Part Three, Section Four: “Vows of Love in a Foreign Land”
Chapter One Hundred and Four
"Heh heh heh heh, aha ha ha ha ha! It’s finally here! The time has come! Deceiving the arrogant fool who thinks herself excellent feels so gratifying! Aha ha ha ha!”
Laughing loudly while holding up the rainbow-glowing crystal, Archbishop Henry walked towards me. It seemed he harbored resentment towards me as well, as I thought I was just being used for Elizabeth’s revival.
So his hatred wasn’t an act… it was genuine.
"With this, my revenge will be complete! I’ll revive Elizabeth and kill you, Philia Adenauer! I’ll erase your existence!”
"Kill me? I don’t recall earning such deep hatred.”
He intended to kill me after all. His hatred seemed to be greater than I thought. Did me taking over Elizabeth’s role really anger him that much?
"You claim to not recall earning my hatred!? This heartless bitch! How pitiful do you think Elizabeth felt seeing you gain distinguished service and being revered as Parnacota’s saint!? You may be quite proud of your excellence, but my sister who earnestly devoted herself to the country until her death has faded from everyone’s memories as an unusable saint! You are the same as her killer!”
Archbishop Henry accused me of Elizabeth’s memory fading away because I acted for Parnacota’s sake. While it was mostly groundless, from his perspective I must seem like quite the villain.
"The Pope dared to promote someone like you! He made you the Great Saint! The woman who stole the title that could only be given to Fiana, and the one who took away the place of my deceased sister! I was seething with anger at that time! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
With a twisted grin directed towards me, Archbishop Henry’s tirade of resentment showed no signs of stopping. While his claims of dissatisfaction with everything resembled Julius’s attitude, the intensity of his hatred far surpassed that of Julius.
"Just so you know, Ms. Elizabeth probably wouldn’t appreciate you bending the laws of nature just to give her life. In fact, she would likely disdain any methods that involve sacrificing someone else.”
From what I heard about her personality from Grace, Elizabeth seemed to be a person full of compassion. Prince Reinhardt who talked about her said similar things.
Even if she was revived by Archbishop Henry’s utterly selfish emotions, someone who could be called an ideal saint would surely feel hurt.
"Silence! Silence silence silence silence silence! Don’t spout knowledgeable nonsense!!“
However, as I expected, my words did not reach him in his current state of mind. Archbishop Henry had become possessed by revenge.
It was a sad story. According to Bishop Bjorn, he used to have great faith and was loved by followers too. To see someone with such a nature transformed by sorrow and anger to this extent was truly heartbreaking.
"What’s with that pitying face!? I don’t like it! Are you pitying your own foolishness!?”
"No, I pity your circumstances. And your heart that was too kind, now broken. I hope you can be forgiven by the gods. I want you to not commit any more sins.”
Trapped in inescapable anger, he just wanted to rampage.
A person who has risen to the rank of Archbishop should have a clear sense of right and wrong. Yet, he seemed to be blaming himself most for being unable to resist the overwhelming misfortune.
"Aha ha ha ha! You pity me!? I’m thoroughly happy! Because once I get the Staff of Divine Shackling, I can revive Elizabeth! To the ungrateful people of Parnacota! To Reinhardt, who killed her! To you, who killed her achievements! All of this, I will avenge!”
No words got through to the vengeful Archbishop Henry.
He was just trying to solve everything by force, dominated by feelings of hatred.
He probably couldn’t forgive anything, as if everything in this world without Elizabeth was unforgivable.
"Soon, the Staff of Divine Shackling will come before me! Then! Hades will awaken! The clamor in the venue sounds only like a victory fanfare to me! I’m in very high spirits! Aha ha ha!”
"No matter how long you wait, the Staff won’t come.”
“…”
The moment I spoke, he stopped laughing loudly and became serious, glaring at me.
It seemed my words could still reach him.
Yes. It was impossible for Archbishop Henry to obtain the Staff of Divine Shackling.
Because the people I trust the most were protecting that staff.
"Whaaaaat!? You say the Staff of Divine Shackling won’t come to meeee!? Let me tell you, my familiars are high-level devils! While it’s certainly securely stored behind solid thick doors, for them―”
"Sis! I protected the Staff!”
"Wha―!? Whaaa!? Wh-whaaaat!?”
When Mia appeared wielding the Staff of Divine Shackling, Archbishop Henry was taken aback and stumbled backward. I was right to believe she would accomplish it. She did a great job.
"Miss Philia! This cage! Uraaah!”
"Oswald!? You—!”
Furthermore, Prince Oswald leaped out and destroyed the cage with the spear Elsa prepared, rescuing me.
My strength hadn’t recovered yet so my legs were unsteady, but his sturdy arms supported me.
Since my magic power was depleted, I needed to absorb the mana from the surroundings into my body…
"Archbishop Henry, your plot ends here. I also have a beloved younger sister, so I deeply understand your feelings.”
“…”
"Fortunately no harm was done. I’ll plead for your mitigated sentencing, so why not start anew?”
"Mister Henry, revenge will only leave you empty. Miss Elizabeth wouldn’t want that. You should realize it and surrender.”
Prince Oswald and I urged Archbishop Henry to give up since his plot had failed. Without the Staff of Divine Shackling, forcing a god to obey him was impossible, so he should be at a dead end here.
"You say you understand!? My feelings!? Don’t pretend when you have everything, you wretch! Fine then! If it’s come to this!”
"Archbishop Henry…!”
However, he didn’t surrender. He stood up, raised the crystal sphere, and tried to activate a spell.
Could he be trying to awaken the god without even the Staff of Divine Shackling? I have to stop him―
“I’m in the god’s good graces! Hear my plea! Awaken! Hades, god of the underworld!”
““…!?””
A massive magic circle expanded on the ground, accompanied by tremors so great that one might think the entire continent was shaking.
It was too late… Before I could move, Mia fired the cross-shaped silver blades she excelled at, but even that couldn’t stop Archbishop Henry. The awakening spell succeeded, and Hades had woke up.
It was completely unexpected. Because Archbishop Henry was well aware of the terror of gods and had advanced his plot cautiously so far, I didn’t think he would take reckless action.
What appeared from the magic circle was a long-haired male with black wings. He radiated divine magic power on a level incomparable to me, giving me a sense of overwhelming pressure as if a tornado had formed right before me.
Enveloped in faint rainbow-colored light, he stared at me with hollow eyes.
"Oh, Lord Hades, god of the underworld! I am grateful for your awakening! I have a humble request to make of you! Please, I beseech you, resurrect my dear sister, my Elizabeth!”
"Hmm? Who are you? I was sleeping so comfortably, and you woke me… Hmm…”
"Eh…? Agh!?”
The moment Hades glanced at Archbishop Henry and emitted a dull light from his eyes, he was blown away with tremendous force, crashing into the altar. Although he didn’t move after that, he was still breathing. He seemed to have lost consciousness.
“Whoops, hmm. I’m dull from oversleeping… I forgot how to send souls to the land of the dead.”
I heard Hades could use lethal magic to instantly reap souls.
Archbishop Henry happened to evade death.
I had an incredibly ominous feeling. It was tens of times worse than when I confronted Asmodeus.
Humans couldn’t defy gods. Any absurdity was permissible if it was a god’s work.
If we angered a god, it was our sin no matter what the circumstances.
However, if I continue to stand idly by, the situation most likely escalates in a terrible direction.
"Hmm. Anyway, I should get back into form first. Should I send some souls of the humans around here to the land of the dead?”
Hades hinted he might arbitrarily send several people to their deaths.
Human lives seemed to mean nothing to him.
As expected, we can’t just leave this be. And there’s only one method to resolve this situation.
"Mia! Pass me the Staff!”
"Sis…! O-Okay! Got it!”
I tried to hurry to Mia but with my strength still not recovered, I could only reach out my arm.
To somehow handle this, I have to use the Staff of Divine Shackling to put Hades back to sleep. Mia also completely understood that and ran towards me.
"Hmm? Ah, that’s surely… the Staff of Divine Shackling? For a human to try using that. Insolent…!”
"Eh?”
Hades soundlessly approached Mia and held out his hand.
That light was unique to Divine Spells. He was trying to reap Mia’s soul…
"Whoa, Mia. Are you alright?”
With a thunderous sound, in the instant I thought I saw the bottomless pit open in the ground, Mammon hugged Mia, evading Hades’ magic. However, due to the impact, Mia dropped the Staff of Divine Shackling.
"Ma-Mammon, thank you very much.”
"Nah, I’m not incompetent enough to silently watch when a girl’s in danger.”
"But, your leg…”
Mammon’s right leg was blown off by Hades’ magic.
"My whole body is an artificial construct, so I’m fine as long as the lethal magic doesn’t hit my core. I’m glad you are safe, Mia.”
Somehow Mammon survived due to his peculiar physiology. Devils’ body structure was quite different from humans. Asmodeus, for example, could even operate with just his soul. Mammon should be fine since he could reattach his leg.
"So there was a devil too. Oh well. Anyway, the Staff―”
"I’ll take it. Great Saint.”
Elsa picked up the Staff of Divine Shackling Mia dropped and rapidly approached me.
Her exceptional physical abilities surpassed those of a saint. I was saved. Now I just had to receive it.
"Who said you could take and pass that around?”
“Exorcism magic—Anti-Evil Cannon!”
As Hades rapidly closed in on Elsa, she threw the Staff and crossed her two fingers, firing a large vortex of light at him.
It was a bold act, unafraid of a god. An explosion occurred due to the magic, and the Staff she threw flew towards me through the smoke.
However, since she threw it hastily, the trajectory was quite off from my position.
"Miss Elsa! Well done!”
Prince Oswald jumped up and grabbed the Staff, then ran out to me.
It was frustrating to know that If only my body could move, I would’ve had it in my hand already.
"I’ll deal with that disrespectful woman later. First, the Staff―”
"Miss Philia!”
"Your Highness!”
Hades instantly approached us. I wrung out the last of my strength to reach out my hand and received the Staff from Prince Oswald.
"Damn you! Humans! I won’t let you use that staff…!”
"Hades, god of the underworld! Obey my voice!”
Channeling the divine magic power into the Staff of Divine Shackling stirred up a storm, and I almost dropped the Staff and lost my footing again.
"Miss Philia, it’s alright. I’m here…!”
But supported by Prince Oswald, I held up the Staff and unleashed its power.
The tornado rose high enough to seemingly reach the sky, and then it became so quiet around me that I thought I had gone deaf.
“…”
"Hades, god of the underworld. My apologies for waking you from your peaceful slumber. Will you sleep once more?”
I ordered Hades to sleep again. Thanks to the Staff of Divine Shackling, he became obedient and plopped down powerlessly where he was, but when he heard my words, he stood up and nodded deeply at my words.
"That magic circle is the same as before…”
Prince Oswald watched with bated breath as the same magic circle expanded on the ground again.
Hades entered the circle and fell asleep again.
That’s a relief.
However, using the divine magic power twice left me somewhat exhausted.
"Miss Philia! Miss Philia! A-Are you okay!?”
I was aware of Prince Oswald’s voice echoing far away, but I didn’t have the strength left to open my eyes.
I’m sorry, Your Highness. Please let me rest a little…
Even Hades has his "whoops" moments...
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