Chapter 138: Archbishop of Sin – Pride
Walking leisurely through the forest, Natsuki Subaru suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Around him, a group of people appeared—followers of the Witch Cult.
Seeing them appear and bow respectfully to him, the tension in his heart eased. Their appearance proved that his plan could proceed as intended.
They hadn't attacked immediately, which meant they truly didn't know that the spy hidden among them had already been dealt with.
Their bow confirmed they didn't realize Subaru was there to wipe them out—it also confirmed that the stench on his body really did make him pass as a member of the Witch Cult.
"Perfect. Take me to Petelgeuse."
The cultists nodded respectfully, and one of them remained to lead him deeper into the forest.
After walking for a while, the cultist stopped, turned to bow once again, and then disappeared into the ground.
"So it's just ahead…"
Lifting his foot and walking a bit further, Subaru came upon a cliff, a cave—and the Sin Archbishop of Sloth.
"Welcome, Apostle of the Witch."
"You're Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, the Archbishop of Sloth? You're not quite what I expected… Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself."
A bloodthirsty smile crept across Subaru's face as he slowly spoke:
"I am the Witch Cult's Archbishop of Sin, bearer of Pride—Natsuki Subaru."
"Ooooh! How marvelous! The long-vacant seat of Pride is finally filled! Could this be guidance from the Witch herself?! Ah, how rude of me. I am Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, Archbishop of Sin, bearing Sloth!"
Finishing his self-introduction, Petelgeuse straightened up and took a deep breath.
"Ah! This scent, the fragrance of the Witch's favor—you truly are Pride! With the Archbishops of Sin now all gathered, our trial may finally begin! How glorious! My brain trembles!!"
Watching Petelgeuse's mad behavior, Subaru let out a helpless sigh, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes.
He took a step back, glaring at Petelgeuse with disgust, and said:
"You're the Archbishop of Sloth? Disgusting. I can't believe I'm one of the same as you. Makes me sick."
"What are you saying?"
Petelgeuse halted his madness, straightened up, and stared at Subaru with a shocked expression, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I said, you're disgusting. Don't tell me the other Archbishops are all like you. If that's the case, I don't want to be one at all."
[…]
Petelgeuse looked at Subaru as he drew the longsword from his waist and saw the fierce grin on Subaru's face.
"Still, since I was chosen by the great Witch to be an Archbishop, even if I find companions like you repulsive, I must not betray the Witch's love. In that case, I'll just have to eliminate all the other Archbishops… and raise new ones myself."
"You are Pride…"
"Yes, I am Pride. We don't need multiple Archbishops—just me alone is enough to repay the Witch's love. Trash like you aren't worthy of it."
"Such pride… such arrogance! My brain trembles!! But now is not the time for us to be enemies. The trial is near. For now, let's coexist peacefully."
Petelgeuse took out a black book from his robes.
"Since Pride has now appeared, you must also be here for the trial. Let the Gospel guide our actions."
Saying this, Petelgeuse swiftly flipped open the Gospel.
"The Witch's love, the Witch's revelation… Revelation… revelation…"
Subaru, gripping his sword, stared at the black Gospel.
His expression darkened.
He had seen this book before—not with Petelgeuse, but long ago… back at the mansion.
"Hm?"
Subaru made a confused noise as he slowly raised his head to meet Petelgeuse's gaze—now tinged with suspicion and hostility.
"You're Pride… but why doesn't my Gospel mention you? Why are you here? What brought you to this trial? What kind of offering will you present to the Witch?"
"Good question. Why am I here? Simple. My Gospel told me so."
"It told you?"
"It said: The Witch no longer needs Archbishops like you."
"Wha—!"
Before Petelgeuse could finish, Subaru suddenly rushed toward him. Sensing danger, Petelgeuse tried to activate his authority to stop Subaru's approach.
By his calculations, his ability should have been more than enough to halt Subaru. But then, at the sound of a not-too-loud snap—
Petelgeuse's pupils shrank instantly. At the same time, a chilling sensation in his chest made him fix his gaze on Subaru standing before him.
"You—"
"Hah!"
From the bushes behind Subaru, two children jumped out.
The sound of stones cracking and crumbling rang from behind Petelgeuse.
"The Witch no longer needs you, Petelgeuse…"
"Na—"
Subaru didn't wait for him to finish. He yanked the longsword from Petelgeuse's chest and, in one swift motion, slashed at his neck.
A moment later, the severed head flew into the air, spinning before falling to the ground. Petelgeuse's headless corpse collapsed at Subaru's feet, followed shortly by the tumbling head.
Subaru gave his sword a sharp flick, flinging off the blood, and awkwardly glanced at the gore still clinging to the blade. With a sigh, he crouched down, tore off a piece of cloth, and began to wipe the weapon clean.
"Wow, big brother, that was amazing!"
Hearing the voice, Subaru turned to see Mimi bounding over to his side.
With a gentle smile, Subaru tossed aside the bloody cloth and reached out to pat her head.
"You were amazing too, Mimi. And Tivey too—burying them all so quickly. I'll treat you two to a big meal after this."
"Yay!"
Watching Mimi bounce around cheerfully, Subaru sheathed his sword and stood up, looking at the warriors emerging from the forest. He spoke up:
"Alright, everyone—check the area for any stragglers. Once you're done, regroup with Wilhelm, Ricardo, and Julius. Let's hope everything went smoothly on their end."
With those instructions given, Subaru turned around and bent down to pick up the book that had belonged to Petelgeuse.
"So this is the Gospel…"
Subaru murmured as he opened the black book, only to find pages covered in incomprehensible writing.
Despite thinking he'd learned most of the country's written language, Subaru could only sigh in frustration.
Only now did he realize—his knowledge was still far from enough.
If he ever hoped to find his way home… he had a lot more to learn.