Millia. That name is simply unforgettable.
After the Academy fell, she climbed to the position of the youngest bishop in the Wish Church, and subsequently became the archbishop, and finally the cult leader—a true ambitious character.
Interestingly, I later learned that during this process, both the archbishop and the cult leader died in “mysterious accidents.” Quite peculiar, indeed.
I had no idea we had both attended Grandis Academy… I mean, we were in entirely different fields, and Millia was practically a ghost at the Academy.
But like it or not, after the Academy’s collapse, the people of the continent had no choice but to remember the name Millia.
After Kirke’s terror attack led to the downfall of the Holy Kingdom.
The Wish Church went wild, declaring that Millia would become the new Holy Kingdom.
──I am the savior of the New World, the only pope of this continent!
With this proclamation, Millia rallied the oppressed lower class under the banner of “wishes” to form a grand army.
Naturally, most of them were just Rank 1s or Rank 2s. Given that the Empire only conscripted Rank 3s and above, one could argue it wasn’t even a proper army.
But sheer numbers were overwhelmingly remarkable.
In a continent in chaos with the Academy’s destruction, the fall of the Holy Kingdom, and kingdoms embroiled in civil war, a church that claimed to “grant wishes” grew explosively in power.
The Empire, cautious of this threat, dispatched one Rank 8 to quell them.
But.
──“They ended up dying instead.”
I heard it was a horrific battle. Even as hundreds of lower class citizens fell to just one attack from the Rank 8, they charged at the Rank 8 in a frenzy, having become fervent followers of the Wish Church.
A Rank 8 is indeed the pinnacle of raw power a living being can achieve, but that doesn’t mean a single Rank 8 could wipe out an entire continent. They, too, are human and have limits.
Finally, after slaughtering tens of thousands of followers, the exhausted Rank 8 found itself at the mercy of Millia, who was only Rank 3.
After that, the Wish Church’s momentum only surged as they actively stirred up the continent.
…Looking back, this chaos was why Adam and Chloe were able to slip under the radar. To the Empire, which had just lost its Rank 8, the priority was dealing with the Wish Church.
“I have to kill her, no matter what.”
In the end, they managed to kill Millia and stop the Wish Church, but numerous questions still lingered.
How did the Wish Church turn the desperate lower class citizens into fanatical suicide squads?
How did they manage to feed hundreds of thousands, even millions, in a continent plagued by food shortages?
Most importantly, how did Millia, just a Rank 3 mage, manage to lead millions of followers perfectly?
None of these questions were resolved. Until the moment I severed Millia’s head with the Dark Sword, she merely laughed maniacally.
Well, it didn’t matter anyway.
“I only found out later that we attended the same academy.”
Now, here I am, keeping a close watch on Millia. The reason she’s still alive is that things need to be handled discreetly before they escalate, and I sensed something different about her.
If Millia has changed, I need to find out why. Since the last summoning ritual, Ruth has been acting a bit more cautiously.
So.
“F-Finance Director! Please have mercy! Please forgive me!”
“No, first put that down. I’m the one begging you.”
“Finance Director!”
“Ugh…”
“………….”
Hiding in the shadows, gripping the Dark Sword so tightly it might snap.
I really had to endure aiming for that wretched fanatic’s neck trying to cling to Adam.
No problem. It’s manageable.
Really.
I felt absolutely no emotion.
*
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I managed to pry them apart.
And explained it somehow.
“So, you’re saying Millia suddenly grabbed her pants and cried out begging for mercy?”
“That’s right. I’m just as surprised.”
If one looks at the situation, it’s a statement that could raise some doubts.
But surprisingly, even the professor who had initially cast a disdainful glance soon understood.
“Well, if she were really going to do something like that, she wouldn’t do it in a place like this.”
“Besides, the Finance Director was famous even as a student, right?”
“I mean, it was pretty well-known that he studied in the library during the festival. Didn’t we all use that as a good example to encourage each other?”
“Look at those dark circles under his eyes. I’d say he needs to go take a nap rather than chase after lust.”
I can hear you, you professor fools.
There were plenty of professors I learned from during my time at the Academy, so I couldn’t very well object.
In any case, with the misunderstanding resolved, I glanced back at Millia, who was sniffling.
“So, Millia?”
“Yes…”
“Shall we revisit the conversation from earlier? Professors, you may return to your work.”
“Good luck, Finance Director.”
“Hang in there.”
A slight trace of suspicion remained in the professors’ gazes, but they all returned to their posts. They needed to wrap up the paperwork for the meeting and get back to their respective research labs.
Most importantly, given the topic of discussion with Millia, it couldn’t involve anyone else.
I made sure to settle Millia back in her seat, closed the door, and activated the soundproof magic cast over the room this time without forgetting.
Adjusting my pants, I looked at Millia.
“There was a bit of a commotion, but now we can have a proper conversation.”
“………….”
“What do you mean by the Wish Church, exactly?”
Things had become convoluted, yet looking at the outcome, it wasn’t necessarily bad.
Ultimately, my existing plans were focused on “getting Millia to talk about the church first.” Though it was a different approach, Millia did indeed bring up the Wish Church first.
But it wasn’t something to simply brush aside.
“You know very well the relationship between the Wish Church and our Academy.”
“……Yes.”
“Then why do you refer to yourself as part of the Wish Church?”
While I may be disregarded by the headmaster, the Wish Church was an organization that had assaulted the Academy in its early days. Naturally, even after some time had passed, the relationship wouldn’t be amicable.
If the church had been infiltrating the Academy to recover sacred relics, they would have sent someone suitably trained for the task.
I wasn’t pressuring or threatening her; it was just a casual conversation about a scholarship, and she spills the beans about the church?
It’s a good thing I already knew Millia was involved with the Wish Church through the Dark Kingdom; otherwise, the normal response would be to think of misinformation or deception.
In a truly reasonable press, Millia responded.
“As I mentioned before… the church has no future.”
“I don’t know everything, but I believe the Wish Church, even if identified as a heresy, has somehow maintained its following.”
The Holy Kingdom wasn’t in the state of being raided by mountain kings; it existed even when it was the dominant power before the Empire.
So, despite being declared heretical by a theocratic state, they managed to survive. That meant it was due to the Wish Church’s unique way of granting wishes.
The doctrine of the Wish Church is very simple.
“If you believe and give, your wishes will be granted, no matter what they are.”
It’s a belief hard to see as just a standard religion; it’s the very nature of a cult. However, what distinguishes the Wish Church is that they really make those wishes come true.
After all, these guys have…
“The Dark Sword.”
Honestly, this was information I never should have known. In Part 1 of the indie game Dark Kingdom, stories about the Wish Church and the Dark Sword hardly come up.
Moreover, I’m not one to focus intensely on reading through the story, and even the information that appears so briefly that I wouldn’t remember it.
Thanks to an accidental spoiler, however, I did know.
“The problem was that I had looked at the guide community.”
Due to the game’s difficulty, I had mistakenly viewed the攻略 guide that revealed the method of obtaining the Dark Sword, an immensely powerful item in the game.
From there, I learned that Millia was part of the Wish Church and that the Dark Sword was associated with it.
I figured I’d learn about it in the later parts of the game anyway, so I sighed at seeing the spoiler.
“A church that fulfills the wishes of its followers. How can a place that has survived such oppression be said to have no future?”
“………….”
It’s not like the Dark Sword has vanished or something, right? Because it surely hasn’t.
The Dark Sword is a conceptually dimensional object that cannot simply cease to exist.
Someone might carry it away, but it should be safely stowed away in the headquarters of your church, right?
“If you really are from the Wish Church, then answer this. Why are you so obsessed with scholarship funds? If you are a member of the church, surely they are wealthy enough to provide…”
“No! That’s not true!”
“Pardon?”
“We’re not wealthy! They said they used to have a lot of money! I’ve been completely deceived!”
What the hell.
Why the sudden outburst?
In that instant, when Millia raised her voice, I could have sworn I felt a shadow behind her chair flinch. My fatigue must be playing tricks on me.
In that time, Millia stood up as if overwhelmed by something and shouted out.
“They said if you infiltrate the Academy, you’d get plenty of financial support! Yet all I get is barely enough for meals! What more can I do with this!? And then asking for regular report submissions! Paper and pens cost money too!”
“Millia?”
“During the collapse, they wasted our remaining funds on some failed mining investment! What the hell is going on!”
“…Mining?”
“Exactly! So I applied for the scholarship fund, but look at this crap! Why am I so unlucky…!?”
“Student!”
Suddenly, Millia tripped over something.
Nothing appeared to be there. Just a spot where shadows gathered. Yet she fell backward as if something were there.
It was as if she herself hadn’t expected this, leaving only a confused gasp in her voice.
In a hurry, I reached out and grabbed Millia’s hand───
*
──What’s with that expression? How dare you look down upon the pope of this continent with those eyes.
In an instant.
A voice echoed. The scenery shifted.
My head.
My head was killing me.
──Damn that girl. I should have killed her long ago.
“What a pathetic remark. Do you have no last words to leave?”
──Why? After wanting me dead all this time, are you suddenly finding compassion? Do you want to hear my last words?
“I’m just curious about what you’ll say before you die.”
Swoosh──
Rain poured down. My senses were in disarray. I didn’t know where I stood, the chill I felt, nor the situation unfolding.
Yet, what I could see clearly was.
Within the collapsing ruins, there lay a blood-drenched woman collapsed among a sea of corpses.
And in front of her stood a white-haired woman.
…It was strange.
The blood-soaked woman resembled Millia, but not the Millia I knew. She appeared far more mature, almost as if she had aged several years.
Why?
──Last words? I guess I do have one. Spit! You wretched girl.
“Is that it?”
──No way.
Rain continued to pour. The dark sky was unleashing torrents that washed away blood and brains.
The only figure standing amidst that rain was a foreboding woman wielding a black sword.
Why did she seem similar to someone else?
Was it just my imagination?
──Could it really be that a mere Rank 6 was the culprit behind the theft of the Dark Sword? That’s ridiculous.
“Technically, you were robbed by a Rank 1.”
──What?
“You don’t need to know that. It’s a tale I don’t want to narrate to someone who’s about to die.”
The rainwater dripped from the tip of the lifted sword. The blade, from hilt to tip coated in an ominous hue, emanated a foreboding aura.
In the confluence of blood and rain.
──Last words, yes. I do have some.
“Seems like there’s no need to hear them now.”
──Damn you! You should die in that pit! You’ll rot away forever! Your life will remain as dark as your decaying fish-like eyes! Everything you desire will vanish, and all your wishes will end in ruin!
The woman, bleeding yet resembling Millia, died with her extravagant garb and golden adornments soaked in her own blood.
Fueled by rage, she screamed.
──I will curse you for all eternity! Die! Ruth Spero!!
The silence that followed was palpable.
In a single swift motion, all those vile words were severed.
As her eyes remained fixed until the very end on the expressionless woman standing nearby.
The blood staining the black sword was quickly washed away by the rain.
Before the lifeless Millia’s body lay the woman.
“Unfortunately, I cannot die yet.”
“Before I die.”
“……Because there is someone I have to stop, even if it means killing.”
*
──────────.
Then, my vision returned to normal.
“……Huh?”
When I regained my senses, I was holding Millia’s hand.
Right. I had caught her hand before she fell. That’s what happened. I’m sure of it.
For a moment, I froze in that position, but then quickly got Millia back in her chair.
…But what was that just now?
“I surely saw something.”
I had felt something earlier. Something I had sensed before.
Unlike last time, some things linger in my mind.
“The rain, the ruins, the corpses, the blood… and.”
“The Dark Sword.”
“Why is that?”
Someone had wielded the Dark Sword. It had been a woman, but I couldn’t remember more than that. We exchanged words, but what did we say?
I tried to recall but the memory had already faded away. This time, I wondered why even these faint fragments remained.
Meanwhile, Millia, who had been blankly staring, suddenly said.
“……Ah.”
“Millia?”
“Ah……….”
With a deep, rich, and heavy sigh exhaled, she declared.
“I will do it.”
“……Excuse me?”
“I will do it! Please let me carry out terror!”
It was as if the Millia I just saw was merely a facade; now she spoke like her original self.
But did she really seem deceivingly crafty?
And terrorism? I hadn’t even said a word yet!
“Terrorism? What do you mean?”
“The details will come later!”
“Millia?!”
With a bright smile, Millia dashed out of the room before I could stop her.
Left alone in that room, I pondered.
“What the heck…?”
I couldn’t easily grasp the entirety of the situation. The sudden change in Millia’s demeanor and that bewildering illusion I had just experienced.
Why?
…It felt as though the shadows in the room began to ripple.
Restlessly.
Confusingly.
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