R4STWH - Chapter 78
Chapter 78
I gazed at him, more handsome and magnificent than ever, and nodded, mesmerized.
“Of course.”
Elias was the most precious reward, the greatest joy and happiness, granted to me for successfully completing the final quest of my ruined world.
Just like a bound item eternally linked to its owner, I had vowed to spend the rest of my life with him, so his words were undeniably true.
No one in this world could separate me from Elias against my will.
“So, are you going to hold a banquet now?” the Saintess asked sullenly.
It was more of a sarcastic remark than a question, and it made me see her in a new light.
‘She’s truly fearless…’
She seemed to think that neither Elias nor I would be angry with her on such a joyous occasion.
‘Well, she’s not wrong.’
Elias, who would normally frown at such remarks, looked perfectly serene.
“This isn't the time for such festivities,” he said, his tone, however, still somewhat curt, as was his nature. “I understand you want to celebrate, but please bear with us for a little while longer.”
The Saintess’s jaw dropped. She seemed to think it was hypocritical of him to say that after insisting on holding a wedding ceremony in the midst of a crisis.
“Instead, I’d like to discuss a few things over lunch. There are some matters I'd like to request your assistance with.”
As if finally coming to her senses, the Saintess glanced at me and nodded.
“Yes, I also have some questions, so this works out perfectly.”
“Then please, go ahead, Saintess,” Melder said, his usual smile plastered on his face, as he saw her off.
“Yes. We’ll discuss that matter further when I return.”
“Very well.”
‘It seems they have some issue that requires the Saintess’s input.’
I had wondered why a cardinal was at the Tenaclad temple; it seemed he had come to see the Saintess.
Gerent took his own carriage back to the main house, while Elias, I, the Saintess, and Crow boarded the same carriage.
It was a familiar scene, reminiscent of a certain day not long ago.
Back then, Elias and I had sat together, with the Saintess and Crow opposite us.
And Elias had whispered in my ear, his breath tickling me…
‘That was the day I completely claimed him.’
Although our previous encounters had been incredibly pleasurable, they couldn’t compare to what we shared after I fully accepted him.
Now, even without his touch or his whispered words, just thinking about our time together was enough to arouse me.
Heeding Elias’s warning not to reveal my current state, I sat there with a calm expression.
“Saintess,” Elias suddenly said.
“May I ask you a potentially uncomfortable question? I believe we should address this before heading to lunch.”
“Go ahead. I'll decide whether I can answer after hearing your question.”
He looked directly at the Saintess and asked, “Is your communication with God still unimpeded? Have you experienced any issues?”
“……”
I saw it, just for a moment.
The Saintess’s hands, folded neatly in her lap, trembled slightly.
“Do you think it's appropriate to ask such a question?”
“It’s an important matter. If the answer to this question differs from what we expect, there are several factors we need to consider.”
The Saintess pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze.
‘Come to think of it, she doesn’t look well. She seems to have lost weight.’
I hadn't noticed earlier because of the veil, but it seemed she’d been under a lot of stress during her stay at Tenaclad.
“When the dungeons appeared…” the Saintess finally spoke, as if she couldn’t remain silent any longer. “That’s when… I started experiencing some difficulties communicating with God.”
“As I suspected.”
He had expected as much.
In my world, the decline of religion had also coincided with the start of the quests.
“Don’t worry too much. This period won’t last long,” Elias reassured her.
The Saintess looked up sharply. “How can you be so sure?”
“Well…” Elias grinned. “Because of what we’re going to do.”
“‘We’…?”
“Yes, ‘we.’ We’d like the Saintess and the Templar Commander to cooperate with us.” He looked at both of them.
“From now on, we will train an elite force to close dungeons.”
Last night, Elias and I discussed how to shorten the period of this world being tested with quests and dungeons.
We reviewed the mistakes my world had made and looked for ways to improve.
We decided to proceed in two directions.
First, using the Amern Religious Order and the Saintess’s influence, we would spread the information I had about dungeons throughout the continent.
In my world, several greedy nations and organizations had tried to control and monopolize information for their own gain, resulting in the destruction of half the world.
Learning from that mistake, we needed to disseminate the information as quickly as possible, even if it meant using the name of God.
“You want me to lie?” The Saintess looked troubled when we brought it up after lunch, with Gerent and the others present.
“Spread information in the name of God? That’s…”
This time, I spoke instead of Elias. “The information itself isn’t false. I can guarantee that. I’m guessing the god the Amern Religious Order serves would want to protect the people of this world, even if it means using me?”
“Of course… I’m sure that’s the case, but…”
The Saintess bit her lip and glanced at Crow.
‘Ah, he’s the inflexible one.’
“If the religious order refuses to cooperate, our only option is to announce it in the name of Tenaclad. How many people do you think would believe us and act accordingly?” I asked, glancing meaningfully at Crow.
“Grandfather, what do you think?”
I turned to Gerent, and a shadow of worry crossed his haggard face.
“Well, if the head of another Great Family had done the same, I would have scoffed and dismissed it as a ploy to undermine them.”
Elias nodded. “I agree. Whether it’s a family or a nation, the essence is to take from others and enrich yourself.”
After hearing their opinions, I looked directly at the Saintess and said, “The damage caused by an unchecked dungeon is unpredictable. Unless you track down and eliminate every single monster that escapes, you can’t know when or where a massacre might occur. And the weak and vulnerable will be the first to die.”
“There have always been monsters on this continent. There were casualties, but we managed to defend ourselves well enough,” Crow said.
“No, these are different,” Elias said firmly. “I was completely helpless in that dungeon yesterday. I would have died if Ilesha hadn't arrived in time.”
“You, Your Excellency…?”
“The sword bestowed upon me by the Imperial family snapped in half. Honestly… I was at a loss.”
Crow’s eyes widened in shock.
“Even ten knights of my skill level couldn't guarantee victory against that monster. In fact, the First Princess’s knights were all killed before they even reached the boss room.”
“That’s impossible…”
“If you’re unsure, take some time to consider it. You won’t need proof once dungeons start erupting everywhere.”
The Saintess’s face paled at Elias’s words.
“I-I’ll do it!”
“Saintess…?”
“I’ll take full responsibility, Sir Crow. If I can see him again, God will surely forgive a small lie like this!”
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