044 – Divine Punishment
– A calamity has befallen mankind.
– I, Libera, hereby appoint Secrid, you, to confront this disaster.
– Secrid, Chosen Hero.
– I desire that you become the focal point, unifying mankind lest it crumble.
The day I, the Pope, became a hero, blessed by the Goddess Libera’s revelation… it was so long ago.
“Why would you choose this old, decrepit me…”
At first, I wondered why it was I, already nearing the end of my days, who became the hero, rather than others with promising futures…
– For one moment, I chose you.
“Understood. Your faithful servant… will follow the Lord’s will.”
The words that followed immediately made me realize.
That there would come a time when I would have to sacrifice my life as a hero for one particular moment.
Thus, from that day forward, my body, which was on the verge of death, miraculously regained its health.
Starting with the priests who were convinced that my recovery was a ‘miracle’.
‘She did not say to save humanity. Goddess Libera… asked me to unify humanity so that it wouldn’t crumble.’
As the Lord had spoken.
I have been concealing my identity as a hero, acting as the focal point to prevent humanity from crumbling.
“Your Holiness?”
“Ah, forgive me, Apprentice Priest Lumia.”
Apologizing for not focusing on the current conversation due to momentarily reminiscing about the past.
“Could you perhaps elaborate on the Divine Punishment used by the former Saint that you mentioned earlier?”
I inquired in detail about the contents of ‘Divine Punishment,’ which I had initially heard about when the first report regarding the former Saint came in.
*
The majority of Doppelgangers identified by the Holy See were transferred to the Imperial Family.
Bound by all four limbs within the cathedral’s very heart, the five doppelgangers awaited, their fate sealed by the Archmage’s need for interrogation.
And before these uncanny duplicates…
“Could you… demonstrate divine retribution?”
“..Pardon?”
I found myself on the receiving end of an absurd request from the Pope himself.
“..Divine retribution, you say?”
“I beseech you.”
“..??”
Divine retribution.
A punishment meted out by the heavens.
‘Did some sort of “Divine Retribution” skill manifest within me, unbeknownst to myself?’
Did such a magic even exist in this world?
Nay… if it was truly a punishment from the heavens, would it not be power gifted by the Goddess herself?
‘I told them… I am neither a Hero, nor a Saint…’
Did the Pope still believe me to be some holy figure?
“..If I demonstrate it, will you believe me?”
“Hm?”
“Will you finally believe that I am neither a Hero, nor a Saint?”
“Hm… let us make that our agreement.”
Well…
Perhaps, by firmly establishing that I possessed no such ability as divine retribution…
I could finally receive acknowledgement from the Pope that I was not a Saint. It did not seem like a bad thing.
“Haa…”
Slowly, I approached the doppelganger, its limbs still restrained.
Myaaong~
“Is that Lady Mihen’s feline?”
“Ah, yes.”
It seemed Isabella was cold, for she attempted to nestle within my embrace.
Instinctively, I embraced her, then turned back to the doppelganger and uttered a single word.
“Retribution.”
Of course.
Since a “Divine Retribution” skill did not exist within me…
The miracle the Pope spoke of would surely not…
Mya~
Shhh…
The doppelganger suddenly began to melt.
Though its limbs were undeniably bound… the doppelganger dissolved into a greyish, viscous liquid.
“…”
“…”
“You said I wasn’t a saint.”
“You said I wasn’t a hero…”
“Goddess, something feels… off here…”
“…Coincidence.”
“That’s what it is, right?”
“That doppelganger just happened to run out of life force.”
“…Right?”
“Let’s experiment with the next doppelganger.”
“Let’s do it.”
“Divine Retribution.”
To prove it was just coincidence, I walked straight to the doppelganger next to us and muttered “Divine Retribution” once more.
“Look. Perfectly fine, isn’t he?”
“So it is.”
*Myaa~*
*Thud thud thud…*
“Lord.”
“Why do you test me with such trials?”
“…”
“…A coincidence?”
“Exactly.”
“Let’s go with that.”
The Pope turned his head sharply, meeting my gaze.
“…It really isn’t.”
My head spun, desperately trying to figure out how to explain this situation.
“Mihan-nim is truly blessed by the Goddess’s love.”
“Huh?”
“Why, even I, the Hero, am feeling envious.”
“How could I, compared to the Hero… …Wait a second. Did I just hear something extremely important?”
“Indeed.”
“…Am I about to be subjected to a religious trial…? Now that I know information I shouldn’t…”
“Hahaha, you are a truly amusing person, Mihan-nim.”
I had just been privy to the earth-shattering information that the Pope was, in fact, the Hero.
Of course.
“Ahahaha. Pope-nim, you are too kind. Thank you. That eased my tension considerably. I thank you again for making such a joke for my sake!”
The Pope’s joke calmed my nervous heart…
“…A joke, right?”
“Heh heh.”
“…It IS a joke, right??”
Oh, please.
“Are you familiar with someone named Daisy?”
“…”
A sudden question from His Holiness about Daisy.
“…I know her.”
I answered, assuming Daisy Ruin-sunbae had connections to the Pope…
“She was the previous Saintess.”
“…Pardon?”
“That decrepit lot of us became heroes and saintesses… it was to sacrifice these lives.”
Realizing I’d misunderstood the question, I was about to explain that the Daisy I knew was a namesake of the person His Holiness mentioned–
“Just as you remember Daisy. When the moment comes for me to offer this single life. Please, remember only that Hero Sekrid sacrificed himself for the Magic Kingdom, Mihan-nim.”
A deep bow…
If you say it like that…
“…I understand…”
I can’t tell you I misunderstood, can I…
“And, there’s no need for you to worry.”
“Pardon?”
“I was already aware that Mihan-nim is not currently a Saint. However… I’ve just now realized that Mihan-nim is someone especially beloved by the Goddess Libera.”
“Uh…”
“To the point that I, as Pope and Hero, am envious.”
“..!”
“The Hero of yesteryear meets the next Saint. I consider it a true honor to meet you.”
“No! Not at all a Hero of yesteryear..! And I am no Saint, upcoming or otherwise..!”
“You need not be so humble before me.”
“It’s not humility, I truly..!”
…
Grrr… Grrr…
Gazing at Isabella-ssi, who was purring contentedly as she received my petting on my stomach, I muttered.
“Today is… just full of things.”
“You worked hard~.”
The fact that the Pope was a Hero was shocking enough…
But even more shocking was that my single word had melted the doppelganger.
“What exactly was that ‘Divine Punishment’…”
Is it now possible to create and use skills that aren’t even on my status window?
No… at that point, wouldn’t that place me in the realm of a god, not just a saint or hero?
“Ughh… I don’t get it… Why on earth did the doppelganger melt…”
I really don’t understand any–
“That was me.”
“…”
“…Master?”
Gently lifting Isabella-ssi from my stomach.
“Just a moment! Just a moooment!”
I closed the window, leaving her perched on the roof outside.
“So, here lies the root of all evil.”
“I was wrong!! I said I was wrong!!”
“Reflect on your actions.”
“Eueee! I’m sorry..! It just looked like fun…!”
“No naps for you tonight.”
“Unfair!! So unfair!! A master who abandons their pet is a bad master!!”
“And a pet who puts their master in a difficult situation?”
“That’s… the pet’s duty… or something?”
“Reflect, I say.”
*Myaong!*
*Myaaaong!*
…
“Master bad.”
“…How did you do that?”
I hadn’t locked the window, so if Isabella-ssi was determined, she could have entered the room directly… But without even touching the window, Isabella-ssi, unbeknownst to me, was somehow back on top of my stomach.
“Won’t tell you.”
I stroked the head of Isabella-nim, who was making no effort to hide her sulkiness.
“You’re right. Master was bad.”
“Right?”
“Not even appreciating all the efforts Isabella-ssi made for me.”
“Exactly!”
“Thanks to you, I got to experience the Pope’s jealousy, and also learned the terribly burdensome truth that the Pope was actually the Hero.”
“Huh?..”
“Then suddenly, a powerful monster from somewhere ambushes me, knowing that I know the Hero’s secret and kidnaps me!”
“Suddenly?!”
“Even if I were tortured there, I absolutely… would have to say, ‘I don’t know… the Hero’s identity…’ Right?”
“…That won’t happen.”
“Of course not. Because our Isabella-ssi will protect me, right?”
“U-Uh…!”
“I believe in you!”
Kidnapper’s Secret Technique Chapter 6.
Gaslighting.
“Stop with the bad imaginings!”
But it didn’t work!
Come to think of it… it would be funny if Isabella-ssi, who has lived for centuries, fell for gaslighting.
However.
“Is that really so?”
“Moga?”
“You’re saying you’ll protect me.”
“Of course.”
To hear that a Trueblood Vampire would protect me… well, it stirred a rather touching feeling.
As a sign of my gratitude, I gave Isabella a pat on her bum.
Pat pat pat pat!
Myaong~
“Come to think of it, how did you melt the doppelgangers?”
In the midst of all this, I asked how Isabella had managed to melt the doppelgangers.
“Incantation!”
“Incantation?”
“Yes! From the very beginning, doppelgangers are creatures created to melt away at our incantations.”
“Oh…”
A single word, an incantation from a Trueblood Vampire, and a doppelganger melts away… that’s high-level information… …huh?
“Excuse me for a moment, I’ll be right back from the Magic Tower Master.”
“What is it?”
“I’m going to find a spell that will broadcast Isabella’s heartfelt meows throughout the entire Magical Kingdom.”
Meow?
“Meow!”
Myaong?
“Myaong!”
“..Why are you imitating my meow?”
“Nyaaong!!”
“???”
Wait for it, doppelgangers.
‘Meow’ shall greet thee.