Divine Intervention and a Heartfelt Farewell

“H-Sir Haut? We’re really going to make it out alive, right? You’re not the only one who’s going to live, are you? You’ll s-save me too, won’t you?”

“Of course. Why are you so terrified?”

“H-How could anyone not be s-scared after seeing something like this?”

Nocturne scrambled out, clinging tightly to my side. He then pointed a trembling finger at the ceiling. Debris rained down in a shower of dust and plaster, revealing the sky directly above.

“The kids aren’t making any progress. I’m not trying to speedrun this, but I hate things dragging on.”

“F-First of all, isn’t that old man supposed to be the Pope? Wouldn’t it be troublesome if he died?”

“Hey, who dies from that? It wouldn’t even kill an ant.”

‘I didn’t drink that potion because I was afraid of dying. My injuries would eventually heal over time, but I couldn’t stand the pain without any pain inhibitors, so I took it.’

“Sir Haut, people usually die when they get hit by something like that! You’re different; you can take a beating naked and not even get a scratch. Humans die, you know. He’s a charcoal briquette right now, and even if his breath hasn’t stopped, he won’t be getting up from that.”

“Just leave him. They’ll just pick a new Pope, I guess. Hamman struck him intentionally. If he’d liked the guy, he would’ve just showered him with holy light instead of lightning.”

Hamman was the God of Proof, and his personality was straightforward. He wasn’t one to tolerate anything he disliked. He would strike down even his own subordinates with lightning if they displeased him. The fact that he’d struck the Pope, knowing his highest subordinate was right in front of me, clearly indicated his disapproval.

“He had no real excuse to act until now, so he just tolerated it. But he couldn’t hold back when the Pope didn’t do as he was told. If the kids had just been sent quickly, it would have been better for everyone.”

“How are humans supposed to understand such vague revelations?”

“If I, who isn’t even a follower, can understand it, why can’t others? Hamman speaks so directly and openly that no interpretation is even needed.”

“Just look at that Goddess of the Morning Star over there; she speaks in riddles that drive you mad. That’s what’s normal.”

Nocturne could only gape, rendered speechless as if he’d swallowed honey. He watched the blackened Pope, who was barely gasping for breath, completely at a loss.

‘Why is he so worried about some Holy-aligned Pope dying, especially when he himself is of the Evil alignment? It makes no sense.’

Just then, Faust, who had been groaning and rolling around in a corner, rose to his feet and desperately grabbed my hand.

“Sir Haut, please save him. Please?”

“Why? Hamman clearly doesn’t like him. Just tell them to pick a new one.”

“Isn’t it possible for foolish humans to misinterpret a god’s will? To let him perish without any chance… can that truly be called justice?”

“Why are you seeking justice from me? Hamman was only able to unleash his lightning freely because someone of my caliber acted as a conduit. I just left him alone.”

“That guy must have done something truly displeasing. Either way, he has no right to complain about getting struck by lightning, does he?”

“Perhaps his holy power was too meager to serve as a conduit, or he hadn’t undergone enough spiritual training. Or worse, he’d trained, then squandered it all on frivolous pursuits.”

The Pope’s chamber was utterly devastated, scorched by lightning bolts that had arced in every direction. The guards, who had been standing at a distance, seemed to have escaped unscathed. ‘If Hamman had found even one of them displeasing, the lightning would have definitely struck them too.’

“Look at them. They’re perfectly fine, but the Pope got roasted directly. He was definitely up to no good.”

“Sir Haut, for my sake, couldn’t you grant him a chance, a chance to atone? Aren’t all humans capable of making mistakes? If His Holiness perishes like this, even that possibility will vanish.”

“Are you close to him?”

Faust clasped his hands together, pulling at mine as he pleaded. Yet, unable to lie, he shook his head.

“For anyone, for a human to die in such a manner… isn’t it too cruel?”

“Hey, don’t cry over something like this.”

‘Perhaps it’s because he’s of the Holy attribute, but this kid is far too kind. He’s even crying and begging me to save someone he doesn’t even know.’

‘Seeing a handsome guy shed tears like a fountain… it’s making me soft.’

I retrieved three potions from my inventory. They were the smallest health potions I had.

‘I could use one large one, but that feels like a waste.’

“Alright, fine. Let go.”

Faust released my hand, silently weeping a torrent of tears. I then poured two of the potions onto the charred Pope lying on the floor. The third, I roughly uncapped and shoved into his mouth.

“Don’t spill it. Drink up. Or spit it out if you want to die.”

He drank it well. He clung to it as if his life depended on it, gulping down every drop. A faint light blossomed, and his flesh regenerated, shedding the black char in clumps until he was completely naked.

‘Huh? Did his clothes burn too? Well, I guess Hamman didn’t like what he was wearing. It’s plausible.’

The Pope, now conscious, had eyes that were completely glazed over. He scrambled into a corner, curling into a ball and trembling violently. I brushed off the soot clinging to me and stood up.

“Alright, that’s done, right? Let’s go now.”

Then, something suddenly occurred to me. I glanced down at my clothes and sighed.

“Ah, damn it. If I’d known there was an event cutscene, I would’ve worn something cooler. If this gets saved as is, it’ll look pretty weird when I look back at it later.”

“You’re worried about your clothes looking weird? Right now, in this situation?”

“No, I like my clothes. I just think it won’t look good when I revisit the saved scene.”

‘What? Why are they all just staring at me with such blank expressions? Aren’t they going to do their jobs? This is taking too long. Let’s hurry up and leave.’

I then draped the cloak I’d been wearing back over Faust’s shoulders.

“Don’t cry. You’re handsome, and it’s a waste to cry.”

Faust, still sobbing like a broken automaton, took my hand, and we left the temple together.

I first sent the kids back to the temple, telling them to return in the morning. It occurred to me that I still needed to do some enchantments and crafting. So, after sending them off, I finished all the enchanting and crafting.

‘As expected, these things shouldn’t be put off. The longer I procrastinate, the less I want to do them.’

“If you were just going to tell us to come back in the morning anyway, couldn’t we have just come today?”

“If I told you to follow immediately, I wouldn’t have time to sort things out. Even NPCs deserve some time to say goodbye.”

‘Normally, I wouldn’t care and would just take them immediately. But I was going to say goodbye to my Rabi, and it felt a bit awkward not giving the kids some time. Even if they are just NPCs and wouldn’t really do anything.’

‘Still, I can’t figure out why Nocturne is so annoyed.’

“Did you want a glowing sword too? I thought I was matching your attribute.”

“That’s not it at all. My equipment is already more than sufficient.”

‘I don’t know what his problem is. He says he likes it, but then he keeps grumbling.’

“When are you finally going to take off those hideous clothes?”

“Why? They’re pretty, aren’t they? You rarely see something this rare.”

“They’re utterly disgraceful. I doubt anyone would wear them even in the Pearl Grotto.”

“This kid just doesn’t understand style.”

‘To compare it to the Pearl Grotto, of all places.’

The Pearl Grotto was one of the red-light districts within the game. While it was an adult game, it wasn’t explicitly erotic; the atmosphere was merely suggestive, like a section of the back alleys.

‘I heard you could do things if you installed adult mods, but I’m too busy hunting demons. What’s the point of doing that in a game that isn’t even an erotic one?’

‘I tried it out of curiosity in the early days when I heard about it, but it just skips and time passes, so what’s the meaning in that?’

Then, something suddenly came to mind, and I asked Nocturne,

“Do you not like rabbits? I have cats too, you know.”

“I don’t even want to know what they look like!”

“I guess you just don’t like animals, then.”

‘Perhaps it’s because he’s of the Evil alignment; he probably doesn’t like animals. It’s not always the case, but those with Evil attributes generally dislike animals. If that’s the reason, it makes sense.’

I nodded to myself, satisfied.

Faust and Jack remained silent, their faces grim. ‘Is it because they’re not companions I recruited through the official route by raising their affinity?’

‘Any affinity I had managed to build, even if it was just a tiny bit, must be completely gone now. What a waste.’

‘If this was going to happen, I should have just done the bare minimum and exploited them as much as possible. I was too good to them for nothing.’

“You two wait here. I’m going to see Rabi.”

“S-Sir Haut.”

“Yes?”

“Is Rabi not c-coming with us?”

‘Was it because of the big commotion when I brought him yesterday? Faust is stuttering again. He’d gotten better recently, but his affinity must have plummeted, almost to zero. What a shame.’

“Rabi can’t come. If Rabi leaves, who will deal with the demons that come here?”

“Besides, Rabi is already high-tier and high-level. If he were to die, the risk of reviving him would be too great.”

“Experience points are useless to him now, and sharing them would only hinder the kids’ growth.”

“Most importantly, there would be no one to catch the demons that randomly attack NPC residential areas. Since this is the capital, anyone stepping up would resolve it, but if too many people die, Bodangbo’s favorite Ding Dong Daeng Bakery will close down.”

“Even if Rabi can’t handle boss-tier opponents, he can still manage named monsters. Usually, a Pope-level figure should be able to defend against them, but…”

I stared at Jack and Faust, then sighed.

“Seeing the Pope’s level yesterday, it seems hopeless. It’s probably not just you two; most people are likely similar.”

‘If Hamman’s saint is that weak, the others must be truly pathetic. I thought only these guys were at initial levels, but it seems like everyone has been reset.’

‘Damn it, I didn’t realize it had hit rock bottom like this. I never found the game difficult even at initial levels, so I had no idea.’

“If your stats are lacking, you need to compensate with control, but these NPCs just have no sense for it.”

“Haa… I don’t know anymore. I’m starting to think about running away right now.”

“No, you can’t. Everyone else is useless; if not you, there’s no one else I can make an Apostle. You said you wanted to be one, didn’t you? I’ve already prepared all your equipment, so where do you think you’re going to desert to? Is it not enough? Do you want me to give you something more?”

“No, it’s fine. I guess this is just my fate.”

‘Anyone would think I was treating them like slaves.’

‘I pay them regularly, ensure they get their days off, and provide top-tier equipment and buffs. I don’t know what they have to complain about.’

‘Now I’m even going to raise them. Isn’t this truly a dream job in this game world?’

‘Plus, their safety is thoroughly guaranteed! I’d never let them die!’

“I’ll be right back—.”

With that, I used the staircase teleportation device to ascend.

A blinding shimmer of light stung my eyes, and when I opened them, Rabi stood directly before me. The moment I appeared, he instantly embraced me, pulling me into a tight hug. Caught off guard, I hugged Rabi back and asked,

“How long have you been waiting like this? You should have sat down.”

“Not… long.”

“I guess my timing was perfect, then.”

His hair brushed against my cheek, tickling me. Rabi clung to me with all his might, as if he would die if he let go. I patted his back gently.

“I’m going now. Live well. Eat lots of delicious food, and travel to your heart’s content, alright?”

“I want to come with you.”

“No, it’s dangerous. We already talked about this.”

He always whines when I say no. Everyone else loves being given the Archmage’s position, but he just cries all the time. Look, he’s crying again. Rabi buried his face into my shoulder, his chin resting against it, and began to weep silently.

“If you catch them all, will you return?”

“No. I can’t. Don’t wait.”

‘Wouldn’t it be alright to just visit briefly? No, that would be too sad. If I catch all the demons, I’ll have no reason to play this game anymore. The respawn mod isn’t working now, so once I defeat the Great Demon Gods, the demons will vanish forever. What would be the point of continuing a demon-hunting game if there are no demons left?’

I patted Rabi’s back and asked,

“Should I reset your data?”