Chapter 169 – Behemoth – 6

A pillar of light crashed down. KWAANG! echoed loudly.

‘……?’

And that was all of it.

There wasn’t an intense blinding light, the mansion’s ceiling didn’t get blown away, nor did the clouds scatter in the sky.

It was just a beam of light, roughly the size of a wooden stake, that fell down at a mediocre height with the same effect seen in games, and that was the end of it.

Even though the sculpture that Nix had carved was smashed, the surroundings weren’t devastated. In fact, only that one statue was destroyed, far from the expected might.

‘So, two possibilities then.’

The first possibility was that the blessings bestowed by the Popes were relevant, though this would be the case if they were one-time only.

If the blessing temporarily raised my Divine Power significantly and then vanished shortly due to its brief duration, it would make sense.

‘It’s not a perfect guess, but….’

I still didn’t know exactly what effect the blessings from the Popes had.

It was a concept that had never appeared in the game, and I hadn’t received a proper explanation about blessings either.

Furthermore, this strange power had acted during the boss battle with the Creature Abandoned by God. That was before receiving blessings from the Popes.

‘Still, it’s worth testing.’

I added another line to my mental to-do list. To go to the Holy Kingdom and receive blessings from the Popes once more.

The method involved deep kissing, which felt a bit off, but I had nothing to lose. Honestly, I didn’t entirely dislike it. It was just a bit of a prick to my conscience.

‘The second possibility is….’

The second possibility is that this strange power only activates against actual enemies.

It was simple. The statue carved by Nix didn’t react because it wasn’t a real enemy, while the Behemoth reacted because it was. The possibility was definitely a valid option.

Unlike the first, verifying this was easy. All I had to do was find some enemy and use my special ability in front of it.

If it doesn’t activate against a regular enemy, I can look for a demon, and if it doesn’t activate against the demon either, then that’s something to contemplate from that point onward.

“You can come over, Nix.”

I called Nix while holding the Wingless Nightmare with one hand. I just had one last verification left.

“Heehee! Got it.”

Nix, who had been peeking out from behind a tree with just her face and chest, trotted over with her usual eerie and strange laughter. Dodo do do do!

As she ran, her chest jiggled impressively. It almost looked like her clothes might come off.

Her top was already dangerously short, practically a crop top, and the deep neckline allowed for a good view. The hot pants were very much hot, but also surprisingly full of holes. Both of them were pretty precarious outfits.

Nix stopped her legs right next to me. Her chest continued to jiggle even after her legs halted.

“Just one more to go.”

I pulled out the Sacred Catalyst from my waist. It was the catalyst I used in the Behemoth boss battle.

I placed the catalyst at the cross guard just above the Wingless Nightmare and pushed it upwards. I felt the sensation of faith flowing out, and the sword became imbued with sunlight.

I was fine, but Nix seemed to squint and shield her eyes with her hand, possibly because it was blinding. She hid behind my back, and Nix, with her eerie laughter, tightly hugged my waist.

It was a strangely powerful back hug with an overwhelming grip.

‘I get the reason now.’

Upon realizing the heavy sensation brushing against my waist, I understood immediately. If she didn’t squeeze tightly because of her chest, she couldn’t hug me properly. Her arms were also trembling slightly.

Clearing my throat at that terrifying truth, I brought the Sacred Catalyst back to the Wingless Nightmare. I began the incantation just like before.

But this time, it was a lunar eclipse, not a solar eclipse. That way, it would be easier to confirm that the enchantment had been overlaid.

The Radiant Sun transformed into a clear full moon. The golden radiance disappeared entirely, and soft moonlight came seeping out of the sword, creating faint shadows.

Since it was moonlight and not sunlight, it seemed that Nix didn’t find it too blinding. She peeked under my left armpit.

I brought the Sacred Catalyst back to the Wingless Nightmare once more. Just as I had done so far, I rested the tip of the sword against the cross guard and pushed it upward, but the sword still held moonlight within it.

The solar eclipse did not activate.

This meant my faith had run out.

‘It seems my stats didn’t get inflated or anything.’

From the recent results, it was clear that my faith or Divine Power stats had not dramatically increased without me knowing.

If my Divine Power had increased that much, my faith would have surged as well. Since the last possibility was also denied, the reason behind what was occurring remained elusive.

There was a bunch of additional stuff I needed to investigate and nothing concrete that I could gather.

“Alright, Nix. You can come out. Verification is over.”

Nix nodded from under my armpit and released the grip she had on my waist. She stretched out, revealing her armpit. It felt like watching a little animal.

She is quite small, indeed.

I also strapped the Wingless Nightmare back to my waist. The sword, which emitted soft moonlight, vanished into its sheath. Nix gazed up at me with a shadowy smile.

“What should I do now? Should I just keep waiting here?”

Her delicate fingers pointed towards the large wooden house. That was where Nix was staying.

Initially, I was shocked to hear that she was living in a makeshift hut, but when I actually went there, it was far from a makeshift hut. I was even more surprised.

No exaggeration, most people could live here happily for a lifetime if asked. It had everything necessary for a house.

Nix said that the battle nuns had helped a lot.

‘The reason for the help seems to be because of me….’

Whoever it was seemed to have some connection with me, which naturally led to treating me courteously. It was a similar situation to the Dark Night Order.

Just for reference, even though Nix uses dark magic, she wouldn’t be marked as a heretic for that. Just because it’s called dark magic doesn’t mean it’s related to demons.

The term dark magic was just because it consumes the user’s life force. If only pure mana is used, it’s magic; if life force is consumed alongside, it’s dark magic.

“Maybe? If I leave here, I’ll let you know. Then you can take the kids back to the castle. I think I’ll be heading somewhere else.”

Nix’s eerie smile accompanied a nod. I gently stroked her head.

While watching Nix smile brightly, a battle nun approached from a distance. I removed my hand from her head. Nix’s face immediately turned gloomy.

“Greetings, Distinguished Guest.”

The battle nun bent at a 90-degree angle as soon as she arrived near me. Swoosh, her chest could barely hold its own weight, tilting downward.

“What brings you here? Did the Inquisitor or Inquisitor have a request?”

Shaking her head, the battle nun denied it.

“A knight in silver armor sent by the Imperial Palace is looking for you, Distinguished Guest, so I came to inform you.”

“Really?”

The arrival was much later than expected.

It had already been three days since the letter was sent, yet only now was someone arriving. Considering Kaiquilia’s tendencies, this would indicate quite a significant delay.

Furthermore, it was unexpected that she sent a knight instead of coming herself. Given the interest she had shown me, it wouldn’t have been strange if she came herself.

Especially since this incident involved the appearance of a demon.

“I can stay quietly while I go, right, Nix?”

I asked, and Nix nodded with an eerie smile. After patting her a few times, I turned towards the city. The battle nun quietly followed behind me.

As I walked towards the city, a sudden curiosity struck, and I turned back.

“You said a knight came from the Imperial Palace, but who was it?”

I had somewhat of an idea about the knight’s identity, so I asked just to confirm.

“They requested not to reveal their identity, just conveying that they wear silver armor. They advised to leave the fun of guessing for when you meet. However, if you wish to know, I can certainly tell you. Will you?”

Leave the fun of guessing to when we meet, huh.

It was an unexpected inquiry, but it also made it easier to guess who it was.

Among the Silver Dawn Knights’ Knight Commanders, the only person who would make such a playful request would be Lize or Claudia, but given that Lize wouldn’t allow Claudia to come here, there was only one person left.

Even if Claudia insisted on coming, Lize wouldn’t just let that happen.

“No, that’s fine. If you insist on keeping it a secret, it would be rude to ask beforehand. I’ll go and see for myself.”

“Understood.”

‘Personality hasn’t changed a bit.’

With both anticipation and anxiety, I entered the city. I wondered what kind of surprise awaited me this time, enough for her to mention the enjoyment in meeting.

Then, I unexpectedly ran into someone.

Her long silver hair cascaded down to her thighs. Her silver-hued eyes sparkled as they gazed at me with a gentle smile.

She was wearing a white sleeveless top and silver dolphin shorts. Her slender thighs extended below the dolphin shorts, and her chest rose enticingly under the white sleeveless top, without even a hint of underwear.

“……Iris?”

It was Iris.

Iris raised her hand and subtly smiled at me. I waved back and approached her.

Judging by her outfit, it seemed she had ditched her armor somewhere.

“What are you doing here? Where did Lize go? I thought for sure she would come since a knight in silver armor came looking from the Imperial Palace.”

Iris chuckled at my question.

“You’re right, Delta. Lize was originally supposed to come.”

“Originally?”

“She had something else to do. So I came instead.”

“Is that so? You must have an idea of her reaction for missing out.”

“She was really upset.”

“I thought as much.”

We both laughed as we faced each other.

Whether it was because she had regained her former honor and status, Iris seemed much more approachable compared to when we first met. The fact that we could smile at each other like this was something.

“How’s life in the Imperial Palace? Is it treating you well?”

“I can’t say it’s comfortable. If we measure comfort, I was much better off when I was with Lord Aurora. However, this is related to honor, so I can’t really complain.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. How is Lize?”

“You will have to cuddle her a lot when we meet again. It seems her stress has not been properly relieved.”

“Ah.”

Upon hearing that, I immediately realized what Iris intended to say.

So, in other words, it meant she was feeling unsatisfied. The reason she specifically mentioned the word bedding was obvious.

“……So, how about Claudia and Erica? Are they doing well too?”

“Of course, they are doing well. So don’t worry about us. I’d rather hear about your situation, Delta.”

“Well, as you can see.”

I briefly glanced at the battle nuns around us. They were sending me awe-filled glances as we walked. Iris nodded without changing her expression.

“I expected as much from you, Delta. You’ve always acted in unexpected ways.”

As Iris’s silver pupils began to look nostalgic, I asked in disbelief.

“You do realize we haven’t even been apart for a month, right? Why do you sound like it’s been ten years?”

“Of course. We may not have spent much time together, but it was so deep that it felt like we were close.”

“……Huh?”

Upon hearing an unexpected remark, I asked for clarification, and Iris seemed to realize what she had just said, growing noticeably flustered.

It seemed like it had slipped out without her realizing. This suggested a high probability that it was Iris’s true feelings.

“So, what brings you here? No, I have a rough idea. It’s about the demon, isn’t it?”

Seeing Iris looking so restless, I decided to pretend I hadn’t noticed and let it slide. Perhaps catching on to my intention, Iris quickly changed the subject.

“You got it right, Delta. Upon hearing you caught a demon, Her Majesty the Empress personally sent a decree.”

Iris carefully held out an old-fashioned letter that she had pulled beside her. It seemed to be special magically treated parchment.

I took it with both hands. The fact that Kaiquilia had sent a decree instead of coming to see me directly made me more anxious about what it contained.

“It’s your turn to check, Delta.”

I cautiously untied the string wrapped around the letter. The rolled-up parchment began to unfold by itself.