Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Plan
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When I first saw the injured Ruin, the first thought that crossed my mind was, 'As expected.'
Up until now, he'd somehow managed to scrape by on his base stats alone, but the Black Knight was a whole different beast.
Northern demons. Taken down through a surprise attack, from what I'd heard.
Undead Dragon. Temperance had handled the defense, so they'd barely managed to kill it.
Mucky. Returned just as things were wrapping up.
Black Tower. It never appeared in the game, so no one knew how strong it was, but swinging his sword with full power had destroyed it.
All of it had diverged from the original story, allowing Ruin—who was no different from his base stats—to navigate every crisis.
But this Black Knight had to be handled purely on Ruin's own stats.
It was far too late to call in the Seven Virtues Holy Knights, and to begin with, I'd basically dragged those busy people into it by force.
As for summoning the Mage Tower Masters, they hadn't experienced it themselves yet, so aside from the White Tower Master, they'd all be skeptical.
Mages were an arrogant bunch by nature.
So I'd pinned my hopes on Ruin's growth, trusting the talk of his training, but it seemed it wasn't enough.
That was as far as my thoughts had gone.
"Please... just tell me the right answer... yeah?"
Seeing Ruin completely broken like that hit me like a thunderbolt.
'The situation is more serious than I thought.'
The current Ruin was wandering aimlessly, his stubborn pride shattered.
It was even worse than his playboy days.
Back then, he acted like a street thug and chased skirts, but as the protagonist, he'd still fulfilled his role somehow.
A collapsed state was different.
He couldn't do anything, and worse, he might veer into a bad end route.
What Ruin needed now wasn't being forced into fights and growth.
'He asked for the right answer.'
I steadied my breath and opened my mouth.
"Hero, rest."
"Cough! What...?"
Ruin looked up at me, utterly baffled.
To him, I said with utter sincerity.
"I may not know exactly, but right now, Hero, your convictions have been shaken. It must feel like your entire life has been denied."
The Black Knight was a monstrous scum who slaughtered without regard for age or gender, yet he wielded holy power.
His power was on par with the protagonist's, making him a tough early-game boss.
Ruin seemed to think his own beliefs were wrong because of it, but that wasn't true.
'Netasio, the Zealous Black Knight.'
It wasn't that Ruin was wrong; both were right, in a way.
The reason Netasio gained holy power was simple.
He believed in the Goddess.
He believed she'd strike him down for killing people.
He desperately believed she'd punish him for killing children.
He believed she'd send divine retribution for slaying children's parents.
That was it.
'No wonder Ruin's shaken.'
The condition for holy power was faith.
Ruin wasn't wrong.
But Ruin had broken.
So.
"Rest, then. Take a break and sort out your thoughts."
"Cough cough! H-Hey, but it has to be me...! That bastard—no, even I couldn't beat hi—"
"Exactly. That's why you need to rest even more, Hero."
"What?"
"You have boundless potential, Hero, but you're still just a sprout. Hone yourself, polish until you shine, and then step forward once more."
"...Then what about the Black Knight?"
"I'll go."
"What?"
"W-What did you say?!"
Ruin and Ariana jumped in shock at my response.
Ariana barely restrained herself from unleashing a holy spell in her surprise before speaking.
"Is, you're trying to do something dangerous again...!"
"Yeah! If I couldn't do it, there's no way you—"
"Of course, I'm not saying I'll fight him alone."
Having played the game, no one knew the Black Knight's danger better than I did.
There was no way I'd go alone.
"R-Really...?"
Relief flickered across Ariana's face.
As Ruin's gaze demanded answers, I immediately briefed the plan.
"First off—"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ One night, a black shadow prowled the back alleys.
"Ahh, this is all my fault..."
It was the Black Knight.
He looked more immersed in sorrow than usual.
"What a cruel fate this is..."
A few days earlier, he had clashed with the Hero.
"The Goddess watches over us..."
He muttered as he recalled that night.
"Forgive me not..."
The Black Knight had swung his sword to take Ruin's life, and it succeeded in slicing into him.
"Do not flee your fate..."
Even though it was only one arm.
Ruin had clearly been shaken, vomiting blood and in poor condition, and the Black Knight had swung with full power.
But.
"Haha, this actually hurts quite a bit...! Kugh!"
A priest—appearing out of nowhere—had caught Ruin and twisted his body away, so his two swords had severed Ruin's arm and the priest instead.
Judging by his attire, he was no ordinary priest but a high priest, yet even so, no one could heal themselves after being nearly bisected into a ragged mess.
Tears streaming, the Black Knight withdrew his sword, causing even more blood to pour from the high priest's body.
But.
"I may shatter, but I will not break."
The high priest, as if not human at all, immediately cast a holy spell on himself and spoke nonchalantly.
"...Not human. Even shattered to pieces, unyielding... You—no, you...!"
"Shh."
As the Black Knight moved to utter the great one's name, he pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him.
"Ahh, the Goddess has finally sent her divine punishment..."
"No, I'm not the one who will strike you down."
"Then...?"
"The one to defeat you is neither me, nor the Hero, nor even the Goddess."
"Ahh, why withhold punishment from me... In the end, the Goddess has abandoned me...!"
"The one to defeat you is not the sun, but a 'star'."
"A star...? Did you say a star?"
"It looks more like the moon to me... but whatever, you called it a special star tormented by tribulations."
"Ahh, a star akin to the moon..."
From within his helmet, the Black Knight quietly shed tears.
"With that alone, this lamb will depart the world in happiness..."
The Black Knight clasped his hands in prayer.
By the time it ended, the high priest had already taken the Hero away.
But.
"If this is the fate of mortals, if this is the fate ordained by the Goddess..."
-Shing.
"Then I shall gladly meet those expectations."
After stabbing his greatsword into the ground, the Black Knight departed.
Not by walking or running—he simply vanished.
And the reason he could do that was...
"Impressive, milord. I knew you were strong, but to even defeat the Hero!"
Thanks to the scrawny man chattering obsequiously at his side.
"...Making you my comrade was my greatest choice."
"Aigoo! For milord to rate a wretch like me so highly—I'm overjoyed!"
Believing the Goddess would eventually smite him, the Black Knight had strived to commit every sin humanity could muster.
Kidnapping, rape, murder, blackmail, arson, bullying, imprisonment, and more.
Yet seeing the Goddess withhold punishment despite it all, he decided to recruit one of the worst criminals as a companion.
His infamy drew many criminals to line up before him, and the one he chose was the man beside him now.
The rest he killed.
"Thanks to your abilities, I could commit sins even the Goddess wouldn't overlook with greater ease. How could I belittle your talents?"
"Aigoo, I too believe becoming milord's comrade was the best choice of my life!"
As he said it, he swept his hand over his face.
The moment his true face reemerged, it shifted from a gaunt, sleazy man to an arrogantly haughty gray-haired mage.
"Then, let's move again."
"Yes."
The Black Knight's companion was the "Face Thief."
One who stole the faces and abilities of those he killed—a wielder of dark powers distinct from black mages.
He had taken the face of a White Mage Tower mage to teleport the Black Knight.
Thus, the Face Thief and Black Knight instant-transported back to their lair.
"...Hero?"
There, unlike before, sat the Hero—now fully clad in armor.
"The Hero...?"
The Face Thief broke into a cold sweat, asking the Black Knight.
The Black Knight didn't even glance at him as he replied.
"The Hero is famous for never wearing armor, but this aura... It is unmistakably the Hero's... Ahh, this too is my fault..."
Immersed in sorrow, the Black Knight drew the greatsword from his back.
-Shing.
The Hero, too, drew his sword—blue eyes gleaming from within his helmet.