Lucia, Priestess of the Sun – 4

“Ah… I understand who you are. You stopped me. You allowed me to die as a human, me who was committing sins and withering away in pain.”

The speed at which her body was crumbling began to accelerate little by little. Her two legs below the pelvis had long since melted away, and her left arm was in the same state.

Only her right shoulder, as if it were still alive, kept ominously twitching, showing signs of something sprouting from the severed surface.

She would probably find peace before a new right arm could sprout, so it likely wouldn’t matter even if I left her as she was. I silently listened to Lucia’s words.

“Kind one. Please, would you bestow mercy just one more time and briefly listen to the lament of this sinner who cannot be forgiven?”

Lucia asked in a trembling voice. If this were a game, choices like “Listen” or “Don’t listen” would have appeared here.

If you chose “Don’t listen,” the event would end there, and if you chose “Listen,” the conversation would continue a bit longer. However, there was no reason at all to choose “Don’t listen” after coming all this way.

“I will listen. Please speak.”

“You are truly a kind person. I thank you for your profound benevolence.”

Lucia gave a faint smile, but black liquid oozed out through it. Because of that, her expression felt closer to weeping than smiling.

“In the past, I was a priestess chosen to subjugate this dungeon. Dozens of devout priests stepped foot here.”

Her voice grew even more distant.

“But this place was not somewhere we could destroy with our strength alone… and after countless sacrifices, we ultimately failed.”

Cough, Lucia coughed softly. Black liquid gushed out between her parted lips. A gurgling sound of liquid boiling in her throat could be heard.

Lucia continued to vomit black liquid several more times after that, and only after expelling everything from her mouth was she barely able to speak again, continuing in a voice far more hoarse than before.

“I was one of those victims. When we were about to give up on breaking through the Rune Dungeon and return to the surface, a monster suddenly attacked, and I fell beneath the bridge.”

Lucia, who had fallen beneath the bridge, unfortunately survived instead of dying.

Had she died from the impact of the fall, it could have been seen as martyrdom for a priestess, but surviving in such a state was a fate worse than death.

“I, who should have surely died, somehow opened my eyes again. And when I opened my eyes… everything was already too late to be undone.”

Sadness gradually settled in her voice. Her half-rotted face contorted in pain.

“At first, I prayed earnestly to God. I prayed for Him to save me from this pain… to bestow love and mercy upon His follower.”

Sadness turned into despair.

The things she had done in the past, the blasphemies she had committed, half-mad with pain. Now that she had returned as a priestess, it was hard for her to even recall them.

“But God never answered my prayers, not once. Most impiously, I began to resent such a God. I cursed, I hurled insults, and I committed terrible acts that I dare not speak of.”

As if to prove that Lucia’s mind was wavering, the severed surface of her right shoulder began to twitch even more violently.

Lucia, sensing the unusual atmosphere, stopped speaking and took a deep breath, “Huu, huu.” Her mouth only opened again after a short while, once the twitching of the severed surface had subsided.

“My resentment continued for a very long time. It continued until the kind one came and helped me regain my senses through pain. I committed sins that are utterly unforgivable.”

Her lips, smeared with black liquid, could be seen trembling.

“But you prevented me from blaspheming God any further. At my final moment, you guided me back to the right path, allowing me to return as a human and die as a priestess serving God. I don’t know how someone like me, whose flame of life is about to extinguish, can repay these graces I have received from you…”

Her head turned completely towards me. Even though her two pupils were covered in black liquid and likely not functioning properly, I somehow felt as if she was staring directly at me.

“Kind one, you must have come from the Holy Kingdom. Since you used the Divine Catalyst so freely, you must be a very devout person…”

Lucia was mistaking me for someone from the Holy Kingdom.

This was why the event only progressed if you used the Divine Catalyst placed inside the boss room three or more times. Only then would Lucia, mistaking the player for someone from the Holy Kingdom, make her next request.

If you used something other than the Divine Catalyst in the boss room, progress was impossible. The detailed reason was unknown. There were only rampant speculations that it might be because it wasn’t Lucia’s own item.

Of course, Lucia had no idea that the Divine Catalyst she had dropped was corrupted, and thus could be used even by those who didn’t believe in God.

“Devout and kind one.”

Her voice became moist. She stammered as if her throat was choked, then barely managed to continue.

“Can I… return to God again?”

Her words were heavily mixed with sobs. If her face had been normal, it would undoubtedly have been a question thrown out with loud wails.

“Even I, who disgraced God, cursed God, and resented God… can I return as a priestess again and be embraced by God?”

With those words, Lucia tightly closed her mouth, waiting for my answer. It was now time for the second choice of the event to appear.

Yes. Or No.

If you chose ‘No’ here, she would wail in sadness, saying it was only natural, asking what salvation a sinner who committed blasphemy, unable to overcome such pain, could possibly hope for.

And depending on the choice, the player could either leave Lucia to suffer eternally, or personally grant her peace and leave the Rune Dungeon.

Additional dialogue existed for each case. If left alone, she would plead not to be abandoned like that, and if killed, she would rejoice in finding peace while also worrying about falling into hell.

“That’s right.”

However, I had no intention of choosing that option.

“God will surely welcome the fact that you have returned to His embrace more than the fact that you committed sins.”

I had never even once denied Lucia’s words in the game, so would I really do so after coming all this way?

For reference, it is unknown whether Lucia truly returned to God. That was a detail not mentioned even after thoroughly searching the game’s item descriptions.

Therefore, from a certain perspective, both choices could be seen as lies.

However, most people didn’t care about such things and chose ‘Yes’ so that Lucia could rest peacefully. According to the 10th-anniversary statistics, the ‘Yes’ selection rate for first-time clear users was 93%, or so they said.

“Ah… that’s a relief. To think that even a sinner like me would be warmly welcomed, God… is truly merciful.”

The smile on her lips deepened. It was a very satisfied smile, with not a hint of sadness.

“Kind one… For the benevolence you have shown, from the bottom of my heart… I thank you. Although what I can offer is merely words of gratitude… I pray that my sincerity, at least, reaches you…”

The sorrow and lament that had permeated every word had vanished without a trace. Her voice had diminished to a barely audible level, but her breathing was far more peaceful than before.

Lucia’s lips fluttered one last time.

“Merciful Sun… Compassionate Moon… This sinner… will return… to your side…”

With those words, her fluttering lips stilled. Her chest, which should have risen and fallen with each breath, no longer moved.

I gently closed her wide-open eyes, which were covered in black liquid, with two fingers. Such an action was impossible in the game, but it didn’t matter now.

This was the best I could do for her. There was no mention in the game of how to return Lucia to human form, nor did I possess such power.

After closing her eyes, I picked up Lucia’s Divine Catalyst that had fallen nearby. This was an item to be handed over to the Inquisitor later. The event wasn’t over yet.

Leaving Lucia’s corpse, which had turned into black liquid and begun to melt limply, behind me, I moved towards the Rune Monolith.

The guys who would appear up there would be handled well by the Knight Captains and the Inquisitor.

“Aren’t you concerned about the Honored Guest’s safety?”

“Huh? What?”

Selene questioned in a bewildered voice, looking at the Knight Captains standing comfortably without the slightest bit of vigilance. To think they were so nonchalant when they didn’t know what might pop out from where or when.

“The Honored Guest jumped into the Rune Dungeon alone, didn’t they? How could you-“

“Ah, you were talking about Delta?”

Rije chuckled.

“It was like that at first, but now that I think about it, it was all explained this morning. I was a little surprised that ‘jumped’ wasn’t a metaphor… but it’s not like it’s the first or second time they’ve pulled such a stunt. It’s about time we got used to it.”

“……It sounds like they often committed such actions in the past.”

“They committed them a lot. We probably lost 10 years of our lifespan from being surprised by them, you know? I’m going to bill them for all of it later.”

“……”

“I know what you’re thinking, but if it’s about Delta, you don’t have to worry.”

Rije continued in a nonchalant voice.

“Delta has never failed to keep their word. What they say often sounds utterly impossible and absurd, but somehow they nonchalantly succeed and return. Worrying is just a loss, you know?”

“It might sound like nonsense, but they are fully capable of keeping their word. Since they said they’d subjugate the Rune Dungeon within 30 minutes this time too, they’ll appear soon enough.”

Erica supplemented Rije’s words. Hearing that explanation, Selene decided she would have to revise her assessment of Delta slightly.

Hadn’t they said Delta was a new knight? Selene simply couldn’t understand what kind of things they usually did to make the Knight Captains react like that in such a short time.

…Actually, she felt like she might understand a little. After all, they were the one who had overwhelmingly crushed the Inquisitor in a duel. Their skill, at least, was certain.

Even setting aside their actions.

“We’re not sure if we’re in a position to make such a suggestion to you, but it’s fine to rest now. Delta said that monsters would appear only after the scenery here visibly changed-“

Suddenly, the ground rumbled and shook. Because of that, Claudia’s words paused for a moment.

“……That’s what they said.”

The black liquids that had covered everything began to gather somewhere. The vegetation and sky regained their original colors. The scorching sunlight also became much more brilliant.

Claudia re-gripped the hilt of the greatsword she had placed on the ground. Rije and Erica drew their weapons, and Iris aimed the tip of her longsword at the spot where the dark liquid was gathering.

“This must be the change Delta spoke of. Everyone, assume battle formation. It’s time to fight.”

“Is that the black liquid?”

“It would be stranger if it weren’t. Doesn’t it look ominous at a glance?”

The black liquid, gathered in one place, transformed into the shape of a strange monster. It was a six-legged beast with six legs, two heads, and a mace-like weight attached to its tail.

Dozens of tentacles, growing straight along its spine, wriggled grotesquely. Anyone could tell from its appearance that it was saying, “I’m a monster.”

“Everyone. Prepare for battle.”

Selene commanded briefly and concisely. The Battle Nuns raised their rapiers in unison.

The monster surveyed its surroundings with its two heads, then smacked its lips. Its long tongue, extended out of its mouth, licked the nearby area.

“For heaven is for the faithful.”

Silver divine power imbued the thinnest, sharpest silver rapier. Her purple pupils blazed coldly.

“Grant hell to those who do not believe.”