Chapter: 259
As the Apostle of the Goddess governing beauty and art, Frete came to his senses in a completely dark place.
The first sensation that hit him was pain. There wasn’t a spot on his body that didn’t hurt.
What on earth did I do yesterday?
I have no idea. Nothing’s coming to mind. My head is clouded with all sorts of disgusting thoughts, making it impossible to recall any proper memories.
Let’s first assess the surroundings.
I can’t see ahead. Is my vision blocked by a blindfold?
No, I don’t feel anything near my face.
Huh? It’s not just near my face; my touch is completely gone from my hands, feet, and skin.
Since my wrists barely move, it seems I’m tied up.
…Of course, it makes sense that there’s no smell. Even when I move my wrists around, there’s no sound.
What the heck happened?
Despite being in a potentially dangerous situation, Frete remained unfazed.
Regardless of summer or winter, he’d wander around, using the ground as his bed and the sky as his blanket, spreading the Goddess’s word. He was a person who was rather overly optimistic.
Right now, he thought, as long as I’m not dead, everything will work out, and he tried to close his eyes again.
“Hey. Hey. Don’t sleep. You crazy idiot.”
That’s when he first heard a voice nearby.
A voice that seemed vaguely familiar from a time long ago. Judging by the faint memory, she must’ve been somewhat beautiful.
“What else am I supposed to do when I can’t think of anything?”
“Normally, you’d react in fear, right?”
“If I die, I get to behold the beautiful Goddess’s face, so what is there to fear?”
“…Wow. You’ve become even more insane after ten years.”
With a snap of the fingers, the darkness lifted, revealing the surrounding scenery.
First of all, what was visible was the grim, brick ceiling of a prison.
Metal cuffs binding his limbs.
A body that looked like it had been through torture.
And finally, the face of a woman he thought he’d never see again after so long.
“Karia?”
“Yep. It’s me, you perverted bastard.”
“I heard you were dead.”
“That’s a complicated story. Hurry up and think!”
Think, huh?
Oh. I see. As various senses return, the disgusting thoughts in my head fade away.
Once he recognized her, all sorts of information started flooding into Frete’s mind.
The reason I ended up here was the Goddess’s guidance.
There were those trying to paint the world with evil from the Burrow Territory, so I moved there incognito.
This place may look fine at first glance, but Frete could see through the appearance.
To him, who distinguishes everything between beauty and ugliness, the ugliness buried in the territory caught his eye even if he didn’t want to see it.
Frete realized that the entire territory had fallen into the grasp of the Evil God shortly after entering. And that the center of that darkness was the Burrow Family.
Having grasped everything, he initially thought to retreat and bring the Order’s Holy Knights to purify the area, but unfortunately, his intentions ended in failure.
Despite erasing traces of the Apostle with clever methods, he couldn’t escape the gaze of the Evil God.
Frete desperately tried to escape the territory, but the darkness seemed endless, no matter how fast he ran.
All he could do was resist and eventually fall.
“Do you remember everything now?”
Frete spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and nodded.
“…Yeah. Roughly.”
“How weak have you gotten in my absence of ten years? You can’t even escape properly.”
“I couldn’t help it. I didn’t even get a chance to fight back.”
After realizing he had been discovered, the darkness that swallowed up the territory closed in around him.
Countless traps lurking within the darkness.
In the end, the Apostle of the Evil God appeared along with the Duke of Burrow, standing as if to guard the way.
Even if they faced each other in perfect condition, the ambush was so precarious that one was bound to lose.
“And speaking of weakness, aren’t you similar, Karia?”
Once regarded as an exceptional strength alongside Benedict Alrn, protecting the kingdom during her prime, she was not the same now.
The Karia standing in front of Frete possessed barely the strength of an average knight.
Hmm. Oddly enough, even though Karia is skilled in espionage, she wouldn’t be able to deceive the Evil God with such limited power, right?
…Could it be that I’m seeing an illusion? Is my sense of duty to convey the calamity of this place creating this hallucination in front of me?
No. That can’t be it.
If I were to create an illusion, I’d certainly do it with something more beautiful.
For instance… yes. Just like that stunning figure I saw recently in the Partran territory, a goddess who seemed to descend from the heavens.
Ah, I want to meet that person again.
The moment I made eye contact, everything around me vanished, and heavenly music filled my ears. I want to experience again the scene of the Goddess proclaiming that beauty deserves blessing.
Kneeling at her feet, receiving that sharp gaze…
“…You disgusting pervert. Cut it out.”
“Oh. You still have the ability to read expressions, huh?”
I wondered if the Evil God was impersonating Karia, but no, thankfully.
“Got anything to say?”
“Yes. It’s important. Karia, a colossal dark magic is about to be prepared in this territory.”
Frete had traveled across the continent, battling the Evil God’s followers.
Through that process, he naturally gained knowledge about black magic and had an inkling of the magic circle he saw during his escape.
“The Apostle of the Evil God plans to sacrifice this territory itself.”
“…That’s insane. Is that true?”
“Yes. I don’t know what kind of result that dark magic will yield, but it’s certain that the life within this territory will be sacrificed.”
A disaster would bloom from an even greater disaster. That must be prevented. As Frete spoke, Karia raised one eyebrow.
“More details… Ah. Damn it. Things got urgent, so just listen. Salvation is on its way here soon. When it arrives, I plan to blow things up from the inside, so save your strength. Got it?”
“Yes.”
Although the story lacked context, Frete didn’t ask any questions. Karia didn’t seem to have the luxury to do so while skinning someone else’s scalp.
“Oh, right. Be prepared mentally. I’ll be pretending to torture you to conceal my identity.”
“…What?”
Pretending to torture…?
“Holes in your palms, scratching your ribs. I’ll be playing with your guts.”
As soon as he threw on the skin of someone else, Karia’s voice changed. It shifted from a light feminine tone to a gloomy and gravelly middle-aged voice.
“Don’t worry. It’ll just hurt a bit. So scream really well for me.”
…Isn’t this just a plan to forcefully make me scream?
Frete wanted to make that comment, but unfortunately, he couldn’t voice it because his mouth was suddenly filled with screams.
*
Grandpa was right.
Believing my interpretation was correct and charging ahead has allowed me to spot an opportunity.
The foundation of that opportunity is that a skeleton can’t maintain its composure indefinitely.
Against an ordinary foe, it wouldn’t be a problem. But before a Mesugaki skill, even a weird skeleton builds up anger.
When the skeleton held the initiative, I could alleviate that anger with counters, but that’s not the case now.
As long as I’m focused on defense, the skeleton can’t break through my shield. So the unresolved anger inevitably builds up inside it.
Look at it now, swinging that sword.
The previously impressive swordsmanship has vanished, leaving only a desperate and frantic assault.
Ting!
After gritting my teeth and blocking the skeleton’s attack, I revealed a smile over my shield.
“Hey♡ what’s with this girly attack?♡ You’re short,♡ you’ve got no… um, important parts, and you’re even weak?♡ So, it’s true~♡ This bony lady is nothing but a Young Lady!♡”
Instead of replying to my provocation, the skeleton swings its sword at me, but that’s fine.
While it’s threatening in this trial location, in my currently weakened state, it’s not an impossible challenge.
After all, the skeleton’s sword is still ordinary.
This time to the right. Its sword path is considerably more disheveled than before.
That much is easy to deflect rather than just blocking.
No sooner did I make that judgment than I moved my shield, causing the skeleton’s sword to slide off its surface.
With that, the skeleton’s stance faltered for a moment, but I raised my shield again.
That gap just now wasn’t a decisive opening.
“Hey, little skeleton lady~♡ Are you going to keep moving cutely like that?♡ Huheh♡ Ahah♡ But what’s up?♡ No matter how hard you try, you can’t be as cute as me~♡ Poor thing♡”
“You cowardly bugger! Hiding behind a shield!”
I watched the furious attacks coming at me.
Is it losing its sanity?
That rage is showcasing the habits of the skeleton, revealing the patterns of the game.
So, as I deflect the attacks without much danger, another significant opening appears from the skeleton.
Yet, even so, I didn’t dive in.
I lacked the confidence to push through with an attack at such an opening.
“Come out! Fight like a knight, fairly and squarely!”
“Are you angry?♡ Upset?♡ Then show me what you can do~♡ Aren’t you capable?♡ Oh?♡ I guess bony lady’s sword skills are as cute as her short legs!♡”
I glimpse the skeleton’s sword raised above the shield.
It’s a basic downwards slash, simple but effective—an attack I faced repeatedly back before I was possessed.
A moment of clarity dawned upon me as I realized this was a clear opportunity.
Could it really be that the skeleton is making the same mistake three times?
A creature that pressed down on me relentlessly while modifying its sword path amidst all those taunts?
Following that suspicion, instead of making a rash move, I examine the skeleton carefully.
A quick step forward.
The sword raised upward.
An arm slightly lifting.
Hmm. Planning to bounce back, anticipating a counter-attack.
It’s trying to lure me in under the guise of making a mistake?
Damn, it seems urgent. Has it really gotten that flustered?
Had this been the skeleton I faced at first, it would’ve put more effort into pulling off some craziness.
I’ll silently thank you for that.
Because of your haste, I can read your intentions and utilize that to my advantage.
The power and timing of the current attack match exactly what I’ve seen countless times before.
It’s only preparing to bounce back, yet the attacks remain unchanged.
So, guess what? I can parry even without a shield.
I mumble a prayer within.
What I’m about to use is the miracle of defense.
A spell that creates a shield made of the divine.
A shield conjured at the right place and right moment brushed aside the skeleton’s sword with ease, creating a massive opening.
And I?
Having never moved my shield to block that attack, I can now go deeper than the skeleton anticipates.
The skeleton attempts to swing its sword to push me back, but with its clumsy motions, its strikes are feeble.
Only my shield stands in its way.
The distance between me and the skeleton tightens.
Its empty eyes meet my smile.
As I raise my mace high while watching the skeletal figure desperately attempt to evade, I lunge forward with all my strength.
When my mace makes contact with the skeleton, a shock reverberates through my hand, accompanied by a cheerful chime celebrating my success.
– Ding!
[Quest Clear!]
[Successfully conquered the dungeon held by the Dark Evil God!]
[Previous achievements combine with current achievements!]
[Reward ‘Divine Domain’ granted!]
I’ve won.
You piece of trash.
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