Chapter 39
Without any way of knowing about the small incident that had taken place in the museum several hours earlier, the expedition safely reached its entrance.
Before entering, Yohan began dividing the group into those who would go inside and those who would wait outside.
“Danforth and I already discussed this. The entire Imperial Expedition will enter.”
They needed at least a small group of elite fighters in case something went wrong inside.
General Kalkelak, who was capable of clearing floors alone, would accompany them.
Albern, who could cast mental defense magic, would also go inside.
Belvar joined them as well.
Just before entering, the general interrupted and asked Yohan,
“Our opponent is an Incarnation of a Great Old One. Are you really saying this number is enough?”
“Yes.”
“You also said we won’t offer sacrifices. Even then?”
“Yes.”
“……”
“The masters of the eleventh and twelfth floors are special cases.”
“Special cases…”
“I’ll explain after everything works out.”
That was the end of their conversation.
Led by Yohan, forty one intelligent beings stepped inside the museum.
They entered the place that could be called the true body of the city and the heart of the entire eleventh floor.
There were people waiting for them.
More than a hundred believers.
Curator Orabona, who had welcomed Yohan’s group during their previous visit.
And Apostle Wilhelm Rogers.
Several believers were dragging the wax figure of Believer 331 behind them.
Rogers glanced at it briefly.
Then he crossed his arms and spoke toward Yohan.
“I’ve heard that outsiders from the Dark Lands think of us as alien creatures that should not exist.”
His eyes were bloodshot and filled with fanaticism.
The saliva around his mouth had not even dried.
He nearly spat the next question.
“Do you think that too? Hmm? Do you truly believe we are the ones who should not exist? Have you never considered that you are the invaders of this world, and we are the guardians protecting it from people like you?”
“That’s an impressive amount of nonsense.”
Yohan crossed his arms in the same way and looked toward the other side.
“The beings that truly should not exist are the Great Old Ones. For example, the one you serve.”
“……”
Rogers’s expression instantly filled with caution.
His folded arms slowly dropped.
He had seen countless baseless blasphemers before.
Weak creatures incapable of taking responsibility for the words they spoke.
Such people were obvious at a glance.
They flinched after realizing what they had said.
They hesitated greatly before speaking those thoughts aloud.
After speaking, they tried to cover it up.
They pretended they had meant something else.
Fools.
That was the greatness of a god.
Even when someone was completely convinced that no god could possibly exist, divine power planted doubt inside them.
It made them afraid to speak that doubt aloud.
That was the absolute Authority of their great lord, Rhan Tegoth.
But what was wrong with this man?
Why did he not flinch?
Why did he not hesitate?
Why did he not try to cover up his words?
Why did he not pretend?
Why was he not afraid?
Did he truly believe what he had just said?
At that moment, a fragment of memory crossed Rogers’s mind.
Ten years earlier,
one human had descended alone.
He had rampaged through the museum, forcibly offered twelve believers as sacrifices, then calmly descended to the next floor.
He was practically the symbol of blasphemy.
Yet even the great Rhan Tegoth had been unable to show hostility toward him.
Because the raider had something behind him that even Rhan Tegoth could not ignore.
A contradictory raider.
An Apostle of an Inner God who had betrayed the Inner Gods.
Rogers scratched his forehead.
Then he sighed.
“…So it was you. I suppose there could only be one human in this world capable of saying something so blasphemous.”
Rogers had been hoping to slowly torment the outsiders.
Instead, an extremely troublesome enemy had appeared.
“So, why are you here? Bringing all this useless trash with you. Are you still continuing that foolish journey? Haven’t you grown tired of it?”
“……”
“You seem to have more room to spare than before. Is that because you already secured creatures to offer as sacrifices? The humans standing behind you are the offerings, aren’t they?”
“Offerings? No. I came to make a proposal, Apostle of Rhan Tegoth.”
“…A proposal?”
“We want to descend without sacrificing even one person.”
“…What?”
Rogers looked openly confused.
Yohan spoke firmly.
“Deliver this message to the Great Fear of Primates, Apostle. In accordance with the ritual procedure recorded in the Pnakotic Manuscripts, send the High Priest who will spread knowledge of Your magnificent existence all the way to R’lyeh down to the next floor.”
“……”
“……”
Not a single person there had expected Yohan to say such a thing.
Even the expedition members who had accompanied him looked confused.
They had no idea what he was talking about.
But Wilhelm Rogers, Apostle of Rhan Tegoth, understood the weight of those words perfectly.
Half suspicious and half worried, he glared at Yohan.
“…You’re telling me you actually possess those Manuscripts? You? How?”
“Trade secret.”
“……”
If Yohan had been lying, Rogers believed he would have noticed immediately.
He had killed countless liars.
He had offered countless liars as sacrifices.
There was no way he would fail to recognize one.
That meant…
Yohan truly believed what he was saying.
Even Rogers himself did not know the contents of the Pnakotic Manuscripts.
Nothing specific about them was publicly known.
He had never heard their contents from anyone either.
He only knew that the information inside that grimoire was extremely important.
And I only just learned that it contains information about Him…
Of course, Yohan could still be lying.
Perhaps he was cleverly mixing truth and falsehood to deceive him.
Whether the Pnakotic Manuscripts existed here, or whether Yohan possessed them, was not actually important.
The important part was something else.
Yohan had dared speak of a High Priest in front of him.
That was the true problem.
“Do you even understand what it means to become His High Priest?”
“Do you?”
Rogers froze.
Yohan pointed at him.
“Do you know what a High Priest is supposed to do? Do you know what He expects from one?”
“……”
“You believe that regularly offering sacrifices to a god and educating believers to increase their faith is enough. There’s no way someone like you understands the duty or value of a High Priest.”
“……”
“Did the previous Apostle teach you nothing? Did no one tell you what the One Seated upon the Ivory Throne truly desires?”
“……”
“If you really don’t believe me, go ask Him yourself while looking directly upon His true form. Deliver my words properly too. Like a proper Apostle.”
Rogers knew it was a provocation.
But in front of so many believers,
an Apostle could not back away after receiving a challenge like that.
Rogers glanced at Orabona beside him.
The curator still wore his friendly smile.
Yet Rogers almost felt as if he could hear Orabona speaking.
Would a true Apostle ever hesitate to speak directly with the deity he serves?
“…If you’re trying some foolish trick, I’ll execute you immediately.”
“Do whatever you want.”
“…Hmph.”
With no other choice, Rogers stepped back.
His figure disappeared.
Several believers immediately rushed forward.
They blocked the museum entrance and pointed spears toward the outsiders.
Yohan calmly watched the place where Rogers had disappeared.
Then he looked toward Orabona.
Orabona merely shrugged with his usual cheerful smile.
The Adults Only Area.
It was said that its old name had been chosen by the first man ever to receive the name Rogers.
After that man discovered Him sleeping inside an ancient stone city, this place existed for only one purpose.
To reveal His existence to the world.
The current Rogers was the same.
In this world ruled by the Inner Gods, His existence was more important than anything else.
If there were people who did not know Him,
Rogers believed it was his duty to teach them.
But if that was true,
then Wilhelm Rogers should be the one to perform that role.
Not some arrogant traitor.
After reaching the center of the area, Rogers pulled away the cloth covering the statue.
He hurriedly dropped to his knees.
With the heart of a worshipper, he carefully and slowly looked upon His true form.
Rogers had served Him for many years.
Even now, every time he stood before Him, indescribable emotions rose throughout his entire body.
Thin tubes grew across His body like fur.
They trembled like straws, eager to suck every drop of liquid from anything they pierced.
The corpses of unknown creatures attached to various parts of His long face resembled a mass of maggots and ticks.
The pincers on His six legs looked dry, as if constantly thirsting for blood.
A terrible stench flowed from His round body.
Even Rogers, His Apostle, could not stop himself from flinching.
Apparently, a conclusion had already been reached.
Red and blue light began glowing from the three eyes attached to His face.
“M, my God!”
His will reached Rogers clearly.
The will of Rhan Tegoth.
His intention.
The god had already known Yohan’s message before the Apostle even delivered it.
And He was pleased by the proposal.
Yohan Blake.
That man’s role was extremely important.
Rhan Tegoth wanted the other deities to understand above all else that His endless and invincible existence was important.
That was the god’s desire.
The moment Rogers understood it,
for the first time as an Apostle, he felt confusion and anger.
“You are telling me to accept this? You are telling me to accept that You consider that man more suitable to become Your High Priest than Your own Apostle? Me, Rogers, who has served You for more than ten years, offered sacrifices to You, raised Your believers, and encouraged their faith?!”
It was not disbelief in his god.
It was not doubt.
It was rebellion against the idea that his god wanted to choose Yohan Blake instead of him.
And it was Rogers’s absolute confidence that the god should choose him.
Rogers shook his head.
The light in his master’s eyes flashed repeatedly.
He suddenly stood.
“No! That blasphemer knows nothing! He spoke nonsense without understanding his place! I am the one who will fulfill Your will! Me! Wilhelm Rogers! Your greatest slave and Your one and only High Priest!”
Rogers had become so excited that he even forgot to cover His true form again.
Instead, he personally activated the Authority granted to him.
“If someone worthy exists, I shall take that role myself and appoint another person as this place’s manager. So leave the punishment of the blasphemers to me, and please wait for the main course.”
Rogers strode outside.
Then he shouted loudly toward the believers and throughout the entire museum.
“Kill them! Kill them all and turn them into offerings for our god! I, Wilhelm Rogers, permit it in the name of Rhan Tegoth!”
The stuffed animals.
The people turned into wax figures.
Even several lifeforms that had been bound as exhibits.
Every display inside the museum began moving toward the outsiders.
Orabona quietly gave instructions to the believers.
Then he disappeared in an instant.
In only moments, every raider had been completely surrounded.
A brief silence followed.
■■■■■■!!
With the heavy roar of the tree giant,
the battle began.
