Rise of the OtherGod Apostle: Not a Cult Leader, but a Serf?!

#088Reader Mode

#088

Sacrifice?

Is he referring to Adelaide, the Grey Saintess?

What does Andrea remember about Heretic Slayer? How much? In what way? And which version?

…His memories must be distorted.

Not just by any Othergod, but manipulated by the ‘Distorted One’.

My thoughts raced with possibilities.

Andrea is the one who concealed Adelaide.

This was expected, given that Andrea was a ‘Servant of the Distorted One’.

But he hid her to prevent her sacrifice?

Why?

It made no sense and I couldn’t understand it.

Wasn’t Andrea a fanatic who killed the sick in the name of order? Why would he try to stop her sacrifice? For a fanatic, sacrificing for order should be the ultimate glory.

…Was killing the sick never truly about order?

The Distorted One preys on our deepest longings. And when it stirs those desires, it sets us up for a world of hurt – a crashing sense of ‘disappointment’ that’s even more devastating.

But pure, unwavering faith can’t be distorted. Those who truly believe in the Lord will never be let down, no matter how rough things get.

At first, I thought Andrea’s horrific actions stemmed from a twisted desire to be chosen by God.

But what if his real motivation was to spare Adelaide from more suffering?

…It’s not just a coincidence that Andrea is the bishop of the orphanage.

After spending just one day with the kids, I saw how much he cared for them. He knew their names, their quirks, and even the things he’d scolded them for in the past. That’s why the kids feared Bishop Andrea coming around because of his lectures…

…He lit up when we played the Rose of Sharon game since, for once, they weren’t scared of him.

How much must such a person have treasured Adelaide?

Even at 16, she was too young to endure such hardship. Andrea, who had watched over Adelaide since she was even younger…

Andrea’s deepest desire must have been for Adelaide, no, Alicia to be free from suffering.

And the Distorted One must have manipulated Andrea, promising to fulfill that desire…

With my thoughts in order, I realized exactly where I f*cked up. The moment I carefully checked the kids’ nameplates, I had already messed up. Asking the kids about a friend who left the orphanage was total overkill.

Damn it, put this in the settings guide!

If I had known, I never would have let on that I was searching for Adelaide in front of Andrea!

“You seem quite surprised.”

“M-my reliquary, why would you…”

Flustered, I fumbled around my chest where the reliquary had been. The holy relic the Saint gave me was well concealed beneath my clothes. If I grasped it like that and called Roklem, the Saint would come find me. But…

…Can’t I persuade him somehow?

After all, Andrea cherishes Adelaide.

The issue is that he’s being manipulated by the Distorted One because of those feelings.

If I call the Saint, he’ll be condemned immediately.

With that thought, I held back from saying his name.

Of course, if Andrea tries to attack me, I won’t hesitate to shout out Roklem’s name—and the Saint’s full name too.

But things aren’t that dire yet, right?

I couldn’t risk provoking Andrea, not without knowing what kind of situation Adelaide was caught up in.

If I was a contractor of the Distorted One…

In a crisis, I’d twist Andrea’s mind, make him think he had no choice but to kill Adelaide.

And I’d time it so that his distortion is released the exact moment Adelaide took her last breath.

Then Andrea would come to his senses, realizing what he’d done, just as despair consumed him. He’d be left with no choice but to take his own life.

Getting your unit to kill themselves before the Order intervenes is Manipulation strategy 101.

With this one ‘distortion’, you can harvest the dark emotions of everyone involved – Adelaide’s sense of betrayal, Andrea’s despair, and the Order’s desolation at not being able to save Adelaide. It’s highly advantageous and points bonanza for the player.

…Luckily, I’ve played with the Distorted One before.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come up with such a twisted plan, not even in my wildest dreams.

Still, I need to call the Saint right away if it gets dangerous.

After all, the most precious thing is my own life.

I quickly gathered my wits and gripped my holy relic tight.

Andrea looked down at me, pity in his eyes.

“You know nothing, which is understandable. After all, you were used. How… unfortunate…”

…Used?

Me?

I was a little dumbfounded.

Doesn’t he suspect I’m a player?

“What did Athanas tell you when he asked you to find the black-haired girl at the orphanage?”

He only suspects Athanas?

“He surely didn’t share the whole story with you. Did he claim to be the child’s brother or relative? That, my friend, is a lie. Fabio, you’ve fallen victim to his deception.”

Andrea’s voice was sincere.

“Athanas…is a deranged murderer who sees himself as a savior. He is a cold-blooded man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. The love he professed to you is all a lie. I know it’s difficult to accept, Fabio, but every word I speak is true.”

What the hell is going on?

“Fabio, you have to believe me.”

Wait, is he trying to ‘save’ me from Athanas?

I was stunned again, realizing the massive misunderstanding Andrea had.

No, it’s you who’s being deceived by some strange player.

“…Bishop, even if you ask me to trust you, this is just too shocking. You’re saying Athanas is a murderer? How could someone like that be allowed to wander freely around the Cathedral? There must be some mistake…”

“If I show you proof, will you believe me then?”

What kind of twisted evidence is he going to pull out?

I hesitated, then gave a slight nod.

For now, it seems he’s not planning to harm me…

I need to play along with this misunderstanding and extract as much information as possible.

The moment that thought crossed my mind…

Hisssss!

A snake, its scales shimmering with an otherworldly violet hue, slithered out from the depths of Andrea’s sleeve. The sight froze me in place, my body going rigid as if someone had hit the pause button on reality. Every muscle locked up, even my eyes refused to budge.

No wait…I shouldn’t be this shocked, literally paralyzed like some sort of human statue!

I tried to yell at him, to demand what the hell he thought he was doing, but my tongue wouldn’t move.

What the actual f*ck?

Did I just lose two trump cards in one go?

I’m totally screwed, aren’t I?

“Don’t be afraid. I’ve only temporarily restricted your movement. It’s nothing to worry about and won’t cause you any harm.”

Bullshit! Shouldn’t the Saint’s relic detect this as an attack? How is this not a threat? Anyone who can’t move is completely at someone else’s mercy. They could do all sorts of messed up things to you, like drowning you by simply putting your face in a dish of water.

…Could it be that the holy relic was a fake?

Come to think of it, I never actually tested the damn thing. I just took the Saint’s word for it when he gave it to me.

What if he thought ‘why would a goblin bastard need a holy relic?’ and handed me a fake one?

Is this how it feels when your parachute doesn’t open on a skydive?

My life flashed before my eyes.

I remembered Athanas’ pitying look, probably thinking I was a moron for betting everything on this one trinket.

You stupid bastard!

Why didn’t I test the damn thing before my neck was on the line?!

I should’ve checked what attacks triggers it and what its limits are!

But maybe it didn’t recognize this as an attack because my HP didn’t decrease. Maybe it’ll kick in when Andrea actually tries to hurt me.

I tried to rekindle my hope circuit somehow.

And hey, Andrea’s not trying to harm me this very second, right? He just wants to convince me.

I’m scared shitless wondering what ‘evidence’ he’s gonna shove in my face now that I’m paralyzed, but…

The purple snake coiled around Andrea’s forearm, its beady eyes fixed on me.

“This reliquary carries a blessing from Valentine.”

Valentine? The god of hookups and love hotels?

What kind of blessing would a god who oversees love affairs bestow?

“A blessing that allows you to always sense the location of the one who carries this reliquary.”

Huh. A tracking blessing.

But isn’t that more suitable for military espionage than lovebirds?

Why’s a god of romance handing out blessings like that? Seems like a waste.

“But that’s not all. It also alerts you if your beloved is in terrible danger. Meaning if you’re gravely injured, Athanas will know instantly.”

…And?

Andrea’s lips twisted in a cruel smile.

“So, if you are on the verge of death and Athanas is nowhere to be seen… wouldn’t that prove you meant nothing to him? That he was simply using you?”

Come again?

Call me crazy, but I feel like there’s a teeny flaw in that logic.

For me to get this ‘proof’ and change my mind, don’t I need to be alive to do it?

But with my tongue paralyzed, I couldn’t voice even that basic objection.

Are you completely insane?!

How the hell did your mind even go there?

I can’t wrap my head around it.

No, what I really can’t believe is that I thought this whackjob bastard with a brain rotted by an Othergod would be in any way predictable.

Am I a f*cking idiot?

Even though I already knew that the ‘distorted’ are notorious for being the most unpredictable!

F*ck!

I’m royally screwed!

Athanas! Save me!!!

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Athanas felt like he was losing his mind.

Why, just why, was he being so reckless?

Athanas, who was supposed to be this ‘savior of order’, was being so vigilant, and yet…

…When I bring up ‘Retrograde’, he’s afraid of me, but when I act like there’s no such thing, he starts worrying about me.

He liked that Fabio cared about him, but he hated that Fabio would take risks, seemingly in place of the ‘lacking’ Athanas.

“How could I possibly be in any danger while carrying this holy relic?”

Fabio’s question echoed in Athanas’ mind, and he wanted to argue that there were countless ways for that holy relic to be neutralized. But he knew better; he couldn’t reveal his knowledge without raising suspicion. Instead, Athanas sighed deeply, feeling the weight of his secret.

Trusting solely in that relic…

Fabio went to meet an Othergod’s servant, a decision that made Athanas’ heart sink. His ability to turn back time was limited to just one hour, and if Fabio had been dead for longer than that, there was nothing he could do.

…In the worst-case scenario, at least one of us has to survive?

Athanas fiddled with his left pinky finger.

It was those words that had prompted him to give Fabio the reliquary, without explaining its true purpose. He knew that if Fabio was aware that it could track his location, he would throw it away at the first sign of danger.

To prevent me from coming to save him…

So, Athanas spent the night like a watchful sentry, his mind too anxious to find sleep.

He knew that if Fabio were in danger, he would feel a searing pain in his pinky finger—a connection made due to placing his severed finger in Fabio’s reliquary. This pain would rouse him instantly if he dozed off. Yet, he couldn’t shake the nagging what-ifs.

What if he rushed to Fabio’s aid, only to find the reliquary abandoned, the signal leading him to an empty location? What if the burning pain, a constant, terrifying reminder of Fabio dying, never stopped?

Just contemplating such possibilities made his blood run cold, as if his entire body were freezing from the inside out.

…Is he still studying the doctrine with that bastard?

Athanas found himself checking Fabio’s location obsessively, every ten minutes.

Fabio’s location remained largely unchanged, indicating he was still in the upstairs office at the orphanage.

The day is breaking, Athanas noted, even though sunrise was still over an hour away. The sky had already begun to lighten with the hazy glow of dawn. He stared blankly at the sky before checking the signal again.

…He’s on the move.

While Fabio’s location hadn’t changed significantly, the altitude was decreasing. It appeared he was heading downstairs.

Returning to his room after the lesson, maybe?

Athanas wondered. But instead of exiting the orphanage, Fabio descended another floor.

Athanas tensed. Underground?

Why would he go there? What possible reason could there be for studying doctrine in the basement of the building?

The more he thought about it, the wilder and more troubling his imagination became.

…Perhaps I should just go and find him now and see what he’s up to rather than worrying like this.

After all, he could use ‘Retrograde’ later to erase any potential damage.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Athanas felt a searing pain in his pinky finger, so intense it felt like it was on fire.

Before he could process the meaning of this, his body was already in motion.

“…Fabio!” he called out, running towards the orphanage.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Athanas’ heart was pounding in his chest as he sprinted down the stairs of the orphanage, not even pausing to catch his breath. He didn’t consider any potential traps, driven only by the searing pain that urged him onward. Finally, he saw him, tied to a chair.

“Fabio!”

Fabio didn’t respond, instead, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, a soft, pained groan escaping his pale lips.

“What have you done…” Athanas whispered.

“This is unexpected. I admit, I didn’t anticipate that you would come to rescue him.”