I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

How should I accept this horrific and disgusting revelation?

Rotting corpses and glittering gold.

While it was a repulsive temptation of malice, for someone else, it was cruelly an opportunity.

‘I remember the children of the oil king.’

To protect my mind from this unpleasant vision, I recalled a shocking experience from my childhood. As a child, I had a vague fantasy about the mysterious Middle East.

‘I particularly loved the Arabian Nights.’

One day, I saw an interesting piece of news on the internet about the children of an oil king from a Middle Eastern country. At that time, I was fascinated, but the story was far from the fairy tales I loved.

‘The article was about brothers killing each other for the vast inheritance they were set to receive.’

Though the article framed it as allegations, was it possible for well-off people to die in a chain of accidents purely by coincidence? The story of individuals with shared blood murdering each other, even if they had different mothers, was a great shock to my young self. And as I grew older, I learned that such incidents were always happening.

『Above stands easy prey. Sacrifice them to prove your worth.』

『Adore this favoritism.』

From the depths of memories that might be nostalgia or trauma, an irksome voice, as if it was sowing pollutants into my brain, called me back.

“Shut up! How dare you spew such nonsense.”

『Foolish being.』

『Answer me. Do you think you will ever enjoy such splendor in your life?』

Sure, I wouldn’t.

I didn’t need to.

“If it’s money gained in such a way, I don’t need it! Anyway, those you serve…”

The moment I tried to recall that name, all my instincts detected danger as if a red warning light had turned on. I had already figured out what these black things were and who the Outer God they served was. However,

‘I mustn’t utter the name of the Outer God… Even thinking about it could drive me mad.’

Previously, I could write their name or speak it without any issue… In this world, they had truly become divine beings.

『Indeed, an Apostle of Calamity.』

『Do you not falter despite knowing the great name?』

『Pay your respects when thinking of the great one. The great one is the Sleeper of the Netherworld.』

『We are merely byproducts created by the great one.』

“…Be quiet. Do you think I’d serve your lazy evil god who demands human sacrifices?”

As I drew a firm line, the image of the corpses and gold vanished into the black masses. Instead, they seemed to be attempting another approach.

『Look.』

『Know that in your delusion, you cannot pursue false virtue.』

My consciousness was easily sucked into darkness, rendering my powerful mind meaningless. It wasn’t just darkness; it was a place that illuminated something.

* * *

Clink, clank.

Every time the wagon wheels rolled over an unknown obstacle, the coach jolted, making the people inside clatter. The source of the noise was their armor. Inside the wagon were four knights clad in cold, shining armor and one neatly dressed priest.

“You seem tense.”

The priest spoke to one knight who appeared particularly stiff. The knight seemed younger and more inexperienced than the others.

“Yes… um, that’s right. This is my first mission.”

“Your first mission… I see. But there is no need to worry. Among the trials you will face, this will undoubtedly be the easiest and simplest.”

The priest spoke with a kind smile. Despite his words, the priest himself was quite young.

“But… we are going to a place with the heretic scriptures, right…?”

“Yes.”

“But why are we retrieving it again? No, why was it placed in such a vermin-infested place in the first place?”

The rookie knight used quite harsh words, but no one seemed uncomfortable or pointed out his language.

Vermin.

Those who hadn’t been baptized were not considered human, so such terms were rather fitting for them.

“It seems you haven’t been briefed on this mission.”

The priest, smiling, looked across at the man before him. The man wore armor more decorated than the other knights, making it clear to anyone that he held a high rank. The man opened his mouth quietly.

“He’s still new, so we can’t be sure if he can maintain confidentiality.”

“Ah, I see. But it’s alright. This young one is also part of ‘Stigmata’, isn’t he? He has the right to know.”

Stigmata.

This knight order belonging to the Church of Hayat was known for its smaller numbers but notorious cruelty compared to other orders. They did not handle ordinary missions but took on the dirty tasks that most would hesitate to accept.

“Relics and scriptures of heretics are blasphemous, but some branches are permitted to study them to combat heretics. The scripture we left at the orphanage, the ‘Scripture of O’tak’, is one such item.”

The novice knight recalled the unsettling object inside the black chest. Even though nothing happened, he felt uneasy just carrying it, possibly because it was a heretic scripture.

“Among heretics, the most notorious are the ones worshiping Outer Gods. The scriptures of those who serve the calamities from the outside world have demanded many sacrifices. But at the same time, we learned what can be gained from these scriptures.”

The priest smiled and raised the necklace hanging around his neck by hand. It was a symbol that any follower of the Church of Hayat would wear. Although usually made of wood to symbolize light, the priest’s necklace was made of gold.

“Gold… Are you saying?”

“Not just gold, but all sorts of rare gems. The being worshipped through that scripture bestows such wealth upon its followers. However, it demands human sacrifices in return.”

“It demands human sacrifices…”

“Yes, truly an evil entity.”

Though the words were harsh, the priest’s voice carried no tone of contempt or disgust.

“But as you know… such wealth is always necessary for our Church of Hayat, isn’t it? Looking after orphans, teaching the believers… Donations alone are not enough.”

The novice nodded quietly in agreement.

“And in this region, we don’t have any notable saints, making it particularly hard to sell saintly relics.”

The priest sighed.

“That heretical scripture was very useful to us, but at some point, it stopped yielding treasures and only demanded more sacrifices. Many young brothers were lost.”

Though unfortunate, the priest spoke calmly. Only the glittering gold in his hand made him smile.

“So, we devised a way to gather the much-needed funds without further sacrifices.”

“H… how so?”

The priest smiled brightly.

“It’s a very simple method. All we need to do is place that dirty scripture in a suitable spot.”

“You mean that dangerous item?”

The novice was confused. If it was such an item, shouldn’t it be securely sealed or destroyed?

“Yes, we just need to place it in a place where unbaptized sinners gather.”

The priest thought of this process like a farmer planting seeds.

“Soon, someone who can’t resist their filthy nature, ignoring our warnings and pleas, will reach for the scripture. Inevitably.”

At most four days. From the priest’s memory, it never took longer.

“What will those vermin do then? They will sacrifice other vermin around them to gain gold and jewels.”

Like trapping insects to eat each other. Such is the nature of vile creatures.

“All we have to do is confiscate their unfair and disgusting wealth.”

The novice was impressed. According to the priest, a dangerous tool that usually required sacrifices could be used in a way that not only eliminated vermin but also secured precious wealth. However, there was still something that bothered him.

“He… then, it’s just a matter of conducting the ritual and killing the remaining bugs… is that correct?”

“Exactly. Usually, those bugs are either dead or on the verge of dying.”

In this case, there would be no issue at all. However, there were unfortunate exceptions for the newcomers.

“Sometimes they lose their reason and reveal their true nature, becoming aggressive beasts. And in very… very rare cases, they can become monsters beyond beasts.”

At the mention of monsters, the newcomer shivered. The other knights showed no reaction.

“It may be a nerve-wracking statement for you, a newcomer, but it’s an unlikely occurrence. Even if they turn into monsters, they’re similar to slightly harder-to-kill beasts.”

“Isn’t this the kind of situation where we need Luminaries, specialized in hunting demonic creatures…?”

The priest shook his head at the newcomer’s words.

“A few members of Stigmata can handle it sufficiently. Moreover, we have Albeka, a genius expected to become the future head of the knights, with us.”

The knight, adorned in relatively fancy decorations and acting as the leader of this mission, nodded.

“Newcomer, remember why we, the Stigmata, exist.”

“We, the sinners, bear the sins of the Church of Hayat, standing in for sins with our evil deeds until the day we die, cleansing everyone’s sins through our death!”

The newcomer recited energetically. From his chest, where his hands gathered, shone the symbol of Stigmata—a mark reflecting nails piercing the back of the hand.

“This task is light among our duties. I brought you here so you can gain good experience, so don’t worry. Just as I said, it’s all about killing bugs.”

The newcomer nodded reassuringly at Albeka’s trustworthy words. Anxiety vanished, and pride as a member of the Stigmata filled his chest.

* * *

“Stigmata…?”

I muttered the name I had seen in the engulfing darkness.

『You’ve seen disrespectful beings.』

『They scorn our master, driven by greed, neglecting respect and decorum.』

『They frequently disturb His rest and slumber excessively.』

『Do you think you will be safe in the face of their greed?』

The black masses spoke as if mocking me. Even if I tried to escape, it was obvious such a group of knights would soon capture me. It was as though they wanted to prevent me from choosing any other options.

“I… I will not offer.”

『Even if it means your end?』

『You’ll merely die at their hands.』

I shook my head and glared at the black substances.

“No! You must give me a way to defeat those bastards, a miracle. Without having to sacrifice humans.”

Fear gradually dissipated. With anger rising and my head cooling down, I spoke with certainty.

“Right? I am the Apostle of Calamity. Your master wants something else from me, not mere sacrifices. That’s why he shows such unprecedented interest in me.”

Transcendent beings from the Cthulhu Mythos, with very few exceptions, exhibit no interest in humans or equivalent intelligent beings. Even though I had the power of the 〈Apostle of Calamity〉, it was extraordinarily unusual to attract such interest. Receiving attention from the cosmic disasters and malevolent gods like the Outer Gods is typically disastrous, but at this moment, it could be leveraged.

“You wouldn’t want me dead, nor the scripture falling back into their hands. If you could handle it directly, you would have long done so, right?”

『Correct.』

『Alice, there is no falsehood in your words. Our master has granted you a miracle.』

『But do not forget, there is a way to gain his favor.』

『Do not delude yourself into thinking you can use this power without a price.』

The ‘formless residues’ ultimately retreated, and their cursed scripture reappeared before me.

“Ah…”

Upon opening the scripture, squelching sounds echoed in my mind. The revolting noise of sticky mucus moving buried my sanity.

‘Now I can read it. I understand. I understand, understand, understand…’

The more I read, the more a tarry black tide clung persistently to me. Even feeling like I was drowning in foul-smelling water from rotting corpses, my eyes did not cease reading the scripture. Until entirely submerged in impurity.