Chapter 340
Bael is dead.
That was a sentence that made no sense.
It was an occurrence that should not exist, a violation of the laws of the world.
‘…Vargan. What on earth have you done?’
Altife was being shaken violently by Beled, who had completely taken her down.
She wanted to deny reality, but the incident had already occurred.
There was no turning back, no way to resolve it.
『From now on, this world belongs to our hardliners.』
Beled’s words were like a nasty bug.
A vicious bug that was damaging all organs in real-time.
In the brief moment of distraction, a horrific parasite that would stop all life functions.
Altife grimaced in pain.
『Beled… how far have you gone blind…….』
『Blind, you say? Hahaha! Altife, isn’t it you who’s blind, drenched in blood?』
『You can’t read the situation…. You’re not fit to be a Cardinal, wrapped up in fanaticism….』
『…Not fit to be a Cardinal, huh. Seems like you’re the one truly blind, my dear.』
Creeeak—.
Beled tightened her grip on Altife’s neck even more.
Drunk on emotions like a drug, Beled no longer questioned her judgment or reasoning.
『Look closely through your blurred vision. I’m not just a Cardinal; I’m the Pope! The newly recognized Pope through a formal ceremony! The previous Pope, Bael, is dead, and the pesky you will follow. I am an unshakable power itself!』
『Please, come to your senses……! Do you really think it’s right to eliminate me… the moderate faction? Are you seriously that blinded in judgment…?』
『Once we catch the Holy Emperor who has escaped, humanity’s hope will be uprooted. The remaining Heroes will be exterminated, and humans will be domesticated. The Altife that died in this war can be sufficiently replenished.』
『…….』
Altife tried to speak but fell silent.
Because any words would be meaningless.
Beled already deeply trusted a man named Vargan and was completely intoxicated with her emotions.
So blinded by madness that she couldn’t even recognize what the real problem was in the current situation.
Even so, Amon wanted to take one last chance with his final hope.
『…Beled. Thinking of our long years and the future of the Goddess Church, I will say just one last thing.』
Amon was well aware that the words he was spitting out would become his last will.
Soon, Beled would completely strangle his breath and head towards the battlefield to meet Vargan.
Beled didn’t reply, but Amon moved his lips, truly offering his final advice for the Goddess Church.
『Hurry and… kill Vargan, who has been weakened from the battle with Bael. That’s the only way the Goddess Church can survive… the only…』
Cough—.
Amon’s neck twisted.
Beled, unable to endure Amon’s unpleasant ramblings until the end, crushed the core that was still existing, piercing through her heart.
She had lived a dreadfully long life as a Cardinal, yet nothing changed.
Death comes too easily, and life is like a candle that flickers out in an instant.
Beled, having decapitated Amon’s corpse, looked at the head with eyes that said she wouldn’t let it go and then burned it.
Just then, Cyclamen and Blurans, who had just completed their mission, arrived.
『B-Beled! We’ve cut off all the remaining moderate Bishops’ heads!』
『Well done, Cyclamen. Blurans. Purpur. Truly my children.』
『It is an honor!』
『It is an honor.』
『It is an honor.』
Cyclamen, Blurans, and Purpur knelt down, showing their loyalty.
Then Purpur followed up after Cyclamen with the remaining report.
『Since you gained the upper hand over Amon, most of the moderate Bishops have surrendered. The mental domination they had under Bael has vanished without a trace and seems to be through their pure will.』
『What’s the ratio of those who didn’t surrender?』
『About 40% of the moderates… to put it simply…』
『You say most surrendered, yet it’s just over half. Well, it doesn’t matter. Kill all who don’t surrender. We’ll also reduce the number of those who do surrender through scrutiny.』
『Yes, I will issue that command.』
Beled made a swift decision. Her gaze was not towards the now cooling battlefield but towards the Central Church where Vargan was.
『I’ll leave the cleanup here to Purpur. I must get there as quickly as possible.』
Even Beled acknowledged Vargan’s prowess, but he was still the opponent.
He must have sustained significant wounds.
The proof was in the unstable mana emanating from Vargan.
『I will accompany you with Cyclamen.』
『Yes, yes…! That’s right! We are also concerned about the Executor’s condition!』
Aside from Purpur, who was assigned the task, Blurans and Cyclamen also headed towards where Vargan was.
Beled used her powers immediately.
It was a distance she could run, but she wanted to check on the state of her proud child as quickly as possible. She felt an urgency as if something was chasing her.
Boom—.
Thus, the three moved into the Central Church, where the defensive barrier had completely shattered.
Inside, there was Vargan, the forces he had been preparing for years, and countless corpses.
The forces he prepared, along with countless corpses, were present.
The battle with Bael was fierce, and the aftermath was left intact.
“Child…!”
Finding Vargan, Beled hurriedly approached, greatly surprised.
Just by looking, Vargan’s condition was poor. One arm had completely vanished, and crimson blood flowed from every orifice.
Moreover, the internal status was even more severe.
The instability of mana he felt from afar needed no further mention, as most of his organs seemed to be malfunctioning.
It was a miracle he was still alive.
Vargan had pushed himself to that extent.
“We need to treat you properly…! Is it that difficult to summon a Familiar in this state?”
Under normal circumstances, Vargan would have examined his condition before anyone else and summoned Uni.
However, he was currently not summoning any Familiar.
To be precise, he shouldn’t.
Vargan’s mana circuits, already overheated, refused any further stimulation.
Ignoring this and forcibly summoning a Familiar or casting healing magic on himself could very likely lead to death or a mana conduit explosion.
“I’m fine. Thank you, Beled…”
Vargan stopped Beled’s concerned touch and spoke.
He was already continuing to heal himself through the Familiars surrounding him. Due to Bael’s relentless powers, the effects were minimal, but slowly, his wounds were beginning to fade.
“That arm…”
Beled’s gaze lingered near Vargan’s missing right arm.
Unlike the other wounds, that area showed no signs of recovery.
Beled felt an intensely horrifying aura of death emanating from that spot and realized it could never return to its original state.
Vargan seemed to sense this too.
“I killed the previous Pope… With this, it’s a pretty good deal, isn’t it?”
Vargan gave a faint smile and shrugged his shoulders.
He had fought against Bael with the resolve to face death and emerged victorious, even at the cost of his own body.
‘To try to kill someone showing such loyalty… Truly, Amon’s foolish words were nothing more than a pre-death flutter of the tongue.’
Beled, who had always harbored deep affection for his own children, or followers, felt a unique bond toward Vargan.
Though born in a human body, he turned his back on the world and entered Beled’s service.
Moreover, he continued to achieve outstanding feats, attributing most of the credit to Beled.
He was the one who resolved the long-standing grievances of the hardliners who had always looked down on him.
It was Vargan’s merit that raised Beled from a Cardinal to the Pope.
Not only that, he had overexerted himself to the point where handling magic would be difficult for a lifetime to kill Bael and made Beled the sole Pope.
So, how could one suspect him and plot his death?
“…By the way, does your bringing other Archbishops mean that the main forces of the moderates have all been purged?”
Vargan took a breath and spoke.
Beled nodded, releasing the power he had entered battle mode with.
He nodded.
『Yeah… There are no more moderates in this world. Amon, along with all the archbishops who followed her, have died and returned to the earth.』
“I see… That’s quite fortunate.”
Vargan, who had been smiling faintly, suddenly frowned. Blood began to spill profusely from his gaping mouth as he gazed at the floor.
The amount was concerning enough to worry if he was about to die from excessive bleeding.
Pope Beled personally supported her child, using her mana to meticulously check his condition, just as she had guessed.
『…My child. From now on, you must never use magic or powers.』
“……”
『With time, your body will recover to the point where moving won’t be a problem, but anything beyond that would devour your lifespan.』
“…Is that what you see, Beled?”
Vargan’s tone seemed resigned.
Comparing him to his previously arrogant self, he now appeared fragile.
『But, don’t worry. You are my precious child. I will not forget all your contributions, and I will protect your position.』
“……”
“How could it be just your position? I will give you wealth that would take a lifetime to spend, and the authority to manipulate the domesticated humanity as you wish. As long as I am here, no one can defy or insult you. If someone does, I promise to impose the harshest punishment.』
Though deprived of the power to use force for himself, he would be granted everything else.
Beled made that promise to Vargan, securing him a lifetime of comfort.
Vargan had certainly earned such rewards.
“…I am truly honored to hear that from you, Lord Beled. Thanks to your grace, my future is practically guaranteed.”
『Furthermore, I will grant any request of yours. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything.』
At Beled’s words, Vargan displayed a thoughtful reaction.
Though he seemed a bit dizzy from the blood not properly circulating in his head, a gentle smile lingered.
“I see… Then, Lord Beled. May I impose one request, regardless of how rude it might be?”
Upon Vargan’s inquiry, Beled smiled and nodded.
With her current feelings, she felt as though she could pluck a star from the sky for Vargan.
Vargan looked at Beled and said,
“Since it’s disgusting, let’s keep the mother act to that level.”
『…What?』
Crunch—!
Like a whale swallowing a seagull floating on the surface of the sea, Vargan activated his third unique spell, Void (虛無), which sprang up from the ground and swallowed Beled whole before she even had a chance to release her power.
Vargan spat more blood while twisting his mouth in pain.
Though his body screamed for him to stop, there was still work to be done.
“Beled. Did you think I would play along with your ridiculous family game forever?”
