Chapter 47 - An Apostle and His God
A few weeks had passed since Jae’s rescue of Bailey and Rena at Bahgwud Village, and he still couldn’t keep his mind off the incident. Specifically, there was something 'off' about the connection between the village’s attack and the extremist Demon that Jae encountered.
I blamed myself, but was it really my fault? Back when I took care of those bandits, there were definitely only three drakes and no other noteworthy monsters in the vicinity.
After talking with the two kids and asking about the previous drake sighting, Jae figured out that roughly eight months had passed while he was in the Sloth Dungeon; it was a rather exceptional monster to encounter in a relatively safe region such as Planetic, so the incident was quite memorable for the villagers. However, that led to him growing concerned―if the Pride Dungeon had condensed a time of over three-and-a-half years into the span of two months, and the Sloth Dungeon had stretched out a couple of days into almost a full year, then what kind of time distortion could he expect the future Dungeons to have?
If there was no consistency in regards to time, that made it exceedingly difficult to plan for. All he could do was hope there wouldn't be such a great difference next time.
It feels like it’s going to be a pain... Anyway, that fourth drake definitely wasn’t there back then. I mean, it’s been just under three quarters of a year, so it doesn’t make sense for a monster of that calibre to stay hidden for that long, yet so close to the village all the while...
That’s why, over the past weeks, he had been considering the alternative.
That Demon brought it. Suppose the extremists caught wind of the previous sighting; in that case, it doesn’t feel totally out of the realm of possibility for their plan to be to disguise the village’s destruction as a natural outcome of a monster attack...
Of course, it couldn’t be confirmed one way or the other, but the idea of that being the case stuck out to him. For one, the timing was far too suspicious to be a mere coincidence, and how the extremist acted at that time was also rather questionable.
Nevertheless, whatever the reality was, he would find out soon enough.
‘The Minister’... It’s got to be a higher-up in the government, or at least someone with considerable authority. I’ll just have to inform the queen about it when I arrive.
Since the extremist also mentioned the queen being “next”, he assumed it would be safe to convey what he had found out to her. At the end of the day, only time could tell what a picture of the situation as a whole looked like, and since Rena once claimed her mother to be the strongest person within the castle, he didn’t think he had much to worry about in terms of her safety.
“Haah...” Sighing, Jae finally decided to push those persistent thoughts to the side and focus on the task at hand; warding off monsters, teaching the kids the basics of various skills they were interested in, and cooking only animals that were safe to eat, Jae continued guarding the two Bahgwud survivors.
Eventually, they reached the Demon Country of Asphal.
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Suddenly gasping, Rena’s eyes widened as she enthusiastically pointed towards a street vendor selling various fruits Jae had never seen before.
“Woooow~! Jae, look!”
“Mmm, they're offering fresh fruit. Do you want one?”
“Can I have one? Please~!”
“Sure~ Which one do you want?”
“Iyuga!” Indicating a specific fruit that looked like a bizarre combination of a peach and a pineapple, she exclaimed.
“‘Iyuga’...?”
Is that what it’s called? Hm, I should really try to learn the language here when I can...
Approaching the stall, the elderly Demon began saying words Jae couldn’t understand with a smile. Smiling awkwardly in return, he pointed at the fruit Rena called an Iyuga and held up three fingers. The transaction soon ended as Jae handed over a single silver coin he had looted from the Sloth Dungeon, provoking a look of exaggerated astonishment from the vendor.
Oh... Did I hand over too much? But it’s the lowest denomination I have... Well, whatever.
Jae was only able to keep a handful of coins due to the lack of storage at the time, but it was enough for now as some money could likely be made by selling various monster parts, whenever he found a place that would buy it all off of him. He indicated to the vendor that they could keep the amount, but they only accepted it after Jae walked away with a whole basket of Iyuga pushed onto him, perhaps as a 'thank you'.
She seemed like a sweet old lady. Her horns were crooked but look at all this fruit she gave me... Maybe that silver coin was more expensive than I thought.
“Here.”
“Yay~! Thank you!”
Watching the girl dive right into the fruit like a delicious snack, he couldn’t help but smile. It’s good that she’s become more lively; maybe because she’s finally returning home.
“Bailey, you wanna try it?”
“Um... No thanks. It looks weird.”
“Oh, come on. It’s good to be adventurous. Just give it a try and if you don’t like it I’ll have it.”
“...Okay. Mmn, bleh... I don’t like it, Master. It’s weird.”
It turned out to not be to his liking, but maybe it was just a little too exotic for his unadapted taste buds.
“Is it? Let's see... Ah.”
I get what he means. It’s both very sweet and sour, kind of like lemon, but... Less sharp, and a bit sweeter. It’s nice though.
[I really like it~! Hey, you were given a whole basket~ Why don’t you eat them all~?]
Oi. Pipe down, you greedy pig. I’ll eat when I want to eat.
Continuing their stroll down the street, passively taking in the sights, Jae recalled how surprisingly easy it was to enter the country.
They didn’t even ask for any form of identification or for me to show my Status or anything, despite us not all being Demons... I know they had that magic identification system, but is it really enough? It feels inefficient... Well, maybe they just don’t want to make a big fuss out of it. I guess it makes tourism easier, too, which benefits the economy.
In any case, as someone who knew nothing about governance, Jae simply appreciated it for what it was. Aside from that. he recognised Asphal as an extraordinary place. Being a nation full of Demons, magic was naturally commonplace, and that included what Jae decided to call "magi-tech"―magical technology that looked to revolutionise everything, from cooking and travel to even things like garbage disposal and water systems. On the whole, the Demons seemed to have it all figured out.
It’s really amazing if you remember that this is a fantasy world. It has the exact same kind of atmosphere as on Earth.
With paved roads, magical streetlights and other advanced infrastructure you might not expect to find in an old-school fantasy world, Jae couldn’t be anything other than impressed, and naturally, as someone who had only ever experienced the dull life of a rural village boy, the same went for Bailey. To be honest, as Jae's only experience with civilisation in this world was an underdeveloped village outside of that one day he spent in the royal palace, he didn't know if stuff like this was exceptional or unremarkable, but either way, he was still excited.
As the sun and moon began to trade places in the sky, and twilight approached, Jae led the two to a bustling inn for the night. Entering the enormous building, he was briefly taken aback by the sheer crowd sitting around various tables, drinking and eating to their hearts’ content as a vocalist performed on a raised stage to one side.
Well, this is certainly a lively place... Anyway, it’s getting late. Before they run out of space, I should secure a room.
Approaching the receptionist's desk at the end of the hall, Jae briefly worried about how to go about communicating before the young clerk welcomed him in fluent Seronian. Immediately relieved, he requested a room.
“One night? Good news sir, I think you’re in luck as we have just one room left.”
“Oh really? That is lucky.”
The last room... Now that I think about it, it does seem strangely busy here for a relatively small city...
“Excuse me, but is there some kind of special occasion? This place isn’t usually this active, is it?”
“You weren’t aware? That's right; starting tonight and occurring every night for the next week, this inn’s owner will be making a rare appearance on the main stage. I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, but he is quite well-known around here. It's been a while since the last time, so people are quite roused up.”
“The owner? I see...”
“Yes. Anyway, the room for three will cost 23 silver coins and 25 bronze coins for a single night.”
“23... Hm."
...Uh oh. I've only got three silver coins and some gold coins left.
"Er, sorry, but do you accept gold coins?”
“Gold coins...?”
“It’s all I have. You don’t have to worry about change or anything, just accept the rest as a donation... Is that alright?”
Reaching into his pocket and placing a single gold coin on the desk, Jae’s actions seemed to knock the receptionist into a stupor.
“...Huh? O-Oh, yes, my apologies. That’s perfectly fine. Thank you very much for your patronage, sir. Here are the keys to your room, located on the furthest right as you come up the stairs to the first floor.”
“Noted. Thank you very much.”
As Jae pocketed the keys, which were more like a few cards with some sort of magic interface enchantment to unlock the corresponding door, he turned around to see the entire ground floor enthralled by the current announcement.
“―And now, a very special guest! The one you’ve all been waiting for! The man! The myth! The legend! The face of this very establishment who hasn’t been seen in over a year...!”
Wait, why does it sound like some kind of wrestling announcer...? And what, a year? Isn't that professional negligence?
“The Devil of the South...!”
“““Waaaaah...!!”””
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Immediately, the whole inn erupted into roaring cheers, causing Rena and Bailey to each flinch and cover their ears with their hands. Meanwhile, Jae was left questioning.
‘Devil of the South’? What’s with that scary nickname...?
At that moment, someone new appeared on stage in the literal blink of an eye, surprising even Jae.
!? What was that speed? I didn’t even see a blur...
A man with a shockingly youthful appearance and striking, spiky amber hair that reached down to his waist. With that unusual hair, exotic silken clothes of myriad vibrant colours, and tanned skin like copper, anyone could see that he wasn’t a Demon even without noticing the lack of horns adorning his head. Rather, that unique appearance, embellished even further by the golden accessories like bangles on his arms and ankles, as well as the lavish jewellery around his neck, gave the impression of a foreign person of exceedingly high status.
Just who is that guy...?
[Oh, fuck off.]
Hm? Wrath? What’s wrong? You know that guy?
[Of course I don’t fucking know him, imbecile. But, I know very well about his kind...]
You do? What is he?”
[Hmph. That bastard is a Devil belonging to the Aram.]
What, so the ‘Devil’ isn’t just a nickname but a Race?
[Devil is the Race, Aram is the tribe. That guy is from Laquada, but I thought I...]
Laquada? Where’s that?
[It doesn’t make sense...]
What is it? What doesn’t make sense? Is he dangerous or something? Stop being so damn secretive and spit it ou-- Hm?
As he was passively watching the Devil’s face from the opposite end of the room, Jae suddenly noticed something was off. All this time he was listening to Wrath, he wasn’t focused on the scene in front of him, but now, he realised everything was quiet.
...Huh? What happened?
Glancing around, he noticed everyone was still. Those drinking, eating, celebrating―everything had paused.
It wasn’t just the noise that had stopped, but the world itself.
What the hell...
Turning his gaze back towards the stage, Jae felt shivers run down his spine.
“!?”
The Devil was staring right at him.
“Hmm~?”
In the midst of the unnatural silence, the Devil’s hum could be heard. Then, with a mysterious smile, he looked away.
“......”
Tug.
From the side, he felt a light tug on his coat.
“Master, is something wrong...?” Bailey called out. Just as abruptly as it had paused, everything was back to normal.
“...Yeah. I’m fine, don’t worry about it. Here, let’s go to our room.”
And so, after making themselves comfortable, the two exhausted kids quickly dozed off in their beds, leaving Jae as the only person awake. Naturally, he couldn’t get the previous encounter out of his mind.
[Hey. Thinking about it ain’t gonna get you anywhere.]
“Oh, Sloth. It’s been a while.”
[Go rest.]
“Is that advice?”
[That and a trade offer. Your overactive mind being dormant for a while is beneficial to my ability to sleep. You haven’t rested your mind since the time I forced you to, you know?]
“...And what? You think it would help?”
[Even if it’s something you don’t need any more because of your authority, that doesn’t mean sleep is useless. On the contrary, it only raises the efficacy of sleep. Isn't it common sense that living beings need sleep to work efficiently?]
“Is that still how it works... Well, you are right. My mind does feel like it’s in constant overdrive since I never take a moment to rest properly... Fine, I’ll listen to you.”
[Then. Goodnight.]
Still... That was too weird. I’m definitely going to have a talk with that guy tomorrow.
Deciding as much, Jae closed his eyes. Thanks to being able to use the Authority of Sloth to heighten his own drowsiness, it didn’t take long at all for Jae to force himself to fall asleep.
However, when he woke up, the room in the inn was not what he saw.
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Jae found himself in an empty void.
“...?!”
Waking up to find himself surrounded by nothing, his mind instantly ran on full alert. Opening his eyes made no difference, and even Night Vision and light magic had no effect.
What the hell’s going on...?
Raising his body in an attempt to ground himself in any sort of way, an unfamiliar voice then reverberated throughout the vast darkness.
[It’s a pleasure to finally meet you like this, Jae.]
The voice, which strangely sounded like it could belong to any ordinary guy, seemed to shake Jae to his core as if speaking directly to his soul.
[I’ve been waiting a very long time, you know? But, I actually didn’t expect it for a while; I’m glad the moment has arrived so soon.]
What...?
Jae’s still-drowsy mind gradually cleared up, and as he concentrated on the space around him, a faint haze emerged. Taking the rough form of a person’s silhouette, it had no visible features, but regardless, only one question dominated Jae’s mind.
“What are you?”
Such a suspicious entity, in this suspicious environment, naturally couldn’t be trusted. Still, asking was better than not asking, and whatever it was, was quick to reply.
But only after a disturbing, white slit opened up on its face, taking the shape of a smile.
[What am I? Shouldn’t you be asking what you are?]
“...Answer me.”
There was no need to play along with its schemes, so Jae insisted. Nevertheless, the way that it asked indicated it knew a lot about him―the fact he wasn’t a human, and that even the System didn’t know how to classify him.
[Oh, boo. You’re not being any fun. Well, the answer to your question is rather complicated, but currently, I am a god. I’m sure you can figure out the rest, right?]
A god...? Then...
The first thing to come to Jae’s mind was simple.
“You're the Sinful God?”
[Woo~ Congratulations~]
“...You are?”
[Yep, you got it. I am your sponsor. Hello. Oh, back in the day, they called me Reius, so you can just call me that; ‘Sinful God’ is a rather unpleasant name to go by, isn’t it?]
A meeting with the one who cursed him and the source of all his trouble until now... It was so sudden that Jae didn’t know what to think.
“...I get it. So, where is this place? And why did you bring me here?”
[Hm? I just wanted to talk to the person who will save me. You’ve been using my gifts for quite a while, and now that you have experienced what it is like to obtain Authority, I thought I would check in and have a chat. Are you mad at me?]
Jae thought about the question in silence for a few moments, but no matter how many excuses he came up with, the answer was always straightforward.
He wondered if he should get mad for everything, but at the end of the day, it was thanks to the curse that he was able to meet Aphy and save Rena and Bailey. Besides, if he didn't have it, he might not even be alive. If it wasn’t for that, who knows where he would be right now.
“...My life has been saved a dozen times now thanks to the revival ability, so I don’t think there’s any way I can honestly be mad that isn't plain ungrateful... But, what do you mean by ‘save’?”
[Hmm. It’s quite simple, really. I am in trouble, and I chose you as the one to save me.]
“Why me? And what kind of “trouble” are we talking about?”
[That again, is simple. You were chosen due to your impeccable mental fortitude, i.e., your Steadfast Mind. You see, if it were anyone else, they wouldn’t be able to handle the mental and spiritual turbulence of those friends all assimilating with your soul. You, on the other hand, can resist that degree of corruption.]
[Also, the reason I cursed you is to prevent you from receiving a blessing from some other god. See, if you were blessed, then my plan would have gotten found out, and that would just defeat the purpose of the whole thing.]
[As for what kind of trouble I’m in... Well, as you would expect, it’s of the divine sort.]
"......"
Describing it as a ‘divine sort of trouble’ could only mean that it included other gods in some way. Needless to say, Jae was concerned about his lack of ability to do anything when such grand opponents were listed, but Reius quickly dissuaded such worries.
[Ah. You know, I can’t say too much of what it is or else the other gods will notice what I’ve done. They are quite the sensitive dogs when it comes to these types of matters, you see... But anyway, I promise you that you have the ability to do it. Well, it’s not something you need to worry about for now, anyway. Don't sweat it too much.]
“...Right.”
Seriously, that’s way too suspicious...
[Hey, come on now. I know it’s suspicious, but you can’t expect me to be able to tell you everything from the get-go. Even gods have laws we have to abide by, you know?]
“...You can read my mind too, huh.”
At this point, it was becoming more than just a pattern.
[Well, of course I can. Tell you what, I’ll get rid of that curse for you, will that cheer you up? Since you’ve already become my apostle and received the Sin Series, there’s no need for it anymore.]
"!"
Just like that, Jae felt something invisible wash over him. Using Envy, he confirmed the curse truly had disappeared from his Soul State.
Wow... Was it really that easy? Aphy said it would take a while even for her...
[Ahaha, that’s funny, but you really can’t go around comparing me to the likes of a dragon. I’m the one who provided them a home in which to live, after all. Otherwise, they would have gone extinct.]
Jae paused. “Wait, what?”
That can’t be true...
[Oh, but it is! You know, without the Pride Dungeon, the gods would have killed off those scaley fellas a loooong time ago.]
“Really...”
I never thought something like that would have happened. I wonder why...? Aphy...
At that moment, something suddenly occurred to him.
“Hey, wait. You’re the one who created the Sin skills, right?”
[That’s right~ You’re very welcome, by the way.]
“Then, are there Virtue skills as well? Like Humility, Kindness and all that?”
It was a question he had asked a long time ago, but one he had since forgotten. Now that he had the opportunity to get some answers, however, Jae thought he should make the most of it.
[Mmm, well, that’s more or less accurate. Although, from what I know, they’re not at all like you. I didn’t make them of course, so I don’t know for sure, but I would certainly bet that they work on a very different core premise from yours. I do know that they each belong to one of the Holy God’s apostles and will probably try to kill you on sight, though, so do watch out for that.]
“Huh? No, hold on a second. What do you mean, "kill on sight"?”
[What? They are the Heavenly Virtues, you possess the Deadly Sins; what do you expect? Of course they will have a natural aversion to you. There’s nothing I can do about it, so just stay on your toes and don’t visit any renowned religious temples.]
Are you serious...?
“...I’ll keep it in mind. Anyway, can you tell me the location of the other Dungeons?”
[That will be your last question. Are you sure?]
“What? Why?”
[Um, remember that I’m a god? This little meeting we’re having isn’t exactly permitted, so having your presence here for too long could get a little risky.]
“Tsk, really...? Fine. Just answer my question.”
[Yes~ So, basically, there are only two Dungeons your current self is fit to conquer. Realistically speaking, I can narrow it down to one.]
Huh? One Dungeon? What is he talking about?
“Am I really that weak?”
[Yes.]
“......”
[Anyway, those two Dungeons would be Greed and Wrath... Do you want to hear more?]
“What are you asking for? Keep talking.”
[Alright, alright... So, Wrath is located in the farthest reaches of the Southern Continent, Laquada.]
The name sounded strangely familiar, and Jae soon realised it was something he heard just recently.
“Laquada...? Wait, isn’t that--”
[That’s right~ And who knows, maybe if you ask that Devil nicely, he might be willing to show you around? Well, I wouldn’t recommend you go there just yet. It’s a bit out of your league for now, and the designated boss... Well, he’s a troublesome one.]
The boss...
“...Is it Wrath?”
Recalling the days of surviving in Plaentic with Wrath being a casual nuisance and starting unnecessary arguments on an almost hourly basis, the promise of teaching the rowdy voice some respect remained pinned in a corner of Jae’s mind. He was always convinced it wouldn’t take a thousand or ten thousand years to grow strong enough to beat him, but now that a real opportunity had presented itself, he was beginning to feel anxious.
Will I be able to do it...?
In the end, he could only find out when the time came.
[Haha. You know it. If you enter that Dungeon, you will not be able to leave until you beat Wrath in a fight.]
“I thought so... Hm. I’ve gotten quite strong since back then, haven’t I? Is he that much more powerful than me?”
[Aha, I wonder...? Let’s just say, as well as his personal strength, the challenge will be more of a... Brawl.]
So, a physical fight? Well, I kind of expected that already...
“That’s fine. If you think I’m too weak, I’ll stay away for now. And what about Greed?”
One of the few I haven’t yet interacted with...
[Greed? How can I put this... Ah. For Greed, you shouldn’t worry about what lies within the Dungeon so much as the location in which the Dungeon itself lies.]
“Really? What, is it inside a volcano or something?”
[Not quite... Well, it will be far more entertaining to watch than a mere environmental obstacle.]
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean...”
[Haha. I apologise for teasing you, but you must understand.]
Following a brief pause, the Sinful God revealed with a devilish smile.
[―The Greed Dungeon is located in Revel, the Seronian Capital City.]
At that, Jae froze.