Chapter: 203
Now they could imagine the death of the world.
Born as members of a small village, in a life dedicated to dirty deeds, they never dreamed that the world could perish.
Even if their entire village was erased, they would never have imagined this vast and cruel world could crumble. In fact, it was strange to even contemplate the world’s collapse seriously.
The greatest threat they could conceive was a knight.
The fear that their wickedness would be exposed by some righteous knight, leading to their demise by unavoidable violence.
But that was a no longer a naive thought.
The sky was unseen. They weren’t even sure if they were stepping on solid ground. It felt as though their bodies were moving, yet they could find no evidence of such motion.
“Subtract.”
Something was being lost, although what that something was remained a mystery. However, they vaguely sensed they were being chipped away piece by piece.
At this rate, they would be erased. Like a poorly drawn picture wiped off a whiteboard, only remnants of what once was would remain.
So…
In this pitch-black darkness, to prove their existence…
“Aaaah──!!”
“Gah, Aaaahhh!”
They could only scream at the top of their lungs to ensure their voices reached their ears.
Yet, after a brief moment, the sound of weeping had vanished.
===============================================================
“The human traffickers have all been swept away, and now there’s just one left…”
“What do you mean? Are you planning to spare him for ‘one more chance’ again?”
The holy knight gripped the hilt of his greatsword tightly, hearing the nonchalant voices of the men and women. Although he couldn’t see ahead, he focused his senses to maintain a defensive posture.
This was also a trial. A trial arranged by the Goddess herself. Even if he were to fall here, the High Priest would carry on his great work.
The “Holy Liquid” discovered by chance in the temple of Elmest.
Drawn to its intense aroma, both the hidden High Priest and the holy knight resumed their activities. The holy knight ventured out to gather humans to be sacrificed. The High Priest continued the ritual of the Goddess’s resurrection from within.
Thus…
As long as she is revived, everything will be fine. Even if he were to perish here…
Voices echoed in the darkness.
“See, you’re bewitched. I suspect it might be the remnants of a deceased queen… if she had been living well before being subjected to mental control, we should grant her freedom.”
“Would that erase the sins she committed?”
“Precisely because of those sins, she must live on. Instead of comfortably fleeing into death, she needs to atone while she lives. I’m saying this for your benefit.”
“Hmph, I have no intention of atoning. So… are you thinking of cracking that guy’s skull open right here? Shouldn’t take more than three hours. I hate drawn-out trips.”
Slither slither. Something crawled from within the darkness.
The fallen holy knight strained his eyes to discern what it might be, but peering into the dark was no easy task. A chilly presence merely suggested that something was approaching.
A young man’s voice rang out, as if explaining an experiment to students while observing a frog just before dissection, with a casual tone.
“There’s a quick and easy method. Just dip him in malice. Just a little bit. That way, the wicked parts hidden inside will be drawn out, right?”
“Dip him in malice? Are you saying you plan to confront me directly, not by suppressing that wickedness implanted in your head, but by utilizing it to overcome me?”
“My goal is 93% victory, and you’ve already won. Let’s be straightforward.”
“I’m increasingly buoyed by hope for escape. You must be wishing for yourself to trip over your feet. Should I perhaps provide a subtle nudge?”
Pitch black.
In that obsidian void, an exceptionally black dot flickered.
As that small yet sinister point traced a trajectory through the air, a calm point followed behind it. As the trajectory completed some sort of magic, a translucent mirror materialized in the air.
Upon gazing into it, the darkness also gazed back. And finally, when he realized that this was a mirror that stained the mind with malice──
“I’ve done nothing wrong!”
Boom!
Words spilled forth as if he were vomiting up stomach acid.
“I served the Goddess, and I was told I had a divine affinity! It was said that praying and believing daily was all right, even though it was terribly bothersome, I did it religiously. That’s how I became a holy knight.”
“And then?”
“Then, the Goddess appeared in my dreams and said she liked me. She seduced me. I was a devout believer, so I couldn’t resist that temptation! Who could, really? Holding the Goddess? What man could ever refuse?”
“To want to hold your object of faith… amusing. Continue. What did you do with the power you gained?”
The holy knight couldn’t stop his words. The blackness that was coloring his heart acted as a catalyst, spilling forth the grim truths he had hidden deep inside.
The one who had adorned himself with the words of the Goddess and faith uncovered his true intentions, drawn in by the smooth voice and color.
“I held women.”
“Aha, you held women. Which women?”
“The priestesses of the order, some of the captured mountain sacrifices, those who were asleep…”
“What a wretched thing to do. What was your reason?”
The voice from the darkness asked lightly, as if scolding a close friend or interrogating a suspect.
The holy knight screamed.
“The Goddess commanded it! I have the right! It’s fine to do so! I thought divine power would not be taken from me!”
“That was surely… the Succubus Queen impersonating the Goddess. Did you ever consider that her seductive voice was not that of the Goddess?”
“I had doubts at first, but… my divine power didn’t vanish! Even when I allowed my desires to surface, even when I killed someone, my divine power remained intact!”
“Alright, that’s enough.”
Clap.
A sharp clapping echoed, large enough to reverberate through the entire space. The holy knight gasped, feeling his strength drain away, forced to kneel in place.
Then a young magician revealed himself before him. He announced his judgment.
“Not a case of strong mental control, just a few simple temptations swayed you. You didn’t even pretend to resist. It doesn’t sound like you thought very hard about it. You took action as if waiting for your chance.”
“…”
“I shall give you the somewhat diluted conscience you were born with. I’ll also grant you a quest. You are to lead those townsfolk and wander across the continent, saving those who are endangered by people like you.”
Each of his words seeped into the holy knight’s brain, burrowing white hot into his depths. He realized he couldn’t defy this man’s command. Not now, nor ever.
He felt the weight of restraints in a corner of his heart. He must atone for at least the sins he committed, or this bondage and command would never be lifted.
In his fading consciousness, the holy knight thought,
What have I done?
It was a belated sense of regret.
===============================================================
The fallen holy knight and the townsfolk were neatly stacked away in that open area. In about six hours, they would collectively awaken, moving according to the self-suggestions I had placed along the way.
Now they would toil to save the people, suffering for all the dirty deeds they had committed.
Satisfaction engulfed me as I wiped my hands clean, feeling as if I had just finished separating trash for recycling, when Evil God-chan poked me in the thigh and jabbered.
“Controlling people like puppets through hypnosis? Aren’t you just like the Queen? Villainous scum. Monster. Insane magician.”
“Shut it, would ya? What’s bad about enacting justice with a hypnosis app?”
“That so-called justice is just your selfish perspective… ugh.”
“I could predict exactly what you were going to say. Trying to scrape people together, eh? But is that really your place to talk?”
You world-class troublemaker, with your mouth running. Even if others point out my moral shortcomings, I wouldn’t take that from you, not for a moment.
Perhaps once your reformation is complete, I would consider it. Until the flowers of conscience fully bloom, you’re not a person, just a beast. That’s what I decided.
I turned to the wrecked wagon while firmly grasping Evil God-chan at the top of her head.
“Tower Master, Pingvalez, are you hurt anywhere?”
“Um… I’m fine.”
“The wagon suffered quite a bit. And the horses are dead.”
“Oh dear.”
What a mess. The resilient horses who had made it this far were long gone, and while the wagon still held its shape, it seemed heavily damaged in various places.
So this was how our journey was going to begin on foot. Not an agreeable prospect.
“I’ll try to fix it. There are quite a few trees around here.”
“…If you’re fixing the wagon, what about the horses?”
“I can pull it.”
“Ah, I see.”
Right, if Pingvalez could pull it, then it would be fine.
I picked up Evil God-chan, who was clinging to my hand, and said, “I’ll take a quick look around to see if there are any captives left.”
“Yes. I’ll wait here.”
“I’ll come too. Butterfly Mode!”
Fwoosh. The Tower Master transformed into a butterfly, fluttering away.
It seemed she was embarrassed and uncomfortable after unleashing the Yuna Death Beam before me. I could relate to that feeling. How should I put it… I didn’t want to showcase myself beating someone like a dog in front of Yuna.
Of course, players like Roderus had beaten them to a pulp, but that was part of the session, wasn’t it?
I waved lightly at Pingvalez and began walking towards the village.
A modest mountain village. It looked as if they were trying to be self-sufficient, with several potato fields visible, and surprisingly sturdy wooden fences caught the eye.
Knowing who the culprits were made piecing things together a breeze.
Realizing these people made their living through human trafficking clarified the village’s peculiarities. Structures designed to prevent escape from the inside.
Suspiciously placed farming tools that could be used as weapons in case of emergency.
“Well then… if you were the village chief, where would you keep the captured prey, Watson?”
“…Watson? What’s that?”
“Someone less clever than me.”
Whoosh!
I dodged the flying kick from Evil God-chan with a jump. She huffed, then launched into her own theory.
“If it were me, I’d hide them next to the food storage. Carrying food back and forth would seem suspicious. It’d be better to keep them in one place if feeding them is possible.”
“Let’s check over there first. If you’re wrong, you’re an idiot.”
“And if I’m right?”
“Then my wisdom in hiring a capable assistant shines.”
We rummaged through the building that looked like a food storage facility. Sure enough, there was a hidden entrance leading to the basement tucked away in the corner.
Before opening the entrance, I pressed my ear to the ground and slightly concentrated my magic, sensing faint life inside. There were indeed people present.
They didn’t seem armed. Most likely, they were abducted individuals. I wondered how I should introduce myself. “Ta-da, you’re free!”
As I contemplated my introduction and was about to open the basement door, Evil God-chan grabbed my shoulder.
“Hey, Mima.”
“Why… wait, why are you calling me that? That’s surprising.”
“Remember the bet from the wagon? Face down…”
“Ah, I can’t hear you, can’t hear you.”
I dashed down the stairs toward the basement entrance before Evil God-chan could articulate her demands. I aimed to ruin my social reputation right from the start.
I mean, to show my true form as a rampaging magician to whoever was caught down there? No way.
Thud, thud!
A brief chase ensued.
“Hey!!”
“Don’t say that right now, save it for another day!”
“I’m using it to mess with you! If you keep acting unprincipled like this, I’ll cry! I’ll sob in front of Lorey!!”
“Go ahead, try it. Then I’ll clobber you with my special stick!”
To my surprise, Evil God-chan was quicker than expected.
She tackled me from behind, causing me to roll over. After rolling about three times, I regained my senses, only to find Evil God-chan perched squarely on my chest.
Evil God-chan, with an expression of triumph, declared with gusto,
“You’ll be my mount! Get under me and crawl on all fours!”
“…”
I averted my gaze slightly and raised my hand, looking troubled. Then, loud enough for those around to hear, I mumbled.
“You see, I understand how you feel but… I can’t reciprocate your feelings. It’s troublesome if you like me too much. You’re not my type, and I don’t have the courage to match your sadistic tendencies.”
“What sort of ridiculous nonsense── Ah.”
Evil God-chan finally remembered a detail she had momentarily overlooked. The initial intent behind transforming me was to embarrass me using the people trapped here.
Evil God-chan’s head tilted back in annoyance.
The blue-haired noble lady who was imprisoned gazed at us in bewilderment, trying to comprehend the situation. After some consideration, she cautiously spoke up.
“…Um, should I face the wall?”
“No, I… I mean, no! I don’t like this kind of thing at all! It’s a misunderstanding!”
“The strong denial is often a strong affirmation, they say.”
“Shut up!!”
It took some time for the irate Evil God-chan to cool down.
===============================================================
Despite the bewildering and chaotic situation, the noble lady maintained a dignified noble flair and politely greeted us.
“Thank you for saving me. I am Ervasilion Julius, the eldest of Duke Julius’s Family.”
Gasp…
“Ah, you’re of high standing. But how on earth did you end up in such a place… Tower Master, what’s wrong?”
Yuna suddenly stiffened, making a startled noise. She quickly signaled for me to lean closer. “Come here and listen.”
As I lowered myself, Yuna whispered the shocking truth.
“Gasp…”
Having heard that truth, I too felt breathless, as if a dagger had pierced my gut. Grasping our chests, we found ourselves in a moment of shared shock, while Evil God-chan showed great interest.
“What’s this, Mima? Why are you so pale? Why does the Tower Master seem like that?”
“It’s nothing. No problem at all. Really.”
I desperately pretended to be calm. This truth must not get out to Evil God-chan.
Julius, whatever that name is.
My inability to remember names remained a problem, but I understood the title Yuna translated for me.
Duke of the Northern Territory.
So, the father of that noble lady was…
…The big shot from my days as an Isakai VTuber.
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