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'What's going on here? When I checked my status earlier today, I didn't have that many free points... Why did Sword Demon suddenly level up so much? And what's with this new altered state?'
[Emir] [Great Adventurer Lvl 46] [Sniper Lvl 43] [Sword Demon Lvl 39] [Assassin Lvl 43] [Harem Lord Lvl 37] [Traveler Lvl 40] [Hero Lvl 20] [Explorer Lvl 38] [Strategist Lvl 37]
[Sadist Lvl 2]
HP=83 || MP=83
Agility=83 || Strength=83
Intelligence=83 || Luck=16
[Resistance]
Physical=66 || Magic=66
Poison=65 || Curse=65
[You have 30 free stat points.]
Alessia, Delia, and I are resting in our bed after a nice, relaxing sex session to relieve ourselves of all the stress of the day.
My two sleeping beauties are lying on either side of me in bed, while I take advantage of their sleeping state to edit our statuses.
My girls' statuses didn't need much of my attention, as I had been able to check earlier today that they hadn't earned many free stat points.
But that's not unusual, considering we couldn't train for very long in the labyrinth.
And I was even worse off than them, with no change in my status due to the huge difference in abilities between the stats of the monsters on floor 42 of the No Man's Zone and my stats.
But now it seems that's no longer the case.
For some strange reason, Sword Demon has gained 30 levels.
'This...
Is this because of what happened in the Solus Temple?...
It's the only explanation I can think of...
But...
If that's really the reason...
Should I consider attacking temples as a sport more seriously?...
Delia wouldn't have to find out…
Haa…
But I don't dare do it, knowing that I'm risking losing her...
She's already upset enough about today.'
When I told Delia that the people who set fire to the clinic were under the orders of the temple people, Delia was very saddened, as it showed her that the corruption of the Solus temple was much deeper than she had believed.
Even so, despite the fact that many of the temple people are corrupt, she still believes blindly in the Solus god and therefore does not want any of us to act hostilely towards the parishioners of the Solus temple.
As crazy as it may be, despite what happened today, she still thinks that most of the temple people are innocent.
However, at least she has gotten it out of her head that the only corrupt people in the temple were the ones who had kidnapped her.
Thanks to that, I know that from now on she will be much more careful when it comes to the Solus Temple.
This is progress.
It's not much, but for now I'll have to settle for that.
Besides, now I know that if it becomes necessary for me to slaughter the people of one of the temples again, there is much less chance that Delia will be upset with me for it.
'Hmm... I just have to find a plausible justification and I'll finally be able to get rid of those damn bastards once and for all...
Although...
Now that I think about it...
After today, if something bad happens to the people at the temple...
I guess I'd be the prime suspect...
Shit...
Maybe I could ask Cael for help with this...
I don't think the smart clone's plans to befriend Yair and Stella's families to gain some political influence took this situation into account...
With things as they are...
I wouldn't be surprised if the Solus Temple decided to make some dirty move, like hiring someone to attack the temple's parishioners while pretending it was me...
Besides, if I could get Cael to help me, I wouldn't have to do something as unpleasant as pretending to like Yair...
Haa...
I'll see what I can do about it...
For now, I'm going to take care of what's in front of me.'
[Emir] [Great Adventurer Lvl 46] [Sniper Lvl 43] [Sword Demon Lvl 39] [Assassin Lvl 43] [Harem Lord Lvl 37] [Traveler Lvl 40] [Hero Lvl 20] [Explorer Lvl 38] [Strategist Lvl 37]
[Sadist Lvl 2]
HP=83 || MP=83
Agility=83|| Strength=83
Intelligence=83 || Luck=16
[Resistance]
Physical=75 || Magic=71
Poison=71 || Curse=75
***
*Omniscient POV following a mysterious person*
That same night, in a very different place within the capital, a large group of people are also pondering the best course of action following today's events at the Solus Temple, which Emir attacked.
"That man is a public menace! It doesn't matter whether he's a war hero or whatever. He needs to be apprehended as soon as possible. He is clearly out of his mind," says Bishop Mateo, representing the Solus Temple, before the royal audience chamber.
Presiding over the audience, seated at one end of a huge oval table, is the king of Castemira, Alfonso Fiore, a man with black hair and eyes, although his black hair is streaked with gray.
Accompanying the king is a crowd of nobles and advisors of various kinds.
"You're exaggerating. I had the boy under my command in the war against Drial Cenit and he never gave me any trouble," says a man with slight wrinkles on his face and a piercing on his nose, as he fiddles with the long, colorful feathered extensions of his hair.
"You don't hav... Ahem... you didn't see what happened today, noble sir..." says Mateo in a tense voice, although he seems to say the last words reluctantly.
"... I already explained it to you in detail a few moments ago; today that man brutally murdered four people in public and, what's worse, he desecrated the sacred ground of our temple..."
Seeing that the man sitting to the king's right, next to the one who contradicted him, yawns with boredom, Bishop Mateo begins to grow impatient, so he decides to reveal one of the details that most bothered him during his meeting with Emir.
"... But that's not all. If you, noble gentlemen of this court, had seen the evil gleam in the eyes of that... that... that human-shaped being as he committed all those atrocities, you would have no doubt agreed with me."
"I understand and share your concern to a great extent, Bishop Mateo..." says Alejandro Nomizo, a gray-haired man with a cunning look, who is in charge of the kingdom's political affairs.
"... But I can't help but give my opinion on what you just said. I don't know how 'evil' that young man's expression was, but I can't help but express my concern at the idea of arresting someone simply because of their appearance."
"That doesn't change what he did. Evil must be punished," says Anwar Cangani, an elderly man with short blond hair and blue eyes.
"I agree with you, Anwar. But we shouldn't rush to judgment. Are we sure this 'boy' did wrong?" says Helio Damore, another elderly man who has long blue hair and violet eyes.
Both men are patriarchs of their respective families and can be counted among the most influential people in the kingdom after the king.
"... According to what Cael said a moment ago, it can be deduced that this young man we are talking about is not in the habit of committing such violent acts without reason. I wonder what drove him to such extremes. I understand that the people who died in the temple publicly confessed a number of things before being executed by the Golden Archer. I would like to know the content of those confessions."
'Ha! As if everyone didn't already know' thinks the person watching from the shadows.
Everyone present already knows what the murdered people confessed, but the bishop was not present during the explanation given by the knights to the nobles and the king.
"I don't think the motivation behind his actions is important, Sir Helio..." says Bishop Mateo, trying to steer the conversation in the direction he wants.
"... as Sir Anwar wisely said a moment ago, evil must be judged. And what that man did today in our temple is blasphemous and heretical. Such acts deserve exemplary punishment, and I am sure everyone here agrees with me on that..."
However, the looks on the faces of the men present do not seem very convinced, so the elderly bishop decides to play another card.
"... Furthermore, his actions today are not the only thing that is questionable. Certain parishioners of our temple have expressed concern about how a commoner could have obtained the money to acquire so many properties in the capital in such a short period of time..."
Those comments make the man with the strange hair extensions snort in exasperation, but he lets the bishop finish his arguments.
"... And what is even more suspicious: one of the first premises he acquired is named after a disgraced saint whom our temple has exiled from the order. I believe that these two things, added to today's events, are sufficient proof that the Golden Archer is linked to evil forces. Therefore, I propose that we strip him of the minor noble title he earned in the war zone, if he has already applied for it, in addition to taking away his recently acquired properties and imprisoning him for the crimes he committed."
At the bishop's words, the shadow watching the scene shifts uncomfortably.