Chapter 89

Chapter 89
Alon was well-acquainted with Cardinal Sergius.

In truth, it was nearly unthinkable to be ignorant of Sergius.

He was a primary antagonist encountered upon entering the Holy Kingdom in Psychedelia and the first figure to reveal the kingdom’s deep-seated corruption to the player.

Alon was fully aware of the man’s considerable influence within the Holy Kingdom of Rosario and the twisted nature of his character.

In the game, Sergius had once put dozens of innocent believers to death, accusing them of “not believing in God,” simply because they had disobeyed him.

In essence, Alon knew Sergius to be a vile individual.

“Yes, so if you move this way, yes, precisely. You can continue like this. Once the Chief Cardinal arrives—”

Watching Sergius explain the situation with such care, all while stealing nervous glances at him, felt deeply awkward for Alon for a multitude of reasons.

‘I tried to steer clear of him, thinking a meeting would be troublesome.’

Struck by this unforeseen behavior, Alon turned over the question that had been lingering in his mind.

‘…What could have possibly happened to make him act this way?’

Alon was no fool; he recognized that Sergius’s deference was due to Yutia’s presence behind him.

Yet, no matter how he reasoned, he couldn’t grasp why Sergius was being so excessively cautious.

The Sergius from Psychedelia was a corrupt villain who, even facing his end, never relinquished his pride.

Therefore,

He took a brief, subtle look at Yutia, who was beaming in the background.

“Um, did you follow all of that…?”

At Cardinal Sergius’s timid question, Alon gave a nod.
“Yes, I understood it all, thanks to your explanation.”
“Oh, I’m glad to hear that.”
“However, you needn’t use such formal speech with me.”

Alon proposed.

Though he was a noble of Asteria, Sergius held one of the highest positions beneath the pope and the goddess, making such formality unnecessary.

Despite this, Alon gently suggested, but—

“No, no, no, no, no, no—such a thing is out of the question! I am merely a servant of God; how could I ever presume to do that?”

Sergius’s frantic refusal, repeating “no” endlessly, gave Alon a powerful feeling of dissonance.

‘…Is this truly the same villain who looked down on humanity every time I encountered him in the game?’

Alon responded awkwardly, remembering a particular line from the game:

[“I will never comprehend why I should show respect to such lowly creatures who do not even believe in God!”]

“Is that… so?”
“Of course, without a doubt!”

Observing Sergius’s strained, uncomfortable laugh, Alon cleared his throat and spoke.
“Anyway, I appreciate you taking the trouble to assist. You really didn’t need to come out and explain this yourself, Cardinal.”
“Not at all, it’s my duty. As the manager, this is what is required of me…!”

Alon knew that such minor explanations were typically not the manager’s responsibility, but he nodded without pressing further.
“I see.”
“Yes, yes—”

Sergius bowed his head.

Watching him bend so low, Alon couldn’t help but wonder what had become of the corrupt cardinal of the Holy Kingdom.

A question formed in his mind as he observed Sergius’s extreme subservience.
“By the way, are you and Cardinal Yutia close?”

Alon asked, though he assumed they were not—just to be sure.

However,
“Of course, sir. Cardinal Sergius and I frequently discuss matters concerning Sironia,”
Yutia answered, not Sergius.
“Isn’t that right, Cardinal Sergius?”

Yutia inquired with a bright smile, as if seeking agreement, and Sergius, frozen in place, began nodding vigorously.
“Yes, yes, yes!! Absolutely!”
“Why are you nodding so forcefully? If you do that, it might seem as if I’m lying, and it could create a misunderstanding.”
“Hahaha! Do I seem awkward? I merely wished to express how well Cardinal Yutia and I get along. Perhaps I became a bit overexcited…!”

Sergius desperately tried to explain himself.
“Yes, yes, just act as you normally would. You know how, correct?”
“Yes, I understand…!”
“Just be at ease. Unwind.”
“Yes!”

Yutia, pleased with Sergius’s sharp, almost soldier-like reply, turned back to Alon with a smile.
“You see? I told you we are close.”

It was almost like watching a student claim to be “friends” with someone they bully, right in front of a teacher.
“I see…”

Alon could only offer a silent nod.

…He was once again reminded that Yutia was one of the five deadly sins.

####

Shortly after meeting Sergius and receiving a brief overview of the ceremony,

Alon, while speaking with Yutia, posed the question he hadn’t managed to ask the previous day.
“Abyssal Entities…?”
“Yes, are you familiar with them?”

He was seeking information about the Abyssal Entities that Evan had brought.

Having heard that most Abyssal Entities on the market found their way to the Holy Kingdom, Alon thought Yutia might possess some knowledge.
“Hm, I have heard of Abyssal Entities… but my knowledge of them is limited.”

Yutia seemed to ponder something deeply before finally answering.
“Do you know something about them?”
“Yes, it’s due to the effects of the objects.”
“Ah.”

Alon let out a soft sound of understanding.

Indeed, the holy kingdom would certainly take an interest in abyssal items.

This was because both Abyssal Entities and abyssal gems, however faintly, could grant a divine status to people.

To the Holy Kingdom of Rosario, abyssal items were practically heretical artifacts, so it was no surprise Yutia knew of them.
“Well, as you said, if someone within the Holy Kingdom is utilizing Abyssal Entities, it could become a serious problem, so I will look into it.”
“I would be grateful.”
“No, this is a matter the Holy Kingdom must absolutely address.”

Yutia, nodding, continued.
“Oh, and you should be able to enter the Chamber of the Holy Spirit tomorrow, sir.”
“…Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”

Alon was inwardly astonished by Yutia’s words.
‘…To be honest, I expected to wait more than two weeks to get inside.’

As far as he knew, it took a considerable amount of time for priests below the rank of bishop to gain entry to the Chamber of the Holy Spirit.

And for a good reason.

The Chamber of the Holy Spirit was designated a relic within the Holy Kingdom itself.

So, Alon had been prepared to wait quietly for about two weeks, making this sudden news all the more shocking.

Though his face betrayed no emotion.
“It’s not too much of an inconvenience, is it?”
“Not at all.”

Seeing Yutia smile as she spoke, Alon felt a vague sense of apprehension.

Recalling Sergius’s behavior from before, he asked again.
“Yutia.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Just out of curiosity, you didn’t employ any… questionable methods on my behalf, did you?”

Alon carefully phrased his question to avoid directly mentioning violence, and Yutia offered a faint smile.
“Of course not. Why would I go out of my way to do something like that?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I merely used a bit of ‘persuasion.’ There is nothing for you to be concerned about.”
“….”

Alon answered with a silent nod.

####

The following evening.

Following Yutia, Alon proceeded to the Chamber of the Holy Spirit, located in the deepest part of the Rosario Temple.

Inside the temple,
“Cardinal Yutia.”
“Hello, Yuman.”

They encountered a young man.

Though he wore holy vestments, he still possessed a youthful, not yet fully mature appearance.

However, despite his youth, none of the paladins or priests guarding the temple dared to underestimate him.

Standing before Yutia and Alon with a displeased expression was the man known as the Saint in the Holy Kingdom of Rosario, chosen directly by the goddess Sironia.

Yuman’s gaze shifted to Count Palatio.
“Allowing a non-believer to enter the Chamber of the Holy Spirit—this is going too far.”

His tone was openly hostile.

Yet, Yutia maintained her smile.
“As I understand it, the decision has already been made.”
“Hah, wasn’t it you, Cardinal Yutia, who pushed for this outcome?”
“I believe the Saint is well aware that it was conducted transparently, through a vote.”
“But the vote itself…”

Yuman, about to object further, closed his mouth.

On the surface, Yutia was correct. The proposal to grant Count Palatio access had been decided by a vote.

With a small sigh and a frown, Yuman spoke.
“Behaving in such a manner is improper, Cardinal Yutia.”
“Thank you for your concern.”

With that admonition, Yuman cast a cold glance at Count Palatio before walking past him.

‘…It seems he’s taken a dislike to me.’

Alon felt a slight unease about Yuman’s obvious hostility but dismissed it.

In truth, he wasn’t particularly intimidated by Yuman’s animosity.

Or rather, he felt no concern precisely because Yuman’s character was not a violent one.

Despite being a man of strict principles rooted in faith, Yuman’s nature was not malicious; had he been the protagonist, he would be the type players mocked for his excessively righteous, saintly demeanor.

Thus, without much worry, Alon was able to reach the Chamber of the Saint alongside Yutia.
“Good luck, sir.”

As he stepped further into the Chamber of the Holy Spirit, he murmured, “…Oh,” gazing around in awe.

The room was just as he remembered, completely covered in immaculate white marble.

But what truly captivated him was the statue of the goddess Sironia at the chamber’s far end.

The enormous statue, occupying more than half the space, was overwhelming in its grandeur.

‘Normally, that statue would emit a radiant light, enabling communication with the goddess.’

But that was something only the original protagonist, Eliban, the saints, or bishops with profound faith could achieve.

‘…Ah, now that I think of it, I believe even bishops and cardinals couldn’t make the statue shine.’

Alon recalled the setting that the stronger the statue’s light, the clearer the connection to the goddess, but that wasn’t something that concerned him personally.

Sigh.

Alon gathered a small amount of magical energy, forming a simple seal to obtain the item he sought.
“Perception.”

As he cast the spell, the moment the magic began to activate—

Woooooong~!!!

“Huh?”

A brilliant, white light started erupting from the goddess’s statue.

####

Yuman, one of only two saints in the Holy Kingdom of Rosario and a man widely adored by its people, did not like Count Palatio.

Or, to be more precise, he had recently come to dislike him.

It was because this man, who did not follow Sironia, had used his connections to gain access to the Chamber of the Holy Spirit.

And he had done so through Cardinal Yutia, who had been manipulating the kingdom by sweet-talking the other cardinals to her side.

However, despite knowing this, Yuman could do nothing, for the goddess Sironia herself had remained silent regarding Yutia.

‘Why does the goddess continue to allow her to exist?’

Yuman released a brief, frustrated sigh.

But it lasted only a moment. Yuman then moved to an adjacent room.

This was a small chamber next to the Chamber of the Holy Spirit.

A tiny confessional, large enough for only one person, permitted solely for saints, from which one could observe the Chamber of the Holy Spirit.

He looked inside to monitor Count Palatio, worried he might attempt to steal something from the relic-filled room.

“…What?”

He could only utter that in stunned silence as he watched Count Palatio standing in the chamber’s center.

And for good reason—the statue of the goddess Sironia was emitting a dazzling light.

A light even more magnificent than when he, a saint, listened to the words of the goddess.