Chapter 1488 – 1488. Paladin: A Journey Of Eradication
Finally, the reforging of Valentier’s holy sword was complete.
I was delighted to receive the holy sword from Amelia. With Valentier’s holy sword, I could now more easily deal with demons and the corrupted. There was no reason not to be happy.
‘The special characteristic of Valentier’s holy sword is penetration.’
It ignores the enemy’s defense and inflicts fixed damage. The higher the defense of a demon, the more effective this holy sword is as a counter.
‘What’s best of all is that holy swords don’t break easily.’
I tend to handle swords roughly, so they often broke during combat. Just the fact that this will happen less often is satisfying.
“P-please, spare me, Paladin! I-I am not a demon! Nor am I corrupted!”
A commoner knelt before me, begging with clasped hands. Around me, paladins and inquisitors stood solemnly, and around them, the citizens of Valentier watched in silence, barely daring to breathe.
“You are neither a demon nor corrupted.”
“T-then…!”
“However, the sin flowing through your body has exceeded the bounds of humanity. I can see it. You are a traitor to mankind. Your sin is the proof.”
“No! No! I have not betrayed mankind!”
The man shook his head, denying it. This too was a lie. I could clearly see the man’s sin. A sin more unforgivable than theft or murder.
I glared at his sin and said,
“Two years ago.”
“Yes?”
“It was a rainy night. You ran through the alley, your pants soaked with muddy water.”
“T-that’s…”
The man’s eyes wavered.
Two years ago, on a rainy night.
There was no way the man could not remember that day.
“You met a demon hanging upside down from a roof. You begged the demon. ‘Kill my father.’ The demon granted your wish and became your master. Were you so greedy for your father’s wealth?”
“H-how did you…”
“I told you. I can see your sin.”
To see sin meant that I could know the sin.
I raised my sword.
The blade of Valentier’s holy sword shone with a golden light. Everyone around was mesmerized by the holy sword.
“Hiiiik!”
The man screamed in sharp fear and tried to run away. My feet moved faster. I mercilessly stomped on his leg. Crunch. Bone and flesh were crushed, and blood flowed.
“Kuaaaaaaaak!”
“I will judge your flesh,”
I brought the greatsword down. The sword pierced the man’s back. The man, neither demon nor corrupted, would soon die.
“And the Goddess Herianne will judge your soul.”
As if it were the natural thing to do, I beheaded him.
Experience points came in.
It was not even half of half the experience points I got from killing a corrupted being. But every little bit helps. The experience points I gathered like this would surely be of help.
I looked around and said to the citizens of Valentier,
“Do not abandon your faith.”
***
Valentier became peaceful.
There was no sign of demons or the corrupted. There were no heretics who had made deals with demons. Since I was killing at least 30 people a day, the citizens were careful to protect themselves.
Still, there might be heretics hiding from my eyes. I patrolled Valentier several times a day.
Every time the citizens of Valentier saw me, they knelt and prayed to the Goddess Herianne.
“Goddess Herianne, we thank you for giving us our daily bread today. We are alive only because of your grace…”
“Thank you! Thank you! We are just grateful! Goddess Herianne!”
“We live today because of Goddess Herianne!”
The citizens prayed passionately.
I nodded in satisfaction. Valentier was a more devout city today than yesterday.
Clank, clank.
I was walking down the main street, making the sound of armor.
I saw an old beggar leaning blankly against a wall. I approached the old man and said,
“Old man. Why aren’t you praying?”
“…Oh, oh. Is that the Paladin who killed the Great Demon Surtun with his fingers? Paladin. I do not believe in the Goddess Herianne.”
“Why?”
“Because the Goddess Herianne has done nothing for me! The Goddess Herianne has not given me a single fairy tale, not even a small piece of bread! So why should I believe in the Goddess Herianne?!”
“The very reason you are alive is because of the mercy the Goddess has bestowed.”
“Heh heh. The reason I am alive is because I am not dead yet! The Goddess Herianne has done nothing!”
The old man shouted.
I belatedly realized why the old man could be so brazen.
The old man had no will to live. His body was already so sick that it was beyond help. The old man would die within a few days. Perhaps he would die tomorrow. The fear of death had given the old man a touch of madness.
“…I see.”
“If you understand, then go. I will not pray, even if I die today.”
Should I back down here?
There are many eyes watching us right now. If I back down here, what will the citizens think of me?
“You were a heretic.”
“…What?”
“Quiet, heretic.”
I punched the old man in the head. The old man’s already weak teeth fell out in a shower.
I controlled my strength. Otherwise, the old man’s head would have exploded like a watermelon. I beat the old man just enough to keep him alive and lifted him up.
‘This old man is going to die. He won’t make it past today.’
I grabbed the old man by the scruff of his neck and looked around. The citizens were watching me. Their eyes were filled with fear.
‘Impious.’
They were not looking at the Paladin, the protector of mankind. The way they looked at me was very unsettling, and I used my holy power to see if they were heretics.
Kiiiiiiiiing.
They were not heretics. Their sins were ordinary, and there were no corrupted among them.
‘But their unsettling gaze means they have the potential to become heretics.’
An idea came to mind.
I could capture them, put them in one place, and corrupt them. I would kill the corrupted and gain experience points.
In other words, an experience point factory. I could become stronger more efficiently and faster.
‘…No. I am a Paladin. I cannot do such a thing.’
I sighed inwardly. I seemed to have become too devout since coming to this world.
“Everyone, listen up. We will hold a prayer meeting starting this evening. Everyone in the city must gather in the square. Anyone who does not attend the prayer meeting… is a heretic.”
I spoke to the citizens and then went to the square.
I erected a cross in the center of the square and hung the old man on it. Around the old man, there was a pile of firewood soaked in oil. The old man trembled. He looked at me with pleading eyes. The old man’s mouth twitched. But his jaw was broken, so he could not speak properly.
The citizens of Valentier began to gather in the square.
“I will begin the prayer to the Goddess Herianne. Everyone, kneel.”
The citizens all knelt on the ground.
Crack.
I created a small spark and set the firewood on fire. The small fire consumed the oil and firewood and quickly grew. The old man was burning alive. The citizens swallowed hard and listened to the old man’s screams.
“Pray after me. Almighty Goddess Herianne. The reason we are alive is all thanks to the grace of Goddess Herianne.”
The citizens all followed my words in unison.
“Almighty Goddess Herianne. The reason we are alive is all thanks to the grace of Goddess Herianne.”
“Goddess Herianne, we will dedicate everything to serve you.”
“Goddess Herianne, we will dedicate everything to serve you.”
“We will kill demons and burn the corrupted to prove our faith to the Goddess.”
“We will kill demons and burn the corrupted to prove our faith to the Goddess.”
“May the Goddess grant us protection so that we do not become tainted by evil, and may a ray of light guide us.”
“May the Goddess grant us protection so that we do not become tainted by evil, and may a ray of light guide us.”
The prayer continued.
Even as the old man’s body turned to ash and scattered, the prayer did not stop.
Then, I stopped abruptly and pointed to a man among the people. The inquisitors immediately grabbed the man and dragged him before me.
“Why weren’t you praying?”
“I, I was praying! P-Paladin, you must be mistaken…”
“I didn’t hear your voice just now. Are you ignoring my ears?”
“J-just now, my throat hurt, so my voice wouldn’t come out… I was praying in my heart!”
“Your voice is working fine now. Heretic. You have insulted me and the Goddess Herianne.”
“Absolutely not… Kuaaaaaaaak!”
I tore the man apart alive and continued the prayer meeting.
After praying for a while, another problem arose.
Above the city.
I saw a demon hiding in the dark night sky.
I immediately drew my sword and threw it at the demon flying in the sky. The demon tried to dodge, but the sword I threw pierced the demon’s wing. The demon fell from the sky.
“A disgusting demon that was spying on us has fallen below. Paladins, bring the demon here.”
“Yes, Paladin.”
The paladins brought the demon. I hung the demon on an iron cross, and the priests sealed the demon’s power.
“Citizens of Valentier, look, this is a demon. An enemy of the Goddess Herianne and our foe. Your parents, siblings, and children were eaten by demons. The very existence of a demon is a desecration of this world.”
The citizens of Valentier glared at the demon hanging on the cross as if they would kill it. Fear and anger were directed at the demon.
I didn’t even need to incite them. The hatred for demons was already deeply rooted.
“Heh, heh. You foolish humans. The masters of this world are not us, but you. You are livestock…”
“Shut up, you demon!”
“Gerk!”
I punched the demon in the face. The demon’s teeth were broken.
“Repent! Repent! Demon, repent!”
I swung my fist.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Repent! Repent!”
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
“Repent!”
Thwack!
I punched the demon for an hour straight without stopping.
The demon, with its right eye burst and its whole body covered in blood, trembled and said,
“I repent, I repent…!”
“Demon. Who is the master of this world?”
“Goddess Herianne!”
“You filthy demon! How dare you utter the name of the holy Goddess with that evil mouth! Repent!”
Thwack!
“Kueeeok…!”
“I’ll ask again. Demon. Who is the master of this world?”
“G-Goddess!”
“Goddess who?”
“Goddess Herianne!”
“Don’t utter the Goddess’s name with that filthy mouth! Repent!”
“Demon. Who is the master of this world?”
“……Paladin.”
“Wrong. I am merely a servant of Goddess Herianne. Repent!”
“Kuaaaaak! What, what do you want me to do!”
“You insolent thing! Repent!”
“You crazy Paladin!”
“Repent! ……No, repent!”
“Aaaaaaak! Great Demon! Save me!”
“The Great Demon Surtun died by my hand. Other Great Demons will also die by my hand. You must truly repent!”
Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!
The time of repentance continued.
I shook my aching fist and asked the battered demon,
“You, demon, worse than a cockroach. Have you repented?”
“…Yes. I have repented.”
“Recite verse 12 of chapter 118 of the Herianne Holy Scripture.”
“…Huh?”
“If you have truly repented, you would naturally know the verses of the Holy Scripture. Recite it quickly.”
“I, I have never read the Holy Scripture. How would I know the contents of the Holy Scripture?”
“So you don’t know… That means you have not truly repented. Repent!”
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
“Aaaaaaak! You crazy bastard…!”
I asked the demon for the verses of the Holy Scripture several times. But the wicked demon, even though it said it had repented, could not recite the verses of the Holy Scripture until the end.
“I, I remember! Verse 12 of chapter 118! I will send down light to protect you!”
“……”
It sounded quite plausible.
I gestured to the priest. It was a question of whether the content of the Holy Scripture was correct. The priest opened the book that was a copy of the Holy Scripture that he always carried and looked for the verse.
“T-that’s not the content of the verse! The demon is lying!”
“How dare you lie?”
“You crazy bastards! You don’t know the verses of the Holy Scripture either! How would I know something that you don’t know!”
“How many times do I have to say it? If you have truly repented, you will naturally know the contents of the Holy Scripture. Repent!”
After beating the demon for a while, I pointed to a child among the citizens.
The child was dragged before me by the inquisitor. The child was trembling. The child’s father had been torn to pieces by me yesterday.
“Child of a heretic. Raise your head.”
“P-Paladin. I am not a heretic…!”
“I know. But your father was a heretic. It was that demon who led your father to heresy. Your father died because of that demon.”
I handed the child a repentance stick. The child trembled and took the repentance stick with its small hands.
“Make the demon repent. Prove your faith.”
“U-uh… Uwaaaaaak! Repent! You demon! Repent!”
The child swung the repentance stick at the demon.
“Repent! Repent!”
Thwack! Thwack, thwack, thwack!
The child swung the repentance stick with all its might, until its arm was about to fall off. I was moved by the child’s faith and nodded, chanting after the child.
“Repent! Repent!”
Then the citizens also shouted.
“Repent! Repent!”
“Repent! Repent!”
“Repent! Repent!”
The demon hanging on the cross looked around with a face full of fear.
“Crazy… crazy things…!”
“Repent! Repent!”
I looked around at the citizens and felt proud. As a Paladin, I had guided the citizens of Valentier. How could I not be happy?
‘I’m getting sleepy, so I should go to sleep.’
