༺ First Ordeal (3) ༻
“Oh! So you are Ms. Iliya Krisanax and her companion, Mr. Dowd Campbell! Nice to meet you, I’m Lana Rei Delvium.”
Alright, let’s talk about this person, Lana Reid Devlium.
She was the MC in Sera’s DLC, and some people called her Iliya’s little sister.
Her hair was black and short, only slightly covering her neck. The thing that stood out the most on her head was the single hair sticking out of it, just like those ahoge you’d seen in anime.
As you could see, even though she encountered both me and Iliya, her own competitors, she didn’t show any hint of rivalries or hostilities. Instead, she greeted us leisurely, to the point that she even exchanged her name with us. That should be enough to show you how docile of a person she was, right?
And she had one more characteristic, though. The most important one out of them all.
She was immortal.
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I just said.”
You could tell from what I had experienced so far already; Savior Rising’s main game was notorious for its difficulty level. It was to the point that if their players were to lynch the developers for it, they wouldn’t have any excuse to defend themselves.
That was one thing, but the DLC, [Holy Land Crusade], was brutally difficult even when compared to the main game. Like, the whole community went feral upon its first release.
It was so bad that the dev had to add certain features so that the players could at least clear the story smoothly. And most of the features were given to this girl, the MC. They gave her an ability that was close to cheat codes.
“Yes, that’s right! I won’t die even if I’m killed!”
“…”
Seeing her grin as she said such a thing, even Iliya was at a loss of words.
“I’ve often heard about Divine Power Overload ever since I was young. Apparently, I can’t feel pain and even if my body is completely fragmented, it regenerates quickly!”
“…”
“I consider it a blessing to be born with such a blessed physique. Thanks to this, I can use my body to conduct various research for the Holy Land!”
“…T-That…”
Could you even count that as a blessing?
Iliya was about to say that, I could tell it.
But, she didn’t seem to have the heart to utter such harsh words to this brat. Which was understandable, because the brat was literally talking about how they used her body for human experiments as if it was nothing. Hell, she even considered that as a blessing.
It was even more so since she already knew how much of an asshole the Pope of the Holy Land was despite his benevolent image.
‘…Still, in a way, it is indeed a blessed physique.”
Among the Priests, often cases, due to their innate Divine Power going haywire, they ended up not only performing some kind of Miracles or Graces, but also gained ‘Special Abilities’.
Take the Hero Party for an example. Trisha, their Priest, could visually perceive others’ emotions due to her Divine Power Overload.
The ultimate expression of Divine Power’s nature was the creation of Homunculi. Yuria and Lucia, the Greyhounder Sisters. The Saintess and the Talisman.
These ‘properties’ would be revealed in later chapters, but just keep in mind that both of them were terribly powerful.
And it was especially the case for the younger of the two, who harbored the White Devil.
“…By the way, where’s your companion?”
“Um…”
When Iliya asked why she was by herself here, she scratched her chin with a troubled expression.
“…They’re gone!”
“…Sorry…?”
The incredulousness of Iliya’s tone became twice as high as moments before.
A Hero Candidate – Attendant was the most basic framework of this selection process. But to say even that was gone was utterly baffling. Truly, the fuck was she talking about?
“We got separated in the middle when I tried to break through the dungeon by myself!”
“…You know that they won’t recognize it if you don’t reach the deepest part of the dungeon together with your attendant, right?”
“There is a rule like that?!”
“…”
By now, Iliya must have realized too.
The second most important characteristic of Lana.
She was an idiot.
Anyone with half a brain could see that she was outright a simple-minded fool.
And that was a milder way to describe it.
“Ah, well~ Thankfully you two are such kind people, Mr. Dowd, Ms. Iliya! If you didn’t tell me that, I might have rushed to the deepest part by myself foolishly!”
“…”
“Alright, since you two helped me to avoid making such vain efforts, I’ll help you with anything! Just ask away!”
“Uh, you do realize we’re currently competing in the selection, right…?”
From Iliya’s voice, it was clear that a creeping headache had come rushing into her head.
“It’s fine!”
“…”
“I was taught to always repay a favor. Human principles take precedence over competition!”
How dazzling.
What a truly upright and righteous spirit. Almost blindingly so.
It felt like she was trying to show off that she wasn’t a Hero Candidate for nothing.
“…”
Iliya shot me a gaze that seemed to ask how on earth I was thinking of exploiting such a person.
“…”
And for this once, I couldn’t help but to agree with her.
Yes, this was necessary, but thinking that I had to do something bad to this girl…even I would lose sleep over it… Oh, the guilt!
[…Shut it, you’re going to do it anyway. So, how are you going to deceive her?]
Despite such a voice flying out from inside Soul Linker…
I let out a sigh and denied it.
‘No, I have a conscience too, you know? How can I possibly deceive a kid like her so nonchalantly?’
[You had…a conscience…?]
‘…’
After a moment of silence. I answered.
‘Anyway, I won’t deceive her.’
[I see. Finally you are treading on the path to become a decent—]
‘I’ll still do something shitty to her, though.’
[…]
To be fair, I hadn’t said anything about backstabbing or scamming her.
I mean, I didn’t need to go out of my way to do that to her, just telling her everything straight would be enough.
Besides, she was the one who said that I could ask her for anything, so it was all good.
[Oi, I know you said that you’ll be a real piece of shit or whatever this time, but this is a little… Are you really going to earn her hatred in order to strengthen my sister?]
‘She won’t end up hating me, though.’
‘So, uh one thing about her is that…’
‘It’s impossible for her to hate me in the first place.’
‘You see, her emotional circuit is just unable to feel ‘wrath’ or ‘hatred’. No matter how despicable her opponent is, she’d just laugh it off like an idiot.’
[…Then, who’ll be the one who’d threaten your life? I thought that part is necessary for strengthening Iliya?]
‘Well, there’s someone who’ll definitely clench their teeth and chase me to the end of the earth if I were to fuck the girl over.’
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Whoever tries to fuck me over, I’ll do the same to them.
Quite a simple principle.
“…”
Of course…
This would be scraping the bottom of the barrel known as my humanity.
Sorry.
I’m really sorry, Lana…!
“Lana, then, may I ask you for just one favor?”
Suppressing such guilt, I opened my mouth with a smile.
“Yes, you can ask anything!”
Anything?
Anything, huh…?
Well, what do you know? I like the sound of that.
Utad Han-Chai slightly frowned as he sipped the black tea in his cup.
As someone who had lived the life of a warrior, such sweet beverages and desserts were not exactly something that suited his palate, but he heard that enjoying such things was a cultural thing in both the Holy Land and the Empire.
And the reason why he was being dispatched as the representative of the Tribal Alliance was probably because he respected such culture, and he possessed an ample amount of flexibility.
However…
“…What do you mean by that, Archbishop Luminol?”
Even someone like him would occasionally hear remarks that were just too absurd to simply accept.
“I asked whether you will join hands with us and keep the Empire’s candidate in check.”
“…”
“To be more precise, the goal of this cooperation is more limited to the student named Dowd.”
Utad practically felt an incoming headache as he rubbed his temple.
It was clear that the Holy Land had been trying their best to keep Dowd in check from the Angel incident, but he had never expected them to propose such a direct approach as well.
“…I appreciate the direct approach without any metaphors or hints, Archbishop Luminol. After all, it is the way of the Tribal Alliance.”
Utad sighed and entertained such a conversation.
“I need to hear a reason. Why do you oppose that student to such an extent?”
“Personally, I simply dislike him.”
“…”
‘So it was indeed a personal reason.’
Utad only sat there, dumbfounded, while Archbishop Luminol fired out his complaints rapidly.
“Irreverent, promiscuous, without a hint of dignity, and yet he has the audacity to enter the ‘Theology School’. I cannot stand his hypocrisy and pretense.”
“…May I ask what basis you have for that judgment?”
“The reason is very clear, War Chief Utad, you can see it with your own eyes. Lowly humans like him cannot hide their scent, after all.”
‘I see.’
‘This man has a severe case of classism.’
‘That’s why he could look down on Dowd, who came from at most a Barony or Viscounty, so naturally.’
“Well, aside from my personal reasons…”
As Utad was thinking as such, the Archbishop continued.
“Among the Three Superpowers, the Empire boasts the strongest military force, together with our Holy Land’s ‘religious authority’, and Tribal Alliance’s ‘technological prowess’.”
He continued calmly.
“If they could gain legitimacy to the title ‘Hero’…we would be like candles in a storm. The balance that holds the entire continent together would shatter.”
Indeed. Logically, his words made sense.
However…
“…Even if we were to keep him in check, what does the Holy Land gain? Besides, Dowd is merely a Candidate’s attendant.”
It would make more sense if they aimed to keep Iliya in check instead.
In the first place, it was extremely unusual to be so wary of a Hero Candidate’s attendant.
“This is the will of the Pope. I merely follow his command.”
“…”
Utad narrowed his eyes.
He was well aware of the unpleasant stories surrounding that sly fox who was sitting inside the Great Temple.
What he didn’t know though, was the fact that such a person would have so much interest in a mere student like Dowd Campbell.
“If we put our strength together to keep him in check, I can promise you a solid alliance through the authority that will be granted to us after the Hero Selection. We shall provide you with whatever it is that you desire.”
“…You speak as if the Master of the Holy Sword has already been decided.”
“Our side has someone who will undoubtedly pass the test of the Holy Sword.”
The smile on the Archbishop’s face looked very slightly human as he said this.
“She may be slightly obtuse, but…she is strong, warm-hearted, and above all, braver than anyone.”
Such pride and warmth were rare expressions to find in a politician who had climbed to such heights.
“…She is my precious daughter.”
“…”
‘That last part doesn’t really seem necessary, does it?’
‘Why is he bragging about his daughter all of a sudden?’
Luminol Rei Delvium.
He was the father of Lana Rei Delvium, the one who was participating as the Hero Candidate of the Holy Land.
And anyone could see that this man was a fool for his daughter.
Right as such words flowed out…
“A-Archbishop!”
Someone burst into the conference room where Utad and Luminol were. Judging by their attire, they were from the Holy Land.
Luminol’s face stiffened slightly.
To think such impolite behavior would be displayed in a meeting of authorities that could practically be called a summit.
Unless it was a suitably urgent matter, he would definitely administer a punishment for them later—
“Your daughter is currently—! Currently…!”
“…Currently?”
“Being used as a ‘shield’ by Dowd Campbell!”
“…”
“…”
A heavy silence descended in the conference room.
Wearing a taciturn expression, Seras Evatrice looked at the people across from her.
She was brought here by an unexpected call, and found herself surprised to see two individuals that she had never imagined to be present in this room.
FIrstly…
‘…The Chancellor of the Empire?’
Sullivan Axion Petronus.
Now, why exactly would someone like her, who should be busy with state affairs, be here?
As someone who loathed all humans from the Empire, her first instinct was to frown upon seeing her…
But, the other person who was there was even more astonishing to see than her.
“…What are you doing here?”
Ever since Seras infiltrated Elfante, she had been feeling like she had lost her goal, but she was essentially still an assassin who was following the Pope’s orders.
While she had deep reservations about killing Dowd Campbell now, her desire for the well-being and benefit of the entire Holy Land remained unchanged.
That was why…
“And you are…?”
“Hans.”
“…”
It was clear that the alias was created incredibly half-heartedly.
Making her wonder what was the Holy Land’s Intelligence Department thinking by giving this person such an identity.
“Well, it won’t make sense to call myself Spinning Fire Wheel in this continent, right? That’s why, let’s just stick with Hans.”
“…I couldn’t care less about that.”
Seras massaged her throbbing head as she spoke.
“This is the Hero Selection, what are you doing here? You are aware that the Pope went to great lengths just to scrub your identity clean, right?”
The man named Spinning Fire Wheel, a.k.a Hans, just smirked.
“Oh wow, it’s still hard to get used to the fact that the little kid is the Pope now. I swear it feels like just yesterday that he was starving in the slums.”
“…”
He seemed to be at most in his early twenties, but he dismissively referred to the Pope by ‘the little kid’…
But Seras knew, albeit vaguely…
That even though he might seem like a human, he had nearly reached the domain of a Demigod.
“Anyway, to answer your question.”
His casual response belied his identity, though.
“I’m not here for something like the Hero Selection, I’m here to protect the one who holds the ‘World’s Key’.”
“…What is that supposed to—”
“It’s because you’ve been handling things so sloppily that I was sent here in the first place, you know?”
“What?”
“A Grand Assassin like you should have no trouble putting a knife in that guy called Dowd, so what’s with the delay?”
“…”
Talker sighed deeply before continuing.
“If you had just put Dowd in a sufficiently~ near-death, state the ‘flow of events’ wouldn’t have led us here. He wouldn’t have participated in the Hero Selection and I wouldn’t have needed to protect him. With that, the Little Pope and our Boss’ interests became aligned, and she ended up sending me here.”
“…What is that supposed to mean?”
“It’s not in the little kid’s interest, nor our boss’ to just let that guy go around and die. And, it’s also not in her interest either.”
As he said so, Talker glanced sideways, nodding towards the Chancellor, who sat quietly with her eyes closed.
“Am I wrong, ‘Sealed Devil’?”
“…”
The Chancellor of the Empire lifted her head with a sigh.
“…Refer to me by that name again, and our cooperation ends here, Cursed Speech User. Remember that this is merely a temporary alliance.”
Sullivan raised her head as she spoke.
Her golden eyes were filled with a glint of killing intent.
“…I know what you did to that man in the ‘previous world’. There is no guarantee saying it will not happen again in ‘this world’ as well.”
“Hmm.”
“Both you and your pathetic Prophet will have to leave that man’s side eventually. Otherwise…”
“Oho.”
“For Dowd’s safety and well-being, I will kill you.”
Despite the chilly aura dripping from each of her words…
Talker merely let out a burst of laughter in response.
“So scary~ Well, in the first place, it was you who contacted the Little Pope for help, wasn’t it?”
“…”
Seras’ expression grew even more perplexed.
The Chancellor of the Empire…
One of the most powerful statesmen on the continent…
Had contacted the leader of a foreign nation, who they were currently engaged in fierce power struggles with, all for the sake of just one individual?
As she questioned this, the Chancellor spoke in a subdued voice.
“…It can’t be helped. Today marks the ‘First Branching Point’, after all.”
At this moment, everyone was gathered here.
Devil’s Vessels.
The person who embodied all their ‘long-cherished wishes’.
And most importantly…
The root cause of all distortions that would be made in this place.
“Purple. No, Seras Evatrice. Are you familiar with the name Yuria Greyhounder?”
“…”
Purple? What did she mean?
Nonetheless, she answered the question.
“…Homunculus. Out of the keys, which are the Saintess and the Talisman, of the Paradise Plan orchestrated by His Holiness, she is the one responsible for the role of the Talisman. What about her?’
“That woman is present here today.”
“…?”
She obviously could be.
What’s so wrong with th-
“And today.”
Right as Seras was thinking as such…
Sullivan continued to speak calmly.
“Because of that woman, Dowd Campbell will die.”
Her attitude was almost as if…
She had ‘experienced’ it prior to this.
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