To think that humans would come to the dungeon of their own accord, and even dream of their master's advent.
She grew curious about the black mages before her.
Celia smiled and welcomed them.
“Now, you must have had a difficult journey. Shall we have a chat first?”
Seeing Celia welcome them, Sharia was relieved.
Even though she serves the Evil God, she is ultimately merely an apostle of the Evil God.
She had worried that if things went wrong, they might be driven out or killed, but fortunately, that did not happen.
“Thank you for your hospitality! First Apostle of the Great One!”
Sharia caught her breath and immediately fell to her knees. Her eyes trembled briefly with excitement, but soon took on a reverent light as she bowed her head.
When the leader of Eclipse knelt, Lucas beside her quickly lowered himself as well.
“First Apostle?”
Celia tilted her head at Sharia's mention of the First Apostle.
“Yes, for you are the one who serves the Great One most closely, I judged you to be the First Apostle. If my thinking is wrong, please forgive me.”
“No, it is truly a fine notion. You are correct, Miss Sharia.”
Celia smiled in good spirits.
Come to think of it, the human's words were not wrong.
Since she was chosen first by the Great One, was it not natural that she was the First Apostle?
“You must be tired from the journey here. Let us prepare some light refreshments while we talk.”
Celia clapped once, and skeleton knights bustled into motion.
“…….”
Watching that, Sharia, a prodigious black mage, instinctively knew.
That the being in the red dress was the mightiest among apostles.
No, could there perhaps be anyone on the continent who could surpass that being?
The power she felt from that being was on a different dimension entirely.
Considering everything, that being was indeed the First Apostle closest to the Evil God.
‘…And this dungeon is the same.’
Sharia glanced around the dungeon's interior.
This was the central area, located in the deepest part of the dungeon.
‘Every single thing was incredible.’
She had seen many things on her way here.
A Dullahan wandering the mountain ranges, muttering something.
And even a Goblin Lord carrying around some strange long stick.
Even a vampire of immense power was planting seeds outside the dungeon.
‘It's certain. This is undoubtedly the Evil God's will!’
Sharia's heart pounded.
How else could such tremendous beings be gathered in one place by coincidence?
It was something even a child would recognize as unnatural.
‘What is more important is….’
There was something even more important.
It didn't matter that powerful beings were gathered in one place, or that the dungeon was vast.
‘She has already begun using humans as slaves….’
The most surprising part after entering the dungeon was that humans were being used as slaves.
Sharia was shocked to see humans working everywhere with pickaxes and shovels.
‘The Apostle was already making all the preparations for the Evil God's resurrection.’
It was enough to feel reverence for the Apostle.
Sharia was a black mage, the leader of Eclipse, an organization created by gathered black mages.
She had thought the long-cherished wish of Eclipse—the grand endeavor of bringing about the Evil God's advent—would take quite a long time.
But seeing it now, the preparations were already sufficient.
If they moved in earnest, it seemed they could conquer the continent of Eldorado even before the Evil God's advent.
“…….”
How joyful would it be for Eclipse to take part in that grand endeavor.
Sharia bowed her head once more.
“Though we may be lacking, we wish to become the First Apostle's strength.”
At Sharia's sincere words, the corners of Celia's mouth rose. She nodded and approached Sharia and Lucas.
“Rise, Miss Sharia. And the same to you, Mr. Lucas. I believe in your sincerity.”
At Celia's gentle voice, the two slowly raised their heads.
Celia standing before them looked down with a bearing like that of a goddess.
“Then what must we do to be of great help to the Apostle?”
Lucas asked with expectant eyes.
He, too, had felt the mighty power of the apostles, like Sharia.
The last traces of doubt melted like snow.
This did not mean he had doubted the Apostle.
He had merely lacked faith that they could bring about the Evil God's advent and conquer the continent alongside the Apostle.
But the being before them was different.
‘The First Apostle, Celia….’
She had introduced herself as Celia.
There was no way to predict how strong she was.
With her, the Evil God's advent was a given, and the conquest of the continent would proceed smoothly.
While Lucas thought of a hopeful future, Celia also fell into thought for a moment.
“Hmm.”
The crux of her concern was how to use them.
Honestly, even if the black mages joined here, they wouldn't be a very powerful asset.
However, Celia thought of one possibility regarding them.
“…Religion.”
Until now, she had fought against the priests and paladins of the White Order.
They were merely humans, but they championed faith and salvation under the goddess's teachings.
Faith and salvation had dyed them in madness.
What was truly frightening about that madness?
It was that the subjects were not predetermined.
That it could be proselytized not only to the White Order but also to ordinary humans.
Celia knew well.
That there were very many humans who longed for salvation.
And if she used the black mages to recruit such humans, her future plans would become smoother.
“I shall have to gather believers.”
Celia's eyes flashed as she murmured softly.
Believers who looked only to the Great One.
Fanatical believers who would even lay down their own lives for Him.
If she had such believers, would there be any need to spread rumors and lure adventurers as she did now?
Could she not simply make adventurers into believers and have them offer themselves up as sacrifices?
Celia resolved to use the group Eclipse to carry out this grand plan.
But she could not take Eclipse as it was.
“Miss Sharia.”
“Yes, First Apostle!”
Sharia cried out at Celia's call.
“From now on, cast aside the name Eclipse.”
“……!”
Sharia and Lucas wore shocked expressions at the sudden declaration.
To discard the name was no different from discarding Eclipse itself.
But Celia said only that and began writing something with focus.
“…….”
They did not know what she was writing, but it was the First Apostle's command.
Sharia had no choice but to follow Celia's words.
“I shall write down what you must do from now on. In the meantime, please sate your hunger simply.”
Clack. Clack.
Along with Celia's words, skeleton knights appeared.
One skeleton knight placed teacups on a silver tray and handed them over.
Another skeleton knight presented a plate piled high with what appeared to be freshly roasted, juicy meat and well-baked brown bread.
Normally, food for humans was unnecessary in a dungeon.
But as the number of humans in the dungeon grew, ingredients had been obtained from the royal palace.
Since they were from the royal palace, the menu was simple but the quality was assured.
At the sight of steaming bread and meat, Sharia and Lucas's eyes went round.
For them, to whom even a scrap of bread was precious and who had always had to appease their hunger, the scene was like a dream.
“U-um, is it truly alright for us to eat these?”
Sharia asked in a trembling voice.
Seeing the cautious human, Celia smiled kindly and replied.
“Of course. Please eat quickly. You will have much to do going forward.”
Celia said only that and continued writing diligently.
At the First Apostle's definite answer, Sharia and Lucas picked up the food.
The moment the tender meat melted in their mouths and the taste of the well-baked bread hit them, the two could not help but redden at the corners of their eyes.
‘…Delicious!’
Sharia closed her eyes at the flavor of the meat and let out an ecstatic exclamation.
She ate bread topped not with egg or sausage, but with juicy meat.
It was a taste she was experiencing for the first time in her life.
It was the moment she achieved the second wish she had long held.
* * *
After the satisfying meal, Celia handed what she had written to Sharia and Lucas.
“…The Twilight Church?”
At the top of the paper Celia handed them was written “Twilight Church.”
Sharia slowly began to read the entire text.
【Twilight Church】
From this point forward, 'Eclipse' is reborn as the 'Twilight Church.'
- Sharia is appointed as the leader of the Twilight Church.
- Lucas is appointed as the deputy leader of the Twilight Church.
- The decision-making body of the Twilight Church, the 'Council of Devoted Hearts,' is established, and existing black mages belonging to Eclipse are appointed to the 'Council of Devoted Hearts.'
- Believers are divided into four ranks: 'High Priest,' 'Priest,' 'Monk,' and 'Believer,' in that order.
[The doctrines of the 'Twilight Church' are as follows.]
1. The Great One is our Master and Savior. Only His advent is our salvation.
2. The present world is a place ruled by pain and absurdity. This is an order created by false gods.
3. On the day the Great One descends, the false order shall collapse, and a new world shall come.
4. We must follow His teachings.
5. Sacrifice for the Great One is inevitable. All who stand in His way shall be eliminated.
“This is…!”
It was practically the founding of a new religion.
Founding a new religion was an act deemed heresy.
If their identity was exposed, the Order would likely dispatch inquisitors.
But Sharia was not worried.
Rather, she was so swept up in excitement that her hands trembled.
“Now, Miss Sharia. Show me your abilities. I do hope you will not disappoint.”
Indeed.
This was an opportunity and the Apostle's test.
They would have to prove their usefulness here to move forward together.
But there was one concern.
“First Apostle. We currently lack the forces to protect the Twilight Church.”
As Lucas said, while founding a religion was all well and good, they lacked the strength to protect it.
Why had the White Order grown so powerful?
It championed the teachings of the goddess, but fundamentally, it possessed overwhelming military might to hold the continent in its grasp.
With inquisitors and paladins serving as the Order's sword, who would dare touch them?
“You speak true indeed.”
Celia nodded in agreement with Lucas's opinion and gestured.
Then skeleton knights armed in heavy armor lined up behind her.
“Use them as the sword of the Twilight Church. I shall name them… the Twilight Knights.”
Saying so, Celia called for Necros.
“Now, Mr. Necros, I would like you to help them establish a base.”
This was the founding of a new religion.
As such, it was safest to establish a base in the Kingdom of Seil, where Celia's influence reached.
Of course, they could not operate openly in the light; they planned to start from the shadows.
The shadows meant the underworld.
Currently, the underworld of the Kingdom of Seil was managed by Necros.
“But….”
But Necros was currently busy.
He had mostly taken control of the underworld, and the monster arena was thriving as well.
On top of that, he was managing the dungeon.
As if that weren't enough.
With the conquest of the underworld right before his eyes, he had to find the Master who wore the 'Black Mask,' and even start a new business to earn more money.
“Mr. Necros, please handle their funds.”
“But?”
“Support the Twilight Church and manage the offerings the believers make.”
“……!”
Necros's mind spun quickly.
Support the Twilight Church. -> The Twilight Church's position rises. -> The Twilight Church's believers increase. -> The offerings believers make increase. -> There is nothing better than money except more money.
“!”
Necros fell to his knees before Celia and bowed his head.
This was sincerity filled with respect.
And so, the moment a new religion, the 'Twilight Church,' was born on the continent of Eldorado.