Her life was in danger, so Diablo didn’t want her going around causing trouble... But if she was the type of person who could pretend not to see when violence was being used against the weak, then the Cardinal Authority never would have been after her life in the first place.
Lumachina was in the middle of her sermon on how “there is sin in everyone.”
“This was written in the third chapter of the Scriptures of Genesis, that all persons are born bearing sin...” It seemed she had these things perfectly memorized.
If this man claimed to be part of the Church, it had to be a verse he heard at least once before.
A faint light began emanating from Lumachina’s body. As she recited the scriptures, magic energy overflowed from her being. This was a phenomenon caused by prayer, so it would be more accurate to say it was something completely different that was coming out of her.
The wind grew stronger, and sand danced in the air. These abnormal incidents caused birds to fly away from the lake and, in the distance, Diablo could hear dogs howling.
Nothing about the Church’s doctrines were made clear in Cross Reverie. Considering the game was a European fantasy, he thought it was probably based off the usual religions... But not going too deeply into religion or politics was the standard for this sort of mindless entertainment.
And as the man from the Paladin Brigade was losing the mental battle with Lumachina, he finally snapped.
“Acting all high and mighty, just shut up already!”
“You will listen to me!”
“No worthless Adventurer can force ME, a member of the mighty Paladin Brigade, to listen to your stupid lecture!”
Tightening his hand into a fist, he threw a punch at Lumachina.
Tenma’s Staff smashed into the man’s face, sending him flying away in spectacular fashion.
He flew back about five meters, sliding another five as he scraped along the ground, coming to a stop after being buried halfway in the sand.
“Hmph...” Diablo shrugged. “Seems like it was a case of ‘in one ear and out the other.’ There isn’t anything you can say to someone like him.”
Arguing must have been a regular thing around here, since most of the people around them hadn’t paid any mind beforehand. But he definitely drew their attention after sending a member of the Paladin Brigade flying ten meters away, as a commotion broke out among the bystanders.
Surprisingly enough, the man stood back up. Sand spilled off his armor, and blood trickled down from the side of his mouth.
“Ugah... You... You bastards...!!”
“Well, well. Aren’t you a tough one.”
—His level might be even higher than Emile’s... But that’s what I’d expect from someone living out here in the former Demon Lord’s Domain.
“You just defied the Church, didn’t you, asshole!?”
“This again... Weaklings are always so quick to make themselves seem like they are one and the same with whatever organization they claim to belong to. Or perhaps it’s because you identify yourself with such a large organization that you think you can be so arrogant?”
“It’s too late for you now! I’m gonna purge you where you stand, right here, right now!”
The man drew his sword. The onlookers that gathered around them let out gasps of shock and backed away. Now that Diablo didn’t have to worry about them getting caught up in the fight, this made things easier for him.
Rem and the others were already well-versed in how he fought, staying behind him and backing a short distance away. The mother and child at the center of all this turmoil were being taken care of as well.
—Good grief... Now, how should I hold myself back this time? Should I break out the 《Prototype Great Scythe》 ? ...No, I’m up against someone who’s more capable than a level 50 Warrior. There’s a chance using that weapon could cause me to struggle when I fight against him. I’ve got someone I need to protect, too, so I can’t take any chances here, no matter how small.
The basic rule for any escort quest was to never let the enemy get close.
Diablo took aim with Tenma’s Staff. “Be blown away! 《Explosion》!!”
Though it was only a spell you would learn at level 50, Diablo’s high-level stats gave it more oomph than usual.
He unleashed the spell at the ground. Standing with his sword drawn, the Paladin was blown away by the aftershock of the explosion. Even though they were a good distance away, even the townsfolk were in a panic from the hot wind it gave off.
The plumes of black smoke cleared and an enormous hole laid open in the ground. The townspeople...all appeared to be okay.
—Phew, thank goodness for that. I don’t want to cause so much trouble for everyone if I can help it.
The man from the Paladin Brigade was once again buried halfway in the sand, but he bolted back upright.
“Augh... Agagh!?”
“Hmph... So you’re still alive. Consider yourself a fortunate man.”
“Wha...!? You’re...an Elemental Sorcerer!?”
“So you want another taste, do you? Very well then, this next one will turn you into ash!”
A threat, of course, but an effective one. When he pointed his staff at the Brigade member, the color drained from the man’s face, and he threw his sword away as he fled.
“Eeeeeeeeeeek~~!!”
“Heh heh heh... What am incredibly dull weakling he was.”
Though he was acting full of himself, on the inside, Diablo heaved a sigh of relief. He didn’t know what he would have done if the guy didn’t run away.
†
Everyone around them was in a complete uproar.
—Was that bad? Was it a mistake to use magic in the middle of town in broad daylight!?
He was acting as if he was detached from it all, like a Demon Lord would, but a cold sweat broke out along his back. Rem and Shera were having trouble with how to cope with the current situation.
Lumachina spoke to the Pantherian mother. “You said earlier that you needed the Church’s help, correct?”
“Y-Yes! My baby!”
She had to have been rattled after seeing an explosion go off so near to her, but even so, she made it seem like there wasn’t much time left when it came to her child.
—A mom, huh...
She unwrapped the cloth covering the baby. There were eight black “X” marks on their leg, as if someone had drawn them on there. Diablo couldn’t help but react with a short yelp of surprise. He had seen something like this in Cross Reverie as well.
Lumachina looked at him curiously. “What is it?”
With great difficulty, the mother plead her case. “It’s the Death Knell disease, an illness that has been spreading around this town... Marks keep appearing on the afflicted, and once the ninth one appears... Th-They die...”
“What was that!?”
“It can be healed if they receive a miracle from a priest, but...”
“Then let’s hurry and head to the church!”
“I can’t...”
“Why not!?”
“Th-That’s because...” It seemed hard for the mother to get the words out.
“She doesn’t have the money.”
His teeth gritted, the Grasswalker boy from earlier cut in. “These Church guys can do all these amazing miracles, but they charge crazy high prices for them. And not just for the Death Knell disease, they do the same thing for other sicknesses, too.”
“How can that be...! This child’s life is in danger!”
“I don’t know how other towns do it, but that’s just how it is here. You saw it yourself, that Paladin Brigade jerk kicked her because she asked for help, even though her kid’s in trouble.”
Shoulders shaking, the mother hugged her child tight. Once there were nine “X” marks, the afflicted would die. The baby already had eight.
Diablo tried to speak up—but what could he say? His knowledge of the Death Knell disease was something he learned from the game. The cause and treat
ment for this world’s version of it might be completely different.
Lumachina clenched her hands. “I understand! I will heal them!”
“...Huh? Look, it’s not that simple...” the Grasswalker said, looking doubtful.
Taking out the holy symbol from around her chest, she turned toward the child.
“It’s the first time I have seen a disease such as this, but the gods will be sure to protect them; our prayers will certainly reach them. Isn’t that right?” She turned to look at Diablo.
—She still thinks I’m a god, huh. No matter how much you pray to me, though, I can’t even cure a sniffle.
“Hmph...” Diablo gave a magnanimous nod. “You should be able to do it, considering it’s you. Ah, but...hm... Do not worry about me, and just do everything like you normally would.”
“All right!” She nodded, her eyes brimming with confidence.
“Would you happen to be a priestess...?” the mother beseeched her.
“An inexperienced one, but yes.”
Despite the fact she was on sand, the mother threw herself to the ground, her head bowed low.
“Please! Please save my child!”
“Very well. Then let us pray together. God will be sure to save them.”
“P-Please!”
“Of course!”
Lumachina knelt in front of the baby, reciting words of prayer.
“O great Lord in Heaven, let the voice of those who seek salvation reach you. Heal this child of the wicked disease that ails them. Grant them your gracious compassion for their sins, and allow them life...”
Trembling, the mother clasped her hands together. The townspeople watching began kneeling down one after the other, Rem and Shera included.
Diablo started to feel uneasy. He was the only one standing, which made him stick out like a sore thumb. But him kneeling down somewhat went against the whole Demon Lord image he was going for, not to mention that he tricked Lumachina into thinking he was a god himself.
Diablo put some distance between himself and the prayer circle, cooling himself off in the shade of one of the nearby buildings.
“Phew...”
“You not gonna pray?”
“Mm?”
The Grasswalker boy had followed him, an amiable grin on his face. “My name’s Horn. What’s yours, boss?”
“I am Diablo, a Demon Lord from another world.”
“Eh...?” He seemed a bit surprised, but he didn’t pry any further, probably thinking it was just a joke or a nickname.
“Are you not going to pray, either?”
“Not a big fan of ‘God’ and all that. Never even been to church.”
The people of this world were deeply religious, so it was rare to find someone who had never even been to a church before.
Horn gave a bitter smile. “They make you fork over those ‘contributions’ if you go, right? But I’m dead broke.”
“Hm...”
“I came to Zircon Tower ’cause I thought I’d be able to strike it rich here...but that’s not working out too well.”
“So it seems.”
“That’s why we should head to the dungeon together, boss!”
Diablo barely managed to stop himself from agreeing.
—It’s dangerous to let myself get tricked by his childlike appearance. He’s a Grasswalker, so he may be even older than me.
“I’m busy at the moment.”
Considering how the guy from the Paladin Brigade acted, and the fact they would abandon the life of a child, demand contribution to help, Diablo felt Batutta couldn’t be trusted. He never thought Lumachina would be the one to handle all this. If that was the case, then what should they do to protect her from the Cardinal Authority?
“Hm?”
He turned around after sensing an intense magic energy that was being caused by Lumachina’s praying. A pillar of light reached up into the heavens, giving off a light even more brilliant than the last time he saw it. Was the effect being enhanced because of all the other people who joined in prayer with her?
Horn craned his neck, looking curious. “Is there something up in the sky?”
“Well...” It seemed like normal people weren’t able to see it.
Suddenly, cheers and applause erupted from the prayer circle.
“All right!” “The marks are gone!” “This is friggin’ amazin’!”
As she hugged her child close to her, the mother kept bowing her head as if she were trying to bury her forehead in the sand.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you...!”
The baby began crying a healthy cry.
Lumachina wiped the sweat from her brow. “I’m so glad. I really am.”
Rem and Shera exchanged smiles.
“...Just what I would expect from her.”
“Yay! All right!”
The calls of admiration and praise from the townspeople didn’t stop; someone started singing a hymn, and eventually, it turned into a chorus of people singing along.
—Man, thank goodness for that!
Diablo’s face broke into a small smile.
Horn went slack jawed. “Holy crap! It takes the priests hours of praying to even start making the marks disappear! Did she actually do it!? Sh-She’s amazing! She’s the real deal, an actual priestess!”
“Heh... Of course she would be able to do that much.”
If this was something even the local priests could cure, then the High Priest should be able to do it, too—is what he had been thinking, but there was a chance the healing process required special know-how or tools as well. Either way, he was relieved to see she had been able to cure the child after all.
—Seeing as that’s taken care of, the real problem is over here...
Diablo turned his attention to the road ahead of him. “So, they’re here.”
A look of shock overtook Horn’s face. “Waugh!? They’re here already!? Y-You guys should scram, and fast!”
A group of about twenty Paladin Brigade members advanced toward them, with the guy Diablo had sent flying earlier leading the pack.
Diablo stood in the middle of the road to greet them.
“Hey, Horn, or whatever your name is... If you do not want to get caught up in this, then get—”
He was already gone.
—Damn, he runs away fast!
That was a Grasswalker for you. Though they were fragile and lacked power, they were a race that specialized in covert ops and possessed high agility.
“Well, the less people around, the easier it is for me to fight, so it all works out.”
Diablo readied Tenma’s Staff.
†
Diablo anticipated that he would have to beat up another twenty guys from the Paladin Brigade. However...
—What’s going on here?
The townspeople formed a wall in front of Diablo and the others. It was all the people who prayed with Lumachina earlier.
This wall was standing in the way of the Paladin Brigade, and every single one of the people wore a look of determination on their faces.
“Get out of here, Paladin Brigade!” “Yeah, that’s right!” “We’re not gonna let you lay a finger on them!”
Diablo was shocked.
—So this is the influence of the High Priest!
He never thought she would turn everyone around her into believers with just a single prayer. They had no idea of the status she held; they simply admired what she had done, and became a shield to protect her from the Paladin Brigade. They didn’t even have any weapons.
—They’re risking their lives for people they’ve only just met... That’s like a cheat in and of itself. This was so easy that I couldn’t even use it as material for a nation-building story if I wanted to. It’s on the same level as having the influence of a king.
This was a far cry from Diablo, who had never even been in a party, let alone been able to make a single friend in-game.
If the Paladin Brigade were to back off because of the repeated
calls telling them to get lost, they never would have been labeled as being almost like bandits.
A Pantherian several times larger than the others stepped forward, though he looked more like a bear than a panther at this point.
“Gufufu... Well ain’t this interestin’. I don’t know what the hell happened here, but I’m gonna remind you of the power of the Church!”
He was carrying a spear that was bigger than his entire body—a lance. It was usually something you would use while riding on the back of a horse, not on foot, but this guy swung the thing around like it was a cane. He wouldn’t know unless he actually fought the guy, but Diablo pegged the lance-wielder to be someone he wouldn’t have to hold back against.
There was no one in the group who was dressed like a Paladin, which must have meant Batutta hadn’t shown up.
—Now then, what to do?
There was a wall of people between Diablo’s group and the Paladin Brigade. He appreciated their mettle in becoming a shield for them, but at this rate, they would only get caught up in his spells.
—It takes a second to get ready, but maybe 《Volcanic Wall》? That way I can make a wall of fire between the people and the Brigade.
Should I throw in a Burst Rain on top of that? Would I kill them if I scored a direct hit?
From what he could gather of his enemy’s HP and POW (their magic resistance), he could calculate the kind of damage he would do to them.
The sound of a warning bell broke through the tensions.
Though the Paladin Brigade and the townspeople were staring daggers at each other until now, pandemonium broke out on both sides.
—What just happened!?
Someone shouted:
“It’s a monster, a gigantic monster! It’s a 《Sand Whale》!!”
How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord: Volume 4 Page 10