Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: I Like Repentance
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I swallowed hard and spoke up.
"Um... Veronica? You're a bit too close..."
Veronica jumped in surprise.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Apostle! How could... the filthy blood of a heretic..."
'Ah... that's what she's worried about...'
I snapped my fingers, washing my face and Veronica's entire body clean with water before gathering the remaining droplets and flinging them away.
Seeing the blood splattered on my face and her own body rinsed away spotless, Veronica gazed at me with an expression of deep gratitude.
"Hah! The Apostle's grace!"
"..."
Leaving Veronica to begin her prayers to the divine, I sank into thought.
'First off, that line seems to refer to the connection between me and Lumié. Does that mean Lumié is one of God's creations?
And a stigmata on my forehead? What does that even mean?'
I pondered deeply about the origin of this stigmata.
'Is this stigmata connected to the Imperial Bloodline's secret? If so, does Father or Andrew have one too...? Then I should arrange a meeting with Andrew, the Second Princess, and Father...'
As that thought crossed my mind, a sudden pressure between my brows hit me, and a sound flashed through my head.
-□□□□
-Thud!
'What the hell was that.'
The events with Lumié from that day had just blazed across my mind.
It was clear something was hidden in the memories I'd been blocked from accessing.
'Could that be... God?'
I knew trying to recall it would just give me a headache, so I shut down the thought.
The temple priests who healed me hadn't said anything special, but Veronica seemed to see something.
Come to think of it, I'd never seen torture wounds heal that fast before.
Her skills were undeniably top-notch.
I sighed and addressed Veronica, who was deep in prayer.
"Veronica, I'm Liam Luminaria, First Prince of the Luminaria Empire."
"As expected of the great Apostle! The noble flesh has been blessed!"
Every word she said left me clueless about where to even start explaining.
It felt like the first time since I was a baby that my words had failed me so completely.
I just gave up.
"...Fine. Right now, I'm gathering companions. My main goal is to exterminate heretics."
"How wonderful! You've come to purge those vile pests yourself!"
"No, sigh... That's why I need your power..."
"I'll do it!"
Without a hint of hesitation, Veronica replied in the bright voice of an excited girl.
"Let me join you, Apostle! When you leave your great legacy, let me follow behind!"
Her answer came so easily it left me deflated, but I chuckled and extended a hand.
"It'll be a tough journey, but nice to have you, Veronica."
Veronica beamed so brightly it lit up the dark space, then literally launched herself into my arms.
"Yes! Apostle!"
"Wait! Too close—ugh! Why are you so strong?!"
"Heeeng... Apos-tle..."
My ribs nearly cracked as I barely pried her off with telekinesis.
Once I'd calmed Veronica down and was about to leave...
"Oh, right! Apostle, can I finish making this heretic repent before we go?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I forgot. That guy's a heretic, right?"
"Yes!"
"Do whatever. I'll wait."
"Yes! Thank you!"
Veronica scampered joyfully to pick up the knife I'd tossed aside earlier and hurried back to the heretic.
I ripped a nearby rock free and set it down beside her, then sat on it.
"Veronica, want to sit too while you do it?"
"No need, Apostle! You can't sit during the repentance process, heehee~"
The bloodied blade plunged into the heretic's swollen eyelid as he lay there, drained and on the verge of passing out.
He let out a horrific scream.
-Gaaaahhh! Grrrghhh...
"Hello! Shall we start again? First things first, you can't look at the Apostle with those blasphemous eyes, so let's begin with them!"
Ignoring the heretic as he foamed at the mouth and convulsed, Veronica waved her hand and gouged out the eye.
To prevent shock, she channeled holy power into his head and did the same to the other eye.
The space filled with gruesome screams and chilling sounds.
Watching quietly, a question occurred to me.
"Veronica, what were these heretics up to?"
-Grrraaah... I'm sorry!
"Oh, I have no idea! One day they stormed the church, locked up our priests, nuns, and little siblings, and started sacrificing them one by one. Ah, this one's the one who separated our baby sister's bones from her flesh."
-I'm sorry! I repent! I'm sorry! I repent! I'm sorry! I repent!
"Ah... I see... Sorry, shouldn't have asked. Oh! Stabbing lower hurts more."
"Aha! Thanks, Apostle! And it's fine—I've already made the others repent. This is the last one."
-Great one! To me... gaaah! To me!
"He's getting noisy."
-Snap!
I snapped my fingers, silencing the screams. Veronica looked up at me, eyelids drooping.
"Um... Apostle... I can't hear him. Could you make it a little audible?"
"Oh, sorry. I thought you'd hate the noise."
-Snap!
"There, give it a try."
-Aaaaaaaaagh!
"Yes! That's perfect! A voice is essential for repentance! Heehee~"
Her enthusiastic work was somehow adorable. Humming tunes, chatting away, she seemed to be enjoying herself, and it made me miss Assassination Pro.
'Maybe tomorrow I can spend some quality time with Assassination Pro...'
Lost in idle fantasy, I watched as the heretic soon begged for death instead.
With a pitying look, Veronica shoved the knife into his mouth and twisted it around.
-Gurgle! Cough! Gaaargh...
"Aw... Another heretic has completed repentance. Such a shame."
Blood-soaked, with drooping eyelids and a wistful expression, Veronica looked so pitiful that I offered her a gift.
"I caught a few heretics recently... Oof, wonder if they're still alive? If they are, they're yours."
Her face lit up instantly, all regret forgotten.
"Really?"
"Of course~ From now on, any heretics we capture alive are yours to repent at will. There's an amazing torture expert there too—I'll have her train you and get you new tools."
"Kyaaa!"
Veronica let out a girlish squeal, leaping into my arms and bouncing with joy.
I panicked but couldn't push away this girl with her tragic fate.
I just chuckled and patted her back.
"Apostle is the best!"
My party was shaping up weird, but whatever.
I calmed Veronica and headed outside.
As we emerged from the church, the cool night air swept over us, washing away the dank underground stench.
Feeling a pleasant sense of release, I stretched, then asked Veronica,
"Veronica, what should we do with the church?"
She closed her eyes softly, reminiscing, then opened them with a resolute expression.
"Destroy it, Apostle."
"Got it."
With that short reply, I dismantled the building with telekinesis.
It was already crumbling, so it didn't take much effort.
I sealed the basement entrance with stones and wove timber into a large cross, planting it firmly in the ground.
Seeing this, Veronica knelt and began to pray.
I didn't know what she was praying for—resentment toward the god who gave her power too late? Or a prayer for her family?
Suddenly, moonlight bathed her brightly, and light burst from her body.
Even blood-soaked in her tattered nun's habit, she radiated holiness.
As the brilliant light faded, Veronica made the sign of the cross and stood.
With a relieved smile, she turned to me.
"Apostle! Let's go!"
"Yeah, let's. Oh, before that."
-Snap!
I washed Veronica clean like before and rinsed the blood off myself.
I helped her onto the horse, then mounted up.
Sitting sidesaddle in her nun's habit, Veronica wrapped her arms tightly around my waist.
Her head naturally tucked under my chin, her face against my chest.
Her scent made me flustered, so I awkwardly started a conversation.
"What did you pray for back there?"
"Oh~ I prayed for my family to be safe, and the Lord answered!"
"Huh? You heard God's voice?"
"Yes!"
Shocked by her claim of hearing God's voice, I looked down at her. Oblivious, Veronica just smiled innocently.
Given my own experiences and this being a fantasy world, I'd assumed gods existed, but hearing it firsthand felt surreal.
Curious about the details, I asked,
"Can you tell me what God said?"
Beaming, Veronica replied,
"Of course~ He said my family is safe!"
That was a relief. Still, I grumbled inwardly that I should've crushed those heretics sooner to avoid this mess, when Veronica joked,
"And He said to take good care of you, Apostle!"
"Heh, that's a funny joke."
"Huh? It's not a joke! That's exactly what He said!"
"What?"
"Take good care of the Apostle!"
It wasn't a question, but the confirmation hit like a finishing blow, leaving me dumbfounded.
I asked again,
"Because I'm the Apostle, He said to take good care of me? What exactly did He say?"
"God said, 'Sorry, family safe, take good care of the Apostle.'"
For the record, while I believed gods existed, I was staunchly agnostic.
But being name-dropped out of nowhere left me staring at the sky in disbelief.
Peeking through the leaves, only the moon cast its soft glow.
Glare as I might, nothing changed, so I gave up and urged the horse onward.
Veronica wriggled happily in my arms.
"Eee! So warm..."
'What now...'
To tighten a few loose screws in Veronica's head, I changed the subject.
"Don't you resent God?"
She paused her squirming, lost in thought, then spoke.
"Mm... At first, I resented Him a lot. Every time they dragged away a nun, priest, or sibling, I prayed, but nothing changed. Even our baby sister was taken, leaving me alone—I nearly lost my mind. Then suddenly everything turned blindingly white, and power flooded me. I dealt with the heretics and made the survivors repent. While doing it, I resented Him daily: Why stay silent as those beautiful children were taken? Why not give me power sooner? What do you want from me? My faith shook. Maybe I just got lucky with power by chance, and God didn't care. So I made their repentance even crueler, thinking He'd take the power if I misused it. That's how I lived until I met you, Apostle!"
With a dreamy face, Veronica gently caressed my cheek.
"The moment I saw you, I knew. You're the proof God sent directly. I was ready for punishment despite my joy, but no—you didn't punish me. Instead, you showered me with gifts! You even watched my repentances with a smile!"
It seemed my fault was the biggest here.
'No... If someone enjoys that hobby so much in this world, isn't that... good...'
As I rationalized my guilt, Veronica continued,
"Since God apologized, I'll bury that resentment. More importantly, I don't want to see more people like me. In places where God's light shines, no more kids like our baby sister will suffer."
Her soft smile as she said it was breathtakingly beautiful.
On the galloping horse, the moonlight filtering through the leaves seemed to shine even brighter.