Chapter 29 - Autumn Rain Is Blood (2)

No one spoke.

As we all stood silent, only voices that were not ours rang out.

[The Goddess of Protection laments the Heroes' foolishness.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain bursts into merry laughter.]

I couldn't be the only one hearing those voices. Everyone's face darkened.

Finally, the Paladin spoke, with difficulty—with tremendous difficulty.

"... Calm down."

Even after telling us to calm down, she fell silent for a while. How should she continue? Her expression suggested she was weighing that carefully.

"Don't panic. Yes, perhaps the Traitor has a skill that conceals lies. It sounds absurd, but someone here might even have a split personality. We all have a trump card, don't we? It's by no means imposs—"

"Or."

The Sword Star abruptly spoke up, regarding the Paladin with cold eyes.

"Or you may simply be the filthy Traitor yourself."

"..."

The audience chamber turned frigid.

Looks sharper than blades passed between them. Only moments ago, the Sword Star and the guild leaders had been exchanging blows. The heat and sweat of that clash had yet to cool, but they were already at odds again.

The Witch frowned.

"Are you suspecting us now?"

"Indeed."

The Sword Star readily admitted it.

"Even if the young Paladin is not the Traitor, there's every possibility she lied to us. You leaders of the so-called Five Great Guilds have always been close. A crow hides among other crows. Aren't you simply covering for one another?"

"Ha, you really are—"

"Of course!"

The Paladin shouted urgently. Both the Sword Star and the Witch stopped arguing and looked at her. Struggling to remain composed, she continued.

"Of course, logically speaking, that's possible. Yes. I could be the Traitor."

"..."

"But what's important is that we all stay coolheaded and calm. It's all right. We've overcome countless crises and hardships, haven't we! If we trust one another this time as well, we can get through—"

"Ahaha."

Laughter sounded.

"You're naive, Deputy Leader. No, innocent."

It was the Inquisitor.

"Trust. Hmm, trust. A beautiful word! But building mutual trust takes a great deal of time. It took us over ten whole years to become known as the Five Great Guilds and cooperate with one another. Put another way..."

He straightened his priest's hat, then briskly dusted off his clothes.

"I find it difficult to trust anyone outside the Five Great Guilds."

"..."

"But spending another ten years building trust with other hunters at this point would be terribly inefficient. Yes, a waste of time!"

"... Wait."

Now the Paladin's expression was as desperate as her voice. There was none of the ease she'd shown during the festival on the first floor, when she'd asked me whether women who had studied music weren't attractive.

"This isn't the time to pursue efficiency. Inquisitor. Please..."

"Divine Formula."

The Inquisitor quietly pressed his palms together.

"God of Flesh."

White light enveloped his hands.

"Viper, take care of the tenth-place hunter."

The light spread.

"I'll kill the eighth- and ninth-place hunters."

"Inquisitor! No!"

"Divine Formula, Divine Conveyance."

The Inquisitor and Viper vanished. In the blink of an eye, the Inquisitor was behind a hunter—the one who had cleared the previous stage in eighth place. The hunter instinctively turned around.

"... Huh?"

An extra who had remained quiet until now, overshadowed by the major guild leaders' presence. No, it was unfair to dismiss him as an extra. He was here because he'd distinguished himself in the last stage, after all. Compared to my former self, he was a hunter with a much brighter future.

But that future would never come.

"I'm sorry!"

The Inquisitor smiled brightly. He held no weapon in his bare hands. But pure white aura coated his long fingers.

SHRAAASH!

"Uh, ah...?"

Blood sprayed into the air.

The hunter's body listed to one side.

He had no power from belonging to a major guild, no strength that let him stand proudly alone like the Sword Star, and no alliance with the other guild leaders like mine. He was merely a hunter who had cleared the eleventh-floor stage with a somewhat high score. And that was how he died.

Just like that.

[One Hero has died.]

[He is not the Demon King's minion.]

A voice rang inside my head.

[The Goddess of Protection grieves.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain gives a low, mocking laugh.]

The murder had taken place in the blink of an eye.

"E-eek!"

The hunter who had cleared the previous stage in tenth place screamed. Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn't have to scream for long.

SHING!

Viper, teleported by the Inquisitor, swung his sword. One strike. It severed the hunter's neck in a single blow, and his head hit the floor with a heavy thud.

[One Hero has died.]

[He is not the Demon King's minion.]

Blood flowed across the marble.

[The Goddess of Protection closes her mouth.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain roars with laughter.]

SHIIING!

Somewhere, a sword was drawn. It was the Sword Star.

"You bastards have finally shown your true colors!"

The old man's face was contorted with rage.

"Disgusting brats! You haven't changed one bit! Stop this at once. If you don't, I will personally—"

"Divine Formula, Divine Conveyance."

The Inquisitor vanished in a flash of light.

The hunter who had cleared the previous stage in ninth place had fled the moment he saw the eighth- and tenth-place hunters die. The fact that he'd run without screaming showed his prudence. But just as he was about to escape through the main doors, the Inquisitor teleported right in front of him.

"Ah."

The hunter reached out.

"W-wait a moment..."

"Yes!"

The Inquisitor beamed.

"I'm sorry!"

The hunter's head burst.

He toppled forward with his hand still outstretched, just as it had been when he'd said to wait.

THUD.

His headless torso crumpled lightly to the floor. Blood and pieces of flesh from his exploded head scattered everywhere.

[One Hero has died.]

[He is not the Demon King's minion.]

The voice spoke quietly.

[The Goddess of Protection remains silent.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain is clapping.]

"Hmm."

The Inquisitor took a handkerchief from inside his clothes.

The dead man's blood stained his face scarlet. He wiped it away with gentle movements. After two or three passes over his face, the handkerchief was drenched in blood.

"It wasn't any of those three!"

Silence surrounded him.

"This complicates matters. I was certain one of them was the Traitor! Ahaha. If it wasn't those three, the culprit really is among us. The trust the Five Great Guilds have built over nearly ten years is about to crumble in an instant!"

The Inquisitor discarded the red handkerchief on the floor.

It landed in a pool of blood and floated like a paper boat.

"I told you to wait..."

The Paladin's shoulders were trembling.

"I asked you to wait. I clearly said it... Didn't I beg you? I begged you to stay calm, and yet, Inquisitor, you've gone and done it again, just like before...!"

"What a strange thing to say, Deputy Leader! I am calm."

The Inquisitor smiled.

As though he wasn't finished, he took out another handkerchief with his right hand.

"I calmly considered the matter and concluded those three were the most likely culprits. My judgment proved wrong, of course! But let's find value in having eliminated the most suspicious people first. Ah, it would be a serious problem if the press were watching, but fortunately, no one is recording a video—"

It happened then.

The handkerchief flew into the air.

Still pure white, having yet to wipe away any blood, it fluttered down. Before it reached the floor, something a little heavier fell first.

A right arm.

The Inquisitor's arm.

"Ah."

Perhaps he was lucky to lose only an arm.

If Viper hadn't intercepted the Sword Star's strike, it would have been his head on the floor instead.

"Fuck...!"

Swearing, Viper exchanged blows with the Sword Star.

"Hey, religious nut! If you're going to kill someone, give me a signal first!"

"Ahh."

The Inquisitor looked down with a slight frown. A moment later, the handkerchief settled over his severed right arm. The white cloth soaked up blood and quickly turned red.

"This has gone beyond troublesome to serious. Aha. Without both hands, I can't form the seals for Divine Formulas. I'm sorry, everyone! I can no longer contribute to our fighting strength on my own!"

"Is that...really...the problem right now...!"

Even from a distance, I could tell Viper was struggling. The Sword Star attacked not only with his blade, but also with aura from every direction. Viper barely managed to block the blows pouring down like a shower.

"Someone fucking help me! I'm going to die! I'm seriously going to fucking die!"

"Kim Gongja!"

The Paladin shouted.

"I'll entrust you with full authority! You may even hold the power of life and death over me!"

Her voice was almost a scream.

"You're the only one who took no reward! Any of us might have even a one percent chance of being the culprit, but you're the exception! There's a one hundred percent certainty you aren't the Traitor!"

"..."

"So please, I beg you! Stop the Sword Star!"

The clashing of blades resounded through the audience chamber. Before I knew it, the Witch and the Count had joined the fight against the Sword Star. Only the Paladin stood looking at me, her shoulders sagging helplessly.

For a moment, I watched the fight unfolding before me.

'Mr. Sword Emperor.'

- Hm? What?

'... Am I somehow fated to be loved by psychopaths?'

I'd thought things would probably turn into a mess.

These hunters had already seemed to be on bad terms. I'd expected them to draw their swords on one another without hesitation if a Traitor emerged. That was why I'd forfeited the reward altogether.

But...

'I never thought it would be this much of a shitshow...'

I sighed.

"Ah, that's good. Not a bad idea!"

The Inquisitor inserted himself between the Paladin and me. He had taken out a potion and was stopping the bleeding from his arm by himself. Astonishingly, he showed no sign of pain or suffering whatsoever.

"In a situation like this, majority rule would only get in the way. Let's suspend the Five Great Guilds system for the time being. It's inefficient! Better to concentrate power in the hands of someone who absolutely cannot be the Traitor."

"You mean..."

"Yes!"

Holding his own severed arm, the Inquisitor smiled brightly.

"I, too, will delegate all decisions to Hunter Kim Gongja!"

"..."

"Hmm. I was certain one of those three was the culprit, so this is rather shameless of me. But we can't change the past! Until we catch the Traitor, I won't trust my own judgment. Hunter Kim Gongja. I'll do as you say!"

The attendant spirit muttered.

- Yeah. You're right. Looks like you're fated to be loved by psychopaths. Lunatics like this aren't common. I only saw about one when I climbed the Tower.

What a truly awful fate.

'I've suddenly been given full authority by the Vigilantes' deputy guild leader and the Pantheon's guild leader...'

- You've come up in the world. Congratulations. Didn't you forfeit the reward knowing this would happen? I thought you did, and I was secretly pretty impressed.

'I knew there'd be a shitshow, but how could I have known it'd be this bad? What about those three poor people who died for nothing? I'll have to regress once later anyway...'

I glanced back at the Paladin.

She stood still with a hand over her face.

"Excuse me. There's something I'd like to ask."

"... Yes."

Did she already know what I was going to ask? A sigh escaped between her fingers.

"He's always been like that."

She meant the Inquisitor, of course.

"When we first entered the Tower, there was tremendous chaos. Religious issues were especially severe. People of different religions—and even people of the same religion but different denominations—split into factions and kept fighting. Then the Inquisitor appeared..."

"And?"

"... He killed them all."

The Paladin sighed again.

"Anyone who started a fight over religion, he simply killed, regardless of nationality or background. He assassinated them as though it were the obvious thing to do. He's never known any other way..."

"Wow."

I'd simply assumed the religious groups that had repeatedly clashed had painstakingly joined forces to establish the Pantheon guild. That was what the media had reported. But behind the scenes, there had been a thorough massacre...?

"Someone! Please! Save! Me!"

Viper screamed in the distance.

His voice seemed to rise an octave every minute.

"I'm gonna die! Fuck! I'm seriously gonna fucking die! The Heavenly Martial Sect's leader is gonna die today, you bastards!"

"Ahaha."

The Inquisitor adjusted his hat with his remaining arm.

"I'm aware my mistaken judgment has stirred up needless trouble. I have no excuse, but Hunter Kim Gongja! Would you stop the Sword Star in exchange for taking full authority from me?"

"Hah. You... No, never mind."

I shook my head.

"Let's discuss what kind of person you are later. At length. Right now, Viper really does look like he's going to die, so let's deal with this first."

"Yes! Please do!"

Leaving the Paladin and the Inquisitor behind, I walked forward.

'Well, getting control of the Vigilantes and the Pantheon, even temporarily, is a gain. They're both major guilds...'

That was how I convinced myself.

The fight was raging on one side of the audience chamber. It was fierce and dazzling. Honestly, at my current level, I could barely even follow it with my eyes. Jumping into a fight like that would be suicide.

But I knew the magic words that would stop the Sword Star.

"Sword Star!"

There was no response.

"Sword Star! Didn't you bow your head to me today? Since you already did, please hear me out! Stop fighting, and let's talk first!"

Still no response.

Ah, no choice, then.

I took a deep breath. Amplifying my voice with aura, I shouted.

"I'll ask your granddaughter out!"

He faltered.

"If your granddaughter enters the Tower, yes, sure, I'll go on a date with her. Who knows whether we'll end up together, but she's your family, so I'm sure she's charming. So as someone who might become your grandson-in-law, I'm asking you to stop fighting!"

The Sword Star turned toward me without a word.

A quiet silence lingered for a while.

"... I have by no means forgiven these scoundrels."

"Yes."

"I'm certainly not stopping this fight because of what you said, young man. But as we crossed blades, it occurred to me that I could kill them whenever I pleased. In that case, I could find the Traitor first and then kill the whole lot of them. Couldn't I?"

Why are you asking me?

Instead of saying that, I obediently nodded.

"Ah, you're absolutely right. If you're going to kill them, do it a little later."

"Hmm."

The Sword Star slowly lowered his sword.

Across from him, Viper was gasping for breath.

"Huh...? What? Am I...alive? Is it over...?"

Nothing was over.

We'd merely patched up the immediate fight.

"Everyone, please, let's calm down first."

I spoke as I looked at the hunters.

"I don't know who the Traitor is. We might not even be able to find them. But that's secondary. We can get through this crisis without finding the Traitor."

"... How?"

The Paladin spoke.

"The very fact that the Traitor chose the Demon King's Reward means they're already after our lives. We don't know when we'll be stabbed in the back."

"Look at this."

I pointed to the marble floor.

Three corpses lay scattered there, amid blood and pieces of flesh. But most importantly, there were the words the Inquisitor had carved.

+

[Goddess of Protection]

Description: The goddess who protects the Aegim Empire has been moved by your devotion! The goddess has decided to entrust you with an important imperial office.

You may become the empire's chancellor, supreme commander, or Commander of the Aegim Empire's Knights. When you select an office, you will also inherit its abilities and renown!

Hero of the goddess! Join forces with your fellow Heroes.

And destroy the Demon King's core on the twentieth floor!

+

"It says the Demon King's core is on the twentieth floor."

I looked at each hunter's face in turn.

"Don't focus on how to find and kill the Traitor. It's a trap. Don't fall for it. The Traitor might be terrified right now, trembling inside. Maybe the system forced someone to become the Traitor. Who knows?"

"..."

"Let's all go fuck up the Demon King first."

Everyone fell quiet.

"Get rid of the Demon King, and the Demon King's Reward disappears too. It's simple. No matter what fucked-up trials the Tower gives us, no matter how hard it tries to make us fight among ourselves, the solution will always be simple."

Voices sounded inside my head.

[The Goddess of Protection's eyes shine.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain clicks his tongue.]

I spoke firmly.

"Let's climb the Tower."

This was my answer.

"And smash the Demon King's core on the twentieth floor."

An answer not only to the hunters, but to the Tower itself.

And a voice answered me in turn.

[A quest for the twelfth floor is issued.]