Ch.55 Fast travel and The Redeemed Sinner.

Miles away, sitting comfortably in his ergonomic leather chair in Fort Blackstone, Mordecai watched the pathetic tavern scene unfold through the floating, high-definition System interface.

He took a slow sip of his freshly AI-generated coffee.

"Fascinating," Mordecai murmured, leaning back. The cinematic cutscene began to fade, dissolving into digital code before vanishing completely from his office.

[SYSTEM ALERT: World Event Cinematic Concluded.]

[Target 'Nick' has successfully disseminated the Cover Story. The Kingdom of Light believes that Kaitoyama is no longer a menace.]

[REWARD UNLOCKED: Fast Travel Node - 'Oakhaven Gates' activated!]

[You may now instantly teleport to previously visited major landmarks, provided you are out of combat.]

[Places Available: Sleeping Basilisk Inn's room, Random Oakhaven dark alleys full of bad people, Oakhaven's Main Entrance, Lucy's Bedroom]

He pretended not to see the last place.

"Fast Travel. Finally," Mordecai sighed, setting his mug down. "Commuting was becoming a severe drain on my administrative hours."

His purple eye glowed thoughtfully as he processed the vision. The Hero was broken, clinging to a fake narrative just to survive. But what truly intrigued Mordecai was the dark elf, Luna.

"She walked away," Mordecai mused, tapping his fingers on the mahogany desk. "A highly skilled ranger, possessing innate stealth capabilities, top-tier tracking, and clearly disenfranchised with her current management. She recognized the weakness in her leadership. She recognized the power of a legally binding contract. But most importantly, she doesn't seem romantically attached to that asshole. She's never been, probably."

A sharp, predatory corporate smile touched Kaito's lips.

"That is no longer a waifu. That is prime recruitment material. A hostile talent acquisition is definitely in order."

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: COMMENT FROM [VIP USER]NTR_LOVER69: "LET'S GOOOOOO!"]

But he couldn't recruit her while hiding in a fortress. And he couldn't let Nick's lie sit unchallenged.

If the chosen one controlled the narrative via a plot armor script, he could eventually twist it because of... random logic.

So, our beloved fake necromancer realized that he needed to hijack the story. He needed to spin this into a PR victory so massive that the Church of Light would practically hand him the keys to the city.

Mordecai pressed a newly appeared magical intercom on his desk. "Pyroas. Please report to my office. And bring the Trope Trio."

Less than a minute later, the office door opened. Pyroas, wearing her new Platinum Pin of the Vanguard with terrifying pride, stepped into the room. Behind her, shuffling nervously, were Valeria, Nya, and Seraphina.

The three girls looked absolutely traumatized. They weren't physically hurt, but their eyes held the thousand-yard stare of employees who had just performed menial, repetitive data entry for six hours straight.

"M-Master," Seraphina whimpered, her massive chest heaving as she leaned on her staff. "We did it... We sorted all the goblin armor. By size... by color... and by rust level... There were so many spreadsheets..."

"Nya... my claws are cramped... Nya..." the catgirl whined, rubbing her hands together.

Valeria, the tsundere swordswoman, didn't even have the energy to cross her arms or blush. She just stared at the floor. "I dreamed of slaying dragons and marrying a SSS-Rank Hero... not filing requisition forms for WD-40..."

"Excellent work, ladies. You have proven your capacity for administrative compliance," Mordecai said, standing up from his desk. "As a reward, you are being reassigned to field duty. You are now my official adventuring party."

Pyroetta's ears immediately perked up, and her body tensed, but she stood in silence, carefully listening to her lord, trying to control her jealousy.

Valeria’s head snapped up, a spark of life returning to her eyes. "Really?! We get to fight?!"

"Oh! I can finally cast new fireballs! Te-hee!" Seraphina exclaimed.

"Ohhh! Can I eat low-level adventurers?? Please, Boss!!" Nya asked, with puppy eyes.

"You get to stand behind me and look pathetic," Mordecai corrected smoothly. "We are going back to Oakhaven."

He turned to Pyroas. "Chief of Staff. I am initiating Operation: Public Relations. You have the conn. The fortress is yours while I am away."

Pyroas stood impeccably straight, her flames burning a calm, steady orange-red. "Understood, Mordecai. What is the cover story regarding my... absence? Since I was technically part of Kaitoyama's original guild registration."

"Princess Pyroetta is missing in action," Mordecai said smoothly. "We encountered a catastrophic, uncharted dungeon. You bravely sacrificed yourself to hold back the tide of monsters, so I could escape. I am returning to the capital as a broken, traumatized man who has seen the mistakes along his path. That's the perfect setup for Nick, who's probably going to save the princess whom he refused. A fake redemption arc for himself."

Pyroas smirked, highly amused by the script. "A tragic sacrifice. Very well. And the logistical deployments?"

"Ugo has mapped out three newly spawned, uncharted dungeons in the Northern Sector," Mordecai ordered, pulling up his interface. "Send Larry and Carry to the first two. They need the EXP, and I want those dungeons scrubbed so clean you could perform open-heart surgery on the floor tiles. The loot goes directly to Vault 2."

"And the third dungeon?"

"Send Wukong. Alone," Mordecai said, his eye gleaming. "Tell her it's an S-Rank challenge where another Lord of Death wrote her name in his book; she'll understand. Let her clear it. With her power level, the System will likely glitch and register her as the new Dungeon Boss. We need a heavy hitter stationed off-site just in case the Church gets aggressive in the future."

"Strategic positioning. Flawless," Pyroas bowed slightly. "I shall execute the orders immediately."

Mordecai turned back to the three anime girls. He raised his hand, activating his inventory. A flash of light enveloped them. Their ridiculous, revealing armor—the metallic bikinis and impossible cleavage windows—vanished. It was replaced by generic, dull-brown traveler's cloaks.

"Hey! My Mythic Bikini!" Valeria gasped, trying to look at her suddenly modest attire.

"We are going for 'traumatized refugees', not 'centerfold models'," Mordecai snapped. "Keep your hoods up. Look sad. Cry if you can."

He closed his eyes, activating his [Totally Hide Status] skill. The terrifying, heavy aura of the Supreme Necromancer vanished entirely. His posture slumped. The glowing purple eye was hidden beneath the brim of his generic ugly cap. Once again, he looked exactly like Kaitoyama: a Level 35, pathetic, physically weak electrician.

"System," Mordecai commanded. "Activate Fast Travel. Destination: Oakhaven Main Gates."

~The next day, after the Tavern's brawl (Fast Travel like this doesn't count as a teleport: time actually passes.)~

The morning sun was shining brightly over Oakhaven. The crowds that had welcomed Nick had mostly dispersed, leaving only the standard contingent of heavily armored Royal Guards and a few lingering priests sweeping up the confetti near the massive white marble gates.

"Remember, girls. Don't touch me and pretend to be broken and desperate." Mordecai said, before glancing to Seraphina."And don't you dare to 'Te-hee', or our cover will be useless."

"Te-hee! R-Roger, boss..." Seraphina blushed.

With a sigh, Mordecai kept walking.

Suddenly, the air rippled.

With a flash of blue light, a man and three cloaked women materialized on the cobblestones just outside the city walls.

The Royal Guards instantly crossed their halberds, leveling the sharp tips at the newcomers.

"Halt! State your business!" the Captain of the Guard barked.

The man slowly raised his head. He looked exhausted, covered in dust, his face pale and drawn. He fell to his knees on the hard stone, raising his empty hands in the air.

"Please..." Kaitoyama whispered, his voice cracking perfectly. "Please... I seek sanctuary. I seek the Light. The Chosen Hero Nick said to come back for my redemption..."

A priest standing nearby dropped his broom. His eyes widened as he recognized the face from the wanted posters that had been circulating just days prior.

"Guards! Apprehend him!" the priest shrieked, pointing a trembling finger. "It’s the molester! It’s the villain Kaitoyama! He has returned!"

Within seconds, the gates were swarming. Dozens of [Royal Knights, Level 10] surrounded them. Valeria, Nya, and Seraphina huddled together (maybe) genuinely terrified by the sudden hostility, which only added to the scene's authenticity.

"Don't hurt him! Please! He's-" Seraphina cried out, clutching Kaitoyama's cloak.

"He's the father of our children-Nya!!" Nya added, faking a scared voice.

"P-Please! We're not trying to save him because we like him!!" Valeria added.

Mordecai wanted to die from the cringe he was witnessing.

"Silence, dark mage!" The Captain roared, stepping forward to bind Kaitoyama’s wrists with anti-magic chains.

"Wait! Stay your hands!"

A booming, authoritative voice echoed from the battlements. The crowd of guards parted like the Red Sea, and Archbishop Gigglesniff I, flanked by two towering Paladins, strode out of the city gates. The Archbishop’s face was a mask of righteous fury, his golden staff glowing with holy magic.

"Kaitoyama," Gigglesniff boomed, looking down at the kneeling man. "You dare return to the Holy City? After outraging our Immaculate Saintess? After colluding with the shadows? The Hero Nick spared you out of pity, but the Church demands justice despite his benevolence!"

Kaitoyama didn't look up. He stared at the cobblestones. And then, he did something that completely derailed the Archbishop's holy script.

He began to weep.

It was a masterclass in corporate acting. Kaito channeled every ounce of frustration, every unpaid overtime hour, every moment of despair from his past life into his tear ducts. Real, genuine tears spilled over his cheeks, hitting the stone. His shoulders shook with profound, agonizing sobs.

To be specific, he was thinking about the day he begged his boss for a free day, faking a disease and the loss of his grandma. (It was Lucy's birthday.)

"I know..." Kaitoyama gasped, his voice trembling so violently it echoed off the city walls. "I know I am a sinner! I know I am wretched!"

Gigglesniff blinked, his staff lowering slightly. He hadn't expected the villain to immediately surrender and cry.

"I was lost in the darkness," Kaitoyama continued, lifting his tear-stained face to look at the Archbishop. "My heart was consumed by pain... by a loneliness so deep it drove me mad. I sought the Saintess's warmth because I was freezing in my own despair!"

Up in the Higher Realms, the chat was absolutely losing its mind.

Waifu_Hunter99: "HE IS DOING IT! HE IS LITERALLY USING NICK'S LIE AS HIS ALIBI!"

CorporateSlave42: "Oscar-worthy performance. He is weaponizing the PR narrative. If the Church executes him now, they make Nick look like a liar."

GoonerKing: "Bro is crying on command. The CEO is a sociopath. I love it."

"But then... I met him," Kaitoyama cried out, clutching his chest dramatically. "I met the Hero Nick at the borders!"

The guards gasped, murmuring among themselves.

"The Hero..." Kaitoyama choked back a sob. "He didn't strike me down or use his blade. He just used his words. He showed me my mistakes. He guided me back to the path of redemption! He told me that the Light forgives all those who truly repent!"

Gigglesniff’s eyes widened. This was perfect. This was the ultimate propaganda. The Hero hadn't just defeated a possible newborn villain; he had converted one. It proved the absolute moral superiority of the Church of Light.

"Is this true?" Gigglesniff asked, his voice softening, the righteous fury replaced by eager religious fervor. "The Hero Nick's mercy touched your corrupted soul?"

"It broke my darkness!" Kaitoyama yelled, bowing his head until his forehead touched the stone. "But the cost was so high! I ventured into the Uncharted Depths to purify myself... and my beloved companion, Princess Pyroetta... she sacrificed herself to save me from a demon so I could return and face judgment! I have lost everything! I surrender to the Church! Punish me as you see fit! I only wanted to feel the warmth of the Saintess for a second!"

Behind him, Nya let out a perfectly timed, mournful "Nya..." of sorrow.

The silence at the gates was palpable. The guards looked at the weeping, broken man and his three terrified, cloaked companions. They didn't see a Dark Lord. They saw a pathetic, broken sinner who had been saved by their golden boy.

Gigglesniff stepped forward. He raised his golden staff, but not to strike. He placed the glowing tip gently on Kaitoyama's shoulder.

"The Goddess teaches us that no soul is too far gone if they seek the Light," Gigglesniff announced, his voice booming for all the gathered guards and citizens to hear. "If the Hero Nick saw fit to spare you, and guide you to redemption, then the Church shall not contradict his divine judgment!"

Kaitoyama looked up, his eyes wide, playing the part of the shocked, grateful penitent. "Y-You mean...?"

"Rise, Kaitoyama," Gigglesniff smiled, an expression of benevolent superiority on his face. "You are forgiven. Your sins are washed away by your tears and your tragic loss. Welcome back to Oakhaven, Redeemed Sinner."

The guards lowered their weapons. A few people in the gathering crowd actually started clapping.

Kaitoyama stood up slowly, leaning heavily on Seraphina for support. He bowed deeply to the Archbishop. "Thank you, Your Holiness. Thank you."

[SYSTEM ALERT: REPUTATION EVENT SUCCESSFUL!]

[Public Perception altered: 'Wanted Criminal' -> 'Redeemed Penitent'.]

[Title Acquired: 'The Forgiven'. Grants access to all major cities and a 15% discount on Guild taxes.]

[NOTE: The Higher Realms chat has officially designated you as a 'PR God'.]

As the Archbishop turned to lead his Paladins back into the city, ordering the guards to escort the "refugees" to a local inn to rest, Kaitoyama lowered his head.

Beneath the brim of his leather cap, safely hidden from the eyes of the Church, a cold, calculating, and utterly malicious smile spread across Mordecai's face.

He was inside the walls. He had total legal immunity. And Nick, bound by the NDA, couldn't say a single word to contradict him.

Checkmate.

High above the gates, in the dark, incense-filled Royal Suite of the Cathedral, the glowing System hologram flickered and died.

Lucy sat on the edge of her massive canopy bed, the silken sheets pooled around her waist. She had watched the entire broadcast. She had watched the guards cross their spears, she had watched Gigglesniff's grandstanding, and she had watched Kaitoyama's cry.

To the rest of the world, it was a beautiful story of redemption.

To Lucy, it was the most terrifying thing she had ever seen.

Every single thing that Kaitoyama did reminded her of Kaito.

She knew his tells. She had spent years watching him navigate angry landlords, difficult clients, and exhausting shifts. She knew the micro-expressions that crossed his face when he was lying through his teeth to survive.

When he had bowed his head to the cobblestones, the world saw a sobbing penitent.

Lucy saw the exact, specific twitch of his jaw. The way he bit the inside of his cheek to suppress a sigh of profound, administrative boredom. The tears were real—likely forced out by sheer willpower—but the emotion behind them was entirely manufactured.

'He's playing them,' Lucy realized, her breath catching in her throat. 'He's playing the Archbishop. He's playing Nick. He's playing the entire Kingdom of Light. If that's really you, Kaito...'

The Kaito she knew in Tokyo wouldn't have done this. The Kaito in Tokyo would have kept his head down, taken the hit, and walked away. But the man who had just performed at the city gates wasn't just surviving. He was calculating. He was weaponizing the Church's own ego against them.

Lucy stood up, her bare feet touching the cold marble floor.

The System tried to ping her, generating a pink, flowery notification.

[SAINTESS QUEST UPDATED: The Sinner has returned! Grant him an audience so that he may formally apologize for his transgressions against your purity!]

Lucy swiped her hand through the air, shattering the pink notification into digital dust.

Her red-rimmed, tear-stained eyes hardened. The crushing, paralyzing guilt that had kept her locked in this dark room for days was suddenly eclipsed by a desperate, burning need for the truth.

He was inside the city. He was right here.

She walked over to her ornate vanity mirror. She stared at her reflection—the messy, golden hair, the pale skin, the tragic beauty of the Immaculate Saintess. She hated it. She hated the script.

"You think you can just walk back in here and play a role, Kaito?" Lucy whispered to the empty room, her voice trembling, but no longer breaking.

She grabbed a heavy, white holy cloak from the wardrobe and threw it over her shoulders, pulling the deep hood up to conceal her golden hair and her face.

She no longer cared about the System's narrative or Nick's fake victory. She needed to see the man behind the Kaitoyama's mask. She needed to look into his eyes and find out if there was even a single fragment of the electrician she had loved left inside that man.

After finally gathering some force, Lucy slipped out of the Royal Suite, moving like a ghost through the silent corridors of the Cathedral.

She swore that, when the time was right, she would finally confront that low-level adventurer who made her remember all her pain in the fraction of a second.