#224

“Is that so? Then where are we going?”

“We have to go to the nearest pagan sanctuary. That’s the only way to stop the Heavenly Punishment.”

Order cannot cast Heavenly Punishment on those outside its Domain.

If that were possible, they would have just made all the Order Units pray and then rained down Heavenly Punishment indiscriminately to create a clean realm devoid of heretics.

This home-ground advantage is precisely why one must work hard to establish statues and altars to expand their base in Conclude.

“But does the Heavenly Punishment disappear just by entering a sanctuary?”

“I don’t know.”

Heavenly Punishment has never been deferred like this in the game, so how should I know?

“What if it doesn’t disappear, but just pauses? Won’t we be trapped inside the sanctuary, unable to leave?”

“…While we’re inside, the debuff will be lifted, so we can recover our Health, go out, take the hit from the Heavenly Punishment, come back in to recover, and repeat that nine times.”

“Hyung, you haven’t forgotten that I actually feel pain, have you?”

“If it hurts, eat some poppies.”

“Wow, that’s mean. How can you be like that?”

“If you don’t like it, endure it raw.”

I said it, but I have no intention of making him do something so insane.

Even if that situation arose, I’d [unauthorized copy]probably leave stolen contenthim inside the sanctuary [stolen content]and look for some other way.

‘Though if there’s absolutely no other way, I’ll have to feed him poppies.’

“So, we’re going to your territory, right?”

“…Where have you been listening to everything I’ve said?”

“A pagan sanctuary whose location is certain. Suitable for a long-term siege even if the Heavenly Punishment doesn’t disappear. Sufficient amenities. Is there any other place that fits all these criteria besides my territory?”

“You missed the most important part.”

“What?”

“Distance, you idiot.”

Do you want to drop dead on the way?

I didn’t know the exact location of the Teres family territory, but I knew for sure it was far from the capital. When I had looked into becoming a mere errand boy, I checked all the territories near the capital, and the Teres territory wasn’t among them.

“Do you think the tutorial emergency life-saving device will last forever? What are you going to do if you get hit by Heavenly Punishment on the way?”

“…Hmm. Even if I die, my remains will stay, so maybe you can take them and inherit the territory?”

“Do you think that would work?”

“Maybe if you play it right? Try talking your way into it. Hyung, you’re the God of Tongues.”

“Please, say something that makes sense.”

Ignoring the nonsense Pandemonium was spouting, I took out the ouija board and the coin.

“The nearest sanctuary of a ‘God not belonging to Order.’”

[Do you require location information? If destination guidance is needed, you may pay additional points to switch to Compass Mode or Navigation Mode.]

“What’s the difference between the two?”

[The Compass provides the direction and remaining distance, while Navigation guides you via the optimal route.]

‘Navigation costs five times more points.’

After some thought, I chose Navigation Mode. In games that only provide direction, I’d had many experiences of hitting a cliff and having to circle around for ages.

‘There’s also a high possibility that the entrance is hidden.’

[Guidance beginning. Please depart from the North Gate of the Capital Church.]

“Wait, before that. Whose sanctuary is the one you’re guiding us to?”

[Insufficient points to ask a new question.]

“…What?”

“Wow, we’re going to a sanctuary without even knowing which God it belongs to? This is gonna be freaking exciting.”

“Shut up.”

It doesn’t matter which sanctuary it is. As long as that bastard can recover his lost Health inside, it’s fine. If it’s the ‘pagan sanctuary’ closest to the Capital Church, it’ll probably be tiny.

‘How much luggage should I pack?’

Since there’s a chance it won’t be resolved immediately, I wanted to prepare plenty of drinking water and food, but…

“Pandemonium. Do you have enough dried rations and drinking water in your inventory?”

“No water, but I have alcohol.”

“…Why?”

“Water spoils.”

Has this guy’s level of knowledge been patched to the Medieval era?

Alcohol requires water to be metabolized, so in the end, the most critical issue—dehydration—won’t be solved.

‘Since he has alcohol bottles, I’ll just dump the booze and fill them with water once we find a river.’

There were many other things I needed, but I decided to leave with what I had.

I wanted to avoid any friction with the Read on Read BL NovelsMother God while farming equipment just for the visit our sitevisit our sitesake of a comfortable camping trip.

I tied the coin with a string and hung it from my wrist. I wrapped the bundle of clothes containing Callister in a large cloth once more to ensure I wouldn’t lose it, wearing it in front like a sling bag.

“Alright, let’s move.”

As Pandemonium whistled, Armageddon came running, snorting loudly.

“…Where does this thing usually stay?”

“Usually circling around me.”

Pandemonium lifted me up first, sat me on the saddle, and then climbed up behind me.

“Why aren’t you in front? You need to see forward to steer the horse.”

“Hyung, you’re tiny, so you don’t block my view. It’s fine.”

“…….”

‘I really want to hit him.’

Since I didn’t know when the direction of the coin would change, the horse moved at a slow walking pace.

However, even just walking felt several times faster than other horses.

“…How do people around you keep up if you ride this?”

“Armageddon is smart, so he adjusts his speed on his own. Of course, he gets frustrated, so I have to let him sprint occasionally.”

“What’s the top speed? How many kilometers can it go in a day?”

“I dunno. When I asked about its limit, I think it sprinted non-stop for almost three hours? [visit our site]We had to turn [stolen content]back, so we visit our sitestopped midway, but it probably moved about 200km by then.”

“…I don’t know much about horses, but that seems like an impossible distance normally.”

“Of course. A normal horse can’t sprint for even ten minutes. Do you know why relay stations exist? It’s because you have to keep switching horses to maintain high speed. But even that is a method only a single messenger can use. Establishing relay stations is only possible after unifying an empire. Historically, the fastest courier horse was….”

‘I shouldn’t have asked.’

In Conclude, you can send direct messages via prayer, so messengers aren’t necessary.

With the resources to build relay stations, it would be better to just summon more Priest Units.

Pandemonium began rambling about which armies used which breeds of horses throughout history.

“…Based on my analysis, the horses of the Dark Realm seem closest to the Shire breed. They have large frames and withstand the cold well, but the downside is that they need a lot of feed. Even with an inventory, there’s a limit to the amount of hay that can be transported. But Armageddon overcame even that limit. How? By eating meat!”

“…A carnivorous horse?”

“Right. If it eats meat, the supplies that need to be transported are greatly reduced. Grass is hard to find in winter, but you can hunt deer or boars. Armageddon likes rabbits….”

Can you even call that a ‘horse’?

Well, horses have a single stomach, so maybe carnivory is more efficient.

“But isn’t he the only horse like that? What can you even do with just one exceptional horse?”

“I just ride it, charge in, and take the enemy general’s head. Then their morale bottoms out and they surrender.”

“…….”

Why the hell did the War God choose Pandemonium?

He should have brought someone who played Musou games.

Fortunately, before the conversation shifted to those ‘who-even-cares’ wars where horses played a role, the coin stopped moving.

“Have we arrived?”

In the middle of the forest, there was a hole leading to a natural cave. It seemed to be a sanctuary created by modifying the interior of a limestone cave.

‘They must have chosen a place like this to avoid being noticed.’

Looking at the stalactites piled atop the carved stairs, it didn’t look like an altar to an Othergod. It was likely a place that worshipped one of the indigenous gods of the Dark Realm.

As I cautiously entered the cave, a shriveled animal corpse lay in a wide cavern. At a glance, it looked as if a lost deer had simply starved to death alone.

‘Is this an altar serving Nellos of Famine?’

The letters written in [unauthorized copy]soot on the wall were half-gone, but I could [stolen content]stolen contenttell it was an inscription dedicated to Nellos.

It seemed to be one of the secret altars secretly maintained by Egous of Plenty.

Egous of Plenty was a god who harbored the desire to reclaim his twin, Nellos of Famine, whom Order had rejected.

‘Since it’s essentially performing ancestral rites for a family member who was executed for treason, it was built so that evidence could be easily destroyed at any time.’

From the state of the altar, I could feel a wish that whoever came across it would simply pass by without noticing.

It meant this was a place where there was no risk of anyone visiting.

I brushed the soot off my hands.

‘Pandemonium’s Status Window.’

[‘Pandemonium (Follower of Fabio)’ : Acting Family Head stolen contentof Teres, Scoundrel, Head stolen contentCollector, Dismantler]

[Health: 1750(-1045)] [Mental Strength: N/A] [Intelligence: N/A] [Martial Power: 962] [Durability: 775] [Charm: 450(-1750)] [Faith: N/A]

Status: [Injured(-822)] [Fatigued(Health-223)] [Infamous(Charm-670)] [Blasphemous(Charm-1080)]

Unique Traits: [Bloodline of Teres] [First Strike Victory] [Did I Get Him?!] [Pet Summon] [Nope, Can’t Hear You] …See More

Blessing: [Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme (Fabio)]

Status Condition:

Equipped Sacred Relic: [Inventory]

Upon confirming that Heavenly Punishment had disappeared from the Status Condition, I suddenly felt the tension snap.

As I slumped down on the spot, Pandemonium rushed over in surprise.

“Hyung, are you okay? What happened? Did the owner of this place cast a curse? Should I destroy the altar?”

“…No. I just sat down because I’m tired.”

“Tired? Why? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“Think about the stats, damn it. My Health is in the double digits.”

I groaned, massaging the inside of my thighs which were starting to tighten.

“I checked, and it’s safe here. I don’t think anyone will come, so let’s catch our breath for a bit.”

“You’re really not hurt, right?”

“If muscle pain counts as pain, then yeah, it hurts.”

“…Want me to massage it for you?”

“No.”

I rejected him firmly.

I didn’t want to experience the femur—the hardest and largest bone in the human body—breaking helplessly before a Martial Power stat nearing four digits.

“Still, it’s a relief. That the Heavenly Punishment is gone.”

If I’d known this, I should have stopped Callister more. There was another way….

“Hyung.”

In the quiet cave, the sound of breathing echoed loudly.

It felt a bit uncomfortable.

Just as I was about to tell him to stay far away, a sensation brushed the back of my head, and I screamed without thinking.

“Aaaagh!”

“No, I just….”

I clutched my head and curled my body up.

My whole body trembled. It was a reaction I couldn’t control.

“…I just wanted to see how much your eyes had recovered.”

“Fuck….”

“I’m sorry. I messed up. What should I do? What can I do to make it up to you? Huh?”

“…Get away. Now. Stand against that far wall. Turn around. Hold your breath and do nothing.”

Physiological tears dripped down.

Only after deep breathing for a long time was I able to barely calm the panic. I untied the knot of the blindfold by myself and felt the area over my eyes. I couldn’t see, but the shape of the eyeballs themselves seemed to have recovered significantly.

“I still can’t see. It’ll take a bit more time. But it’s much better. I think they’re almost fully recovered.”

It would take a bit longer to regenerate the nerves and retina.

Pandemonium, facing the wall with his hands up, spoke.

“…I’m really sorry.”

“Stop.”

I spoke with a trembling voice.

“Stop with the useless apologies, and just don’t do anything that might remind me of that. I’ll pretend it never happened too. Got it?”

“…Yes, Lord Fabio.”

My heart was still thumping.

I didn’t feel like I could ride a horse in this state.

I closed my eyes.

“…Now that the tension is gone, I’m tired. I need to rest for a bit. Just leave me alone.”

“Got it. Should I lay something on the floor for you?”

“No. Don’t come close.”

I hugged Callister tightly and tried not to think about anything.

Perhaps because the effect of the poppies was wearing off, my whole body ached.

Is this what withdrawal from narcotic painkillers feels like?

If so, this terrible feeling must also be a trick of the Distorted One.

I didn’t want to earn points for the Distorted One.

‘I’m tired.’

I lost consciousness just like that.

When I opened my eyes, I had no sense of how much time had passed.

I could only guess that I had been in one position for a long time because every joint in my body was screaming.

“…How long was I asleep?”

There was no sign of anyone around.

Suddenly anxious, I called out his name loudly.

“Pandemonium?”

Now that I looked, Callister, whom I had been hugging, was gone.

As I fumbled inside my clothes, I woke the sleeping snake.

“…Do you know how long I slept?”

[The snake was snoring away. The sleepy snake feels cute. You want to pet it.]

[SYSTEM: Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme’, ‘Distortion’ is provided as text.]

“You were sleeping too. I get it.”

I petted the snake and looked around the cave.

I couldn’t tell where the missing Callister had gone.

‘Don’t tell me….’

“Pandemonium!”

‘…He didn’t throw Callister away, did he?’

Because he now has the ‘Restoration’ skill and doesn’t need it?

I tried to rush outside, but my body was blocked by a net woven from invisible strings. That crazy bastard Pandemonium had spun a spiderweb in front of the cave.

“Pandemonium! Clear this away right now!”

As soon as I shouted, the net disappeared.

Outside, sunlight so strong it was hard to open my eyes was pouring down. I frowned deeply, waiting for the process of light adaptation.

“Hyung, you’re awake?”

…The smell of musk and blood stung my nose.

The horse was eating, its face buried in the entrails of a dead wild boar.

Pandemonium welcomed me, holding a struggling boar piglet in one hand and a knife in the other.

“You looked so tired that I didn’t wake you. Is your body feeling okay?”

“…What are you doing?”

You’re going to eat that?

Why bother?

“Ah. I’m just shaving the fur.”

“…Fur?”

“There are six of them, so I thought I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.”

“What are you talking about? Explain so I can understand.”

Pandemonium spoke while shaving the back fur of the boar piglet.

“While you were sleeping, the tutorial emergency life-saving device ended. Now it seems Order can move normally. Right, I heard the bells even here. It must be just past noon. Did you sleep well?”

Too much information poured out at once for me to understand immediately.

I gave up on organizing my thoughts and asked the most important thing first.

“…So? Where’s Callister?”

“Right. Callister. All the arms you were clutching turned into maggots. I thought those bugs would starve to death if I left them alone, so I gave them something to eat.”

“You gave them something to eat?”

Pandemonium handed me a boar piglet whose fur hadn’t been shaved.

The struggling piglet sniffed as soon as it was held in my arms and soon became docile.

“This is Callister now.”

“…This is?”

“You said it wouldn’t molt until it ate all members of the same individual? So I kept those boar piglets alive.”

The boar piglets with shaved backs were hanging from invisible strings, squealing loudly.

‘…Callister did explain it.’

That Ledeia was originally a bug that bred by eating and mimicking organisms.

I tried to organize my thoughts while hugging the warm boar piglet.

If the bug’s instincts have returned?

Where is my Callister?

“I brought some water too. I thought you’d be thirsty.”

Order has returned to the Dark Realm.

Then what happened to Insanity and Nyapoleon? Did they flee?

The people who had lost consciousness?

Athanas is….

“If you’re not feeling well, do you want to rest more?”

“…No.”

I didn’t want to waste turns meaninglessly.

The option of returning to the Capital Church had now vanished.

I hugged the boar piglet tightly and spoke.

“Let’s go to your territory.”