—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A metallic tang lingered in the air. The thick, heavy scent of blood, familiar from countless past lives.
The timing was too coincidental. The impact that had shaken this hidden chamber, followed by the sudden appearance of fresh blood. It was still warm.
That was all I could deduce.
But the Saintess, who had been staring blankly at the floor, her head bowed in resignation, suddenly froze, her eyes widening as she stared at the blood dripping from the ceiling.
“This… this is…? Wait, I have to go—!”
“Where do you think you’re going? Did you not hear what I just said?”
She scrambled to her feet, forgetting her state of undress, the robe I’d given her slipping from her shoulders.
I blocked her path, readjusting the robe, struggling to contain my annoyance.
She kept glancing at my face, her eyes filled with apprehension. My expression must have been quite grim.
But she wouldn’t be deterred. She kept trying to push past me.
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why are you suddenly in such a hurry? You heard the explosion, didn’t you? You must have felt something.”
“…”
“At least tell me why you’re rushing off like this.”
“…Something’s happened at the church.”
Something’s happened at the church?
That much was obvious. The explosion, the blood…
But that wasn’t reason enough for her to rush off like this, especially after nearly being raped.
Yet, her eyes were filled with a desperate urgency, a stark contrast to her usual composure.
“That blood… it contained holy power.”
“…”
“A significant amount. Do you know what that means…?”
“…I think I have an idea.”
Even I could piece it together now.
Blood infused with a large amount of holy power. An explosion powerful enough to shake the entire church.
Someone was attacking the church. Violently.
“If you understand, then let me go! This is urgent!”
“No.”
Why should I? I had no love for this church, for the Goddess it worshipped. Whether it burned to the ground or not was none of my concern.
The quest from the status window hadn’t mentioned protecting the church, only rescuing Her representative.
I’d already fulfilled my obligation.
As if on cue, the status window reappeared.
≪ The “Sun’s” representative, Saintess Hildegarde, has been rescued. ≫
≪ The “Sun’s” request has been successfully completed. ≫
≪ Reward: Sun’s Rosary will be provided. ≫
≪ “Observation” has been added to the status window’s functions. ≫
≪ “Observation” has no activation phrase. It activates automatically based on the user’s intent. ≫
A rosary, adorned with radiant gold, materialized in my hand.
Surely the reward wasn’t just an ordinary rosary.
As if reading my thoughts, the status window updated again.
≪ Sun’s Rosary: Once per day, grants the user immense power. ≫
≪ The magnitude of the power granted depends on the user’s will. ≫
A daily limit, but it was definitely an artifact. And the power wasn’t fixed, but dependent on my will.
A decent reward, considering I hadn’t exerted much effort beyond a short run.
And the added Observation function… It likely allowed me to see information about others.
I decided to test it on Rignil, who was slowly dying in the corner.
Just by focusing my intent on him, a new window appeared.
≪ Status Window—Observation, Target: Rignil ≫
≪ Race: Human ≫
≪ Title: Bishop of the Aslan Empire Church ≫
≪ History: Once an ordinary man, discovered a large amount of holy power within himself after a certain incident. Joined the church, feigning piety, eventually becoming a bishop. Indulged his desires freely, using his position to harass numerous women, raping those who caught his fancy. ≫
≪ Trait: Desire Manifestation ≫
≪ The stronger his desires, the more powerful his magic becomes. ≫
He deserved this end.
I clicked my tongue in disgust, and the Saintess, seeing my expression, urged me again.
“Please, let me go! I have to go now!”
“Even if you go now, it might already be over.”
“I don’t care!”
“You might not be able to do anything. You might even get hurt again.”
“Yes, I’m weak! I can’t do anything on my own without someone protecting me!”
“I’m glad you realize that.”
“But those people… they’ve lived alongside me in the church for years! They might be hurt! My… my father might be hurt!”
“…”
Her voice trembled, tears welling up in her round eyes.
“Rimel, the ten-year-old girl who used to tug on my sleeve, begging for candy. Sir Behorn, the knight who always stood guard at the entrance. Father Hern, the quiet priest who always listened patiently to everyone’s troubles.”
“…”
“It could be their blood… and you expect me, the Saintess, to just stand by?”
“…”
“Thank you for saving me, Brother. I truly am grateful. But… I can’t just do nothing.”
There was no reasoning with her. She’d made up her mind.
Honestly, now that I’d received my reward, I had no obligation to protect her further. The church’s support, while potentially useful, wasn’t essential.
Reluctantly, I stepped aside. She gave me a quick bow and dashed out of the room.
“Me… too… me too…”
Rignil mumbled from the corner, but I ignored him. I wasn’t interested in listening to his pathetic pleas.
I prepared to leave the church myself, reward in hand, when the status window flickered again.
≪ The “Sun” says Her representative will be in danger again if you let her go like this. ≫
≪ The “Sun” implores you to protect her one last time. ≫
“I refuse. I saved her once. She chose to leave.”
≪ The “Sun” says the church members are like family to her. ≫
“That’s not my problem. They’re not my family.”
≪ The “Sun” makes a desperate plea, offering another reward. ≫
≪ A new quest has been generated due to the “Sun’s” request. ≫
Another quest. But this one was different.
≪ Save the Church from the current crisis. ≫
≪ Reward: ????, ???? ≫
≪ This quest can be refused. ≫
Refusable? That seemed strange, considering how much She cherished the Saintess.
Wait… this meant the Saintess would survive regardless of the outcome. But Her future might be negatively impacted. That’s why She wanted my help.
But a thought nagged at me. What if the Saintess survived, but her life became a living hell? Could I live with the guilt, knowing I could have prevented it?
What if she lost her smile? Her family? Her faith? What if she finally broke?
Could I stand by and watch that happen?
I stood there for a long time, weighing my options.
Finally, I made a decision.
“…Goddess, reduce the conditions.”
≪ The “Sun” asks what you mean. ≫
I pointed upwards, my voice low and serious, implying the gravity of the situation.
“Change the objective to rescuing the Saintess from the crisis unfolding above. If you do that, I’ll consider helping.”
≪ The “Sun” brightens and accepts the condition. ≫
≪ The “Sun” expresses Her sincere gratitude. ≫
“Cut the crap and give me the information.”
≪ The “Sun” asks what information you require. ≫
“Location data.”
The status window shifted again, displaying the detailed map from before.
This time, however, it showed the locations of church members and enemies.
The situation was worse than I’d thought. Enemies were everywhere, and the number of church members was rapidly decreasing.
I had to hurry.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Meanwhile, in a secluded prayer room, a man knelt, not before a cross, but before an inverted one.
He remained motionless for a long time, then slowly raised his head, his voice filled with manic fervor.
“Finally… it’s almost time…! Our… Moon…”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
