Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The Protagonist is a Villain
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⚔ STATUS ⚔ Name: Peta Lucius Job: Southern Priest Leader of the Great Heavenly God Church ⚡ Strength: 132 💨 Agility: 111 🧠 Intelligence: 158 🍀 Luck: 112 I compared my stats with Eve's once more and fell deep into thought. Could I win this? With the waves separating us, a surprise attack from my side was impossible. Plus, the Hero was standing right next to Eve, tightly bound—if I attacked carelessly, she could be in grave danger.
"Alright... whatever. Let's say you really are that Priest Leader. At least a Priest Leader should be more honest than the rest, right?"
"Indeed. Having received the overly generous position of Southern Priest Leader, I strive to live up to it without shame."
"Good. Then just one question. She says she has a lover—who is it?"
The Hero turned her head away, her face flushing red. The sailors who'd come with me on the ship stared at me in bewilderment, unaccustomed to Eve's unexpectedly mild demeanor. Even I couldn't figure out why she was asking something so ridiculous. Was she seriously into lesbian NTR?
"Ahildern's princess. Ahildern Erina."
"A princess? You sure? A princess? Ha, fuck, this is a big fish."
Eve stroked the Hero's head with a grin. I could see the Hero whispering something to her in a small voice. Eve shook her head at the words and replied.
"No can do. After hearing your story, I've changed my mind. If I don't let you go, that princess will come rescue you, right? Everyone should get to fuck a princess at least once in life. Have you two fucked yet?"
The mood was turning strange. Eve drew her sword and began eyeing the number of sailors on my ship. I gripped my mace and stared her down. I'd planned to just take her and leave if she released the Hero nicely, but she clearly had no intention of doing that.
She bared her teeth in a ferocious grin. Her fangs were filed sharp, each one like a canine tooth. The Hero struggled to break free from her grasp. Eve pinned the Hero's head to the deck with her hand. Then, pointing her sword at the sailors on my ship, she said.
"We don't need this many sailors on the way back, right? You said you know that princess who's our Aei's lover, yeah? I'll let you and one sailor live. Pick who survives."
She openly declared she'd kill all the sailors. The ones on my ship exchanged panicked glances, then looked to me. I shook my head. I had no intention of slinking back like that.
"You're talking nonsense. After coming all this way, just turn back?"
"Fuck, I haven't touched you yet, so fuck off, you parasite-looking priest bastard."
After much deliberation, I had no choice but to decide. Right here, I had to smash this bitch Eve's head in and rescue the Hero. If I left as she said, the Hero would get fucked by Eve, and Erina would get NTR'd too. I couldn't watch that happen.
One of the sailors on Eve's ship spoke up to her.
"C-Captain. Even so, he's the Southern Priest Leader of the Great Heavenly God Church. If you provoke him too much..."
Eve's eyes widened as she glared at the sailor who'd spoken. Her pupils contracted rapidly, locking onto her. She flung the Hero to the deck. The other sailors dragged the Hero to a corner.
Now that I noticed, all of Eve's crew were women. Beautiful women, their faces weary from harsh ship labor, followed her. The sailor who'd met Eve's eyes backed away slowly, trailing off.
"What?"
"N-No, I mean... if the Great Heavenly God Church sends people... even you, Captain..."
"Fuck, you think I'm a joke?"
"N-No... C-Captain... spare... please spare me..."
"Fuck, do I look like a fucking joke to you? How much of a pussy do you think I am to say that shit?"
Eve grabbed her crewmate by the collar and shook her violently. One of my sailors whispered to me.
"Shouldn't we shove off now?"
"No. We fight. Prepare for battle."
Even a rough glance showed that, excluding Eve, the rest of her crew were pushovers. If I could just rescue the Hero and buff her up, no matter how blessed by mermaids this bitch was, I could turn her into mermaid sashimi or ribs.
"Kyaaack!"
A scream echoed from Eve's pirate ship. The sailor who'd just advised her clutched her stomach, face pale as she stared at Eve. Blood trickled from her mouth, Eve's blade pierced through her gut. Eve gripped the sharp curved sword tightly, grinding her teeth as she glared.
"Guhhh... kgh..."
When Eve yanked the sword free, the sailor vomited blood and tumbled into the sea. Stunned by the sudden violence, my sailors began edging back, ignoring my order to fight—they just wanted to run. Eve wiped her blade and shouted at my ship as it tried to turn.
"Fuck! I gave you terms, and you run? Priest Leader or whatever, I'll skin you all!"
With that yell, Eve tossed her hat to the deck and dove into the sea. Her suddenly leaderless ship panicked, then rammed closer to ours. I had no time to hesitate.
"Hyaah!"
I roared and leaped onto Eve's ship.
Boom!
At the same instant, an explosion like a bomb rocked the bottom of my ship, splitting it in two amid a massive spray. Sailors were swept away by the surging waves, turning into water ghosts. Sporadic blood sprays erupted from the deck, hinting at the one-sided slaughter on the other side. Eve's crew, trembling, raised weapons to block me.
"S-Stop... please... if we can't stop you... we'll be..."
Clang!
I smashed my mace into the head of the woman at the front trying to persuade me. Her skull caved in, and she crumpled. From the vibe, most seemed to have been forced into crewing under threats or coercion. But now wasn't the time for sympathy. Showing them that blocking me meant death was easier.
Killing one didn't break their will. To reach the Hero huddled in the corner, I struck down crew after crew in single blows, pushing forward, forward. Incongruous with the satisfying thuds, they sprayed nosebleeds and dropped dead on the spot.
My original ship was already shattered. Corpses floated amid blood so thick it evoked a red tide. Eve sat on the half-sunken deck, wringing water from her blood-soaked clothes.
Spotting me aboard, she smirked mockingly.
I shoved through the crew and approached the bound Hero on the deck.
"Bless."
⚙ Bless ⚙ Increases the target's HP, attack power, defense, and speed. I cast the buff spell on the Hero, and she snapped the iron chains in an instant, taking a deep breath. The moment she broke free, the crew scattered like fleeing rats.
At the same time, Eve leaped from the water onto the deck, eyeing us both. She slicked back her wet hair and spoke. Despite the Hero's release, she swung her sword lazily in the air with utter confidence.
"Think you two can win?"
The Hero snatched up a fallen curved sword—the kind pirates favored. Aiming it at Eve, she whispered to me so quietly Eve couldn't hear.
"Priest, I have a good idea."
Before I could respond, the Hero glanced at a small door on the deck and continued.
"There's a mermaid captive below deck. This pirate seems to treasure her greatly, so if we take her hostage and negotiate, we might escape."
"Can you hold out in the meantime?"
"I can. She wants my... body, after all."
She looked embarrassed even saying it herself.
I recast Bless on the Hero and turned back to the deck. No matter how strong Eve was, a Hero buffed by the Priest Leader could hold her off for a bit. Eve gazed at the charging Hero like she was adorable and drew her sword.
From behind me, their voices rang out.
"I don't let punks like you off twice."
"This time will be different. Fights aren't just about strength."
"Fuck, you talk big. Get caught this time, and I'll chop both your arms off. I hate whiny bitches."
I opened the door on the deck, and a wave of blood stench hit me. I dry-heaved, gulped outside air, then plunged back in. In the narrow corridor, crew hid warily, peeking out.
I grabbed one female sailor by the collar and demanded.
"Heard there's a mermaid here."
"M-Mermaid? The mermaid's that way. P-Please spare me..."
I ignored her groveling and headed deeper into the ship. Besides the gore stench, a heavy gloom permeated the vessel. Eerily, mermaid statues and paintings abounded, with maps marking mermaid habitats hung on walls.
I studied one map—it seemed useful—so I pocketed it. Not near Esta's coast, but I'd visit someday.
At the corridor's end, grotesque moans came from beyond the door. I kicked it open, thrusting my mace forward and yelling.
"Flatten before I smash your fins!"
"Guhhh... mmph... mph..."
And then I saw the room's scene and let out a hollow laugh. Ravaged corpses, blood-smeared walls. In the center, a clear tank. Inside, a mermaid with a dildo impaled writhed in moaning climax.