Chapter 432
The existence known as the Heretic Church, given that FBO is a game featuring evil gods as the final bosses, is an opponent you clash with numerous times while playing. If you don't want to fight them, you can take the Heretic Church route, which is a hidden path in FBO. In exchange, you'll walk a thorny path making enemies of the entire world, though.
The methods the religiously persecuted Heretic Church employs for struggle are, fundamentally, not straightforward.
They secure their number of believers through an extremism that can only be described as "fanaticism," which also prevents people from leaving. Still, compared to the temple forces of this world, they are a minority.
Considering they accept people regardless of race, they could be seen as a tolerant organization in a sense.
"…Given the opponent, let's trust Lord Liberta's words. I will correct my previous instructions. There is a campsite a short distance from the temple. Dispatch the third through seventh platoons there to stand guard."
"Scattering our defenses is dangerous! Besides, what he says isn't necessarily true!"
"…"
Their doctrine of reviving the evil god means they can't afford to be particular about methods. With no surplus in manpower or funds, they are steeped in a mindset of using whatever it takes. You could even say this makes them diligent. Since the belief in evil gods is unacceptable to the people of this world, they are shunned by commoners from first impressions.
However, persecuted religions have a nature where, once you're thoroughly immersed, it's hard to escape.
"You."
"Bishop!"
When fighting the Heretic Church, which possesses that know-how, there's almost always someone on our side with rigid thinking.
In FBO, when a character like this appeared, it was an obvious flag signaling, "Ah, the Heretic Church is coming." Initially, everyone thought they were just pawns meant to create openings in the temple's scenario.
"Hmph!"
"Guhah!?"
"Oh."
If you leave such a character alone, they later tend to arbitrarily judge their own thinking as correct and act on it, sometimes distorting orders from above. This can worsen the story's development. While the temple might fall into crisis, basically, if the player advises the key NPC, they'll do things like punching them into silence to ensure instructions are followed. In FBO, it was a quick flag-resolution action. In modern terms, it would absolutely be a harassment issue, and could be criticized as muscle-brained, barbaric, or senseless.
"Time is precious now. Please follow orders."
Even though he seems gentle, he's a bishop. His fist, honed in the field, cleanly pierced the temple knight's abdomen, doubling him over.
In times like this, the temple becomes very sports-club-like.
Well, I do think it's odd to be challenging a superior's orders in this emergency, though.
"Y-yes, sir."
Watching the figure clutching his stomach, yet somehow managing to stand and run off, Bishop Trades let out a sigh. He probably judged that, for now, internal collapse had been prevented.
"Are there many people like that? I don't mean to be rude, but for voicing an opinion to a superior, it seemed a bit much."
We haven't completely prevented the attack, let alone suppressed it.
But there's still leeway.
"This temple is rarely attacked. It's safe to say there hasn't been one in decades. It's deplorable that a temple knight has become so accustomed to peace."
The initial response was frankly shoddy, an action from the field.
"Oh, no time to lament. Lord Liberta, I apologize for the imposition, but may I borrow your strength? If the opponent is using the Cup of Apostasy, I don't know how extensive the damage could be. I wish to borrow the power of an apostle of the Goddess."
"Understood."
"Lady Mimosa will come with us as well. I will escort you part of the way."
"O-okay."
But there's no time to point that out either.
Nodding at Bishop Trades' request for cooperation, I started walking. Since Mimosa was also coming, she stood next to Bishop Trades, took his hand, and they began walking.
"I'd recommend checking the personnel on-site later, including him."
"…Have you noticed something?"
"Mimosa said she saw a snake monster within the temple grounds."
Our destination was probably the temple knights' guard post, or a place where field command could be exercised. Matching Mimosa's pace, we walked, but the mood was hurried.
For Mimosa, this pace became a run, but she understood the need to hurry and clung to Bishop Trades' hand, following along.
"…Lady Mimosa, is that true?"
"Yeah, I saw it."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"When I told Cassie, she said I shouldn't."
"Cassie did?"
"Yeah, she said there's no way there could be monsters in this temple, that I must have seen things."
Along the way, thinking it should be reported, I mentioned the familiar appearing on the grounds. Bishop Trades' eyes flew open in shock, and looking down at the now-running Mimosa, she nodded.
Cassie was probably the big sister who does the cleaning, mentioned earlier.
"…Sigh. If this matter is resolved safely, it seems a review of personnel is necessary."
From the conversation, it seemed Bishop Trades also knew this person. I sympathized with new problems arising before the incident was even over.
I could roughly guess the reason.
Why are there so many careless people in this important divine mountain temple?
It's partly because this mountain also serves as a training institution for temple executive candidates.
Just as there is the fact of nurturing barrier priestesses like Mimosa, this temple, protected by the great barrier, is a safe place that is almost never attacked. Additionally, being a sacred site called the Divine Mountain, it's also true that it's an important facility for the temple organization.
Therefore, it was convenient for nurturing future temple administrators. The harsh environment of the mountaintop, plus serving in the honorable place of the Divine Mountain, could heighten one's awareness and faith as a clergy, and they could also seek teachings from veteran knights and priests nearing retirement who had stepped back from the front lines.
In other words, what's here now is an environment of veterans past their prime and talented youth, with the middle layer completely missing.
That's why there are many hot-blooded individuals prone to reckless behavior like that, driven by youth.
They share the common understanding of faith, but there's still a gap due to age and experience.
"But that's a conversation for after we've safely overcome this crisis, I suppose."
"Indeed."
The Heretic Church wouldn't cause such a large-scale incident just to test the waters. A fierce battle lies ahead.
"Lord Liberta, you seem to believe there are possessors of the Cup of Apostasy among the climbers. How many do you estimate have infiltrated?"
"At least three. One is too uncertain, two still leaves doubt. To ensure success, they'd send three. Bishop, have you ever fought against something that used that?"
"Yes, about three times in the past."
The Cup of Apostasy is an item where the drinker's body is taken over by the soul dwelling within the liquid, transforming them into a demon. Depending on its grade, it can even develop self-awareness.
"What grade?"
"Assumed, Class 3 twice, Class 5 once."
Its quality is said to vary based on the quality of the souls mixed in during creation and the quality of the pillar soul that binds them together.
"A Class 3 was like a rampaging beast, but by Class 5, it became something combining reason and instinct. Many knights and priests lost their lives to that."
Poor quality items yield at best Class 3, good quality yield at most Class 5.
The finest quality can produce monsters up to Class 8.
"It would be best if such things didn't appear, but to attack this divine mountain, I believe they would send something commensurate."
If they use the Cup of Apostasy, even a demonized being should be weakened by this mountain's barrier. So they would prepare something that can operate and rampage even with that weakening factored in.
That raises the possibility they've prepared a top-tier item, rarely made.
Class 7, or even Class 8.
In my current state with incomplete equipment, I might be able to fight on equal footing or better against one, but multiple would be tough.
"What about the others here?"
"Most of the veteran knights have experience equivalent to mine. There are also several knights with even more experience."
"And the younger ones?"
"Almost none have experience. At most, there are a few knights with combat experience against Class 3 monsters."
If that's the case, this temple's knights become crucial. With many experienced veterans, we might have sufficient combat power, but considering they're past their prime, we can't be fully confident.
"There's no one at Claudia's level, is there?"
"No one of that caliber here."
"Who is the strongest in this temple?"
"I am. If we're talking purely defensively, the High Priestess would be. However, she cannot leave her post maintaining the barrier, so please don't count her as combat power."
If we're fighting users of the Cup of Apostasy, we need commensurate combat power. While having experienced veterans is helpful, ideally, we'd want middle-ranking forces with average experience.
"Monsters born from the Cup of Apostasy possess unique skills. Whether we can handle those will be key, won't it?"
Beings transformed into demons by the Cup manifest a race-specific unique skill named 'Demon's ○○' according to their class, in addition to regular skills.
Up to Class 5, these unique skills are fixed; Classes 1 and 2 don't have them.
Class 3: 'Demon's Brute Strength', activated by sacrificing HP.
A skill that momentarily boosts power and increases physical damage. Being a sacrifice-type skill, the increase value is high. At maximum growth, the sacrifice is also large, but momentary firepower triples. The sacrifice can also be adjusted, and with no cooldown, it can be used repeatedly as long as HP lasts. If you receive it thinking it's a normal attack, the skill activation could send you flying or inflict a fatal wound.
Class 4: 'Demon's Minion Summon', also activated by sacrificing HP.
This skill converts HP into magic power, allowing summoning of familiars at the cost of HP. At Class 4, the summons are at best Class 1. They aren't very strong, but a single sacrifice can instantly create 5 to 10 minions. The strength of sacrifice-type skills is their short cooldown. This allows them to compensate with numbers.
Class 5: 'Demon's Life Conversion', a skill that compensates for the previous two sacrifices.
It restores HP by devouring summoned minions or enemies. The dangerous part is that even with the minimum number of summoned minions, it recovers more HP than was used. By repeating this, they can continually restore HP, making them extremely troublesome. Therefore, even if minions are weak, they are a source of healing, making it necessary to defeat them quickly.
Each time they class up, these skills are granted, and the demon grows stronger.
"I hope nothing Class 6 or above appears."
"If such a thing appeared, we'd be at our wit's end, for sure."
What's even more troublesome is the unique skill that manifests in demons Class 6 and above. Up to Class 5 it's fixed, but from Class 6 onward, a new skill added to the previous three transforms.
It metamorphoses according to one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Sloth, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Envy, Pride, Greed.
They gain an aspect of one of these seven sins, and their skills also transform.
"Lord Liberta, have you fought them before?"
"Yes, in the past."
"That's reassuring. As a reference, may I ask which sin you would most want to avoid fighting against?"
"Well, let's see."
If asked which demon with its respective特性 is the most troublesome.
"Greed, I suppose."
That was my answer.