episode_0116

The capital of the Holy Kingdom of Byzantia, Byzantium.

This place is known as the land where the goddess who created this world in the very distant past first descended to the lower realm, and it is the country where the largest cathedral in the Pilgrea continent was built.

Countless believers reside here, and the Pope and the Saintess also reside in Byzantium.

And the basement of the cathedral built in Byzantium.

This place is a place where access is not allowed except for the Pope, high-ranking clergy, or a group of nuns called Shadow Sisters.

The Pope, who is respected and revered by all believers, went down, down the stairs leading to the basement.

At the end of the stairs, there was a large void.

And in the very center of this large void, the figure of a nun was seen sitting alone with her back turned, offering a prayer.

“Saintess.”

“Your Holiness…, is that you.”

“…Haa. I told you that you and I are equal in position…. When will you ever speak comfortably?”

“The answer to that is always the same. How can a shepherd in charge of leading the lambs of the earth be the same as a mere messenger who only delivers words?”

“You don’t even think that the words you deliver are the words of God.”

Knowing her stubbornness well, the Pope let out a faint sigh.

“Okay. This kind of talk is meaningless. But I heard from them that there is something urgent to tell you. What’s going on? Saintess.”

“Ah…. I’m sorry. I almost forgot the most important thing.”

At the Pope’s words, the Saintess nodded, released her prayer posture, and stood up from her seat.

Then, she turned her body to face the Pope and said,

“One of the four divided energies of the Demon King has disappeared.”

“!”

“Probably…. East from here. Yes…. This place is where I heard the hero of another world is.”

“So, are you saying that he really succeeded in dealing with a fragment of the Demon King? A fragment of the Demon King that no hero after the first hero was able to defeat and only managed to seal?….”

At the Pope’s voice, wanting confirmation, the Saintess nodded lightly.

“That is correct.”

“Heo…. This is something to be happy about. I understand. Then, it would be good to make this fact known. Because that would be good for him… and for humanity.”

Thus, towards various parts of the central continent of Pilgrea….

More precisely, news was delivered throughout the world where the influence of the Holy Kingdom extends.

The news delivered through the mark that only the Pope can engrave is only one.

『Hero Leon has succeeded in subjugating a fragment of the Demon King.』

This fact quickly began to spread throughout the central continent of Pilgrea.

* * *

Slap!!!

“Kyaa!”

A sharp cracking sound.

The girl who was slapped on the cheek by the man fell helplessly to the floor.

Nevertheless, the man couldn’t control his anger, and he trembled while glaring at the girl who had fallen to the floor.

“What on earth is this…. What on earth is going on? Marie Adele!!….”

“L, Lord Ragna…. W, what on earth is going on?….”

“Ha…. Are you not interested in worldly news? Take a look at this!”

Marie Adele, who was the mage of the former Leon party and is currently working as the assistant mage of the hero Ragna, picked up the paper that Ragna handed over with trembling eyes. It was a message delivering some news.

“H, Hero…. Leon…. Subjugated a fragment of the Demon King?….”

And this message contained something hard to believe.

“T, this kind of thing…. I, it’s a lie….”

“A lie?…. Do you know where that message came from before you say it’s a lie?”

“Where?….”

Only then could Marie confirm the seal engraved at the end of the text.

A pure white seal rippling with a faint golden light.

There is only one person in this world who can engrave this seal. It is the Pope’s seal. This message is also proof that the Pope wrote it himself, and the meaning that this fact is a lie is the same as saying that the Pope’s words are a lie.

“T, that….”

“There’s no way Leon, that incompetent guy, could subjugate the Demon King. In other words, it means there’s something else. And that is….”

“S, surely…. Sword King’s Secret Technique?….”

Marie and the hero Ragna are the only two people who know that Leon went to Snow Mountain to learn the Sword King’s Secret Technique.

Everyone else only knows that the hero Leon suddenly disappeared.

Since no other news had been heard since then, she thought he was stuck somewhere rotting away….

“To stab me in the back like this…. Leon!…. That commoner hero!!….”

“L, Leon…. A fragment of the Demon King?….”

As if she couldn’t believe it, Marie blankly stared at the message.

But unfortunately, the contents of the message did not change. Just one word, as Marie understood it, that Leon, whom she had judged to be no longer capable, had left behind a wonderful achievement of subjugating a fragment of the Demon King.

“Marie. Is it true that the Sword King is on Snow Mountain?”

“Yes?…. Yes. That…. Now that it’s come to this, I don’t really remember….”

“….”

Thud!!

“Cough!….”

“You stupid bitch…. Can’t you even remember that one thing?”

“Keuheok…. Eheok….”

Marie’s vision flickered for a moment.

Pain covering her abdomen.

It was difficult to breathe properly, and from her mouth flowed distorted sounds that she doubted were really made by her.

“Immediately find information about the Sword King again and bring it to me.”

“Keueup…. B, before…. What you said before?….”

“…Haa.”

And once again.

Ragna’s foot struck Marie’s abdomen.

“Keueueok?….”

“To have brought in something like this calling it a genius…. My eye for people is all dead.”

Ragna, looking at Marie writhing on the floor like a bug because of the pain as if she were a bug, said in a voice that was nothing but cold.

“Heoeok…, heoeok….”

“Is your head so stupid that you can’t even think about the priority properly…. Or do you like getting hit on purpose…. What did I say just now?”

“Find… information about… the Sword King… again….”

When Marie answered while barely gasping for breath, Ragna turned his body away as if he was finally relieved, and said.

“Yes. That’s right. Then all you have to do is carry it out as is. Do you understand?”

“Yes….”

“…Tch.”

The room where Ragna left and Marie was left alone.

Marie looked at the message again.

『Hero Leon has succeeded in subjugating a fragment of the Demon King.』

The unchanging words of the message.

Looking at those words, Marie shed tears without realizing it.

“Why…, Leon…. You weren’t… that strong!….”

* * *

Tap tap

The sound of someone walking is heard.

It’s not the sound of armor clashing. In other words, it’s not the soldiers who usually come.

But whether that’s the case or not, her role is the same.

“Woof! Woof woof!….”

She barks in a flattering voice, calling for the next male to quickly fill her itchy pussy.

But before she could even call, she was at a loss for words on her own.

“….”

“…Ah….”

Father.

Just those three words.

She just looked at him, unable to bring herself to say those words.

“…Take a look at this.”

He handed her a message of some kind.

Snow white…. A very luxurious quality of paper. At least, a paper that doesn’t suit this underground prison at all.

And on that paper, it was written like this.

『Hero Leon has succeeded in subjugating a fragment of the Demon King.』

“….”

Leon….

The name of the hero she betrayed.

It still comes to mind.

That pure appearance when we first met,

The appearance of him looking down at her with cold eyes.

“S, su…bjugation….”

The language organs that hadn’t been used for a long time are returning.

Even while creaking, her heart screams that she must read that sentence somehow.

Even though she has already turned into a female.

“Leon…subjugated a fragment of the Demon King….”

What kind of expression is he looking at the appearance of a beast who has given up on being human, trying desperately to regain human language?

She was too afraid to even look.

Then, a mournful voice was heard.

“A knight is….”

“…!”

“…A knight is… not someone who does not betray. A knight can also… betray. But… that betrayal must be a betrayal according to loyalty. To say that what is right is right, and to say that what is not right is not right…. Even if the master hates you in the process and your head is cut off. Acting according to loyalty. That is what a knight is.”

That voice is something precious that she had forgotten until now.

At the same time, it is something that must not be forgotten.

Nevertheless, it was making her rethink the meaning of what she had forgotten.

“But…. What on earth is this form!…. You are a knight! You were a knight!! You should have raised that sword to protect your master! Even if it leads to your own death! Isn’t that the honor of a knight!! Are you a whore wandering the streets!! Is selling your body to protect your master… what a knight should do!!”

“!”

Her body trembled.

That’s right.

She….

Using the mind to protect the hero, Leon, as a shield, she couldn’t overcome the pleasure she had never experienced before and threw herself into that pleasure.

This is the result.

“There is intelligence. There is a story that the hero Leon is heading to the Holy Kingdom.”

Clang.

The black chain connected to her neck was released.

A tattered cloak and a piece of clothing just enough to cover her body fell in front of her eyes.

“Go. At least…. Be forgiven for your sins and die as a human being. That is…. The last mercy I can do for you.”

“….”

With those words, he left.

Left in the underground prison is a female…. No, just one woman who has barely returned from a beast to a human.

Drip…. Dripping….

“Can I… be forgiven?….”

What comes to mind is the day she first met the hero Leon.

What did I say back then? Oh, that’s right.

“I will definitely… protect you as the hero’s sword…, as a knight….”

But she ruthlessly broke such an oath, indulged in pleasure while disgracing her master and the person she swore to protect.

She betrayed Leon’s heart.

“Sob…. Hueuek….”

The tears don’t stop.

The clothes in front of her were gradually getting wet because of the endless tears.

But that was only for a moment.

As if she had firmly sworn while shedding tears, she changed her clothes and put on her cloak.

Then, she staggered up the underground stairs.

“Ugh….”

Is it because she has only been in the dark underground prison?

It was so bright outside. It was really terribly bright. So bright that she couldn’t even open her eyes.

Maybe…. The reason I can’t open my eyes is not just because of the bright sunlight.

“Leon…. Even if I can’t be forgiven…. This time…”