Chapter 35: Sloth (3)
Chapter 35: Sloth (3)
~Mash B. POV~
Finally meeting up with Emilia getting ready to leave after we dealt with the fingers wishing up good luck, "May the blessing of the spirits be with you. Good luck. And please be wary Mash-sama."
She bowed as I blushed lightly with Ferris and Julius snickering as I growled at them, "Shut it."
Ferris merely grinned wider as he tried to tease me getting Emilia's heart, "Oh? Trouble in paradise Mash-nyah? Cheating on poor Rem?"
I shot a glare at Ferris as Julius took a jab at me shaking his head as he placed a hand over my shoulder with Wilhelm leaving with Emilia just for safety measure, "It's nothing to be concerned about Bastion-san. At the very least things seemed to be at peace."
Tilting my head to the empty village Ferris spoke as our forces came around to secure the area with a prideful tone, "And you worked so hard to convince the villagers, Mash-kyun… at least the bomb inside the spy's carriages was extracted putting to good use against them."
Silently listening to the situation, I smiled at the news not worrying about things getting off track as Ferris finished up speaking, "That just leaves..."
No sooner was Ferris about to finish Riccardo with the Iron Fang came out as I yelled out loud to them, "Welcome back! How did it go? Did you manage to hit their base of communications!"
Riccardo grinned wickedly putting a thumbs up and responding to my words sharing his news with his bloody butcher blade, "We pulled off a surprise attack on the ones our location was leaked to. The map did a nice job showin' the way."
I smirked at this giving them a map. Thankfully Beatrice assisted me on that front locating them in secret by command as Riccardo continued explaining, "I dunno how you did it, but it worked against 'em. And we got what we were after. This should shut down their communications network."
I sighed in relief at the news meaning the time to take out the Sin Archbishop was near when the adorable trio caught a merchant as I told them to release the guy, "He isn't in the Witch's Cult... he's an unfortunate Merchant that's been caught at the wrong place and the wrong time."
The man in question has ashen gray hair that frames his face and falls just below his chin. He has sharp, bright blue eyes and a fair skin tone. He is somewhat handsome if he has a serious expression. However, he is usually either retorting, shouting, or panicking, ruining his looks. He has a medium build but has trained himself since he used to work as a merchant.
Particularly being clad in green, he wears a green, belted wardrobe, as well as a dark green hood, held up by a red bow. He also wears a green Ushanka, decorated with a white feather. His hat is rimmed with gold and so is his outfit to an extent. As he comes from Picoutatte, he gives off a slight Arabian flair.
He spoke out in a thankful tone as the soldiers released him from our clutches, "I don't know who you are, but thanks for saving me. I'm really in no mood to say and mean that, damnittttt!!!!"
Hahahaha!
[Observe].
[Otto Suwen Lv.5 Merchant]
After letting Otto go Julius went to me as he spoke out with our forces ready to deal the final blow to Sloth in a serious tone, "Everything is ready. Mash, we can leave at any time."
Curtly nodding my head agreeing it was time to finish this rallying walking my way towards the exit of the village urging them to come with me, "Let's do this, everyone. We'll begin as planned. Now... This time, we'll finish it! Let us show Sloth what we can do!"
"YEAH!"
With the loud cheering and motivation behind them, I grinned at this outcome. Everything has been going swimmingly.
I should thank the Witch Cult for helping me become strong earning some EXP from this trip. Status.
----
Name: Mash Bastion
Class: The Gamer
Race: Human
Title: Spirit User
Level: 12 Exp: 0/20%
HP: 570/570
MP: 565/565
STR: 20 (+15)
AGI: 20 (+15)
VIT: 18
INT: 20
SEN: 25 (+15)
LUCK: 53
Stat Points: 0-> 10
Cash: 500
----
The cultists varied between them being level 1 or 2. But the Fingers were Lv.10 each sadly I only got 2 as everyone else did their job splendidly.
Now it's time to kill the Sin Archbishop.
/////
*Tmp*
Stepping outside of the portal I began walking along the dirt road forest for a good amount of time. I calculated this and recalled everything from the anime that the Sin Archbishop was waiting for someone.
Waiting for another but doesn't know who. But soon I didn't get much time to think and stopped following my [Instinct] waiting for the Cultists around me to come.
I know we didn't kill all of them but we managed to ruin their communication of command. I have Julius on standby carefully watching from a distance but not close enough to hear what I have to say.
Soon enough they came out from the forest. They all wore the standard dark-purple Witch Cult robe. They all wore a clerical cassock that had a green stripe down the front and baggy sleeves with peach-coloured frills.
Witnessing them come I checked their levels once they started coming over. [Observe].
[Cultist Lv.1 Witch Cultist]
[Cultist Lv.1 Witch Cultist]
All of them are level one's… gesturing to their bodies they seem to be normal folk. No training on them at all…
Then again, it's a Cult. These guys aren't exactly organized in training in the least using sheer numbers and their leaders rely on their leader's abilities using their [Authorities] to get the job done.
*Swooosh*
Hearing multiple sounds of the wind being torn before finding myself surrounded by cultists. They all had their robes and masks covering themselves and silently stood around me.
Welp time to bullshit my way to victory. Seeing them silently stand there, I calmly told them a command, "Take me to Sloth."
Hearing me, they all exchanged gazes before nodding and pointing their arms in one direction. And with that, they bowed before dashing back into the shadows of the forest as Beatrice stared at them.
*Shuffle*
Feeling Julius left to take care of the Witch Cultist I can handle their boss. Or at the very least run away if need be.
With him gone, I focused on the direction these crazy bastards left for me. I stared in the direction they pointed for a second before taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. I even clenched my fist together.
Feeling all 10 of them left, I let out an exhale and started walking through the forest. And as I walked, carefully analyzed the Demon Beast specifically their horns. With them hornless someone is calling the control of them. Holding the mana stone making me like air to them I would be able to pass them easily.
Seeing as they weren't attacking me, I made my way past the beasts and came upon a steep hill that went on for a good minute or two. Breaking some branches I managed to hit the clearing I was looking for.
I should thank Beatrice for handing me a magic stone making my existence to be the same as air. The same magic used to protect Arlam's village easily avoids the Demon Beast easily enough.
In this clearing was a structure that dug into a cliffside. The structure looked old, some parts of its walls were glazed over with moss and were full of cracks. These cracks ran dep, but somehow the ruins were still standing.
And at the entrance of the ruins was a figure whose face was covered from its shade. The figure noticing took a couple of steps before a pale face revealed itself. His eyes where red, unblinking, and had deep blue bags underneath them. His hair was in the style of a simple bowl cut but had an interesting green color.
[Observe].
[Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti Lv.40 Sin Archbishop of Sloth]
Not as strong as I thought. But considering certain Sin Archbishops they rely on their [Authorities] to get the job done but otherwise, they are very persistent cockroaches stubborn to kill. At least I can start seeing higher levels now.
He also has an uncomfortable smile that reaches from ear to ear. His teeth were yellow and jagged, his fingers were covered in scars, and his figure seemed frail and brittle. But his strength is his body jumping since his a spirit… that makes more sense as to why his level is so low.
However, once he had gotten close enough to me, he bowed his head and spread his cape in greeting in an overdramatic tone, "Greetings believer in love, I am the Sin Archbishop of Sloth…"
His face then suddenly shot up and stared directly at me with an insane smile, "Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti, at your service."
He then shot up in a standing position before continuing being overdramatic, "How wonderful it is to have you here, a child blessed with LOVE! HOW WONDERFUL!"
Eww… he seems like a rotten corpse… which he is.
Feeling a bit awkward with a hint of impatience, I took a bow of courtesy reciting my lines when I encountered this spirit lying through my teeth, "It is wonderful to be greeted by Sloth, my name is Natsuki Suburu."
I then raised my head and stared directly into his eyes with a calm smile, "I have come from the snow of the north to fulfill my Gospel command to become one of your fingers."
He then paused and stared at me in silence making me feel nervous. But suddenly arching his back and letting out a fit of sobs in his deranged tone, "OH! HOW DEDICATED, HOW UTTERLY TERRIFYING DEDICATED, OH HOW SLOTHFUL I AM!"
As tears streamed down his eyes, he straightened himself before quickly jumping forward and pulling me into a hug as his sobbing intensified, "FORGIVE ME FOR MY SLOTH SUBURU!"
Patting the crazed man on the back I smiled before slowly grabbing my Life Sword Zeam present in my hand from my [Sub-Space].
As I brought it close to his back, I gave him some parting words I've been thinking for a while now against this creep in a confident tone, "Don't worry, the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself."
*Shinng*
His sobbing then froze along with his body. Feeling him stiffen up I used [Mana Reinforcement] grasping my hold tighter piercing through his body twisting the blade roughly and pulling it out.
I had made sure to stab him in an area I was confident held his heart. If not, that goes for the head. As I brought him slowly to the ground, I felt my mouth twist into a grin as he looked up at me with a gaze of confusion and fear that almost looked sane, "H-How did y-you –"
*SHINNG*
Taking advantage of his shock and confusion I stabbed directly into the side of his skull and stared him directly in the eyes to make sure the light that was held within them faded. I got my confirmation when my pop-up screen twisted my grin into a smile seeing the job was done.
[Ding!]
[You have killed the spirit using the Life Sword ending its existence!]
[You gain 40 EXP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[The enemy dropped the Witch Factor [Authority of Sloth]!]
[Ding!]
[The Witch Factor [Authority of Sloth] has been latched onto the user's soul!]
[Skill: [Unseen Hands] is gained!]
I couldn't help but grin at this everything went off without a hitch. Everything went according to cake.