Chapter: 666
The Apostle of the God, Zarax, stood at the snowy hilltop, gazing down below.
The black pit, a precursor to the appearance of the Great Dungeon, was so thick that it was impossible to discern its end.
Wasn’t it said that the Apostle of the God jumped right in to take down the enemies before the dungeon was even complete?
Truly brave, indeed. Anyone who witnessed that sight would surely be trembling in fear.
“How’s the situation?”
His friend Kyle approached, making a slight squelching sound as he walked.
“For now, it’s just as reported through the crystal.”
“It’d be great if there aren’t any variables.”
“But didn’t the Apostle of the God say to just have faith and wait?”
The plans laid out by the Apostle had yielded impressive results thus far.
Monsters that had ravaged the land during the Age of Mythology had been eliminated without leaving any significant trace.
With Erginius proclaiming, “You should have been our leader,” it was clear just how brilliant that guy was.
It wasn’t without sacrifices, of course. Facing remnants from the Mythological Age wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
However, no one disputed that it was the best course of action.
No one could devise a plan more perfect than the Apostle of the God.
How could they?
After all, how do you compare such wisdom to that of a person who seems to sift through countless futures and return with the best choice?
“Getting a little paranoid that the Apostle sent his friend here, don’t you think?”
“…Can’t argue with that.”
Currently, Lucy’s friend, Frey Kent, was waiting where the combat team was gathering.
A strong candidate for the next Sword Saint and someone who even the God of Martial Arts seemed interested in, she sat in a corner, quietly fiddling with the hilt of her sword, not speaking to anyone.
“But what can we do? If the Apostle has something in mind, we must do our best from our end.”
“Hmm, that’s a tad too diligent for your usual self.”
“Shut it. What about everyone else?”
“They seem pretty good. The entry team is bursting with energy due to multiple blessings, and those remaining on the surface to face the monsters are wide-eyed with determination.”
They were not merely fighting monsters.
They were partaking in a grand endeavor to save the world.
An opportunity to become a hero was given to every man, so how could they show cowardly behavior?
Moreover, what motivated people was that even names meant to be forgotten were being remembered by someone.
Despite his outward demeanor, the Apostle of the God was delicate and kind-hearted.
So, even minor losses that others might see as insignificant were not overlooked; he remembered each name of the deceased and prayed to the heavens.
If only he knew that if it came to this, he’d joke about wishing he took that guy’s place instead.
Watching the actions of such a person makes one wonder how they could live as a public figure.
Even with great potential, they are still human.
It must have been painful to endure the scorn and rebuke of others, yet he stood here, bearing it all.
If it weren’t for Zarax not witnessing Lucy’s spirit in the arena, or not hearing about the Apostle’s curse before talking to him, he might have held onto some prejudgments.
“Thank goodness you’re finally getting some recognition.”
“The Apostle of the God? Haha, he supposedly hates being worshipped.”
“Better that than passively enduring criticism, don’t you think?”
“…Just asking, but is that your actual preference?”
“Want me to take you down?”
Zarax shot a glare at Kyle, who spread his arms in a gesture of surrender.
“Just joking.”
“If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll definitely break something.”
“Yikes. That’s a scary threat.”
As the two went back and forth with lighthearted jokes to ease the tension, a sinister energy suddenly washed over them from behind.
A presence that didn’t belong in this world. Followers of the Evil God.
“Is this a place where people are?!”
“Damn it, we’ve been too relaxed!”
The two dashed ahead, urgency in their stride, bolstered by the distant sounds of screams growing louder.
Suppressing their quickened breaths, they arrived at the gathering place, only to find something unexpected.
This wasn’t the sight of a comrade’s death.
It wasn’t of their allies barely holding on.
No, it wasn’t a scene where warriors were actively pushing back the enemies.
Instead, there was one person. Just one. A girl who hadn’t even reached adulthood, standing in front of all the enemies, calmly cutting them down.
“Is this all you’ve got?”
Frey Kent waved her sword casually, looking down at the fallen enemies around her.
Many of them were left with limbs severed, and some sported fatal wounds, yet the assailants rose from the ground as if it were nothing.
Those who knew nothing of death. Entities stripped of their very purpose.
The power of the Evil God, Agra.
“So you’re all alone, huh, kiddo?”
“How long can you hold out?”
“Imagine doing something like this.”
“Guh… hrrk…”
“What an idiot…”
“Just answer me. This is really all you can do?”
At Frey’s provocation, the man leading the front lines charged ahead.
Though now forgotten, he had once been hailed as a hero.
He was also the protagonist of a fairy tale still told today.
A knight who fought for a country until the very end, losing everything in the process, now swung his sword to erase his own conclusion.
“Too lame.”
However, the sword of the forgotten hero shattered effortlessly before the genius.
The blade split in two, leaving the hero’s head to float in the air.
And that was that.
The hero, who must have forgotten the concept of death, faced it once again.
“Don’t you have anything to show for it?”
No answer came back.
“Then why don’t you join them in death?”
“Shit! Attack! Right now!”
Zarax and Kyle finally regained their wits at seeing the followers of the Evil God charge, moving swiftly to aid Frey.
The fight was utterly one-sided.
It wasn’t merely that Frey was an irregularity.
The fact that they’d already conquered death made the fear of death all the more tangible against those who had not and those who were prepared to face it.
Naturally, the result was clear.
Thus, after the confrontation ended without a single loss, Zarax and the others intended to thank Frey, who had just saved them, only to see her head back to the corner, unresponsive.
“Feeling shy?”
Wondering if she was perhaps inexperienced at accepting praise like the Apostle had been, Kyle leaned in a bit closer, only to flinch back at the sight of Frey drawing her sword.
“Don’t bother me, you trash.”
Seeing her sharp demeanor, others also opted to step back from Frey.
As they treated her like a ghost while preparing for the assault on the Great Dungeon, a ripple of mana wafted through the air.
Sensing it, Zarax and Kyle edged out their weapons, only to be frozen in place at the sight of what appeared right above them.
“AAAah?!”
“The idiot has an incurable disease.”
Lucy, landing gracefully, caught Joy who was flailing in the air.
“Heavy, huh? Did you gain weight?”
“I didn’t! I barely ate anything from studying magic! How could I gain weight?!”
“Strange. Then why do you feel heavier? Everything else seems the same.”
“I told you, I’m not heavier!”
Caught up in the brief bickering scene, Joy, freed from Lucy’s grasp, sensed the gathered gazes upon her and hurriedly pulled out her fan.
With a flourish, she opened it, revealing her ears, which were flushed with heat.
“Luuuucy!”
Frey dashed toward Lucy with all her might. It was no longer a friendly greeting but more like an incoming projectile.
Upon noticing this, Lucy blinked in surprise, quickly channeling her magic to brace herself.
“I took care of everything! Did I do well?”
With a heavy thud, Lucy caught Frey, who, seeing her friend throw her a pleading look, sighed before pinching Frey’s cheek.
“Ugh. Ughhh.”
As Frey’s cheeks stretched like rubber, a smile crept across her face.
Those who had witnessed Frey’s cold demeanor and merciless disposition were left bewildered by her innocent expression fitting for her age.
Is this truly the same person who didn’t see people as people, not even for a moment?
*
Confirming the surrounding corpses of the enemies, I suppressed the rising nausea and pulled myself together.
I figured it was just about time for the Pope to get anxious.
So, sending Frey ahead was a wise decision after all.
Had it not been for her, cutting down even the powers granted to others, there would have been considerable losses.
Looking at it this way, Frey truly was an unusual girl.
To reach such heights because she was unhappy about being manipulated by the Pope—it’s clear that geniuses are indeed geniuses.
Now, she’s leagues ahead of Arthur.
Poor Arthur. Now he can’t even play with the toy of the girl he likes.
Just thinking of you facing insults from both sides doesn’t evoke any sympathy…
In fact, picturing that guy venting his frustrations gives me an involuntary chuckle.
I might swing by the capital after this.
“Apostle of the God.”
Ah. Isn’t that the same guy who kicked me where it hurts last time?
Why is he faking politeness now, after treating me like that?
Could it be that after getting hit, he discovered his hidden preferences?!
“What brings you to this place?”
Feeling goosebumps from his overly respectful demeanor, I was about to let out some curses when Joy stepped in front of me.
“From now on, the Apostle of the God will be tackling that dungeon. You all need to handle the monsters spilling out from its entrance.”
Joy, playing it all formal, was about to unleash my frustrations.
What’s with the polite tone? Isn’t that just going to lead to dissatisfaction bubbling out again?
At least say something like, “Get lost, we can’t stand watching you guys mess up!”
“Understood. We will do our utmost to fulfill our duties.”
Not going to do it?
Why not?
You’re not being disrespected, you know!
Throw a little annoyance in there!
Even if you honor me, can’t you at least put up some resistance about going along with it?!
Why are they so quick to give up like that!
You pedantic bastards!
Aaah, this is really infuriating.
Once this is over, I’m going to find a way to drag a curse out of those guys’ mouths.
I’m determined.
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