成人本色

There was no room for excuses.

Captain Gadville, who was trembling, was unable to keep up with his words.

On his behalf, the members showed an honest reaction. They started pulling at their hair or scratching their cheeks.

“N-no, t-the way things are going……I didn’t mean to……ah ah ah ah ah……”

“Oh, oh, no……never…… anything but he-heresy interrogation… … !”

“S-Sir, I don’t like it….I, I don’t want to be tortured……”

“’Strict Order and Goodwill’, please! please forgive me…!”

Their wicked tongues reinforced each other’s despair and fear. They hurt each other and screamed in pain.

It’s time to wrap this up.

“Then, since we all have to go to The Vatican together, shall I fix your legs?”

“……!”

Divine power seeped into my hands. Just before I could heal everyone with an area heal.

A mad glow shone in the eyes of the Knights. As if they had made a promise beforehand, many jumped up.

“Aaaaaaa!”

With a shout to raise their spirits, their legs kicked the ground, and in the direction they ran at full speed with all their strength……

“Quaaaaaagh!”

“Aaaaaagh!”

There was a cliff.

The screams receded from the dimly-lit bottom of the canyon. Dozens of Knights of The Pillar of Light chose to flee to death.

[‘The Critic who adjusts the balance’ clicks his tongue, saying that the Inquisition was that terrifying.]

The necklace rang.

<You watched their suicide from the sideline.>

I could’ve stopped it if I wanted to. But I didn’t.

I gave them a choice in the first place. Well, in fact, it was practically close to aiding and abetting, still, there were six members of the Knights in front of me.

Excluding Vice-Captain Lecto, who had become a disabled person, the other five people who were trembling because they did not even have the courage to escape were enough witnesses to stand in the courtroom.

I was stunned when I looked at one of them.

“If you pushed others to death, at least you should have the courage to kill yourself in the same way.”

“Hick, suck……I, I……”

“It’s all the same, Captain Gadville. I wouldn’t have let you die anyway. Because you are the most important witness.”

“Uhmm…hic…uhhh…”

I turned my gaze away from Gadeville who was in tears.

At the same time, I felt a presence that was getting closer. After finishing inserting the box into the Black Arc de Triumph, Thesilid approached me.

“Ellet.”

It was a softer voice than expected.

While he was tied up in closing the dungeon, I did my own thing. He wouldn’t be very angry, but I knew he would at least nag a little.

However, it seems that my interpretation of his character was wrong.

“I finished closing the place.”

“H-Hm, I see.”

“It’s all thanks to you. Now that the ban is being lifted, I think I will regain my strength in a little while.”

“I’m glad.”

“And……”

“Yes?”

He smiled lightly. It was a smile that somehow felt bittersweet.

“Is it because you’re a Saint? You’re merciful, giving them a chance to end their life in comfort.”

I didn’t expect this misunderstanding.

“Well, it’s not really like that.”

“No?”

“Yes.”

“This Order had no future other than to be tortured and then burned at the stake, I thought that you at least had allowed them to choose the method of death for themselves…”

<Is this the same guy that saw Vice-Captain Lecto earlier and said it was too harsh?>

As if he had heard Agnes’ blunt remark, Thesilid hurriedly added more words in an apologetic tone.

“Vice-Captain Lecto ……I thought you did it for me……”

“Oh, that’s true.”

I only confirmed what he said, but his sea-blue eyes widened.

Did he say that in half doubt?

A bit more of an excuse followed.

“Anyway, I didn’t mean to criticize you earlier. I just thought it was too much for me to receive……”

“I see.”

It seems that the experience of having someone come forward in his instead is very embarrassing.

I ended the conversation because I thought it would be awkward if I continued to listen. I have to start by clearing up the misunderstanding about my overrated benevolence.

I took out a polished stone from my satchel bag and showed it. It was a space transition stone that warped to the capital of Elpenheim, where The Vatican’s central government was located.

“Since this is for eight people, now the numbers are just right.”

“……I see.”

I felt awkward for breaking his expectations.

While putting back the space transition stone, I took out a food flavor pill.

“Want some?”

“Every time you do this, I feel like I am being treated like a child.”

He complained but did not refuse. However, he did not eat it right away and put it somewhere in his bosom.

<He avoided the punishment of sparrow-poop flavor.>

It’s a shame.

It was time to tie the six remaining members of the Knights with the Spirit King’s Harp Strings and prepare to leave the dungeon. Thesilid called me indirectly.

“But Ellet.”

“Yes?”

“I forgot to tell you earlier, but I can’t see to open the closing gate.”

“Oh, right.”

“Did you forget to say something, too?”

“Yes.”

There was one more reason for letting the members of The Pillar of Light jump the cliff.

Rumble……!

Just in time, the Black Arc de Triumph began to vibrate.

[<System> Warning. The seal of the A-class dungeon ‘The Bottom of Pandora’ will be unlocked by satisfying the ‘sacrifice of 10 or more fallen believers’.]

[<System> Warning. The difficulty of the dungeon is upgraded to S-class.]

[<System> The hidden master of the dungeon, Sentinel of the Apocalypse Grelius, 791th in the Demon World, has appeared.]

The darkness of the canyon came together to form a gigantic shape.

A giant reaper with a scythe. Whenever it fluttered its black robe, corrosive dust, red flames, and a dark green plague scattered wildly.

The boss named Sentinel of the Apocalypse was the lord of the Grim Reapers.

He was a king in his own way, and the skull shaped like a crown was studded with colorful jewels like a tattoo. The skull moved its jaw joint.

<I will give you rest.>

[‘The Troubled Architect of the Tower of Trials’ is looking forward to the performance of the hidden boss.]

[‘The Creative Business Manager’ complains about using the expansion pack without purchasing it.]

“Hic……”

The knights who were overwhelmed by the appearance of an S-class Boss had trouble breathing. I spoke to Thesilid without much tension.

“It was a pity to just leave, so I called the boss.”

“You really know everything. It’s amazing.”

“It’s not to the point of admiration. Let’s get rid of it quickly, loot, and leave.”

My hand gripped the handle of the whip sword, but Thesilid gently blocked the sword with one hand.

“Ellet, step back and rest.”

“What?”

“I’ll do it.”

He walked towards the Lord of Grim Reapers with his straight back turned to me.

<Oh wait, Thesilid is still……?>

I could see a dark energy rapidly dissipating from the edge of Thesilid’s left arm. Along with that, the energy he radiated changed.

Tesilide’s power had been restored.

Shaaaaaa.

As he walked, a sword was summoned in his right hand. It was Libra, the beautiful holy sword of judgment studded with impressive dark blue square jewels.

“Long time no see.”

His modest steps stopped ten steps away from the boss.

It was within the area of ashes, flames, and disease created by the fluttering of the Boss’ black robe.

Grelius, the gigantic god of death, looked down at Thesilid, who was approaching.

The scythe, which was slowly lifted, cast a shadow over Thesilid’s head.

<Mortal creature, worship and accept true rest.>

“If it’s true rest, you mean death.”

<Yes.>

“Sweet words, but unfortunately.”

Divine aura dwelled in Libra’s straight blade. A special aura that only the main character can handle emitted the purest light in the world.

“Your scythe gives me no true rest.”

<Cheeky.>

As if in response, Grelius’ scythe was filled with black and evil energy.

In the next moment, the holy sword and the sickle of death clashed.

Chizuzuzuk! Kwaaanng!

The ground could not withstand the collision of forces and gave out.

Thesilid removed his body before the gorge collapsed and swung his sword in succession.

Following the path of his sword, aura turned into dozens of blades of light and fired at Grelius.

<Arg! Rude being……!>

Grelius’s black robe which was bombarded by the divine aura became tattered.

“Oh……”

<Oh……>

Agnes and I were amazed. The performance of the main character, who has reached the highest level of Aura Expert, was excellent.

I was even surprised inside.

The main character in episode 17 is much stronger than I thought!

[‘The World-building God’ is pleased to say that he will make a great tank shuttle for you.]

It might take some time, but I felt like he was going to catch the S-class boss with ease.

It was possible to watch comfortably, so I chatted with Agnes.

“How many minutes will it take? Fifteen minutes?”

<Same bet.>

Agnes, who was examining Thesilid through the eyes of an instructor, spoke.

<Anyway, it’s a pity.>

“What?”

<Sacred sheep always awakens divine power first, but if his main ability was aura, he would become an even bigger vessel.>

“That’s fine. Growth on the aura side will continue.”

<Really?>

Thesilid’s divine power would stop at the cardinal level, but aura would reach the level of a master.

The fact that his secondary ability surpasses his main ability is understandable given that he is a Sacred sheep.

“I guess he’s an exception because his divine power was forcibly awakened through the stigma.”

<I see. I’m glad.>

It was then.

“…Cough.”

A low, distant coughing sound caught my nerves.

Thesilid was bleeding from his mouth.

He seemed to have internal injuries after inhaling the air of corrosion, flames, and plague created by Grelius’s robe.

Stigmata, who had no healing power, were vulnerable to such physical damage caused by afflictions. In other words, the compatibility was bad.

It seems that the ability to withstand using the aura and divine power within the body was also at the limit.

Thesilid ran his thumb over his mouth, glanced at his sword, Libra, and spoke to himself.

“A Holy Sword doesn’t help at times like this.”

Then it was time for me to step out.

“Cure.”

Using a wide range skill, I poured heals on Thesilid, who was far away.

Thesilid, whose body had been restored in an instant, turned to me in surprise.

“Healing during a battle, how long has it been since?”

It is a fraudulent heal that has even been amplified by five times at level 67. Taste the thrill to your heart’s content.

But a little problem arose.

<……Was there a healer?>

Grelius’s empty eyeholes flashed at me.