Ch.169IF. Those Unworthy Even of Death (1)

Leading the Hero Pursuit Team was by no means easy.

To be honest, I wanted to quit right then and there. Despite becoming a Master because of that journey.

…

“Gwon Heejin, what’s about to happen is your own doing.”

A swift arrest.

“Shouldn’t we cut just above the wrist? Check the position of the carpal bones.”

The wrist.

“Hero. Promise to tell me only the truth when facing me.”

And now an investigation into the truth.

“E-Erick. Please…!”

An unusually large jaw and a head tilted askew even in the midst of terror.

I could see Gwon Heejin trembling violently.

Though he was thoroughly battered after being beaten to a pulp by every member of the pursuit team, he wasn’t unrecognizable.

I wasn’t particularly disgusted. No matter how hideous his face might be, it couldn’t be as terrible as the words that came out of his mouth.

Proxy transactions mobilizing foreign nobles.

Price inflation using his position as the Hero.

The luxurious lifestyle he’d been enjoying with the wealth he’d accumulated.

Even after the investigation ended, I stood there blankly for a while, unable to speak. It was because I realized that everything had proceeded according to the Hero’s plan since the market’s early days.

‘This bastard. How primitive he must have thought us all this time.’

If someone other than me had conducted the investigation, Gwon Heejin would have a blade in his gut by now. Or perhaps his limbs would have been severed entirely.

To be honest, I also wanted to execute Gwon Heejin on the spot. Not because of some vague hatred, but because I felt my life would become miserable because of him.

But even death seemed too lenient a punishment for this man.

It might seem strange to be contemplating how to inflict pain on an individual like Gwon Heejin when the country was falling apart.

Perhaps it would be better to quickly drag him to the Imperial Capital and let the Cordana investors vent their anger before executing him. The current Empire needed to deal with the aftermath of Cordana as quickly as possible.

But… could it really be dealt with?

Perhaps it would be impossible forever.

It would be great if the aftermath of Cordana ended with just dozens of territories declining. Of course, even that would be terrible, but it was nothing compared to the grim outlook forming in my mind.

“Gwon Heejin. Do you think the Empire can recover from the aftermath of Cordana?”

“What…?”

Gwon Heejin looked up at me with an expression that seemed to say, what’s this all of a sudden? For a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched. If I had given him just a little leeway, he probably would have let out a snicker.

“So you’ve never even thought about it. About what consequences your actions would bring.”

“That’s not it, I didn’t know it would turn out like this…!”

“You mean things got bigger than you expected? But even after you realized that, you tried to escape instead of thinking about solutions. Were you planning to enjoy watching the Empire collapse from that island called Ibiza in the foreign countries?”

“Shit. I, I was just trying to buy some time because I thought you guys would act too irrationally… No, that’s not what I meant to say. …Fuck.”

Gwon Heejin began rolling his eyes frantically.

It was obvious he was contemplating what words to spout to escape this situation, to calm my anger and ensure his safety.

It was hard to understand how he could still be looking for hope in this situation, but that’s the kind of person he was. Because he believed he could manipulate every situation.

Soon, Gwon Heejin began to stammer.

“H-hey. I mean, Lord Wellesley… is that what I should call you now?”

“Listen, Gwon Heejin.”

“Y-yes! Speak! I’ll listen to everything you have to say.”

“I’ll be honest. I was planning to torture you to the brink of death and then execute you. I made up my mind the moment you refused to surrender and drew your sword.”

“Eek…!”

I could see Gwon Heejin’s eyes widen. I quietly raised my hand before he could protest.

“But I’ve decided to cancel that plan. If the Goddess’s wrath falls upon the already chaotic Empire, there truly would be no solution.”

“Y-yes. That’s right. I have the Goddess on my side. …I was a bit scared for a moment.”

“However, the anger of the Cordana investors is indeed severe. Many won’t be satisfied with just cutting off one wrist. To avoid their revenge, you must follow my instructions strictly. Are you willing to do that?”

Perhaps because my tone had softened, or because the mention of torture and execution had weakened his resolve, Gwon Heejin was looking at me with desperate eyes.

He seemed to view me, the most rational one among the Hero Pursuit Team, as his lifeline.

“Hey, can you promise…?”

“Of course. Even if the nobles demand a public execution, I’ll protect you.”

After contemplating, Gwon Heejin eventually nodded.

To praise his decision, I patted Gwon Heejin’s shoulder. I didn’t want to touch his body, but it was necessary to manipulate Gwon Heejin according to my will, and consequently, to inflict greater pain on him.

“You really won’t kill me…?”

“That’s right.”

Gwon Heejin’s eyes were moist. Right after receiving my assurance, he tried to wipe his eyes with his severed arm, then winced and shuddered, saying “ouch.” He seemed to be out of his mind, probably from taking too many blows to the head.

***

After completing the investigation on Gwon Heejin.

I convened the Hero Pursuit Team and explained the truth.

I honestly explained that the damage was severe but there was no way to recover from it, and that Gwon Heejin didn’t show any signs of remorse.

The faces of the men rapidly contorted. It was an emotion that was difficult to describe with just the word anger.

The silence that had persisted for a while was broken by the personnel from the Papal State.

High Priest Edin suddenly tried to leave the inn with the Saintess. Bishop Rowan and Holy Knight Holan naturally tried to follow.

“High Priest. Please come with me instead.”

“Lord Wellesley. We need to return to the Papal State as soon as possible.”

“May I ask why?”

“I’m going to petition the Goddess. To revoke the Hero’s qualification from that monster, and to withdraw all the blessings bestowed upon that monster. I will hold a service together with all the priests and believers of the Papal State.”

“What if the Goddess doesn’t comply?”

“If she doesn’t comply, it might be the last service we offer to the Goddess. No, it definitely will be.”

Just by looking at his bulging eyes, I could tell the High Priest wasn’t lying.

They were in the mood to rush madly to the Papal State and begin a desperate prayer. An unprecedented situation where thousands of clergy, regardless of age or gender, would demand the revocation of the Hero’s qualification from the Goddess. It was something I had never even imagined before Cordana.

“…High Priest.”

“We have nothing to lose anyway. If the Goddess becomes angry at our disobedience and punishes us, we’re prepared to accept it. Rather than submitting like idiots to the Goddess after experiencing something like this, death would be preferable.”

“No, I’m not trying to stop you. You should hold the service. I just have a different idea.”

“A different idea…?”

The eyes of the entire Hero Pursuit Team turned towards me.

Their expressions varied.

Some exuded a fierce aura, as if they would stab me if I suggested a lenient punishment for the Hero, while others simply gave a hollow gaze, as if they had completely lost their will to live.

I opened my mouth, quietly deflecting all those gazes.

“Let’s all go to the Papal State together. And let’s ask the Goddess to send Gwon Heejin back to his original world.”

“What did you just say…?”

“I said, let’s send him back to the world he belonged to. Simply inflicting pain on him is not enough. No matter how cruelly we kill him, all we’ll get in return is a momentary satisfaction. …Perhaps not even that.”

“So you’re saying we should send him back?”

As doubt appeared on everyone’s faces.

Regardless of whether the Goddess would grant the petition, they seemed to wonder if it would be a proper punishment for Gwon Heejin. After all, it meant sending the Hero, who couldn’t even get near the Demon Lord’s castle, back to his original world.

“Ah, of course, I’m not suggesting we send him back with a sound mind and body. One wrist is far too insufficient, isn’t it?”

“…Of course we need to mess him up more.”

“In fact, Gwon Heejin belongs to the ruling class in his world as well. That’s also why he acted so arrogantly despite having terrible talents, unlike past Heroes. Even if we send him back as a cripple, he’ll probably manage to survive somehow.”

“And?”

“But sometimes, living can be more painful. You know what I mean.”

“Will the Goddess grant our request? Revoking the Hero’s protection is already a big deal.”

“If she doesn’t, we can just keep him around for a while and then slaughter him. It would be good to hold a burning at the stake right on the summoning circle. Using sacred relics stored in the Papal State as firewood. The Goddess probably wouldn’t mind.”

“……”

When I went this far, everyone seemed to agree. No, they actually seemed pleased that they wouldn’t have to share Gwon Heejin with the Cordana investors of the Empire.

“But I wonder if the Empire will allow it. The nobles will be furious, won’t they?”

“For now, let’s pretend that Saintess Claire received a revelation from the Goddess and smuggle Gwon Heejin to the Papal State. I’ll take responsibility for what happens afterward.”

“Lord Wellesley…!”

I had already entered the early stages of becoming a Master anyway. Even after losing the Hero, they wouldn’t be able to harm me; at most, they might assign me to the frontier. That would be much better than staying in the Imperial Capital to clean up the aftermath of the Cordana incident.

It would be killing two birds with one stone if I could inflict pain on Gwon Heejin and escape my responsibilities.

If things seemed to be getting too big, I could fabricate another revelation from the Goddess and pin all the blame on her. I could claim that I had no choice but to send Gwon Heejin back due to the Goddess’s coercion. There was nothing to fear.

“Katie. Bring that idiot here. He’ll probably comply willingly.”

“Yes, senior.”

We immediately began rushing towards the Papal State.

Whether Gwon Heejin would return to Earth or be burned at the stake on the summoning circle was uncertain, but one thing was clear.

He would spend some special time with us before we settled things.