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Chapter 117: Priests of the God of Lies and Deception (2)

A nun with black hair and an old man walked through the capital of the Denian Kingdom.

The nun looked around the city.

“I heard that evil had descended, but it seems to be in better shape than I expected.”

“Indeed. There aren’t as many collapsed buildings as I thought, and the people don’t seem too gloomy either.”

The capital was partially destroyed.

Many buildings had collapsed, and not a small number of people had died.

But that was all.

The descent of two named demons.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the kingdom of Denian could have been destroyed.

To have held off that kind of threat with this amount of damage was hard to believe.

The old man muttered with a peculiar expression.

“There is a Sword Master in the Denian Kingdom.”

Maximus the Sword Master.

As a true superhuman, his name is known even in other countries.

“And there is also an elf.”

The elven alchemist Arkamis, who created superhuman-level warriors in collaboration with the Empire.

It was widely known that she was staying in the Denian Kingdom.

“Did those two fend off the demon attack?”

“That’s what’s known.”

Two named demons had descended on the capital of the Denian Kingdom. The Demon of Gravitas, Ashetiar, and the Demon of Severance, Butler.

The demons rampaged to destroy the capital.

The king, having received a revelation from the Earth Goddess, had made preparations, but most of the priests were stationed at the borders.

The remaining priests desperately tried to stop the demons, but they were brutally slaughtered.

At the moment the capital was about to fall, Maximus, who returned quickly, and Arkamis, who was staying near the capital, defeated the demons.

That is the known outcome of the incident.

The existence of Ketal was not revealed, as Barbosa, following the advice of the Tower Master, had kept the information hidden.

Therefore, people were amazed at the strength of Maximus and Arkamis.

It was extremely difficult to drive away two named demons without the aid of divine power.

The two’s strength was being highly praised.

But the old man had a dubious expression.

“An elf might have superhuman strength to oppose a named demon. But… the damage is too minimal. No matter how superhuman, it would have been quite difficult to face them without the help of priests.”

“Do you think there’s something more?”

“It’s just my shallow thought, but it seems likely.”

The old man tapped his waist.

“Let’s go talk for now. We can confirm afterward.”

* * *

Barbosa closed his eyes with a weary face.

He was extremely busy.

Rebuilding the half-destroyed capital required a vast amount of money and resources.

He had to squeeze the nobles and suppress or appease their resistance and complaints with force.

That wasn’t all.

Various countries, upon hearing the news, were requesting information about the demons.

He also had to send condolences and compensation to the Earth Goddess’s Church, which had lost its priests.

Barbosa’s current wish was to rest for just an hour without any worries.

But he couldn’t do that.

Another matter was approaching him.

A servant quietly entered and bowed.

“Your Majesty. The time has come.”

“I know. To visit at such a busy time. I wish I could ignore them.”

“Your Majesty. But…”

“I know. I can’t do that.”

A god.

One who oversees the world.

Matters related to them couldn’t be treated lightly.

Even if their church was small and widely detested.

“The Church of Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception.”

Barbosa muttered as he stood up.

“Tell them to wait a bit longer. I will be there soon.”

* * *

Barbosa sat in the reception room.

In front of him were a black-haired girl and an old man.

The girl, nervous, stammered.

“Th-thank you for your hospitality, Lord Barbosa. I am Sister Heize, serving the God of Lies and Deception, Kalosia.”

Heize stood up and bowed politely.

The old man spoke.

“I thank you as well. Despite our sudden visit, you’ve kindly come to meet us. I am Naplas, a servant of Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception. Though unworthy, I hold the position of elder.”

Naplas did not stand up but bowed his head politely.

His demeanor was much more relaxed compared to Heize, but Barbosa did not mind.

Holding the position of elder meant proving one’s faith and devotion to the god.

The ones they owed respect and politeness to were the saint or leader of their church, and the god they served.

It was rare for someone like Naplas to bow and show respect.

Most would start with rude remarks.

“I am Barbosa, the King of the Denian Kingdom. Given the situation, let’s dispense with formalities. I will ask directly.”

Barbosa looked at Naplas.

“What is the reason for your visit?”

The Church of Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception.

A church detested and rejected by people.

Their infamy was well-known throughout the world.

“Naplas.”

Barbosa pressed for an answer.

Instead of answering, Naplas carefully moved back.

“The child beside me will answer. I am here only to advise.”

“…Is that so.”

Barbosa was surprised by Naplas’s response.

Naplas was an elder of the church, and yet he had yielded the floor to the nun.

There was only one meaning to this: they were grooming her for a high-ranking position within the church.

‘She seems too young for that, though.’

“Well, Heize.”

“Y-yes.”

Heize struggled to steady her trembling voice and began to speak with a composed expression.

“Barbosa, King of the Denian Kingdom. The Church of Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception, officially requests your help. Will you assist us?”

A request for aid.

It was an expected request, so Barbosa’s expression didn’t change, but he was puzzled.

“As you must know, our kingdom is not in a good state.”

The invasion of two named demons.

They were in a position where they needed help themselves, let alone helping others.

He couldn’t understand why they would come and ask for cooperation despite knowing this.

“…I understand it is a presumptuous and difficult request. But we have already been rejected by other kingdoms.”

Heize smiled bitterly.

Barbosa frowned at her words.

It was a very humble stance, not one usually shown by someone serving a god.

This indicated how urgent the situation was.

“As far as I recall, the Church of Kalosia has superhuman-level warriors. Is that still insufficient?”

“Yes.”

“…What is happening?”

Heize opened her mouth to speak.

“A group of dark magicians, the Cradle of Darkness, is attacking our holy land.”

Barbosa’s eyes widened.

Demons were invading this world, attempting to take it from the embrace of the gods and claim it as their own.

And there were those who worshipped these demons.

They were called dark magicians.

The gods had issued revelations to hunt them down whenever they appeared, yet the dark magicians had tenaciously survived and formed a significant group.

Worshippers and servants of evil, betrayers threatening the land.

That was the Cradle of Darkness.

If they were on the move, a single superhuman would not suffice.

The Cradle of Darkness had the power to rival even the Sun God’s Church if they so desired.

“…What is their current state?”

“Two superhuman-level dark magicians, numerous first-rate warriors, and countless demonic creatures.”

Barbosa groaned.

It was enough force to destroy a small country.

Heize gave a bitter smile.

“They are brazenly pressuring our holy land. Our holy knights are desperately trying to fend them off, but we lack the strength.”

“…What revelation did Lord Kalosia give?”

“Respond to those who dare defile my land.”

Barbosa groaned at Heize’s words.

This meant that the dark magicians’ attack was indeed a significant threat.

“Normally, they wouldn’t dare to act so openly, but the world is in turmoil. They are boldly declaring their names and attacking our holy land. We can hold out for now, but there are limits. So, please, we ask for your help.”

Heize bowed politely.

“Will you assist us?”

“……”

Barbosa remained silent.

Originally, he had planned to listen briefly and then dismiss them.

But after hearing the story, he couldn’t respond so lightly.

The Cradle of Darkness, which usually operated in the shadows, had boldly shown itself and was directly attacking a holy site.

It was a problem on par with the descent of named demons in the Denian Kingdom.

Under normal circumstances, he would have immediately moved to help.

“…I’m sorry.”

However, Barbosa spoke.

“We are also in no position to help anyone. It’s difficult for us.”

It wasn’t an empty excuse; they truly had no capacity to help.

Dozens of knights had died.

A knight, who had been expected to reach the level of a superhuman and had been supported by the kingdom, had also died tragically.

Maximus was currently recuperating after the battle.

No matter how much he thought about it, they had no means to help.

“I see…”

Heize’s expression wavered, but she calmly spoke.

“Thank you for welcoming us despite our sudden visit, Lord Barbosa.”

“No, I apologize for not being able to give you a better answer.”

Just as the conversation seemed to end without any resolution, Naplas spoke.

“I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“It is said that Sword Master Maximus and the elven alchemist Arkamis, who can create superhumans, drove away the two named demons.”

Naplas looked at Barbosa with a curious smile.

“Is that true?”

“……”

The eyes of the church elder and the eyes of the king met and locked onto each other.

“It is true,”

Barbosa finally spoke after a brief silence.

There was no wavering in his eyes.

After a moment of staring, Naplas was the first to back down.

“I see. I apologize for the presumptuous question.”

“No, given the circumstances, it’s understandable.”

With those calm words, the conversation ended.

* * *

“Hm.”

Naplas muttered as he stepped outside.

“We’re doomed.”

“Aaah….”

Heize squatted down on the ground.

The calm expression she had been maintaining disappeared, replaced by a groan of despair.

“What do we do? If we’re refused here too, there’s nowhere else to go….”

“Indeed. In that case, we might have to visit another church.”

“But that’s…”

“Yes, it’s a risky move. But we have no other choice.”

“Ugh.”

Heize tangled her fingers in her hair, causing her fine black locks to sway messily.

Naplas narrowed his eyes.

“They seem to be hiding something…”

When Naplas asked his final question, Barbosa had hesitated slightly before answering.

This hesitation convinced Naplas that Maximus and Arkamis had not been the ones to defeat the demons.

“But if he kept it hidden until the end, that means it’s something he truly cannot reveal. Whatever it is… it’s worth investigating.”

Naplas straightened his back.

“First, we should visit that elf named Arkamis.”

Barbosa had refused them, but Arkamis was not affiliated with the Denian Kingdom.

She was merely staying there temporarily.

If they could find her, she might be able to help them.

“We must ensure we are not the last followers of Kalosia.”

“Do you have to say such ominous things?”

Naplas chuckled.

Heize, still looking despondent, started walking again.