Chapter: 279
The moment I read that the interrogators were coming here, the first thought that popped into my head was this:
Why? Why are they coming here?
They have no reason to visit the Burrow family.
The church’s interrogators are basically the fixers of the church.
Those hunters of heresy execute all sorts of dirty work that can’t be done under the sun.
As one would expect for those who shouldn’t be seen, it’s a position only those deeply loyal to the church can obtain, but things are a bit different now.
Instead of appointing those with deep loyalty as interrogators, the church has been grooming loyal members from the get-go to fill that role.
Nothing too strange about it. These days, the church is so proactive they even create saints.
Anyway, these guys are usually sent only when they’re on dirty missions.
They might help collaborators keep eternal silence, quiet down anyone with outlandish opinions, or, true to their name, interrogate heretics.
So, why are they coming to the Burrow territory?
Clearly, they haven’t grasped the Burrow family’s ideals.
After all, this was verified by Bishop Johan and Isabel, who have various connections with the church.
So, there shouldn’t be any reason for the church to show interest in this territory. What on earth is going on?
No, wait.
I can think about the reason later.
What I need to focus on is how to respond to the appearance of the interrogators.
If the interrogators reach the Burrow territory, it wouldn’t just be a simple inconvenience.
First, there’s the issue of my identity being revealed.
I still haven’t grown strong enough to contend against the church’s power.
If I get exposed as an apostle in such a situation, I’d vanish without a trace, just as the old man once said.
That’s not the only problem.
If whatever happened in the Burrow territory gets exposed, the sacrifices could be endless.
Moreover, there’s a good chance that it could harm those who might have just helped me, like Phoebe and Johan.
Ahh, shoot. This is a headache!
[Hey, Young Lady. What’s going on?]
‘…Something bad has happened.’
As I explained my predicament, the old man let out a huff.
[Seems like you’ve hit a snag, huh?]
‘Seriously.’
I just dodged one life-threatening crisis, and now another one is on my tail!
What’s more annoying is that this new crisis isn’t even caused by the Evil God!
Why should I, an apostle of the True God, be afraid of the church’s people!?
Shouldn’t I be revered as the very first apostle of the True God!?
This is all because of that damn pathetic excuse for a deity!
Why doesn’t this so-called God manage His own followers properly!?
How can You call Yourself a deity, then allow Your followers to run amok like this!?
Is the reason for wanting to avoid talking to those ancient stinky grandpas just because it’s a bit awkward?!
If the pride of a pedophile loli is intertwined with those old farts, I swear I will rage!
I’ll risk my life to spread Your nature all over this world!
[Hey, Young Lady. Are you listening?]
‘…Huh? What did you say?’
[Ah. This isn’t just your problem. First, it’s best to go outside and inform the others.]
The old man’s words were indeed sound advice.
This wasn’t just my problem.
Especially since, when pondering issues like this alone, it’s usually better to discuss them with others.
Closing the door, I stood up, clutching my mace, and glanced at Nakrad’s back.
“Now, if I just… huh?! Didn’t I do what you asked already?! Stay still!….”
With this hit, he should get knocked out, right?
*
After Lucy entered the dungeon, Phoebe remained on her knees at the entrance, fervently praying.
The only thing she could do was ask the True God to protect Lucy.
She ignored every suggestion to eat or drink, rest, or any other comfort, steadfastly focused on her prayer.
How long had it been? She couldn’t even tell anymore.
Then, a warm aura flowed out from behind the dungeon door.
As soon as Phoebe felt it against her skin, she urgently opened her eyes.
Standing there was definitely Lucy.
Her cascading red hair was a bloody mess, dirtied everywhere.
Blood dripped from her head, partially covering her face.
The armor she wore was dented and hardly recognizable.
But standing at the entrance to the dungeon was undeniably Lucy.
She tossed the two dolls she had been carrying over her shoulder to the ground like baggage and met Phoebe’s gaze with a grin.
“What’s up? Pathetic saint. You….”
“Lady!”
Phoebe dashed to Lucy the moment she saw that smile and embraced her.
Lucy, drenched in blood, didn’t care that her clothes were getting dirty. Her heart was overflowing with joy, leaving no room for concern.
“Do you even know how worried I was?!”
“Not really.”
“You said it was nothing, yet you took so long to get back!”
“Nap.”
“Ah, I’m just so glad you’re safe! My….”
“Hey! Pig saint! Can you get off me? It’s a little overwhelming!”
Finally realizing how rude she had been after Lucy yelled, Phoebe became aware of her mistake.
She had just rushed to embrace someone who had fought against an apostle of the Evil God!
“I’m sorry! Lady!”
“…Hah. Enough of that. Where are the other useless ones?”
“The others….”
“What is it? Master? Is it urgent?”
Just as Phoebe was about to reply, a voice suddenly came from behind.
Karia, Lucy’s intel agent, poked her face through the door.
“Yeah. It’s about as urgent as your prickly spirit, huh?”
“…My spirit isn’t urgent at all!”
Amid the shrill voices of Karia, pricked by the sheer audacity, and Lucy ordering for everyone to gather, Phoebe silently turned to see the faces of those Lucy had brought back.
One was Jackal Burrow.
The heir of the Burrow family who had given in to the temptations of the evil deity but gained another chance through Lucy.
The other was…
“Pff?!… cough! Cough!”
Phoebe was so shocked to see the apostle of the Evil God that she nearly choked and coughed multiple times.
What on earth is happening?!
Before Phoebe could sort herself out, Karia, who had approached from behind, lightly patted her back and then faced Lucy with a question.
“Master, what in the world happened here?”
“How should I know what’s going on with this perverted height?”
“…This is your personal taste? For real?”
Karia shook her head as she took in Nakrad’s unconscious form on the floor, looking like she was seeing something unsightly, before exiting the room.
And just like that, silence filled the room.
Phoebe was in a frenzy, unable to think past her blunder from earlier, while Lucy wore a frown, gazing thoughtfully at the floor.
Ugh. Useless Phoebe. Why do you keep screwing up even during this happy reunion?
Thanks to this, I got scolded by the Young Lady.
Hah. Pig saint, indeed.
…But considering what the Young Lady says, she might be exaggerating, but it’s not completely untrue either.
Wait. Did I just gain weight?
“Lady! Are you alright?! Are you hurt?! This knife! I was so worried about you!”
Bursting in with reckless enthusiasm, Karl interrupted Phoebe’s thoughts.
No sooner had he entered the room than he was making noise, only to be swiftly subdued by the irritated Lucy.
Shortly after, Alsetin showed up, with Johan quietly entering the room behind him, followed by the owner of the forest and a spatial magician.
“Prete is finished with what he’s doing.”
Finally, when Karia appeared too, Lucy spoke with a rather serious expression.
“The trash performing as if they serve the pathetic God is coming here.”
*
“Seriously… Not even worth asking if that’s true.”
The first voice came from Karia. A person who could read others’ intentions didn’t doubt my words. She sighed and turned her gaze toward Johan.
“Bishop Johan. What happens if the interrogators see the situation in Burrow territory?”
“Hmmm.”
Johan didn’t question my words either, as he seemed to have already concluded that I was speaking the truth.
He answered Karia’s inquiry immediately.
“They won’t be able to miss the signs of Tariki. Then they’ll press us about why we acted without informing the church.”
“That’s going to be a nuisance.”
“More than that, I’d say.”
“Any chance of persuasion?”
“Impossible. Forcing them won’t work either. We might defeat the interrogators, but some will slip away.”
“Hah. So, then.”
“Umm.”
As the rapid conversation progressed, Phoebe seized her moment to speak, drawing everyone’s attention.
Though the stares felt a bit heavy, Phoebe continued to smile and went on.
“I’ll stay and testify. That way, we can make the Burrow family appear innocent. And it’ll avoid any arrows pointing at the Young Lady…”
‘No way.’
“No, that won’t work, pathetic saint.”
“It’s not happening, Saintess.”
“Not a chance, Saintess.”
As soon as Phoebe proposed her idea, the three of us—me, Johan, and Karia—shook our heads in unison.
“Why… why not?”
“First, the scale of the issue is far too large for the Saintess to handle alone.”
“Suspicion will arise, and investigations will continue from there. It’ll just become troublesome.”
I won’t say it outright, but even if Phoebe’s idea were to be accepted, it’s still a problem.
The false saint defeating the apostle of the Evil God isn’t something the church would appreciate.
Who knows what those guys will do if a tool starts developing sentience?
“Then I’ll step forward!”
As Phoebe nervously fumbled through her continuing objections, the door swung open.
The apostle, who served the goddess of beauty and perversion—or rather the goddess of beauty and art, finally made their delayed appearance.
“If I take the lead in this matter, won’t that cause any issues?”
“…You, the apostle?”
At Phoebe’s question, the one bearing a soft smile nodded and stepped into the center of the room.
“I heard from the goddess herself how I got here, so asking how I knew is pointless. Additionally, given the track record I’ve built up to this point, if I were to handle everything, they wouldn’t question it. Naturally, I’ll assert the Burrow family’s innocence while also using my position in the church to prevent their interference.”
There was nothing wrong with what they were saying.
If they took center stage, many problems could be solved.
What’s more crucial is that this guy operates outside the influence of the church.
Even if they’re often depicted as interrogators, they wouldn’t be able to take a strong stance against another deity’s apostle, so if this guy acts shamelessly, they will likely step back.
“I have no idea why you wish to remain discreet about this, but wouldn’t this be the cleanest way?”
Is this really that perverted guy who rushed at me before?
The one who shocked me with all those disgusting declarations is suddenly this logical?
I was previously too surprised to process the absurdity of a beast talking like a human, but then Karia let out a sigh.
“If you take the burden, that’ll be the best scenario. But what’s the catch?”
Huh? A catch?
“The debt of gratitude from saving my life, of course.”
“Don’t spout nonsense. Do you even realize who is standing before you right now?”
Karia possesses the ability to read the intentions of others through body language. She’s good enough to dive into the depths of my motivations.
That’s why if Karia raises her voice against me, it means…
Does this mean they aren’t just showing gratitude? They had ulterior motives?
…No, wait a second. If this perverted guy has ulterior motives, could it be…?
“Hurry up and spill it, you perverted guy. We’re short on time here.”
“Uh, well. During a conversation with Lina, I heard that the Young Lady had decided to reward the owner of the forest in a way that is simply too beautiful.”
Hey.
Clumsy fox.
You crazy lunatic!
You seriously bragged about that while I put my trust in you!?
Not hiding my anger, I glared at the clumsy fox.
Was it true? You actually said that? This hopelessly perverted fox!
I wanted to charge at that guy right now and swing my mace at him, but unfortunately, I couldn’t.
The apostle of the goddess hadn’t finished speaking yet.
“I wish to preserve that scene in a painting. If the Young Lady grants me that, I, Prete, will do anything.”
…
Hah.
Damn this life, seriously.
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