Ch.69Confession (4)

Confusion flashed in Livga’s eyes for the first time.

Considering she was someone who never lost her composure even before high-ranking individuals, this was a remarkably significant change.

“…What did you just say?”

Livga looked utterly incredulous. In a way, it was understandable.

[‘Saintess Livga’ is using ‘Falsehood Detection’.]

[Your statement is a ‘lie’.]

Because the confession was false.

[You have broken the rules of confession!]

[A penalty will be imposed when the confession ends.]

Olivia’s face showed indifference.

She had committed this act with full awareness of the consequences.

The penalty would be at most coughing up blood. Since the benefits of a false confession clearly outweighed the costs, there was no reason to hesitate.

‘Compared to the clue penalty, coughing blood is heavenly.’

In any case, Aither, the Goddess of Light, is fundamentally a deity of good alignment. She wouldn’t impose unnecessary suffering.

Of course, if one repeatedly broke the rules of confession, things might be different… but it still wouldn’t be fatal.

“I asked… what you just said.”

Livga asked again.

Though her tone was measured, the restraint over her anger was evident across her entire face.

“If you didn’t hear me, I’ll confess again.”

Originally, confession does not tolerate any form of falsehood. The principle is to confess in detail what sins were committed and to what extent, ensuring the priest doesn’t misunderstand.

But Olivia intended to break that principle again.

“I committed murder.”

[You have broken the rules of confession!]

[A penalty will be imposed when the confession ends.]

She dismissed the notification window.

“I killed countless people.”

When she had entered Melina’s memories, scenes of massacring numerous nobles flashed through her mind.

“I froze hundreds of thousands to death with my own hands. Then I burned hundreds of thousands more to death with lightning.”

As she continued speaking, Livga’s face gradually changed. It was evidence that the world she had believed in without question was collapsing in real time.

[‘Saintess Livga’ is using ‘Falsehood Detection’.]

[Your statement is a ‘lie’.]

“I…”

Livga abruptly stood up.

“…Enough! Stop it. I don’t want to hear any more. I don’t know what trick you’re using, but you, you…”

Livga’s hands trembled.

‘This can’t be.’

Everything was a lie from start to finish.

‘All of that is a lie?’

Livga bit her lip.

It was all an elaborate deception. She was selectively filtering out only what was advantageous to her.

“…One instance of deception is enough. If you tell even one more lie from now on, I will reject the Penitential Mirror.”

Rejection of the Penitential Mirror.

What that meant was simple.

It meant stopping the confession and executing judgment immediately.

And that judgment would surely take her life.

“…”

Olivia paused for a moment.

There was one loophole in confession.

It was a loophole that couldn’t even be known unless one was “possessed” like Olivia.

In the Church of Light, sin originally meant only sins committed by oneself.

That’s only natural. Taking on someone else’s sins is something only a saint would do.

Surprisingly, this was precisely the loophole in confession.

Let’s first consider the sins committed by the Olivia from the genocide timeline.

She deceived and betrayed her companions. She slaughtered countless humans and ultimately brought about the end of the world.

Of course, Livga died before that, but that doesn’t erase the fact that the world was destroyed.

Just because one didn’t see it doesn’t make the truth a lie.

If the Olivia from the genocide timeline were here now, such a loophole wouldn’t have worked.

She would have been judged immediately.

‘But Livga didn’t bring out the incantation of judgment.’

The reason was simple.

Didn’t I just mention it? In the Church of Light, sin refers only to sins committed by oneself.

‘I have never committed a sin.’

She couldn’t deny her involvement in the genocide. After all, the will to see the genocide ending did originate from her.

‘But that doesn’t mean I killed them. I’m not the Olivia from the genocide timeline.’

Olivia raised her head.

Now, it was time for the real confession.

*****

“Saintess.”

Livga, her expression hardened, took a step back.

It was because Olivia had addressed her by her title, Saintess, rather than by her name.

“You…!”

Livga’s current position was merely that of an ordinary priest who had resigned from her candidacy for Saintess. Therefore, what Olivia’s statement implied was clear.

‘…Regression!’

Livga hastily grasped her incantation of judgment.

Until just now, she couldn’t be certain that Olivia had regressed. Merely visiting the Hall of Repentance wasn’t enough to determine that.

But now she had definitive evidence.

Regardless, Olivia spoke in a calm voice.

However, she changed her manner of speech.

“Are you going to kill me?”

Livga hesitated momentarily.

Old memories surfaced.

“…No. I will judge you.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“It’s different. It means I… will bear the sins you’ve committed.”

To bear in someone’s stead.

No one would understand the meaning better than Livga.

That was why Livga possessed such vast holy power.

It was because the total amount of sins she had borne on behalf of others was that great.

That was why Livga was called a Saintess.

– Gooooo.

Livga’s holy incantation roared fiercely.

“Livga.”

“…”

“I won’t resist, but may I ask one question?”

Livga stared at Olivia as if to pierce through her. It meant she couldn’t believe mere words.

“I’ll swear on my mana. Is that enough?”

Only then did the roar of the incantation subside slightly.

“Ask your question.”

Her tone implied that she would execute judgment immediately after the question.

“You just said you’d bear my sins in my place, right?”

Livga nodded.

“Yes.”

“Then do you know?”

“…Know what?”

“What my sins are.”

Kuguuuuuu!

“…Are you mocking me until the very end?”

It was a terrifying aura.

She could feel it even more clearly now that her senses weren’t sealed like before.

At the same time, she realized.

It would be impossible to subdue Livga in this state without being noticed by those around.

Olivia said.

“I’m serious.”

Livga pierced Olivia with sharp eyes.

[‘Saintess Livga’ is using ‘Falsehood Detection’.]

[Your statement is ‘true’.]

Livga glared at Olivia with wide eyes. As if asking, how could you say such a thing?

It was understandable.

From Livga’s perspective, what Olivia had done was a great sin that couldn’t and shouldn’t be forgotten.

In such a situation, to boldly ask what sins she had committed would seem like the behavior of a demon’s child who wears evil deeds like medals.

“…”

Livga felt as if something had snapped in her mind.

‘To think she was only this kind of person.’

She wasn’t even worth giving penance to.

Livga barely managed to calm her heart through great effort.

It was the last respect she could show to someone she had once sincerely admired.

“First, you massacred innocent people.”

“I didn’t kill anyone.”

[‘Saintess Livga’ is using ‘Falsehood Detection’.]

[Your statement is ‘true’.]

Livga was momentarily speechless.

[‘Saintess Livga’ is using ‘Mental Purification’!]

– All types of mental attacks are nullified!

Livga’s entire body was covered in pure white holy power.

“…Please don’t degrade yourself any further.”

It was almost a scream.

It was the desperate act of a girl who couldn’t bear to watch someone she respected fall into the abyss.

“Second, you betrayed everyone who believed in you.”

“I didn’t betray anyone.”

Livga bit her lip. She increased the level of purification, but that didn’t change truth into falsehood.

She couldn’t believe it.

There was no way that could be true.

Livga had seen it.

She had witnessed Olivia sweeping away tens of thousands of holy knights without a trace of hesitation, and burning thousands of priests to death with lightning.

Lightning was equal to all, sparing neither young nor old.

– Ah, ahhh…

And even Livga herself.

– W-why…

Until the moment her body was reduced to tatters, Livga never lost her faith in Olivia.

She wasn’t that kind of person. There must have been some misunderstanding.

Livga cried out, coughing blood.

Come back, she said.

If you stop here, you can still return, she said.

But Olivia never looked back.

“Th…ird.”

She felt nauseous. The hand holding the holy incantation was losing strength. Her vision blurred.

The same words kept echoing in her mind.

It’s too late. Far too late.

“Livga.”

“Stay… away. Don’t come near me.”

Livga’s head gradually lowered. Her field of vision approached the floor.

“When…”

Crack-.

Olivia gently embraced Livga. She wiped the blood from Livga’s lips, wearing a bitter expression.

[Regressor, you have subdued ‘Livga’ without killing her!]

[You have acquired Clue #3!]