I Became the Main Character’s Demon Sword

33

One side was uninterested in the other, but the other was an exception. Gilbert, who had been crying and saying he would tell everything, noticed Arpel among the people looking at him and collapsed to the floor with a shrill scream. The faint smell of urine became more pungent.

“Ugh.”

A priest standing beside Dionel frowned and covered his nose.

Looking down at the thoroughly broken figure, Dionel could only marvel at Arpel’s ability. Every time he saw Arpel, Gilbert would scream and try to flee to the opposite side, and even though his hands were injured, he would scratch the walls and wail. It seemed certain he would never return to his former self.

“Now, let’s talk again. Elder Gilbert, you were a nobleman with the title of Count. After this incident, we investigated what kind of person you were as a Count.”

White papers were scattered under the iron bars.

“Gambling, extravagance, and tax collection no different from extortion… You’ve lived like this and yet managed to give up all power and enter the temple. It’s largely our fault for not thoroughly investigating beforehand. Thanks to you, the screening process to filter out people like you will be strengthened in the future.”

It’s time for the temple to change too.

The following words were bitter. For a long time, the temple had followed the past. Even Dionel had maintained the traditions passed down by the previous High Priest without thinking of changing them. In a way, this was the greatest evidence of turning a blind eye to reality.

Finally, as it seemed impossible for the conversation to progress, Arpel temporarily stepped aside. He was merely standing against the wall out of sight, but Gilbert’s screams stopped, perhaps feeling relieved that he was no longer visible.

While stroking Rohan’s cheek, whose expression was not good, Arpel listened.

“The, the Emperor’s.”

“…Pardon?”

“I received a request from the Emperor…”

The trembling voice finally revealed the truth. At that moment, an endless silence spread through the cold prison.

And it was the same for Arpel.

‘…The Emperor?’

The novel didn’t mention details about who ordered the spy. However, there was no doubt that the person was assumed to be part of the Salvation Church.

So there was no reason for the Empire’s Emperor to be mentioned. It was only briefly depicted when Rohan and the Saint danced hand in hand at a banquet held in the imperial palace.

Suddenly, endless doubts swirled. If the Emperor was really involved in all of this, he wouldn’t look kindly upon Rohan or the Saint. As far as Arpel remembered, the end of the novel was… the scene where the two people who brought down the Salvation Church finally realized they loved each other.

Then did the two have a happy ending?

He couldn’t dare to say for sure.

“I, I was caught embezzling taxes…”

“Ha. You’ve done it all, haven’t you?”

Dionel let out a sigh-like exclamation. Even though the shock from the answer he had just obtained hadn’t faded, he was dumbfounded.

While the Emperor’s power wasn’t absolute, it was certainly very high. Diverting taxes meant for the Empire was an offense punishable by stripping of noble titles, if not immediate execution. Even high-ranking nobles couldn’t escape having their titles revoked, so to engage in something that might cost one’s life…

Gilbert, who had been trembling even at the sound of sighing, muttered in a voice that seemed about to expire.

“Re… relative. Ugh. Distant relative.”

Dionel, who had been quietly listening to the following story, swallowed and added.

“So in the end, you were a distant relative of the Emperor, and although you embezzled taxes, you were exempted due to your relation and the sudden manifestation of magical power. After that, you entered the temple and acted as his agent?”

“Y-Yes…”

“The diversion of the demon sword, handing it over to the Salvation Church, leaking information about Rohan, and the incident in the village – was your influence behind all of this, Elder Gilbert?”

At the small but clear nod, Dionel finally squeezed his eyes shut. Without his knowledge, the temple had been crumbling and was helplessly swayed by outsiders.

And the Empire was rotting even more than this temple.

Gilbert, who had infiltrated the temple on the Emperor’s orders, had handed over the demon sword to the Salvation Church. This meant that the Emperor had sanctioned all these actions. Perhaps everything had flowed under his direction.

What could be the purpose of joining hands with a group that worships an evil god?

Apart from accepting the facts, he simply couldn’t fathom the Emperor’s intentions. It was even more so because he knew the Emperor’s reputation as a wise ruler among the imperial citizens. What was lacking? What did he want from the temple?

“Do you know his purpose?”

“To, to make the temples suspect each other. That’s all I know, really…!”

“I suppose attacking Lord Rohan was for the same reason.”

“Yes, yes… He would become a great force for the temple in the future… Aagh!”

“Lord Arpel.”

Without anyone noticing, a strand of shadow that had crept through the cracks in the wall was strangling Gilbert. Dionel, who had been quietly looking down at the convulsing figure, cast his gaze beyond the wall.

There was no answer, but Dionel could fully understand his feelings. He must want to kill this man right away for harming Rohan. It was natural for someone so blindly devoted to the child.

The shadow slowly retreating from his body after some hesitation showed how much he was holding back.

That was all the information they could get from Gilbert. He had merely played the role of a spy and messenger, knowing nothing about future movements. Since he had only testified verbally, there was no evidence that could be used to bring him down, so there was no benefit in keeping him alive either.

“…You’re not even worth an easy death.”

Murderous intent swirled in Dionel’s eyes. From manifesting magical power and living as a priest of the central temple to becoming the High Priest, he had never once thought about wanting to kill someone. But this man before him was different.

The crimes he had committed could not escape death. Yet, Dionel didn’t want to end his life in an instant and let him fall into a peaceful sleep of his own accord.

“Lord Arpel.”

“Huk, no, no! Please spare me! Save me…!”

“I beg of you.”

“Uugh! Kkeuk, huaagh!”

Gilbert, stuck to the prison wall like a frog, screamed with all his might as if he wanted to escape this place right away. His fingertips kept scratching the wall, causing blood to stain it, but no one showed any sympathy for his situation.

In the space filled with Gilbert’s screams, the sound of Arpel’s footsteps clearly followed. Arpel, who had been leaning against a place out of Gilbert’s sight all along, finally reached in front of him and stared at the struggling man with emotionless eyes.

In the blink of an eye, a shadow that had surged from the floor swallowed Gilbert. The only trace proving someone had been inside was the faint bloodstain he had left while scratching the wall.

No one regretted it. The elder had committed crimes deserving of this fate.

“…I’ll go up first.”

Arpel was the first to speak. Holding Rohan in his arms, he quickly left the underground prison and approached a window where the midday sun was shining.

This made one thing clear: no matter how the future unfolds, it can’t be exactly the same as the original novel he had read.

They had already changed much of the past, and now they knew the identity of another enemy not revealed in the original work, so whatever happens, they will face a different future.

“Rohan.”

“Yes?”

“…I’ll definitely make you happy.”

And that future had to be a happy one for Rohan.

Despite Arpel’s sudden statement, Rohan just blinked silently for a while. His round eyes soon curved beautifully, and his long eyelashes for a child fluttered like butterfly wings as he smiled. Arpel could only watch all these changes as if entranced.

Suddenly, a pinky finger was extended before him.

“Let’s be happy together, Arpel.”

At those words, his heart swelled. After taking several deep breaths as if to calm himself, Arpel slowly linked his finger with Rohan’s.

I’m already happy.

A small whisper faded between them.

***

“Hello, Lord Arpel!”

And the next day, Arpel and Rohan received an unexpected visitor.

It was a girl with radiant golden hair that seemed to sparkle even just by looking at it, flowing down to her waist. Her large pink eyes reminded one of a beautiful doll crafted by a master artisan. Arpel was momentarily speechless as she smiled, gracefully curving the corners of her eyes, and gave a deep bow.

Beside her stood a female knight with a cold expression and Dionel with a troubled smile. Arpel silently gave Dionel a look demanding an explanation.

“After it was fully revealed that there was a spy, we contacted the Celestial God’s temple in advance. If there was one on our side, there’s a possibility on their side too. However, since they don’t have someone like you, Lord Arpel, who can immediately identify spies, we judged it would take a long time and requested that they protect this child in the meantime.”

“I’m Leriana!”

As soon as Dionel finished his explanation, Leriana introduced herself energetically. The more the child spoke, the more peculiar Arpel’s expression became.

It was obvious at a glance. Anyone could see that this pretty, sparkling child was none other than the female protagonist from the original novel – the Saint.