“Distinguished guest, where did you find this…?”
Her _eyes_ trembled uncontrollably. Her _voice_ did too. Even the hand holding the _sacred catalyst_ shook. No, Stella seemed to be trembling all over like a leaf in the wind.
It meant that the identity of the _sacred catalyst_ handed to me was that shocking.
“I picked it up from the bottom of the _Rune Dungeon_.”
“…From the _Rune Dungeon_?”
“Yes.”
“But the other _Knight Commanders_ didn’t say a word about it. They didn’t mention finding anything. And you, the _Inquisitor_, must have entered the dungeon with the distinguished guest—”
“It seems you’re under a big misunderstanding, _Inquisitor_.”
Stella, who had been waiting outside and had no clue how many entered the _Rune Dungeon_, mistook that we all entered together.
But.
“I was the only one who went into the dungeon.”
“…What do you mean?”
“It means that the _Inquisitor_ and the _Knight Commanders_ stayed outside. I entered the _Rune Dungeon_ alone, finished the _subjugation_, and returned to the surface, so it’s natural that no one else knows about this _sacred catalyst_.”
Upon hearing those words, both Stella and the _Battle Nuns_ widened their _eyes_ simultaneously. It must have been hard for them to believe.
This was the place where the _Holy Kingdom_ had sacrificed several times and still failed the _subjugation_. Claiming that I had invaded such a dungeon alone without any evidence would seem more bizarre.
That was a perfectly normal reaction.
The green _eyes_ filled with complex emotions turned toward Selene. It meant they were asking if what I said was true. Nodding, Selene quietly agreed.
“…Are you sure you’re not trying to trick me? You won’t say it was all a joke later, right?”
“I swear by the moon, _Inquisitor_. The distinguished guest certainly entered the _Rune Dungeon_ alone and achieved the feat before coming back.”
“….”
The oath by the moon made it impossible to continue denying it. Stella stared blankly at the _sacred catalyst_ placed in her palm.
“_Inquisitor_, what kind of reaction are you having regarding this _sacred catalyst_?”
Selene asked the question.
Aside from Stella, it seemed that no one including the _Battle Nuns_ under the _Inquisitor_ or even Selene had any idea what that _sacred catalyst_ was.
While it was understandable that the _Battle Nuns_ didn’t know, it was a bit surprising that Selene didn’t either. Was it because Lucia belonged to the _Sun Order_?
How long had the silence lasted? Finally managing to collect her thoughts, Stella slowly opened her mouth.
“This is… the _sacred catalyst_ of Priestess Lucia, who participated in the _subjugation_ of the _Rune Dungeon_ long ago.”
At Stella’s words, Selene and her _Battle Nuns_ visibly jumped in surprise. I revised my previous thought a bit.
It wasn’t that they didn’t know who Lucia was; they simply didn’t know what this _sacred catalyst_ was. Otherwise, they wouldn’t react by focusing their _gaze_ at her words so suddenly.
While it was indeed regarded as a special _item_, its appearance didn’t differ much from the _sacred catalysts_ used by high priests of the _Holy Kingdom_. The game even used the same modeling.
In fact, it was impressive that Stella recognized its identity so quickly.
The atmosphere sank in an instant. Only the _Knight Commanders_ couldn’t grasp the situation and looked confused, yet they seemed to understand it was a serious matter and kept silent.
“However… how did you…”
“I arrived just in time to find her alive.”
“Really?!”
Stella’s voice rose significantly. Her _eyes_ widened in surprise, filled with the vitality of hope.
But shortly after, as if noticing something in my expression, her previously bright _face_ darkened rapidly.
“…I must’ve made a scene. I’m sorry. She shouldn’t have been alive this whole time.”
“If you want to hear about it, I can tell you. If you don’t want to hear, I can keep it to myself. What will you do?”
“…Please tell me.”
Stella bit her _lips_. I nodded and shared everything that transpired in the _Rune Dungeon_.
How Lucia was consumed by the _Abyss_ and lost her sanity, how she fought me as a priest in the middle, and how she ultimately met her end by my hands.
Listening silently until I finished my explanation, Stella firmly grasped the _sacred catalyst_ with decisive strength.
“So she didn’t die when she fell.”
In truth, the root of everything was that Lucia survived because of that terrible misfortune after falling to the bottom of the dungeon. If not, this whole situation wouldn’t have happened.
Stella looked at the _sacred catalyst_ in her hand with a dazed expression before muttering in a deeply submerged _voice_.
“…Priestess Lucia saved me from the depths of hell.”
It was her personal past story.
“I lost my _parents_ to _Devil Worshippers_, and just when I was about to become a sacrificial offering… Priestess Lucia rescued me, allowing me to have such sincere faith. She’s my benefactor who gave me a new life.”
In the game’s setup, it was indeed Lucia who rescued the _Inquisitor_ and brought them to the _Holy Kingdom_, and she was also the one who had briefly played a parental role.
Even after all this time, the sorrow from back then must have faded, but upon hearing of Lucia’s final moments and receiving her belongings, it was only natural that the sadness would rise again.
“…But I never got to properly say goodbye to her.”
Stella’s head drooped low. Then suddenly looking up, she locked eyes with me. There was strong desire reflected in those green _eyes_.
“Distinguished guest, if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask you one question?”
“Of course.”
“Did Priestess Lucia… find peace? At the very end, did she return to the embrace of the gods?”
Stella’s question was about the choice made by the player.
Whether I had answered yes or no to Lucia’s question. If I had answered no, did I leave her behind, or did I kill her myself?
There were two choices to make here: tell the truth to the _Inquisitor_ or lie.
By the way, whether the player spoke the truth or lied would eventually be revealed later on. The _Inquisitor_ claimed to be able to glimpse the user’s memories through the wave of _divine power_ engraved in the catalyst.
The worst would be choosing the option of saying no to Lucia’s question, lying about leaving her in suffering in the _Abyss_, and claiming that I had given her peace.
Later, once the _Inquisitor_ learned the truth and became enraged, the player would be declared an enemy of the _Holy Kingdom_, making it impossible to proceed with stories related to the _Holy Kingdom_ in that playthrough.
Honestly, it was an extremely malicious act, so for a while, the protagonist character garnered a notorious meme status.
“Yes, she has returned to the embrace of the gods and sleeps peacefully.”
Conversely, choosing to affirm Lucia’s question and saying she found peace was the best route.
By taking this route, the _Inquisitor_ would undoubtedly become an ally of the player, just like the _Knight Commanders_ of the _Silver Dawn Knights_. This was a crucial step for me now.
“…I see. That’s a relief. Truly, truly a relief.”
Stella’s eyes became reddened. It seemed she was struggling to control her overwhelming emotions. Stella rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, and stepped closer to me.
Then, she deeply bowed her head.
“Thank you sincerely for this kindness. As the _Inquisitor_ of the _Raphael Holy Kingdom_, I, Stella, vow that I will never forget this grace you have bestowed upon me for eternity.”
I lightly chuckled in response to the words I had heard in the game. There was no need to reply verbally here.
Stella treasured the _sacred catalyst_, tying it to her waist, and then left with the _Battle Nuns_. I casually glanced at Selene beside me. She seemed slightly surprised, but there wasn’t a dramatic change in her expression.
“Iris, are you okay for a moment?”
“……”
“Iris?”
“……Oh, sorry, Delta. I was just spacing out. What’s going on?”
Iris came to her senses only after I called her twice. It appeared that what had just happened was shockingly overwhelming.
It felt like the _Knight Commanders_ continued to be shocked ever since arriving at the _Holy Kingdom_. How many times had it been now?
“Do you want to head back to the _lodging_ first? I have a little something to discuss with the _Inquisitor_. I’ll explain everything to you later. It shouldn’t take too long.”
“Is it about the _Rune_? Since it originally belonged to the _Holy Kingdom_, we’ll need to distinguish what we can and cannot share. Got it. I’ll go back and wait.”
The _Knight Commanders_ moved along obediently. Lize waved her hand in a flurry towards me. I responded appropriately. I felt a prick of conscience; they seemed to be misunderstanding a lot.
But it was a relief. What I planned to do next would be quite inconvenient if the _Knight Commanders_ were watching. If they had said no, I would have insisted on sending them back.
“_Inquisitor_, could you guide me to a place with no one around? Just the two of us.”
“Certainly, distinguished guest. You all may return. Rest until I summon you again.”
The _Battle Nuns_ bowed their heads and scattered in all directions. Selene, with a gesture, sent them away and turned swiftly.
“Please follow me.”
Selene led me to the chapel for those serving the _Pope of the Moon_, just like the last time. The inside was still empty.
“Are we definitely alone here?”
“Yes. Since this is the time to serve the sun, no one will come here. However, you seem anxious, so shall I lay a _barrier_ so that no one can enter?”
The _sacred catalyst_ emitted a faint glow. Then, a dense silver _light mass_ appeared, enveloping the entire building.
“It is done as you wished. To breach the _barrier_ surrounding the chapel, either the _Inquisitor_ or the _Holy Pope_ must descend themselves.”
“Yes. Thank you, _Inquisitor_.”
I took a moment to breathe deeply. How Selene would react to my plan was still an unknown territory. Yet, the success rate seemed high for now.
Based on my instincts.
“However, distinguished guest, is there any reason we need to block eyes this much just to speak about the _Rune_’s effects?”
Selene raised a question. Indeed, asking for a _barrier_ just to reveal the _Rune_’s effects felt excessive.
“Well, what I want to discuss isn’t about the _Rune_.”
“Eh…? What do you mean…?”
“What I intend to say is this.”
I took the initiative before Selene’s confusion could dissipate.
“For example, regarding the _Pope of the Moon_ who sacrificed herself—”
—BANG!
Before I could finish my sentence, my vision spun. My body was suddenly lifted and slammed against the chapel wall. A sharp _impact_ hit my back.
More than the pain of hitting the wall, I first thought about how lucky I was it wasn’t treated as _damage_. A cough escaped my mouth next.
If that had been counted as _damage_, I would’ve died right there.
“Where did you hear that?”
Selene, who had slammed me against the chapel wall, exuded an unprecedented aura of killing intent.
Her _eyes_ glared at me menacingly. The wide-open glance felt intensely oppressive. The hand gripping my throat seemed ready to snap my neck at any moment.
“I asked you where, and from whom you heard!”
Selene shouted with an intense voice that was higher than Iris’s usual tone. It was the first time I saw her so angered, raising her voice.
Originally, DLC stories don’t proceed this way. But I decided to deliberately ignore the storyline. I’d skip all the intermediate steps and head straight for the final boss.
Since it had already started in a disarray, I had no reason not to twist it with my hands.
