Ch.58Burning Machine (2)

*

From the beginning of human history, no, even before that, the existence of the Demon Lord has always been present.

Whenever humanity was driven to the brink, extraordinary heroes would appear and risk their lives to defeat the Demon Lord, but that peace would last at most a few hundred years.

Eventually, a new Demon Lord would inevitably emerge.

Clearly, this cycle is destined to repeat until either demons or humanity becomes extinct.

To stand against the demon race and monsters who walked this earth before humans, humanity created a system.

A destined being created through human prayers and magic reaching the goddess to defeat the Demon Lord.

A sturdy shield protecting humanity from the great evil that would bring about its destruction.

That was the Hero.

No one knew who could become a Hero or what the requirements were, but in dark times when humanity was threatened, someone with extraordinary power would always appear.

Most recently, a woman named Silvia achieved the Hero’s feat.

Despite her relatively young age, she fulfilled her destined mission but lost her life in the process.

The struggle between Heroes and Demon Lords had repeated countless times.

The war between humans and demons.

However, this time, the outcome was clearly different from before.

Despite the Demon Lord’s death, peace did not return to humanity.

“So… you tried to create a Hero artificially?”

The Grand Cardinal looked at the Pope and spoke with a dejected voice.

It was understandable.

No matter if it was the Pope’s will, to imitate the sacred power bestowed by the Goddess with such a crude mechanical device—

There had never been such blasphemy.

The old man who had lived his entire life as a clergyman trembled with intense contempt and uneasiness toward Alice.

The Pope spoke with a complicated voice.

“As you know, during the subjugation of the last Demon Lord, our Goddess Church was unable to provide any assistance.”

“What does that have to do with the current situation?”

“That’s right. It’s not the church’s fault that a Saint wasn’t born.”

No matter how exceptional a Hero might be, humanity could not entrust its fate to a single person, so they never forgot to nurture talented individuals to aid the Hero.

The Sage, foremost among magicians.

The Rogue, most nimble in the underworld.

The veteran Explorer who traversed countless remote regions.

The battle-hardened Shield Bearer who steadfastly protected allies.

The Hero was always surrounded by numerous talents and outstanding heroes who joined the journey to defeat the Demon Lord.

Among the Hero’s companions, the most famous and renowned was naturally the “Saint.”

A companion to the Hero and a symbol of the Goddess Church.

The one who always saved the Hero and companions in times of crisis, representing the Goddess who watched over humanity.

But the Saint could not participate in Silvia’s journey.

For the first time in history, the Goddess Church failed to produce a Saint.

But how could that be the fault of the church?

How could they find a Saint who wasn’t even born?

The Grand Cardinal and the Chairman of the Financial Council found the Pope’s words puzzling.

The Pope smirked at their gazes and spoke.

“What if it was the church’s fault?”

Looking coldly at the Grand Cardinal who was giving her a hollow stare, the Pope spoke with a resolute voice.

The three high-ranking clergy present shuddered slightly at her attitude.

They felt faint anger, contempt, and mockery from the Pope who had always shown kindness and mercy to the faithful.

“Your Holiness… what exactly… do you mean?”

“A Saint was indeed born.”

“…Pardon?”

Alice’s face hardened.

In truth, she knew nothing about the background of this secret experiment that had completely transformed her body.

She had only approached the Pope out of a desire for power fueled by vengeance for her lost family and friends, and among similar volunteers with similar stories, she alone had survived.

Therefore, she too did not know why the Pope had conducted this experiment.

But from here on, it was a story she was familiar with.

The reason why the Saint couldn’t join the Hero’s party.

“Her name was Julia. Her mother was a street prostitute, and her father was unknown. Thinking it was an impossible environment to raise a child, her birth mother abandoned her in front of a church, and she grew up in an orphanage affiliated with the church in the capital. She was the Saint bestowed upon us by the Goddess.”

The Grand Cardinal looked at the Pope with a puzzled expression.

While he didn’t know the list of orphanage children by heart, he had never heard of a girl with the potential of a Saint being discovered in an orphanage.

The Pope nodded as if understanding the Grand Cardinal’s doubt and continued.

“She died ten years ago. Murdered before her talent could bloom.”

“What…? No, who would dare…”

“Former Cardinal Elliard.”

At the name that flowed from the Pope’s lips, the Grand Cardinal, the Chairman, and the Inquisitor all turned pale.

Just hearing that name made it easy to guess the whole story.

But the kind explanation that escaped the Pope’s lips continued without a trace of mercy.

“Yes, that former Cardinal. The corrupt clergyman whom Alice Goldfield executed. That sinner who defiled countless children, hiding behind the face of the church.”

“…Oh, my goodness. How could this happen…”

“He killed her to hide his sins. Of course, even if she had lived, she wouldn’t have manifested the Saint’s power after losing her purity.”

“…”

Everyone was speechless at the devastating story the Pope was telling.

The Chairman held his head in his hands, and the Inquisitor quietly recited a prayer.

“…May the Goddess look upon us.”

The Grand Cardinal looked up at the statue depicting the Goddess with a shocked and dejected face.

He finally understood why the Pope had allowed Alice to execute a high-ranking clergyman on her own.

In fact, even before Alice began indiscriminately arresting corrupt nobles, the Goddess Church’s standing had noticeably diminished.

People were disappointed that they couldn’t help the Hero’s party.

It must have been the Pope’s will to execute the former Cardinal and other corrupt clergy who were the direct cause.

Moreover, although Alice’s activities had worsened the church’s financial situation, they had undeniably raised the fallen status of the Goddess Church to some extent.

But still, this creeping, unsettling feeling wouldn’t go away.

The Pope, sensing the priests’ antipathy, immediately continued.

“It was necessary to set the Goddess Church right. Though it was a terrible experiment, I swear before the Goddess that no one was forcibly used for the experiment.”

“…But,”

“Do you still have questions, Grand Cardinal?”

The old man’s eyes turned again to Alice’s chest.

That hideous skin and the ominous mechanical device hissing within it, which could never appear obscene to any eyes, let alone a clergyman’s, could only be described as monstrous both in appearance and faith.

No matter how chaotic the times, no matter how much the Goddess Church’s standing had fallen, no matter how much powerful strength was needed.

What could be the reason that the Pope, representing all followers of the Goddess Church, had to create such a terrible being that seemed to go against the Goddess’s will?

“I understand that all these tragedies stemmed from our church’s inadequacy, complacency, and corruption. But…”

“But?”

“Why… did that conclusion lead to creating such a monster?”

“A monster…”

The Pope nodded slightly.

It certainly appeared that way.

Though she had gained power comparable to the Hero Silvia through the holy power constantly emanating from within her body, the price was by no means small.

Not only were there many people who had sacrificed themselves without results,

Though she appeared calm sitting there, Alice was undoubtedly suffering terrible pain from her skin that continuously melted and regenerated even at this moment.

Of course, the Pope had a reason why this experiment had to be conducted.

But even Alice herself had not yet heard that reason from the Pope.

The Pope, having revealed the truth about Alice, still bit her lip, unsure whether to divulge everything she knew.

The truth that they didn’t know, that even the researchers involved in the experiment didn’t yet know.

Was it right to share this terrible truth that only she knew?

After much anguish, the Pope carefully began to speak.

“There was a revelation.”

“A revelation…?”

“A revelation received directly from the Goddess. I also learned about the deceased Saint through that revelation.”

“The Goddess spoke directly to Your Holiness?!”

“…Yes.”

Every word from the Pope’s mouth today had been shocking, but for the clergy, this statement was the most surprising of all.

A human who communicated directly with God!

It was one of the most significant events in the history of the Goddess Church, spanning well over a thousand years.

“Your Holiness… such an important matter… no, why have you been hiding the fact that you spoke directly with God until now?!”

“…”

“This is momentous. That fact alone is enough to restore the lost prestige of the Goddess Church!”

“…Calm yourself, Chairman.”

“How can I be calm, Your Holiness! Why until now…”

“Should I have revealed it?”

“Of course!”

“Even if the revelation foretold the extinction of humanity?”

The Chairman’s tongue instantly froze.

No, not just the Chairman—everyone’s face, including Alice’s, turned cold.

“The extinction of humanity…?”

“If we don’t prepare… yes.”

A bitter smile and shadow appeared on the Pope’s face.

“Did she tell you exactly what would happen?”

“Yes… but I’m not sure if I should share it yet. I’ll think about it more.”

Though she hid the most important point, no one dared urge the Pope to reveal the truth.

What they had heard so far was already terrible enough.

The extinction of humanity foretold directly by the Goddess.

That was the true reason behind the experiment the Pope had conducted in secret.

Many talented individuals had already been drafted into the last Hero’s party and died.

With even the Hero herself dead alongside the Demon Lord, and no Saint available,

A hero was needed to prepare for humanity’s coming extinction.

A hero who could fulfill the roles of the entire Hero’s party alone.

The Pope’s solution was to create a being with eternal holy power through a secret experiment.

She too didn’t want to do something that directly violated the religious doctrines she had learned, but this was a method taught directly by the Goddess.

The Pope slowly looked at Alice and spoke.

“Please get dressed again, Alice Goldfield.”

“…Yes,”

“Though your methods are extreme, I won’t stop your activities as they are righteous. However, the other priests’ words are not wrong either.”

“…”

“Especially regarding the deceased priests, I cannot let that pass.”

Alice, reattaching the armor to her chest, spoke to the Chairman of the Financial Council.

“What should I do?”

“…”

“Chairman.”

Only when Alice called him again did the Chairman snap out of his shock and regain his composure.

Shaking his head and taking a moment to catch his breath, he took out a monocle from his pocket, cleaned and put it on, then sighed and answered.

“First… we’ll need consolation money for the bereaved families, compensation for their deaths in the line of duty, and funds for funeral expenses. We’ll also need to investigate the exact cause of death…”

“Those five priests were murdered.”

At Alice’s statement, the Inquisitor frowned and asked.

“What?”

“Whether it was a monster or a person, I’m not certain, but it’s clear they died in combat.”

“How do you know that?”

“The holy power I placed in them… or was it consecration? I’m not sure, but I felt the holy power I had placed in them disappear one by one.”

“…What do you mean?”

“It took about 10 minutes from when the first person’s holy power disappeared until everyone’s holy power was gone. If it had been an accident, they would have all died at once. If it had been illness, the interval would have been longer. So death in combat is almost certain.”

Alice looked straight into the eyes of the Inquisitor who was staring blankly at her.

The Inquisitor was somewhat impressed by Alice’s clear explanation but didn’t show it as he glared at her.

Alice shifted her gaze back to the Chairman and continued.

“I will take full responsibility for the necessary amount.”

“We don’t even know how much it will be yet…”

“It doesn’t matter. Please take it from my salary.”

“A month’s salary of one Inquisitor wouldn’t even come close…”

“For life.”

Alice spoke firmly.

She too felt guilty about those she had sent to their deaths, including Melvin.

Alice no longer cared what happened to money anyway.

The Chairman asked again, wondering if he had misheard.

“What?”

“Please give all my future salary, except for the expenses to operate my facility, to the bereaved families.”

“By facility, you mean…”

That pig farm.

A hell where many evildoers, including former Cardinal Elliard, were imprisoned and wailing.

Hero Alice, created by terrible experiments and burning vengeance.

That horrific space that seemed like a recreation of her burning pain and vengeance upon this world.

The Chairman, who had heard rumors, shuddered and nodded.

The Pope slowly spoke.

“Well, it seems our discussion is over.”

“…”

“As you know, I forbid the disclosure of everything you’ve heard here today.”

“Of course… if such news were to spread…”

The Grand Cardinal couldn’t finish his sentence and hung his head.

The Pope could understand the old man’s despair.

At the same time, she felt it was right not to have revealed the whole truth.

She nodded and continued.

“Anyone who violates this will be dismissed regardless of their position. And…”

The priests slowly looked at the Pope’s lips.

With a hardened face, the Pope firmly uttered her final words.

“Our Goddess Church’s Hero, Alice, will go to hold them accountable for their crimes.”

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