Chapter 64

Soon, the holy knight dismissed everyone except himself.

“You still don’t know why I, and not a specialist from the Inquisition Division, am here, do you?”

The knight chuckled and pressed down hard on Daddy’s wound.

“Truth is, I’m a fanatic undercover.”

“…!!”

A lie.

But to a worn-out Daddy, it must’ve sounded like a lightning bolt.

“Can’t you just imagine what I’ll do to the Pope candidate once I’ve broken you? Oh right… she’s such a smart little thing. The Evil God does like clever sacrifices, doesn’t he?”

Joshua, completely consumed by inferiority, had no hesitation becoming the worst kind of man just to ruin another.

He uttered something a holy knight should never say.

And then, Daddy’s eyes turned pitch black.

Thud!

I closed my eyes as Joshua went flying like a blood-soaked ragdoll.

‘You got what you deserved, you bastard.’

So that’s what happened.

The scene in front of me vanished, and everything was dark again.

There sat Daddy, knees pulled up.

Even sitting down, he was so big that his hunched shoulders looked enormous.

Just like when I’d fallen sick with a dusty cough, and he was too shocked to even show his face.

Boiling anger rose in my chest.

…How many people like Joshua had this man encountered in his life?

‘Too many to count, probably.’

The world, on the brink of collapse, was ironically overrun with both goodwill and malice.

Even with doomsday looming, people still chased glory, fed their greed and envy—

—trampled others just to climb higher.

“Ah-ppya, I’m hewe. I twied to wait, but… sowwy, I cudn’t keep dat pwomise.”

“…”

“But we said one of ush had ta come, so I did! I came wiff Awexa, safe and sound!”

Though she couldn’t come all the way in.

I spoke clearly and firmly.

“Raise yow head.”

As if by magic, Daddy lifted his face. Hollow eyes. Of all the faces I’d ever seen, this one looked the most tired, the most full of despair.

He looked just like a player who’s let go of everything before going berserk in-game.

“…Nemesia?”

His eyes widened in disbelief.

“It… it can’t be… is it really you?”

Suddenly—

“Why did you come in here?!”

He grabbed both my arms—not too hard—but with urgency, even desperation.

“You came in with me, does that mean you’re going to die too?!”

And then… tears streamed down Daddy’s face.

His blood-caked lips trembled.

“I—I stopped the moment I felt your power. I swear, I stopped. But then—”

“I know.”

Better than anyone, I knew.

“You held on… all the way to the end.”

And the only reason you couldn’t anymore—

—was me.

Tears of sorrow trickled from Daddy’s eyes.

As if this death… was just too bitter to accept.

‘But we’re not dead.’

I scratched my cheek.

“If Daddy dies, I’d die too. But more importantly… we promised, remember? To stick together to the end!”

I reached my hand out.

“Hug me.”

Like he was under a spell, Daddy reached for me and pulled me close.

Yeah… I’d gotten so used to his arms that Alexa’s hug felt awkward.

I cupped his cheeks with my little hands.

Even while crying, he looked ridiculously handsome—like a painting.

But I didn’t want this broken, tormented side of him.

I wanted to see him smile.

“You did great, y’know? Just… just hangin’ in there makes you amazing.”

Innocent tears dripped from Daddy’s eyes.

If God really existed… I wished He would cradle people like this more.

“To me, you’re already a hero, Daddy.”

“But… we’ve already—”

I shook my head.

“Who said we died? We’re not dead. When’ve I ever lied?”

He fell silent—and that silence was agreement.

I grinned, hands still on his cheeks.

“Daddy, who am I?”

“Nemesia.”

“And?”

His trembling stopped.

“…The Pope.”

I nodded.

The object-type paranormal entity known as the Sealed Garbage Disposal Unit was originally used by fanatics to get rid of traces of corruption.

After the Order confiscated it as spoils of war, it was repurposed to suppress berserk holy knights.

Because a berserk corrupted knight… was still corruption.

But now, think about it.

What’s corruption most vulnerable to?

Game Category [Post][Casual Chat]

[Monster Encyclopedia #8]

~Object Type~

Sealed Garbage Disposal Unit

FYI, if your level is high enough to have already unlocked Purification? Then this phenomenon is absolutely nothing to worry about!

Wipe it all out with this OP skill—Long live the Pope.

“I’m gonna show you a miracle.”

The Purification skill—an absolute counter to all paranormal phenomena, monsters, and fanatics.

And this space we’re trapped in?

It’s more vulnerable to it than anything else.

[Skill “Child Actor” activated!]

“You ‘member the time I tempowariwy boosted Daddy to full powew? What d’ya think’ll happen if I pour all my purification into this space?”

I smiled sweetly.

Daddy, this… this is what they call a “munchkin” character.

Annoying, maybe—but no one’s watching here.

I can go wild.

“Daddy.”

[Mission! Say “Thank you” from the heart to Daddy!]

[If the emotional value doesn’t meet the requirement, the skill won’t activate!]

Can sincerity really be measured in numbers? Maybe not.

But it didn’t matter.

“Thank you for thinkin’ of Nemesia till the very end.”

You couldn’t get more sincere than that.

[Perfect Success! You’ve drawn out Daddy’s ‘Happiness’! (Reward: Skill power increased by 10%)]

[Hidden Skill “Purification” activated!]

Every ounce of strength left my body.

I joyfully unleashed Purification.

Flaaash!

‘Huh?’

More light than the time I used it in the Dog-Headed Judge’s chamber.

Like a fountain, it erupted.

‘Wow… it’s so pretty…’

The light bloomed like flowers, then soared upward into shining pillars.

Under that radiant sky, I smiled and slowly drew a cross over my body.

“In God’s name… return to the light.”

The things that once struck fear into the hearts of holy knights—

—would now vanish before us, who felt no fear at all.

I clasped my hands together in prayer.

And slowly closed my eyes as the darkness receded.

Murmur murmur.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw a familiar place.

We were back.

Looks like they’d called in tons of people to clean up. Priests, holy knights in armor, people in white clothes…

I glared at every shocked face I saw.

Then quietly curled my lips upward in a crooked smirk.

‘Now begins the reckoning from hell, you rotten bastards.’

Because I knew one thing for sure:

‘The Sealed Garbage Disposal Unit is a one-time-use item.’

Nobody knows what happens to someone after being thrown into that thing.

Which means, nobody can know what I did in there.

Using the last of my strength, I planted myself in front of Daddy and glared at them all.

* * *

To outsiders, the child’s gaze was no different than that of a wounded animal.

‘The Pope candidate came back—with her berserk Guardian?!’

As everyone froze in shock, disbelief, and awe…

A dazed priest stumbled forward.

To return from a place no one had ever escaped?

“Candidate…!”

He looked overwhelmed, as if divine grace had descended upon the Order. He looked ready to worship her.

“Stay back… don’t come cwose!!”

The child’s hoarse scream stopped him dead in his tracks.

Everyone tensed up.

She was shaking violently, shielding her unconscious Daddy like a barrier.

“You, one of you… you made my Daddy go cwaazy on puwpose!! I don’t twust ANY of you!!”

And in the middle of her scream of anguish, no one could say a word.
 

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Translator: Japchae