Chapter 29: The Autumn Rain Is Blood (2)

Chapter 29: The Autumn Rain Is Blood (2)

Everyone was deathly silent. The only voices that we heard were those that didn’t belong to any of us.

[The Goddess of Protection laments the heroes’ foolishness.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain bursts into laughter.]

Judging from the Hunters’ dark expressions, I assumed that I wasn’t the only one who could hear the voices.

“...Calm down,” the Paladin forced out. Despite what she said, she was quiet for a long time as she carefully contemplated how to proceed. “Don’t panic. Yes, maybe the traitor has a Skill to hide their lie. I know it sounds ridiculous, but we might have someone here with a split personality. Everyone has a secret, don’t they? It’s not impossible...”

“Or...” the Sword Star said, looking at the Paladin with cold eyes, “or the truth is simpler than that. You might be the filthy traitor.”

Cold tension gripped the audience chamber. The Hunters exchanged glances sharper than swords. It hadn’t been long since the Sword Star and guild leaders had nearly come to blows. Their boiling blood hadn’t even cooled down yet, but they were already butting heads again.

The Black Witch frowned. “Are you doubting us?”

“Yes,” the Sword Star immediately answered. “Even if Miss Paladin isn’t the traitor, the chances of her lying to us are high. You Five Guilds leaders have been close for a long time. Aren’t you guys covering up for each other, just like how a crow hides amid other crows?”

“Hah!” The Black Witch’s fingernails dug into her palms. “You’re seriously—”

“I’m sure!” the Paladin urgently shouted. Both the Sword Star and Black Witch stopped quarreling and looked at her. The Paladin carefully adjusted herself. “I’m sure that it’s logically possible. Yes, I might be the traitor. But more importantly, we have to stay calm. We’ve overcome many crises together, haven’t we? As long as we trust each other, I’m sure we can—”

“Hahaha.”

The laughter belonged to the Inquisitor.

“Miss Paladin, you’re naive—no, pure. Trust. Hmm. Trust. Yes, it’s a beautiful word! But it takes a long time to build it. It took us ten years for the Five Guilds to build solidarity. In other words...” The Inquisitor adjusted his mitre and brushed the dust from his clothes. “...it’s difficult for me to trust anyone other than those from the Five Guilds—and it’s too inefficient to spend another decade building a trustworthy relationship with other Hunters. Yes, I feel like it’s a waste of time!”

“...Wait.” The Paladin’s voice and expression were heavy with urgency. She seemed nothing like the woman who had leisurely asked me if a woman with a music major was charming during the festival on the first floor. “Now isn’t the time to pursue efficiency, Inquisitor. Please—”

The Inquisitor held his hands together. White light enveloped them. “Divine Formula: Carnal Body. Viper, you take care of the Rank 10 champion.”

The white light spread.

“I’ll kill the Rank 8 and 9 champions.”

“Inquisitor! No!” the Paladin screamed.

“Divine Formula: Teleportation.”

The Inquisitor and Viper vanished. In the blink of an eye, the Inquisitor had moved behind the Rank 8 champion.

“...Huh?” He instinctively looked behind him. Overshadowed by the Five Guild leaders, he’d been so far content to remain a quiet extra. No, I felt bad for calling him an extra because he was standing there for his performance on the last stage. Compared to me in the past, this Hunter had a promising future. However, that promising future was being cut short.

“I’m sorry!” The Inquisitor gave the champion a blooming smile. Although he was unarmed, his fingers were heavily infused with his white aura.

“Ah...?”

Blood gushed out of the man’s body as he slowly toppled. He wasn’t an influential figure from a major guild, nor was he a Hunter with such tremendous martial prowess that he could stand alone like the Sword Star. It wasn’t even as if he was in an alliance with the guild leaders like I was—he was just a Hunter who had been a bit impressive on the eleventh stage.

However, he died. He died all too easily.

[A hero has died.]

[The deceased hero was not the Demon King’s underling.]

[The Goddess of Protection mourns the deceased hero.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain sneers at the heroes.]

The murder was done in a flash.

The Rank 10 champion of the last stage squeaked. Luckily, he didn’t have to stew in fear for a long time.

The Viper, teleported by the Inquisitor, swung his sword. All it took was one slash to send the poor Hunter’s head to the floor with a thump.

[One hero has died.]

[The deceased hero was not the Demon King’s underling.]

Blood flowed across the marble floor.

[The Goddess of Protection purses her lip.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain bursts into laughter.]

The Sword Star drew his sword.

“You people have finally revealed your true colors!” The Sword Star’s expression was contorted with fury. “All of you are disgusting! Nothing about you has changed from the old times! Stop right now. Otherwise, I’ll—”

“Divine Formula: Teleportation.” The Inquisitor disappeared.

The Rank 9 champion had begun to flee as soon as he witnessed the Rank 8 and 10 champions’ deaths. The fact that he didn’t scream showed an abundance of caution; however, the moment he was about to escape through the door, the Inquisitor teleported right in front of him.

“When we first entered the Tower, chaos prevailed. The issue of religion was particularly bad. Anytime someone believed in different religions, we’d have problems. Conflict broke out even over the finer points of the same religion. People continued to divide and fight against themselves. That’s when the Inquisitor showed up...”

“And?”

“...And he killed them all.” The Paladin sighed again. “He executed anyone who started a fight over religion, regardless of their nationality or beliefs. Murder is the only way he knows how to solve a problem...”

“Wow.”

I thought the Pantheon had been founded because religious organizations in the Tower had grown weary of constant conflict. That was what the media had said—but in truth, it was made possible by massacring anyone who would oppose it...

“Save! Me!” the Viper screamed. His voice seemed to get an octave higher after every minute. “I’m going to die! Fuck! I’m really going to die! Today is going to be the day the OJP Sect’s leader dies, you shits!”

The Inquisitor adjusted his hat with his one arm. “Hahaha. I’m aware that my poor judgment started a catastrophe. I’m ashamed to ask, but can you please stop the Sword Star in exchange for my full power as the Pantheon’s leader?”

“Phew. You’re... Nevermind.” I shook my head. “Let’s talk about you later. I’ve got a lot to say about you. Right now, it looks like Mr. Viper is really going to die if we leave him alone, so let’s solve that first.”

“Yes, please!”

I turned away from the Paladin and the Inquisitor and strode toward the battle.

Well, this isn’t so bad. I get to control the Watchmen League and the Pantheon, albeit briefly. Both of them are big guilds...

That was how I convinced myself.

An intense and skillful fight was tearing up the other side of the audience chamber. Actually, I wasn’t at a level where I could follow their movements with my eyes. Jumping in on the fight was suicide, but I knew the magic word that could stop the Sword Star.

“Mr. Sword Star!”

I didn’t get any response.

“Mr. Sword Star! Since you heard me out today, why don’t you do it one more time? Please stop fighting so that we can talk!”

Again, he didn’t reply. I had no other choice. I took a deep breath and gathered my aura.

“I’ll ask your granddaughter out on a date!”

The Sword Star froze.

“If your granddaughter enters the Tower, yeah, sure, I’ll go on a date with her. No one knows if it’ll turn into a romantic relationship, but I’m sure she’ll be charming, considering that she’s your granddaughter. Who knows? I may become your future grandson-in-law, so I ask my possible future grandfather-in-law to please stop fighting!”

The Sword Star quietly turned his back on the fight. After a brief silence, he said, “...I haven’t forgiven them.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I definitely didn’t stop because of what you said. But the battle got me thinking that I could kill these people any time I wanted, so I can find the traitor and wipe the rest out later, can’t I?”

I wanted to ask why in the world he had to tell me that, but instead of saying it aloud, I nodded. “You’re right. You can kill them in a bit.”

The Sword Star slowly lowered his sword.

“Huh...? What?” the Viper, opposite the Sword Star, panted. “A-am I alive? Is it over...?”

Nothing was over. All I did was temporarily pause the fight.

“Everyone, please, let’s be calm.” I looked around at the Hunters. “I don’t know who the traitor is. We might never find the traitor, but that’s a problem for another time. We can overcome the crisis even if we don’t find the traitor.”

“...How?” the Paladin asked. “The fact that someone chose the Demon King’s reward means that someone is out for our lives. We could be stabbed in the back at any time.”

“Look at this.” I pointed at the marble floor where the three corpses—or the blood and pieces of three corpses—were scattered. However, the Inquisitor’s engraving was there as well.

Goddess of Protection

Description: The guardian goddess of the Aegim Empire is moved by your devotion and has decided to appoint you to an important position in the empire. You can be the empire’s prime minister, grand general, or imperial knight commander. Once you choose a position, you will receive the abilities and fame that come with it!

Hero of the goddess! Unite with your fellow heroes, and destroy the Demon King’s core on the twentieth floor!

“This says that the Demon King’s core is on the twentieth floor.” I looked each of the Hunters in the eyes. “Don’t focus on finding and killing the traitor. That’s a trap. Don’t fall for it. Who knows? The traitor might be terrified because the Tower’s system selected them by force. Let’s kill the Demon King first.”

The group fell silent.

“Once the Demon King is killed, its reward is gone. It’s as simple as that. No matter what kind of fucked-up trial the Tower puts us through, the solution will always be simple. It won’t change even if the Tower tries to turn us against each other.”

I heard the two voices in my head.

[The Goddess of Protection’s eyes shine.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain clicks its tongue.]

“Let’s climb the Tower, and crush the Demon King’s core on the twentieth floor,” I said with determination.

That was my answer. It was not only for the Hunters but also for the Tower.

A voice answered me.

[Initiating the twelfth floor quest.]