The Saintess, Questioned by the Terrorist

"Answer me, Saintess Alka! Why was there a dungeon beneath this town?"

I demanded, raising my voice not just for her but for those around to hear.

Still, despite my aggressive stance, no one tried to apprehend me… Goodness, they're all failing their duties by even entertaining the words of a terrorist.

"The Dungeon, it… it was necessary!"

She stammered.

"Since when does a Dungeon have a moral standing? When did the Holy Kingdom become a vassal state of the Ravelio Empire?"

"That's not it! That Dungeon was artificially created by human hands under the guidance of the Pope! It's a man-made Dungeon!"

"A man-made Dungeon?"

"It's a product of alchemy, human creation. Thus, even if the Light God sees it, there's no issue."

"Oh? Have you verified this with the Light God?"

"Of course! The Pope can communicate directly with the Light God."

That's suspicious. Is she trying to deceive me? While I doubted it, I too could converse with the Dark God—Father, so it wasn't impossible. There could be some intermediaries, like angels.

"Really? Even heroes can't freely converse with the Light God."

"The Pope is special."

"Where's the evidence that the Pope actually spoke with the Light God? Is he justifying the existence of a Dungeon, natural or man-made, because the Light God said it was okay?"

"… You speak as if you know the Light God personally."

Well, I am a hero. I'd technically met the god, though he was radiating so brightly I couldn't see his face.

Maybe I should leverage my status as a hero? To the Church of Holy Light, a hero was a significant figure. At least I think so.

"Yes, the Light God personally tasked me with destroying Dungeons. Not once did he mention sparing man-made Dungeons."

"What… did you say?"

Well, I was only requested to do so, I didn't necessarily accept the task. But, I had destroyed a Dungeon Core without a proper number, so I did the minimum job, right? The bare minimum at least. I even acquired the Hero Skill [Super Transformation].

"… Hero—are you a hero?"

"Answer about the Pope first before asking about me."

The Saintess scrutinized me. Her hair color and facial features were typical of this world.

"You said the Pope commissioned the Dungeon's creation—is he even human? Or is he some non-human in disguise?"

"… Ah, well, it's true… The Pope… he has many suspicious traits…"

Eh, he's actually suspicious?

"The Pope… at least as far back as we can trace, the same individual has held the position for five generations."

"Five generations? That settles it."

I wasn't sure about the structure of the papacy here. If one generation was about four years, then it's plausible. But I'll nod confidently for now. Based on her vague phrasing, it sounds like once someone takes up the position, they serve for many years, probably over a decade.

Suddenly, a thought struck me. The dark Dungeon Core—a product of alchemy. This indicated a high likelihood that the Chaos God, Leona, was involved.

"Does the Pope—or perhaps one of his close associates or maids—have black hair and red eyes?"

"The Pope is an elderly man, so no… A woman with black hair and red eyes would surely be a topic of discussion if she were around."

I thought maybe Leona was involved, but if she was, she wouldn't let herself be caught so easily… Wait a moment.

"Why would she be a topic of discussion? Is she wanted or something?"

"No, it's because she would share the colors of the first Saintess."

"… The first Saintess?"

"Yes. The first Saintess had hair as black as the night and eyes as red as fresh blood. It's said she commanded a phoenix."

Setting aside the phoenix, black hair is rare in this world. Combining it with red eyes makes it even rarer. The first Saintess would be a figure from a long time ago… but Leona is immortal.

A slime that can transform into a wolf might also be able to turn into a phoenix…

"… Anyway. If there's no black-haired, red-eyed wicked deity, then the Pope seems to be the true evil lurking within the Church of Holy Light. He needs to be deposed and judged."

"Evil… you say?"

"Yes. Didn't he say he wanted to crush the Dungeons? Yet he's constructing one? Don't be foolish; whether man-made or not, a Dungeon is a Dungeon! Am I wrong? Weren't you all taught to destroy all Dungeons?"

I composed myself and began to address the crowd.

I wanted to instill suspicion towards the Pope. I spread my arms, shouting not just at the Saintess but to everyone around.

"Saintess! You said the Pope ordered the creation of the Dungeon. What reasons did he give? Did he say that a country without Dungeons would be economically inferior to those with them? That for the sake of infinite resources, some evils should be overlooked?!"

"Th-That is… The Dungeon should be managed by our hands, so—"

"Oh! So the Pope realizes the usefulness of Dungeons! Such betrayal from someone of his position!!"

I cut off the Saintess' answer and make my point.

No matter what she tried to answer, the fact that there's a Dungeon would remain. She admitted to it, so anything she said would just reinforce that the Pope found Dungeons useful. For the Holy Kingdom, this was an act of betrayal—not destroying a Dungeon that could be destroyed.

"I'll let God know that the Church of Holy Light has fallen into corruption!"

I chuckled sarcastically and declared this.

Well, when I mentioned God, I was specifically talking about the White Goddess, Haku.

Anyway, the number of onlookers had increased.

I'd bought quite a bit of time, and given that the Pope seemed to be suspicious… I should stir up some more trouble.

"Saintess! The Pope is the embodiment of evil protecting the Dungeon. Are you still going to defend him!?"

"Th-That is… that is… Wh-Who exactly are you!?"

"That's irrelevant! I'm asking you: between the teachings of the Light God and the Pope, which do you intend to uphold?"

"…The teachings of the Light God!"

I forced her into an extreme either-or choice. Naturally, she'd have to choose the Light God. And, having chosen that, she'd have to reject the other option.

"So, what must you do next?"

"Oust the Pope… from his position…?"

"That's lukewarm!"

I stamped my foot down, creating a small explosion without chanting for dramatic effect, making the air tremble.

The unexpected loud noise made the Saintess flinch.

"Bring down the Pope! That is the true path in line with the teachings of the Light God!"

"Y-Yes!"

"Say it out loud! Bring down the Pope!"

"… B-Bring… down the… P-Pope…"

"Your voice is too soft! Bring down the Pope!"

"Bring… down… the Pope!"

"Bring down the Pope!"

"Bring down the Pope… Bring down the Pope!"

Repeating [Bring down the Pope] ensured it was imprinted in her mind.

The more she said it, the better.

"Bring down the Pope! Bring down the Pope!"

"Bring down the Pope! Bring down the Pope!"

This was a simple form of brainwashing, a tactic commonly used in manipulative companies.

The Saintess, forgetting to doubt the words of a terrorist like me, chanted [Bring down the Pope] in public.

Well, what happened next wasn't my problem.

… This should buy enough time, right?

"Don't forget your mission, Saintess. Bring down the Pope!"

"Yes! Bring down the Pope!"

Wow, she's taken to it like a fish to water.

Do other worlds lack resistance to such tactics? To be swayed so easily… Well, her fierce commitment wasn't surprising, given her religious position.

With that, I confidently turned my back to the Saintess and walked away, making my escape.