Ch.161161. The First Trial (3)

“Oh, it’s Elia Krisanax and her attendant Darwood Campbell. Pleased to meet you. I’m Lana Ray Delvium!”

Let me tell you about this human called Lana Ray Delvium.

In some circles, she’s known as Elia’s little sister, the protagonist of Serath’s DLC.

She’s a female student with sporty short black hair that covers her neck slightly, and a distinctive single strand of hair sticking up from the top of her head.

As you can see, despite encountering me and Elia, her competitors, she doesn’t show any wariness or hostility—she’s peaceful enough to simply introduce herself.

And her most important characteristic?

This one is immortal.

“…What on earth does that mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

As you might guess from most of the situations I’m experiencing, the main Savior Rising game boasts a difficulty level that would justify the developers getting lynched by players.

And the DLC [Holy Empire Conquest] is content set at an even more vicious difficulty level than Serath’s main story. It literally caused every internet community to explode when it was first released.

That’s why the developers decided to give this protagonist a near-cheat ability to help players clear the story smoothly.

“Oh, that’s right. I don’t die even when I’m killed!”

“…”

Elia was left speechless at Lana’s cheerful declaration.

“I’ve been told I have holy power overload since I was little. So I can’t feel pain, and even if my body gets completely torn apart, I regenerate right away!”

“…”

“I think I’m fortunate to be born with such a blessed constitution. Thanks to that, I can let my body be used for all sorts of research for the Holy Empire!”

“…That’s…”

Is that really a blessing?

I can clearly see those words bubbling up in Elia’s throat.

She apparently can’t bring herself to say such harsh words to someone who doesn’t even change her expression when talking about how her country experimented on her body, even calling it fortunate.

Setting aside the fact that the Holy Empire, especially the Pope, is known to be a bastard despite his outwardly benevolent image.

‘…The blessed constitution itself is true.’

Among priests, there are occasionally people whose innate holy power goes haywire, giving them “special abilities” beyond simply creating miracles or blessings.

Trisha, who serves as the priest in the hero party, is the closest example. She can visually perceive others’ emotions due to holy power overload.

Homunculi are created by maximizing such qualities of holy power. Yuria and Lucien, the Greyhaunter sisters. The Saint and the Scapegoat.

Their “special qualities” are only revealed in later chapters, but there’s no disagreement that both are terrifyingly powerful.

Especially the younger sister with the White Demon inside her.

“…But where is your attendant?”

“Well…”

When Elia asked this question to Lana who was alone, she scratched her chin with a troubled expression before answering.

“…I don’t have one!”

“…Excuse me…?”

Elia responded with a voice twice as bewildered as before.

Hero candidate – attendant is the most basic framework of this selection process. So it’s natural to wonder what she’s talking about when she says she doesn’t even have that.

“I got separated from them when I tried to clear the dungeon by myself!”

“…Aren’t you supposed to reach the deepest part of the dungeon with your attendant for your record to be recognized?”

“Was there such a rule?!”

“…”

By this point, Elia must have realized it too.

Lana’s second most important characteristic.

She’s an idiot.

A straightforward, hot-blooded, simple-minded idiot that anyone can see.

Seriously so.

“Wow- Darwood and Elia are such nice people. I almost rushed to the deepest part alone without knowing that rule.”

“…”

“Since you helped me avoid wasting my efforts, I’ll help you with anything! Just ask!”

“Um, you do know we’re competing against each other in this selection, right…?”

Elia asked with a voice that suggested she was getting a headache.

“That’s fine!”

“…”

“I was taught to repay kindness. Human principles come before competition!”

Dazzling.

Truly a straightforwardly righteous spirit that makes your eyes sting.

Just like a hero candidate should be.

“…”

A look from Elia flew at me, asking what the hell I was thinking trying to use such a person.

“…”

And this time, I agree with her.

No matter how necessary it might be, doing something bad to this person would be so terrible that even I would lose sleep from guilt…!

[…Yet you’re still going to do it anyway, aren’t you? How are you planning to trick her?]

Such a voice flew in through the Soul Linker.

I sigh and deny it.

‘No. I have a conscience too. How could I deceive someone like her without feeling anything?’

[You had one…?]

‘…’

After a moment of silence, I answer.

‘I’m not going to deceive her.’

[Are you finally trying to become a decent per-]

‘But I am going to do something trashy.’

[…]

When did I ever say I was going to backstab or scam her?

With someone like her, I just need to be straightforward and fair.

She’s the one who offered to help with anything, right? It just follows from there.

[Hey, I know I was told you’d be doing trashy things from the start, but this is a bit… You’re going to make Elia stronger by earning this girl’s hatred?]

‘I’m not going to have a bad relationship with her.’

Lana is, well.

She’s a human for whom earning hatred is simply impossible.

It feels like the “anger” or “hatred” circuits in her emotions have been completely deleted. No matter how trashy someone is to her, she just laughs it off.

[…Huh? Then who’s going to threaten your life? You said that’s necessary for Elia to get stronger?]

‘If I do something trashy to this person, there’s definitely someone who will come after me with gritted teeth.’

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

If someone tries to screw me over, I’ll screw them over the same way.

Simple logic.

“…”

Of course.

This will be scraping the bottom of my humanity.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry, Lana…!

“Lana, would it be alright if I asked you for one favor?”

Suppressing such guilt, I open my mouth with a smiling face.

“Yes, anything!”

Anything.

Anything, she says.

Good. Well said.

●

Utad Han-Chai slightly furrowed his brow as he took a sip of the red tea in his cup.

For someone who had lived the life of a warrior, such sweet beverages and refreshments weren’t particularly welcome, but he’d heard they were commonly enjoyed in both the Holy Empire and the Empire.

He was dispatched to represent the Tribal Union in the hero selection because he had the flexibility to respect such traditions.

However.

“…What do you mean by that, Grand Archbishop Luminol?”

Even he sometimes encounters stories too absurd to simply accept.

“I’m asking if you would join hands with us to check the Empire’s candidate.”

“…”

“More specifically, just that student named Darwood.”

Utad rubbed near his eyes, almost feeling dizzy.

It was obvious from that previous angel incident that the Holy Empire side wanted to keep a close eye on this Darwood person, but he hadn’t expected them to approach so blatantly.

“…I appreciate your directness without euphemisms or implications, Grand Archbishop Luminol. That’s the Tribal Union’s way.”

Utad sighed as he responded.

“But for such a matter, I should at least hear the reason. Why are you so hostile toward that student?”

“For personal reasons, I simply dislike that student.”

“…”

That’s a truly personal reason.

As Utad stood there blankly, Grand Archbishop Luminol rattled off in a quick tone.

“He’s irreverent, dissolute, and lacks any dignity whatsoever, yet has the audacity to enter the ‘Department of Holy Studies.’ I cannot bear to witness such hypocrisy and pretense.”

“…May I ask what grounds you have for such judgment?”

“Such things are obvious just by looking, Chief Utad. Base humans cannot hide their stench.”

Ah, right.

This man was a serious classist.

Looking down on Darwood, who comes from a baronial family or at best a viscount’s family, was as natural as breathing to him.

“Well, besides such personal matters, if I were to give another reason…”

As I was thinking this, Grand Archbishop Luminol continued.

“The Empire boasts the most powerful influence among the three hegemonic nations. Our Holy Empire and the Tribal Union are in a position to counter them with ‘religious authority’ and ‘technological prowess’ respectively.”

Grand Archbishop Luminol continued calmly.

“If the legitimacy of the ‘Hero’ passes to them as well… we would truly be like candles in the wind. The balance that sustains the entire continent would collapse.”

Yes. Logically, that makes sense.

But.

“…What does the Holy Empire gain by checking them? This Darwood is merely an attendant to a candidate.”

For that reason, it would be more understandable if they were trying to check Elia instead.

It’s highly unusual to be this wary of an attendant rather than the hero candidate themselves.

“This is what the Pope desires. I am merely following his orders.”

“…”

Utad’s eyes narrowed.

He was well aware of that cunning snake sitting in the Grand Temple.

He just hadn’t known that someone of that caliber would show such interest in a single student named Darwood Campbell.

“If you help us check that person, I promise a solid alliance through the authority after the hero selection. We will provide everything you desire.”

“…You speak as if the owner of the Holy Sword has already been decided.”

“Because we have someone on our side who can definitely pass the Holy Sword’s test.”

A slightly human smile appeared on the Archbishop’s face as he said this.

“She may be a bit insensitive at times… but she’s strong, warm, and above all, braver than anyone.”

It was an expression of pride and warmth rarely seen in a politician who had risen to such a position.

“…She’s also my precious daughter.”

“…”

You didn’t need to mention that.

Suddenly bragging about your daughter.

Luminol Ray Delvium.

The father of Lana Ray Delvium, who is participating as the Holy Empire’s hero candidate this time.

This man was clearly a daughter-doting father.

“G-Grand Archbishop!”

In the midst of this conversation.

Someone burst through the door of the meeting room where Utad and Luminol were. Judging by the attire, it was someone from the Holy Empire.

Luminol’s face stiffened slightly.

Such disrespectful behavior at a meeting with almost summit-level authority.

Unless it was an extremely urgent matter, he would surely reprimand them later-

“Your daughter is now, right now…!”

“…Right now?”

“Being used as a ‘shield’ by Darwood Campbell!”

“…”

“…”

A heavy silence descended upon the meeting room.

●

Serath Evatrice was staring at the other person with a blank expression.

She had received an unexpected summons, and when she arrived, two people she never imagined were sitting in the room.

First of all.

‘…The Empire’s Chancellor?’

Sullivan Axcion Petronus.

What on earth was a man busy with state affairs doing here?

As someone who disliked all people from the Empire, her face immediately wrinkled at his presence.

But there was someone even more bewildering than him.

“…You, what are you doing here?”

Honestly, since infiltrating Elphante, things have felt somewhat dragged out, but basically, she is still an assassin following the Pope’s orders.

She’s been deeply contemplating the task of killing Darwood Campbell, but her desire for the safety and benefit of the Holy Empire as a whole remains unchanged.

In that regard.

“Your name is, well…”

“Hans.”

“…”

What an utterly uninspired alias.

What was the Holy Empire’s intelligence department thinking when they gave such an identity to this guy?

“Well, even if I said ‘Xuan Huo Lun,’ people in this continent wouldn’t understand anyway, right? So just call me Hans.”

“…I don’t care about that.”

Serath opened her mouth while pressing her throbbing head.

“What is a hero candidate doing in the middle of the selection? The Pope must have gone to great lengths to launder your identity.”

The man called Xuan Huo Lun, alias Hans, grinned.

“Wow, it’s still hard to get used to that kid being the Pope. It feels like just yesterday he was on the verge of starving to death in the slums.”

“…”

Though he looked like he was barely in his early twenties and was disrespectfully calling the Pope a kid.

Serath vaguely knew.

The human before her eyes, though in human form, was a monster that had entered the realm of demigods.

“Well, to answer your question.”

Though he didn’t look like it at all from his casual response.

“My goal isn’t something like the hero selection. I’m here to protect the one who holds the ‘key to the world.'”

“…What does that-“

“I was dispatched because you’ve been handling things so half-heartedly.”

“What?”

“As a Grand Assassin, it shouldn’t be difficult for you to stick a knife in this Darwood guy, so why are you dragging your feet?”

“…”

The Talker continued with a deep sigh.

“If you had just put Darwood in a near-death state, the ‘flow of events’ wouldn’t have come this far. He wouldn’t have participated in the hero selection. Then I wouldn’t have had to protect him. That’s why the Pope kid and our boss’s interests aligned, and they sent me.”

“…What are you saying?”

“Him dying right now isn’t what the kid wants. Nor our boss. Not even that guy.”

The Talker slightly turned his head to look at the Chancellor, who was quietly bowing his head with his eyes closed.

“Isn’t that right, ‘Sealed Demon’?”

“…”

The Empire’s Chancellor raised his head with a sigh.

“…Call me by that name one more time and our cooperation is over, Word Mage. Always remember this is a temporary alliance.”

Sullivan said as he raised his head.

His golden eyes were filled with gleaming killing intent.

“…I know what you did to that man in the ‘previous world.’ There’s no law saying you won’t do the same in ‘this world.'”

“Hmm.”

“You and that pathetic Luminary of yours. Someday you’ll have to leave that man’s side. For Darwood’s well-being.”

“Oh ho.”

“If not, I’ll kill you both.”

Though each word dripped with coldness.

The Talker just let out a small laugh as he responded.

“That’s harsh. You were the one who first contacted the Pope kid and sent a distress signal asking for help, weren’t you?”

“…”

Serath’s expression became even more bizarre.

The Empire’s Chancellor.

One of the most powerful authorities on the continent.

Contacted the leadership of a rival nation in fierce hegemonic competition just for one human?

While she was thinking this, the Chancellor opened his mouth in a murky voice.

“…Today is the ‘first branching point,’ so it can’t be helped.”

They’re all gathered here now.

The Demonic Vessels.

And the human who holds all their “aspirations.”

And among them.

The fundamental cause that creates all distortions in this place.

“Violet. No, Serath Evatrice. Do you know the name Yuria Greyhaunter?”

“…”

What does he mean by “Violet”?

Anyway, she answers the question.

“…A homunculus. The scapegoat of the Saint and Scapegoat pair, the key to the Paradise Plan that His Holiness is planning. What about her?”

“That woman is here today.”

“…?”

She might be.

So what-

“And today.”

To Serath who was thinking this.

Sullivan’s words continued calmly.

“Because of that woman, Darwood Campbell dies.”

As if.

He already “knew” from “experience.”

●