Grasping the Situation (1)
Alright, let's think about this rationally. The sacred city of the Goddess Church, Muon. Even if the firmly shut gates have opened, the paladins' glares remain as sharp as ever. To find the saintess, Freyja, under the watch of tens of thousands of eyes? It truly feels utterly hopeless.
"Sorry to Gaiber, but..."
"There must've been some misunderstanding, right?"
"The Goddess Church I knew wouldn't do something like that for no reason!"
"Speaking of which, it's the Mage Tower after all. Things get resolved the moment they move."
And if players are overhearing the conversation? You really get a sense of just how absurdly difficult this is. One wrong step, and you'd be saddled with an enormous false accusation.
Yet.
Clack—
My footsteps didn't hesitate for a moment. Tens of thousands of paladins? What of Muon's grand scale? To me—to Grandfell—we possess pride.
No temptation, deception, or trial from any demon can even scratch Grandfell's lofty pride.
A pride so weighty it might sink us, yet one that can never be shaken...!
And that pride was telling me.
Natural Enemy
This moment, forced to breathe the same air as a demon, was utterly disagreeable.
"Over there."
I shifted my gaze to the white building. Indeed, befitting the Arcana Continent's greatest religion. The structure's size was no joke.
Yes, inside there lurks the demon. The self-proclaimed saintess, Freyja.
The entrance to the cathedral was blocked by paladins.
"...Whoa, did you see that icy glare? Looks like we can't go in there."
A few players had tried entering Muon's cathedral but were already being stopped.
It had opened Muon with dark intentions, but it had no plans to reveal its own nest.
"Foolish."
But you're under a massive misconception, aren't you? Don't you know why it's called a natural enemy? Because it can't be defied under any conditions. That's why it's termed a natural enemy.
Yes. From the moment I set foot in Muon, I knew. Not just its location, but that the paladins of Muon weren't imbued with faith. It was merely a demon's abnormal status.
To reach the demon, I must break those paladins.
And there were so many of them. To pierce the defensive line of tens of thousands of paladins? It was unimaginable, but I had backing from the group that could make the unimaginable real.
Yes, the Mage Tower. The Mage Tower that accomplishes anything it sets out to do.
Now that you know the Mage Tower is in motion...
That's why it opened Muon. To increase the watching eyes.
Of course, the Mage Tower doesn't care about anyone's gaze. Even if the world watches. If I commanded it, they might sweep away the obstructing foes—the tens of thousands of paladins.
But let's avoid that. The Mage Tower might not mind, but the whole world would then fear the Mage Tower. The chaos that would ensue? Unimaginable.
And in such grand chaos, a demon's power only grows stronger.
Cunning.
Truly worthy of a demon that devoured the Goddess Church and staged this holy war farce. On a whole different level from the demons I'd seen in reality.
It always left itself an escape route, no matter the situation.
But if it's about digging holes, I do that too.
Not just one option.
Remove the abnormal status afflicting the tens of thousands of paladins.
Even with overflowing mana, it's near impossible by common sense. Even Marcelo's mana would find it burdensome. And the paladins under the abnormal status wouldn't just stand by while magic was cast on them.
But I could do it. No hesitation.
I pulled a demon item from my inventory. One to serve as the offering for the Exorcism Ritual.
Gloomy Statue has been selected as the offering.
Exorcism Ritual
Invites the selected target into the ritual.
The ritual. A mental battleground between demon hunter and demon. A demon invited into the ritual has no spare capacity to maintain an abnormal status. No matter how grand the demon or status.
Yes, I'd witnessed it. The great evil, the Sin of Gluttony. And Demon King Decarabia's abnormal status too. The moment the Exorcism Ritual activated—precisely when I opened my mouth—they became meaningless.
In that sense, it might feel unfair. After deceiving Muon's paladins for so long, to lose them in an instant.
But to me, it was utterly natural. Between demon hunter and demon, that's the inescapable predator-prey dynamic.
No, you know it better than anyone. That's why you feared such a natural enemy. You entangled Akshan in your holy war and sent them to the afterlife.
Just as I recognized the demon this moment, it surely recognized me the instant the Exorcism Ritual activated.
"How does that feel, you wretched cur."
Of course, my own impression was exceedingly simple.
Clack—
"Halt. You cannot approach this place."
The abnormal status was gone. Yet amid the confusion, the paladin still blocked my path.
I straightened my attire with dignity and declared,
"This is the moment of judgment you have awaited."
*
Paladin Tarim Eber's mind was in chaos.
...Why am I wary of them?
Pause—
His hand on the sword hilt at his waist felt awkward. Aiming a blade at civilians violated paladin doctrine.
Tarim frowned, recalling his memories.
...The saintess's words.
Yes, it all started with Saintess Freyja.
Tarim steadied his mind by remembering Freyja's voice and warned the approaching figure.
"Halt. You cannot approach this place."
The response came immediately.
"This is the moment of judgment you have awaited."
"...!"
Moment of judgment? ...Judgment?
That word brought a throbbing headache. His head felt like it would split.
The day of judgment...!
He vaguely recalled Freyja's words. Until the day of judgment came, no matter what, they must not leave Muon.
Because of the saintess's command, he'd defied paladin doctrine to hold his post.
"!"
Yes. Even as the Arcana Continent was trampled by demons. Even as innocents were slaughtered. Even on the day his hometown fell.
He'd stayed holed up in Muon, awaiting only the day of judgment.
"Urk!"
...Did I really do that?
Suddenly, uncontrollable nausea surged. His body and mind clashed head-on.
Doubt began to bloom in Tarim's chest.
...Why did I do nothing?
All to obey the saintess's words. Because he believed she would lead them right.
As Tarim tried to dismiss the doubt, the voice continued.
"Freyja."
"...?"
"Does she still appear as a saintess to you?"
"...!"
Blasphemy. Normally, he'd have drawn his sword reflexively. But Tarim couldn't.
Because the silver-haired man was right.
...What have I...?
Because he could no longer trust Freyja.
Where had it gone wrong? ...No, when had he failed to notice?
Looking back now, Freyja's actions made no sense. The Goddess Church had a duty to protect its followers. A duty to save the Arcana Continent, trampled in the goddess's name.
Yet Freyja obsessed over Muon excessively.
However.
The goddess's revelation.
Whenever doubt arose, that intense thought suppressed it.
Clench—
Tarim balled his fist.
Even in this trial, my faith remains unshaken.
Yes, the goddess's revelation would come as always. He just needed to act accordingly.
"...Why."
But the goddess's revelation was gone.
Even as forbidden doubt surged to his head. All he heard was the man's calm voice.
"The abnormal status is gone."
Tarim unwittingly asked back.
"...Abnormal status?"
A kind of curse. Was he saying he'd been cursed all this time?
Yet his body felt fine. The doubt in Tarim's mind grew larger.
He said the abnormal status is gone.
If he couldn't identify the curse, trace backward what vanished.
But no matter how he thought, only one thing was gone.
The goddess's revelation.
"U, urk!!"
Nausea surged again. To show such disgrace in Muon, before others.
Tarim hurriedly composed himself and looked at the man.
But the man's expression showed no change.
Tarim spoke.
"...If she is not the saintess, then what is she?"
Uncontrollable doubt. He had no choice but to ask the man.
Yet Tarim desperately hoped the man wouldn't answer.
But the response came promptly.
"A demon."
"Ah..."
A reply that shattered his faith at its root.
His head must be reeling. He couldn't accept it yet. But what could be done? This was reality.
Thud—
The paladin blocking me knelt to the ground. His legs had given out.
Hot gazes prickled. The players' stares.
It wasn't close enough for them to hear the conversation.
This might spread weird rumors again.
Such worries aside, now was the time to focus on the demon ahead.
As I steeled myself, the paladin spoke again.
"...I cannot believe it."
Yes, unbelievable. But reality is often ugly.
"Even if we were deceived by Freyja, I cannot accept that she is a demon. Even if no saintess existed, we have the goddess's grace. The miracle of the Saint's Tear remains intact as proof."
His eyes trembled as he continued.
"No demon can set foot in this holy site, Muon."
Is that what he meant? Fine as long as it's not faith in Freyja. I—Grandfell—am agnostic, but this world has religious freedom. Believe what you want; it doesn't concern me. My parents, one goes to temple, the other to church.
But I can't let wrong statements slide; it's my tiresome nature.
I said calmly,
"It is no miracle of the goddess."
Yes, the thing that spread the Goddess Church far and wide. What the media hyped as the elixir of youth.
The Saint's Tear.
Why a mere spring water had such effects was clear to my eyes.
"The Saint's Tear is nothing special, as its name suggests. Its anti-aging effect is merely one property of the rare herb, Aria Moss, growing at the spring's base. Hard to distinguish from ordinary moss, so proper research was lacking. It's natural you couldn't discern it."
"...What?"
"However, Aria Moss alone couldn't produce such effects. They only activate at specific temperatures. Likely, minerals沉 in the spring maintain the right water temperature. Considering the environment, Dmun Moonstone is the prime candidate."
Omniscient Insight of Pure Knowledge.
Thanks to that, I uncovered the truth. The quest window confirmed my guess.
Grasp the Forces Participating in the Holy War
📍 Meet the Goddess Church's Saint (Success)
📍 Uncover the True Nature of the Goddess Church's Saintess (Success)
📍 Hunt the Demon Disguised as the Goddess Church Saintess (In Progress)
📍 Uncover the Mage Tower's Original Sin (Success)
The quest window confirmed it. The Goddess Church never had a saint or saintess to begin with.
At my words, the paladin completely crumbled.
"...Aaaaaargh!!"
I knew the state of the Arcana Continent, so I could empathize with his feelings. Guilt or regret, probably.
If I could, I'd offer some small comfort. But with my tiresome personality, warm words weren't possible.
I opened my mouth in my own way.
"I do not believe in gods."
...Scraping right at the wounds. Fanning the flames in a burning house. Spouting words that would make enemies of the Goddess Church.
My vision spun, but my mouth kept going.
"There is no concrete proof of their existence."
"..."
"Yet there is also no concrete proof they do not exist."
"...?"
Confusion crossed the paladin's face. His expression seemed to ask if the evidence wasn't already sufficient.
Well, his mentality was shattered, so such thoughts were natural. Their holy site, Muon, had been thoroughly played by a demon.
For other gods, maybe, but proof the goddess didn't exist? That alone might suffice.
But that's overestimating it.
"A pathetic demon cannot serve as proof."
"...!"
That was tantamount to acknowledging demons' existence. Grandfell's pride couldn't tolerate it.
At that instant.
A deafening roar struck my eardrums.
Rumble rumble boom—!
Muon's pristine white cathedral collapsed. From the rubble, massive tentacles burst forth.
Freyja, the demon masquerading as saintess, revealed itself.
A colossal mass of tentacles. A languid voice, mismatched to it, echoed. Judging by the paladins' reactions, it was Freyja's voice.
"Indeed, the rumors were true. Fine. I've found a new deception to pursue. I'll end this diversion here. It was amusing enough, you fools of the Goddess Church, mad with illusions."
As expected. Unfazed even in the ritual, no ordinary demon. And rumors? It knew something of my existence.
But you made a grave mistake.
Coming alone into enemy territory, unaware of variables?
Think I'd come solo? Naturally, the Mage Tower backed me.
Moreover, after Senior Mage Senios's death. The senior mages, their fury at demons at its peak.
Step—
...Wait a second. Maybe the Mage Tower won't even need to act.
Clank—
The paladin now stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me. His eyes no longer wavered.
Soon, a resolute voice rang out.
"Thank you for those words in my moment of despair."
Shing—
He drew his sword.
"The time has come to prove faith unyielding to trials."
"The time to judge the demon that deceived the goddess."
"In the goddess's name. Draw your swords, paladins of Muon!"
At that moment, a message appeared in my view.
Goddess Church Paladin Order
Paladin Captain Tarim Eber commands 46,800 paladins
Current Status:Awaiting Orders
"!"