365 – The Goddess Church and the Warrior’s Preparations

[Warrior Party Recruitment in Progress]

Recruiting members for a warrior party to eradicate the darkness hidden behind the face of the world, the evil gnawing at humanity. This sacred struggle will be conducted in step with the Empire, a friend of the holy city, and will thus receive the Empire’s unwavering support.

The battleground is the Eastern Front. The Eastern Front, teeming with demonic creatures—the Mazoku. From the moment this notice is posted, the holy city of Trumpethall, by the authority and sanctity of the Goddess, designates the Mazoku as 『Heretics』.

The objective of this struggle is the extermination of the Mazoku. They incessantly multiply and resurrect, threatening the very survival of humankind. We must cleanse them completely and make the world a more beneficial place.

Support qualifications are as follows:

Those with Manifestation, or combat abilities comparable to Manifestation. They will stand at the forefront of the struggle and take on the task of slaying threatening Mazoku. Compensation will be determined by the number of Mazoku heads taken.

Attainment, Fulfillment, Attunement – One who has achieved mastery in at least one of these virtues. He will be placed in the infantry, tasked with reclaiming territory. Compensation shall be determined by the size of the land recovered.

One who can construct and maintain fortifications such as walls and barbed wire. He shall be assigned to the engineer corps, tasked with establishing defensive structures in areas held by humanity. Compensation shall be determined by the speed and quality of construction.

One who can treat and manage more than ten injured individuals a day. He will be assigned to the rear support unit, tasked with caring for our comrades. Compensation shall be determined by the severity and number of those healed.

Humans, Mankind.

Chaos and ruin once plagued the Holy City. But now, blessed by the Goddess, the faith is being restored to its former glory. We do not seek wealth through suffering, nor do we coerce belief through intimidation.

Thus, the power that was once wielded for the unworthy remains firmly in our grasp. We have resolved to use this power to reshape the world into a better place.

Why, then, the Eastern Front? Because the demons of the Eastern Front pose the nearest and most tangible threat. Scholars of the Empire, priest-soldiers, and the divinely inspired Pope himself all concur:

If left unchecked, they will unleash a great war. We will be forced to wage urban warfare against demons capable of consuming human bodies. A river of blood will flow. Therefore, we must strike first.

We promise righteous honor and righteous reward. This struggle shall be sacred, and the distribution of merit after the struggle shall be just. Join this grand purpose.

For a better future.

-Bennett Hilton, The Reformist

—

Finn, a nervous expression etched on his face, watched Bennett while eyeing the throng gathered around the notice.

“Hero Party, a mission… You’re not saying… I have to go out there and fight, am I…?”

“Surely not.”

He wasn’t so callous as to impose such an unreasonable task on someone who’d been unwittingly thrust into the role of hero.

“Didn’t you pawn your duties off on me and sneak off to the academy last time…? It keeps nagging at me that something that happened once can happen twice…”

“Rest assured, I truly have no intention of assigning you any tasks this time.”

Of course, it would be of immense help if the hero, who enjoyed overwhelming support from the citizens, were to go forth.

“Conversely, think about it. If you were to lose your life, it would trigger widespread chaos. Sending you to war is far too risky. That’s why I have a plan prepared.”

First, we’ll hold the departure ceremony. It would be a scandal if Finn, chosen as the hero, didn’t actually go to the front lines.

Immediately after Finn leads the troops out of the city, we’ll switch him with a double. With the help of a mad mage’s illusion magic, changing appearances will be a breeze.

And the real Finn will quietly return to the Holy City, hide beside the Pope, and wait for the war to end. Then, when the fake Finn and the Hero Party return, he’ll slip back into place.

In other words, a Hero Party without a hero.

“Whew… I’m glad I don’t have to go to the battlefield… Wait a minute.”

So in the end, Finn could just laze about in the Holy City, doing absolutely nothing… and have his achievements as a hero steadily accumulate?

Finn’s expression rapidly turned dismal. Bennett, seeing this, laughed and asked,

“You dislike undeserved merit?”

“O-of course I do! It’s strange for me to receive it when others are struggling. I’ve said time and again, I want to live within my means…?!”

His dream remained unchanged. Just to live in some distant, forgotten backwater where no one recognizes his face… free from terrifying words like Goddess, the fate of the world, aura, or apotheosis.

I simply wanted to laze away, raiding goblin villages now and then, growing old at my own pace. If I were to wish for a little more, perhaps marrying a pretty village lass would be nice.

Two souls caught in a sudden downpour, seeking shelter. In that dim, old mill, a rosy impulse blossomed between them…

As Finn drifted into fancy, Bennett asked, almost casually.

“Is there a reason?”

“…Reason for what, sir?”

“Many crave power. Wealth and honor, too. With a hero’s renown, marrying a fair noble lady would be simple enough. What’s the reason for turning your back on all of it?”

Finn answered without hesitation.

“It’s simple. It’s not my place. I believe those who rise to positions where they influence many should be the most suitable for it.”

It was something he’d always believed.

Just like the old Cardinal, for example. Pinching and berating the Pope, who was precious as his own eyes. Those decrepit relics, fit only to shovel dung in the stables, held high positions, turning the Goddess Church upside down.

Therefore, the Hero’s position, which should inspire envy and be a model for others, ought to be held by someone better than him. Like Bennett, standing right there.

Bennett gazed at Finn with a strange light in his eyes.

“I believe you are qualified enough already. But… what if you could become extraordinary? If you underwent trials, obtained the strength to match the position. Would you continue as the Hero?”

“Huh?”

“I see.”

“Wait, what?! That wasn’t an answer!”

*Ossaak!*

Finn felt a chill, as if ice water had been poured over him. He had felt this sensation before. Precisely… when he was suspiciously getting free wins in the tournament!

No, that couldn’t be. His talent was only average, and his swordsmanship, however much he practiced, remained stubbornly stagnant. He had never heard of a way to elevate someone like him to the Hero level.

This must be Shadow Hero Bennett’s attempt at a joke. Haha. Not funny at all.

Or… is it?

“Hero Finn, let us go together. Today is the day we must borrow the Holy Father’s power. His Holiness is only motivated when you are by his side, so I ask for your support.”

“Yes, sir… But what are we doing today? Usually, you wouldn’t ask anything of His Holiness. He’s still young, after all.”

“It is a matter of great importance. Perhaps today, we will save the world.”

“………!?”

Finn’s jaw dropped. Grand words.

But Bennett wasn’t one to boast in such matters. Still, the scale of the words was so vast it didn’t resonate. Saving the world, indeed.

Just what in the world was the ‘Reform Faction’ doing?

—

Trumpet Hall, the Holy City of Beecher.

Once a space reserved for the gatherings of doddering cardinal elders, it was now transformed, a complete one-eighty. Paladins, with the sharp angles of a ruler’s edge, honed their martial skills.

And before them, Niore Restman held the role of instructor.

[Number 43, your form faltered. Weight distribution seems off.]

“Number 43! Form faltered!”

The human megaphone stationed beside her bellowed the phrase Niore scribbled on the whiteboard.

Her eyes. Detective’s eyes that could instantly discern most information proved equally effective in her instructor’s role. She had an uncanny ability to pinpoint what was incorrect or unnatural.

Training sessions where specific improvements were offered each time. Could there be more effective guidance? The elite Paladins’ skills improved with each passing day.

“Niore, doing well?”

-Bennet!

Niore’s artifact spoke, relaying her voice in place of her own.

Dodo-do. Niore scurried over and embraced Bennet. Then, standing on tiptoes, she kissed him without hesitation. Wearing the expression of someone utterly, completely happy.

-Have you been told ‘I love you’ today?

“Don’t believe I have.”

Liar, you have.

The paladins on the training grounds knew full well. These two loved each other in the morning, loved each other at noon, loved each other every time their eyes met, practically bombarding each other with affection. This was the fourth time they’d done this routine today.

-Then, I love you, Bennet.

“I love you too, Niore.”

Son of a b*tch.

The faces of the paladins training, and Finn standing beside them, soured. Envy. Resentment. Did they have to flaunt it like this?

Anger becomes motivation. The paladins swung their swords with all their might toward an imaginary foe.

Niore chuckled silently, placed her hand on Bennet’s chest, and looked up at him.

-Tara is having a difficult time. Go and cheer her up.

“I will. Let’s meet at lunch after the morning training.”

-I will wait happily.

And once again, their lips drew closer. Finn simply closed his eyes tightly and covered his ears with both hands. Another display of affection passed.

Bennet finished his long goodbye and moved onward. Finn followed a beat later, asking,

“Speaking of which, the Holy Maiden is nowhere to be seen. Is something amiss?”

“She’s in a period of fasting and prayer. Offering prayers to the Goddess, creating a Goddess statue.”

And that Goddess statue was, in fact, a large-scale divine bombardment beacon. You pulled it like a grenade, and the Goddess would fire a divine beam from the sky at that spot.

One of the preparations for the Dragon Subjugation War. It was presumed that the Evil Dragon had target immunity abilities, so to attack it using the Goddess’s power, a marker like this was necessary.

Finn recalled the pillar of light descending from the heavens, awestruck.

“That goddess statue… is that what you mentioned before, something that saves the world?”

“No. That is merely an auxiliary means. This way, Hero Finn.”

“Could you perhaps drop the ‘Hero’ part…”

Bennet, after visiting Tara at the sanctuary where she was undertaking her fast, and concluding yet another display of affection, led Finn towards the Hall of Heroes, where the holy sword was kept.

The previous Hall of Heroes had merely a few pillars erected, with the inside plainly visible due to the absence of a ceiling or walls. Now, however, it functioned as a building, enclosed by both ceiling and walls.

Maintaining secrecy about the events transpiring inside was paramount.

“Hero Finn-sama, Bennet-sama, confirmed.”

The paladins guarding the entrance lowered their spear points and stepped aside. Bennet and Finn opened the door and entered.

And what filled the space within was…

“Heart, dice those mandrakes over there, please.”

“Leave it to me, Arte! Precise work like this is my specialty.”

Arte Löffelmann, the great alchemist dispatched from the northern Archduchy for research cooperation, and her attendant, Heart.

“Bennet, progress is going smoothly. Arte-sama says it should be completed soon.”

“That’s fortunate. Any difficulties?”

“Just some minor tasks on the side, nothing much.”

Verda, Bennet’s younger sister, assisting with various odd jobs.

“…Finn!”

“Your Holiness!”

The Pope, his eyes sparkling like a galaxy as he beheld Hero Finn.

And…

At the center of a magic circle, writhing grotesquely, shifting between a frog, a dragonfly, a mountain goat, constantly changing form.

0.1% fragment of the Evil Dragon.

—

Heart explained it simply.

“In other words… the creation of an 『Antibiotic』.”

“Anti-what… is that?”

“Hmm. Basically, a medicine that destroys things that cause bad effects…?”

Essentially a poison, really.

Through cooperation with the goddess, they were attempting to create a potion that destroyed only the elements derived from the Evil Dragon.

The Illusory Dragon was a master of extreme illusion magic. Surely several levels above the current mad mage’s delusions. Therefore, preparations were essential.

But how to defend against every form of illusion? Mock battles against the mad mage had proven it impossible. A vaccine always lags behind the virus.

Thus, the core was the target. Crafting and ingesting a potion to destroy anything composed of the Dragon’s essence might grant some resistance against its illusions.

“Divine power, alchemy, and magic… a threefold chord. If completed, the tragedies of allies turning on each other could be averted, no?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Pin sank into thought. He understood they were preparing to confront something. But it felt like more than just pushing back the Eastern Front. He ventured cautiously.

“⋯⋯What… what exactly are you all facing?”

Benet answered.

“A Dark God.”

“⋯⋯A Dark God?”

“An entity opposed to the Goddess. A being that plunges humanity into tragedy, dragging them into pits of despair. We intend to slay this Dark God.”

Pin had learned of the god-slaying plot.