Chapter 44
Light novel: Episode 44
Manhwa: Chapter 19
【A follower of another god currently approaching the user is harboring murderous intent. Caution is advised.】
…You’ve got to be kidding me.
So you’re telling me someone infiltrated the grand temple just to kill me?
If it were someone who lived in the temple and held a grudge against me, that I could understand.
There’s no shortage of people who’ve been wronged by Ordell, after all.
But a follower of another god? Why?
Ordell was a fake saintess who didn’t even do her job properly. It’s not like she had any reason to meet people from other temples in the first place.
“……”
I shuddered with indignation, but for now, I shut my eyes again. Then, pretending to shift in my sleep, I turned onto my side.
Because Ordell had such a vile personality, no one else stayed anywhere near her quarters.
And with Victoria gone as well, there was no one I could call for help.
I would have to deal with this situation on my own.
【Warning! A follower of another god is rapidly approaching the user.】
The good news was that I wasn’t completely alone.
I stared silently at the AI system that continued flashing warning messages before my eyes.
Beeep, beep, beep!
The alerts ringing in my head grew faster and faster.
As if someone were steadily drawing closer.
And then—
Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep!
The moment the alarm screamed like mad—
【Activating skill: ‘Body Enhancement’.】
I pulled my hand out from under the pillow and swung it straight through the air.
Thwack!
A sharp, satisfying impact vibrated through my fingertips.
“Guh—! Khak!”
With a pained grunt, something heavy collapsed to the floor with a loud crash.
As I sat up slightly, I saw a figure, completely wrapped in pitch-black cloth from head to toe, trembling violently under the bed.
Judging by the blood dripping from where they were clutching their head, it looked like my hit had landed properly. Thankfully.
“Damn, this thing’s actually perfect as a weapon.”
I looked with satisfaction at the object I had just swung.
I had hidden this under my pillow, thinking that it might come in handy as a weapon someday. It was the jewelry box.
Specifically, it was the divine relic named ‘A Box Made Out of Boredom’ which had been used to store the Relic of Light.
“So this is why they say divine relics are better than sacred relics. It’s solid as hell.”
I glanced at the dagger that had fallen next to the guy writhing in pain.
Anyone who barges in at night with a blade and murderous intent, there’s no doubt they’re an assassin.
Good thing the divine relic was sturdy. If it hadn’t been, I would’ve been the one with a cracked skull. That thought made rage well up from deep in my gut.
“Who are you?”
I nudged the fallen intruder with my foot.
The physical blow from the divine relic must have been quite strong, as the bastard was still unconscious.
Serves them right. What did you think was going to happen, sneaking up on an innocent person?
“I have to tie him up first so he can’t escape…”
I instinctively reached for my waist but only felt the smooth fabric of my clothes.
Right. I’m not a detective anymore. No way I’d have handcuffs.
Then a rope… Of course, I don’t have that either.
Guess I’ve got no choice. I started stripping the assassin’s upper garment.
“Ah, wait—!”
“Stay still.”
As they suddenly began to stir, seemingly regaining consciousness, I smacked them again with the jewelry box. They instantly quieted down.
Good. Obedient.
“Don’t worry, I’m not some pervert. I can’t rip my own clothes or bedding, so this is all I can do.”
I already have enough things draining my wallet so why would I tear my own stuff?
If I tore the intruder’s clothes instead, I could tie them up without spending a cent.
I took off the intruder’s top, ripped it into long strips, and tied his arms. Then I tore his pants up to the thighs and tied his legs.
I wondered how brutal and horrific the training this assassin had undergone. He looked rather lean at first glance, but when I took off his clothes, his whole body was covered with muscles like lethal weapons.
Someone like this is genuinely dangerous. If not for the system’s warning, I probably would’ve been killed in my second life.
I pointed the jewel box at his head with a cold stare.
“You. Which god sent you?”
Excluding the Sun God, there were two gods left among the Three Gods.
Honestly, the answer was so obvious that it was a waste of time to even think about it.
“The Great Sea God?”
I haven’t had any contact with the other gods.
But the Great Sea God was different. Didn’t I do something recently that might’ve ticked them off?
“So they really couldn’t stand the fact that we launched a potion business, huh.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
There was no law saying that only they should have monopoly over the potion business, and it was originally the Sun God’s temple main line of business anyway. And just because we restarted it, they sent an assassin after me?
I expected that we would clash someday, but I never thought they would try to assassinate me right away.
“What orders did you receive?”
I grabbed the man’s chin, who kept swaying as if his head was spinning, and lifted it up.
Through his mask, I could see his unfocused, dazed eyes.
Did I hit him too hard? I need to find proof that those Great Sea God bastards sent this assassin after me, but if he loses consciousness like this, I’m screwed.
No choice, then.
【Activating skill: ‘Blessing.’ Healing injuries.】
I’ve never used the healing power of Blessing before. Who would’ve thought I’d use it for the first time on the assassin sent to kill me.
“You should be grateful to me. You lucky—keugh!”
Drip, drop.
The moment I coughed, I stopped speaking and looked down.
This sticky feeling, the metallic stench.
All too familiar. It was blood.
What the hell? Why am I coughing up blood?
“Guh… kehek! Kuhk!”
It wasn’t just my body that was reacting abnormally. The assassin let out a strangled cry and writhed.
“Ugh! Kueuk!”
But I had no time to check on him. Another fit of bloody coughs erupted from me.
What the hell is going on with me?!
【Healing effect of ‘Sun Crawling Out of Death’ is clashing with the Curse of the ‘Raging Sea’!】
【Physical strain on the user is intensifying!】
“…A curse?”
‘Raging Sea’ is clearly a title of the Great Sea God, so why is it called a curse?
This guy, isn’t he an assassin sent by the grand temple of the Great Sea God? Then he should be a follower? So why does he have a curse on him?
“No, wait. Hold on.”
The curse of the Great Sea God?
Come to think of it, there was something like that in the original story.
「Idella was horrified.
Jeremy Carls was covered in the curse of the Great Sea God like armor.
Because of that, no attack could pierce him, and no brainwashing worked on him.
Because he had already been brainwashed by a god.
So that he could never betray the deity.
Ah, that’s it. Idella finally understood.
He wasn’t just an ordinary assassin. Even the title of Captain of the Holy Order candidate was nothing more than a label others forced onto him.
Jeremy Carls was a slave, branded with a mark of a god.」
Yes, that’s right. There was a scene like that.
Jeremy Carls.
One of the four male lead candidates in the novel 〈Sacred Idella〉, and a Captain of the Holy Order candidate from the Great Sea God’s grand temple.
And the assassin who, following the will of the grand temple of the Great Sea God, tried multiple times to kill Idella in the story.
That scene was when Idella, having barely captured Jeremy Carls, came to know his truth.
I immediately pulled off the assassin’s mask.
The first thing I saw was his curly hair, drenched in blood and sweat.
In the dark night, it had looked nearly black, but up close, it was purple.
And his unfocused eyes, which I hadn’t been able to see clearly a moment ago, were a rare shade of pink.
Purple hair, pink eyes, and a cold, expressionless face that still clearly betrayed his youth.
It was exactly how Jeremy Carls, the youngest of the four male leads, had been described.
“Ha… for god’s sake.”
I roughly brushed my messy hair out of my face.
A situation where I met one of the male leads completely out of the blue.
What am I supposed to do with this?
‘I can’t just leave him here to die.’
Jeremy was still in pain since even now my healing power and his curse seemed to still be clashing.
The terrifying part was that, despite his body writhing in agony, his face remained completely blank.
His body clearly felt pain given how he was letting out a suppressed groans yet his face didn’t show even a flicker of emotion.
To think that the god’s curse I had only read about in the novel would be this horrifying in reality.
Great Sea God, you bastard. How could you put a curse like this on someone’s body?
Knock, knock.
“Saintess?”
At the sound of the voice, I quickly lifted my head.
It was the Captain of the Holy Order, Seth.
“My apologies. I was passing by and thought I heard a commotion coming from your room—”
Seth couldn’t finish his sentence.
“Kkgh, kkeuuugh!”
Because Jeremy suddenly let out a scream.
“I’m coming in!”
Without waiting for my response, Seth flung the door open and entered the room.
“Saint… ess?”
He stood frozen, a dazed expression on his face.
Well, I mean… this scene was a complete mess.
A handsome, youthful man, nearly half-naked, was writhing on the floor while I was straddling him from above…
Wait a second—this looks exactly like I dragged a man into my bedroom!
“Captain, please don’t misunderstand! This guy is—!”
I almost said that he was an assassin sent by the Great Sea God, but I hastily shut my mouth.
If I said that, wouldn’t Seth lose it and stab him on the spot?
That’s absolutely not an option.
Jeremy is a male lead candidate and he plays a critical role later, so I have to keep him alive!
…The problem is, I can’t explain any of that right now.
I’m going crazy. What should I do?
Cold sweat ran down my back.
SoundlessWind21’s Notes:
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