Chapter 61

“Listen carefully. Everyone should already know the rules regarding the Pope candidates as distributed by the Order. We’re simply enforcing one of them.”

Alexa’s eyes grew a shade colder.

“If all three Pope candidates gather, they’re allowed entry into any place—except for a cardinal’s private chambers.”

“…!”

“That’s the rule, isn’t it?”

“B-but… still, no! It’s for the candidates’ safety—!”

“And who asked you to worry?”

Alexa’s face twisted, her tone turning harsh.

“Don’t get it? You little sh*t, got too much ego? Out of your damn mind? What you just did was ignore the Guardian standing right here.”

“…”

The holy knight clamped his mouth shut.

A bad feeling twisted in my gut. Yeah… he’s still not gonna let us in, is he?

“S-still, I—it’s not allowed…! High Priest Roman, the division chief, gave strict orders not to let anyone through!”

[Time Remaining: 6:40]

‘Hmm. No choice, then. I really wanted this to go peacefully…’

Just as I was about to try the next move—

“Um, Nemesia?”

Flora, who was in her Guardian’s arms, called to me gently.

“So… you really have to go in there, right?”

“Y-yeah… Daddy’s in there…!”

“Ah, then of course we should go.”

Flora smiled sweetly.

“It’s not like we’re breaking any rules—clearly, they’re the ones at fault! Lady Betty, if you would.”

“…Haa.”

With a soft sigh, Flora’s Guardian gently set her down.

Flora bounced forward and clasped her hands like she was praying.

“Leave this to me.”

She opened her eyes and smiled beautifully at me.

“Even God will understand a righteous punishment.”

And at that moment—

“Lady Betty, start with the first one.”

Wham!

Flora’s Guardian threw a punch without the slightest hesitation.

[Time Remaining: 6:02]

‘Whoa…’

The holy knight barely dodged Betty’s fist, his expression flustered.

“W-what do you think you’re doing?! Lady Betty Garner!”

“Consider it the price of standing in the way of a Pope candidate.”

“What the—!”

And right then—

Flora pressed her hands together in prayer and began chanting.

— O Lord, deliver the wicked!

A brilliant light burst out from Flora.

And at the same time—

“AAAARGH!”

“My head, my heaaaad!”

“AAGH!!!”

Every knight blocking our way clutched at some part of their body and collapsed like dominoes.

I clicked my tongue quietly.

‘Wow… so I finally get to see that in action.’

We were on the clock, but even I couldn’t help being impressed.

I mean, after all…

That cute-looking Pope candidate’s nickname was—

Game Category [Post][Casual Chat]

[Main Character Companion List 3]

Flora Allison

◆ Division: Pope Candidate (future post: Central Priest under the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, reporting to a Cardinal)

Nickname: “Fake Final Weapon”

Anyway, if you’re meeting her for the first time, just look at her final skill.

‘Judgment’

◆ Description: A busted trait that inflicts pain on those she personally believes are ‘evil.’ No target limit. As long as she has divine power, it can cause both stun and agony. Absolutely terrifying.

And the shocking part is… this isn’t even her only broken trait, lol. (Is it unbalanced? Sure. But this is Salvatore—nobody gets a happy ending anyway ^^ fml)

‘Fake Final Weapon…’

The “fake” part’s simple. The real final weapon is the main character.

Flora isn’t the MC. So they slapped “fake” on for fun. But make no mistake—her divine traits are ridiculously overpowered.

She was even considered the strongest Pope candidate in the early story.

“Ooh, is that the famous trait?”

Antonio’s intrigued voice snapped me out of it.

Time’s ticking—we need to find Daddy first.

“…That was incredible.”

“Thank you!”

“No no, thank you.”

“AAAAHHH! AAAAAARGH!”

But among all those who had collapsed, the holy knight who had stood in front before was clearly in the most pain—he was even bleeding.

Flora tilted her head, puzzled.

“Huh? What’s wrong with him? I’ve never seen someone react that badly before…”

Well, yeah.

‘…Because that skill hits fanatics especially hard.’

But there’s no way Flora should learn that here.

I glanced toward the spy duo nearby.

“Fow now, wet’s guw inside quickwy!”

Thankfully, maybe sensing that something was off, everyone followed me without question.

Alexa’s expression had long since lost all composure.

Inside the building, there were still many people. But at least, unlike those guarding the door, they didn’t block us.

Some tried, but the rule about all three Pope candidates granting access made them hesitate and back off.

‘The rule was originally made to avoid restricting the candidates… never thought I’d use it like this.’

Later, this rule gets used in chapters where the candidates start working together. But let’s save that explanation for another time.

…We don’t have much left.

[Time Remaining: 2:01]

At last, we arrived at the underground floor.

The basement was a long hallway lined with rooms—like a detention center.

“…!! It’s the room at the very end!”

Even without Alexa saying it, I could tell. The massive door at the end of the hall was the only one open.

And someone was sprinting out from it.

“Aaaaaah! P-please, don’t kill me!”

“He’s gone berserk! It’s a rampage!”

We brushed past the fleeing priests and ran ahead.

For just a second, I thought maybe I should’ve left the others behind here. But there was no time.

We finally reached the door, and beyond it lay a vast underground chamber.

[Daddy’s Rampage is Imminent! Stop Him at All Costs!]

A floating notice popped up like it was cheering us on. But my eyes were already fixed on the scene in front of me.

From the moment the door opened, I couldn’t look away.

“O-oh… dear Lord. Candidates, please avert your eyes.”

“Flora, let’s turn around.”

Antonio and Betty, who’d followed without a word of complaint, were the first to react.

“A scene this horrifying… and it’s not even war.”

Betty muttered with a pale face.

Both Guardians covered their candidate’s eyes in their own ways.

But Alexa, who held me, was different.

“Wh-what is this…?”

Her eyes trembled violently, panic written all over her.

And no wonder.

‘Haa… just as I feared.’

The floor was littered with collapsed holy knights.

Some were wearing priest robes too.

But that wasn’t the shocking part.

“Surround him! I said surround him!!”

One of the knights was screaming beyond the crowd.

The walls were smeared with old bloodstains—splattered everywhere.

Chains hanging from the ceiling were dyed a dark crimson.

Lined up along the wall were instruments of torture that no one could call “tools” with a straight face.

And before the bloodstained chair—

“Huff, haa, huff…”

Daddy stood, shirtless, breathing heavily.

I instinctively tried to wriggle out of Alexa’s arms—but she clung on tightly.

[Time Remaining: 00:10]

Daddy’s eyes were a vivid, blazing yellow.

A color you’d only ever see in a beast.

“D-Daddy…”

I wanted to meet his gaze.

But Daddy never once looked our way.

“Why…?”

Alexa mumbled blankly. Her eyes were wide in stunned horror.

“He would never, ever choose to go berserk… There’s no way…”

[Time Remaining: 00:03]

.

.

[Time Remaining: 00:00]

[Objective Failed! You failed to stop the rampage!]

[“Daddy” is going on a rampage!]
 

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Translator: Japchae