“Are you okay?”
It took quite a while for the Great Demon, who had been suffering, to regain stability.
“…I almost died.”
The placeholder girl, Rema, who had been screaming for a while, mumbled while drooping down. She was drenched in cold sweat.
Maybe it was because she was too young a girl to pour hatred on.
I found it somewhat pitiable. The fact that she was about the same age as my daughters probably softened my heart.
“Please wipe yourself.”
As I offered a handkerchief, the Great Demon hesitated and curled up, much like a wary stray cat.
I didn’t feel any particular sympathy rising, but there was a hint of interest sparked by the General’s suggestion.
‘…She’s cute.’
I had always been weak to cuteness.
Erin from the Hero Party, and now Erina and Ibailla, Rohan. And even Rema right in front of me.
To put it simply, youthful and lovely appearances were rare weaknesses of mine.
Though Koruaegenin probably wasn’t targeting that, the appealing looks made me start to waver in my intention to kill them both.
“Hurry up and take it.”
As I steadied my resolve and urged again, the Great Demon stared at me intently for a moment before snatching the handkerchief.
Then, she averted her gaze and mumbled quietly.
“I’m only taking it because you’re being a nuisance.”
Could she really be embarrassed?
It was a heart-stopping cuteness that struck my heart, and my feelings stirred again. I was almost tempted to pinch her soft cheek.
It was at that moment when I was distracted by Rema’s looks.
“…Your Holiness.”
With a dissatisfied expression, Reeve approached me, her eyes wide open.
Then, all the victims of the Great Demon gathered around me.
Reeve, Wip, Lilith, Cubica, Kim Ji-yeon.
Each of their expressions varied slightly, but their opinions seemed to align.
“You’re not actually considering letting her go, are you?”
I met the gaze of the would-be Saint who asked on behalf of the group and replied.
“Honestly, I’m conflicted.”
If Rema had been a mature adult demon, I would have made a decision without hesitation. No matter how much I needed strong allies, her crime was too heinous.
But.
The actual form of the Great Demon was just too young. That was the problem.
“She’s far too young to simply execute. There are plenty of rude and nasty children at that age, aren’t there?”
Around five years old.
It was incredibly young to just cut off her head.
Of course, Rema wasn’t just a bad-mannered kid; she was a terrible personality who took delight in tormenting others and attracting attention…
But still, the fact that she was a far-too-immature child couldn’t be changed.
“…But that is a Great Demon.”
Wip furrowed her brow as she rebutted my words.
“If it were a big, burly General, that would be one thing, but Rema will eventually stab us in the back. Isn’t that obvious?”
“That is a fair point. However, execution cannot be the only right answer.”
Even while acknowledging it, I argued back. Somehow, I had become the Great Demon’s lawyer, which felt peculiar, but I had to say what needed to be said.
“For instance, think of Hekatrith. Originally, she was an Evil Dragon that committed slaughter and arson in her former world, yet now she has become a pure Guardian Dragon, hasn’t she?”
Though an external factor as a fraud of the Black Sun intervened, the fact that she had changed from before was true.
Not only the Young Dragon, but the Black Sun also overcame the past of taking on all the despair and misfortune of the world to be reborn anew.
Evil Dragons and Evil Gods.
They were born good but somehow fell to the very bottom to become two wicked beings who were rehabilitated.
If the malice of Hekatrith and the Black Sun could be purified, then Rema could surely be reformed too.
“I understand your feelings, but as the Pope, I do not want to overlook the possibility of correcting her evil intentions.”
Evil should rightly be judged as a fire.
But before that, you must at least give her a chance for atonement. Unless she is a hopeless villain like Haoran.
“And the Goddess also does not prefer to execute captured evildoers to implement justice swiftly.”
“…Do you believe that even wicked souls can blossom with kindness in their hearts?”
It was a plausible assumption befitting a noble deity, but it didn’t align with our Goddess’s tendencies.
“The Sun is not one to have a soft heart like me.”
Unlike me, who sometimes had a fiery temperament, the Goddess was pretty warm all the time.
But occasionally, her temperature would soar, exuding an intense heat and fury.
“The Goddess believes that one cannot pay the price for their sins through death. So in her youth, she would often make her foes suffer even more than death.”
“…Huh?”
It seemed to be an unexpected method of judgment, as Wip’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked seriously taken aback.
Meanwhile, unlike the timid Dark Elf, Reeve nodded in satisfaction.
“That is indeed a commendable perspective.”
The atmosphere of dissatisfaction was completely lifted as the would-be Saint giggled brightly.
“Our ‘Wanderer of Chaos’ would also be pleased.”
“Is that person the owner of the purple Sacred Power?”
“Yes. The ‘Transmutation Spike’ is also a power of chaos.”
It seemed that the pure white hammer and the purple spike were powers borrowed from different Goddesses.
“Your Holiness, are you planning to keep the Great Demon alive, while continuously making her pay for her wrongdoings?”
“That’s right. No matter how young she is, there can be no unconditional forgiveness. She must be corrected through punishment.”
“Kuh, how wise you are. I’m glad I became a member of the church.”
While Reeve chattered on, Wip, who had been blinking her eyes all along, finally jumped in carefully.
“Wait a moment. Reeve, do you also agree with the Pope’s thoughts?”
“What’s there to oppose in not just killing her but causing her greater suffering?”
“…What about the other two?”
Then, the other victims, Cubica and Kim Ji-yeon, also shared their opinions.
“I don’t want her to be kept alive…”
“I think the Pope’s opinion is reasonable.”
Cubica opposed it, while Kim Ji-yeon voted in favor.
Then, Lilith, who had been silent, spoke up.
“As a fellow demon, I must say the chances for reform are slim. Don’t waste effort meaninglessly; just kill her.”
Thus, the opinions on keeping the Great Demon alive ended up being three in favor and three against.
Exactly fifty-fifty.
If we limited the voters to the victims of the Great Demon, it would be a tie.
So, I asked Yao, who had no grudge against Rema, for her opinion, and she shook her head.
“Don’t shift a grave responsibility onto me. This is something the Pope should decide.”
“…That’s a valid point.”
Thus, the decision ultimately fell on me.
What should I do?
I couldn’t just push through my thoughts, as the opposing church members had valid viewpoints too.
Yet, it was too young to just kill her right now. Even considering the differences between demons and humans, five years old is still a time when one isn’t able to discern properly.
‘This is a headache.’
Although I wasn’t arguing to forgive both sides, the differences made it hard to decide.
While I was seriously struggling in thought, I suddenly heard.
“Mother.”
The White Tiger approached lightly, her footsteps soft and her tail wagging.
It seemed she had finished her transformation. She looked practically unchanged on the outside, though.
“Why is the atmosphere like this?”
“You’re just in time.”
I smiled lightly and pulled the White Tiger into my arms. Then I quickly explained the situation.
The misdeeds committed by the Great Demon, her surprisingly young age, and the split opinions on how to handle her.
The little Void Monster gazed up at me with wise eyes as I kindly laid it all out for her.
“I believe that it is not at all unusual for sharp disagreements to arise. It’s understandable for you to be troubled, Mother.”
“What do you think I should do?”
“If I were to imagine an ideal outcome with my dull brain…”
The White Tiger pondered briefly before responding.
“Then just follow the Goddess’s will. Isn’t that the mindset one should have as a member of the church?”
That was a clear answer.
*
Following the White Tiger’s words, I decided to consult the Goddess later about how to handle the Great Demon.
However, I took safety measures to keep Rema and Koruaegenin alive for the time being.
“Reeve, you may begin.”
Then Reeve pierced Koruaegenin with the spike she held.
Thunk.
The small spike swiftly penetrated and exited the solid body. There was no visible force, and blood did not flow.
However, a strange purple light began to shine from the pierced area.
Then, as the light spread throughout her body, the imposing figure of the General began to shrink gradually.
“Ugh…”
The muscles that had filled her body began to diminish rapidly, and her once dark skin transformed into a smooth, shiny white.
Finally, the size that seemed like it combined three bears shrank down to about 170 cm.
Still, it was quite a tall height. For a ‘woman’, that is.
“How do you feel?”
“My muscles….”
The once-mighty warrior, Koruaegenin, had transformed into an impression of a Korean woman who enjoys working out.
Honestly, she looked much better than before, but the party itself felt deep loss.
“How does it feel seeing your comrade in her new form?”
“……”
Rema, tied up and held by Lilith, shot me a glare.
Rather than scary, it was a cute gaze.
Since my and Reeve’s Sacred Power had subdued her, she was not dangerous at all. I could just enjoy her cuteness to my heart’s content.
“I will make you regret this! I’ll kill you without any mercy!”
“I look forward to that.”
As I casually responded, stretching for a moment, I placed my hand on the Great Demon’s head.
“Now, open a Dimensional Gate that leads to Korea.”
It was time to conclude the expedition and head home.
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