Ch.8787. The Beginning of Purification

Somewhere in the Vatican Underground.

Agreus stood before an ominously glowing magic circle.

On either side of the magic circle, large glass containers were filled with the limp bodies of adults from the slums, stacked one upon another.

The Pope couldn’t hide his impatience as he watched the red energy flowing from the glass containers into the magic circle.

“It’s not enough. We rushed the maturation process, so we can’t extract enough.”

“But Your Holiness, we’ve brought every adult from the slums.”

Casty, kneeling behind the Pope, pointed out his haste.

“Why are you proceeding so urgently when even the Dragon Knights have come to assist us?”

“The Dragon Knights believe only in the Demon God and the Demon King. Once we’ve served our purpose, they’ll try to eliminate us. Before that happens, I must obtain infinite holy power, clean up even those knights, and become the Demon God’s first servant.”

Outwardly, he appeared to be a faithful servant of the Demon God like the Dragon Knights, but he had his own agenda.

‘Once I regain holy power and eliminate the Dragon Knights, then subdue even the Demon God, I will be forgiven by the Goddess and receive her grace again.’

It was too one-dimensional and shallow a plan for someone who called himself the Pope.

However, those who believed themselves to be intelligent and of high status often fell into the delusion that once they obtained the power they desperately wanted, everything would easily fall into place.

“Still not enough. At this rate, I won’t be able to meet Diane.”

“According to the magical formula, we just need three more days of maturation.”

“I need it starting tomorrow! That porter boy, the Demon God has taken notice of him. I hear he led the relief efforts too? Thanks to him, that fool Arsil has begun to harbor resentment toward our Holy Nation.”

“She may resent us, but she doesn’t seem suspicious.”

“Once resentment takes root, suspicion is only a matter of time!”

If she became suspicious and discovered the truth about the Sewage Alley, Arsil might disappear independently of the hero’s party.

Of course, given her personality, she would likely come straight to kill Agreus, but the Pope felt that even the holy power wasted on her resistance would be too precious.

“This won’t do. Go and sweep up every living being in the slums.”

“What?! Even now, the absence of adults is being strongly felt. If rumors spread…”

“Who cares about those lowlifes!”

Agreus grabbed Casty by the collar and shouted.

“Those parasites who only open their mouths to ask for food! It’s their fate and blessing that they can be used for Diane, for holy power!”

“Y-yes, I understand!”

“Don’t forget. The moment I become a supreme being, you will be the next Pope.”

Of course.

If I don’t get at least that much compensation for this miserable work, I’ll revolt immediately.

Even while sweating, Casty was busy securing his own interests.

“I’ll go immediately.”

“I expect great things, Lord Casty.”

As the Holy Knight Commander hastily withdrew and the Pope gazed at the magic circle in ecstasy.

The Demon God watched them from above and laughed silently.

[Such pathetic actions.]

Having already known the Pope’s schemes, he had already ordered the Dragon Knight party to eliminate him.

[Well, as long as I can get Lin in my hands, I don’t care.]

Just a little more.

Just a little more, and he would have him in his grasp.

[Ah, my masterpiece. My Lin. How I long to see you~.]

—

After being forcibly removed from the slums by the Holy Knights.

The hero’s party spent the entire day undergoing health examinations and equipment inspections.

Lin, being just a porter, only received a cursory examination and no equipment check at all.

Fortunately, Ravin had declared herself not part of the hero’s party and promptly disappeared to act freely.

Lin could only hope that she would quickly notice the anomaly and return.

“Sigh.”

Returning to his lodgings late at night, Lin lay down on the bed without even washing up.

Lately, he had been feeling increasingly tired and sleepy.

Perhaps due to the strengthening demonic energy corruption, the holy power from the sacred sword that had seeped into his body kept trying to put him to sleep.

Nevertheless, Lin didn’t stop thinking.

‘The Pope’s plan has started too quickly.’

This was a massive anomaly.

Until now, only details had differed, but the Pope’s forbidden magic plan was part of the main episode.

Lin had been able to cope with various small variables because the main episodes themselves remained unchanged.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Lin kept sifting through the memories of the reincarnator, Mr. Lee.

Had he missed something?

He was a fairly early player except for the early access period, so could this have been how things were before the numerous updates and balance patches?

But the memories of Mr. Lee, who had been a heavy user, included all those patch details.

However, there was nothing in his memory related to changes in the main episodes.

Lin was even digging through the posts from the Arrogant Saga community that the reincarnator used to frequent.

[Speculation on why party members betrayed Hero Lucy]

A post title that suddenly came to mind.

The content wasn’t much.

[Honestly, since early access, I thought Lucy’s actions were too extreme and that she might become a sacrifice to power if she wasn’t careful.]

After the DLC was released, there was active discussion for a while about why Lucy was betrayed and what the party members’ reasons were.

Most of the content focused on arguing that Lucy deserved to be betrayed, but occasionally there were speculations about what kind of contract the party members had made with Lineford.

Wait?

What kind of contract?

Doesn’t that come up when you play the original version?

It felt like his hair was standing on end.

At the time, the reincarnator had thought it might be something you only see when playing as the porter and didn’t think much of it.

Looking at other people’s guides, detailed behind-the-scenes stories were revealed by raising character affection, so he assumed it was a special feature of playing as the porter.

What is this?

Something feels off.

It feels like something is very wrong?

‘That time, when I asked why she had asked about my wish before, the Goddess said she never did. Then she was shocked and mentioned the name of Demon God Angria.’

Tigria’s words came to mind.

The mage didn’t know that Demon God Angria had intervened with the hero’s party.

Even though it was included in the game as an important story.

How could a developer not know the script of their own game?

[…you.]

Huh, what’s that?

There’s noise in the middle of his thoughts.

Maybe he’s too absorbed in thinking.

Lin also felt a pain like his head was splitting.

But he couldn’t stop.

This seems like a really important clue.

[…up, Lin!]

Wait! I’m thinking right now!

[Open your eyes, Lin!]

“Huh!”

At the loud cry resonating in his brain, Lin finally lifted his eyelids.

When had he fallen asleep?

Enveloped in a strange feeling, he noticed that the room was filled with bright light.

[Lin…!]

The Goddess was floating before him with her wings spread.

“Goddess?”

[Lin… there’s no time. Agreus, the Pope’s wicked plan is about to be executed.]

The Goddess was crying.

Teardrops continuously flowed down her cheeks.

[In the end, I am being punished.]

“What should I do?”

[There’s a laboratory with a magic circle under the Vatican chapel. Find the way down there and stop him. Otherwise, an irreversible tragedy will occur.]

“Where is the path?”

The Goddess lowered her head in shame.

[Angria has surrounded the entire Vatican with demonic energy. In my current state, I can’t help you find it.]

“Damn it! I haven’t explained anything to Arsil yet!”

[I’m sorry. But something is strange. This is so different from the futures and possibilities I’ve seen. You’re the only one I can trust…]

Swallowing her tears, the Goddess asked Lin with a resolute tone.

[Lin, this is the Goddess’s request. Purify the Holy Nation now. I have also begged Causality for permission to descend for purification. I don’t know if it will work, but please hold on until I can briefly break free from Causality’s constraints and appear.]

The Goddess’s speech was very rapid, showing how urgent the situation was.

The light was also quickly fading.

[Please, Lin… the Goddess begs you like this…]

“Oh damn it!”

After unconsciously expressing his frustration, only darkness remained in the room.

Coming to his senses, Lin was about to wake Lucy and Tigria who were sleeping nearby when he heard someone knocking on the door and shouting from outside.

“Lin! Something terrible has happened! There’s no one in the slums! Not even the children!”

“Porter! I sense demonic energy in the Vatican! Wake up now!”

It was Ravin and Arsil.

The hero and the mage also jumped up at the sound and gathered their equipment.

“Wake up! Everyone wake up!”

“I’m up, Lin!”

“Go to the Vatican chapel!”

Lin shouted as he kicked open the door.

“The enemy is there!”

Lucy and Tigria.

And behind them followed Arsil and Ravin.

Not long after, Naidrian joined them fully armed, and they all ran toward the chapel.

When they arrived at the chapel…

“What is this…!”

The chapel was filled with dark red demonic energy.

“Ugh!”

“Lin!”

Lin seemed to recognize whose demonic energy this was.

This all too familiar feeling.

But due to another demonic energy violently repelling it, Lin collapsed with his arms hanging limply.

Seeing his hands, with even his fingernails turned black, Lucy screamed.

“Arsil! Do you still think the Holy Nation is an ideal place?!”

Only Ravin’s furious questioning echoed through the chapel in this emergency situation.