Elysia's Prayer - Part 2
Elysia. An Apostle who possessed eyes that could see emotions. Despite countless criticisms and contempt, she remained a clergywoman who cherished and loved the weak. The world called her the Saintess of Gentleness. She was someone who continued her good deeds steadfastly through endless hardships and scorn, never betraying the name of God as she practiced love. Even without Yuria's immense holy power, she healed people's wounds with the medicine she had studied. A clergywoman who mended the scars hidden in their hearts with her eyes that saw emotions. Even when others mocked her as a fool, she was a devout priestess who sacrificed herself for happiness in the afterlife. Then, on the battlefield, she met the one she loved and built a happy family. Though they possessed no great wealth, she was content, and she was the kind of mother who wiped away tears whenever her young child called her "Mama." She was someone who knew how to find happiness in the smallest things.
But misfortune found its way into Elysia's life, once filled with endless joy. Cultists suddenly stormed in, and Elysia lost both her husband and child. She fell to her knees before the enemy who had killed her family. She begged them to spare her loved ones. If they could not save everyone, then at least her son—please, she pleaded again and again. Yet they fastened a collar around her neck and whispered false hope. Not knowing their promise was a lie, Elysia offered her finger in oath.
In the novel, she was the most selfless Apostle. She was the one who never killed for pleasure and upheld her principles. Of course, she was still a villain. Countless people had died by her hand. Even if her reason for killing was to save her son, how could anyone call her good? No matter how heartbreaking her motive, she had committed evil for personal desire. Still, I did not judge her as wicked. I, too, had taken lives for the sake of the young lady's happiness. I had no right to condemn others.
Anyway, in the novel, Elysia eventually acknowledged her mistakes and struggled to return to the beginning. Of course, Yuria, the protagonist, held the key to that process, but Elysia was also the only Apostle who had truly reformed. Though her end was tragic—brought about by the very collar around her neck.
The Elysia of the present was the Apostle of Temperance's dog. The Apostle of Temperance had placed that collar around her neck. A restriction that would cost her life. And that collar was—
"Hmm?"
The pocket watch hanging from the man's neck. I stared at him and smiled, letting both my anger over the lost chocolate and my curiosity about the watch show on my face.
How interesting...
The man simply gazed back at me in silence. His eyes, filled with madness, revealed clear intent. As a Sword Master, I could easily distinguish between accident and purpose. I had clearly avoided him, yet he had walked straight into me—like some thug picking a fight after a breakup. An Archbishop under the Apostle of Temperance's protection. Bound by blood, he was a cultist known by the alias of Humiliation.
In the novel, his appearance began with Luin as bait. Luin, betrayed by Hans. The Archbishop revealed Luin's past to the world and slowly crushed him. The shameful history of the proud Luin—his days in the slums—was exposed to the academy, causing a massive uproar. It had been an episode where Yuria's famous line, "So what? You're still my friend," helped Luin overcome his past pain and grow. But right now, he was nothing more than a lamb carrying a fine item.
I looked at the watch around his neck and wondered. Why does this man have the restriction of Gentleness? Even if the Apostle of Temperance cherished his kin, he would never hand over something so precious. Is the Apostle of Temperance here? That did not seem likely. If he were, I would have noticed long ago. Then… He intends to use the Apostle of Gentleness.
The watch, brimming with the Apostle of Temperance's black magic, surely contained a powerful spell that could not be easily stolen. The Apostle of Temperance would be preoccupied with the upcoming Holy Sword struggle, so he must have entrusted the watch to carry out a special mission.
A smile crept across my lips. I should not laugh, yet the corners of my mouth curled upward, my earlier rage over the broken chocolate shifting into exhilaration. Of course, he would still have to take responsibility for the chocolate. But I could not help wondering what the Apostle of Temperance would do once he learned his watch had been taken. Surviving the return trip would be difficult, of course.
Wearing a small smile, I spoke to the man staring at me.
"Ugh… aaah! My chocolate!"
"I apologize."
"Take responsibility…!"
I deliberately grabbed him by the collar. The Archbishop of Humiliation's expression did not change. As if he had expected this reaction, he offered a cold smile and let me seize him. Pulling him closer, I spoke in a rough voice.
"What are you going to do about it? This chocolate was hard to come by!"
"...I am sorry. Blame the clergyman with poor eyesight, Brother."
"..."
"As a wandering pilgrim, I have no money, but if you forgive me generously in the name of God, He will surely reward your good deed."
I gave a small smile.
"Bullshit."
"Pardon?"
"Where is this god who's going to bring me my chocolate?"
"..."
"My chocolate is the finest kind even a saint can't easily obtain. Something a beggar like you could never get…!"
"You have a truly wicked heart, Saint."
"..."
"Ah… How humiliating."
"Humiliating?"
The Archbishop was no real threat to me. Apostles were terrifying, but an Archbishop was nothing. Besides, this guy—
"Kukuku."
He was laughing. The Apostle of Temperance was surely drawing a grand picture right now. A scheme to cause massive chaos. I could not quite place which episode this was. There had never been one featuring both Elysia and the Archbishop of Humiliation. Is it that…? An incident no one below Apostle rank could create. The ancient species. The episode where the southern fortress was annihilated by an attack from the ancient species, after which the south became a monster paradise and the cult's main base was established. It appeared in the latter half of the story, but… no matter how I looked at it, this incident seemed connected to the Archbishop of Humiliation. He had controlled the ancient species in that event. He's trying to give his little brother a gift.
...Still.
This much—
...I could probably take it.
I had already broken the Pope's restriction. An Apostle's should not be much harder. Of course, it was a spell the Apostle of Temperance had poured his heart into, but even so… Seems easy enough.
Still gripping the Archbishop of Humiliation's collar, I began my act, steering us toward a secluded alley.
"Follow me."
"Brother!"
"Ah…! I told you I don't believe in any god. If you have no money, pay with your body."
"Please, don't do this, Brother."
The Archbishop of Humiliation smiled faintly and followed my lead into the alley, as if he intended to kill me there.
"Nothing good will come of this for you, Saint."
"..."
"I assure you."
"Oh, really?"
Once we reached the empty alley, the Archbishop reached out.
"Brother."
"...What."
"Have you ever experienced humiliation in your life?"
"Humiliation?"
Black magic residue began to emanate from the hand he extended. I answered with a small smile.
"Nope."
"Everyone says that. It's difficult to reveal one's shame to others."
"What are you talking about?"
"Come… I shall see it. Your shame…"
Black Magic Resistance Lv. 5 nullifies the black magic on the Golden Pocket Watch of Restriction.
A tingling pain spread through my fingertips as I held the watch. It felt as though it were announcing itself as the Apostle of Temperance's masterpiece.
Smiles at the scent of black magic.
I took another step forward and spoke.
"By the way, is this the real thing?"
"..."
"No, this engraving is the Pradi family crest. Doesn't seem like something a beggar would carry around."
"..."
"Must be real, then. You're not saying anything."
The chain around the watch swayed against his neck. At the same time, his face grew cold. I spoke to him.
"Hand it over."
"..."
"If you don't want to die."
Limit Break tests the limits of Black Magic Resistance Lv. 5.
The Binding Magic of the Golden Pocket Watch of Restriction has been released.
-Crackle.
The chain around his neck offered slight resistance before snapping. Watching the chain fall, the Archbishop's face turned deathly pale. And I simply smiled at him.
"Why?"
"Hand it over."
"Afraid the Apostle of Gentleness will kill you? No? Maybe your brother will kill you instead?"
"...!"
I smiled at the Archbishop of Humiliation's face, now filled with shock. Then, at the sound of a small clap behind him, his expression drained of all color.
-Clap.
"Hans."
Hans appeared behind the Archbishop and gently placed a hand on his head, smiling.
"You called, Saint?"
"The Archbishop of Greed...!"
"Shh… Be quiet. You are in the presence of the Saint right now."
Hans looked at me and asked.
"Shall I erase his memory?"
"Yes."
White mist began to wipe away the Archbishop's memories. I leaned in close to his face and spoke.
"Familiar magic, isn't it?"
"..."
"The Archbishop of Oblivion turned out to be tougher than expected. We managed to extract everything we could."
"How...!"
"It's a secret. Now… you simply lost your watch while walking."
"...No!"
"You lost it all by yourself. Just 'plop'—in the middle of an empty mountain."
"Shut up...!"
Watching his eyes slowly close, I offered my farewell. This was the cleanest way to end things.
"Give my regards to the Apostle of Temperance."
"..."
"Don't feel too wronged. This is getting off cheap."
"..."
"Chocolate costs more than this, after all."
*
At that same moment, the ancient species from the novel was scratching its head with its hind leg while biting the young lady's crown.
-Bear.
"Eek?"
-Bear bear.