The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)-Chapter 705: And here I thought Gods should be impartial

When I was running down the stairs, Avarash had already reached the area in front of the stairs. He looked up and bowed at me. "Ah, Sir Valen."

I would have greeted him, but I had to save someone from instant incineration despite the grumbling Salamander on my shoulder, so I just raised my hand in acknowledgment before stopping behind the pathetic old man. Thankfully, the golden statue listened to me and paused.

Looking up while managing my breath, I asked hurriedly before she moved again. "Are you going to incinerate him until there’s nothing left...Goddess?"

Ugh--it was so hard looking up when I was right beneath her. Was this how it felt to watch a movie in the first row of a cheap cinema?

[Naturally] the golden statue tilted her head slightly. [Isn’t that why you work to recover my connection, human?]

"Nope."

[...no?]

"No--I’ll talk separately about my reason," I waved my hand and continued with the urgent matter. "But anyway, I would like it if you don’t erase him."

The golden statue finally put away the hand, asking curiously with narrowed shining eyes. [Why is that?]

I glanced at the Pope, who was trying to look back at me, and pressed my heel on his head to keep his head down. "Because then, you will erase his sins."

[That is the objective]

"But you shouldn’t," I shook my head.

"How impudent!" the pawns, who were still thinking they had any leeway to use their vocal chord after their absolute stupidity, proved to me once again that stupidity, indeed, knew no bounds.

I had no idea whether they were referring to me stepping on the Pope or me talking back to their Goddess--or both--but I had no mood to cater to play nice at this point.

"Shut up," I slammed their heads down to the floor with a layer of mana, before looking up to face the Goddess again. "See? This is what will happen if you erase his sins. People won’t know how heavy it is."

I sighed and shook my head exasperatedly. Ignis offered to burn them on my behalf, but that would negate the point I was trying to make, unfortunately. And just to be clear, I was an advocate of giving people the worst possible punishment for all the bad they had done. But I was also a believer that an instant death was never the worst punishment. If anything, it was the easiest punishment.

After all of the misery they had inflicted on other people, a painless death--or even a few seconds of incredible pain--did not seem to cut it, in my opinion.

No, no. They shall suffer. They had to suffer, at least as much as the suffering their victims had experienced. And then some.

It was a justified punishment in my eyes, and my Spear of Judgment buzzed in agreement. But--but! In this society, we need to convince the one standing at the apex of judgment first.

"What he had done for almost a century was too corrosive; the false teaching spreading from his black heart and corrupt soul had been etched in the human’s mind," I explained to the patron deity of humankind. "They should know how wrong it is. They should see by themselves how wrong it is. The judgment and punishment should be one that could be witnessed by all humans. It should go on long enough until everyone can tell what happens and warn their descendants without having to rely on the bards or historians."

I paused to let the Goddess understand it deeply. This connection she made through the descent was done through an emergency path. The cursed offering itself still had an effect--otherwise, she wouldn’t need our help at all. I didn’t think a cursed relic from the mortal realm would be able to affect a deity forever, but it would take a long time for the effect to completely dissipate.

Thus, she could not think things would be over just because she could tap into her emergency line.

"Of course, it’s only a suggestion," I added lightly, just so it didn’t seem like I was ordering her to do something, you know?

From the gleam inside those shining golden eyes, I could sense that the Goddess understood the difficult situation her absence had brought. [What are you suggesting, human?]

"Well, if it’s me..." I held myself from shrugging out of habit, "I’d stripped them of all their status and power, put a curse on them, and paraded them across the realm while explaining what they had done wrong," I said, pressing my heel to the old man’s peeling face even more. "Let them be the example of what will happen to those who tarnished your name and falsified your teaching." fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

[Hmm...]

"But that’s just me," I added, with an endorsement of my vibrating Spear.

The Goddess made a contemplative gesture. Whether or not it was because she really contemplating things, or just so she wouldn’t look like she agreed quickly to a mortal’s suggestion, I had no idea.

"Oh, Great Lady of Light," Bishop Avashar came forward and spoke while bowing deeply and clasping his fingers in front of his chest. "I wish to ask for the same."

And then, the Hero who had been keeping quiet all this time stepped forward too, using his very precious vote. "Me too, Goddess."

The reaction was very different. The skeptical gaze she gave me and Avashar changed immediately, accompanied by a softer voice. [Is that so, my champion?]

Ugh--I didn’t want to roll my eyes, but I couldn’t help it! Was this the Goddess of Virtue or the Goddess of Vanity? Screw you--I was the one getting the majority of your tears, you damn Goddess!

I didn’t know much about her, but I could tell she was choosing Jin because of his look. Hmph. Look at her leaning down to stroke the Hero’s head. Not that I was jealous, but the preferential treatment when all he did was say ’I agree’ made me wonder if I should just let this Goddess rot in her abode and bring the human realm under my rule.

Should have broken the statue and put Avashar as my puppet Pope or something. Hmph.

[Jade don’t like weird old man, but Jade also don’t like gold statue]

Agreed, Jade. Indeed, my child should have good taste and eyes.

[Since my champions agreed, let’s do as you suggest]

Fuck you.

"Oh, how nice," I said with a sneer I couldn’t bother to hide anymore. She already agreed anyway. And a deity couldn’t just take back what they had said. I crouched and picked up the mole that finally arrived, just in time. There was a pouch hanging around its neck, and I pulled out a stack of papers from there. Freshly snatched from the Pope’s vault. "As a sign of goodwill, I shall hand over these documents proving their corruption."

Chii!

Shiny nodded proudly as I handed over the documents to Avashar. Of course, it wasn’t everything. Since Shiny wouldn’t be able to understand all of the documents, I just asked the mole to take everything from the vaults of the Pope and the executives.

There were more stacks of paper, ledgers, and stuff like gold and money--you know, standard bribery stuff--as well as contracts with royals and nobles inside the pouch. I was sure I would be able to find a contract agreement between the church and Lenaar to insinuate a war. Perhaps even the white book of the Pope’s grand plan to invade the other realms.

Or hey--maybe there was something about how this old man could procure a cursed relic and...whatever it was he was doing with his body.

All of these would be my leverage. Only after knowing they wouldn’t stab me in the back after all of this would I release everything.

"This is..." Avashar quickly read the random documents I pulled out of the pouch. I had no idea what it was in detail, honestly, but I was sure I read ’auction’ somewhere there. Maybe they had been trafficking and selling people for a long time. The Bishop looked at me with sincere gratitude. "Thank you, Sir Valen."

I stroked the soft fur of the mole in my arms. "Good job, Shiny."

Chii!

[Good job, Shiny!]

Even Ignis stroked the mole’s back carefully while muttering in agreement. "Good job."

Whilst the mole squirmed in delight, Bishop Avashar showed the documents to the other Templars, who immediately looked at the Pope and the other church members in disgust. Hmm...interesting. I wanted to know what exactly was written on those papers, but the Goddess did not give me time for that.

[Hmm...yes, that is quite commendable] a rare compliment came from the Goddess. [But tell me, human...]

I turned around to face the Goddess again, and almost flinched when the golden face was suddenly looming above me. Her golden eyes were so bright that I had to shield my eyes with mana to protect my vision. Geez--why would she do that so suddenly? Have some consideration would you, oh Goddess?

The golden eyes narrowed and dimmed slightly, but I was sure it wasn’t out of consideration, considering what she said right after.

[Why are there demons in my realm?]