“I’m glad you’re awake, Miss Capricorn,” said a youthful yet annoyed voice.
Where am I?
The last thing I remember is that I’d come to fulfill Pisces-senpai’s request, and then that bastard of a new king ambushed me...
What are these chains on my wrists? Why is that bastard down there?
I tried to punch the scruffy guy who was watching me with a smug look, but all I felt was a sharp burning sensation in my arms.
“You bastard, take these damn chains off me!”
“I’m afraid I can’t,” he said as he fiddled with the keys between his fingertips. “You left me on the brink of death during your last attack, so it wouldn’t hurt to ask for some compensation in return. How about, as payment, you tell me about The Ash Stage?”
“Not in your wildest dreams, you stupid noble—over my dead body!”
“And who was that woman in red you were drooling over a moment ago?”
“P-Pisces-senpai!”
I hadn’t realized my mistake until those words came out of my mouth, when I noticed the subtle smile on Marc’s face.
Damn it! That bastard…
“So her name is Pisces; it seems you’re quite fond of her,” he remarked, resting his chin in his hands. “I can help you remove that mask from your face; it all depends on your cooperation.”
Can it be removed? But the boss and the lady told me it was impossible, unless someone could access the spiritual plane and sever its connection to my soul.
“Hmph, that’s just nonsense. No one can reach the spiritual plane unless they’re at least a Legend-ranked fighter,” I replied, not believing a word of his nonsense for a second. “Kill me and get this over with!”
His lips twitched for a few seconds, his brow slightly furrowed at my provocation.
I won’t say a single thing, even if you torture me. Do you think I’m like those fucking hypocrites? Well, let me tell you, you’ve picked the wrong person.
He rose from his seat with a look of disdain in his eyes as he watched me.
Hm. Go ahead and attack, and we’ll see who has the last laugh.
“This is a nuisance, but if you’re not going to cooperate…” He snapped his fingers.
The chains began to retract toward the wall, scratching my skin as they came into contact with the rock face.
I clenched my teeth; this was nothing, just a few small scratches on my skin. It doesn’t even come close to the treatment that young lady gave me.
“Disappear,” he declared before everything went dark before my eyes.
***
The situation had reached its peak—just when people call it “rest”; ah, how I envy them.
In front of me, everything seemed perfectly normal inside the church’s vault, but the truth was that it was a real headache for me.
One of the pages of the Holy Scriptures had been stolen from the site.
I might even be able to explain it if it were just any other treasure; unfortunately, this wasn’t “just any treasure”—it’s one of the greatest symbols the church has displayed in other cathedrals around the world.
It’s said that some of them possess the power to communicate directly with entities erased from the annals of history.
“This time you’ve really gotten yourself into a mess, Alec,” remarked a male voice as it approached the center of the room.
He was wearing a ceremonial robe worn only by the church’s defenders; unlike me, who preferred a minimalist design, this man’s was the exact opposite.
His shoulder-length white hair already made him stand out, and add to that the expensive ornaments on his uniform and the symbol he wore in plain sight as if it were a simple pendant.
Dimitrix: the commandment of love.
“What are you doing here, Dimitrix? This isn’t your assigned area,” I interjected, interrupted, blocking his path to the Holy Scriptures
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“I’m just here to offer my condolences. Her Holiness was furious as soon as she found out what happened—so much so that she actually burst out laughing,” he said, hugging himself with a fearful expression. “Can you believe it? Her Holiness laughing. Today might be the last day you get to see the light of day before you’re buried under a mountain of paperwork.”
I let out a weary sigh at Dimitrix’s unnecessary comment.
“Yeah, thanks for rubbing salt in the wound.”
“That’s what friends are for,” he said with a smug tone in his voice, before abruptly changing the subject. “By the way, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask since I got here: where’s the symbol of sloth?”
Things couldn’t be worse than they are right now. I’d planned to use the heavy workload to keep the information from reaching Her Holiness’s ears until things were restored, but, knowing how gossipy this man is, it felt like fate was laughing in my face
Have I committed some sin so great that I deserve such a streak of bad luck?
I’ve got nothing to lose by trying.
“Could you please not tell Her Holiness?” I asked, testing the waters with the laid-back man.
He seemed to understand my intentions as he shrugged.
“Don’t worry, brother, I wouldn’t want to be alone with Her Holiness either—not even if they paid me,” he explained, words that didn’t comfort me in the least. “But seriously, what did you use it for? You’re the most upright among the ten of us, so I can’t imagine you doing something for your own benefit.”
“An equivalent exchange,” I replied calmly.
“With whom?”
I didn’t answer right away for fear that my words would be judged by the Holy Scriptures.
I began walking toward the far end of the place, with Dimitrix following closely behind, not wanting to get involved in this either.
“Is it that serious?” he whispered cautiously.
I looked around, confirming that we were already in a safe area.
“I ran into a stubborn girl who refused to evacuate to a safe place unless I ‘cured’ her friends who had just passed away,” I began to explain somewhat reluctantly, though there was little I could do to avoid it.
“That means…” Dimitrix looked me in the eyes, having likely figured out what had happened.
“I used up my annual allowance for the medallion to fulfill an equivalent exchange,” I confessed.
The silence between us spread through the corner of the vault, giving the sensation that time had stopped as we stared at each other.
Yes, I know what you’re thinking, but I just have to hold out for a few months without Her Holiness catching me off guard.
After a few seconds, Dimitrix decided to break the silence, likely sensing the awkwardness of the situation.
“Well… That’s something you’d do even if it didn’t benefit you in any way,” he murmured, stroking his chin as he looked at me with a pitying gaze before patting me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, man. You did the right thing by not turning your back on them; if you had, I’d be beating the crap out of you right now.”
“That doesn’t reassure me at all, coming from you,” I remarked, unable to hold back a dry laugh at the man’s failed attempt at seriousness.
“It was a pleasure chatting to kill some time,” he said, ...turning toward the exit. “Don’t die on the job, because they might even double my workload.”
And there he is, the Dimitrix we all know: brazenly revealing his intentions just to get more free time.
“I wish I could be like you, too,” I muttered to myself, turning my attention back to the Holy Scripture in the center of the room. “They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
***
This is so annoying.
I was kneeling before the gleaming statue of our goddess, catching a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of the paladins guarding the entrances; they didn’t even let a single glass window remain within my reach.
If only I had stayed at the academy instead of coming back to offer my prayers to the goddess...
Haa… If I stay here another second, I think I’ll go crazy, ignoring the possible cries for help from the locals who, unfortunately, can’t reach this soundproofed hall.
I stood up under the watchful gaze of the paladins, brushing the dust off the hems of my dress.
“Am I allowed to leave now?” I asked, feeling the chill of the night settling on the porcelain floor beneath my bare feet.
“I’m sorry, Aria-sama, but Her Holiness made it clear that you are not allowed to leave under any circumstances,” replied one of the paladins, apologizing repeatedly for what had happened.
“Well, that makes sense. If Aria-sama were to get involved, the situation could spiral out of our control,” added another.
Why does everyone treat me as if I’m the one who doesn’t belong here? Even Marc is hiding things from me now that he’s ascended to the throne. They won’t even answer my questions about the blood of the forgotten, no matter how much I demand it.
My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden beam of blue light emanating from the eyes of the statue in the center.
“We salute Her Holiness.”
The paladins instantly knelt before the projection, which emitted a dreamlike glow, but no one dared to lift their head, even though it was merely an image.
No one, except me.
Hm, why should I bow down before someone who ignores the people’s call?
“What’s the matter, my child? Did someone have the audacity to upset you?” she asked in a melodious voice that bordered on the perfection a human could achieve in their lifetime.
I felt as if my body were floating in a sea of clouds the moment I heard her, but that didn’t stop me.
I crossed my arms as I turned my head away, complex emotions swirling in my chest, so as not to fall for her deceptions.
“You’re the one who bothered me. Hmph, why can everyone else go out except me?” I retorted with slight annoyance.
“Others are others; you are yourself. Don’t compare yourself to the masses,” she explained calmly.
Wait, did she really just say that? We’re talking about Her Holiness, the figure who rules among the angels of Caelumita—saying that we’re not all equal?
I can’t believe it; not even she can be trusted these days, just like everyone around me.
“I know what you’re thinking, and your answer is: no, not everyone has equal value. That’s something you should already understand,” she began to walk with steps that exuded elegance in even the slightest movement, stopping in front of me.
“All lives are equal! Material wealth doesn’t make you superior to others!”
“All lives are equal…?” she repeated solemnly, before resting her comforting hand on my hair. “Not everyone is equal, my dear. I forbid you to compare yourself to the crowd.”
She held her kind yet terrifying gaze for a few seconds, which were anything but pleasant.
“You can go back to the academy; I have unfinished business to attend to,” she said, as if nothing had happened a couple of seconds ago.
I simply walked out the door, which was now clear, without turning around.
She’ll see when I break the 8.9 barrier. I’ll reform her corrupt mind, even if I have to use force to make her comply.