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

#092Reader Mode

T/N: 2/2

#092

Isn’t there usually a satisfying *Ding!* when you acquire a new skill in a game? I could’ve sworn that in Conclude, every time the cult leader unit gained an ability, that iconic sound would ring out.

For a split second, I second-guessed myself, but this was no time for an existential crisis.

Use Forced Persuasion!

[SYSTEM: To utilize ‘Forced Persuasion’, try asking them to listen to what you have to say.]

“…Bishop Andrea. Please, just listen to what I have to say.”

Andrea’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn’t turn away. The skill seemed to be taking effect, even if subtly.

“I have no intention of dying.”

If sacrifice is his trigger word, let’s avoid that minefield.

“Do you think it’s easy for me to throw my life away? I’m a coward. If I had to choose between a grand, heroic death and a miserable, pathetic existence, I’d choose life every single time. Because the thought of dying terrifies me.”

“Then why…?”

“I’m telling you I want to help because I want to live. Bishop Andrea, I genuinely, desperately want to keep on living.”

I locked eyes with Andrea, my gaze steady and sincere.

“I appreciate you informing me that I nearly died without even realizing it. But does that change anything? The evil mastermind who deceived me is still strutting around this Cathedral like he owns the place! Can you honestly tell me I’m safe?”

“…He will face judgment. You have my word.”

“Then why not pass that judgment right here, right now?”

Andrea hesitated, struggling to find the right words.

I pressed on, seizing the moment.

“Of course! There must be a reason you can’t do it just yet. I trust that you have a plan, Bishop. But I’m willing to bet that saving little ol’ me wasn’t part of that plan, was it?”

Once again, Andrea remained silent, his lack of denial speaking volumes.

This situation 100% has Andrea’s impulsive fingerprints all over it.

If I were in Andrea’s shoes, I would’ve kept a close eye on the target for a few days after checking the reliquary.

What if ‘Fabio’ was willingly in cahoots with Athanas? What if his mind was so warped by lies that reason couldn’t reach him? Without ruling out those possibilities, how could he expect me to trust him and reveal everything?

Units with mental debuffs like brainwashing or distortion often act irrationally.

“…You told me you saved me because the thought of losing me was unbearable. But Bishop, what if Athanas knows that too?”

Sorry, Athanas, but desperate times call for desperate measures!

I needed to make Athanas the ultimate villain to drive my point home.

It’s the only way he’ll realize now isn’t the time to reject my help.

“When you saved me, I essentially became your weakness.”

“…I can protect someone like you without any issues.”

“But it’s still a massive burden. Bishop Andrea, I’m scared. What if I end up being the deadweight that brings everything crashing down? What if I assume everything’s fine without my help, but it isn’t? Or worse, what if I die a miserable death without ever realizing the truth…”

I gripped his sleeve tightly, letting a few more tears fall for dramatic effect.

“Please, I don’t want to die oblivious. Bishop, give me a chance. I can make a difference and hold my own.”

“…I understand your concern, Fabio. But I won’t be needing your assistance.”

“Why not? Give me a reason.”

Andrea looked genuinely bewildered.

“Because I don’t want to…”

He blurted it out and then clammed up, clearly taken aback by his own words. He looked like he didn’t even know why he said that.

…Is this skill really that powerful?

If you can’t refute, you’re persuaded! In other words, someone under the skill’s influence has to keep arguing until they’re convinced.

Guess exercising the right to remain silent is off the table.

I felt a rush of excitement at this unexpected bonus. My voice carried that enthusiasm.

“Is that really all there is to it? Do you believe it’s right to dismiss a potentially more effective approach just because you don’t feel like it?”

Andrea’s frown deepened. “…If it’s a more effective method, then maybe I shouldn’t dismiss it outright. But how can you be so sure it’s better?”

“Of course, it’s better! It would catch the enemy completely off guard.”

“How…”

“Can you imagine Bishop Andrea using me as a pawn? No way! You’re the last person Athanas would ever suspect of doing something like that. The better Athanas knows you, the less likely he’ll even entertain that possibility.”

“…..”

“That’s precisely why you need my help.”

Andrea dragged a hand down his face, and I couldn’t help but notice the cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

He’s grasping at straws for a comeback.

It was time to go in for the kill.

“Bishop Andrea, does helping always have to involve sacrifice? There are ways I can assist without risking life and limb. Don’t you agree?”

“…It’s still dangerous.”

“Until we deal with the mastermind, I’ll never be truly safe. Whether I help or not, the danger isn’t going anywhere. So, wouldn’t it be safest for me to lend a hand and eliminate the threat as quickly as possible?”

I extended my hand, holding the handkerchief, and wiped the cold sweat off Andrea’s brow. He flinched but didn’t pull away. It was as if he couldn’t.

“Bishop Andrea, do you have any more reasons to turn down my help?”

“……”

“If you do, please tell me.”

Andrea opened his mouth, but no words came out.

A notification window popped up.

[SYSTEM: ‘Bishop Andrea (Servant of the Distorted One)’ has succumbed to your forceful persuasion!]

Wow!

I suppressed the urge to do a victory dance and cheer.

I finally have a skill!

After all this time, I thought I was doomed to be a powerless player stuck with a garbage-tier Othergod and a useless unit combo.

But it turns out I can shatter someone’s beliefs with just a few carefully chosen words!

This skill has immense potential and a wide range of applications.

Although, it does come with the major drawback of only working on targets that already view me favorably…

…So, just how many people have I managed to impress so far?

Antonio, Nasir, Casimir, and now Andrea – a grand total of four individuals.

Realizing my skill was limited to such a meager number took some of the wind out of my sails.

…If I could favorably impress Mr. Ter or Pell, that would be the ultimate jackpot.

There’d be no need for this undercover operation. I could simply persuade the Saint to trust me and take out all the other players, easy as that.

Of course, that’s precisely why it’s not so simple.

I was thrilled to discover that my Miracle of the Silver Tongue trait wasn’t just a useless aggro magnet.

Turns out, racking up favor points actually unlocks skills! Who knew? The game never mentioned a “Favor” stat, so I had no idea.

Hey, System! A little heads-up would’ve been nice!

If I had known, I’d have made extra effort to impress people and boost my favorability…

Wait a sec… Could using Forced Persuasion also increase my favor?

Just as that idea popped into my head, the notification window popped up again.

[SYSTEM: Repeated exposure to ‘Forced Persuasion’ makes it increasingly difficult for others to resist you.]

…Difficult to resist, huh?

So, if someone gets ‘forced’ into agreeing once, it becomes easier the next time. And even easier the third time…

Eventually, they’ll just roll over and agree with whatever I say without a fight?

Isn’t that basically brainwashing?

Kind of creepy…

But as long as they can argue back, Forced Persuasion won’t succeed. So, what if I counter their counter-argument?

They wouldn’t be able to end the conversation…

…So, if I just keep pushing, I’m bound to win?

By throwing around confusing arguments, there will eventually come a point when they can’t argue back anymore.

“Fabio, you’re right,” Andrea sighed. “And as I said myself, there’s nothing more foolish than not changing after hearing the right advice.”

“So that means…”

“I’ll do as you say,” Andrea smiled gently. “Fabio, will you help me?”

…And he doesn’t even realize he’s been strong-armed into this.

Given that the snake around my arm is as docile as a puppy, it didn’t seem like a skill that others could easily detect.

Could it possibly nullify distortion too?

I thought about it but decided to play it safe. Even if the snake couldn’t sense Forced Persuasion, it would probably pick up on any tampering with its own distortion.

I should wait until I find a way to avoid getting completely immobilized again.

After all, if my tongue can’t move, Forced Persuasion or whatever is pretty much useless, right?

I never wanted to feel that powerless again.

“Of course! I’d love to help!” I replied enthusiastically. “So, will you tell me now? Why is Athanas so desperate to find Alicia?”

“…I guess I have no choice. I’ve already made up my mind to tell you.”

Andrea’s forehead glistened with sweat, even under the influence of the skill. He was still putting up a bit of a fight. I snuck a glance at the snake from the corner of my eye.

If this thing catches on…

The snake cocked its head and gently flicked its tongue against the back of my hand.

[Snakes are the cutest!

Seeing such an adorable snake fills you with warm fuzzies.

Everything will be alright. You can feel it and it’s reassuring.

And you just can’t resist giving that snake more head pats!]

[SYSTEM: The ‘distortion’ is displayed as text due to the effect of ‘The Whole World Is Beneath One’s Self.’]

…Fortunately, this creature seems to have very low intelligence.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I gave its head a gentle stroke. The snake’s eyes drifted shut, seemingly content.

Andrea finally spoke. “…Alicia possesses a soul of unparalleled purity and nobility. She was born with all the excellent traits to become the next Saintess. Athanas plans to offer her as a sacrifice.”

And why the hell would Athanas want to do that?

Not to mention, Alicia has what it takes to be a Saintess? Adelaide only ended up in that role because there wasn’t anyone else available.

“But that’s not all. That vile fiend…”

I listened carefully, but aside from Andrea’s clear grudge against Athanas, it was mostly incoherent rambling with no real substance.

…So according to him, Athanas is hellbent on wiping out the world’s savior, no matter what form they take?

What is he, some horror game boss?

Playing along, I smoothly changed the subject. “So, what can I do to prevent such a horrific fate?”

“Fabio, what I need from you is…”

I blinked innocently, as if I would obey Andrea’s every command.

Time to ‘Forcefully Persuade’ him into giving me the answer I want to hear!

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Stepping out of the orphanage, the sunrise just began to paint the horizon with a warm glow, bathing the world in morning light. The crisp air felt incredibly refreshing against my skin.

That was a rewarding time.

I really gained a lot from it.

Most of all, I was happy to hear that Adelaide was alive and doing well.

I couldn’t ask which family adopted her, just in case it messed with the distortion…

But knowing she was doing well when Andrea saw her last week? That gave me peace of mind.

And I decided to keep pretending to be Athanas’ lover.

Convincing Andrea of this didn’t come easy.

Who knew he’d have a laundry list of reasons why I shouldn’t date Athanas?

But hey, I won in the end.

Now I’m a double agent.

Or at least, that’s what Andrea thinks.

I need to hurry and tell Athanas about all of this.

I shoved my hand into my pocket, fiddling with the reliquary. I had gotten it back for my double agent endeavors.

Athanas is probably sleeping soundly at this hour, lucky bastard…

He has no idea what I’ve been through.

Seriously, the crap I’ve endured, all because of this reliquary…

“…Fabio.”

Ahh F*ck! You scared me!

“A-Athanas?” I stuttered, still shaken.

I was just thinking about him, and he suddenly appears out of nowhere!

…But why does he look like that?

Did he pull an all-nighter?

One sleepless night doesn’t usually make someone look that exhausted…

“You look like death warmed over, why aren’t you sleeping…?”

“…..”

The emotions swirling in Athanas’ eyes were a deep, tangled mess.

…Did I betray him in his dreams or something?

I couldn’t find any other reason for him to look at me with such haunted eyes.

“Is something troubling you?”

“…Yes.”

“Then how about confiding in me? No promises I can fix it, but I’ll do my best to listen.” I offered.

It’d be great if Athanas came out of this more favorably impressed with me.

Of course, using Forced Persuasion on Athanas was completely out of the question. Manipulating the mind of someone who isn’t even under a negative status effect…

…That’s way too immoral.

I’d never do something that awful in real life. Video games aside, I’m not one of those deranged players who blur the line between fantasy and reality.

I just wanna build up a little more favor.

Y’know, in case the next skill unlocks.

Athanas stared at me so intensely, it felt like he saw right through my less-than-pure intentions.

“Of course, if you’re not comfortable sharing…” I began.

“…It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s that I can’t, even if I wanted to.”

“What? Why not? Did someone forbid you?”

“Because I gave my word.”

“To who?”

But Athanas just pressed his lips together, refusing to answer.

T/N: Oh wow a brainwashing skill! It’s a perfect skill for a… cult leader. But good thing MC’s definitely not that, right guys?