#022

However, I was currently ‘Fabio,’ and since Fabio was indeed an uneducated serf, I wasn’t particularly angry.

‘Fabio might be uneducated, but that doesn’t mean I am.’

Above all, there were greater benefits to appearing as an uneducated serf.

Just as gaining a reputation as a computer expert only leads to being burdened with assembling and repairing other people’s PCs for free, being recognized as a sharp-witted fellow only brings tedious troubles.

“But please keep this in mind. The fact that you are being watched by the Beings Beyond the Starry Sky must be kept strictly secret. Even within the Order, no one except the apostle-level members and Commander Casimir shall know of this.”

‘Apostle-level? Does that mean even the Archbishops don’t know?’

“Fortunately, you can read Sacred Script. However, things that are natural for others are not natural for you, so you must be extremely cautious. Do not let anyone discover that you are a being outside of Order.”

‘…How am I supposed to avoid acting strange? Should I pretend to be eccentric? So that no matter what I do, they just think, “There he goes again”?’

“If you are discovered…”

‘If I’m discovered?’

Pell paused for a moment and then spoke in a low voice.

“…The Director of the Research Institute will want to study you.”

‘Become a test subject?!’

Damn these Order Sect bastards, you said you’d protect me!

What about the oath to Loclem?! Isn’t the Saintess the most influential person here?

As I looked at Pell with a profound sense of betrayal, Pell slightly avoided my gaze, as if he had nothing to say.

“I cannot warn him in advance not to do so. The moment I do, he is the kind of person who would realize such a being exists and hunt you down with burning eyes…”

‘Why the hell do they keep a guy like that in the Order?’

“He is a man who will find a way to bypass any rule established to conduct his experiments, so you must be careful.”

‘What is this, some kind of ghost story?’

“Of course, as the Director is also a Priest who believes in Order, he will never conduct research that harms you.”

‘The Middle Ages was a time when people used mercury as a cure because they thought it was good for the body; fuck, “harmless” probably only means so in your heads.’

While thinking this, I asked like a serf who didn’t know what being a test subject meant.

“Then why… must I refuse? If it’s research that doesn’t cause harm, and if that research can help Order, wouldn’t cooperating be…”

“The Director is an apostle of Ledeia.”

The one who answered was Casimir, who was standing beside us with arms crossed.

…Ledeia?

Ledeia, the Goddess of Healing…?

Pell nodded.

“Yes. I heard he was quite surprised even after seeing Agnes, who is merely a priest.”

The physical changes possessed by a priest of Ledeia are caused by divine power.

Such changes occur more significantly as the divine power increases.

If he is an apostle of Ledeia, who is among the most influential of the gods under Order, he would possess divine power at least equal to or greater than that of an Archbishop.

That means the Director, an apostle of Ledeia…

“Therefore, when you see the Director… you will likely be quite shocked.”

“To be honest, by that point, he’s closer to a mass of insects wearing a human shell.”

I remember vomiting after seeing him before my Baptism.

At Casimir’s added remark, my mind went blank.

‘A sight so hideous that even a person who could gouge out their own eyes while sane couldn’t stand it?’

“Yes, that is correct. Since I cannot alleviate that psychological shock for you, I can only advise you to avoid seeing him entirely.”

Pell spoke with a pitiful expression, but only one thought crossed my mind.

‘Wow, I absolutely cannot get caught.’

A being that looks like a mass of insects in human form.

What is this, some B-movie horror?

Pell gripped my hand tightly and said,

“Keep this in mind. If a dangerous situation arises, call for me without hesitation.”

No, the Saintess isn’t 911; will calling actually change anything?

Even if he’s just in the next building, I doubt he’d hear me screaming.

Wait, is the logic that some serf dared to call the Saintess by name, so he’ll be reported for blasphemy and then find out?

“…As long as you are within the boundaries of the Imperial Capital, I can tell exactly who is calling my name and where they are.”

‘What the fuck.’

That’s terrifying.

How is that even possible?

Is it because he’s a top-tier Unit [Saintess (Male)] that only the Order at its peak, ruling the entire continent, could produce?

“Fabio, if you call me, I will come immediately.”

“No, I mean, who am I to…”

‘Is there a reason he’s doing this much for me?’

A doubt briefly entered my mind.

Of course, having a ‘Saintess Chance’ is a huge win.

But it seems nonsensical for such a unique unit to rush over for a mere freeman (former serf) who is nobody.

‘Is it because he made an oath to Loclem to protect me, so he’s doing it to keep that promise…?’

Since the Order Sect bastards lose divine power if they don’t keep their oaths…

Then, I realized an important fact.

“By the way… can you hear me if I call you ‘Lord Pell’?”

“…Ah.”

I guess not.

“Hmm. You must call me ‘Pellagia’ exactly… would that be difficult?”

I wondered if one could fail to shout a name in a life-or-death situation.

Actually, if you don’t shorten it, it’s not that strange of a name.

‘It’s just that it happened to come after “Ada,” which gave it too much destructive power.’

“In such a situation, there is nothing you couldn’t manage. You will be able to do it.”

“Then can we try it once now?”

…Now?

No, I’m not mentally prepared to let that word out of my mouth right now.

“Now, repeat after me.”

‘No, fuck, don’t give me an example.’

“Pellagio.”

I bit my lip hard.

“If you can say the first two syllables together, then the third letter…”

“No, uh, it’s fine. I can do it.”

It’s better to just say it all at once; practicing from two syllables is more agonizing.

‘Let’s just get it over with quickly.’

“Before that, your hand…”

“Is something uncomfortable?”

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the ‘Blessing of Consolation’ is nullified.]

No, that doesn’t work on me.

“Ah, habitually again…”

Pell’s eyebrows drooped in a sad V-shape.

“Then please gain strength by looking at my face.”

‘I can’t speak because of that face!’

When I look at that face, the only thought that comes to mind is, “How can a person who looks like this be named Pellagio?”

I turned my head and avoided his gaze.

“…If it is truly difficult, it cannot be helped.”

Pell let go of my hand and took something out from inside his clothes.

‘A necklace?’

It was the symbol of the Order Sect, a cross hanging in an X-shape.

It wasn’t a grim symbol of punishment, like someone being hanged, but rather a replica of a gnomon, the oldest form of instrument for measuring the altitude of celestial bodies.

Pell untied the necklace and placed it on my palm.

“If you cannot call my name, please carry this with you at all times.”

“This is…”

“It is an object I have personally consecrated.”

Just hold it and call upon the Lord.

As Pell said this, he wrapped his hand around mine from the outside, making me take a posture as if praying.

“Lo, Loclem?”

And nothing happened.

‘What, does it not work because I have no divine power?’

Pell remained silent for a moment, then soon nodded and smiled.

“Yes, it works well.”

‘Did something actually happen?’

“Now, if you wish to call me, do it this way.”

Even if it’s not a dangerous moment, I would be happy if you called me.

“Even for a trivial matter, it is fine. Reasons such as wanting to see my beautiful face are also acceptable, so please call me as much as you like.”

‘What is this, is he actually a narcissist?’

“No, how could I possibly bother someone as busy as the Saintess?”

“Busy? There is likely no one as idle as I am here in the Capital Church.”

‘Why is he so idle…?’

The Grey Saintess Adelaide was ground down without any time to rest.

In ‘Die Heretic!’, those wretched maggots of Ledeia were already all dead, so even though Adelaide was the Saintess, she couldn’t even receive proper treatment and was rolled around the front lines…

Why is this Saintess—who has a terrible name, is quite old, is male, and isn’t even a half-Saintess—so damn idle?

“You are the highest-ranking person in the Order… don’t you have a lot of work?”

“Ah, looking after the Order is the duty of the Pope elected by the Order, not mine.”

“Then what does the… Saintess do with his time?”

“Because the Saintess chosen by the Lord exists solely to hear and act upon the Lord’s words, when there is no task commanded by the Lord, I spend my time waiting for the next command.”

So… he’s basically on standby?

Meaning he’s practically unemployed when there’s no emergency.

“And the most recent command I received was to find those being watched by the Beings Beyond the Starry Sky and ensure they enter the Embrace of Order.”

Hmm.

If that’s the case, it’s somewhat understandable.

Even if I’m an ‘uneducated serf who knows nothing,’ I am still one of only sixteen prospective Contractors.

It seems he said that so I could easily report if I happened to remember any meaningful information.

Since an uneducated serf might mistake a critically important clue for something trivial.

“…I understand.”

“Then, once more…”

Pell seemed lost in thought for a moment, then blinked once and released my hand.

“…Apostle Adna will inform you of other things to be cautious of.”

‘Did he just receive some kind of telepathic message?’

He said he has a skill that can detect someone just by calling their full name…

Even if not, it was stated in ‘Heretic Slayer’ that apostles can communicate via telepathy, so he might have received a message from another apostle.

‘He said the command he received as a Saintess was only regarding the prospective Contractors… did they find a new candidate? Or did someone already in the Order have something to report?’

I was incredibly curious, but to maintain my concept as a ‘serf who doesn’t know how things work,’ I simply nodded.

“…Fabio. Follow me.”

Adna was already wearing the ornament that covered half of her face again.

Since my clothes didn’t have any particular pockets, I followed Adna while clutching the necklace Pell had given me in my hand.

As I stepped out the door, I felt strange for some reason.

‘Things seem to be going too well.’

I thought I’d be leaving this room with a hemp sack over my head and bound with ropes.

Not an execution, not a trip to prison, but a development where a kind Saintess (Male) tells me I can call him anytime and promises that the Order Sect will protect me…

It was kind to a suspicious degree.

‘Is this some kind of White Realm?’

The Dark Realm I know isn’t a place like this…

‘Is it because there are as many as sixteen prospective Contractors? They can’t let grim stories circulate if they want to lure out the ones still hiding.’

Since I’m a serf with no information or anything, I have no way of knowing how the Order operates, but someone lucky enough to possess a noble would likely decide their course of action while observing the Order’s movements.

But what if they hear stories like, “The Order caught and burned a very suspicious heretic!” or “They are searching with burning eyes for a peculiar heretic!”?

They might give up on cooperating with the Order Sect early on and instead think they should ally with other players.

‘So it’s reasonable for the Order to act this kindly… but…’

…Why does it keep feeling so unsettling?

Maybe it’s because I played ‘Die Heretic!’ too much.

An Order Sect that doesn’t kill heretics upon seeing them—I felt like I was having cognitive dissonance.

‘It’s not that I’m disappointed I wasn’t burned at the stake, but how should I put it…’

It felt like drifting onto an island inhabited only by cannibals, trembling in fear thinking I was dead, only for a cannibal to see me and say, “You must have had a hard time. Since you entered without a permit, we’ll process you as a refugee first so you can receive housing support. Please feel free to tell us if there’s anything else you need.”

‘Why… are they not primitive??’

Chapter 23