Chapter 50: An Unexpected Ally

“I see.”

But there was one point that didn’t add up.

The summoner did not refer to Belmias as the White Darkness God.

If an apostle of the White Darkness God had intended to bring their god back to this world, they should have called the name of the White Darkness God when summoning Bel.

“But the summoner called me Evil and wished for the destruction of the world. Is another name for the White Darkness God also the Evil God?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure. There are stories that the White Darkness is the god of the sun and death, but I’m not sure about the Evil God. However, if they called you by that designation and wished for the destruction of the world, then both would symbolically be beings at the opposite pole of Luxlon, wouldn’t they?”

Lightsage said, staring at Belmias for a moment.

“But did the summoner really wish for the destruction of the world? And are you going to grant it?”

“Yes.”

“Wow!”

Lightsage, who was briefly impressed, folded his eyes like a fox and gave a thumbs-up with both hands.

“I also fully support that.”

At the unexpected reaction, Lema turned his head sharply and looked at him.

He shrugged as if he had expected such a look.

“There it is. The innocent look of a country bumpkin from the Holy Empire.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why? It would be troublesome if you thought all humans like humans, Sir Lema? I hate people. Honestly, since Lucilonia took over the world, the number of humans has increased too much.”

“…What?”

“I’m saying the number of humans needs to be reduced a bit, you know? People who are sick should die, they should be swept away by disasters, and they should have wars, anyway, they should just die off. Hahahaha.”

While Lema was at a loss for words with his mouth open, Lightsage changed the subject as if what he had just said was no big deal.

“Then, would it be alright to move on to my main point? I can assure you that it won’t be a loss for you, our guests.”

Lightsage gestured with his eyes to the last bag of gold coins that he had been about to explain but had passed over.

“I will not take a fee for my information. Instead, would you be willing to consider the request I am offering positively?”

“A request?”

“Yes…”

Instead of explaining right away, he looked at Lema for a moment.

“Sir Lema, have you, by any chance, heard about the fighting pits?”

“Fighting pits? Of course… how could I not know? Isn’t it a barbaric game that is often held outside of order?”

“Since you were a holy knight, you must have cracked down on it a few times.”

“That’s true.”

“Yes… Then there’s no reason to give you a guide.”

“Are you saying we should go to the fighting pits?”

“Yes. In fact, now is the right time. Now is the pretty… ahem, excuse me.”

“…Pretty?”

Lightsage, as if he had no intention of explaining the slip of the tongue he had just made, just continued what he was saying.

“It’s the time when the number of monsters is increasing. It’s a period when they become periodically ferocious, so security is concentrated in Lucilonia and its neighboring countries. And now is the chance.”

And taking advantage of that gap, a fighting pit was opened for the first time in a long time outside of order.

In the fighting pits, you could kill people during a duel.

A place where people fought bloody battles against people, and where people got excited watching someone kill someone and then desecrate their corpse.

A place where they catch a huge beast, starve it, and let it loose, giving a s*ave only a single sword and telling them to face it.

A place where they cheer while watching a person struggle and finally get torn apart by a beast, their intestines spilling out.

It was an event that Lucilonia, which valued humans, would have opposed.

In fact, holy knights were dispatched outside of order to crack down on it, and it was also an act that even people who did not believe in Luxlon criticized for killing people for entertainment.

Lema had also come out to crack down on it a few times during his holy knight days.

And in that it was an event where people killed and got excited, it could also be seen as an act of human sacrifice that Lucilonia defined as heretic.

Even if it didn’t go that far, it was a mass slaughter.

“It’s a bit much for me to say this, but it’s a place where all sorts of human trash from all over the world gather. So, what’s happening is, taking advantage of the time when the apostles are busy, let’s have a wild time—with that intention, a fighting pit is opening for the first time in a real long time.”

The format was not much different from the fighting pits that had been held until now.

Gladiator slaves, starving beasts, executions, dangerous games… it was an event that would be held without even a supervisor for the first time in a while.

So all of that was scheduled to happen.

“…This time, among them, there will be a tournament. I would like you to participate in it.”

“For what reason?”

“You must obtain the first-place prize. You will know what it is when you go. Although we are a guild that deals with information, in fact, the combat power within the guild is not that high. It would also be troublesome if it was revealed that I am a mage. Please consider this gold coin as a fee for that request.”

“I don’t really have time for that.”

“Didn’t I tell you that it wouldn’t be a loss for you? There is also a possibility that the summoner you are looking for is there.”

“Why?”

“If he is an apostle of the White Darkness God, as I have inferred… that human sacrifice, you know? There is a possibility that he will perform the act of pulling out the heart of the most outstanding warrior and offering it to his god. There is no better stage than that, is there?”

It was a plausible guess.

The summoner had certainly succeeded in summoning the being called Belmias, but he had not seen it with his own eyes.

And a being with that much will would not give up on an act he considered a failure once.

There was a possibility that he would try again in the near future.

In fact, there was a way to wait for him to try again and then recognize the summoner.

Hearing what he was saying now, it didn’t seem like there was a reason to hurry to the fighting pits.

Because if the summoner tried to summon again, Bel would respond to that voice.

There was no reason to accept Lightsage’s request.

She could just wait around the fighting pits, and if someone acquired a sacrifice and tried to summon, Bel could just respond.

However, the reason Bel was interested in that fighting pit was not just because there was a possibility that the summoner was there.

“Can I kill a man there and eat him on the spot?”

“Ahahaha! That would be a huge event. Its popularity will soar! How about you even recruit a new believer there?”

Lightsage even clapped and liked it.

It was unclear whether he liked that people were dying, or because he could definitely get the first-place prize he wanted.

However.

“…”

Only Lema’s head ached, and he pressed his forehead.

It seemed that he had gained another ally who sympathized with his purpose of destroying the world, but instead of feeling a sense of kinship, only the thought that he had gotten involved with the wrong person was amplified.

And there was also a problem that had been making his chest feel tight since before.

He had kept his mouth shut because he couldn’t show it in a place like this.

Lema looked at Belmias, who seemed to be quite enjoying her conversation with Lightsage.

How long had it been since he had sworn to unconditionally follow the being in front of him?

What’s more, Lema had been sincere both when he had first sworn and now.

He had never been insincere.

But contrary to that feeling, he was constantly troubled.

His heart felt heavy, but he didn’t know why.

He didn’t know where that feeling originated from.

******

The outline of the summoner was grasped faster than expected.

Bel entrusted the gold coins that the guild master had packed to Lema and sent him out first.

This time, it seemed she could definitely find the summoner.

After that, she would have to properly grasp what kind of wish the summoner had made, and if it was really a wish to destroy this world, she would have to grant it.

The information Lightsage had given was mostly speculative, and he himself had not been certain.

But it was not without basis, and he must have collected and told her the information.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a good fit.

The information guild master here… was the most peculiar person she had met since awakening in this era.

And if there was a next most peculiar being, it would probably be that one.

Bel, who had come out to the surface, looked for Lema, whom she had sent out first.

The rain had already stopped outside.

The smell of damp earth and the unique sound of insects in the evening could be heard.

The world, where the sun was beginning to set, was already dyed a vermilion color.

Even if the era changed, even if the ruling power changed, even if the humans who walked on this land changed, a scenery like this was always the same.

Bel had lived for a long time, and she had seen such unchanging sights to the point of being sick of them, no matter when she woke up.

A world that changed slightly depending on the season or weather.

To Bel, it all looked beautiful.

Because it was better than the white era that she had endured alone for a time that was close to an eternity.