Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: New Holy Warrior
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"This person is someone who dwells in a world apart from mortals like us...!! Kneel at once and confess your sins!! And become a faithful follower of Lord Hassan, just like me!!"
Paranoya's booming declaration plunged the cramped shack into utter silence.
In that moment, not even a breath could be heard.
I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me.
Paranoya's condition was worsening.
"A, a mortal... no?"
Whether her words had sunk in or not, I could feel her fear-stricken indigo eyes gazing up at me.
Embarrassed and unsure how to respond, I just scowled and put on a stern expression. While I maintained the silence to buy time for my thoughts, Antiope muttered under her breath.
"I've heard the prophecy. The heir of the King of the Dead, Pluto, will appear in this mortal realm. Could it be... could you possibly be... Pluto's son, Samaritan...?"
Before I could answer, Paranoya—looking thrilled beyond measure, raising both hands high and opening her mouth wide—spoke in my stead.
"That is a secret sworn upon the River Styx by Lord Hassan and his right-hand woman, this top disciple...!! But it's something like that...!!"
Oh no, shoot. The secret's slipping out.
As I panicked slightly, Antiope bowed her head to the floor. Then, in a calm voice as if all strength had drained from her body, she spoke.
"So the prophecy was true.... Pluto's son is already in this world.... That pathetic, clumsy barbarian warrior was all just a deception...? Have I... fallen into a trap...?"
Antiope mumbled to herself.
But pathetic and clumsy barbarian warrior? It hit me right in the solar plexus unexpectedly, making my vision swim.
"The 8th-ranked knight of Jupiter's temple knights, this body, this body—the first to be trapped. Wh-why...?"
Having muttered that, Antiope finally lifted her head to look up at me.
It felt like she was asking why I had lured her into this trap. And probably that's exactly what it was. But shoot, I never intended any trap.
As I pondered what new lie to spin, Paranoya spoke up.
"Of course, it was to target your body, warrior woman...!!"
"My, my body!?"
"You will bear many children for Lord Hassan and expand Pluto's influence in a glorious role...!!"
At those words, Antiope recoiled in genuine horror, scrambling backward into the corner. Clutching her body with her hands and trembling, she shouted.
"Who would bear the child of a heretic!"
"But Lord Hassan's club is always hard and ready...!! You, you will eventually submit to Lord Hassan's club...!!"
"And when you erased the tattoo from my body, groping my breasts so lewdly—that was because you targeted me, one of the few women in the temple knights!!"
This scene felt so familiar from somewhere.
Didn't Hippolyte do exactly this?
They only shared their bronze skin, but seeing her like this, they really were sisters.
At this point, I couldn't help but seriously wonder if there was something wrong with Mars's bloodline.
"N-Now that I think about it, even the first time you massaged my body, you groped me lewdly. Y-you, from the very start, from the beginning, you targeted my body.... That time, when you touched the tattoo on my back. You foresaw all this...?"
If this girl really took after Hippolyte.
Denying it wouldn't help.
So, deciding it was better to roll with the situation, I just spouted whatever came to mind.
"That's right. Everything went according to my plan. You are all in the palm of my hand."
"But your plan would be meaningless without me, blessed by the War Song. Did you predict that the temple knights would dispatch me, the one from this city...?"
"Exactly. Your temple knights are entirely in my grasp as well. No—this kingdom, this world, I rule them all from the shadows."
"Ughhh, i-it can't be, it can't be...!!"
I'd just thrown out some nonsense, but Antiope took it as gospel, looking utterly shocked.
The first time we met, she'd intimidated me with her kingdom elite status and all that.
But now, she just seemed like a young girl my age.
And that was probably spot on.
A woman who happened to gain more power than most. Tough exterior aside, her insides were soft and girlish.
And since ancient times, the ones most susceptible to voice phishing or cults were young women with that innocent streak.
Once you seize their hearts, dazzle and shake them, even a fake cult leader like me could fool them.
As I reflected on how cults must form this way, Paranoya—listening beside me—leaned in slyly like a wicked villain.
"Lord Hassan, your top disciple Paranoya has a good idea...."
"A good idea?"
It made me tense, wondering what nonsense she'd say. But her proposal was something I hadn't considered.
"Why not make this one your holy warrior?"
"Holy warrior?"
The term brought to mind Skizo swinging her greatsword, and Psyche in her thorny armor from Venus's temple.
They were like slaves endlessly toiling under divine karma, right?
"Make her a holy warrior?"
"This fool's sins against Lord Hassan, Lady Luna, and top disciple Paranoya are grave...!! Make her a holy warrior and force her into eternal atonement...!!"
Right, holy warriors were those who sinned against gods. So this is how one is born.
But since I'm no real god, I couldn't actually make her one. As I pondered what to do.
I remembered she could tattoo bodies with that strange ink from my fingertips.
"Good idea, Paranoya. You'll get a big reward later."
"Ughhh, your praise alone is thanks enough.... Then, could you raise my future share from 5 pun to 6 pun...?"
"Yes, the territory you receive from me will be 6 percent."
"Heehee! Thank you...!!"
"Shall we give it a try?"
I slowly approached Antiope huddled in the corner. Then, even more deliberately and slowly, I moved my hand to grasp hers.
"Wh-what are you doing! I don't want to bear the child of a death god, a death god's bloodline...! S-sis, Siiiis—!"
Antiope thrashed as if I were about to rape her. Well, what I was about to do wasn't all that different.
But if she kept yelling like this, Luna upstairs might wake up, ask "Hassan, what're you doing?" growl "Why are you touching a woman's body!" and end with "Hassan, you're too much!"
"Paranoya, the prisoner's mouth is too loose."
"I'll silence her...!!"
So I ordered Paranoya to quiet her, and she clamped Antiope's mouth shut with both palms.
"Mmph— mmph!"
Antiope writhed to escape the restraint, but since we'd erased her tattoo, her level was only 27.
Sure, 27 was pretty high, but against me and Paranoya—both over level 20—it was tough.
Finally, I gripped her now-quiet hand. And I drew on her body.
Amazingly, a bizarre ink-like substance oozed from her fingernails, leaving a long black streak on her skin.
"Mmmph!"
"You've figured out what I'm doing, huh? From now on, every time you see the letters on your body, you'll remember your sins. And you won't be able to undress in front of anyone."
Scritch, scriiitch.
I scribbled whatever doodles came to mind all over her body.
"Mmmph!"
On her stomach, back, arms, and legs—I carved letters, making her look ridiculous and grotesque. But since this was punishment, ugly was just right.
Getting into it while drawing letters, I even added cat whiskers to her face. Like a black cat—suited her well.
While at it, I swirled a spiral around her navel.
Swirl, swiiiirl.
"Mmmph!"
In the end, Antiope looked like a ninja with a fox spirit sealed in her belly.
I thought of adding more, like Pikachu and Flareon.
"Shoot, not drawing well. Hold still, don't move. Hey, I said hold still."
It didn't come out right and got ruined. In the end, her forearm only had a bruised Pikachu and Flareon that looked like they'd tumbled down stairs.
"Puhahaha, what an idiotic sight...!!"
Paranoya laughed at it. Being mocked as a fool by Paranoya—if it were me, I'd be so shocked I'd skip a meal.
But she did look pretty dumb. Flareon, not even Charizard.
"Just so you know, don't think of covering the drawings with ink. From now on, you'll come to me every week for inspections to make sure they're intact."
Anyway, with this, Antiope became a Hassan-style holy warrior.
Even I thought it was a brilliant idea, so I felt deeply satisfied.
"Antiope, until I forgive you, you'll bear these karma burdens. Only I can remove them. You understand, right?"
"Me, a holy warrior of the death god...."
"Don't tell a soul. Not your sister you trust, not your knight comrades, not even in prayers to the gods. This is the punishment you'll carry for life."
Antiope stared down at her body, unable to continue. Soon, tears welled up in her eyes like she was truly wronged.
"Ugh, sob, h-how am I supposed to go outside like this.... My, my body's defiled. I can never get married now...."
For a moment, I felt like I'd done something awful and panicked. But Paranoya scolded her even more harshly from beside me.
"You fool—!! Be grateful for Lord Hassan's grace—!! Your life, which should have ended as a sacrificial execution, has been spared by Lord Hassan's mercy—!!"
"Ughhh...."
Truth be told, Paranoya had a point. Normally, killing Antiope would be the most effective.
But I didn't.
She was my acquaintance's sister, a national treasure-level figure where killing her lightly would cause legal issues. Hence this elaborate setup.
So, with a warning in my tone—dead serious, no joking—I spoke.
"Antiope Grimkeeper."
Antiope flinched.
"...How do you know my, my second name...? I haven't even told my sister—only Lord Jupiter should know it."
Even Antiope, who had been sniffling tears moments ago, now looked shocked, as if realizing something huge.
Apparently, her second name, Grimkeeper, was a closely guarded secret.
"Antiope Grimkeeper—."
More gravely and weightily than ever since coming to this world, I continued.
"Feel my mercy. Killing you would be easy, yet I've decided to let you live."
"...."
This was no lie or excuse—my honest truth.
"There won't be a next time."
It was also a vow to steel my soft heart, alongside the warning.
No next time.
This was the last time anyone threatened Luna's safety from the yard.
"...."
Thankfully, my sincerity seemed to get through—Antiope froze, unable to retort or respond, just standing still.
Soon, she knelt before me and pressed her forehead to the floor.
"...Thank you... for your mercy. But... what do I tell my comrades? If they see my sudden change, they'll suspect...."
Antiope had a valid point. Temple knights were high-value assets, only ten in the kingdom. Any odd behavior would raise flags.
But unfamiliar with temple knight inner workings, no clever excuse came to mind.
"You'll have to cover it up yourself. You didn't rise that high on looks alone."
"Th-that's...."
"Remember, your life and death are in my hands. I am now your—"
I paused mid-sentence, recalling Elfriede. Master and slave. No, something else fit better now.
"I am now your god."
"...."
Antiope kept her head to the floor, silent. But that silence was enough. In fact, her not speaking was perfect.
Declaring myself a god felt embarrassing and cringey, yet exhilarating—my heart pounded like I could do anything.
Anything at all.
Was this omnipotence?
As I basked in satisfaction, Paranoya asked.
"But, Lord Hassan. What domain do you govern as a god?"
Even Antiope, forehead still down, cautiously lifted her head, curiosity plain.
What domain?
I considered bluffing "god of disease" since I could heal with acupressure, but shut my mouth.