Episode 397

"Brother, why do you look like this...?" Verita asked.

Ah. I had to explain the situation now. I saw Verita's somewhat surprised expression and started talking.

There was only time to explain the current situation. Conveniently, the Black Dragon Fang that contained Vulcanus' will had been left in the monitoring room. That reckless god still didn't know my true identity.

"So it is like this..."

On the other hand, Verita was someone I could share most of my secrets with. In the first place, most of the secrets I needed to hide were related to the Dark Church; they were my role as the Colorless priest and the Dark Qi in my dantian. I didn't need to keep either of them a secret from Verita.

I was even able to talk about Leone with her. Above all, Verita knew much more about the Dark Church than I did. That meant there was no more suitable person to seek advice on the current situation.

After hearing everything, Verita rested her chin on her fist, lost in thought. She was such an unpredictable person that it didn't seem strange to get no reaction. In any case, from her perspective, maybe it was too much information. Thus, I stayed quiet and waited.

After a while, Verita said, "I understand the situation! I knew that something unusual would happen in this labor camp, but everything has exceeded my expectations. In addition, the princess is here. Then I, Verita, should also follow your will. That is God's guidance."

I asked, "Really? What if you have to fight the current Dark Pope and the demon king? Isn't that blasphemy from the perspective of a church member?"

Verita laughed. "Priority number one is Brother's unconditional safety and number two is execution of your commands. That means it isn't something I have to consider, no matter the order."

"Mm."

"If you don't understand, just think of me as only a tool. For example, your sword. There is no will contained in the blade. I am just a weapon that you can wield whenever you want."

"Y-yes."

I felt burdened by her attitude that was more cooperative than expected, but I was relieved. In any case, it was encouraging to have a reliable ally in this urgent situation.

I wondered, "By the way, what do you think of my guess that Gustav is the Green-Tongued Demon King?"

I was almost certain, but I was still worried about the lack of Dark Qi. I had to make sure. At the very least, Verita had to be more of an expert than me when it came to the church, Dark Qi, and demon kings.

Verita replied, "I'm worried about that too. Of course, it isn't unprecedented, so I think it is right to say that a demon king has descended."

I asked, "Is that possible? It seems that the rituals, preparations, and proper procedures weren't followed. Or is this the power of the Dark Pope?"

"That plays a role, but there is a high probability that this isn't a normal descent in the first place. It is the so-called divine or demonic possession technique. It is a shortcut that involves implanting a demon's soul into a host with good compatibility." Verita narrowed her eyes. "However, I don't know why they chose that method. Demon possession offers no benefit to the church, and the technique is almost obsolete."

"There are no benefits?"

"That's right. The fact that Dark Qi isn't flooding out means the area isn't polluted. Naturally, there won't be any additional effects that come with it. At best, it can isolate a certain space like it does now, or encourage the madness of those with weak mental strength."

The above effects weren't insignificant. However, I had actually experienced a demon king's descent, confronted him in person, and even fought him, so I could tell that Verita's description was accurate.

Verita continued, "Besides, to perform demonic possession using a demon king, they would have to sacrifice at least one priest. That isn't a cost-effective method from the church's perspective. If it goes wrong, it can even have a negative impact on the god they serve."

I asked, "So the current situation isn't as serious as I thought?"

"That isn't the case. As the demon king completes his adaptation to his body, the power he can wield will also increase. Of course, it will require a considerable amount of time and a steady supply of sacrifices. Still, once these stages are passed, the demon king might finally descend to the mortal world in his full form."

"Mm..." I asked one more thing that had been annoying me. "What do you think about sacrificing lesser races?"

"Do you think they are doing such a thing?"

"I'm not sure, but it seems like the church is up to something."

"That is impossible."

"I think so too. But why? In the north, the church bastards almost succeeded in letting Kingarodtus descend using corpses. If they could use corpses, why can't they use lesser races?

Verita shook her head slowly. "The process is much more complicated than you think. After all, what is important for the demon king's descent isn't only the blood of the sacrifices, but also the soul. In other words, if you can bind a soul to a rotting lump of flesh, you can't say that it has no value as a sacrifice. It is completely different with the lesser races."

"So generally speaking, if lesser races are offered as sacrifices..."

"In the end, it will only cause side effects."

I narrowed my eyes and said, "I looked at the list of missing prisoners and there were far more lesser races than humans. Gustav... Tantata killed at least dozens of lesser race members."

"The Green-Tongued Demon King is also called the Gluttonous Demon King. He has the domain of gluttony, so he might be able to eat lesser races. Still, there will be side effects."

"Then let's decide the order in which we should get rid of them. It's either the Dark Pope or the demon king first."

"In general, it is best to prioritize the demon king. There is no guarantee that the prisoners on the top floor are the real Dark Pope, while the demon king's identity is almost certain."

"Mm."

As we talked, I gradually became convinced that this order was correct. I wasn't underestimating the Dark Pope, but if I had to rank them based on danger, this was the order I would choose.

Tantata was dangerous. If left unchecked, he would become an unbearable bomb that would turn the entire south, beyond Rahild and Airuga, into a wasteland.

I asked, "What do you think of Obi?"

"He is the priest who betrayed the Dark Pope..." Verita thought for a moment before shaking her head again. "I don't know. To be honest, I wouldn't have believed it if you hadn't been the one saying it."

"Is it to that extent? After all, the factions of the Dark Church don't get along with each other. I thought traitors would appear surprisingly often, similar to you."

"Our Colorless faction is completely different from other factions in its origins. We don't interact with each other and our position within the church is special."

"That is true."

"The factions might be at odds with each other or have conflicts, but I have never heard of a church member who directly rebelled against the Dark Pope, even if they are a priest."

"So Obi deceived me?"

"That is also one of the possibilities." Verita's expression became sullen. "I can't think of anything in particular. I'm sorry I can't help you..."

"No. This is enough." I patted Verita on the shoulder.

I added after a moment, "Finally, this isn't important, but I want to ask you one more thing."

"Say it."

"How do I look?"

"Huh?"

"I guess I'm asking about your first impression. How do I look?"

"Ah." Verita was very flustered and slowly opened her mouth. "I thought you were a lizardman with a unique appearance."

"Mm. And?"

"I thought it was a pity that there were so many scars on the scales. If you had acted quickly, there would've been no marks left. In addition, I wondered why you were wearing so many bandages when you weren't particularly injured."

I listened silently. She continued, "Strangely, I looked again when I found out it was you, and thought it looked very cool."

"Mm."

I stared into Verita's eyes. I wondered if she was just speaking flattering words like Leone.

Verita's left eye had the word 'Since' and her right eye had the word 'Rity'. Sincerity. A true heart without any lies.

I looked at her and nodded, saying, "You have good eyes. I think so as well."

She suddenly asked, "By the way, where were you heading just now?"

"Ah, right. I was going to the kitchen to find food for Gustav—" I stopped halfway through my sentence.

Our eyes naturally shifted to the door, which opened wide and revealed Jisal. He said, "So you were here."

I immediately asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

"You haven't brought food to that demon yet, have you?"

"That's right. I think there's still some time until lunch."

"Right. Is that so?" Jisal sighed. "The meal problem... Put it on hold for now."

I asked, "Why do you say so?"

"Something unusual happened."

I looked puzzled. Jisal told me, "Two guards suddenly disappeared. I thought they were locked up in their rooms, shaking, but that isn't the case. I'm not certain, but I think I saw them heading to the top floor. Just like Larsen."

"Ah!"

"In addition, I can hear something from the communication crystal where the sound function is still working. If you haven't brought food already, it means..." Jisal trailed off. It was easy to guess what Gustav must've eaten.

I finished his sentence. "It means the situation is getting worse."

"Yes. Of course, it isn't all bad. We have succeeded in contacting the outside using the communication room."

That was certainly a good thing.

I asked, "Who did you contact?"

"Naturally, the headquarters of the labor camp. Headquarters has noticed the situation and will probably deliver the news directly to the outside world."

"By outside world, do you mean..."

"The Golden Palace where the Golden Lord's troops are stationed."

"I see."

"If the Golden Palace sends reinforcements, this terrible situation will be resolved quickly. We just have to hold on until then and wait until the rescue team arrives."

I fell silent. What Jisal said was very natural and reasonable, but somehow I felt that things wouldn't go that smoothly. Maybe it was because I was in the terminal stage of my suspicious disease.

The Golden Lord was incredibly opportunistic. She was a cold-blooded person who would use even the Dark Church for her own benefits. I doubted that such a person would really treat the guards working in the labor camp as people.

It was better to pray that the news reached other people. For example, another lord who was currently staying in the Golden Lord's residence.

***

"Master, are you there?"

"Yes."

"Excuse me."

Ludwig opened the door and went inside, where he found Delac reading his journal as usual. He inwardly sighed with relief when he saw that Delac was undisturbed.

He returned to his original state in no time.

Ludwig had wondered what to do when he heard that Delac was on the verge of death, had lost his blessings, and had lost his memories.

However, Delac had quickly regained his abilities as the Iron-Blooded Lord. Now it didn't even feel like he had lost his memories. Wasn't this basically a return to his original self?

Delac asked, "What is going on?"

"Ah. Dorothy, the witch, has something to say to you."

Dorothy G. Maniter was part of the Abnaham Witch Society and the Middle Names. She was also a criminal who had been completely subdued by Delac a while ago and was currently detained in the Golden Palace.

Delac said, "She probably doesn't have any more meaningful information."

"That is true. When I first saw her, she almost looked like she was out of her mind. However..." Ludwig's tone was somewhat reluctant. "There were no signs of that at all when I saw her again today. It seemed like she had been completely resurrected and her attitude was fine. It was as if she had been acting."

"Hm."

"What do you want to do?"

"I will go see her for now."

Delac left the room and headed to the basement. In a room with a peculiar smell, he saw Dorothy sitting behind bars.

Dorothy said, "Hello, Delac."

Delac looked at Dorothy without speaking. It was as Ludwig said. Her eyes and voice were clear. She looked completely fine except for her scattered hair and messy clothes.

Delac finally said, "You have something to tell me."

"Yes."

"Say it. Within one minute."

"Ahaha." Dorothy let out a low laugh. "First of all, I've been doing pretty well for the past few days. I will never forget this incident. I think it will be a good stimulus."

She spoke as if she was leaving this place immediately. At that moment, Delac confirmed that Dorothy's handcuffs were undone.

Dorothy continued, "First of all, I am going to leave the Middle Names now. Please tell His Majesty the Emperor."

Delac said, "It isn't a withdrawal, it is an expulsion."

"Indeed, that is true. No matter how active His Majesty is in recruiting talents, he wouldn't let church members be part of the Middle Names."

"What?"

"That's right. I am a Colorless believer."

Delac quietly watched Dorothy. She was still smiling, but she broke out in a cold sweat when she realized that an intangible force was enveloping her.

Dorothy asked slowly, "Are you going to... kill me here...?"

The Iron-Blooded Lord didn't talk to church members. Delac remembered what he had written in his journal and tried to draw his sword.

"You... know very well... about the Colorless Demon King... right? Not long ago, you even fought him directly..."

However, Delac's hand stopped the moment Dorothy mentioned something that wasn't written in his journal.

The pressure disappeared and Dorothy said, "The one I follow has something to say to you."

"You mean the demon king?"

"Let's see... It is up to you how you define him. Is he a demon king or something else..."

"Mm."

"Listen to it yourself."

The moment Dorothy's smile gradually faded, Delac immediately drew his sword and swung it at her. The bars were silently cut in half, and so was Dorothy.

Dorothy's smiling face eventually disappeared like a mirage. Actually, Delac had realized it the moment he drew his sword. He couldn't do anything about this woman using physical force.

If it were the Iron-Blooded Lord, he wouldn't have missed.

It happened the moment Delac had that bitter thought. The air currents, which had scattered like mist, stirred and started to take on a new shape again.

—Delac Badniker.

A chilling sense of intimidation came from beyond the bars. Delac stood still and faced the presence.

It was a being with a ghostly helmet, black armor, and a tattered cloak draped over him like a rope. His eyes blazed with a fierce light.

This was clearly the first time Delac had met him, but he felt an inexplicable sense of hostility and displeasure for some reason. It was as if he was facing his lifelong nemesis.

He simply said, "Colorless."

—You had better not go to the labor camp.

It was amazing that a demon king could fully speak human language. What was even more surprising was the tone. Except for the strange hum, the voice itself was calm enough to remind Delac of a scholar.

"Why?"

—If you go, the situation will worsen.

"Hm."

—I hope you understand the meaning of my words.

The Colorless Demon King opened his mouth and spoke as a senior brother for the moment.

—You will be a hindrance to that child.

A sneer appeared on Delac's face.