret!"
Springing from her seat in a panic, she flailed her hands frantically, darting nervous glances at Muriel, who stood motionless as a mannequin.
"Muriel's fine."
"What makes you trust her so much?! You've only known each other for a few days!"
Man, she already knows that much? The intelligence network of the Church of the Goddess really is something else.
"We might not have known each other long, but Muriel and I share a deep, unbreakable bond. Right, Muriel?"
"Naturally, Master Alzen."
"Stop lying! Even if that's true, having more people in on the secret does no one any good!"
"From the Church's perspective, having it leak would be a disaster, but for me? Not really."
"Grrr...!"
Grit her teeth in sheer irritation as I smirked playfully.
"Heh. Fine, fine. Let's leave that aside for now."
"...You won't bring it up later either, right? Seriously."
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway... the crux of the matter is that, isn't it? The 'Demon King's Fragment' lodged inside Perdio Hadim's brain. And a way to extract it cleanly."
"...!"
Cecilia froze, eyes widening, before finally managing a reluctant nod.
"Since you know everything, there's no point in hiding it. Honestly, that's classified too, but since you've already said it... Yes, it's true. Cardinal Perdio Hadim was cursed by a Demon King. Why a Demon King was in the Catacombs is beyond me, but that's not what matters right now. The Demon King's fragment. If we can cleanly extract it... humanity might actually have a shot at eliminating one of the Demon Kings...!"
Clenching her small fists tightly, Cecilia wore a resolute expression.
"Hmm..."
A Demon King. Literally, a demon standing at the absolute apex of high demons.
One could interpret it simply as a king of demons, but in truth, their realm was so exalted and terrifying that even high demons dared not approach them. Why? Because they were incarnations endowed directly with a portion of the Evil God's power. Unlike me—a thoroughly ordinary human surrounded by wild rumors—they were genuine divine entities.
Yet despite possessing such overwhelming power, they were meticulous and cautious to a fault, leaving humanity with virtually zero intelligence on them. Their true identities, domiciles, appearances, personalities... truly nothing was known. This information blackout was so comprehensive that in the game, their identities were only unveiled once the protagonist's party stood directly face-to-face with them.
Yet right now, one Demon King had left behind a clue.
The Demon King's fragment lodged inside Perdio Hadim's brain.
To inflict a curse capable of corrupting an exalted cardinal into a demon rather than an ordinary peasant, even a Demon King had to pay a commensurate price. I didn't know which one specifically, but that Demon King had likely chosen this method purely to mock and humiliate the cardinal and the Church. Had they wanted him dead, they could have swatted Perdio Hadim like a fly, no matter how seasoned a cardinal or formidable an inquisitor he was.
Ah, for the record, there are three Demon Kings in total.
Only after felling all three does one earn the chance to stand before the Evil God.
"...'At his death, even the Goddess sighed in sorrow.'"
"Pardon?"
"No, it's nothing."
Realizing I had murmured a line from the setting book out loud, I refocused on Cecilia.
"Anyway, if it's a fragment containing a Demon King's aura and authority, we can glean all sorts of critical information."
"Exactly! We'll finally uncover a piece of the veil shrouding the Demon King's identity! This will be a monumental leap forward for mankind!"
"...Hmm."
This was something I should genuinely invest some effort into. After all, it directly improved my chances of reaching an ending. Besides, the solution was easy.
In the latter half of the game, nobles and companions being corrupted into demons became an everyday occurrence. In the epilogue set a few years after slaying the Evil God, there was a brief scene showing the corrupted individuals being restored to their original forms. Naturally, the setting book—chock-full of trivial trivia and background lore—detailed that exact method step by step.
"I can help. I can resolve it, too."
"Really?! Then right now—!"
"Hold on. I want to discuss the price first."
"...Excuse me?"
Her jaw dropped as if she couldn't comprehend what she had just heard.
"Compensation. Surely you weren't expecting me to work for free? What can the Church offer me?"
"W-Wait... Did you even listen to what I said?! Don't you understand the gravity of this situation?! And yet you're asking for compensation...?! That's something you'll naturally be rewarded for once the job is done!"
"Why should I take your word for it? At the very least, we're writing up a contract."
"Just... what kind of person are you?!"
Pale and stammering in utter disbelief that someone like me could exist, she slumped her shoulders when met with my completely unbothered demeanor.
"It seems talking to you is pointless... Wendy. Please come out."
The moment she muttered those words, the space behind her rippled, radiating brilliant light. From within the glow, the silhouette of a woman emerged.
"......"
I watched without a hint of surprise. I had never assumed the Saintess had ventured out on her own in the first place.
The polar opposite of a Shadow Knight: a Knight of the Dawn. Where Shadow Knights concealed themselves in darkness, Knights of the Dawn hid their bodies within radiant light. Because they were elite assets that could only be cultivated by the Church of the Goddess, their true nature remained cloaked in mystery.
Of course, I already knew all about them. If Shadow Knights underwent a brutal, agonizing process to forge weeds into wild blossoms, Knights of the Dawn endured a systematic, rigid regimen to polish raw stones into gemstones.
"You summoned me."
A tall, striking woman with blue hair and clad in light armor bowed respectfully.
"Wendy. I need the communication crystal."
"Here it is."
As Wendy promptly set the crystal orb on the table, Cecilia glanced toward me.
"Master Alzen. Would you mind if I make a brief transmission?"
"Holding a meeting with the higher-ups? In that case, wouldn't it be better to just meet again tomorrow?"
"...No. It likely won't take long."
Biting her lower lip, a resolute, dazzling light settled in her eyes. Is she planning to invoke her authority as Saintess to push this through? Works for me. I've got nothing to lose.
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
With my nod, Wendy immediately channeled holy magic to envelop Cecilia's perimeter. Cecilia's figure vanished from view, and her voice was completely cut off.
"...A bit blinding, honestly."
Grumbling, I went to tilt my liquor bottle when my gaze collided with Wendy's. With skin as pale as a plaster bust, she stared intently at me with contrasting, deep blue eyes.
"What are you staring at? Something on your mind?"
"...No. My apologies."
"The demon who murdered your parents is named Harkal. A troublesome creature that can shapeshift into whoever it devours—and if it eats their brain, it even inherits their memories."
"...!"
Her eyes widened ever so slightly. To show only that much agitation after receiving information that could redefine her entire life... her mental fortitude was truly commendable.
"It's not a high demon, so someone of your caliber could kill it the second you cross paths. Tracking it down is the hard part, though. Recognizing it is even harder... Ah, and your younger brother is living in an orphanage run by the Church down in Delinda, in the southern part of the Empire."
"...H-How..."
Still, blood proved thicker than discipline; she couldn't help but waver at news of her kin. I smirked at her trembling voice.
What I had just done was completely pointless—just dumping information for the sake of it. I threw it out there simply because I felt like it. I had no intention of exploiting her, nor did I expect anything in return. Well, if we build some rapport, maybe I can make use of her later.
Besides, her background was only ever detailed in the setting books. Left alone, she would likely have spent her entire life oblivious to both her enemy's identity and her brother's whereabouts. It had bothered me just a little. That was all.
"Just passing the time. I wanted to see your reaction... but you're a pretty boring woman, aren't you?"
"I possess nothing with which to offer compensation."
"I told you, it was just for my own amusement. I don't need anything."
"...Thank you."
"Sure."
With my fleeting interest extinguished, I leaned halfway across the sofa, savoring my drink.
"Master Alzen, allow me."
Muriel, ever perceptive, promptly brought over a thick cushion and slipped it behind my neck and shoulders.
"Oh."
Now that was comfortable. If I closed my eyes right now, I felt like I'd drift off in seconds.
"Mmm..."
Just as drowsiness began to overwhelm me and my eyelids grew heavy, the veil shielding Cecilia dispersed.
"Master Alzen. I spoke with the Pope... Wait, did you seriously fall asleep in the meantime?! I truly cannot believe you!"
"I'm not asleep yet..."
Rubbing my eyes, I dragged myself upright only to be greeted by Cecilia's indignant scowl.
"Yaaawn... So, did you reach a verdict?"
"...Not yet. His Holiness wishes to speak with you directly."
"Huh? The Pope wants to talk to me?"
"At least use proper honorifics...!"
Turning pale, she pressed an index finger to her lips with a look of genuine concern for my wellbeing. Well, she really is a good-natured Saintess, after all.
"I'll handle it, so just hand over the orb."
"...Here."
I took the crystal ball she extended. An image was already reflected on its polished surface.
"Greetings. I am Nierdian Hapechelaim, Pope of the Church of the Goddess."
A grandfatherly elder with neatly combed white hair and an equally elegant snowy beard smiled warmly from within.
"How's it going? Stanasila Alzen here."
"...!"
Cecilia flailed her arms in bizarre, frantic gestures trying to stop me, but I brushed her off completely and locked eyes with the Pope.
"Hahaha. What a lively young man," the Pope chuckled heartily.
"Let's skip the pleasantries. Straight to business."
I tipped the bottle back and swallowed.
Gulp!
"Phew... So, what are you willing to give me in exchange for saving Perdio Hadim and pulling out the Demon King's fragment?"
"Hmm. Is there something specific you desire?"
"Handing over a Holy Relic sounds about right."
"......"
At my bombshell proposal, the Pope's genial expression froze, while Cecilia turned deathly pale as if on the verge of fainting.