Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Happy Family
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"Phew! I'll go get ready now!"
Jenia headed off with brisk steps and a refreshed face to prepare for going out.
Today was the day Veronica was going to pay a visit to the noble who'd slipped from her lips while "redeeming" a heretic.
She probably had no idea she'd been found out.
It had already been three months of behind-the-scenes work just to catch that one bastard.
As I stewed in my anger, pondering how to make him pay, Veronica entered the room holding a black uniform.
"Apostle! I brought your clothes. Time to get ready, right?"
Veronica was already dressed in her black uniform, fully prepared.
I nodded and stood up from my seat.
"Yeah. Oh, thanks, Veronica."
"Hehe, no problem."
Veronica held the uniform out for me to slip my arms into.
She lifted my arms and tied the black necktie around my neck.
Watching her like that, I suddenly realized how much time had passed.
Veronica, meticulously tying my necktie, had grown into a beauty with a somewhat cold impression.
Her radiant platinum hair flowed smoothly, and her cat-like eyes gleamed with a dizzying purple hue.
And the parts brushing against me as she tied it were quite ample—clearly brimming with divine power, by the look of them.
As I entertained those guilty thoughts, Veronica's cool gaze softened as she looked at me.
"There! All done!"
Feeling a pang of guilt for no reason, I cleared my throat.
"Ahem! Where's Lancelot?"
"He's already in the carriage!"
"Alright, let's head out then?"
"Yes!"
We boarded the carriage and activated the teleport magic circle, departing for the Marquisate of Agres.
Upon arriving in the Marquisate of Agres, we now stood before the grand gates of an imposing mansion.
The gatekeepers spotted us in front of the elegant iron bars and approached to check our identities.
"This is the Marquis of Agr—"
-Thwack!
Lancelot cleanly knocked him out with a punch to the jaw.
Before the second guard could blow his horn in surprise, Jenia dashed over and knocked him out the same way.
With psychokinesis, I unlocked the gate and gave it a gentle push—it swung open easily.
"Alright, once we're inside, everyone follow the plan."
"Got it!"
"Okey-dokey~"
"Yes, Apostle."
As we strolled in leisurely, the servants and gardeners just stared at us blankly.
Since the horn hadn't sounded, they probably thought we were unannounced guests.
As we reached the mansion's entrance, an elderly butler came out to greet us.
"Pardon me, but who might you gentlemen be...?"
"Oh, we're not guests. Anyway, where's Marquis Agres?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked where Marquis Agres is."
"Could you be the First Pri—"
-Thwack!
"I'll find him myself."
As we pushed open the mansion doors and entered, knights came pouring out.
'What the...? How did they know?'
We'd come in quietly enough, but somehow the knights were blocking our path.
Seeing that, Jenia and Lancelot naturally started playing rock-paper-scissors.
There were about twenty knights. The strongest-looking one among them drew his sword and shouted.
"Who are you to invade the sacred marquisate...?"
"Ah! I win!"
"Argh! Four losses in a row already! Jenia, switch with me just once, please? Come on!"
"Hehe, go for it, Jenia!"
"...Who are you people?!"
An absurd scene prompted a question loaded with confusion.
But none of us answered. Jenia alone pulled a long greatsword from her subspace.
The knights all drew their swords at the sight, ready to charge on command.
"Madmen... Charge!"
"Okay, as per our bet—loser fetches the kid, Veronica finds the marchioness and brings her to me. I'll send the signal."
"Ugh... how many kids does he have again...?"
"Yes!"
Lancelot and Veronica leaped effortlessly over the knights. Panic erupted from the knights.
-Huh?
-Hey!
-Ch... Chase them!
Jenia charged at the stunned knights.
Like a butterfly caught in a gale, she swept their legs with the flat of her blade, knocking them down, then kicked one at her feet, sending him flying.
The airborne knight bowled into the others like a bowling ball.
As eyes turned back to Jenia, the knights swung down hastily—but she parried them at blinding speed.
Their blades stuck to her sword's flat. With a slight twist to unbalance them, Jenia slashed diagonally upward, sending all their swords flying into the air.
Dashing through the flustered knights, she targeted the one who looked like the knight commander.
"Damn it!"
The commander panicked but countered with swift iaijutsu.
Jenia calmly read his blade path, placed her sword's flat on her shoulder, and launched herself. The drawn sword slid along hers, and she spun in midair, extending her arm to smash the commander's head.
A clean strike—impressive.
"Whoa."
-Clap clap clap
Oh right, no time to applaud. Gotta find the marquis.
I heightened my senses and spotted him in a meeting room, sitting with others, grasping the situation from the sudden noise.
"Jenia, if they're a hassle, just kill them."
"Sure~"
I nodded and flew to the meeting room.
I turned the handle gently, opened the door, and stepped inside.
Inside the room, retainers sat frozen, heads turned toward the commotion outside, while Marquis Agres sat pale-faced at the center of the long table.
The thought of finally getting to him brought a faint smile to my lips.
In the original story, he was vaguely lumped in with the "nobles who sponsored heretics."
These nobles without detailed descriptions had to be hunted down one by one.
"Hello?"
The nobles, seeing my face, turned even paler, forgetting to breathe.
I snapped my fingers, activating the illusion magic.
Months of practice helped distinguish what to manifest real and what as illusion.
The chair armrests extended, binding the retainers' arms tightly so they couldn't move.
The long table split, morphing into wooden restraints that locked around the marquis's neck and wrists.
-Gasp!
Ignoring the retainers' screams as they finally exhaled, I said,
"Vendum Agres."
I called his name softly. On his knees, Marquis Agres bellowed,
"Your Highness! You can't do this! Even the imperial family can't treat a noble like—!"
"Two years ago, first contact with the Reverse Cross Cult heretics, ongoing sponsorship since. Then you backed black magicians they call mere 'Paganus,' handed them to the cult. Gathered the Black Heart Order and Blood Cult forces for an alliance, plans included infiltrating the Holy Kingdom, etc... Whew, this is the short version, Marquis. You've been busy, huh?"
Speechless, the marquis trembled, stared at me, then bowed his head and burst into mad laughter.
Like a man who'd given up everything, he cackled and shouted,
"Kek... Kekeke... Kuhahaha! You depraved brat! Blood-mad like your father, walking the same path! The Great One will tear you apart and devour you!"
I listened quietly, wondering what he'd say. Just the usual heretic spiel.
Boring. I sighed.
"Sigh... Why do you all say the exact same thing?"
-Snap!
"Come in!"
Lancelot and Veronica entered, each dragging a young heir and the marchioness.
"Let go of me! Aaaack!"
"D-Darling!"
They roughly dumped the hostages on the floor.
Seeing his wife and son thrown down, the marquis's face flushed with rage.
"You fiends! How can you wear human skin and be so vile?!"
A monster who barely qualified as human invoking humanity.
Repulsed by the hypocrisy, I said flatly,
"Marquis, do you know what I went through just to catch you?
I had to decide whether to spare or kill the heretics I'd grind to dust—not easy.
The ones I spared gutted children's bellies, implanted eggs in innocent virgins' wombs,
or mashed brains together—I endured, caught them quietly, tortured out scraps of info.
If I'd returned with memories intact, I'd have killed you first. Marquis, even if you suffered eternally, would the victims' grudges be sated?" Save one, doom another. Purge heretics, they slip away.
The sickening frustration of averted eyes—I couldn't put it into words.
Recalling it hardened my expression.
The marquis fell silent in my chilling fury.
"Didn't expect me this close, huh? Your roots ran deep—took some effort."
I grinned and clapped.
"Enough gloom! Time for a memorial for the victims?"
I grabbed the marchioness and heir by the hair, dragging them before the marquis.
"Pick one, Marquis. The one you choose lives."
His breath hitched, body shaking madly.
The marchioness and heir cried out.
"Darling! Save our son at least! Please!"
"Father! Sa-Save Mother over me!"
A tearjerker. I laughed and clapped.
"Puhaha! So touching? The marchioness, rejuvenated by children's blood, loves her own kid that much! Hurry, Marquis, choose!"
Trembling, eyes on their screams, he shed tears.
"Y-Your Highness... Mercy... just once..."
Words from the victims.
"No no, beg forgiveness from the dead first—then maybe I'll let one live!"
"Pl-Please! Show mercy..."
They'd begged through tears too.
I smiled silently, counting down.
"3."
"Y-You demonic bastard!!"
Attitude flip.
"2." "N-No, sorry, I lost my head..."
Despair breeds groveling.
"1."
"Son!"
As they wailed on their knees, the marquis whispered emptily,
"Spare... at least my son..."
I beamed, pulling a custom-ordered metal grater from my subspace.
"Good choice! Son wins!"
With psychokinesis, I positioned the heir upright, floating over the grater.
It looked like a giant vegetable shredder.
Staring at it, the marquis asked hollowly,
"What..."
"Watch closely, Marquis! Veronica, ready?"
"Yes, Apostle!"
Veronica raised her hands, channeling divine power.
I fixed one of the heir's legs firm and grated it back and forth.
-Shrrrk shrrrk shrrrk
"Aaaaaagh! Agggrrrgh!"
"Kyaaaaagh!"
"Uwaaaagh!"
The marquis and his wife screamed and vomited.
Others' kids are sacrifices to laugh at, but your own? Precious.
I grinned wider at their misery, working the heir diligently.
-Grrrind! Grrrind! Veronica hummed, pumping divine power into his head and body.
The heir couldn't faint, shrieking horrifically.
The bound nobles squeezed eyes shut, retching.
Jenia peeked in.
"Oh! Your Highness, already started?"
-Grrrind! Grrrind!
"You're late, Jenia."
"Checked the basement."
"Ah~ Find anything?"
-Grriiind! Grrrind!
"Collusion docs, altar, money, etc.?"
"Good work. Sit and rest."
"Hehe, no problem~"
Amid the gruesome sounds and screams, their chat was oddly peaceful.
When the tearful pair squeezed eyes shut, I called Lancelot.
"Lancelot, these two say they're sleepy."
"Aha!"
He grabbed the marquis's hair and pulped his nose with fists.
-Thud! Splat! Splat!
"Urghhh! Stop, pleeease!"
"One's up!"
The marquis begged, nose smashed. Lancelot did the wife's too.
Bloody messes, they screamed for mercy again.
Like victims watching their children die before them.
Hoping the screams reached, I turned to the heir.
One leg done. "Veronica, staunch the bleeding here."
"Yess~" She smiled brightly, sealing the mangled stump.
Whispering to the foam-mouthed, vacant-eyed heir,
"Now, the other leg?"
Terror filled his face; he babbled,
"Please! Not me—grate Father! Shred that bastard! Please! Or Mother! Grind the bitch! No! Reaaally—Aaaaaaaaagh!"
-Shrrrk shrrrk shrrrk The heir cursed everything.
Nice sight—him vowing to kill his own parents.
"Nah~ I'd feel too bad for your victims~"
Like parents, like child.
-Grrrind! Grrrind!
"Aaaagh! I'm sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!..."
I shredded both legs and tossed him aside.
"Now you two's turn!"
"Ha... hahaha! Heeheeheehee!"
Mad cackles. I positioned them facing each other on the grater, shredding both pairs of legs at once.
Sliding them back and forth, their legs ground away.
-Grrrind! Grrrind!
"Kyaaaaagh! You trash! This is your faaaault!"
"Filthy bitch! If you hadn't skimped on the drugs, none of this—Aaaagh!"
Now cursing each other—I smiled happily.
"What a beautiful family!"
Screams echoed through the marquis's house.