CH 92

[‘The Spoiler Inspector’ is concerned about the protagonist who is weak in internal politics.]

[‘The Critic who adjusts the balance’ has suspicions that he might be thinking of moving on to the next episode quickly.]

[‘The World-building God’  warns them to be quiet.]

There was silence in the small prayer room.

The events in his 17th life caused Thesilid to fall into deep thought. Meanwhile, Ephael and Hestio exchanged glances at each other while looking at Thesilid like that.

They seemed eager to hear what exactly happened in the Dungeon Burst.

It was the same with Agnes.

<When we rescued Thesilid from the dungeon, there were no sights of the knights from the Order of the Pillar of Light. What happened?>

I was conflicted.

It’s Thesilid’s business, so it’s right for him to say it himself. However, isn’t it violence to make him say such horrible things out of his own mouth? 

And one more thing. To be honest, I wondered if he even properly remembered what happened in the dungeon. He is in relatively good shape right now, but there must be a lot of trauma left.

I think I’d better step up here. 

“The claim of the Knights of The Pillar of Light is not true. Those guys used Thesilid to escape from the Dungeon Burst……”

“They threw me away.”

A heavy voice cut me off. In the direction to where I turned my head, there was a face with no expression to the point of being inorganic.

“To be more exact. Should I say I was sold?”

“……”

……He seems to have remembered everything.

Gloom was added to the silence. I’m sure the air in here, right now, is heavier than Thesilid’s funeral.

Hestio and Ephael did not ask any further questions. Instead.

“Are you okay?”

The cautious question did not hide the concern for a close friend.

It was truly one of the few healing moments in the life of the protagonist. What would have happened if I hadn’t saved those two?

“It’s all right.” 

“Really?”

“I already knew they were like that. There’s nothing to be disappointed about just checking their worst once again.”

It sounded like a self-convincing statement.

When the three people, including me, did not answer, Thesilid tried to evoke the atmosphere.

“Well, of course they didn’t come to my funeral, did they?”

Hestio pretended to be absurd and matched the beat.

“Would they have the balls to? Those bastards, it’s been a long time since they got a mission and left.”

“I see. That’s a shame.”

Now, at this point, it’s better to try and predict the flow of the 17th Episode, where the fate of the main character has changed 

Thesilid opened his mouth.

“When I go back, the Vatican will be in a riot.”

Ephael nodded vigorously.

“Let’s turn everything upside down, get back at the bastards of the Pillar of Light, and restore your honor. It will be fun.”

Hestio suggested a plausible direction.

“Why don’t you join us to come back together? Even if the Commander is a bystander, he will at least protect you because you are a godson of the Argent family.”

“Good idea, but there is a problem.”

“What problem?”

“I lost my strength.”

“What?!”

“I have become a civilian because I have neither divine power nor aura. I can’t even take out the holy sword.”

“……Really? How come?”

“Shock from a near-death experience.”

Since ‘The Commandments’ did not judge ‘Honesty’, an outspoken lie came out.

Thesilid spoke about his plans.

“Right now, I feel like the Vatican is in the middle of enemy territory. I can’t show up without power.”

“Then isn’t that more reason to go with us? You are weakened.”

“It’s okay. Ellet has business to do in the Vatican, so I decided to accompany her.”

“……Are you okay with her?”

Two pairs of very unpleasant gazes were fixed on me.

It seems that they did not understand the part of the explanation that I was the one who saved Thesilid, who almost died because of the Dungeon Burst.

Figured as much. They will only remember me as an alchemist kid, so they would only think of me healing an injured Thesilid with a potion.

When I was about to open my mouth to correct the misunderstanding. Suddenly, Thesilid touched my arm as if holding it.

Agnes interpreted the meaning.

<Keep still.>

Shi-. Why?

[‘The World-building God’ says that it seems to be his taste.]

But it soon turned out that it wasn’t a matter of taste.

“Don’t worry, I will recover soon. Rather, where are the Knights Templars going?”

Ephael replied.

“Greenwall Village. We were on our way to what is known as your grave. Rumors are circulating that it was a Saint who closed the Dungeon Burst.”

Oops.

I’m glad I didn’t reveal that I was the one who went directly inside the dungeon, found the Thesilid, and killed the Boss.

I thanked Thesilid with my eyes. He smiled kindly and finished the talk.

“As expected, we’d better go separately. It’s a place where I was on the brink of death, so I don’t really want to go back.”

“Okay….”

“Please keep it a secret for a while that you have seen me.”

“Okay. Take care of yourself.”

After saying goodbye to the two of them, I and Thesilid quietly left the basement prayer room.

✠

The next day, I resumed traveling with a refreshed body thanks to sleeping well in a good bed.

The destination Thesilid pointed out to regain his strength was a village hidden deep in the valley. 

I didn’t want to stay overnight, so we went the shortest distance and the problematic hiking course continued for a long time.

I, who believed in the system map, took the lead and Thesilid looked at me as if he was watching a walking good-luck charm.

“You know the way very well.”

“Maybe it’s because God is guiding me.”

“The places to where I get guided are always either a dead end or a trap. Are we serving the same God?”

Absolutely not.

Of course, even as a joke, I did not confess heresy in front of a Heresy Judge.

“Well, I can’t compete with a Saint who can use Descent.”

He convinced himself. 

“Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you use it.”

“You know, if I use it, I will fall ill with a fever. I will be defenseless for two whole days.”

“You can’t use it if you don’t have someone you can trust with you.”

“That’s right.”

“Am I trustworthy?”

Hold on, why are you throwing a left hook like this?

……But, If you think that I will be surprised, bewildered, or embarrassed, you are mistaken.

“Yes.”

“……”

“You can’t believe me? Shall I use it now?”

On the contrary, Thesilid’s eyes trembled as if he was the one in embarrassment. Then, as if scolding me, he added.

“You think too highly of me.”

“Because I’m looking closely.”

“Sometimes you talk as if you know me well.”

I looked at his expression in case he was offended, but Thesilid was only smiling lightly. 

“By the way, can I ask you one question?”

“What is it?”

“Do you know who was trying to kill me in the Dungeon Burst?”

This question was definitely a bit disconcerting.

‘Newborn Chaos and Evil’ 

The final Last Boss, Reed.

His presence in my mind made my mood subside on its own. My answering voice may have reflected my condition.

“Yes.”

“……I see.”

Thesilid, who I thought was going to ask for something more, bit his mouth. His mind didn’t seem ready enough to hear the detailed story.

“We have arrived, Ellet.”

“Yes.”

We stopped in front of a monument that read ‘Creco Village’.

Whishhhh.

Caw. Caw.

It was the chilly wind and the crows that greeted Thesilid and me.

It was a bleak village. Ruins of houses that could be called shabby shacks were seen, and the streets were strewed with people. It was no exaggeration to say that it looked like a slum or plague village. In fact, the condition of the people was not good either.

“Ha, ha…. I’m going to kill them all. I won’t let them go……”

“Hic, Hun, hic, hic, sniff, sniff, unh, hick……”

“Sa-save me……I don’t want to die…”

“It’s because of that wench……if she wasn’t there….”

“It’s all over….”

Everyone was talking nonsense, captured by various evil emotions. It looked like a painting of a crazy town.

<What the hell happened?> 

Agnes seemed shocked by the miserable appearance of the village. I opened my mouth.

“Have you ever heard of a phenomenon called Dungeon Leak?”

Thesilid’s gaze touched me and then fell. He seemed used to me muttering to myself while talking to Agnes.

<Dungeon Leak?>

“It’s a phenomenon in which toxic substances from Dungeons leak out. It’s mostly poison and demonic energy.”

<Then are the people here mad because of the influence of demonic energy?>

“That’s right. You must be at least an Aura Beginner or have divine power at the level of a Normal Priest to survive. There is a low probability that such strong opponents like that exist in a place like this.”

<Wait, then, isn’t this dangerous for Thesilid?>

“Ah.”

That was a good point. I immediately turned to Thesilid, and he immediately understood the meaning of my gaze.

“It’s okay. If I were affected by something like this, I would have gone crazy long ago.”

“……”

It’s a sour and salty answer. 

Back to the explanation.

“If we close the dungeon to stop the leak of demonic energy, people will be fine soon.”

<What is the grade of the dungeon?>

“Class A.”

<It’s easy. Isn’t that only a fistful for you?>

“Well, about that…there are no bosses in this dungeon.”

<What? How do you close it when there is no Boss?>

Thesilid responded as if he had heard Agnes’s bewildered voice.

“No worries. I can handle the Dungeon here by myself as I only need to complete a simple mission.”

<Really? That’s a relief.>

“Agnes, don’t believe Thesilid. It’s not that simple.”

<……>

Before I could give you a proper explanation, I need to go over a few things.

“Remember the words people mumbled at the entrance of the village?”

– Ha, ha…. I’m going to kill them all. I won’t let them go……

The man who glared at everyone who met his eyes, was angry.

– Hic, Hun, hic, hic, sniff, snff, unh, hick…………

The woman who was constantly crying while hugging a piece of firewood wrapped in a blanket, was sad.

– Sa-save me……I don’t want to die…

The boy who ripped his hair out in the corner, was terrified.

– It’s because of that wench……if she wasn’t there….

The young woman who scratched the wooden door with her fingernails, was jealous.

-It’s all over….

The grandfather, who looked up at the sky with wide eyes, despaired.

“……There exists a famous box that was sealed with Plague, Death, and Hope.”

The deeper we went into the secluded alleyway, the darker the purple smoke became. Eventually, we arrived at a dead-end alley surrounded by black gates.

“The depths of the Dungeon was full of plagues that are nothing less than poison. Holding out there and finding the box. That’s the way to close the dungeon.”

We went inside the gate. As the environment changed, a great plateau of wasteland unfolded.

[<System> You have entered the A-level dungeon ‘The Bottom of Pandora’.]

But there were people who came in before us. They were wearing the same white uniforms we saw yesterday.