I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 30. Underground of the City (1)

“It’s him! The redhead!”

“Retreat for now… Ugh!”

Luminaries were stationed for patrol in the harbor city. However, the region was vast and distant from the capital, so their reach couldn’t extend to every corner. Initially, Luminaries didn’t even have a large group of knights.

“How on earth did you find this place?”

The void in public order was often filled by Stigmata, vigilante groups, or criminal organizations that extorted protection money. These groups, due to their nature, had secret hideouts, meaning they could be confronted if you infiltrated these places. One such place was a recently established underground lair that Stigmata used as their base.

“Guh…”

*Crack.*

The tentacle from the cloak snapped the neck of a Stigmata it had seized.

“You bastard!”

A Stigmata attempted to swiftly stab with a sword, but such a mundane attack was easily blocked by the cloak.

“Why is this piece of cloth… Argh!”

*Crunch.*

The cloak wrapped around the Stigmata’s arm, tearing it off and devouring it. The Stigmata writhed in agony but was subsequently consumed by the cloak.

“Well, it ate recklessly again.”

Gluttony’s insatiable appetite knew no bounds.

“Damn it…”

Amid the chaos, one Stigmata tried to escape alone. He sprinted towards the exit, creating quite some distance. However…

『〈Blue Lance〉.』

His head was skewered by a magic spear made of water, ending his life instantly.

‘Indeed… Eldritch’s assistance proved valuable as a long-range support.’

Without Eldritch, he would probably have escaped.

“This time, it’s four.”

In any case, regular knights of Stigmata couldn’t meet the qualifications for Dowol’s Awakening Ritual. Of course, the heretical priest who favored human sacrifices would gladly accept them and reward them with money.

But the primary purpose wasn’t that.

『Lord Ethnos. I understand the provocations, but is it really alright to provoke them?』

Eldritch, who hated entering the cloak, was sending telepathic messages from inside the special bag that had been prepared for him.

‘Basic-armed Stigmata are easy prey and nothing to be wary of. But if Albeka and his properly armed comrades arrive, even Lord Ethnos would struggle.’

Eldritch had consistently opposed the battles.

『Especially, that one known as Albeka is immensely dangerous.』

‘I know.’

Initially, they retreated without much resistance. Their gear was inadequate. The lack of manpower and information was another reason.

‘Indeed, they had armor.’

Considering that Stigmata needed permission to use items, appearing clad in armor substantial enough to prevent a fatal blow was significant.

Granting permission for powerful armor to protect their lives indicated that…

‘In an organization like Stigmata, where lives are treated lightly and deaths common, this means they view that person as a considerable asset.’

I never planned to take them lightly. If they were well-equipped and had gathered information about me, they would inevitably have a significant advantage.

‘That’s why I’m provoking them on purpose.’

Clearing the corpse from the desk, he spread out a map. The hideouts of various criminals and Stigmata, discovered through surveillance by spiders and threads, were marked, and already dealt with locations had been marked with a red sign.

‘I’m not recklessly hunting. I’m creating a pattern on purpose.’

『Pattern… you say?』

Eldritch emerged slightly, scrutinizing the map.

『Hmm… I’m not sure about such things.』

“It’s simple. It’s a range of activities.”

People frequent places due to geographical features, like having favorite stores or regular spots they often visit.

“My hideout as the heretical priest, Ethnos, is here.”

It was marked with a black X on the map.

There was only an old, abandoned house, but the basement of that house connected to a natural cave, and I had taken that cave as my hideout.

“And if you look closely…”

『Aha, it seems to target only the enemies in that vicinity.』

Eldritch, understanding, scurried over the map.

『But wouldn’t this reveal the location of the hideout?』

“That’s the plan.”

I pointed to two differently marked places.

“This is the inn we stayed at. And this is the new inn I’ve secured under the guise of a drunken mage.”

A mage, always accompanied by a bizarre familiar, who was useless and just drank excessively.

I planned to use this identity for gathering information since it was treated as worthless and insignificant.

“See? There’s no pattern. The activities of a mercenary, a priest, and a mage are so different that it’s unlikely anyone would suspect they’re the same person.”

『That is true, but… what’s the point of this?』

“The first goal is safety. My objective is to either steal an enemy relic or kill five holy knights. Once that is achieved, there’s no need to engage further.”

Even if I completely defeat or annihilate the enemy, it would only attract more enemies.

Thanks to the unknown noble murderer drawing away some attention, I needed to balance provoking the enemy and taking appropriate gains.

『Once the goal is achieved, you switch to another identity and live quietly without suspicion.』

“Exactly. And the other thing is to specifically pinpoint Ethnos’s location to lure the enemy.”

In simple terms, it’s a trap.

The basic miracles of the 【Weaver of Destruction’s Threads】 typically required preparation, much like traps using threads.

Given that I managed to outsmart Eldritch, who was much superior, proper preparation could create a far more advantageous situation.

『But isn’t there a risk that your other identities might be suspected? Even if it seems unlikely now… if thorough inspections start, Ethnos’s miracle alone might not suffice.』

It was the area I was most concerned about.

If thorough searches using proper magic, miracles, or enchanted items started, it would be easy for the identities I had prepared to be exposed.

“I need to meditate to understand and reinforce the miracles. And if that’s not enough… I might have to learn disguise techniques.”

『Meditation?』

“Yes, miracles can be enhanced by deepening one’s understanding through meditation.”

Though I was reluctant due to the side effects from 〈Forbidden Transformation〉, meditation on the various miracles before facing Albeka was almost essential.

『I see. Understanding… it sounds strange to me.』

As Eldritch couldn’t use miracles at all, he didn’t seem to fully understand.

Despite accessing various information through the scripture I had, he belonged to a species with a predetermined God.

Since he couldn’t partake in the initiation rituals, he merely read the scripture for knowledge.

‘Come to think of it, it might be a sort of religious activity.’

It was similar to being a theologian.

As using miracles was a significant complex for him, I decided not to bring up the topic.

“Alright, let’s move on to the next. We need to cause a bit more chaos, so they hurry on their end.”

Reducing their preparation time was crucial.

『Hmm… Lord Ethnos, don’t you think you’ll be late for your appointment again?』

“… Oh.”

Eldritch’s words reminded me of something I had forgotten.

I was supposed to pay the blacksmith in iron and money and receive the equipment… but juggling three identities and hunts had already caused me to be late twice.

『Trust is important, Lord Ethnos. If you keep being late, it will affect your reputation.』

“I know… I really do.”

To think I’d get nagged by an extraterrestrial species.

In fact, Eldritch had a rather meticulous side. He often pointed out things I considered trivial and didn’t pay much attention to.

‘Well… this guy has lived in human society much longer than I have.’

As someone from a modern society, the fact that I was less meticulous than a medieval extraterrestrial species was oddly disheartening.

“Alright, let’s go meet the blacksmith.”

I used the tentacles of Gluttony to pick up the weapons that had fallen to the ground and stripped the armor from the corpses.

Gluttony seemed eager to devour the corpses, but when I didn’t permit it, it obediently only gathered the metal items.

“These guys have more tools than weapons.”

Pickaxes, shovels, hammers, and other tools.

Were they disguised as laborers?

『But you are extremely thorough.』

“What do you mean?”

『Honestly, I thought it was excessive to distinguish personality, speech, and habits for each identity. Calculating fake actions and whereabouts for each range of activity is extremely thorough, but…』

Eldritch looked at the sword being retrieved by the cloak and continued speaking.

『You even anticipated the suspicion that could arise from possessing items purchased under a different identity.』

“Of course, I had to be cautious. Just look at how many enemies are after me right now.”

Stigmata, Luminaries, and even mercenaries. Now, even the criminal organizations I had meddled with were pursuing me.

“Offering the blood and flesh of my own kind, bestow your grace. 〈Offering Sinking into Defilement〉.”

The floor where the corpse lay turned into a black liquid, swallowing the body whole. Bubbles surged up, and soon a pouch made of flesh was left where the corpse had been.

『As always, it’s impressive. To utilize miracles so freely…』

“What’s impressive about this?”

Clicking my tongue, I checked inside the pouch. The rewards were increasingly meager. I couldn’t tell if it was discontent over my joining other religious orders or a desire for more and more valuable offerings.

“This time, it’s just two silver coins.”

『That’s remarkable.』

“… Are you being sarcastic?”

『Sarcastic? Many times, even after offering over a hundred sacrifices, there’s no response. You must not realize how unusual it is to receive rewards for offerings every time.』

Scratching my head, I pocketed the silver coins. After learning what Alice was, I had a rough idea why the heretical priests showed special interest in me. They wanted to claim the Apostle of Calamity, with his extraordinary talents, and an unclaimed priest with no master as their own.

‘Is it that necessary to have a priest to serve them? Even to the extent of joining other religions and crafting a cloak?’

I couldn’t shake off the unsettling suspicion that there might be more to it.

『And it’s also unusual that you endure so well with the human body and mind, which have undergone hardly any transformation.』

“That’s… thanks to the potions.”

How much longer it would last, I didn’t know. Antipsychotics weren’t always going to be the answer.

“Now then, the blacksmith…”

*Ping!*

I felt a vibration. Invisible to the naked eye, the spiderwebs—miracles of 【Weaver of Destruction’s Threads】, 〈White Hunting Ground〉—scattered around the area, had detected something. But it felt weaker than usual.

『Is something wrong?』

“There are supposed to be only four people here, right? The life I detected matched exactly four.”

*Ping! Ping!*

『Yes, you are correct.』

“… There’s something more. Something alive and moving, human-sized.”

The spiderwebs continued to detect vibrations.

『Even with the monocles, I can’t see anything.』

*Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!*

“The Stigmata guys… they’ve only recently started using this place as a hideout, right?”

『Yes, you paid for the information and verified it yourself.』

“Why would they?”

I looked around, gauging the surroundings. It was a suitable place. Ideal for a hideout, well-concealed entrances making it hard to discern from the outside. Perfectly apt, but…

“People like Stigmata, who conduct secretive activities, wouldn’t have made this place a new hideout without reason.”

『Is that so?』

“Such people would prefer their tried-and-true, secure locations.”

Of course, there could be multiple reasons for adding new hideouts, but upon closer inspection, something odd caught my eye.

“They haven’t stored any food here. No sleeping bags, either.”

If it wasn’t a hideout, then why were these guys here?

“… Tools.”

I stomped on the earthen floor.

*Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!*

“… Eldritch, there’s something below this place.”

I swallowed nervously at the incessant vibration.

“At least… more than a hundred of them.”

TL’s Corner:
Changing Scripture of Defilement to Scripture of Defilement
Changing Scripture of Despair to Scripture of Despair