Chapter: 642
In the inn near the royal castle, Erginius pondered the Queen’s words in the darkness until he heard a knock on the door.
“Master, I have a question.”
Joy’s cautious voice prompted Erginius to stand up and invite her in, seating her on the bed.
“You’re here to ask about what the doll said today, right?”
“Is it really possible to return to the mythological era as that person mentioned?”
“I’ve been thinking about it. To cut to the chase, it’s possible. The mythological era ended not because of some grand design, but because the powers of the gods diminished.”
The wars of that age wrought havoc on both sides.
Some gods lost their very existence, while those aligned with the Evil God were sealed away, and even among the surviving gods, there were hardly any who matched their former glory.
“Since the glory of the gods has waned, the mythological era is over.”
“Then if the gods’ power can be restored, the mythological era could unfold once more.”
“Exactly. It’s quite possible. I can say this with certainty because I hold the divine powers.”
If Agra were revived, other evil gods would surely be influenced to descend upon the land.
Then those on the opposing side would naturally gain strength too, and another divine war would undoubtedly rage over the earth.
“As someone who lived through that time, I must say… that should never happen. In the wars of divinity, humans were merely disposable tools. The current flourishing will fade in a few years, and all civilizations will regress into the past. I can’t even guess how many will die, and I certainly can’t guarantee that we will win even after countless sacrifices. What the Pope is trying to incite is this calamity.”
It was hard to grasp the Pope’s reasoning. If things went wrong, he might witness his faith crumble before him. How could he even think of reviving Agra?
Is that person’s faith truly sincere? Does he really not care who wins?
“Lucy said that the Pope’s faith is sincere.”
“The Apostle of the Great God, you say?”
Joy nodded, and Erginius raised an eyebrow.
“The Pope is certainly mad, but he isn’t a fool who would act thoughtlessly. What are we missing?”
“Could he be trying to betray the Evil God himself?”
“If that were the case, he would’ve fervently pretended to worship Agra. He wouldn’t stick his neck out for an open betrayal.”
It would be good to have information about the Pope’s past, but there was no way to obtain it.
The God of History said that the existence wasn’t even recorded in his books, and even other gods knew little about the Pope.
The great God must surely know something, but there was no way to converse with Him.
“Is infidelity troublesome?”
At the sound of that voice from the shadows, both Joy and Erginius jumped.
Seeing the surprise in their eyes, the Fairy Queen chuckled before wrapping herself around Erginius.
“What deep conversation were you having with your disciple?”
“Oh, it’s about the story we heard today.”
“Yup! Absolutely nothing strange going on here!”
“Joy, don’t you think this is even weirder?”
“Wh-what?! But it’s the truth! Uh, um…”
“Heh, just kidding. I don’t suspect Joy at all. After all, she likes Young Lady Alrn.”
“Whaaat?! Me!? Absolutely not… Well, I like Lucy, but not in that way. I mean… ugh.”
The Fairy Queen, having detached from Erginius to cradle the flustered Joy, chuckled at Erginius’s ambiguous gaze.
“Enough with the jokes, let’s get to the point. We received a message from the fairies around Young Lady Alrn.”
“What was it about?”
“‘Old Tree.’ Just two words.”
The report that there had been no further contact indicated tight surveillance, causing Erginius to frown.
“Is it a clue about their location?”
“I assume so.”
“If you want to give a hint, you should do it better. With just ‘old tree,’ how am I supposed to make sense of that? There are countless ancient trees on this continent.”
“Right now, the fairies are checking out old trees in various locations. They should find something.”
“Um.”
Joy, still cradled in the Queen’s arms, spoke up quietly.
“There’s someone who became the owner of the forest after they were an old tree. Lucy saved that person from the Evil God of Void.”
“Interesting. What’s the location?”
“Lady Lina would know.”
“Let’s go right away. It’ll be worth checking out.”
Pulling out his staff, Erginius began to draw teleportation magic, turning his head sideways.
Joy was staring intently at the magic.
“Do you want to learn?”
“Yes. Lucy always grumbled about wanting a spatial magician by her side.”
“Always thinking about your friend, huh?”
“…Because she’s a precious friend! Oh! I mean, there’s nothing else! Absolutely not!”
*
Returning to the Holy Land with Cardinal Johan, Feibi clenched her cross at the noisy street scene.
Knights imbued with faith were pointing their blades at each other.
The priests, who had gathered to share prayers, glared at one another, their veins protruding.
The people on the streets hurled curses in various directions.
There were some trying to mediate, but any neutral opinion was stomped out by force.
A civil war was unfolding within the Church of the Lord.
“How did this happen?”
“This was to be expected, Cardinal Johan.”
The Pope’s sudden purge was aimed at expelling the malignant entities within the church.
Most of those who were purged should have been banished long ago.
But human lives aren’t simple; where one was a villain in one place, they could become a friendly neighbor elsewhere.
Isn’t the Pope himself a prime example of that?
He was the Apostle of the Evil God Agra, yet reached the position of Pope, showing genuine faith.
“They have lost friends, family, and companions. The reason they remained silent is that they believed the Pope was right. But what will happen when they realize that the one who judged them as sinners is indeed an evil man?”
The veracity of the facts doesn’t matter. It doesn’t concern whether the deceased were innocent. All that remains is the screams of those in sorrow.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll help suppress it with the others.”
“No, you don’t need to.”
Before Johan could voice his confusion, Feibi stepped forward toward the battlefield.
Those nearby to her panicked and tried to grab her, but their hands halted just before reaching the Saint.
The divine aura rippling around her blocked any approach.
“Everyone.”
Her voice wasn’t loud.
Compared to the uproar of the Holy Land, it was barely a whisper.
Yet that tiny voice stopped everyone in their tracks.
“Please, listen to my words.”
Those who were ready to thrust swords at each other turned their heads.
Those who had charged with murderous intent looked entranced as they turned toward the source of the voice.
All the crowds in the Holy Land focused on the single person before them.
“I didn’t even need a bodyguard here.”
Benedict’s request echoed in Feibi’s mind as the Sword Saint Yuden leisurely watched her speech from the rooftop of a nearby building.
Her embrace of the enraged crowd resembled a true Saint.
*
Arthur sweated coldly as he observed the spirits of his ancestors surrounding him.
— Is this brat the one chosen by the ancestors?
— He seems to have talent.
— Is he really talented? He looks like a pebble.
— Better than your mug.
Although he didn’t understand what Soladin’s piece was saying, Arthur’s ancestors were treating him as the next heir.
“Calm down for a moment, and listen to me. I come bearing the crown…”
— Brat, pick up on the cues. I’ve set everything up, do you want to ruin it now?
What setup! What could he gain by deceiving the ancestors!
As Arthur silently conveyed his annoyance, the piece whispered beside his ear.
— They think you’re inferior compared to your friends. If you can charm them, it might alleviate that.
“…Tell me more.”
— They may look decrepit now, but they were once heroes of their time. If you accept their skills and mimic them, you’ll become incredibly versatile.
Once the explanation was over, caught in a conflict between desire and conscience, Arthur recalled the little back he had once stood in front of and raised his head.
“He is indeed the one to inherit.”
They’re already dead, so what does it matter?
“What can you grant me, ancestors?”
Even if problems arise later, he could just ask Lucy Alrn or the Saintess for purification.
After all, ancestors were mere ghosts.
*
Flayed by the impact of the great sword, Frey was sent flying and staggered as she rose.
Seeing the trembling hand holding the sword, Benedict sighed.
“Are you going to keep this up?”
“Naturally.”
“Your body has reached its limit, you should take a break.”
“I could’ve won.”
At Frey’s statement, Benedict paused.
“I could’ve won. But I didn’t because I wasn’t strong enough.”
“You… could have defeated the powers of the Evil God?”
“I don’t know. Anyway, if I could’ve, I would’ve won. But I couldn’t. I need to get stronger.”
In the voice of the girl filled with resentment, Benedict pushed back the other knights and raised the great sword once more.
“Let’s see this through until your heart is at ease.”
“Yeah, I’ll go. No, I’ll go.”
*
[Follow the Pope to learn of his intentions.]
[Listen to the Pope’s old stories. (Achieved)]
Despite achieving the quest conditions, the quest was not cleared.
It seemed there were additional conditions that the Pervy God had not revealed.
Even if the quest got cleared, it wouldn’t mean anything as he would have to remain holed up in this mansion.
Staring at the spot where the Pope had been, I leapt down from above Lasha, laughing at her face smeared with food leftovers.
“Hey, doggie♡ Since I’m such a nice person, if you do one little favor, I might let you have your ears back♡”
“Just one ear?”
“If you don’t want it, that’s fine♡ But next time, you might get an extra tail♡”
At the word “tail,” Lasha’s eyes began to shake.
“If you want it, I won’t stop you♡ Heh heh, you’re going to be such a cute little doggie♡ Right?♡”
“Wha-what do I need to do?”
“You don’t want to know?♡ Well, neither do I♡ I got hurt because my good intentions were betrayed, you know?♡”
Pretending to cry intentionally, Lasha lowered her forehead to the floor, her voice trembling.
“I’m… sorry. I was foolish… sniff…”
As I patted the head of the visibly enraged Lasha, I opened my mouth, noticing the tendons standing out in her hands.
“Because the efforts of the foolish doggie were commendable, I’ll forgive you♡ I really do seem like a nice person♡”
“…So what’s your request?”
“A sparring match♡”
As soon as I said it, Lasha shot her head up in surprise.
“Are you serious?”
“Why, are you looking forward to being smacked by my mace?♡”
“No, it’s the opposite.”
A chill ran down my spine at her earnest smile, but I didn’t hold back my words.
To fight Agra, I needed to get stronger.
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