Chapter 61: Secret Friends (2)

It’s true that I don’t want to get involved with the temple, but that doesn’t mean I want to be openly hostile. So, when Lydia wrapped her arms around me protectively and even claimed she was my knight, ready to draw her sword if necessary, I was momentarily taken aback. The prospect of them fighting—not just verbally, but in a sword fight—was even more concerning.

Therefore, I poked my head out from between Lydia’s arms and said, “Inquisitor Karen! How about we don’t fight and become secret friends instead?”

“…What?”

“Secret friends, you know, secret friends. Sometimes we talk in secret, eat delicious things…”

After giving it some thought, I realized that the option of not getting involved with the temple had already flown out the window. I had no idea Karen held me in such divine regard. So, there was really only one option left, right?

“We also beat up heretics together.”

“……”

“……”

The ominous atmosphere vanished in an instant, leaving only two women exchanging glances as if they couldn’t believe what they’d heard. Of course, there was a reason I brought it up. The tone in which I mentioned being secret friends suggested more than just simple camaraderie.

…Really.

Now that it had come to this, there was no need to hide the information I had. It was better to gradually reveal it and steer things in the direction I wanted, between me and Karen. And even further, to establish the relationship between me and the temple. It would be much better than becoming the saint (not) Karen envisioned and being the temple’s mascot.

“First, let me confirm. Inquisitor Karen, what do you want to do with One Who Devours the Twilight?”

“Of course, I want to erase them from this world without leaving a single trace.”

“How much sacrifice are you prepared to make for that?”

“…If necessary, I will give my all.”

“Great! Now it’s time for a secret story that’s only for you.”

I smirked and positioned myself beside Lydia rather than behind her.

“Pope Claudia the Third is secretly supporting One Who Devours the Twilight.”

“……?”

“That crazy bitch believes, just as it happened a thousand years ago, if the world falls into despair in the name of God once again, the Goddess of Love will descend.”

“Wait, just a moment. Why would Her Holiness the Pope…”

“It’s simple. The Pope adores the Goddess of Love. She loves her so much that she wants to possess her.”

“……”

Karen, too flustered to speak properly, just gaped. I offered her a bitter smile in response.

“This is why I didn’t want to get involved with the temple. I knew something would happen if we went there.”

“…Ah.”

“So….”

Karen trembled in shock. Meanwhile, Lydia nods, seemingly understanding the situation. I hadn’t expected Lydia to take it so calmly. Well, it doesn’t matter since this is all true.

The mastermind behind the heresy was actually the Pope! She had secretly allied with the heretics to increase the church’s influence!

Well, isn’t this kind of plot twist somewhat familiar? I just followed it. However, I gave the motive a unique twist. The crazy, psycho lesbian is actually aiming for the Goddess. This is kind of fun, isn’t it?

Of course, when I consider what the crazy psycho lesbian might do next, I can’t laugh at all. For her, becoming the Pope was also a means to get closer to the Goddess, and even that wasn’t enough, so she conspired with the heretics to summon her. She is literally a person who wouldn’t surprise you no matter what she did.

It’s quite terrible when a setting scribbled for fun becomes a reality, huh? Anyway, I shrugged my shoulders once and asked in a subtle voice.

“So, Inquisitor Karen, are you okay? The temple to which you’ve devoted your entire life might not be as pristine as you thought.”

“……”

I took a step towards Karen, who stood there with her lips tightly sealed.

“The Inquisition doesn’t belong anywhere, right? It’s a unit directly under the Pope, and you receive your orders from her.”

“……”

I grasped her arm, noting its tremble and the paleness of her skin.

“Appointing you as an Inquisitor, demanding you forsake all personal joy for the goddess, and asking you to stain your hands with blood was a mistake.”

“……”

I stroked her arm gently, trying to offer comfort.

“Perhaps, in your service to the goddess, you unknowingly aided the heretics. It’s possible that your comrades were sacrifices to their cause.”

“……”

Suddenly, I tightened my grip on Karen’s forearm to prevent her from escaping.

“Ah, poor thing, it might have been better for you to remain unaware, blind and deaf to the truths around you.”

“……”

Leaning in, I whispered in her ear,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“How does it feel to have your lifelong faith and dedication denied?”

“……”

Her eyes welled with tears, then I gently pulled her into a hug and patted her back soothingly.

“It must be hard and overwhelming when your world crumbles and you can’t bear to accept the truth…I understand because I’ve felt betrayal before.”

As I spoke, recalling the sense of betrayal I felt when the ceiling leaked, Karen finally shifted her gaze from the empty air to me and opened her mouth with a faltering voice.

“Then, what should I do…Saint…why are you telling me all this…”

“Because you asked for it, you said you’d pay any price to root out all heresy, didn’t you?”

“But…the burden is too heavy. What should I do…please, show me the way…”

Karen began to sob uncontrollably, a reaction I hadn’t anticipated. Releasing her from our embrace, I took a small step back to meet her gaze directly, hoping to convey my sincerity and remind her of the divine protection she had received.

“It’s simple.”

I handed her the most beautiful 3-star goddess figure…no, goddess statue among all the sculptures I’d ever seen.

“You should not place your faith in the Pope, the temple, or even in me.”

Could this be the first time an inquisitor has ever encountered such a masterfully crafted statue of the goddess? Karen, with her eyes wide open, blankly stared at the figure of the goddess.

“Listen only to the goddess and the conscience whispering in your heart.”

“……!”

“Remember, the goddess has always taught us to love ourselves above all.”

Holding the statue in her hand, I covered it gently with mine and smiled reassuringly.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t feel guilty, but remember, the goddess doesn’t bestow her protection on just anyone.”

I then reversed the principle of Sound-Eating Footsteps. Instead of concealing my presence, I made it more pronounced. My breath, movements, and even the subtle scent blessed by the goddess were deliberately made evident to Karen.

“This smell is…”

Muttering softly, Karen fell into her own thoughts. Turning away from her, I saw Lydia trembling as if she had seen something terribly frightening.

Oops! Lydia must have seen the whole ‘persuasion’ from a moment ago.

There’s no helping it. Despite Lydia’s warnings, I had to resort to using my most effective technique.

“Shh!”

I brought my index finger to my lips and added just one more word with the shape of my mouth.

‘It is a secret, my knight.’

“……”

Lydia quickly regained her composure with a startle. But why? Today, her expressionless face seemed to be filled with regret and lamentation.

…Whatever! It must be my imagination!

I casually brushed it off and went around to Lydia’s side, waiting for Karen to organize her thoughts.

After a moment of reflection, Karen nodded, her eyes filled with her usual resolute belief.

“Thank you. I’ve received a lot of help because of you.”

“Hey, I told you, didn’t I? Let’s be secret friends. Friends help each other out.”

“Helping each other out… What can I do for you, Saint?”

“First, please stop calling me a saint.”

“Yes, Sir Jonah.”

Karen quickly corrected herself, and I, satisfied, continued.

“Can you tell me about the mission you received this time and how you ended up here?”

If things go well, I might uncover how far the plans of One Who Devours the Twilight have progressed. That was my intention behind the question.

“The mission was to discover what One Who Devours the Twilight is scheming on the first floor of the labyrinth and, if possible, to stop them.”

“What? The first floor?”

Does that make sense? The first floor is heavily trafficked by adventurers, making it a challenging place to operate in secret. If they were moving through the first floor, it must be for something significant.

“Did you encounter anyone from One Who Devours the Twilight on the first floor?”

“Yes. Those heretics were killing monsters near the World Tree’s illusion.”

“But killing monsters in the labyrinth isn’t unusual, is it?”

“It was the manner in which they were killing them that was strange. They killed the monsters brutally and displayed the bodies for everyone to see without even collecting the mana stones.”

“……”

The moment I heard those words, I felt as if I had been struck on the back of the head. I’m not sure where they learned it, but they are trying to summon the floor guardian of the first floor.

“They’ve got to be kidding me.”

Stealing my wish ticket? I won’t let them get away with this!