Chapter 87: Holiness and Impiety – 3

Chapter 87: Holiness and Impiety – 3

“…This ceiling looks familiar, you know.”

*Wouldn’t it be natural for it to be familiar, since it’s your own home’s ceiling?*

……I seem to be fainting a lot lately, and it’s a strange feeling.

This body’s performance is clearly good, but am I just pushing it too hard?

As I thought that, and slowly got up, my body aching slightly here and there, I heard someone approaching.

“……Boss-nim? Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, Lily? What brings you here?”

“…I heard about what happened last night from the defense force.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. The Holy Kingdom mistaking people and wrongly beating them up isn’t a one-day or two-day thing……”

“So, they use such magic throughout the entire capital?”

……It seems things really blew up.

Honestly, at the time, I was so busy escaping that I couldn’t look around, but it seems they really unleashed chains throughout the entire capital to chase me.

“Ahem. Anyway, you should be at the shop, why are you here…”

“……It was all destroyed, you know?”

“Oh, right. It was, wasn’t it?”

I remembered the shop, half-destroyed by me, half by the inquisitors.

…It’s a good thing I moved all the stamina potions inside into my inventory; otherwise, I would have really suffered to death.

Making all of that again… would be quite painful.

“‘It was,’ isn’t the point!! The items inside, and also…”

“Calm down, Lily. All the items have been moved, and since the Holy Kingdom bastards attacked first, the Empire will help with compensation.”

“……Right, that’s how it’ll be handled.”

I was wondering whether to explain about intentionally half-destroying the shop or not, when a familiar voice was heard.

……It was Christie, with an expression that looked like she could kill someone with her eyes.

“Oh, um? Christie?”

“You haven’t left yet? Defense Force Unnie?”

“…Is this what you call doing well? Why are you always at the center of incidents and accidents, I wonder……”

“No, before that, how did you get here?”

“I came to guide your employee here. Besides, I’m the one who brought you here after you fainted.”

“……Does the Defense Commander-nim have so little to do?”

At that, Christie chuckled lightly, and Lily’s pupils widened next to her.

“D-Defense Commander…? Th-then, P-Princess…?”

……It seems Lily was quite shocked by the fact that Christie was the Defense Commander.

Indeed, earlier she seemed to think Christie was just a member of the defense force.

…Come to think of it, given her status as a princess, from Lily’s perspective, she might be someone to immediately kneel before.

‘…She’s a human far from that, though.’

“Lily, calm down.”

“B-But… if I get arrested for being rude……”

“If she were that kind of person, she wouldn’t have come to my house in the first place. Do you think I’m some kind of noble?”

“……I feel subtly offended, Lucia?”

Christie said something, but I neatly ignored it and calmed Lily down.

At the same time, I told her that Christie was just a kind person who liked cute things, so she shouldn’t be scared.

…Unfortunately, right after that, she heard that Christie was now promoted to Knight Commander, so she still seemed scared.

“Promotion, huh… Should I congratulate you, or mourn?”

“Why?”

“Well, a Defense Commander getting promoted means… that the Empire will soon be in chaos, whether internally or externally, doesn’t it?

Or, they’re preparing for war with the Holy Kingdom.”

“……Shall we talk alone for a moment?”

Christie’s expression, as she sent Lily out of the room, looked quite heavy.

…It seemed what I said was right.

Logically, if a country’s capital suffered such an act of terrorism, a strong protest would be normal, and if it was radical, war could even break out using it as a pretext.

And, the representatives of the Empire in the novel… well, I remember them being quite radical.

‘…Is this, like, some weird war breaking out because of me?’

My first goal was clearly to escape the war between humans and monsters, but somehow I have a premonition that another war will break out because of me…?

***

“…First, Lucia. You know that a member of the Holy Kingdom committed an act of terrorism in our Imperial Capital during the attack on you, right?”

“Of course? I’m the victim, after all?”

“Unfortunately, the Holy Kingdom defended that inquisitor and officially declared you a heretic. So, punishment is difficult.”

“……I don’t think the Empire is beneath the Holy Kingdom, you know.”

“Precisely because of that, the situation is turning quite unusual.”

Saying that, Christie briefly summarized the conversations that had taken place in the Imperial Palace today and told me.

…She didn’t tell me some parts, claiming they were classified, but even with that, I could sufficiently understand the situation.

“Anyway, I can’t tell you the exact reason, but the point is that the Pope has no choice but to accept our Empire’s proposal.”

“…It seems something will happen soon where everyone has to work together, doesn’t it?”

“I don’t know exactly. I know something, but I can’t tell you.”

……Unfortunately, I already knew what that ‘something’ was.

The war between humans and monsters, between the Hero and the Demon King, which was the starting point of the novel.

A war where the Holy Kingdom and the church would unite with the Empire and various small nations to stop the pouring armies of the Demon King’s Army, and eventually counterattack.

As it was described as a war that the Empire, various small nations on the continent, and the Holy Kingdom’s forces had to fight together,

it seemed awkward for the Holy Kingdom to be at odds with the Empire.

“But why are you suddenly telling me this? Surely it’s not just to tell me the reason for your promotion.”

“…That’s right. The point is, there’s a high possibility you’ll be attacked again tonight.”

“……Me? Again? Why?”

…I’m getting tired of this; I just want to rest comfortably, but I don’t know why there’s another attack.

Conscientiously, if they had engaged in a chase across the entire capital and lost, they should just quietly shrink away. What’s with a second attack?!

Are they some kind of boss mob? To have a second phase?!

“I don’t know the reason, but the Holy Kingdom wants to eliminate you by any means necessary.”

“……I do have some ideas, but even so…”

“Also, they’re claiming you recently came into contact with a person the Holy Kingdom is desperately chasing.”

……Elena’s face flashed in my mind for a moment, but I quickly dismissed it.

Since I didn’t really know anything about Elena, it was hard to confirm anything.

“So, you’re going to protect me?”

“I’d like to… but I won’t be able to stop the attack itself. This is purely me acting on my authority as the current Defense Commander and prospective Knight Commander.”

“…The Empire’s protection of its citizens is truly of a high standard, isn’t it? You can even receive private protection if you have connections with the Defense Commander?”

“Unfortunately, the representatives view your existence as nothing more than a scapegoat.”

Christie’s expression wasn’t good either as she said that.

…Indeed, no matter how much Christie mobilized the patrol force as Defense Commander, she wouldn’t be able to stop all the Holy Kingdom’s forces if they were determined to come.

“Thanks for letting me know, Unnie. Go get some rest.”

“Alright. Tonight… let’s meet safely.”

With those words, Christie left, and I quietly read the translucent window that appeared before my eyes.

One was good news, and one was incredibly annoying news.

*

-> Quest Cleared!

=> Congratulations! You successfully resisted an unbeatable enemy and ultimately avoided capture!

+> Reward: Skill – ‘Potionization’ is granted.

+> The Potionization skill allows you to turn the main magic or skills of the enemies you’ve faced into potions! However, there may be conditions or limitations!

+> Additionally, this branching point is unlocked! Further information about the branching point will be described in slightly more detail!

*

News of the quest clear, and the accompanying skill reward.

It was a skill I really liked, especially at a time when I was starting to want some new attack potions.

…The problem, of course, would be the last line.

*

-> Branching Point!

=> A branching point has occurred. Once again, the fate of a main character will change depending on your actions!

=> The main character affected by you at this branching point is the Saintess!

=> The Saintess is currently facing the dark side of the church and will be forced to come and attack you tonight!

=> If you do not help the Saintess, she will believe that what the church is doing is right, and will become a true Saintess of the ‘church.’

+> Due to previous actions, you do not have the option to escape. You have no choice but to fight.

+> The only option given to you is simply to fight. Think only of survival.

*

“…Fighting is the only option? What bullshit are you spouting?

If that were the case, you wouldn’t have told me about the Saintess’s condition, nor would you have given me a cheat skill like Potionization.”

To make the Saintess turn her back on the church, and become a Saintess of ‘God,’ not of the church.

To make her realize that what she, and this church, are doing is not right.

That is… what this damn system wants.

*

-> User’s intention confirmed.

=> One more goal is added to the original branching point’s objective of survival.

+> Added Goal: Saintess Conversion

+> …Good luck, User-nim.

*

It seemed this branching point wouldn’t be easy either.

Honestly, I had no idea what to do…

“Um… Boss-nim?”

“Huh? You haven’t left yet, Lily?”

“Someone sent a letter to the door.”

As I took the letter Lily handed me and read it, I had that thought.

……What kind of person is Elena, anyway?