Chapter 13: Humility

When the Hero—the game’s protagonist—arrives in the Empire, the first news he hears is that the Saintess’s group, who arrived earlier, has gone missing.

Everyone except the Saintess and her personal holy knight.

The quest he’s given is to find the missing members of that group.

However, while tracking their traces, the Hero is suddenly attacked by everyone around him, and a battle breaks out.

The truth is, the real cause of the Empire’s corruption is the named black mage known as Devouring Parasite.

Who, even before the Hero arrived, had already implanted parasites in all the knight orders.

And even among the citizens walking the streets, several had already been infected.

Eventually, when the Hero finally encounters Devouring Parasite.

The mage unleashes his hidden cards: the missing holy knights and imperial knights, now under his control.

This is Phase 1.

After defeating all those controlled knights.

He summons Poison of Solitude—a giant centipede-shaped parasite—as his final trump card.

That fight is a scripted loss.

And the Hero inevitably fails.

Later, Devouring Parasite returns even stronger and again manipulates those close to the Hero.

The reason I’m explaining all this is because Poison of Solitude is supposed to be Devouring Parasite’s last resort.

A fight the Hero is meant to lose.

But now, that very Poison of Solitude…

“Kiiiiiirrrrr…”

Ace looming over me, dripping black liquid from its mouth.

“…Everyone fall back! That monster is far beyond what we can handle!”

I quickly shoved Ariana behind me and gripped my shotel tightly.

Originally, I was planning to regroup with the Seven Senior Holy Knights we had sent ahead.

Then head out together to deal with Devouring Parasite.

“Damn it… why now, so early?!”

From the look of things, it seems the holy knights we sent were successful.

Those two probably prevented the infection of the knight order.

But because of that, the knight I just killed had been the last host for the parasite.

And now Devouring Parasite has figured out my location and sent Poison of Solitude to kill me.

It was a miscalculation.

“Kiiiiiirrrrk!!”

Before I could even despair, black liquid began writhing like insects from Poison of Solitude’s mouth.

It started multiplying—dozens, then hundreds.

Only then did the knights and holy knights behind me realize the danger and retreat.

But what about me, who was at the front?

“Grrgh…! I won’t let you pass!”

I used divine power the same way I did in the duel with Adele.

To prevent the parasites from getting through me.

“Ace!”

Ariana, who had stayed behind instead of retreating, looked worried when I used that technique again.

But unfortunately, if I didn’t use it now, we’d all end up as puppets.

Thankfully, the holy knights managed to pull Ariana away.

Allowing me to focus again and ignite my divine power.

The golden divine energy transformed into flames that scorched the parasites, snd as my body began to feel heavier.

I spread both arms wide.

—Fwoooosh!

A technique twisted from past to present—one that only I can use.

Divine power burned wildly, blocking the parasites trying to crawl along the walls.

“Kirrurrr…”

Perhaps because of that, Poison of Solitude turned its gaze toward me.

Letting out a sound somewhere between beast and insect, trying to intimidate me.

“Poison! Get through his divine power and implant the parasites! No matter how strong his divine power is, if you keep firing, it’ll break through eventually!”

At Devouring Parasite’s command, Poison of Solitude lowered its body.

Then puckered its already wide-open mouth.

And then.

—Fwip!

“Urgh?!”

A parasite, fired like a bullet, grazed my ear.

The shock shaved off my divine power for a moment, and I flinched without meaning to.

Seeing that, Poison of Solitude unleashed a barrage of parasites.

And eventually.

—Thud!

“Ghhk…!”

One parasite pierced through my armor and embedded itself in my left hand.

It was because I had raised my hand to block the one heading for my ear.

‘Still… at least I didn’t get brain-infected, right…?’

As I forced a smirk through cold sweat.

—Sssssssshh…

The parasite embedded in my hand began smoking.

And then went limp.

‘Burned to death from the divine power?’

I quickly pulled it out and tossed it into the corner.

Poison of Solitude began trembling, seemingly enraged.

I readied my stance again, but unfortunately…

It looked like I had reached my limit.

“Urgh…?”

Just like during my duel with Adele.

It felt like I could collapse at any moment.

‘Is this my fault… for not accounting for every variable?’

I clenched my teeth, desperately trying to stay conscious.

But as if the Goddess herself had decreed my limit.

My vision dimmed, and one of my knees finally hit the ground.

—Thud!

“Hahahahaha! That’s right! Even someone like you—who killed my parasites—can’t win against Poison! Well done, Poison!”

Devouring Parasite praised Poison of Solitude with delight.

Then walked toward me, proudly holding out a parasite in his hand.

“Now, through this little one, you too will become one of my limbs. With your divine power gone, you’re just another host now! This whole Empire, and even beyond that, even the Goddess in the heavens—will be mine!”

“You are arrogant.”

“…What?”

At the gentle voice of an old man from above.

Devouring Parasite flinched and looked up.

Ah… they came.

Devouring Parasite, unaware of the identity of the voice, immediately went into a defensive stance.

But to me, it was a voice as reassuring as anything.

And I let out a small sigh of relief.

“Perfect timing.”

I murmured with a smile.

And once again, the voice came down from the sky.

“No, if anything, I am deeply sorry for being late. It was my mistake for not anticipating that the black mage would confront you so soon. It is only right that I offer my apology to you, brother.”

“Wh-Who are you?!”

Perhaps growing uneasy from hearing such calm conversation in this chaos.

Devouring Parasite stuck close to Poison of Solitude and shouted in agitation.

The voice kindly answered his question.

“If you demand I reveal myself—then I am but a mere swordsman, Who has been unworthily granted the title of Holy Knight by the grace of the Goddess. Or, if I were to put it another way… I am an old man who holds a sword with this feeble body, simply to protect the rising stars.”

“What kind of nonsense—no… wait. No way…!”

Of course—a named black mage.

Devouring Parasite finally seemed to realize who the voice belonged to.

And the moment she revealed herself, I closed my eyes and smiled.

One of the Seven Senior Holy Knights.

The Holy Knight of Humility, Jeanne d’Ark Ithilym.

Had arrived before Devouring Parasite.

***

Hair white as snow, face lined with age.

And yet, her armor still shone with a brilliant polish.

As if to declare that, despite the passing of time, her identity as a holy knight remained unchanged.

Despite being nearly ninety years old, she landed from the sky and stood before Ace.

And that alone was enough to make Devouring Parasite recoil in terror.

“There should be only one old woman among the holy knights… D-Don’t tell me…!”

Before he could even say the word Humility.

Devouring Parasite’s mouth snapped shut.

Not because someone forced him to.

But because his body had completely frozen in place.

“A-Aah…!”

She didn’t say a word—she simply revealed her full divine power.

And that alone was enough to make even a well-known black mage like Devouring Parasite stumble backward.

“W-What is this…?”

He tried desperately to think of a way out, and the moment he reached a conclusion, he dropped to the ground and bowed his head.

“I-I’ll never appear again! I swear I’ll never show myself before you people again, just have merc—GRAAAH!”

His desperate plea was cut off.

As divine power wrapped around his throat and choked the words away.

“You are endlessly arrogant.”

“Kh—Kggghk…!”

Watching his face turn red in an instant,

Jeanne d’Ark calmly folded her hands and continued.

“The Goddess does not permit beings like you. So how could someone like me—less than the Goddess’s pinky, possess the authority to decide your life or death? Your fate is not mine to judge. It belongs to the Goddess.”

“So”

Pray.

At her final word, Devouring Parasite flailed desperately and barely managed to bring his hands together.

He silently began to pray inside his mind.

P-Please… spare—!

—Crack.

Devouring Parasite’s neck snapped, and his body rolled lifelessly across the ground.

“You are arrogant. To offer a prayer to the Goddess, one must come with reverence in their heart, Yet how dare you, with the soul of a black mage, attempt to pray?”

Jeanne d’Ark hoisted up Devouring Parasite’s corpse, Then gestured toward Poison of Solitude.

The creature, trembling with fear, bowed its head to her.

And to the trembling parasite, Jeanne spoke.

“Have you ever harmed a human?”

Shake shake.

Poison of Solitude shook its head.

Jeanne d’Ark nodded, as if she understood its heart, and laid down the corpse of Devouring Parasite.

“It’s true then. You have committed no sin—neither directly, nor indirectly.”

Poison nodded vigorously.

In truth, this was its first time ever emerging into the world, and thanks to Ace stopping it, Poison had never even had a chance to kill anyone.

Poison of Solitude looked at Ace with eyes full of gratitude for holding on so long.

Then, Jeanne gently lifted Ace’s body into a princess carry.

“You endured well. If not for you, what I would have seen upon my late arrival…Would have been stars already under control. Thank you—uniquely shining star.”

With Ace in her arms, Jeanne stepped out of the alley, and just then, Saintess Ariana appeared before her.

“Jeanne? Sir Jeanne d’Ark?! Ace—what about Ace?”

Her gaze shifted to Ace, cradled in Jeanne’s arms, and with a sigh of relief, she placed her hand over her chest.

Jeanne watched her with a gentle smile.

As if looking at a dear, cherished friend.