episode_0171

Now that the Holy Order has declared a Holy War on the Labyrinth City.

The former Saintess appeared out of nowhere.

For those who already knew to some extent that she had been cut off by the Pope, it was already a familiar story.

If she, in such a situation, appeared here now.

How should one judge her intentions?

Is the Saintess the Pope’s stooge?

Or is she the Pope’s enemy?

In a situation filled with tension, the Saintess was still smiling brightly, gazing only at me.

“What’s your game?”

“……? Of course, I came to help the Apostle.”

The Saintess said purely.

But no matter how you look at it, it’s suspicious.

Whether everyone else felt that way too, Noah next to me poked me in the side, but.

“How are you going to help?”

“Aren’t you short on Divine Power right now?”

“…That’s right.”

The Saintess naturally fiddled with the wall of light and said.

“This, you see. It’s Divine Magic that can last up to a day if long. It probably requires sacrificing no less than 10 high-ranking priests to activate?”

“……How do you know that?”

“Because originally, I was also at the core of this plan.”

The Saintess, in essence, openly admitting to being the Pope’s stooge.

Immediately, the Knight Commander inside hurled abusive words at the Saintess.

“How dare you try to make a fool of us!!!!”

“…? Who are you, old man?”

As if disinterested, the Saintess’s gaze was fixed solely on me.

“I’ll help you. To get out of here.”

“…How can I believe that?”

“No, you don’t trust me? I helped you a lot in the labyrinth, didn’t I?”

“That’s true, but…”

That was only because I judged that I could control the Saintess.

Whether the Saintess, with such a chain released, would truly listen to me is doubtful.

“You’ll have no choice but to trust me, won’t you? Because I know how to get into Sector 1 right now. And I can get you out of here too.”

“Is that true?!!”

At the Saintess’s words, the Crown Prince rushed out.

The Saintess, who hadn’t even given the Knight Commander a glance, seemed to consider the Crown Prince to be of a certain rank, and said,

“Ah, long time no see. Crown Prince, has it been 3 years?”

“Yes. Was the appearance you showed back then just a facade?”

“Well, yes.”

“Disappointing.”

But regardless of whether the Crown Prince was disappointed or not, the Saintess paid it no mind and immediately turned towards me.

The Crown Prince seemed about to ask something more, but perhaps sensing the Saintess wouldn’t answer, he put his hand down for now.

“Let’s make a deal, Apostle. No, am I not in a position to demand a deal?”

“Let’s hear it.”

“The Lord God gave me an oracle. To help the Apostle and reclaim the Holy Order.”

“An oracle?”

“This, you see.”

*Ding!!*

Immediately, a small status window popped up before the Saintess’s eyes.

[O Saintess who has committed the sin of apostasy.]

[Help the Apostle reclaim the Holy Order, repent of your sins, and receive forgiveness.]

The tone of voice was completely different from when she addressed me.

But the handwriting and the faintly felt divine power within allowed me to know that this was the Lord God’s word, an oracle.

“As expected, you seem to know? Do you always receive oracles in this manner?”

“Yes.”

There was no longer any reason to hide it.

“Unfortunately, I can’t see the Apostle’s oracle because my rank is different.”

“Wait, hold on!!!”

The Crown Prince suddenly interrupted from the side.

“Is it true that you perhaps always receive oracles?”

“…Well, if you call this an oracle.”

“No, then why didn’t you tell us…?”

“Ah, just be quiet!!”

The Saintess, cutting off the Crown Prince, entered the interior.

Wait, was it possible to enter from the outside like this?

The Saintess, who was subtly enjoying the bewildered looks of everyone, soon approached me.

“Stop.”

Noah blocked the Saintess.

“What nerve do you have to do this? Don’t you know Ivan almost died because of you?”

“……I know… I do.”

The Saintess, after taking a quick look, began to take a slightly submissive stance.

Wait, if this was going to happen, shouldn’t she have just kept negotiating with us from the outside?

As expected, seemingly having a similar thought to mine, the Crown Prince grabbed the Saintess and asked again.

“What reason was there to specifically come inside? It would be more advantageous to stall for time while negotiating from the outside?”

“……Ah.”

The Saintess gave a suddenly anticlimactic answer.

She seems not to be smart, despite having a bad personality.

But what was that mind game she occasionally showed? Was it all just following what the Pope told her to do?

Indeed, if the Saintess was a reasonably smart strategist, she might not have been so easily cut off.

“Well, that’s not important… it isn’t. If I stalled for time, wouldn’t you blame me again?”

“That’s true.”

“As expected, only the Apostle understands me…!!!”

“Stop.”

Noah, once again, blocked the approaching Saintess.

The Saintess instantly glared at Noah, but Noah was already on the stronger-willed side, so there was no way she would be pushed around by something like that.

In the end, it was the Saintess who whimpered.

“U-Ultimately, I will help you first with the deal’s content and then make my demands…”

The Saintess, who tried to take the lead but had it taken away,. immediately followed me and stood in front of the Holy Sword.

The Saintess immediately poured in Divine Power.

Immediately, my body and the Saintess’s body began to shine powerfully.

An intense light began to swallow everything around.

Soon, that light went straight into the floor and began to create cracks in this space that had isolated us.

*Crack, Crackle.*

The Divine Magic, overloaded and breaking too easily.

Soon shattered and broke with a light sound.

“Defend against the attack!!!”

Simultaneously with the Knight Commander’s voice resounding, all the high-ranking officials who were inside began to scatter in all directions.

Eliminating all the Sacred Spirits that attacked the Labyrinth City would probably be a matter of time.

However, the Divine Power in my body was completely depleted, and I collapsed on the spot.

“You haven’t been awakened for long, so you don’t seem to have much Divine Power yet.”

The Saintess, who possessed an overwhelming amount of Divine Power compared to me.

It seems she definitely lives up to the name of Saintess.

The Saintess immediately tried to sit next to me, who was lying down, but.

“……”

Noah gave her a look, so she moved a little to the side and sat down.

Everyone else left, and now only the Crown Prince, I, Noah, and the Saintess remained here.

Noah sat next to me, who had collapsed from exhaustion. The Crown Prince stood still and surveyed the surroundings.

“Thanks to you, things always work out somehow.”

“Well, isn’t that why I was sent to this other world?”

“…I’m always grateful for your dedication. At least, I will certainly remember your sacrifices.”

Although it was just words, the fact that the Crown Prince would say something like that was incredibly appreciated.

“So, Saintess, didn’t you clearly say earlier that you know how to get into Sector 1?”

“……*Mmph*.”

The Saintess suddenly shut her mouth.

What on earth is she thinking?

“Surely you’re not shutting your mouth to gain an advantage in the negotiation after doing something foolish just now?”

“……”

“You weren’t this foolish originally. It seems you’ve suffered a bit outside, just as I heard.”

*Pat, pat.*

It seems he had some affection for her, having seen her face before; the Crown Prince patted the Saintess on the shoulder, and then.

Soon, tears suddenly welled up in the Saintess’s eyes.

“……?”

“*Sob sob sob*.”

“No, what is this sound?”

Suddenly, tears welled up in the Saintess’s eyes.

Before I could say anything about it, the Saintess suddenly grabbed one of my legs and one of the Crown Prince’s legs, and then.

“Waaaahhhhh!!! I’ll tell you how to get into Sector 1!! Please grant me amnesty!!!!”

“……What?”

“Every day, Inquisitors chased me, and bounty hunters chased me!!! I couldn’t wash!! I couldn’t sleep comfortably!!! *Waaaahhh*!!!!”

The Saintess continued to list her difficult past.

“Look how my hair, which I diligently cared for, is damaged!!! I didn’t become a Saintess to live like this!!! How dare that damn Pope abandon me?!!!!”

The Saintess, who suddenly cried, got angry, became sad, felt depressed, just poured out all her emotions by herself.

Seeing that, I naturally had this thought.

‘…How, how pathetic.’

The Crown Prince, also seeming to feel a sudden spin in his head like me, grabbed his head with his left hand and said.

“Didn’t you just have to not commit sins from the beginning?”

“Th-the Pope told me to do it all!!! How could a maiden like me, who came up from the countryside, not follow his words!!!!”

The sight of her, who was already in poor condition with a messed-up face, begging and pleading while shedding tears, snot, and everything else, was somewhat pitiful, but.

“I’ll truly live a good life from now on, so please just help me this one time!!!!!”

Still, is it right to forgive the Saintess who tried to use me, kill me, or kidnap me?

…At least for me, it’s not easy to do that.

While I’ve summoned her a few times and gotten somewhat used to her face, and she is pitiful, it’s just that much.

The Crown Prince checked that my reaction was lukewarm, and then brought up the topic.

“Ultimately, Saintess, you know that the one you must receive forgiveness from is the Apostle, Ivan.”

“…Yes.”

“Regaining lost trust and being forgiven is not an easy task.”

The Crown Prince raised the Saintess, whose eyes were swollen.

“You clearly said you know a way to enter Sector 1. Prove it. If you personally save the Labyrinth City, perhaps my thoughts might change.”

“……Yes.”

The two immediately looked at me.

Certainly, regardless of our past relationship, her help is indispensable to break through this situation now and reclaim the Labyrinth City.

As for the Saintess’s treatment, I’ll think about it later; now is the time to move forward.

“Are you able to move?”

“Yes.”

“As expected, they’re starting to arrive.”

Where the Crown Prince was looking, there were the party members approaching while defeating Sacred Spirits.

“Ivan!!!”

“Are you feeling alright!!!”

But immediately, everyone who discovered the Saintess next to me.

Immediately drew their weapons and became wary.

Of course, Jack was the exception.

“Oooh!! Who is this beautiful person?!”

Rather, Jack, who was approaching to flirt with the Saintess, was hit by Noah’s fist and pushed away.

Well, thanks to that, the tense atmosphere loosened up a bit.

As it was, the mana and divine power in my body had somewhat recovered anyway, so I slowly got up from my spot.

Then the Saintess began to watch my reaction.

Where had her confident demeanor from the beginning gone?

“Haa, guide us.”

“R-Right now?!!”

“Since even the Sacred Spirits and the Pope’s Guard have come outside, there won’t be many forces left inside, right?”

“Th-that’s right.”

The Saintess, who had subtly changed to a submissive posture.

Immediately, she moved stiffly, and then, as if about to begin guiding, she slowly moved forward.

However, just before departing, the Crown Prince seemed worried.

“Do you not need any more support?”

“We probably won’t need it. Even if many go, it will likely only draw attention. And shouldn’t you protect the Labyrinth City? To prepare for the battle against the next Evil God.”

“We will guard the remaining sectors. Be sure to return victorious.”

Leaving the Crown Prince’s words behind, we began to run, following the Saintess.

From now on, it’s a speed battle.

“Probably, if we enter Sector 1, the Pope will summon all the Sacred Spirits and the Guard!! Because he’s a selfish guy who only thinks about his own safety!!”

Since it’s the Saintess’s words, who knows the Pope’s true nature, it is probably accurate.

If so, the choices branch here.

Will we induce the Sacred Spirits to leave as we enter, thus reducing the burden on the Labyrinth City?

Or will we enter without being detected as much as possible, defeat the Pope, and reclaim the Holy Order?

I quickly made a decision.

*Click-*

『Deck changed.』

『Current Deck: Thief’s Deck』

『Time until next change possible: 0:59:59』

It might put a bit of a burden on the Labyrinth City, but.

In the end, this will be the correct answer.