“Tch—”
Jun who was still rubbing the area around his aching heart looked up at the five towering pillars stretching into the sky.
“What the hell did that lizard shaman do before dying?”
In response to Eleanor’s question, Jun glanced around for a moment before opening his mouth.
“The Heavenly Church has only one goal. Reformation. Do you know what that means?”
“Oh please. Do I look like I would?”
Even at her sharp reply, Jun merely gave a faint chuckle.
“Their goal is the destruction of the surface world. No, even further, the fusion of Blackout and the surface.”
Dimension Reverse.
The phenomenon where Blackout swallows the surface. The Heavenly Church is a group that exists solely to achieve that.
“But normally, Dimension Reverse alone wouldn’t be enough. Not with that scale, and especially with the Imperial family trying to stop it.”
On top of that, the mana that exists in the outside world neutralizes the energy of Blackout.
“They repel each other like water and oil. But in the end, the Heavenly Church found a way to mix water and oil.”
“…And that’s me?”
“That’s right. They found a vessel capable of mixing the ‘water’ that is the surface, and the ‘oil’ that is Blackout.”
If the existence of the surface and that of Blackout were fused and Dimension Reverse occurred—
The mana of the surface would no longer recognize it as foreign and thus would not destroy it.
“What they were aiming for was to implant the energy of that Level 8 monster, created by combining those five named undead, into you.”
And what would have been born from that was the Level 10 world-class raid monster from the game—[Calamity of Sorrow].
But.
Jun erased that branching point today.
At least, as long as Jun was protecting Eleanor, the [Calamity of Sorrow] would not be born into the world like in the game.
“So they planned to kidnap me too, create a Level 8 monster here, and absorb its energy? What complete lunatics.”
And the spell that the old shaman left behind served to break the seal on the five named undead.
Bern nodded his head as if he understood.
“So that’s why the old shaman wasn’t able to use her power.”
“That monk tried to escape with only the old shaman for that very reason. They had nothing to lose.”
Failing to secure the vessel must have been a painful loss, but the goal of the Heavenly Church was ultimately Dimension Reverse.
They only needed Eleanor as a vessel. As a tool to maximize efficiency.
“If left alone, the spell of the old shaman will activate, and the five named undead will be released all at once.”
If that happens, the five named undead who grow stronger by devouring each other will become a Level 8 monster and ascend to the surface.
That alone would fulfill the Heavenly Church’s main objective.
“I’m planning to stop that from happening.”
“But how do you even know all this?”
“I’m a mage.”
“…I don’t think that’s something you can just explain away with magic talk.”
Though he said that, Bern didn’t press further.
To him, the immediate problem was more urgent than Jun’s identity.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Honestly, I’m close to my limit right now. It’s hard to handle two tasks at once.”
There were two things that needed to be done to neutralize the spell.
First, to read the energy of the spell.
Second, to purify the spell’s medium.
So then…. what was the medium?
It was the corrupted Holy Grail.
“It’s been completely tainted by demonic energy.”
Bern clicked his tongue as he looked at the Holy Grail he had brought up from the basement.
Even though it had been hit by Jun’s [Flare], it remained intact except for being slightly scorched.
Instead, it was constantly emitting dark purple energy, and Jun was now planning to purify it.
“I’ll leave the purification to you, Eleanor. Sir Bern, and Aiden. You two, please assist Eleanor.”
“What should I do?”
At Aiden’s question, Jun didn’t answer himself but turned to look at Eleanor.
As soon as she saw Jun’s face, Eleanor understood what he meant and began to explain her staff.
“That staff has that kind of effect…?”
Apparently unaware of the staff’s true nature, Bern looked visibly surprised.
Aiden who realized all he had to do was lend his mana nodded his head several times.
“And Maya, you—”
“Handle the surroundings?”
“Exactly. I’m counting on you.”
“Got it.”
This place was the heart of the enemy stronghold.
So far, the undead hadn’t approached due to the old crone’s tricks, but once the spell started being lifted, there was no telling when they might swarm in.
“Then, let’s begin.”
***
Several days passed after that.
During that time, Jun recovered from the aftereffects of Overheat at the Ariklotus Church’s base camp.
Eleanor and Bern, along with members of the church who had regained consciousness, began cleaning up the aftermath.
Despite the chaos that had occurred, the church managed to regain its footing under the leadership of Eleanor and Bern.
In reality, there wasn’t much left to do.
Thanks to Jun and Eleanor’s efforts, the sealing of the five Named had been delayed.
Originally, the seals would have been broken by now, but Jun had manipulated the old crone’s spell.
It was enough to make even the dead old crone weep tears of blood.
“If you know how to dismantle it, putting it back together isn’t that hard.”
The function of the spell had been to hasten the unsealing of the five Named.
Therefore, by reversing it, it was also possible to delay the timing.
Naturally, it was something that had to be done at the risk of one’s life.
Unlike magic, a spell operated through a pact with a transcendent being.
And in this case, the other party to the pact had already died. The corrupted old crone.
However, Jun managed to offset that risk using Eleanor’s staff.
He used the staff to convert his own mana into the old crone’s energy and twisted the terms of the pact.
As a result, they had been able to buy time until the reinforcements arrived.
***
“When I first received the message from the paladins, it felt like I was standing before Ariklotus himself.”
The voice was warm.
Like that of a grandfather reading a storybook to a beloved grandchild.
Familiar, gentle, and full of the weight of time and experience.
“That’s why I hurried here. But what do you know. One unexpected thing after another kept happening.”
Yet despite his warm tone, there was something about his presence that made everyone around him fall solemn.
It was Elahim, the Pope of the Ariklotus Church.
A private audience with the Pope himself, who had personally led the vanguard.
To say it wasn’t intimidating would’ve been a lie.
Aiden’s in my party, too, after all.
Even the forsaken crown prince was in the mix.
Jun straightened his back and met Elahim’s gaze head-on.
“I owe a debt not easily repaid.”
“I only did what needed to be done.”
“Don’t say that. If everyone did what needed to be done, the world wouldn’t be in this state.”
Elahim closed his eyes for a moment.
“I’ve heard. It was you who covered up what happened with Elias.”
“I only made the suggestion. The choice was made by Sir Bern and Priestess Eleanor.”
In fact, there were only three people within the church who truly understood the reality of what had happened.
Eleanor and Bern, who had been at the heart of the incident, and the Pope standing before him.
That was because Jun had proposed that they keep the matter secret.
“Can you tell me why?”
“As you know.”
Jun pointed to himself.
“I’m a mage.”
Ruthless when it came to profit.
He didn’t let his emotions sway him and secured the benefits he could gain.
It had been nothing more than a calculated decision.
Through this incident, Jun had rendered a considerable favor to the Ariklotus Church.
In other words, there’s no longer any need to work on gaining the Church’s favor.
A healer was essential for any party.
To recruit one, he would normally have had to steadily build his reputation, complete missions for the Church, and maintain connections.
Naturally, that would have required a fair amount of time and resources. But Jun had resolved that issue in one go.
“Is that so? But most mages aren’t so subtle. Your cunning reminds me… yes, of something one might see in the tower master.”
“That’s only because Sir Bern and Priestess Eleanor accepted it.”
In truth, for Jun and his mercenary group, it would have ended with simply receiving the given reward.
The one who suffered the most from this incident was none other than Eleanor.
After all, she had learned the hidden secrets tied to her, as well as the fact that she was almost used as a vessel for an Outer God.
Ultimately, it had been something that required Eleanor’s permission.
Fortunately, Eleanor had accepted Jun’s proposal.
“Eleanor…”
The Pope murmured her name as he gazed into the air.
At first glance, there was no discernible emotion in his expression, but in his eyes, a deep regret could be seen.
“How many more sins must I commit against that child?”
“…It was you, Your Holiness?”
Startled by Elahim’s murmured words, Jun widened his eyes and asked.
Elahim hesitated for a moment, then gave a slow nod.
“Yes. When that child was still an infant, I was the one who brought her into the Church.”
“……”
If anything, it was a small relief.
Unlike others at the time, the Pope hadn’t used any form of coercion in bringing Eleanor in.
“She was a child I bought from a slaver.”
Though it no longer existed, there had once been a slave trade.
Eleanor had been a child sold off by a married couple.
“Did you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“When humans become obsessed, they turn into monsters.”
“……”
“Back then, Bishop Elias and I were just such monsters.”
Bringing God to manifest on earth.
It was the kind of dream every clergyman longed for.
To stand before God in person.
And that was what had turned an entire order into monsters.
“I still believe I am a monster. Time doesn’t erase sin.”
Even so, Elahim had tried to right his past wrongs.
“But the more I try, the more my past sins drag me down.”
Jun listened quietly to the Pope’s words.
In a way, it might have simply been an appeal for sympathy.
After all, wasn’t it an old man, his face lined with age, speaking in a voice full of regret?
Still, Jun didn’t think Elahim’s words were entirely false.
This old man…
A priest obsessed with money.
The Pope of a crumbling order.
And yet.
When the [Calamity of Sorrow] descended upon the world…
Elahim had sacrificed himself to seal away the [Calamity of Sorrow], Eleanor’s power.
That had been Elahim’s final act in the game.
Looking at the real Elahim, Jun spoke.
“There is no one on earth so righteous that they do only good and never sin.”
“Hmm.”
“It’s a verse I once heard from a scripture somewhere. I don’t know which denomination it was from, though.”
Looking at the regret-filled old man, Jun opened his mouth to speak.
The verse, simply put, was God’s way of saying that no such person existed in the world. Someone purely good and free of sin.
Depending on how one interpreted it, the message could vary, but Jun had understood it to mean something like, “Don’t live buried in guilt.”
“Pretty convenient logic, isn’t it?”
A faint trace of regret appeared in Jun’s eyes as he said that.
Even during his time as “Lee Jeong-jun”, he had lived committing both big and small sins.
Then what about here, in this world that was far harsher than the last?
Just thinking of a few off the top of my head…
Right before he and Aiden had started working in earnest in the Black Forest.
Didn’t he kill Popkin, who had begged for a potion during the failed goblin subjugation operation?
Of course, Popkin had threatened him, but even if he hadn’t, Jun wouldn’t have gone out of his way to save him.
“Sin is a burden we carry for life. But strangely enough, it only seems to grow heavier with time.”
Jun had witnessed countless deaths in this world, and among them was the explosion at Damian’s Magic Tower.
He too had never lived a life free from sin. And as much as the scripture he once heard claimed that everyone sins, he couldn’t take that truth lightly.
Then how was one supposed to live while bearing that sin?
“How do we bear sin? I don’t know the answer to that.”
“…Is that so.”
“But I do know what the wrong way looks like.”
“The wrong way?”
“Giving up everything in the face of sin. And turning your eyes away from it. Those two, at least, are the wrong ways to face sin.”
As he said this, Jun met Elahim’s eyes with a steady, unwavering gaze.
“You once said that obsession turns people into monsters. You were right. And yet, Your Holiness, you are still obsessed.”
Obsessed with the sins of his past, unable to face the present.
When Jun pointed that out bluntly—
“Hoho…”
The Pope closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he struck the ground with the staff he was holding.
“Bring Eleanor.”
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