Volume 5 - CH 2

Vol 5 Ch 2

The arrival of fanatic Cecilia!!

Adel’s influence… is weak (sweating)

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The two assault armors, which had been deployed as part of riot control rather than defense, and the prison guards who had pulled heavy weapons out of the armory, as well as Cecilia and Adele accompanied by countless followers of the Nagato Religion, dressed in orange jumpsuits supplied to the prisoners and original habits designed by Cecilia, and wielding daggers and batons, had taken their positions on the prison grounds, waiting for the right moment.

“Damn it! Get back, get back!”

“Don’t dawdle, hurry!”

The security guards, risking their lives to fulfill their duties, fighting against the intruders, realized firsthand that they were no match for their opponents. Eventually, unable to hold the defensive line any longer, they retreated in disarray and sought refuge within Cecilia’s formation.

Leading the hundreds of knights of the Church Knights, the fighting force owned by the Rowen Church, were the seven Saintesses, each wearing their combat attire or habits adorned with their respective armors.

Ranked first was Alexia Islashia, bearing the title of “Paladin” and wielding the sacred sword, Buster Blade. She was a dignified beauty with long silky golden hair, a slender yet well-built body, and a distinctive large bosom that emphasized her slimness.

Ranked second was Zora Uranus, bearing the title of “Lancer” and wielding the magical spear, Penetrate Spear. Clad in a deep crimson habit, with short, disheveled crimson hair and sharp eyes, her tall and graceful figure evoked the image of a wolf, exuding a wild charm.

Ranked third was Jill Kief, bearing the title of “Archer” and wielding the holy bow, Meteor Bow. She had emerald green hair that reached her waist, which was braided into three strands, and a cheerful smile that resembled a blooming flower, radiating an aura of kindness, compassion, and motherhood.

Ranked fourth was Xenovia Konigsberg, bearing the title of “Shielder” and wielding the large shield, Guardian Buckler. She wore a full plate armor that covered her entire body, making her appearance indistinguishable. The only thing known about her was that she was the shortest among the seven Saintesses.

Ranked fifth was Tilda Hagiri, bearing the title of “Assassin” and wielding the spiritual equipment, Invisible Coat. While boasting a figure that was on par with the others in terms of style, she had a face that somewhat resembled a Japanese person, with a light yellowish-white complexion, princess-cut black hair, and black eyes.

Ranked sixth was Kiselle Odessa, bearing the title of “Fighter” and wielding the eight-armed gauntlet, Octo Knuckle Guard. She was a voluptuous beauty with chocolate-colored skin, a perky buttocks, and a generous bosom.

Ranked seventh was Illumina Lennon, bearing the title of “Medic” and wielding the healing staff, Recovery Staff. She had chestnut-colored long hair tied up in a ponytail, narrow eyes, and glasses, giving her a strong-willed appearance reminiscent of a determined woman.

Please note that the translation provided is based on the context given and may vary depending on the specific terminology used in the original text.

Such a sight of Cecilia and Adel, who had set up their formation and were waiting, caught the attention of the seven holy maidens, causing them to stop in their tracks.

The eerie silence filled the air as both sides exchanged wordless, probing glances. The first to break the silence was Alexia.

“…Long time no see, Cecilia.”

“…Yes, indeed, Alexia. So, what brings you here?”

“What? It’s obvious… We came to save Lady Cecilia, Adel, and all the faithful!”

Interrupting Alexia’s words, Illumina, the seventh-ranked holy maiden, directed her passionate gaze towards Cecilia.

“That’s why we should hurry back to the Empire, to the Holy Land, Lady Cecilia! Away from this vile place inhabited by heretics, as soon as possible!”

“…”

“…L-Lady Cecilia?”

Illumina pleaded with Cecilia, but Cecilia responded with a silent and contemptuous gaze.

“Holy Maiden Cecilia, what’s the matter?”

Despite their close relationship as teacher and disciple, Cecilia showed little reaction to Illumina’s words. Archbishop Levelc Antonov, with a smile fixed on his face, interjected.

“…Archbishop, please refrain from calling me a holy maiden.”

Cecilia raised an eyebrow, taking offense at the grating words uttered by Levelc.

“What are you talking about, Holy Maiden Cecilia? It is an undeniable fact that you are one of the Seven Holy Maidens. And… ah, are you concerned about her? Illumina, your disciple, is here because you became a prisoner of the Canary Kingdom’s invasion, and she was appointed as one of the Seven Holy Maidens in your stead. Once you return, you are intended to resume your position as one of the Seven Holy Maidens. This is an arrangement that Illumina has already agreed to.”

“…That’s not what I’m saying.”

“What do you mean, Holy Maiden Cecilia?”

“I’m saying… Stop calling me a holy maiden!”

Cecilia’s outburst caused a solemn silence to fall upon the scene.

Every time she was referred to as a holy maiden, vivid flashbacks of the religious persecution she had carried out under the banner of righteousness, the scenes of slaughtering the heretics with the monsters she had summoned, inflicted mental anguish upon her.

“Let me make it clear… Adel and I, as well as most of the prisoners, do not wish to return to the Empire. We have no intention of going back. And the fact that I have believed in the teachings of the Rowen Church and worked as one of the Seven Holy Maidens is the greatest stain on my life!”

Cecilia’s declaration left the seven holy maidens dumbfounded, while Archbishop Levelc’s smile distorted, and the knights of the Church’s Order murmured among themselves.

“H-Holy Maiden Cecilia!? What are you saying? Not returning to the Empire!? This is not a time for joking!”

“Moreover… No, before that, it is unimaginable that the Rowen Church, a sacred religion that illuminates the entire world, would be the greatest stain! Laughable beyond belief!”

Interrupting Levelc’s words, Cecilia burst into maniacal laughter, clutching her stomach, wearing a fierce smile.

“What’s so funny!? The Rowen Church is a sacred religion that worships the one and only supreme god, Lord Rowen, and it preaches His divine teachings. It is the most noble religion!”

“Hmph, it’s absolutely impossible. Even if the Rowen Church, which preaches the supreme teachings in the distant realms of Chou or Kyou, or beyond, had the most noble followers, it would be meaningless if those who serve it were corrupted.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean it literally, Archbishop. While priests and clergy publicly vow poverty and purity, behind the scenes, they indulge in gluttony, alcohol, women, power, wealth. They extort money from the truly poor believers under the guise of alms, sending it as bribes to the powerful or stuffing it in their own pockets. The Church Knights, who should protect the believers and set an example, use their power to accuse innocent believers and innocent people and resort to violence. A corrupt religion that allows this to happen, turns a blind eye, and rots away cannot be a sacred religion that illuminates the world!”

“Well, I won’t say you’re entirely wrong, but isn’t that just a small fraction of them?”

“That’s right, Cecilia. People can deviate from the path, and that’s precisely why we need the teachings of the Rowen Church.”

“It’s true that a part of the Church has been corrupted. However, the teachings of our god, the Rowen Church, are not wrong,” countered Zola, the second-ranked holy maiden, Jill, the third-ranked, and Xenovia, the fourth-ranked.

“Then, Zola, Jill, Xenovia, let me ask you three. What has the god of the Rowen Church, whom you have such faith in, brought to us?”

“Oh? You’re asking something incomprehensible again… Well, fine, I’ll answer――Salvation.”

“Peace, perhaps?”

“Order.”

“Looks like there’s nothing but stubborn fools among you.”

“What!?”

Cecilia replied to the three with contempt.

“Do you really think that a narrow-minded god who refuses to acknowledge demons and beastmen, let alone exterminate them, has brought salvation, peace, or order to us?”

“Then what’s your answer?”

“What has been brought to us is hell, war, and chaos.”

After her own answer was denied and she was ridiculed, Zola, enraged, asked Cecilia.

“Ha… Shall we stop this pointless farce?”

“I agree with Tilda.”

Just as Zola was about to pounce on Cecilia in response to her words, Tilda, the fifth-ranked, and Kisel, the sixth-ranked, spoke up.

“…Don’t you both have something to say?”

“No, we don’t. To you, a betrayer manipulated by a scoundrel named Nagato…”

“That’s right. To you, who started some heretical religion called Nagatoism…”

“W-Wait a minute! Both of you! My sister has been brainwashed by the enemy! Please, wake up!”

“Don’t… You dare… Don’t you dare insult him… I won’t forgive you, no matter what… for insulting Kazuya-sama, whom you know nothing about…”

“Wha…?”

Faced with Cecilia’s furious voice distorted by anger, not only the Church Knights and the Archbishop but even the Seven Holy Maidens were momentarily overwhelmed.

And as for the person himself, Kazuya, being insulted caused his blood to boil completely, struggling desperately to suppress the raging anger that made his whole body tremble.

“O, elder sister…”

“Haa… Haa… sigh Well, this is a good opportunity, so let me clarify things since there seems to be a misunderstanding. I haven’t been brainwashed. And my admiration for that person is based on my own will!”

“No, Celsia. You were brainwashed by Nagato—”

“Furthermore, let me clarify without any misunderstanding. Kazuya-sama’s brainwashing refers to the secondary effect that occurs when Kazuya-sama directly transfers his own mana to treat those who are injured or afflicted by illness.”

“What!? He directly transfers his own mana to others!?”

In response to Celsia’s words, almost everyone present at the scene expressed their surprise, just like Alexia.

“Yes, I was quite surprised when I learned the truth as well. Healing magic in our world works by the user converting their formless mana through an incantation, transforming it into concrete healing magic. Therefore, due to the conversion of mana, there is always wasteful consumption, making dramatic recovery impossible.”

“…”

“However, Kazuya-sama can directly send his mana to the target, maintaining 100% of his mana, dramatically enhancing the target’s healing ability. He can even regenerate lost limbs by sacrificing his own mana as a cost.”

“That’s… an unbelievable story, but if it’s true, then the people who received Nagato’s treatment would indeed be influenced by Nagato’s mana and fall into a kind of brainwashed state, wouldn’t they?”

In response to Alexia’s question, Celsia replied with a smile on her face.

“Yes, that’s correct. Those who have received Kazuya-sama’s treatment and recovered will develop favorable feelings towards Kazuya-sama, depending on the extent of their injuries or illnesses—the amount of mana they received. However… it’s only temporary. As time passes, Kazuya-sama’s mana naturally dissipates. Furthermore, if someone is skilled in mana control, they can even bring Kazuya-sama’s mana that colors themselves under control.”

“…………”

The seven Saintesses, who had been listening to Celsia’s statement with mixed skepticism, understood that further questioning would be futile.

Because among the previous seven Saintesses, Celsia was the most skilled in mana control.

…If I mix enough lies and truths like this, they’ll believe it.

No one knows that Celsia’s words consist of a great deal of lies and a minuscule amount of truth.

As a side note, Adele, who was listening to Celsia’s story beside her and taking it at face value, had been convinced that she liked Kazuya because she had been brainwashed by him all this time. But now, she believed that it was not because she was brainwashed but simply because she had fallen in love with Kazuya, and she silently agonized over it.

“Celsia, if your story is true and you are indeed sane… There’s one last thing I really want to ask. Why do you worship a man like Nagato to the extent of abandoning the Lawen Church?”

“Why do I worship Kazuya-sama?”

In response to Alexia’s final question, which resembled lingering attachment, Celsia poured out her thoughts.

“It’s simple. I just saw, learned, and felt his actions up close and thought he was deserving of my complete devotion.”

“Your complete devotion…?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right. Does your god save those on the brink of death? Will they rescue a woman from an enemy country who has lost both eyes and limbs, with her entire body burned and disfigured, on the verge of death? Will they provide unconditional assistance to those who are starving and emaciated? Will they interact with demons and beastmen without discrimination, with an open heart? Will they lift the sorrowful souls who have been despised, persecuted, and wished for death from the depths of despair, giving them a place to belong and pouring love upon them? Will they treat prisoners of war without resorting to violence, not as slaves but as fellow human beings? Will they bestow peace and pleasure, not slaughter and chaos? No!! Lowein only perpetuates senseless killings, spreading chaos and hatred endlessly throughout the world!! Unlike that abominable god, Kazuya-sama is the one who truly saves and guides me and us!! No matter how much we pray, the god who offers no salvation, who has nothing but decorative value, is different!! That person is the god!! The one who descended upon this world as the God in Human Form!! Therefore, it is appropriate for us to dedicate our prayers, blood, flesh, and soul, to worship and have faith in Him!”

“……….”

As Cecilia’s words were spewed out of her mouth like a machine gun, everyone on the side of the Lowein faith was dumbfounded and frozen in place.

“W-Wait a minute… Saint Cecilia. By pleasure, do you mean…!?”

“Yes, if you mean losing my virginity, I’ve already offered it to Kazuya-sama a long time ago. Adel did too, by the way. Ah, thinking back now, it was such a blissful moment. The supreme moment when the membrane was pierced, the flesh tilled, and the seed implanted deep inside the womb. Heheh, Adel, for example, although she was initially shy, in the end, she pushed Kazuya-sama down, shamelessly clung to him, and demanded his seed like a beast.”

“Hey, Cecilia, what are you…!?”

Adel, whose loss of virginity and subsequent sexual activities were exposed without permission, turned bright red in boiling anger.

“Wha… What on earth is this? Saint Cecilia, Hero Adel. No, Cecilia and Adel. How could you two become such foolish and defiled beings!!”

“Please wait, Archbishop!! The current Cecilia is clearly not normal!! The same goes for Hero Adel!! They must have been brainwashed–“

“Be silent!! Whether they have been brainwashed or not is irrelevant!! The fact remains that those two have already been defiled!! Once a person is defiled, they can never return to their former purity!! Therefore–“

Unable to bear the revelation that Cecilia and Adel were no longer virgins, Archbishop Levelk collapsed to his knees in a theatrical manner, raised his hands to the sky, and lamented. Then, disregarding Alexia’s attempts to stop him, he uttered the words that would become the trigger for the impending battle.

“–They must be eradicated. Those defiled women. They must be killed. Those former believers who follow those defiled women. They must be annihilated. Those pitiful sinners who have been deceived by a man even lower than a beast!! Those abominable heretics!!”

“What!? You… insulted Kazuya-sama again, didn’t you? You even said that he is lower than a beast…? Fine. I can’t stand it anymore. You shall atone for insulting Kazuya-sama with your life!”