Chapter 121
[He was a guy who wielded tremendously powerful Psychic Power. I could even feel his Psychic Power getting stronger in real-time while we were fighting. Of course, my technique itself was superior, so I somehow managed to make it out alive. But if we were to meet again now, the situation would be very different.]
Kon's voice was filled with no small amount of fear.
He was vulgar, but he was always brimming with confidence. This seemed to be the first time I had ever seen him so terrified.
"Not to mention the Ketratuss. The Imperial Army will also be participating on a large scale. We aren't alone anymore. Even if we do run into the Bicorn, it won't be able to get close enough to harm us."
[Still, it feels a bit... you know. I really didn't want to go to The North if I could help it. Damn it. Why couldn't they just start things within the Empire's territory? Why did it have to be inside the Great Labyrinth of all places? It's a place I really don't want to return to.]
"We're in the middle of a war. Anything could happen. It'll be fine, Kon. Don't worry too much."
At my soothing words, Kon's voice calmed down a little.
[Yeah. Nothing bad will happen. We'll just go down into the Great Labyrinth, recover him, and come right back. Right?]
"Yeah."
[And the best forces of the Empire and the Labyrinth City will be with us?]
"That's right."
[That's comfortable and nice. Be honest. Have things ever gone this smoothly and comfortably before?]
I laughed at those words.
He was absolutely right.
Things had never flowed with such a good feeling before.
The objective of what needed to be done was clear, and there were plenty of people to help.
It was no longer a situation where I had to struggle alone without knowing exactly what to do.
"Let's hurry. My promise to find your physical body again once everything is over—I'll definitely keep it. You made a huge contribution to helping the Goddess of Life regain her authority, so do you really think Lilia would just sit back and do nothing for you?"
[She'd better not. This time, I'm going to ask her to make me into the shape of a magnificent white horse, not some pathetic-looking Pony.]
"Yeah. Make sure you do."
[This is really great. I hope things continue to go as smoothly as today from now on...]
The subtly heartwarming atmosphere flowing between the two of us...
"Amael!"
...was shattered by Erfa's voice as she knocked urgently.
"Erfa? What's going on?"
When I opened the door, Erfa rushed into my room, her expression pale.
[...I have a bad feeling about this.]
I agreed with Kon.
Not once since my reincarnation had things ever gone comfortably and happily.
And unfortunately, it was the same this time.
My hopes of finally getting to work comfortably for once with the help of the Empire and the Labyrinth City...
"The Evil God Followers have risen up on a massive scale in the Imperial East! They say the Curse is spreading rapidly!"
...were shattered to pieces, as if it were only natural.
***
The Evil God raised his head toward the entity entering the Abyss.
[You've become quite haggard. Then again, considering only two of the Seven Demon Kings are still holding their positions right now, that says it all. How is Gluttony doing? Didn't he hurt quite a bit after getting hit by me last time?]
[I have a proposal. Abaddon.]
[A proposal from the Demon King of Pride. You call it a proposal, but I should probably consider it a favor, shouldn't I? I suppose it's because stopping the Pantheon has become quite difficult now?]
Seeing the mocking Evil God, the Demon King of Pride desperately held back his boiling rage.
[You dog-like worm of the Abyss. Everything was ruined because of you.]
It was a statement made after enduring and enduring, but the words were incredibly foul.
[Hearing that makes me want to grant whatever favor you're asking even less.]
[No. You'll have no choice but to grant it. You wouldn't want the Pantheon to get any stronger than this either. The humans have found out where the God of Courage Ponemkin is.]
[What does that have to do with me?]
[Don't pretend you don't know when you know everything. What do you think will happen if I just sit back and let them recover him?]
[It will become even harder for you to stop the Pantheon, won't it?]
[I'll just let them loose, then. I can just let them hand down divine words as they please and mass-produce the Saint and Saintess chosen by the gods, as well as the Hero. I can just expose the locations of the Hideouts you worked so hard to build in the East, too.]
At Lucifer's words, the Evil God's face crumpled fiercely.
[What do you want?]
[Cause a rampage with your forces in the East. As you know, because Asmodeus's power has grown stronger, the odds of winning if we fight in the Spirit Realm are low. We have to fight in the Human Realm with our Followers, but it'll be troublesome if the Cults of the Pantheon and the entire Imperial Army are on the move.]
[You want me to distract them?]
[Exactly.]
[Causing a disturbance large enough to draw the attention of the Pantheon and the entire Empire is no easy task for me either.]
[Goddamn it! You've been laying low and gathering your strength all this time, haven't you? I know full well you can do it easily. If you do that for me, I will do my best to interfere with the humans. I'll stop them from reaching Labyrinth Floor 7.]
The Demon King of Pride and the Evil God looked at each other in silence for a moment.
[You cunning bastard. It's obvious what you're plotting on the inside. You're trying to create a scenario where the Empire and the Pantheon's Cults pull out, leaving the Saint to go down into the Great Labyrinth alone, aren't you? It's a trick to catch him inside the Great Labyrinth and do something about him. Have you still not given up your lingering attachment?]
[Whatever my ulterior motives are, what does it matter to you? You're in a position where you have no choice but to follow my words anyway. If I let the Pantheon move freely, you'll suffer a bit more of a loss than I will. Because four Demon Kings disappeared, Hell now has very few strongholds left within the Empire's territory.]
For a moment, a terribly heavy and bloody silence settled between the two Deities.
[...Fine. I'll dance to your tune. I also refuse to let the Pantheon get any stronger than this. But if you try to swallow the Saint to make that Lust bastard yours once again, I will interfere with all my might.]
[Try it if you can. You worm of the Abyss.]
Lucifer departed from the Abyss.
The Evil God glared and glared at the retreating back of the Demon King of Pride for a long time.
***
If I hadn't saved Iomene.
And if I hadn't destroyed the Evil God's Fragment at the very last moment.
The scene that would have likely unfolded in the Capital was now happening in the Imperial East.
"It's a Curse! A large-scale Curse Infection has broken out, and victims are being mass-produced!"
The situation was serious.
People infected by the Curse were instantly turning into something akin to Zombies, hunting other humans and turning them into even more Curse-infected people.
It was no ordinary level of serious.
However, there was one difference from the Curse Outbreak that had occurred in the Capital last time.
That was the fact that I hadn't seen a premonition regarding this incident.
In other words, what did that mean?
It meant that it wasn't a crisis on the level of collapsing all of Humanity on the Continent.
And the reason for that was clear.
The Pantheon was no longer as incompetent as it used to be.
They were still in a state where it was difficult to hand down divine words, Chosen Ones, or revelations because they were blocked by Lucifer, but there were other ways to help humans besides those.
"Our divine power has grown stronger."
"This is the first time in my life my divine power has become this strong."
"All the Paladins can fight right this instant. With this concentration of divine power, blocking the Curse is a given. Pushing it back is also possible."
Almost simultaneously with the outbreak in the East, a phenomenon occurred where the divine power of the Priests and Paladins of the Pantheon's major Cults became several times stronger than usual.
To the point where they could freely Cast high-tier Divine Magic on an individual level, which normally would have barely been possible even with dozens of people gathered together.
The situation was clearly different from the time when they tried to trigger a Curse Infection in the Capital through Iomene.
Furthermore, was that all?
"Combat Sisters, draw your weapons."
Kanya and the Nuns of the War Cult raised their weapons.
Back when Iomene was infected by the Evil God's Fragment, the War Cult was nothing more than a small, shabby Minor Cult, but not anymore.
All the Imperial Citizens had witnessed the god they served ascending right in front of everyone's eyes, and thanks to that, the number of Believers who worshipped Velia had increased to the point where it could be called an explosive surge.
Empowered by that faith, the War Cult, although small in number, had become a Cult that wielded more intense divine power than any other.
"Your Majesty (Father). Please send me."
"Iomene."
"I am immune to the Curse because I harbored the Evil God's Fragment. And the White Order has been researching ways to apply my Curse immunity to others without resting for a single moment since the instant I became a Saintess. Now it is time to verify that research in actual combat."
Iomene, who was immune to the Evil God's Curse itself, and the White Order, which had researched Iomene's Curse immunity for a long time, did not stay still either.
Dulanere, who was considered one of the two most powerful gods among all the Deities currently in the Pantheon alongside the God of Justice Rophus, was pouring in so much power into this incident that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was staking her life on it.
The divine power of the White Order's Paladins and Battle Priests had grown so strong that it could be called transcendent even when compared to other Cults.
Iomene, the Chosen One, couldn't even control the divine power in her body, leaking it everywhere to the point where a faint halo seeped out from her figure.
"I will trust you. Iomene. I command you to resolve the Curse Outbreak in the eastern region alongside the White Order."
"Understood."
"I will personally command the gathered Imperial Army and move toward the East. Almene. You take command of the Black Fortress."
"I shall do so."
"My wife. Please gather the Knights of the Noble Families. It seems their strength will also be needed for this incident."
"Of course."
Thus, the Imperial Family and the Pantheon completed their thorough preparations and began to move to stop the Curse Infection outbreak in the East.
The Mages of the Magic Tower as well.
Erfa too.
Jonathan Karma too.
And naturally, the Cult of Grace as well.
Everyone's attention became focused on the East.
And that meant only one thing.
"Saint."
"I know. High Priest Yodel."
"I apologize. We simply... simply cannot spare any Troops to send to the Great Labyrinth in The North. I believe you know what the Evil God's Curse Infection means, Saint. And just how serious it is."
"I understand. It's not something that will end just in the Imperial East. I fully understand that if things go wrong, the entire Empire could collapse. It is only right to do everything in your power to stop it."
Most of the Troops scheduled to be sent to the Great Labyrinth in The North were urgently dispatched to the East.
And I had already provided assistance so they could head East urgently.
[That portal is terrifyingly huge. I can't believe we opened this.]
The results of practicing how to handle Asmodeus's Authority with Kon were showing.
A massive portal heading to the East was wide open right in the middle of the Capital.
Tens of thousands of Troops were urgently being dispatched to the East through that portal.
"Please hurry and go. High Priest Yodel. They will need you more in the East. Go and take care of the sick and injured."
At my words, Grandpa Yodel hesitated for a long time before finally bowing his head politely toward me and hurriedly crossing over to the East through the portal.
Most of the highly skilled Healers of the Cult of Grace who had been at the Capital Magic Tower had just crossed over.
Their proficient Treatment skills, honed in the Slum, would undoubtedly be of great help.
My Girlfriends.
Iomene, Almene, and Erfa had hurriedly left for the East without even being able to say a proper goodbye.
Kanya had just urgently waved at me before hurriedly crossing through the portal with the Nuns of the War Cult.
But even though everyone was leaving, I was in a position where I couldn't go to the East.
"Saint. If you are finished preparing, please hurry and follow us. You must board the express train to Labyrinth right now."
At Mayor Ragot's urgent voice, I nodded and turned around.
Around the same time the news arrived that chaos had erupted in the East.
An urgent dispatch was delivered in their own way from Labyrinth City Labyrinth, where Magic Communication was impossible due to the inability to use mana.
Beacons installed throughout the Mountain Range were lit.
The bright Red Beacon meant only one thing.
Lucifer.
It meant that the Followers of the Demon King of Pride had been confirmed to be on the move.
The reason why the Followers of the Demon King of Pride were lurking near the Great Labyrinth was all too easy to guess.
"Let's hurry. We can't let Lucifer find and get his hands on the God of Courage before we do."
As I said that and hurriedly moved toward the train station, I heard the sound of Kon, hanging around my neck, letting out a sigh.
[Yeah. Damn it. I was wondering when things would ever go easily for once.]
"Still, we aren't completely alone this time, are we?"
In the end, it looked like I was going alone once again, but the situation was a little different from last time.
"Move out! Escort the Saint!"
The Imperial Army.
Belonging to the Capital Garrison Special Brigade.
Among them, the elite of the elite responsible for evacuating the Imperial Family in the event enemy forces invaded the Capital.
One hundred Special Forces members called the Golden Company had been drafted to Escort me and were moving with me.
And one more unexpected person.
"I can buy as many of the train's Magic Engines as you need. Even if they break down, go as fast as possible. Please move as quickly as you can without causing an accident."
"Of course! Lady Cecilia."
Belonging to the Karma Company.
Jonathan Karma's daughter and the person I had treated, Cecilia Karma, was accompanying me.
What was her role, you ask?
"Let's move! Mr. Ragot. The amount of money it takes to hire them doesn't matter. As soon as we arrive, please form an Expeditionary Force composed of Labyrinth's best Hunters. We absolutely cannot let Lucifer reach Great Labyrinth Floor 7 before us."
"Of course."
She was the Patron.
A Patron with a wallet that never ran dry.