This Isn't an E*otic Game?-Chapter 74: Another Spoiler

The last thing I remember is the moment Mammon pierced my heart with his long, sharp, spear-like arm.

The chilling and horrifying sensation of my heart bursting remained vividly in my mind, and the feeling of my body growing cold and sinking into the water still lingered in my memory.

I also briefly saw the Goddess Lilia appear before me and disappear.

And then...

It was comfort.

It was so comfortable.

A soft, peaceful feeling wrapped my whole body, free from any pain, misfortune, or fear.

As I thought I didn’t want to wake up from that hazy happiness...

[It’s done. It’ll be okay now.]

A soft voice rang in my ear.

I couldn’t tell if it was a dream or an illusion. In the surreal sense of reality, that voice, almost like an echo, made me lift my head.

I felt something embrace me.

I saw multiple pairs of wings sprouting from my back.

The wings on the right were a holy, brilliant white, and the wings on the left were so revoltingly black that just looking at them made me feel sick.

And strangely, one of those black wings began to tremble and slowly turned white, just like the right side.

What is this?

Is this another illusion from my prophetic ability that only shows me the destruction of the world when it feels like it?

I turned my gaze to look at the face of the being holding me.

But there was no face to be seen.

The dazzling golden light was so blinding that I couldn’t make out the face of the one holding me.

“Who... Who are you?”

I asked in a dazed voice, and she gently stroked my cheek.

[That answer isn’t for me to give. It’s for you to answer. What do you want me to be?]

What is this nonsense?

Is this some kind of Zen riddle?

“Where am I? Am I dead? Is this Hell? Is this Heaven?”

[That too will depend on how you define it. Where do you want to be? Do you want to be in Hell? Do you want to be in Heaven?]

Isn’t this an obvious question?

“Heaven. I would like to be in Heaven.”

[Then that’s how it will be. Amayel. Remember this. Everything will change according to your choice. If you choose Heaven, it will be Heaven.]

She lightly kissed my forehead.

[You will be the one to suffer alone from now on. Move forward.]

The light began to grow more intense.

I flailed my arms.

“Who are you!! Who are you!!”

She never answered.

And then, the next moment...

A chilling sense of reality suddenly hit me.

Didn’t Mammon pierce my heart?

Then, what is this?

This overly healthy body?

This nearly perfect, clean mind?

This doesn’t make sense.

I suddenly felt a sliver of hope.

Yes.

I must have died.

I must have died once.

Mammon himself descended and tore me apart, so my soul must have been shattered into pieces.

Please.

When I open my eyes, I want to see the familiar ceiling of my apartment.

When I wave my hand, I want to feel my smartphone next to my pillow.

When I open the window, I want to see the cars and the concrete buildings crowded in front of me.

Please, I beg you.

It must be Korea.

It has to be Korea...

“Saintess! Saintess!!”

Ah.

No...

I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping, then opened them again, but the scenery in front of me didn’t change.

Yodel Grandpa.

I see Yodel Grandpa.

And behind him, I see the holy knights of the Grace Order standing in formation.

The symbol of weeping eyes etched into their armor is clearly visible.

Ah.

It’s not Korea.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

I didn’t die.

No.

I was pierced through the heart by Mammon.

Then, shouldn’t I be dead?

Why am I still alive?

Why, exactly why!!

“Saintess!!”

“Aah, Saintess!!”

“Prophet of Grace!!”

“Praise Lilia!!”

Seeing this collective worship after such a long time, I wasn’t happy, but rather, I was bewildered.

How am I supposed to deal with this? Mammon himself descended and tore me apart, but I’m still not dead?

What am I supposed to do to die!?

Should I be happy?

Should I be depressed?

I couldn’t tell, so I just blankly stared at Yodel Grandpa.

“Saintess. We must head to the Princess now.”

Yodel Grandpa wiped his tears and extended his hand toward me.

“They need to discuss security and follow-up matters regarding Scrap Yard. Can you go?”

Hearing those words, I suddenly remembered.

Right.

I had stirred up the workers and caused a general strike, and now this is what happened?

I sighed deeply and got up from my seat.

Once again, I failed to die.

Just like with the Evil God’s Fragment.

And now again.

Why can’t I die on my own terms?

But anyway...

Since I’m alive and can’t die, I guess I have to deal with the aftermath of what I did, don’t I?

“Please guide me.”

Because I don’t want the workers of this city to suffer.

****

Even though Iomene and Almene looked at me, they maintained their cold, indifferent expressions, not even flinching.

I’m sure they were happy to see me, but the atmosphere of the place where they were sitting was hardly one conducive to warm greetings.

The Town Hall, the central location where all the administrative and political decisions of Scrap Yard were made, was currently filled with factory owners and labor theorists.

It seemed that the temple and the imperial figures that Iomene and Almene had brought along were creating an oppressive atmosphere that made it hard to breathe.

“So, are you saying that the root cause of all this chaos lies with us? Mr. Bayers?”

“Yeah! I told you it’s because of you!! You traitor who’s violating the empire’s laws!! I knew the labor theorists were shady, but I never imagined you’d team up with demon worshippers!! And don’t call me by my name! Call me 'Mayor'!!”

“The demon worshippers didn’t even come from the factory owners!! And yet you completely ignore that and blame only the labor theorists? Truly remarkable! I could rip your eyes out and throw them away, Bayers! You’ve clearly lost your function already!!”

“Kal Lenaro!! You filthy bastard!! Call me 'Mayor'!! What 'safety' are you talking about!!”

“Enough!! Enough!! Both sides, be quiet!!”

After the loud shout from Gerson, the high-ranking member of the Silence Sect, whom I had seen during my heresy trial, both sides finally closed their mouths, but the hostile atmosphere between them didn’t dissipate easily.

“Honorable Princess. Guests from the Temple. And the interrogators of the Black Fortress. The person before you, the leader of the labor theorists, Kal Lenaro, is a criminal who has violated imperial law multiple times. He has committed countless acts of terrorism against public authority and has attempted to ruin legally operating businesses.”

The mayor of Scrap Yard, whom Kal Lenaro had been calling {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Bayers, spoke in a polite and cultured voice, pointing toward Kal Lenaro.

“Moreover, though I have not fully confirmed it, I’ve heard that the Saint was attacked and collapsed by demon worshippers while with them. Isn’t it obvious? These are the people who tried to ally with demon worshippers and kill the Saint. Arrest them immediately, on charges of heresy, or whatever else. Execute them.”

“Bayers, you son of a bitch!! That’s slander! We never tried to kill the Saint!!”

Ignoring Kal Lenaro’s furious outbursts, the mayor turned to me and smiled warmly.

“Saint! Just in time! Please testify! Didn’t you get attacked while you were with the labor theorists? Please tell them the truth! We must clarify the details of the situation!”

The mayor looked at me with hopeful eyes, while Kal Lenaro turned to me with an expression that seemed unsure of how to look at me.

The last time I met them...

The relationship between Kal Lenaro, the labor theorists, and I wasn’t exactly amicable.

I had told them what would happen, and they had rebelled against my words.

Then, with Mammon’s sudden interference, things had gotten chaotic, and here we were.

Kal Lenaro and the labor theorists exchanged looks and whispered to each other for a moment before standing up and turning to face me.

“Saint. You know, don’t you? You know how the workers in this city have lived. How they’ve been treated.”

He struggled to speak.

“We had no choice but to rise up. I believe you understand our pure intentions. You, who declared a general strike for the workers!!”

“Pure? It’s a question whether people like you, criminals, should even be allowed to use that word. The situation is quite simple. These labor theorist terrorists made a deal with demons to destroy Scrap Yard and the businesses, and as a result, they attacked the Saint, who tried to help the city with a pure heart!”

Mayor Bayers stood up and pointed at Kal Lenaro and the labor theorists.

“Arrest these terrorists! They tried to destroy legitimate imperial businesses and tear down the rule of law! They are the true culprits of this situation! If we catch them, it will be over!!”

The labor theorists glared at the factory owners and Mayor Bayers with expressions full of rage, but that was all they could do.

Iomene and Almene looked at me.

“Is what he said true, Saint? You must clarify the facts so we can make a judgment.”

“Kal Lenaro and the labor theorists have been wanted for imperial law violations for a long time. Is it really true that they made a pact with demons? I think you, the Saint who saw it all up close, would know better than anyone.”

Everyone was looking at me.

Kal Lenaro and the labor theorists were staring at me anxiously, while the factory owners were looking at me with faces that seemed to say they had already won.

I didn’t respond.

For the labor theorists, it was practically the worst situation.

The public authorities had suddenly come in and seized control of the entire city.

Most likely, the imperial family and the Temple had not been on the side of the labor theorists for some time.

That much was certain.

Religion was a drug for the workers, and they were the ones who had terrorized the legally operating businesses of the factory owners while blatantly violating imperial law.

With a single word from me...

They would all be dead.

With a flick of my tongue, they would all perish, but I didn’t do that.

“I’d like to have a conversation with Kal Lenaro and the labor theorists here. Could you prepare a room for us?”

****

In a small room next to the meeting hall...

The labor theorists and I sat on the sofa in silence.

Iomene and Almene were doubtful about whether it was a good idea to place me in the same room as the terrorists again, but in the end, they followed my suggestion.

“Saint. We rose up for the workers. You know this, don’t you?”

After a long silence, Kal Lenaro finally spoke carefully.

“We couldn’t stand seeing those capitalist pigs treat people like parts and exploit them. Yes. That’s right. We did break the law. The empire’s law was never on our side, so we had no choice. You, who led the general strike and sacrificed your time and energy to help the workers... you understand, don’t you?”

I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at those words.

Though their methods were radical and extreme, their passion was pure.

But I knew all too clearly what kind of end that pure passion would lead them to.

“This is what the Saintess of the White Order gave me.”

I pulled out a neatly organized file from Almene, who had just handed it to me.

“The demon worshippers were so hasty when their identities were exposed that they didn’t even have time to dispose of the materials necessary for running their organization. All the evidence was left behind. Even when they casually checked the hideout hidden on the surface and the underground base, all the key evidence came pouring out.”

Mammon.

The followers of this greedy Demon King had organized their operations just like a business.

They meticulously planned to maximize the collection of their willpower with minimal expenditure.

Because of this, the documents explaining how they planned the future were all well-organized, and the one I held in my hands was that very file.

I handed the file to Kal Lenaro and the labor theorists.

They took the file cautiously and began reading it.

Soon, their eyes grew wide.

“I... I’m supposed to become the head of the concentration camp and oversee the surveillance and brainwashing of countless workers?”

One of the labor theorists muttered, his voice trembling as he read the document.

“I... I’m supposed to order the deaths of millions of workers by starvation?”

Kal Lenaro’s voice was also shaking.

And it didn’t stop there.

“I’m supposed to gather all the scrap metal from people’s homes to increase steel production, and make low-quality scrap metal? And in the process, destroy the natural environment by cutting down all the trees?”

“I’m supposed to incite and brainwash children and teenagers?”

“I’m supposed to publicly humiliate and... kill intellectuals in the middle of the city?”

As they read on, everyone was silently horrified, their voices trembling.

Then, a female labor theorist suddenly raised her voice.

“I’m supposed to isolate women, make them hate men endlessly, and create societal cancers? This can’t be true! I’ve worked my whole life for women’s liberation! I would never do something like this!!”

Everyone seemed shocked.

But what could be done?

“As it’s written. Everyone. I, the seer, guarantee it. Not a single word is wrong. It will be realized exactly as it’s written.”

This was the reality.