Episode 24
"...Become my personal maid?"
"Yes! From now on, you shall become my personal maid and serve me for the rest of your life until you die!"
"......."
When I asked back in disbelief, the Saintess pointed at me with a triumphant expression and declared once more.
The corners of her mouth were twitching excitedly.
"So you're saying I'm a woman?"
"Yes! You are a woman!"
"...Why?"
According to the prophecy book, arguing with the Saintess is a dangerous act that could directly lead to a bad ending.
But since it seemed like the situation would spiral out of control if I didn't ask now, I took the risk and questioned her, prompting the Saintess to fold her arms and speak with an arrogant expression.
"Hmph, so that's how you're going to play it...? Fine! Then... I shall tell you the reason!"
Saying that, the Saintess held up three fingers and looked down at me as she spoke.
"There are exactly three reasons why you are a woman!"
"...Three reasons?"
"Yes! Then, let me start with the first reason!"
Saying that, the Saintess folded one finger and began her explanation.
"You have already confessed in front of me that you are a woman!"
"...I did?"
"Yes! In that corridor back then!"
"...Ah."
Only then did I understand how this ridiculous situation had come about.
It seems the pure Saintess truly believed the lie I had told while testing a skill that increased the power of lies as I passed through the corridor.
I had so many things to worry about, and I never thought she'd actually believe it, so I left it alone... but it seems I had greatly overestimated Perloche's intelligence.
"That was a joke, though?"
"Hah... such excuses won't work anymore! That's not the only reason, you see!"
At my words calling it a joke with a pathetic expression, the Saintess scoffed and refuted, then folded her second finger as she spoke.
"The second reason is... your delicate appearance!"
"...What does that mean?"
When I tilted my head and asked at her words, the Saintess opened her mouth with half-lidded eyes.
"That pretty face of yours... is clear proof that you're actually a beautiful girl in disguise!"
"..........."
"How about that? Hit the mark, didn't it? You're embarrassed, aren't you? As expected... my deduction was correct!"
Watching the Saintess boast after finishing her words, I somehow wanted to give her a flick on the forehead.
But since that would be a truly evil act that wouldn't earn me any villain points either, I held back and asked the Saintess, who was still puffing up with pride, one final question.
"...Then, what's the last reason?"
"The last reason is... I'll create it for you right here and now!"
Saying that, she threw a white stone at me.
"...What is this?"
"As expected... I knew it... This confirms it...!"
When I unconsciously picked up the stone and tilted my head in question, the Saintess spoke with a triumphant smile.
"That stone turns black when someone impure touches it!"
"Turns black?"
"Yes! The bishops of the Order make me hold it all the time, so it's certain!"
The Saintess, whose eyes were sparkling with excitement as she spoke, slowly stood up and began descending to where I was.
"Frey Raon Starlight... The reason you've maintained your purity while keeping women by your side every day is..."
"...The reason is?"
Stopping right in front of me, the Saintess pointed at me and declared.
"It's because you are a woman, and therefore cannot embrace them!"
And then, silence flowed through the cathedral for a moment.
"...You surprisingly have that kind of knowledge?"
After quietly watching Perloche for a moment, I muttered unconsciously, finding it impressive that she possessed such carnal knowledge.
"Yes! Of course! The nuns taught me for years, saying it would be a disaster if I went to the Academy in that state! So I remember it clearly!"
"...Sigh."
Hearing the Saintess's follow-up statement, I prayed fervently that she wouldn't go around telling people she had regressed, then looked down at the white stone in my hand and fell into thought.
'...For a Saintess, she used her head quite a bit, but she's just as sloppy as ever.'
My left arm is currently rotting black from forcibly absorbing Kania's black magic last night, so it's wrapped tightly in bandages to hide it.
And naturally, those bandages are also wrapped around my left hand, which is holding the stone right now.
In other words, the purity measuring device she threw isn't functioning properly.
"There! Here you go!"
Meanwhile, the Saintess picked up the maid outfit that had been at my feet and held it out with sparkling eyes.
I don't know why she threw the maid outfit in the first place if she was going to do that.
"After you put this on, clean the entire cathedral!"
"Um..."
"After that, pray the purification prayer with me! And then confession! And after that..."
"...That's enough, isn't it?"
Since I no longer had time to play along with her farce, I spoke in a cold voice, and the Saintess opened her eyes wide.
"Ar-aren't you afraid of the truth being revealed?! If you keep acting like that... I'll tell the Academy students your se-secr..."
"...Reveal."
"Yes! I'll reveal it!"
Looking at her, who had started getting worked up, I answered her threat with a cold voice.
"Go ahead, do it."
"...What?"
"I said do it. Reveal it."
"......?"
Leaving those words behind, I started heading toward the exit, and the Saintess ran over with a flustered expression and grabbed me.
"Pl-please don't go!"
"...Let go."
"If you leave, I'll reveal that you're a woman...!"
"...How many times do I have to say it? I'm a man."
"B-but..."
"I'm a busy person. I don't have time to play around with someone like you. So let go of this and go back to your seat."
I gave Perloche a final warning while suppressing my exploding irritation, but she started trembling violently and spoke.
"Why... why do you keep lying...?"
"Sigh... If you bother me any more, I'll officially complain to the Order..."
"Please stop lying!!!"
Saying that, she approached me at high speed...
"Lying is a great disrespect to the Sun God... huh...?"
"......!!!"
She grabbed it.
""............""
And silence flowed for a moment.
"...What is this?"
The Saintess, who was gripping my lower region, tilted her head and looked up at me as she asked.
"...A man's genitalia."
Hearing my words, her face turned bright red as she started stammering.
"S-s-s-so... really... a m-man...?"
"...How long are you going to keep holding it?"
"Eeeek!!"
Eventually, when I swatted her hand away, unable to bear it anymore, Perloche quickly retreated and started shooting divine power from her hand while screaming.
"Su-Sun God!! Please forgive my sins and save me from evil!!"
"...Aren't you going to apologize to me?"
"S-sorry...! No... I can't apologize to you... but... still, it's my fault... ugh..."
I looked at Perloche, who was still bright red and rambling incoherently, with a pathetic gaze and tried to leave the cathedral, but...
- Click click
"...Hm?"
For some reason, the exit was locked.
"Hey, what's going on..."
Confused for a moment, I turned to ask Perloche what was happening, but...
"Frey... are you really... not a woman...?"
She had changed her expression to a cold one and was approaching me.
[Villain's Intuition: Powerful killing intent is felt nearby!]
Seeing the system window appear before my eyes, I urgently tried to reach for the sword at my waist, but...
"I asked if you're really not!!!"
"Ugh!!"
Before I could even draw my sword, I was grabbed by the neck and slammed to the floor by the Saintess.
It was a moment when 'Sun God's Protection,' which doesn't have many techniques that can counter it in 1:1 combat, showed its true power.
"Cough...! What... are you doing..."
Barely holding on as my consciousness started to fade from the overwhelming strength, I asked with difficulty, and Perloche, who was biting her lip hard, slowly opened her mouth.
"If... you're not a woman... if there's no weakness... then I have no choice but to kill you..."
"...What?"
"Although... I met people like me... and agreed to cooperate with them... but ultimately, that was all meaningless..."
"What... are you talking about..."
"...I saw the future."
I tried desperately to hold on to my fading consciousness from being strangled and listened carefully, and at her words about seeing the future, I squeezed my eyes shut.
"What future..."
"The future where you... destroy this empire... this world..."
Perloche, who had started crying, began to speak with even more force on my neck.
"I... to make you repent in that future... I did my best..."
"Cough... cough..."
"Every day I came to you and recited the Sun God's teachings... every night I prayed to the Sun God for your repentance... and when you did bad things, I endured getting kicked and tried to stop you..."
"Ugh..."
"But in the end, you tore the empire apart... and plunged the people into suffering."
Perloche, who had started shedding tears, continued speaking as her hand on my neck trembled violently.
"Stupid and ignorant... I was just a figurehead who could only watch as you destroyed everything..."
"Grrrgh..."
"So, when I thought I found your fatal weakness that might change that future... I was so happy."
No longer able to endure, I tried to grab Perloche's hand and say something, but she just kept adding more force.
"Maybe... in this cycle... no, before the future I saw arrives... if I used your weakness... I thought maybe I could make even you, who wouldn't repent no matter what, repent..."
"S-so... you kept saying I was a woman..."
"But in the end, even that weakness was just my stupid, foolish misunderstanding."
Having said that, Perloche squeezed her eyes shut and continued with difficulty as tears dripped down.
"So... I guess I'm destined to kill you after all, Mr. Frey..."
"W-wait..."
"But for the sake of the empire... for the sake of the people... and to save your soul that's headed to a terrible hell... this is the only way..."
The Saintess, who had spoken with difficulty with a guilt-ridden expression, smiled brightly.
"After I kill you... I will end my own life as well. No matter how much you might destroy the empire in the future... committing murder for something that hasn't happened is a clear sin."
"Grrgh..."
"...Instead, I will continue to help you repent in the afterlife."
- Snap!
Having said that, Perloche put all her strength into breaking my neck.
"...Sniff."
Perloche, feeling the sensation of my neck breaking directly with her own hands, trembled violently from the guilt of having committed murder, then folded her hands together and began to pray quietly.
"Sun God, please be satisfied with offering my worthless soul that has broken your teachings... and forgive the empire, and Frey..."
After finishing her prayer, Perloche quietly brought her hand to her own neck and murmured.
"...He, too, used to be a good person at one time."
[Notice!
[Target: Physical force increased by Perloche Astelleid's 'Sun God's Protection']
[Details: 'Sun God's Protection' is a legendary protection granted only to the Saintess by the Sun God, boasting destructive 1:1 capabilities. Those who can oppose or defeat this protection are extremely limited to the Hero of the Stars wearing awakened Hero's armaments or the Demon King.]
And I, who had been unconscious, came to my senses as the system window appeared before my eyes, and witnessing Perloche holding her own neck with a sorrowful expression and murmuring something...
"Please, in your next life... maintain that pure form of the past until the end..."
"Fine! Actually, I'm a woman!!"
"Eeek!!"
I urgently shouted.
"...W-why aren't you dead?"
The Saintess, who had been looking at me with her mouth wide open, asked with a flustered expression, and I, hesitating over my answer, replied quietly while avoiding her gaze.
"...Just because a neck makes a cracking sound doesn't mean a person definitely dies."
"...Gasp."
Hearing those words, Perloche froze with a dumbfounded expression, then started crying again as she approached me.
"I-I'm sorry...! I-I'm so stupid and didn't know...! It must have hurt a lot, right?"
"N-no... not really..."
"I'll do it properly this time, so please wait a moment...!"
"No, I'm a woman! I'm actually really a woman!!"
Terrified as Perloche approached with fire in her eyes, I desperately waved my hands and shouted, and then Perloche frowned and asked.
"But... then what was that long thing earlier..."
"...It's fake! Fake! I attached it to pretend to be a man!"
Not wanting to feel the sensation of my neck breaking again, I lied as convincingly as possible... and Perloche flinched, then asked once more.
"...Then what about your voice?"
"Hm?"
"Thinking about it now... Mr. Frey, your voice is too deep for a woman..."
"...I altered my voice!"
"Then what is your original voice?"
Since she was asking with suspicion, I concentrated the Star Mana in my body into my throat and spoke in the most delicate and soft voice possible.
"...This is my original voice."
".....!!!"
The Saintess, who had been looking at me with surprise, then smiled brightly and spoke.
"...What a relief! You have a weakness again!"
"...Right."
When I quietly nodded, the Saintess wiped the tears from her eyes and spoke.
"Then... from now on, come to the cathedral after each Academy term ends! I'll help you repent!"
"No... that's a bit..."
"It's a command! You're currently 'caught' by me with a weakness... aren't you?"
"Sigh, fine... but... wait, just a moment."
"...Yes?"
Having roughly navigated the situation, I was planning to escape and officially file a complaint with the Order, but I stopped speaking and fell into thought as something suddenly occurred to me.
'If I receive the Order's help, Perloche's position will plummet drastically...'
Right now, the Order still treats Perloche properly as a Saintess, even if she might seem foolish.
But the corrupt bishops and the Pope are likely full of thoughts to weaken her authority and monopolize power for themselves.
So if I use the Order's help to remove Perloche now... it would be a short-term gain, but long-term, a big problem would arise.
The attempted murder and insult charges against the descendant of one of the few ducal houses in the empire is a great crime that even a Saintess cannot easily dismiss.
'...Then, should I go along with her words? No, that's also a problem...'
But not borrowing the Order's power is also a problem.
If I don't inform the Order, I'll have to resolve this situation on my own.
In that case, there would be two options: subdue Perloche by force or meekly follow her words... but both options have problems.
First, subduing her by force is nearly impossible.
To overwhelmingly subdue Perloche, who possesses the Sun God's Protection, so that she won't be able to act up again, I need 'awakened Hero's armaments.'
In my current state, I can never overwhelm her unless I fight with the intention of killing her.
And killing Perloche is absolutely out of the question.
It's a game over condition to begin with, and it goes against my belief to protect everyone.
Then by elimination, the only remaining path is to meekly follow her words... but I'd rather die than wear that cute maid outfit.
I'm a hero, not a maid.
Besides, she said she would proceed with my repentance.
That means if I show even the slightest sign of repentance in front of her... penalties will be triggered again.
This is truly a dilemma.
"...Um, why are you acting like that?"
"Ah, well... you see..."
As I sweated profusely while pondering my answer, Perloche cautiously asked why I was acting that way.
Eventually, to buy time, I asked about something that had seemed a bit strange in what she had said earlier.
"...Earlier, you said you met people 'like you' and agreed to cooperate with them? What does that mean?"
"...Yes?"
"And what did you mean by it all being meaningless?"
"Ah... that..."
When I asked, Perloche started to speak thoughtlessly, then looked at me with a guarded expression and asked back.
"W-why are you asking that at this timing!?"
"Oh... your intelligence has improved a bit."
"What? What did you just say..."
"Ah, what I meant was... as the maid who will serve me for life, I want to know even such trivial details."
To dispel her wariness, I lied, and Perloche immediately dropped her guard and started speaking in an excited voice.
"Aha! Is that what it was! Honestly, I still slightly doubt your words, but... somehow it feels true, so I'll specially tell you!"
"...Okay."
"Actually, there are a few others who have seen the future like me!"
"......"
I had been half-expecting it, but hearing her words, I squeezed my eyes shut and grabbed my head.
'...They've already formed an alliance.'
The main heroines have already formed an alliance. This has become quite troublesome. I need to come up with countermeasures immediately.
'...And she's telling me this like it's a good thing? Unbelievable.'
It seems I absolutely cannot become allies with Perloche.
"Um... can you tell me who the people who saw the future are?"
"...No!"
Having made that decision, I asked to identify who the main heroines in the alliance were, but Perloche shook her head and exclaimed.
"Lady Klana told me absolutely not to tell anyone!"
"...Klana did?"
"Yes! She instructed, and instructed again... hup...!"
But in the next moment, she carelessly let Klana's name slip.
"...I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Continue."
"Th-thank you! Anyway, I met people who saw the future like me by chance, and I tried to cooperate with them."
"...Cooperation on what?"
"Cooperation to destroy and kill you, Mr. Frey!"
"......."
Honestly, I didn't expect her to explain so kindly... but the Saintess is like a tree that gives without holding back.
"Fine, I understand. But why is that meaningless?"
"Ah... well..."
When I nodded and asked, the Saintess began speaking in a subdued voice.
"Recently, I received an oracle from the Sun God about whether what I'm doing now is right or wrong..."
"...An oracle?"
"Yes... but the Sun God said it's not right..."
At my frown, Perloche brightened her expression and spoke.
"In other words! Even if we cooperate, we can't defeat you! So... I decided to act on my own!"
"...I see."
"So with my amazing deductive skills, I discovered your weakness... and by threatening you like this, I created an opportunity to make you repent and change the future! As expected, oracles are always right!"
"Sigh..."
I debated whether to blame the Saintess for interpreting the oracle too incorrectly, or the Sun God whose thoughts I couldn't grasp at all, then sighed and began tapping the brooch on my chest.
Now it's time to return to being a villain.
"So, is the explanation done now? Then hurry up and put on that maid outfit and start cleaning..."
- Lady Klana told me absolutely not to tell anyone!
"...Huh?"
Perloche, who had picked up the maid outfit again and was holding it out to me with a triumphant voice, tilted her head as the statement she had made earlier played from the brooch I tapped.
- ...Cooperation on what?
- Cooperation to destroy and kill you, Mr. Frey!
"......!"
When her own quite dangerous statement played from the brooch, she looked at me with a flustered expression and asked.
"Wh-what are you doing right now...?"
"What do you think? Threatening."
"Th-threatening...?"
I looked at Perloche, who was asking in a trembling voice, with a cold gaze and spoke.
"The Empire's Third Princess and the Saintess conspiring to kill someone...?"
"U-um..."
"And that someone is the next head of the Starlight Ducal House, a noble hero family...?"
"Hieek...!"
The Saintess, who had been trembling for a moment, started crying out.
"If you're going to be like that...! I'll reveal that you're a woman...!"
"Sorry, but I'm actually a man."
"No, you said you were a woman earlier!"
"That was a lie. You touched it yourself, so you know well, don't you? Something like that can't be easily faked."
"Ugh!!"
The Saintess, sweating profusely at my brazen words, hardened her expression and spoke.
"Then, you really must die here..."
"Sure, you can kill me if you want... but then this recording will be broadcast throughout the country, you know?"
"...What?"
At my words, she looked flustered, and I spoke while stroking the brooch on my chest.
"This brooch... it doesn't just have a recording function, it also has transmission magic cast on it."
"...Transmission magic?"
"It's probably been delivered to my confidants by now. Of course, I've already given orders that if I die or go missing, the recording I sent should be revealed to the whole world."
"Th-that's a lie!"
As she said, my words were a blatant lie.
This 'recording brooch' is one of the three brooches I always wear on my chest, along with the 'life force transfer brooch' and 'oath of death brooch,' and it has the function of recording the other person's words.
But naturally, it doesn't have a function to transmit the recording. Adding such a function would cost tens of thousands of gold at minimum, which is obviously a waste of resources.
'...Still, I'm glad I made a habit of wearing these brooches.'
Thanks to making it a habit to wear these three brooches on my chest, which were useful in the previous cycle, I was able to get this chance to turn the tables today.
I'd like to make and wear brooches with more diverse functions if I could... but unfortunately, I still haven't found the artisan who was beaten up by Isollet in the back alley.
So making additional brooches will have to wait a bit.
"If you think it's a lie, go ahead and try breaking my neck."
Having savored the regret of not being able to add more brooches for a moment, I shook my head and extended my neck to Perloche, who was denying my words.
"...Ugh!"
"Well, if you break it, I'll die... but you and that pitiful Third Princess won't be safe, will you? Still want to kill me?"
"Uuuugh...!"
The Saintess, who had been looking at me with indignation, eventually lowered her head helplessly and murmured.
"...I lost."
"What?"
"I said I lost! You damn Frey!!"
Shouting that, Perloche started speaking through tears.
"I opened the door, so get out already! Let's pretend today never happened..."
"...No. Why should we pretend today never happened?"
"Wh-what...?"
With a vicious expression, I approached her, gently stroked her chin, and whispered.
"...Now it's your turn to be threatened."
".....Hiek!"
Hearing my smooth whisper, the Saintess trembled and looked at me with fearful eyes, and I handed her the maid outfit that had fallen on the floor.
"Put it on."
"...Excuse me?"
"I said put it on."
"R-right here...?"
I nodded at her flustered expression and spoke with a smile.
"...You're now my personal maid."
Hearing those words, the Saintess began to slowly change clothes in front of me with an expression full of shame.
I guess I'm really good at being hated.