Living Up to His Name

“Oh no! Stop it, you fool! Do you know how long it took me to gather all this?”

“It’ll just rot away if left locked up in storage, so I’ll put it to good use. Let go! You crazy old man!”

Titan, who had been practicing elder abuse, finally shakes off Sir Albus who had been clinging desperately to his waistband.

At least he didn’t crack his skull as he had threatened earlier. The guy was clearly maintaining some boundaries in this situation.

“I brought them.”

“Oh? Then pack them carefully with the other luggage. We need to depart now.”

“Alas!!”

In the distance, Sir Albus could be seen pounding the ground and wailing like a parent who had lost their child. No need to dwell on the past. I ignored it and moved on.

“We’ve been waiting.”

As we arrived at the final boundary between the Pantheon Temple and the outside world – the main gate – Pope Cotinus, who had come out to greet us in advance, bowed his head slightly and handed me a long staff wrapped in cloth.

“Were you able to find anything out?”

“No, I’m afraid not… Since I’m not exactly a blacksmith, I wasn’t able to discover anything.”

“I see.”

Cotinus scratches his head apologetically as he looks up.

But I noticed something different from usual.

“You have a wound.”

“Ah, this happened somehow. Please don’t worry about it. It’ll heal soon.”

A thin line crossing his cheek.

How strange.

For a priest who knows how to handle holy power to leave a simple external wound untreated.

Moreover, isn’t he the Pope? Though there’s been a growing movement within the temple lately advocating for letting minor wounds heal naturally rather than using holy magic…

It’s certainly puzzling to see a wound, and what appears to be a cut from a blade at that, left on the face of the Pope who could be considered the face of the Pantheon Temple.

“You should be more careful. Your Holiness is the representative of the Pantheon Temple after all.”

“Oh my! How wonderful! To think the Saint would worry about me! I, Cotinus, shall engrave your words in my heart and take care to avoid even the smallest wounds from now on!”

“Ah, yes.”

Cotinus begins praising me with his usual exaggerated manner. Am I just imagining it?

Today especially, his attitude seems meant to hide something.

Though he said he would take care to avoid even small wounds, he still hasn’t healed the wound on his cheek.

I don’t know much about the person called Cotinus, so there’s nothing I can do about it.

Even now, I get chills remembering what Cotinus said that night when we first met, about the empire being too large.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

“Yes, Saint. May blessings be upon your path.”

So for now, I’ll leave it at this.

I decided to take a step back while maintaining appropriate distance.

Fortunately, there are no issues with the sword and there’s no doubt that Cotinus is still on my side, at least for now.

“One thing. May I tell the Saint just one thing?”

“By all means, Your Holiness. I shall engrave it in my ears.”

“That is a precious artifact. Please be careful when using it.”

As expected, though he won’t explain, he at least gives a warning.

At least it suggests he’s not trying to lead me into a trap.

To begin with, there would be no reason for Cotinus to leave such a suspicious wound untreated.

It’s not that he won’t heal it – he can’t. That must be the right way to think about it.

Since it was a sword that couldn’t accept holy power to begin with, it makes sense that it would have the effect of weakening such power.

The reason he won’t explain is probably because he can’t, I assume.

“Then I’ll see you next time.”

Therefore, Pope Cotinus is not yet an enemy. That’s enough for now.

*     *      *

Right after Lost left, Cotinus.

After touching the wound carved into his cheek, he turned around. The atmosphere that had seemed excited with praise and cheers for Lost instantly subsides.

Like that, upon arriving at the Pope’s office – a space that should normally be quiet – Cotinus first bowed his head.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No, we’re the ones who came uninvited. Don’t worry about it. And honestly, I didn’t want to get involved this time.”

“Now that’s speaking without sincerity, isn’t it, Teacher? Wasn’t it you who caused all this commotion?”

In response to that hollow greeting came a young woman’s voice. The woman sitting in a chair tucked in the corner of the office, sipping tea – Revenna spoke.

“Though I do enjoy meddling here and there, this time I’m really not involved. I was planning to just observe for a while. I have nothing to do with this incident. And coming here like this wasn’t my idea either.”

“Then whose was it?”

“Mine.”

Cotinus turned his head to look in the direction the voice came from.

How long had he been there? Standing right nearby with arms crossed was an old man – <One Who Strings the Blade>, Aranea.

‘Or Hadard. And…’

The one who was called the Demon King.

He stands together with the one who was once called the Saintess of Love and Hate. Even that Saintess who was called the Saintess of Love and Hate has now accepted malice and become the Demon of Sorrow.

Cotinus showed no sign of questioning the current situation where both the object of his worship and the object of his greatest hatred existed simultaneously.

He just quietly traced the wound carved into his cheek.

“I’m sorry, Cotinus. Hadard overreacted this time.”

“…It’s fine. Thanks to that, I was able to confirm the sword’s true nature.”

Cotinus had hit a wall in investigating the sword he received from Lost.

Scholars and mages within the Pantheon Temple, blacksmiths and archaeologists – he consulted all sorts of experts but couldn’t discover anything about the sword.

Though Lost had jokingly called it a holy sword, Cotinus couldn’t think of it that way at all.

The sword from which he could sense nothing just felt eerie.

That’s why he decided to use forceful measures. If he couldn’t understand the sword’s nature, he would at least confirm any dangerous elements by examining its interior.

“It was my mistake for trying to destroy such a precious artifact as the Demon King’s sword, wasn’t it? Isn’t that right, Aranea?”

“…”

Cotinus spoke mockingly.

Right at his waist, the figure standing with crossed arms had two swords of the same form as the one Cotinus had tried to examine.

The King of Demons who survived proudly alone despite opposing all the gods.

If it’s his sword, it’s natural that holy power wouldn’t seep into it.

Because he is the only one who survived after making enemies of all the gods.

All the gods refuse to dwell in weapons related to him.

“I don’t know what you’re plotting by entrusting the sword to Cielo-nim, but if anything happens to him, I won’t let it slide next time.”

“Hm…”

Despite Cotinus’s blatant threat, Hadard laughed.

No, rather it was because of receiving such clear hostility.

“Do that.”

Cotinus. He’s certainly outstanding among humans.

If anything, it’s strange that he wasn’t chosen as an apostle.

That’s why it was amusing. That he would show hostility even knowing he would die.

“Now that the sword has returned, there’s nothing more to see. I’ll head to the destination first.”

“Ah, Hadard? I don’t know where the destination is if you don’t tell me. Moreover, if you just disappear alone like that, how am I supposed to foll- Eek?”

Hadard tore through space and left without even acknowledging Revenna’s words.

The ability to freely come and go through places blessed and protected by all the gods.

For a moment, Cotinus narrowed his eyes at that clear threat.

“Cotinus.”

Revenna, who was hurriedly moving through the torn space following Hadard, turned her head to speak to him.

“At this rate, you’ll be killed soon. You still think the empire needs to be split up?”

“…”

“Those who know too much have always died young. So I recommend not showing such attitudes, at least not openly. This is my final advice as your teacher.”

“Thank you for the advice, Teacher.”

Cotinus smiled gently while looking at Revenna through the space that was beginning to heal.

“But it’s fine. Though learning is always enjoyable, whether to act on those teachings is for me to decide.”

“…”

Revenna frowned at Cotinus’s clear expression of refusal and turned away.

She works behind the scenes in all sorts of matters, educating people through pain.

She’s never regretted that. After all, everything was her choice.

‘But if I’m the one who made you like this…’

Today. And just a little bit.

‘I might regret it a little.’

The child who was royalty.

The firstborn of the empire who was closest to becoming the next emperor.

It was she who urged him to throw all that away. Watching a child walk a path similar to her past self, she could understand something unexpected.

“I see.”

Revenna spoke in a choked voice without looking back.

She who was the Saintess of Love and Hate.

Cotinus who became Pope while remaining human.

Revenna who accepted malice and finally became a demon amid continued war, between love and hate.

The boy from the past who never wavered in his conviction even in the face of despair too vast for a mere human to handle alone, like an overflowing river.

Though they walked the same path, they reached completely different conclusions.

“I was your negative example then.”

Revenna could finally understand.

*     *      *

Our first night camping after starting our second journey, having ended our long rest in Coinur early in the morning.

Though it was just a few weeks of rest, is this camping feeling fresh because our relationships have changed?

Not much has changed with Claire, but I feel like I can talk more openly with Titan now.

But the most dramatic change in relationship would definitely be this one.

“Lost, Lost. There were lots of mushrooms in the forest. Let’s have these with dinner tonight?”

“That doesn’t sound bad.”

If the old Línea gave off a somewhat quiet and gentle impression, now she feels more like a puppy.

“By the way Línea, this mushroom has aphrodisiac effects so it’s off limits.”

“Oh, is that so? I didn’t know.”

“That’s understandable. Still, it’s fortunate that among all these mushrooms, only that one is classified as poisonous.”

“Right?”

Línea chatters playfully while carefully packing away the mushrooms I sorted through into her bag.

Though I clearly said it was a type of poisonous mushroom, she’s definitely planning to keep it.

It’s good that she’s brighter than before, but she seems to have become something of an idiot.

“What are you planning to do with that?”

“Research it of course. I’m a doctor, so what if Lost happens to taste this mushroom?”

“To make an antidote?”

“To check the symptoms.”

“…So you mean checking the symptoms to make an antidote, right?”

“Hehe.”

Línea wags her tail and grins like an idiot.

Well, let’s believe that’s what it is.

After all, there’s no chance I would accidentally taste such poisonous mushrooms anyway.

“By the way, it should be about time.”

“Hm? The hot pot still needs more time to cook though?”

“No, not that. You know that annual event we often encounter? There should be a stronger version of that.”

“What?”

Línea tilts her head in confusion. Her ears droop to one side along with the movement.

It’s a cute reaction.

“Before, half-demons would come after us.”

More precisely, assassins that Belial had unleashed to catch me.

Until now, we’ve made our way through by either avoiding such guys or taking them down quickly and decisively.

Then what about the enhanced version?

Just as Titan, who had been sitting quietly in meditation, quietly grips his hammer.

“But this time, there will probably be more humans coming?”

In the dark night, figures hidden in the forest shadows spring out simultaneously, swinging and throwing all sorts of weapons at me.

They’re targeting only me.

Their style shows they don’t care about leaving anyone else behind.

“You think nobles keep guards around for no reason? It means I’ve made a name for myself now.”

Not half-demons and demons acting on demonic instigation, but human malice striking for their own interests.

“It’s quite ironic. Sometimes when you look at them, humans can be more wicked than demons.”

Perhaps comparable to demons.

No, there surely exist people with aspects even worse than that.

Then what do they want to know? Why are they trying to kill me?

There must be clear reasons.

Could be interests, could be the level of my statements at the announcement ceremony, or maybe they just don’t like the Pantheon Temple getting a new symbol.

If not that, maybe they simply want me as a trophy.

Such trivial reasons.

But…

“I don’t need information. I’m not even curious. Since I don’t have a hobby of hearing human screams, I’ll just…”

I have no obligation to answer each of those messages.

I won’t be curious about those answers nor will I give them.

So from now on, my method will be the most primal way that made heresy inquisitors feared.

“Die as you are.”

I’ll carve fear into their bodies in a cruel way without any purpose.