Chapter 155 (1/2)
Volume 2
Chapter 134
The『Cursed Poison of the Holy Chalice』, one of the secret techniques the Theocracy employed, could only be produced by the saintess Meteria herself. It had no actual defects with the exception that it cannot be stored to be used for a later time.
（Why, why is she here!!! Wasn’t she going for『The Coffin of the Undying One』? No, even more important, as long as there is that shitty Pope, she should not be able to act so freely….!!）
I knew that by using the Swords of Mortal Sin, I was transmitting my location to Meteria. Even though I tried to suppress the power of the curse to its bare minimum, I’ve been using these swords continuously for three days straight.
I knew that sooner or later someone will come here to investigate, but this was just way too fast.
（And this power, don’t tell me they conquered a dungeon? Shit, this is just the worst, I am not in the shape to fight……）
With the demerits from using『Sloth』and『Lust』, the curse of the Holy Maiden, and the wounds and poisoning received from Gordes stacking up together with the situation that the magic power that I accumulated to maintain workshop seems to be running out as well, it’s no wonder that I’m definitely not in any shape to fight back. And on top of that, Minnalis and Shuria were captured in a surprise attack.
Minnalis and Shuria, who were trapped in the Water Prison, are struggling to escape but it is not a technique from which you can easily break out off.
Compressed water turned into firm walls that would not allow even a sound to leak.
Nevertheless, mocking my panic, Meteria continued to talk.
「Aah, Kaito-sama, you are so badly injured… I am so sorry, it is all due to my incompleteness. If I could properly support Kaito-sama before time was re-winded by the Lord’s hand, you would not have to go through such an experience.」
「What!? It… Cannot… You… Your memory?」
「Yes, of course. Each and every hour I spent with Kaito-sama are carved deep into my heart. It is all thanks to the guidance of Lord Lunaris. As Recipients of Lord’s Will, we are truly special in this world.」
「? What did you say?」
Ignoring my confusion, Meteria wipes her tears and puts a hand on her chest as if embracing something precious to her.
「More importantly, I am truly, truly sorry. Kaito-sama will be hurt once again… All because I am lacking, you go through nothing but suffering, aah, just how heart-breaking it was. Not having enough power to stand by your side… Just how pathetic I felt. 」
「Meteria…」
While saying that, Meteria was crying her eyes out.
I sensed no deception from her but the sight of her sincerely worrying about me sent chills down my spine.
Even though I’m in this state, a question that was bugging me for the longest time has risen up in my mind.
「Why did you betray me…? What were you trying to accomplish by killing me?」
I have always been wondering about that.
Since sealing my Swords of Mortal Sin immediately after her betrayal, Meteria was the only one who didn’t needlessly chase me around and almost didn’t show herself at all.
When the first run came to a close, she also didn’t look at me and just stood there with her eyes closed and hands clasped together.
No matter how much I think about it, I could not feel any malice nor hostility from her that everyone else had.
It contradicts itself. It just does not make any sense.
「…I never thought of betraying Kaito-sama.」
「Don’t fuck with me! What are you talking about after sealing my Swords of Mortal Sin and labeling me as the enemy of God!!」
「It all was in order to save Kaito-sama. That was the only way to set the soul that was captured by falling to temptations of the Demon Lord free.」
Meteria shook her head.
「Set free… The soul…?」
「That is so. That is why I abode to Lord’s guidance. It is proper for a Hero to be with a Saintess, it was decided so!」
「You, what are you talking about… Speak in a way that I would understand!!!」
「Such is the wish of Lord Lunaris, therefore there is nothing to worry about, this is the right thing to do. Ufufu.」
The sight of her acting as if she was possessed by something gave off a feeling of incredible creepiness.
『————Just between the two of us. I am actually not too fond of the revelations coming from Lord Lunaris.』
Echoes of the days long gone.
Words I heard on a wharf of a quiet lake, surrounded by the tranquility of a forest illuminated by starlight.
『Inside my dreams Lord Lunaris seems somewhat cold, and by following path designated by him, I have a feeling like I am being manipulated. Hence I do not want to stop thinking, I do not want to stop worrying. Perhaps it is unbecoming of a saintess……』
Just as she said, she never tried to use divine revelations as a reason for something.
Even in cases where it would be fine for a saintess to say that it is an oracle, she instead thought for herself and while anguishing over it, tried to come up with an explanation of her own.
And for that, I saw her shouldering difficulties she did not have to deal with and taking unnecessary wounds in the process.
「……Are you really Meteria?」
「? Who else do I look to you?」
「Then how can you say that there is no need to worry about anything?」
「….Eh?」
To my words, Meteria stops moving.
「Did you lie to me when you said that you don’t want to stop thinking and anguishing about it?」
「Lie? That is, no, I, I am… It is not true, it can’t be…」
Meteria looked shocked and frightened. I had my heart bursting out of my chest and my sight was starting to blur.
（Crap… Poison has spread for good.）
「Master!!」「This, UUUUUUGH!!」
「?! 『Water Prison・Whirling Tides』!!」
Minnalis and Shuria almost burst out of the water prison due to lapse in Meteria’s magic control, but the water prison had another stage to it.
The water that until now was in a form of a sphere, coiled around the two like a snake and restricted their movements.
「……Don’t get in the way of our rendezvous.」
「Uh, Guh…」「Higuh, uuh…」
The rope of water tightened around the thin necks of Minnalis and Shuria.
「Stop, Don’t!!」
「Please, worry not, Kaito-sama. I will not kill them now. I understand that those two insects are parasitizing on you, I will not do anything drastic to them.……For now.」
At the hands of Meteria that immediately regained her composure, Minnalis and Shuria lost consciousness.
When Meteria turned back to me, her face had no signs of hesitation from before.
「Yes, there is no need for doubts, I just have to purify and thus save the soul of Kaito-sama that is still ensnared by the Demon Lord. 」
「Kuh…!!」
Meteria’s words revived the scene of my death in the first world in my mind.
「Do not fret, there is no need to use such means this time. Such a tragedy should not have happened even once. That is why we will do a makeover! You will once again become a hero and will save this world.」
「…Don’t give me that shit, there is no way I will do it after all that!!」
「Aah, poor Kaito-sama. But it is fine. I will make all necessary preparations for a makeover. This time I will support Kaito-sama for certain. We will become happy together.」
Meteria was laughing as if she was actually seeing a dream.
The conversation weirdly did not match up with how she was and her odd state was giving me shivers.
「What are you even thinking?!」
「It is a makeover. You will save the world from demons, repel a Demon Lord and will become happy together with me. Therefore Kaito-sama. Please wait for a while in your original world.」
「Wha, Original, World…?」
「Yes, exactly. Meanwhile, I will tidy up this world. I will cleanse it of everything that wants to prey on Kaito-sama. The princess shall be made into a marionette, Demon Lord replaced, weakened and killed. After that, I will summon Kaito-sama back into this world. Thus there will be no need for those comrades (pests) that the second-rate princess have assembled in the first world. This time, together with alone, Kaito-sama will become a champion that saved the world.
「…Wha, you, are you kidding me? Send me back and then re-summon?! How many lives do you want to sacrifice? And first of all, do you think I will obey after being subjected to that?!」
「Worry not, there is nothing for the kind Kaito-sama to be concerned about. If it is Kaito-sama that is yet to kill a Demon Lord then it is possible to send you back using the passage that you came through. This jewel can substitute for the sacrifices required to open the gate. There are no bodies of flesh but inside there is indeed a massive amount of human souls collected by a lich that was the boss of『The Coffin of the Undying One』」