IS B3C37

Chapter 037: Tell me that it’s a lie. Luciel, finds out the truth to his hallucinations

Translator: Tseirp

Yesterday, after they had contributed to the bustling activity in the Adventurer’s guild, the adventurers, formed just like an army, began their journey back to Meratoni from the Holy City.

Looking at that spectacle, I was caught between feeling thankful and feeling apologetic as I received warm parting words from the adventurers.

“If anything happens again, I’ll come running.”

“Luciel, I’m glad that you are alive.”

“There will be a masochist convention next time so come join us if you want to.”

“You are the only one who can eliminate Broad-san’s stress.”

“I’ve cheated on my wife but I will try to not give up and apologize just like you.”

“Only true adventurers return their favours.”

“I’ll have you treat me if I get injured again.”

“Don’t think that you are the only one that is growing. When you come to Meratoni, have a few mock battles with us as well.”

Some of the statements in the middle … no I won’t comment on them. I went to say my farewells to Instructor Broad, Grulga-san and Garba-san before they departed towards Meratoni but as expected, they advanced the conversation with a sentence at a time each without waiting for any reply from me.

“Hey listen up Luciel. No, foolish disciple. You have this many people who care about you. I’ve said it yesterday but you are weak. Be aware of that.”

“I understand.”

“Hey hey Broad, leave it at that. If not, he won’t return to Meratoni.”

” … Nuu.”

“No, he’ll return … He’ll return so stop glaring at me.”

“Luciel, the next time you come to Meratoni I’ll train you as well. My style of combat fits the cowardly you more anyway.”

“Hey Garba, are you intending to steal my disciple?”

“Hahaha. Well the person who decides that is Luciel.”

“Anyway when you come to Meratoni, bring along at least one girlfriend.”

“Eh … girlfriend?”

“Luciel. When you have a boy, I can then train him.”

“Yes yes. Luciel-kun is already of that age so think about it.”

“If you have a daughter instead then I can teach her my cooking.”

“Hey there, Grulga don’t you cut in as well and Broad don’t ride along with him. Well if you find yourself unable to stay in the Church Headquarters anymore come to the Adventurer’s Guild in Meratoni. For you, that is the best safe zone.”

“Thank you. If I reach a position that allows me to wander about, I’ll come to Meratoni at least once. Also …”

To these 3 people, it would be better to tell them clearly.

“It’s not like the simple Luciel to look so serious.”

“What is it? Is there something?”

“What’s wrong, disciple?”

I believed that they were my allies so I could tell them.

“From now on the demons will increase in activity. The hero will not be born for dozens for years but before that there is a high chance that the demon race’s strength will increase due to the influence from the evil god. All three of you, please be careful.”

“Hoh. Did the church receive information regarding that as well?”

“As expected of the church to have sharp ears on par with us.”

“You are a 100 years too young to be worried about us. Instead of us, now you should worry about yourself. The next time if anything happens, keep in contact with us properly. If we have many injured personnel, we’ll send in a request to the church to let us have you so don’t worry.”

“I’d worry even more if that happens.”

Just like that I easily believed them. I felt that I would never be able to win against the 3 of them who worry for me in a lifetime. I sent them off before returning to the church.

Returning to the church, just as I wanted to step into the magic-driven elevator, the receptionist called out to me.

“Luciel-sama, please wait a moment.”

Oh? It’s quite rare that the receptionist calls out to me.

“Yes, can I help?”

“I received a message to ask you to find Catherine-sama when you return.”

“But I don’t know anybody called Catherine-san?”

Eh? Why? What’s with that ‘Oh shit’ expression?

“Excuse me. It is Katria-sama from yesterday.”

“Ah. Katria-san … I’m sorry. I have no idea where she usually is and neither do I know where her room is at?”

“Ah if that’s the case then please wait a moment. I’ll contact her for you immediately.”

And then, just like when I initially came to the church, she closed her eyes while holding a crystal ball-like item.

But pulling an all-nighter was really bad. Even though my body was still young, I still felt sleepy. As I yawned greatly while waiting, somebody appeared gallantly.

“Luciel-kun, so you were alive.”

My sleepiness was blown away at once. Because the person who came to get me was Lumina-san. Why is it that she only sees me when I’m doing something weird?

“I would like to talk but we’ll have to go immediately.”

As Lumina-san and I walked towards the Pope’s room, she praised me for staying alive.

『Kon kon kon』

“Valkyrie Paladin Corps captain Lumina here. I have brought the exorcist Luciel.”

“Enter.”

I entered through the middle of the opened door and hung my head while bending on one knee.

“Exorcist Luciel, welcome back.”

“Yes! I apologize for making you worry.”

“No worries. Originally we would have rescued you but there were many who were against it and moreover Wraiths appeared in the 30th floor onward so we had to give up on the rescue.”

“It is okay, I think that that is natural.”

“It helps me if you say it that way. However, why did you not return for over half a year?”

(Eh? Did she not know that a bug happened? So that’s why. If she was monitoring me then she would have came to rescue me.)

“Yes. The truth is the boss that appeared on the 40th floor was a Specter Knight that was larger than usual. It could also ridiculously completely recover every time from any purification magic or healing magic I cast on it … There was only 1 method, it did not recover any wounds it received from physical attacks. Which was why I battled countless times while treating my wounds with healing magic. I have no idea if it was due to my good luck but when I tried to use Object X as a barricade, it succeeded in making it stay away from me. From then on, I battled again and again, healing my legs that were blown off or arms that had been slashed, taking my meals and getting some sleep, as I drew out countless strategies and tried them out repeatedly via trial and error. I desperately ate to regenerate my lost blood that can’t be recovered using healing magic while I looked for its weakness, but I am not a genuine warrior so I could only naively charge forwards. I have no idea how long I fought for but I somehow defeated it.”

Oops, I was getting a little too passionate. When I noticed everyone looking at me I suddenly felt embarrassed.

” … That is tremendous. And so why couldn’t you return after such a long period?”

“Ah~ I wanted to return after defeating it but when I tried to go back the way I came from, I couldn’t open the door so I could only proceed onwards to the 50th floor. After defeating the 50th floor boss, I could finally return. For the specific details, I apologize but I cannot tell it to anybody other than Your Holiness, Katria-sama and Lumina-sama.”

” … Umu. There’s no helping it if there’s something sensitive. Everybody else leave.”

I thought that there would be somewhat of a dispute regarding this, but the attendants, and others who look like archbishops?, bishops? obediently left the Pope’s room.

Including me, only 4 people remained in the Pope’s room.

“And so? Do you have a decent reason for clearing out the room?”

Even though her figure was hidden, I somehow felt a vigilant atmosphere from the Pope.

“Yes. The 50th floor boss … I was surprised by it in the main room. An enormous Wight attacked me and the blood that flowed from it gave rise to monsters.”

“Was it possibly a Specter Magician?”

“Yes. It was somewhat like that configuration? I somehow defeated it using 「Sanctuary Circle」, but at the very end, I had not expected it to cast an illusion of the Wight becoming an elderly man which attacked my mental spirit.”

” … Elderly man.”

Eh? Was it not an elderly man? Katria-san and Lumina-san were stunned and staring at my direction. Ah, was I too frank with my words?

“Putting aside the hallucinations, it is fairly difficult for a new healer to clear that labyrinth. I was fearful that any moment I would hear the words of resurrection after getting game over.”

However, it should be alright for me to claim that I had cleared the illusionary labyrinth now right? Even though it is true that it had amazing quality, I had really worked hard for it?

“Game over? What do you mean by resurrection?”

Eh? Ah. There isn’t any games in this world. Instead of resurrection, I have no idea what word they use for it.

“Your holiness, I’ve cleared the labyrinth so there’s no longer any need to continue acting? There’s also something else I’d like to say. That Holy Dragon that appeared in the end, I was really surprised.”

“Elderly man, Holy Dragon, maybe …”

“It was regarding the reincarnation dragons that were sealed by the evil god. A setting that would have me release the sealed dragons within the next 40 years.”

” … Katria, Lumina. I forbid you from revealing anything that Luciel had just said.”

“”Yes!””

” … And so, what did the dragon say?”

“Erm, if the sealed dragons are not released, the demonic element would become closer to the Darkness and gradually become stronger. The hero that would be born might lose to the demons. I would say that it’s a great setting.”

” … What are you talking about. This … wait, did it say anything else?”

“It asked me, a healer, to do whatever I can within my capabilities. Also, I did not retrieve the final magic stone within the labyrinth because I felt that it was a trap.”

” … Luciel. Since just now there has been a few things that bothered me, could I ask about those?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

Is it if I enjoyed the labyrinth? Or my approach to face the bad smell? The monster arrangement for the next labyrinth?

“Firstly, what do you mean by illusion?”

“Eh? Starting with that? Well that is important coming from the maker’s point of view. The quality of monsters beginning from the 1st floor was high. However, it is a shame that there wasn’t any discomfort when receiving attacks nor was there any feedback when attacking with a sword or spear.”

” … Lumina, what were your thoughts when you dived?”

“There was feedback when slashing but when magical power was channelled, I felt that they immediately returned to the demonic element of the labyrinth.”

“Apart from that the quality was high. There was a sense of pain, especially the 40th floor knight setting, did Your Holiness set them yourself? Ah, the weapons used by that knight, the greatsword and long spear, can I take them out?”

“Yes.”

“This is the problem. Although the illusions was impressive to allow this greatsword to cleave through the shield and the arm holding on to it, and this spear to blow away the leg into fragments, usually the shock would be too great causing the person to faint or die. It is devilish to set such a strong monster … you have no idea how many times I thought of that.”

“These very two are … and within that report I want to doubt my ears but how many pairs of arms and legs do you have? And the magic you used in the 50th floor … did you say 「Sanctuary Circle」?”

“Yes. I luckily obtained the magic spell book for 「Extra Heal」 on the 39th floor, following that the previously mentioned 40th floor boss dropped the 「Sanctuary Circle」 spell book, and remarkably, I had no chance to use it yet, but the 50th floor boss dropped the taboo magic 「Revival」 when I defeated it. There is a chance that I would not use this in a lifetime so it would gather dust within my magic bag … time is frozen in it so I guess that would not happen, but I guess I would not take it out into this world.”

” … Katria, Lumina, I forbid you from revealing anything you’ve heard today.”

“”Yes!””

“So, Luciel, I would have you take out everything you collected in the boss rooms. Of course including those obtained from the dragon as well. It is necessary to inspect them. Of course all the items belong to you, but there might be some items that I would like you to hand over to me.”

“Well I guessed it would come to this. Since they were items that were planted by Your Holiness for the labyrinth capture.”

“You’ve been talking about illusions since just now but I did not place these items and the undead are real monsters.”

“No way, if they were real monsters then wouldn’t my level rise? I had not risen by even one level. Without that I would have believed it.”

” … How?! … Show us your status.”

“Eh? There are no changes anyway. Status open.”

“See, I’m still level 1.”

“But your job increased, and do you think that is the status of a level 1?”

“It is true that my status have increased across the board, but if you insist on that, then why does my level not increase?”

I refuted it. It is true that my status have increased but I would still be instantly killed by Broad-san so I am not that strong.

” … Katria, show this to Luciel.”

Katria-san retrieved an old book from the Pope and she passed it to me.

“This is?”

“The original literature for God’s Grief a.k.a. Object X. Read it.”

Various discussions were recorded within the document. Among those, there were several possibilities written.

Written among the discussions regarding body level, it had been confirmed as a demerit that when drinking it the individual would find it very difficult to level up.

Moreover, because there wasn’t anybody who continued drinking it, he hoped that someday somebody who could do so would appear so that he could conduct a detailed study.

That was written in the conclusion at the very end of the literature.

” … Erm, eh? I can’t find the proper words. Hahaha. Eh, but?”

“Luciel-kun, calm down.”

“Luciel-kun, it’s okay, you are still alive and present here.”

“Surely you didn’t think that it was really all an illusion.”

I was supported at both sides by Katria-san and Lumina-san until I calmed down. I remained in that posture all the way until I settled my confused state of mind.

At that time I really didn’t have any spare room to consider the fragrant scent from the two ladies nor the way they attended me from both sides. Even the posture that I was in, I didn’t felt anything at all.

When I retrieved the items from my magic bag after I had calmed down, the Pope only collected the 40th floor boss’s greatsword and long spear, as well as the 50th floor boss’s cane.

The magic spell books became my belongings and I complied when she requested permission to copy them, except for 「Revival」, at a later date.

The 40th floor boss’s equipment and the equipment left behind by the Holy Dragon were returned to me and they became my dedicated equipment, as nobody else could handle them.

In addition the magic bags, I did not need them because I would not have a chance to use them, but apparently the labyrinth magic bags could be bought with white gold coins.

“Regarding the Holy Dragon bones obtained after applying purification on the undead dragon, is it possible for you to hand some of them over to me?”

“Yeah. If I’m the only person who can use the Holy bones from the Holy Dragon, then others can use the parts that turned into undead? However Your Holiness, please only use them for the Valkyrie Paladin Corps and former knight captain Catherine.”

“Understood. The celebrations for clearing the labyrinth would be held a week from now, you will be required to attend as the guest of honour.”

“Understood.”

“Katria and Lumina remain behind, we will carry out a discussion regarding future measures.”

“”Yes!””

“Luciel you have achieved a great cause. I am glad that you returned safely.”

“Yes! Thank you.”

Even though I had lack of sleep and was in a state of turmoil, I thought about how dangerous were the things that I had done as I returned to my room.

Normally I wouldn’t be able to sleep at this timing, but thanks to the Angel’s Pillow cheat item, I was able to get a deep and peaceful sleep.

(TL: This chapter most likely answered a lot of the speculations you all had up until now 🙂 So it really was Object X. and Luciel finally got to keep the spoils of war from his hard fought boss battles and labyrinth dive!)