This was the most critical period.
And yet, unexpectedly, I was enjoying a more relaxed daily life than ever before.
“Hyup!”
I stayed holed up inside the Misfits’ place, looking out the window.
I could see Dietrich and Chris digging the ground together.
Dietrich had always been the type who didn’t shy away from hard labor, but even Chris, despite being a noble, was getting covered in dirt and putting in the effort.
Chris has always liked physical work, so he’s especially enthusiastic about this kind of labor. My little brother really is kind.
And what exactly are they doing?
“Alright, this depth should be enough.”
“You think so? Isn’t it a bit too narrow for a person to fit?”
“Considering Senior’s build, this should be plenty.”
“So my brother was this small…?”
They’re making my grave.
It’s just a fake grave, so I don’t see why they even need to dig this deep.
Are they planning to bury an empty coffin or something?
For the record, I’m not small. If anything, I’m above average in build.
“Now we just place the coffin in here…”
The two of them continued working smoothly.
For people making a grave, they seemed far too cheerful.
Is this really okay?
Well… it’s not like anyone actually died, so I guess it’s fine.
“Why did it have to be in the backyard? It feels kind of unsettling.”
“Well, it’d be a problem if someone dug it up, wouldn’t it?”
“What a grim world we live in.”
I get it.
If Faust so much as suspects that I’m not dead, digging up my grave would be the obvious thing to do.
And even aside from that, Faust is the kind of person who would dig up my grave anyway.
He’d be curious about the magic Alice used. Something I had analyzed.
He’s the type who would desecrate a corpse without a second thought.
Which makes it even worse. Because he doesn’t even see it that way himself.
To stop someone like Faust, it makes sense to build the grave within Helena’s domain.
The World Tree can keep watch for his approach, but the only one who could physically stop him would be the Oracle.
“You’ve been working hard.”
“Tell me about it. There are plenty of older brothers in this house, but they’re all basically children.”
Helena spoke gently, but her words hit hard. Was I included in that too?
“I finished everything, Teacher.”
“Alright, let me take a look.”
Since I didn’t have much to do, I had been helping Helena with her studies.
Before I knew it, she had completely mastered basic arithmetic and had moved on to equations and functions.
It was kind of moving. Not long ago, she didn’t even know the alphabet.
People really do grow.
“Well done. That’s a perfect score.”
“Hehe, I studied a lot.”
Just as we were wrapping up for the day—
“It’s done!”
“Woooo!!”
Cheers erupted from outside, where Dietrich and Chris were.
It seemed the grave was finally complete.
My grave.
Saying it like that felt a bit strange, but since it was something related to me, I looked out the window.
There stood a gravestone, as if carved directly from a boulder with a sword.
They probably didn’t buy it anywhere, so Dietrich must have carved it himself.
As a Sword Saint, cutting through stone like tofu would’ve been nothing for him.
“Senior! Can you see it?”
“Yeah, you did a good job.”
I gave a half-hearted compliment to Dietrich who spotted me and waved.
Well, they did this for me, after all.
“When you pass away someday, we’ll bury you here!”
“Are you insane?”
I’m getting buried in Damus territory.
Do you think I’m in the same situation as you fugitives?
“Jeez…”
I watched Dietrich and Chris cheering like children, then quietly closed the window.
It already felt like Chris was being influenced in a bad way. If I didn’t resolve things soon and take him back…
More importantly, I still hadn’t figured out where Chris should stay.
I wondered if I could get him a dorm room at Cradle, but all I got in response was that special treatment wasn’t allowed.
They’re really strict about that.
“I’ve got too much free time.”
“If you’re going to say that, could you at least help with the cleaning?”
“I’ve got too much free time.”
“Even if we’re treating you like a guest, you can’t just laze around like this, Teacher.”
“…Alright.”
Helena had really grown up.
Now she could even nag me.
“Jeez, nothing but enemies in this house.”
Whose fault is it that a kid ended up talking like that all the time?
Well, I don’t live here, so I’m excluded.
Then… Dietrich, maybe? Jeff at least seems diligent.
Melana… well, she’s a patient, so that’s understandable.
“Come to think of it, where’s Melana?”
“I don’t know. She’s been going out a lot lately, so I’m not sure what she’s been doing.”
“Is that okay?”
“The lethargy and fatigue from her soul injury can’t really be helped, but everything else has been restored with divine power. It should be fine for her to move around a bit.”
“Divine power really is convenient.”
That’s probably why Kult was able to gather so many followers.
Of course, since Kult himself was the center, the moment he was destroyed, Eden naturally fell apart as well. No matter how fanatical they were, once the object of their worship disappeared, there wasn’t much they could do.
Even so, similar groups kept popping up afterward, but none of them could really stand against the Empire’s military power.
Most of those sloppy groups get wiped out within a week. At this point, the only ones left are people quietly offering prayers to their god.
“It’s not that convenient, though. Healing with divine power only really gives you another chance.”
Healing through divine power can’t improve immunity or build muscle.
It simply restores your condition, which means you can catch the same cold again even after being healed.
That’s why I didn’t treat the curse I had before.
“Especially in my case, I feel like my basic physical strength is really lacking.”
“That can’t be helped. Kult was the same.”
Both Kult and Helena had small frames and slender bodies.
That’s because divine power flows through them. Unlike power borrowed from the outside, divine power that emanates from within actually hinders physical growth.
“If other people heard that, they’d say you’re complaining with a full stomach.”
“Do you think so? Still, I want to grow taller like Chris.”
“Dietrich wouldn’t like that.”
“…Why are you suddenly bringing up Dietrich?”
“Huh?”
Right, I shouldn’t bring up Helena’s embarrassing past that the World Tree showed me.
I’m not cruel enough to tease a kid about her first love.
“Dietrich needs someone to protect to have any dignity as a guardian knight.”
“Is that so? But Dietrich is already strong enough.”
“Being strong yourself and being able to protect others are two different things. As you know, Dietrich still can’t properly handle divine power, right? He’s specialized in offense, not protection.”
Dietrich is a swordsman overwhelmingly geared toward offense.
His swift movements for evasion, combined with sharp sword energy for decisive strikes.
Then the follow-up attacks and disruption from his ‘traces.’
He’s already a monster.
But all of those abilities are meant for attacking an opponent. Fighting to protect someone isn’t something that suits him or even something he can really do.
Dietrich wants to become an unshakable wall like Jeff, but without being able to properly use divine power, that’s a difficult goal for now.
“Traces” and divine power. Figuring out how to combine two incompatible abilities will be his challenge going forward.
“By the way, Teacher.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you just going to subtly change the subject and not help with the cleaning?”
“…Alright, I’ll do it.”
***
By the time we finished lightly cleaning the house and started preparing dinner,
A new guest arrived at the residence.
“An intruder! An intruder! You! Someone else has appeared here!”
“Thank you for letting me know. But that person isn’t an intruder, they’re a guest. Please remember that from now on.”
“You certainly keep a lot of strange company, don’t you?”
“I suppose I do….”
There really are all kinds of strange things around me. Even the ones gathered here right now are nothing but oddballs.
“And who exactly are you calling strange?”
“What, you can see the World Tree?”
“I can. More importantly, the fact that you’ve hidden away the World Tree…very bold, in a sense. Johan Damas.”
I didn’t expect this.
But perhaps an oracle really is an oracle. To think there’s someone who can perceive it without the World Tree’s permission.
Even Lobelia couldn’t see the World Tree. The same goes for the prophet Helena.
Maybe it’s because she can wander along the boundaries of the world.
“So? How are things?”
“The Emperor has decided to mobilize the entire Order of the Guillotine Knights under the pretext of your death.”
“That’s unusual. He’s actually doing his job.”
“It’s only that you were unaware. No one has worked harder than the Emperor. While you were striking down the leaders of your enemies, who do you think held back most of their subordinates?”
“When you put it that way, I don’t really have a comeback.”
Eden, Lemegeton, Speartip of Snowblossoms, Ex Machina, and Lemegeton.
Not a single one was an easy group.
Right, groups. It was the Empire’s knights and soldiers who held those organizations in check.
That’s not something I should ignore.
Of course…
“It would’ve been easier if the Emperor had stepped in personally.”
“That’s absurd.”
“I know.”
If the Emperor were to move, there would be countless opportunists ready to exploit the opening.
He had to hold his position to keep them in check.
After all, enemies aren’t only on the outside.
“Anyway, including the Order of the Guillotine Knights, Safe Clown, Ariel Ether, Her Highness Lobelia, and His Highness Theseus. An unprecedented level of excessive force has begun to move.”
“They’re the very best.”
Just as the oracle said, an unprecedented level of overwhelming force had been mobilized.
A wise decision.
Numbers mean nothing against Faust.
To face someone who can unleash ultimate-level attacks without any cost, half-baked forces would be of no help.
“What about the Great Sage?”
“He’s preparing for interception.”
Faust is strong.
That strength remained constant throughout the game.
From the early stages all the way to the end.
Faust was a final boss who never achieved any notable growth.
And that means he was never weak, not even once.
Of course, things might be different now.
“Tell them to be careful. He might have hidden methods.”
“Do you think the Empire’s finest are fools who wouldn’t consider that?”
“I’m just saying.”
Do you always have to make people feel small like that?
“Alright then. Let’s move too.”
Now, time to prepare for a little burglary.
“Aren’t you staying for dinner? We’re having lamb tonight.”
“Let’s eat first, Oracle.”
“Yes, then I’ll gratefully accept.”
Right, whatever it is, you should fill your stomach first.
A proper meal gives you the strength to last longer in a fight.
***
Before the full-scale battle between the Empire’s elite forces and the Under Chain, the two sides stood facing each other in a tense standoff.
In terms of numbers, the Under Chain held an overwhelming advantage.
A group that boasts overwhelming numbers unlike any other. The Under Chain.
And nearly half of them are undead who have returned from death.
Then what about the Empire’s side?
Barely around fifty at most.
Composed only of elite knights, their forces looked pitifully small.
They were said to be in a standoff, but in reality, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the Under Chain had surrounded the Imperial forces.
However, the quality of their troops was different.
“Brother, shall we make a bet?”
“I know what kind of bet. Who takes down the Great Sage, right?”
“Who snaps the Great Sge’s neck, more like. Still haven’t broken that habit? There are plenty of people in this world who can’t be fixed.”
The two imperial members pushing back a massive army with overwhelming momentum.
“…….”
And the Great Sge standing at the center of the battlefield with an expressionless face.
And even the Empire’s strongest knight order, known as wraiths.
But among them, there was one presence that stood out above all others.
“So, you are….”
Faust turned his head and fixed his gaze on a single spot.
Amid the fifty-odd soldiers whose overwhelming momentum was not just surging but erupting outward,
He could feel a killing intent sharper than anything else directed straight at him.
“You hate me.”
At the center of a group clad in armor and robes stood a clown.
From that bizarre and incongruous appearance, Faust quickly realized who it was.
“Yuna Salos.”
A vengeful soul who had her father’s death dishonored and her beloved taken from her.
Yuna was like a dagger honed sharper than ever before.
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