novelraw Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Ch.96 Your Holiness, the Saintess?
It was then.
From far off, the sound of bones clattering against one another reached us…
—Clack…
—Clack…
“Eeek?”
Hundreds of eerie sounds echoed along the walls.
“This is… far too many.”
“Master… shouldn’t we retreat for now? If all the bones buried here rise… it’d be better to fight outside.”
Outside, Leah could easily handle them with her magic.
Inside, a powerful spell might collapse the catacombs entirely.
But if we delayed too long, they might open another entrance—leading to the worst possible disaster.
“No need to worry. I’ve got a way.”
Was I being too relaxed?
Mia nodded.
“Now that I think about it… the Sage can wield divine power equal to the Saintess, right?”
“Exactly.”
—Kraaargh!
I stretched my hand toward the skeletons charging at us.
“Divine Light!”
A blinding flash erupted from my palm, shattering the skeletons. Their dislocated bones scattered in all directions, obeying the laws of inertia.
“Come on, let’s go!”
—Tatata-tack!
Skeletons appeared intermittently along the path.
Before they could reach us, I cast divine magic again.
“Divine Light!”
“That looks incredibly convenient,” Leah said as she ran beside me.
I nodded. “It really is.”
Just chant the divine spell, and it activates instantly.
Every flash of light granted the undead their final rest.
“At this rate, couldn’t we just wipe them all out?”
“How big do you think this place is? You really want to try that?”
The catacombs were enormous.
In the past, merely exploring them took several real-world days.
And now I had to do it all over again?
“Still… isn’t it pitiful? To be used like this?”
Mia’s words, spoken while gazing at the scattered bones on the floor, surprised me.
Did this girl… even possess a sense of pity?
“Ah! Master, over there!”
Ahead, a horde of skeletons gathered.
Some among them were preparing fireballs—apparently capable of casting magic.
“Divine Light!”
—Tad…
I granted the bones their rest.
After running for a long while, a large, ornately decorated door came into view—
at least three, maybe even five meters tall.
“This is…”
Chains and a heavy lock coiled around the handles.
“This is the tomb of the previous Hero Party.”
“Pfft! Even if they were Heroes, wouldn’t one blast of divine power erase them?”
Leah spoke without a care in the world.
I shook my head.
“No. These ones are immune to divine power.”
“What? They’re undead, yet immune to divine power?”
“How could such a thing… even be possible?”
Before I could give them a look of disbelief, I cut in quickly.
“The previous Hero Party included a former Saintess. Does it make sense for a Saintess to resurrect as an undead?”
“Well… that’s true, but…”
“If they’re immune to divine power… does that mean we have no choice but to fight them head-on?”
“Yes. Not even Levi’s Dagger works on these ones.”
When the King of the Dead awakens, most of the dead rise as skeletons—but a few return fully intact.
In those cases, even Levi’s Dagger proves useless.
“There were five of them, right? The previous Hero Party…”
“Yeah.”
A group composed of a Hero, a Mage, a Spiritcaller, a Saintess, and a Martial Artist.
—Bang!
I shot the lock with Equality.
“So… brace yourselves.”
—Creeeak!
I shoved the door open with force—and the five figures inside turned toward us.
“Living beings?”
A handsome blond man, holding a sword in one hand, addressed me.
That must be the Hero.
“Can you tell us… what has become of the world?”
A pink-haired woman—the Saintess.
I’d better deal with her first.
In the blink of an eye, I aimed Equality at the Saintess and fired.
—Bang!
—Thud.
She collapsed limply.
“E-Emilya?!”
The former heroes rushed to examine her body.
“Emilya! Emilya, wake up!”
The Hero shook the lifeless corpse of the Saintess desperately.
Leah and Mia stared at me in shock.
“What?! You just shot her the moment you saw her?!”
“I had to take out the Saintess first—it’s easier that way.”
“But couldn’t you at least try talking to them first?!”
They were furious.
I calmed them with a wave.
“Pfft, talk? Better to eliminate them before they lose their sanity. At least I took one down already.”
At that moment, a furious roar shook the chamber.
“You bastard! I won’t let you get away with this!”
The bald Martial Artist charged at me, trying to grab Equality—but damn, he was fast.
Faster than I expected, I hastily leapt backward.
“How dare you! Gravity!”
A dark-blue sphere erupted from the floor, slowing the Martial Artist’s movements.
“Leah, nice!”
“Inoohm!”
Thank goodness. Now’s my chance—aim with Equality.
But before I could raise the barrel, a high-pitched voice stole my turn.
“Dispel!”
The blue-haired female Mage dispelled Leah’s spell instantly and broke free.
—Bang!
“Who are you?! Why have we been resurrected… and why did you kill Emilya?!”
The former Hero’s eyes slowly turned red as he advanced toward us.
He was losing his sanity.
“No need to know. You’re already dead once—and the God of Death resurrected you only to use you as pawns…”
I deliberately said something to grab their attention, then subtly aimed at the Hero Party’s Mage.
—Bang!
—Thud.
“Lilia!”
The Mage collapsed.
“You’ll pay for this!”
The bald Martial Artist blurred into motion in an instant.
—Thwack!
His flying kick struck me square in the chest.
“Woaah!”
—Crash!
I slammed into the wall before I could even react.
“Master?!”
“Sage!”
“You dare do this to Master?! Ice Arrow!”
Oof… surprising.
It happened so fast I was startled—but felt no pain at all.
Arbiter’s Armor really is broken.
That kick would’ve shattered every bone in an ordinary person’s body—but thanks to this armor, I survived.
Maybe I should pretend to be dead and snipe the Martial Artist?
After all, someone that fast is seriously annoying.
Leah held back the former Hero Party with ice-based magic—but her spell…
“Hraaaaah!”
Was instantly halted by the former Hero’s battle cry.
Seriously? You’re telling me he blocked a spell… just by shouting?!
“O God! Grant me a body of steel! Grant me an unbreakable will!”
The former Hero bellowed so loudly it filled the entire boss chamber.
“Salamander! Burn them all to ashes!”
Mia hastily summoned her spirit.
But as she fired her invisible shot, the Hero leapt forward and sliced it in half.
“I’ll kill you all. I’ll kill every last one of you.”
Starting with the former Hero, their eyes slowly turned crimson.
“Damn it! Prison Breath!”
A massive sphere of ice burst from Leah’s hands, sending countless ice shards crashing toward the Hero Party—
“Dieeeee!”
—but the fragments harmlessly dissipated before them.
Black, ominous smoke began rising from the bodies of the former Hero Party.
Were they losing their sense of self?
In the original game, dialogue would occur first—then they’d gradually lose sanity and battle would begin.
But right now…
I absolutely had to take out at least the Martial Artist.
Pretending to be unconscious, I subtly aimed at him…
—Bang! Bang! Bang!
The moment I confirmed the Martial Artist was hit, I immediately gave the former Hero and Spiritcaller a taste of Equality too.
—Thud!
—Thud!
—Thud!
Watching the three collapse limply, I smiled brightly.
“Master?! Are you alright?!”
“O Sage…?”
To the stunned girls, I waved my hand.
“Don’t worry.”
—Tap tap.
“I’m wearing Arbiter’s Armor. With this on, I can’t die.”
With that, I turned my gaze toward the corpses of the former heroes.
“Heh heh. How’s that?! No one survives a shot from Equality!”
“Then why didn’t you come out right away…? Wait—were you pretending to be dead all along?!”
Leah eyed me suspiciously.
I replied calmly,
“Luring the enemy into lowering their guard by feigning death is also a tactic. Anyway, we won, right?”
Satisfied by the sight of our neatly fallen foes,
Leah and Mia frowned.
“Master… that was kind of ugly.”
“O Sage… isn’t that a bit cowardly?”
Their expressions weren’t pleased.
Without gear advantages, I’m no different from an ordinary person.
And truthfully, the Martial Artist was so fast that aiming was nearly impossible.
“Winning by any means is still winning. Didn’t you see the Hero’s momentum earlier? That wasn’t a joke.”
In reality, the former Hero’s HP exceeded even Theo, the male Hero.
His regeneration was absurd, and his defense was exceptionally high.
Since Leah couldn’t recklessly unleash magic here, I should be grateful we won this way at all.
But Mia seemed unconvinced, hesitating slightly.
“Still… they were the former Hero Party…”
“So what? Winning is what matters. One problem solved—let’s move on.”
I stretched and walked out of the boss room.
“Master, wait for us!”
Leah and Mia quickly dashed to my side.
“So… is it really all over now?”
“Yeah. Cecilia and Scarlet went to the Imperial Palace—should be fine.”
***
The grand Papal Palace.
A square-shaped structure crowned with a majestic dome and massive obelisks at each corner—one of the capital’s iconic landmarks.
The Apostolic Palace.
Cecilia and Scarlet had arrived at the Papal See.
—Hey, isn’t that the Saintess and the Hero?
—No way—they went to the New Continent… Wait, Saintess Cecilia?!
—Sh-she’s alive! I don’t know what’s happening, but if they’re here, everything will be fine!
The crowd, terrified by the darkening sky and translucent ghosts drifting high above, sighed in relief at the sight of the Hero Party.
Ignoring the murmurs around them, the two rushed toward the main gate of the Papal Palace.
The Holy Knights guarding the entrance gaped in astonishment.
“Your Holiness, the Saintess?! Weren’t you bound for the New Continent? Have you returned?”
Bombarded by the knights’ startled questions, Cecilia urgently asked,
“Where is Cardinal Walter? No—where is His Holiness the Pope?”
“They’re both inside right now.”
“I see. Scarlet, quickly—take me to His Holiness’s office.”
“Got it! Where is it?”
“This way!”
As Cecilia pointed to a window with a balcony…
both their figures blurred—
—Crash!
The window Cecilia had indicated shattered violently.
“Wh-who goes there?!”
“What ruffian dares?!”
The Holy Knights drew their swords in alarm, positioning themselves around the Pope to guard against intruders—
but soon stood dumbfounded.
“S-Saintess?!”
“And the Hero… how did you get here?!”
They couldn’t help but gape at the sight of intruders in the Pope’s private office—the Hero and Saintess, who had supposedly departed for the New Continent, now standing right before them.
“Greetings, Your Holiness.”
“It’s been a while, Your Holiness.”
Seeing Scarlet and Cecilia greet him calmly, the Pope let out a sigh of relief.
“Hoho! Saintess, it’s been far too long. I trust you’ve been well?”
Despite the sudden intrusion, the Pope asked with a gentle smile.
Gone was the vulgar Cecilia who usually lounged on the sofa, scratching her belly while reading romance novels.
In her place stood a serene Saintess, replying in a tender voice,
“Yes, I’ve been well. And I hope Your Holiness has been well too.”
Pope Leo VII, seated on the papal throne despite his advanced age of seventy, sensed a connection between the current crisis and the Saintess’s unexpected return.
He gave her a silent, questioning look.
“I’ve been well myself. But this old man simply cannot fathom what is happening in the capital right now. Do you perhaps know what’s going on?”
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