Chapter: 157

The Fake Real Commander and the True Messiah (9)

In a dark hallway devoid of light, we rely on our senses to move forward together.
‘No wonder it’s impossible to find anything in here.’

The corpse of the former hero is the Empire’s biggest secret.
It’s only natural to hide it rigorously, but even considering that, the security is downright paranoid.

A magic that absorbs all light.
A spell that disorients the mind and manipulates memory.

This is more of a labyrinth than a storage room.
If you let your guard down for a moment, you’d be wandering in here forever.

‘Well, this really has nothing to do with us now.’

The traps don’t activate.
And it’s no wonder, since the prince, who got formal permission from the Emperor of the Empire to enter this place, was right beside us.

Even if the entrance was concealed by an impressively perfect disguise spell, Renya simply having a chat solves everything.
Right now, we’re breezing through this maze, expertly made by the Emperor, using cheat codes.
Except for how dark it is, it’s not uncomfortable at all.

– How did the leader of the Black Fangs manage to infiltrate here? If he forced his way in, there should be signs of traps going off.

If the fake Heinrich is just the Pope and not the Black Fangs, there’s no way that could happen.
Unless it’s someone like Johan who’s friends with them, there’s no way a terrorist organization’s leader would just give him permission.

Due to these contradictions, I felt a chill down my spine, momentarily worrying that my lie might slip out.
– …Or did he pull off some bizarre trick? Well, he must have some talent if he could do that. It’s not that strange after all.

Thankfully, Renya overrated the Black Fangs, so it didn’t turn into a major issue.
It’s not as if the external accomplishments were mostly due to him and not me anyway. Regardless, I’m thankful we haven’t been exposed.

We continued moving forward.
Up and down.
We faced spaces resembling stairs and walked in circles several times, taking a staggering three hours.

“…Here.”

A dark space with not a glimmer of light to mark our destination.
But just as I was about to ask what it meant to have reached our goal, Renya draws the sword from his waist.

He presses the blade against his pinky finger.
As blood trickles down from the cut, it highlights the hidden truth underneath.

Soon, a door slowly opens.
Light starts to shine through the cracks. The form I had been searching for, in other words, the former hero’s appearance.

‘…This is.’

However, seeing the face I’d been staring at while drowning in blood a while ago brought no sense of nostalgia.

A bizarre mechanical device.
Rotting, decomposed skin.

‘It’s horrifying.’

Just by looking at it, I could tell.
They didn’t treat the former hero like a human.
There’s no dignity to be found anywhere.

A father of a family, a hero who sacrificed himself to save everyone, a being that was once human had fallen to simply being a mere part.
Reduced to just a material used to assemble an efficient device.

“……Ian.”

A whisper reaches my ear.
It’s Siel, hiding her ears under her hood to avoid scrutiny for why an elf is still alive after the World Tree burned.
As usual, she makes statements that cut right to the point.
But I understood what she wanted to convey—she must have seen my expression.

She’s probably asking if we should deal with that quickly.
After a moment of thought, I nodded.
With my daughter, Yuli, present here, I didn’t like the idea of leaving this act of mockery against a dead person unpunished.

If my deductions are correct, destroying that machine would solve all the problems.
I watched Siel rush towards the former hero, feeling a strange sense of unease.
A foreboding that sent chills down my spine.

Why on earth isn’t there any interference?
The fake Heinrich, who was obsessively fixated on destruction, is just going to let everything fall apart so easily?

It felt a bit strange considering I currently had no idea what was happening.
That I had reestablished contact with the Third Princess, secretly rallied companions, negotiated cooperation with Renya, and was guided to this secret vault—all of it was apparently lost on the fake Heinrich? A shrewd and paranoid madman?

I quickly focused my mana into my eyes.
The ability I gained from the First Prince allowed me to glimpse into a world made not of substance but of mana.

I fired a sword aura towards the peculiar distortion beside Yuli without a moment’s hesitation.
“Is it that easy for me to be dealt with?”

Then, a familiar face emerges.
A shield of light forged from divine power easily deflects my blade of aura as he steps forward.

“So, you’ve come here. You must have already caught on to my plans and the secrets I’ve been hiding.”
Ignoring Renya’s expression that looked like he wanted to say “So, you’re the Black Fangs after all,” I turned my gaze back to the fake Heinrich.

“Second Prince of the Empire, and the Saintess. Besides this bizarre support team. How did you manage to lure such individuals, and how did you figure out my plans? It’s truly a perplexing matter…”

Yet what’s important right now isn’t that.
The fake Heinrich walks slowly towards me as he speaks. His face gradually begins to melt away, revealing white hair and teal eyes.

The Pope of the Holy Church finally appears.
I immediately readied myself, attentively observing all his movements to counterattack at a moment’s notice.

Yet… he doesn’t attack.
Only a suffocating standoff continues. Johan simply watches me with a disturbing smile.

Naturally, my expression turns into one of confusion.
As if noticing that, he gives a wider smile and looks into my eyes before speaking.

“If your wish is to fight, then so be it. What happens now is of no concern to me.”

Is it arrogance?
The thought briefly flickers through my mind, but that reaction seems too odd for that.

That guy is a vengeful spirit. A vengeful spirit trying to drag everyone into hell. A father who lost his child. How could someone like him give up on everything so easily?
That doesn’t make sense.

Lost in those thoughts, Johan suddenly brings up something unexpected.
“My plans have already succeeded.”

“……What?”

Seeing my flustered reaction, Johan seems delighted and continues, speaking in an excited tone.
“You really gave me quite a headache. When the Saintess and the Second Prince suddenly approached the entrance, I felt like I was losing my mind.

In the end, I had to choose—whether to confront you, or gamble.”

Success in his plans?
There’s no way that’s possible. It has to be bravado; I couldn’t let such words slip past my lips.

If anxious Johan had given up on corrupting Yuli, even if there was a risk of failure, if he had proceeded with just the former hero…
He could have succeeded.

That conclusion was already drawn.
“Would you care to witness this beautiful moment together?”

A madman. There’s no other way to describe the expression on Johan’s face as he shows us the outside scenery. A sky colored crimson, so familiar.

Perhaps due to the differences in rituals, there was no black sun, but it would be stretching it to see that as a comfort.
A substitute for the black sun.
If something terrifying were to be birthed here, I wouldn’t need to search hard to find out.

The horror radiating from the former hero’s corpse.
His grotesque state surely wasn’t just due to the Emperor’s lack of humanity.

“The sky stained red. The apostles of the evil god reborn from underground! Don’t you think this hurried concoction is somewhat convincing?
Everyone is shouting about the end and going crazy. They don’t even know that that madness and fear are what bring about the end.
It’s far too late to turn back now.”

Those words ring true.
Before long, the one who was once a hero would become a devoted apostle of the evil god, bringing about the end of the world by his own hand.

Though Yuli’s stigmas remain a little…
It would be impossible to stop him with just a matter of days.

“Destruction. The long-awaited destruction is finally upon us.”
Destruction is coming.
No matter how hard we try, we cannot stop it.

Realizing that, I…
I laughed.

Laughing heartily alongside Johan, who had a crazed smile, declaring everyone would soon fall into hell.
How could one not laugh, thinking it was such an obvious turn of events?

The enemy had handed me the clues to victory directly.
If I could hold back my laughter, that would be odd.

“Indeed, that’s true. The ominous rumors of a crimson sky. Everyone believes that the end is coming, and that belief will indeed summon it.
But… have you forgotten something important?”

Such ominous signs would surely lead people to fearfully think of the end. But is that all there is to it?
Had Johan also noticed that important fact? His face now coloring with confusion. But it’s far too late to catch on now.

I immediately begin to weave my spell.
It’s not a complex incantation. Instead, it’s a very straightforward communication magic, applying it to all humans.

I see everyone’s faces.
Witnessing people consumed by madness and fear, but… not everyone is like that.

A young child fervently clasps their hands together.
Praying that someone will resolve everything for them.
Waiting for someone to defeat this nightmare and save everyone.

Optimism that usually carries no meaning.
Even if they pray desperately, there would be no one to listen. But now, it’s different. The savior everyone wished for.

All of their faith. The power gathered into one person capable of stopping the destruction is right here, in this place.

[Listen.]

I put on a black hood.
Gripping the hidden Holy Sword, I liberate the light.

No practice was needed. If it’s impersonation, I’ve experienced it countless times already.
I simply smiled confidently and declared before everyone.

[The leader of the Black Fangs, Ian Valderich, has come to save you.]

…It’s time to become the Messiah who will save all of humanity.