Chapter 185
Inside the silent Magic Tower Lord’s Office.
Arian and Hera, Yuna hugging behemoth, and Yusti-ah holding a broom - a total of four women were sitting on the sofa.
“W-wait a minute. Why am I the only one looking like this? More importantly, why did you gather us so suddenly?”
Yusti-ah asked, looking bewildered.
She had been kidnapped by Franz while cleaning the Cathedral grounds, so her bewilderment was a natural reaction.
Furthermore, she wasn’t the only one harboring questions; everyone’s gaze was directed at Franz.
Phew-.
Letting out a long sigh to organize his thoughts, Franz carefully began to speak.
“The cult is preparing for the resurrection of the Demon God. If we don’t stop it within the next 10 days, the world will be destroyed. Even if we do stop it, a battle with the Demon God will be unavoidable.”
It was a near-perfect three-line summary.
The problem was that the contents of those three lines were far too horrific.
“Wait a minute. The progression is too fast for me to understand. Is the Demon God you’re talking about the same Demon God that the Five Heroes defeated in the distant past…?”
The first to express her doubts was Yusti-ah.
Her eyes were shaking violently as if an earthquake had struck.
“Your understanding is correct.”
What Yusti-ah mentioned was a tale written in the scriptures: the heroic tale of the Five Heroes defeating the Demon God with weapons imbued with the Goddess’s power.
The soul residing in the body of the cultist they met in Rome must have belonged to one of them.
As the conversation with Yusti-ah ended, a heavy silence fell. Given the situation, everyone must have had a lot on their mind.
The first to break that silence and speak up was none other than Franz.
“I want to stop their plans no matter what.”
It wasn’t some grandiose thought about wanting to save the world or achieve a great feat.
As the Magic Tower lord and a member of the Hero’s Party that subjugated the Demon Lord, he would simply do his best in his given role.
Just as he had done so far, he intended to do everything he could.
Even if the world were destroyed in the end, he wouldn’t have any regrets.
“That’s fitting for the Mage of the Hero’s Party.”
Yuna let out a chuckle, pfft-.
In the past, he would have hated that laugh because it felt fake, but now he just felt purely grateful for it.
“If the Master goes, shouldn’t the slave go too?”
Hera’s ears twitched up and down.
Why was she, who hated humans so much, volunteering to be a human’s slave?
He still couldn’t understand her feelings, but he decided to just accept it.
Thinking about it would only give him a headache.
“If you all go, I have to go too.”
Yusti-ah spoke in a grumbling tone, but a smile was spreading across her lips.
“I’m not in the Hero’s Party, but as the Magic Tower master’s secretary, I will do my best.”
Arian clenched her fists and solidified her resolve, and the conclusion was reached.
Everyone had unanimously agreed to help Franz.
He never thought the day would come when they would fight together like this again…
I guess it’s true that you have to live long enough to see everything.
Anyway, it was an urgent situation, so they had to move quickly.
“Then I’d like to have a meeting about what to do from now on…”
“Franz, please send me back to the Cathedral. I think I need to inform His Holiness the Pope.”
“Got it. You guys go ahead and talk first. I’ll be right back.”
Franz immediately took Yusti-ah to the Cathedral. Then he returned to the Magic Tower and began the strategy meeting in earnest.
In truth, even though it was a strategy meeting, they didn’t have any brilliant ideas.
Not only did they not know where Deliaspi Dyne was, but the only thing they knew about the Demon God was a few lines written in the scriptures.
The meeting was running in meaningless circles.
Suddenly, Arian spoke up.
“Wouldn’t it be better to bring Seri-ah and Zeni-ah here?”
Why had he forgotten about those two?
The two were Cultists, and they belonged to the Seven Great Evils, who were close to the bishop.
So perhaps they might know something.
“I’ll go get them.”
“W-wait a minute…! Even so, they’re girls…”
Franz snapped his fingers before Arian could even finish her sentence.
Thus, the place he arrived at was Seri-ah and Zeni-ah’s room.
However, the timing was bad, to say the least. Of all times, the two were in the middle of changing into their pajamas.
“W-what the. Why are you here?!”
“Zeni-ah, it seems the Magic Tower master has finally fallen for my charms.”
“Seri-ah, this is no time for that. We need to get that pervert right now…!”
What were they even talking about when there was nothing to see anyway?
Normally, he would have apologized and quietly moved on, but now was not the time for that.
Snap-.
When Franz snapped his fingers, the two were instantly changed into their pajamas. It happened in a flash, as if by magic.
“Both of you, give me some of your time. Just so you know, you don’t have the right to refuse.”
True to his word about having no right to refuse, Franz immediately snapped his fingers.
Then, with the three of them remaining exactly as they were, only the surrounding scenery changed to the Magic Tower Lord’s Office.
“W-why is everyone gathered here… like this?”
Looking around, Zeni-ah spotted Arian and hastily switched to polite speech.
Franz answered on behalf of everyone.
“First, both of you take a seat and get comfortable. I have something I want to ask you.”
Seri-ah and Zeni-ah were flustered, but they sat down in suitable spots for now.
Franz spoke to them.
He spoke to them about the cult’s bishop, the resurrection of the Demon God, and the impending destruction of the world.
“So anyway, do you guys happen to know where that damn bishop is? Well, you don’t have to pinpoint it exactly, just tell me everything, even the trivial things.”
“I never thought he would do something like that… Got it for now. If I think of anything, I’ll tell you right away.”
Zeni-ah’s expression and tone were quite serious.
It was awkward seeing her, who was always full of mischief, act like that, but on the other hand, he was grateful.
It was then.
“…I know a little bit.”
Seri-ah, who had been silently listening until now, spoke up.
Everyone’s gaze, including Franz’s, turned to her. That was the same for Zeni-ah, who was right next to her.
Soon, Seri-ah began to speak in a low voice.
“The bishop used memory-erasing magic on everyone who left the hideout. That’s probably why Zeni-ah can’t remember either. But I still have some memories left, maybe because of the item that was inside my stomach.”
No wonder there was hardly any information floating around; if he was that thorough, it made sense.
If he had lived that long, he should just die quietly instead of causing so much needless trouble…
“What I remember is that it’s in the Eastern Continent and that it’s underground. And that there’s concealment magic placed on it. It would have been better if I had known more. I’m sorry I’m not much help.”
Seri-ah said she wasn’t much help, but that wasn’t true at all.
Just the information that it was in the Eastern Continent and underground could narrow down the search radius tremendously.
“Seri-ah, this is more than enough. Thank you so much.”
Franz said so and patted Seri-ah’s head. At that, Seri-ah’s body swayed limply, following his touch.
At that moment, Zeni-ah, who was next to Seri-ah, proudly puffed out her chest and said.
“I’ll take 100 sandwiches as a reward for this.”
“You didn’t even do anything, did you?”
“Are you saying that after seeing us in our underwear? 100 is giving you a discount, you know?”
She was bringing that up here and now?
Flustered, Franz glanced around at everyone.
Sure enough, everyone was glaring at him with expressions full of murderous intent.
So what else could he do?
“I’ll, uh, go get Yusti-ah.”
He had no choice but to press the emergency escape button.
He couldn’t die before even meeting the Demon God, after all.
Snap-.
With a crisp sound, Franz arrived in front of the Cathedral.
In front of the Cathedral, Yusti-ah had already come out and was waiting.
“Yusti-ah, did you wait long?”
“No. It’s fine.”
“What did His Holiness the Pope say?”
“He did question how you found out about it, but since you were the one who said it, he just believed it. He also said he would gather the Paladins and search for it.”
It is strange to think the status of a Saint would be helpful at a time like this.
They say every dog has its day, and this is exactly it.
Anyway…
“Would it be better to reveal my true identity someday…”
I’m actually a stranger from another world, and I was somehow dragged into this world.
Suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, that thought occurred to him.
Of course, it wasn’t an important matter right now, so it immediately vanished from his mind.
“Ah, and His Holiness the Pope gave me this…”
In Yusti-ah’s arms was a very old book, and its condition was as poor as its age, and it looked as if it might tear at any moment.
“Let’s look at that once we get to the Magic Tower.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Franz immediately returned to the Magic Tower with Yusti-ah.
“Looks like everyone has calmed down.”
Franz thought that as he gauged everyone’s reactions.
Yusti-ah spoke.
“His Holiness the Pope gave me the Old Testament. He said that perhaps the secret of the Demon God might be inside here.”
The identity of the book Yusti-ah was carefully holding was the scripture from the time when the Goddess Church was founded.