Taming the Evil Saintess

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The number of possessors near the temple gradually dwindled, one by one. It was partly thanks to my involvement, but the death of Morgan, who was their focal point, also crushed their morale.

The possessors each dropped their weapons and expressed their intention to surrender.

“Please, spare us!”

“We didn’t want to do this!”

These weren’t well-trained warriors; they were modern-day people who had enjoyed games until just ten years ago. In such a situation, it was impossible to maintain their fighting spirit. Seeing the kneeling possessors, I couldn’t help but curl my lips in disdain.

Cecilia, who was aiming her sword at one of them, glanced my way, seeking my opinion, as we hailed from the same region.

I shook my head. If it were my wish, I’d want to save them all. However, a clear mark was already blazing on them. If I took them in, Adelheit would wield her authority over the mark. Should they feel cornered, they might detonate like what happened in the Nua Diel incident.

“…I see.”

Cecilia appeared to read a trace of hesitation from my expression. Yet, she was also a determined fighter. She lunged forward, piercing the hearts of the possessors with her sword.

The cries of the possessors were drowned out by the sound of flesh being torn. In an instant, there were ten corpses around the temple.

“…Hero…”

The imperial guards looked as if they’d seen a ghost. Watching the hero execute surrendered prisoners certainly didn’t resonate with the noble image of a Warrior of God.

I had a foreboding feeling that the rumors surrounding the hero would intensify after this incident, though it really wasn’t of major concern.

Erwin approached and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Kid, for now…”

“No, we don’t have time.”

I just heard a faint explosion. It came from the direction of the banquet hall. Surely Emily and Eldarian were fighting there.

“Should we head over?”

“…Hmm.”

I pondered for a moment. Ophelia and her group had probably rescued the Emperor smoothly by now. That left the banquet hall and Adelheit, who was somewhere out there.

And…

“We’ll pursue the Hell Duke.”

The Hell Duke Derabilice was in the Brain Rock. I made my decision, and neither of them countered.

The imperial guards also chose not to follow, having caught a glimpse of the hero’s cruel side.

*

“I will take over the Empire.”

Ophelia’s bold statement wasn’t light enough to be dismissed as mere childish fantasy. If she had simply been a nameless Saintess, it might have been different, but with the Pope’s mantle upon her, it carried a different weight.

Emperor Bolazio Septimius III’s eyes widened. She was laying out ambitions to usurp the throne right before the Emperor’s eyes. Naturally, he could hardly be expected to remain calm, yet he realized that throwing a fit here would do him no favors.

“Pope, I hope that was merely a jest.”

“No, I’m serious.”

Ophelia shrugged. Albrecht, standing behind her, looked utterly dumbfounded, but she paid him no mind.

“Why the shocked look? You’re just going to grow old, die, and probably won’t even have descendants to see as you wither away.”

“…”

“And the only remaining daughter is a crazy nutcase. How bright do you think the future of the Empire would be if Adelheit somehow remained on the throne? And should you place another irrelevant person from the imperial lineage, without a guardian, they’d just be a puppet.”

It was a statement of fact.

At the same time, it was sophistry.

Bolazio Septimius III struggled to respond.

“That’s a matter for future generations.”

“The future generations are me. I’m twenty-four now. How much longer do you think I’ll live? I’ll endure until I can smear feces on the walls with that idiot Elliot.”

Ophelia seemed ashamed of her own words as she cleared her throat and continued speaking.

“Anyway, whether Adelheit lives or dies, the Empire is going down the path of decay. It will either be split apart or be consumed by elves.”

“Elves?”

“Do you think the Fairy King will just sit back and relax? That guy’s equipped with an inherent disdain for humans.”

Bolazio was well aware of the Fairy King’s violent nature. In fact, everyone present knew him since they had all encountered him at some point.

“Wouldn’t it be better to be devoured by a fellow human? Someone from our Cathedral where we share the same religion and cultural background.”

Azar and Albrecht, who were also present, were aware that Ophelia’s affection for the Cathedral wasn’t as strong that she would refer to it as ‘ours’, but Bolazio was an exception.

The Emperor only knew that Ophelia was the Saintess, the Pope, and the legitimate ruler of the Cathedral.

“Don’t worry. I won’t control you or anything. I’ll be the guardian of the new Emperor. Who would dare oppose the Hero who killed the Demon King and the Saintess who’s supporting them?”

“…”

Bolazio fell into thought.

Would it be wise to entrust the Empire to the Pope? He was conscious of the Saintess’s not-so-kind heart. However, at present, there were no suitable choices available.

Above all, his daughter Adelheit was a figure who would lead the Empire to ruin. The countless monster corpses lying around proved that.

The Hero and the Saintess. It was hard to imagine that these two would swallow the Empire and wield it as they pleased. Although Ophelia Meredein committed sacrilege and attempted to usurp the throne, she did so to eliminate the scum working for the Demon King’s Army. That was, after all, an act borne from conviction.

Then…

“Hmm.”

Bolazio was a rational person. He prioritized the fate of the Empire over his own life. He realized that even if what was passed to him was a rotten tether, it was still wrong for Adelheit to continue ruling the Empire.

Thus, he nodded.

“Pope, can you promise me this?”

“I’m a Saintess, I don’t lie.”

That brazen statement left Albrecht and Azar in shock once more.

*

As I approached the Brain Rock, another explosion resonated.

Turning around, flames soared from the direction of the banquet hall. An enormous gust of wind swept by. Could it be that Adelheit triggered the mark’s explosion? That thought briefly crossed my mind, but the fire rising from the banquet hall took on a dragon’s form and began to ravage the ground once more.

“…Magic, perhaps?”

“That would be the case.”

Having never witnessed large-scale magic like that before, both Erwin and Cecilia frowned deeply.

Wasn’t that a bit too brutal to be called magic?

Yet, the only ones capable of wielding magic of that magnitude on the continent were Emily and Eldarian—the two of them.

It likely meant they didn’t need assistance.

In fact, the individual I would face next was likely far more dangerous.

I turned my gaze away and opened the door to the Brain Rock.

Thick dark magic seeped out.

“…Is that a territory?”

“No. The territory hasn’t been expanded. And Adelheit wouldn’t just sit back and let that happen. She probably used some method.”

Sure enough, as I stepped forward into the thick dark magic, there sat Hell Duke Derabilice in a chair.

However, he was not in a sound state. His remaining arm was riddled with needles, and one of his eyes was missing.

“…Ugh.”

Cecilia frowned.

The brutal scene before us clearly didn’t meet her approval either.

I briefly worried that Derabilice might be dead, but he was alive. As he sensed us, he lifted his head and opened his remaining eye to look at us.

“…Huh, it’s the hero.”

The Hell Duke, despite his wretched appearance, remained entirely composed and lifted one corner of his mouth.

I approached him with my hand resting on the hilt of my sword. I worried he might release magic and attack, but he displayed no will to resist.

“How much time has passed?”

“If you’re talking about since we reclaimed the Cathedral, it’s been a little over two months.”

“Not long then.”

Derabilice sighed deeply.

“Is Elgore dead?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

For the first time, a look of regret swept across the Hell Duke’s face. Now that I think about it, the artifact Elgore had was a gift from Derabilice. They might have been closer than I thought.

“Right. Since you came all the way here, that means she’s stirred up quite a ruckus.”

“Yeah. She’s making quite a scene. She was trying to kill us.”

“…Ha.”

“Tell me in detail. What happened?”

Derabilice narrowed his eyes.

“Even if I tell you, it’s not like you’ll spare me, right?”

“Of course not. You’re going to die.”

“You’re quite honest.”

After pondering for a moment, Derabilice spoke.

“Are you curious about what the Empress is doing?”

“I’m damn curious.”

“She’s committing sacrilege.”

“…It’s amusing to hear ‘divine’ come from the mouth of someone from the Demon King’s Army.”

When I scoffed, Derabilice shook his head.

“It’s a literal sacrilege.”

“So what does that entail?”

“She took my heart.”

“Your heart?”

Only then did I notice Derabilice’s condition. The dense magic emanating from his chest was not controlled by him; it was stemming from a gaping hole in his chest.

“Taking the heart… what’s she planning to do?”

“What kind of dark magic would a high-ranking demon’s heart summon?”

“Dominion over the mark?”

“Of course, that too, but there are even more powerful dark arts.”

Derabilice laughed desperately.

“An exceptionally powerful summoning of demons.”

“….”

Humans referred to it as evil.