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Chapter 16

You Must Grab The Chance When It Appears, Even If You Have To Hug The Goddess of Luck Herself

 

Power.

 

It’s a word with a broad meaning, that can be used for basically anything depending on the context. But.

Most of the time——especially in this case, with how dire our situation is——there is only one meaning.

 

Power to strike.

Power to destroy.

Power to kill.

 

It could only mean these things.

 

I stared back at Sybilla, straight into her eyes.

 

「……」

 

For once, it doesn’t seem like she’s fooling around this time.

 

「Sybilla.」

 

「……」

 

「Just who in the world are you really?」

 

That is the first thing I want to know.

 

Judging by the roaring wall of flames that still burns wildly, I think we probably have enough time to talk.

In response to my question, Sybilla just awkwardly averted her gaze.

 

……Sybilla has been a great support to me.

With her vast knowledge and precise know-how, she taught me a lot of things in this dungeon exploration, and her flexible way of thinking also helped me break out of my shell.

 

She sure knows a lot about this stuff, I thought.

Especially when she told me about Priests’ magic.

 

However, when it comes to the Saintess… the Saint’s magic, she didn’t seem to know much about it.

Based on how she reacted to my Cure Link, at least I can tell that someone must have been keeping these things under wraps.

 

That’s why I find it strange.

 

There are several pieces of information that have been kept secret or might even be purposefully left unclarified.

Among them is something that’s important for the sake of humanity’s survival.

 

——Demon Lords.

 

There’s no record of the existence of the Demon Lord in any of the stories about the Hero Party’s adventures.

But if I remember correctly, there is a legend from a long time ago about a group of adventurers who were not even a part of the Hero Party and successfully subjugated the Demon King.

And this is here where I have my suspicion. That maybe 『The Heroes had intentionally kept the existence of the Demon Lord a secret』.

 

The Hero or The Saintess must have thought that giving out strategic information about the Demon Lord would be troublesome for them because 『someone else might steal their credit』 for defeating the Demon Lord.

I would never have such a thought in the past, but… when I think of the legendary Saintess who kept silent about the fact that she used “Cure Link” just because of her lust for honor, and considering the fact that the Goddess who bestows a Job based on one’s character had given Vince the 【Hero】 Job, I think it would be more natural that they would do this kind of thing.

 

More than the incoming crisis of humanity, more than the bond between companions… they chose to pursue their own greed.

But well, I guess this makes them more human and believable.

 

Well, let’s put that aside for now.

My point is, that even now, mankind doesn’t even know.

About the existence of 『Demon Lords』. And… the 『Demon World』.

 

That’s right.

Sybilla knows a lot about dungeons.

Maybe even suspiciously too much. 

 

I stopped talking and just kept staring at her in silence. Perhaps she finally gave up being so stubborn, she let out a deep sigh and started to speak in a small voice.

 

「….The truth is, I was watching you back at Hammond. More specifically, I’ve been keeping an eye on all of the Priests in the city.」

 

「……」

 

「I… was looking for a Healer. A kind-hearted Healer who’s harboring some kind of grudge deep inside them. And out of all the ones I saw in the city, I was most interested in you, who seemed to be so unfairly mistreated. Though I didn’t know that you were a 【Saint】 back then.」

 

I see, so Sybilla already knows about me since back then.

It seems she was looking for a Priest there, and that’s how she memorized the magic that Priests can learn.

But then there’s still one question remaining.

 

「But you didn’t know much about the Saint’s magic, huh?」

 

「What can I say, there’s no chance for me to approach her back then. After all, the 【Saintess】 at that time was loved by the hero, so she had no dark emotions in her heart in the first place. That’s why I’m familiar with other Healer Jobs like a Priest but not a Saint. It’s like a black box… a box full of secrets that I can’t see the inside of.」

 

「Were you meeting me at the orphanage also a part of your plan?」

 

「No way. It really just so happened that I heard a Dungeon Scarlet Bat was terrorizing the children, so I want to lend my hand with that. So when you, who I was most interested in and thought was a Priest, saved me, I thought it was fate.」

 

「Fate?」

 

「Yes, fate.」

 

After she said that… a pair of semi-transparent black-colored wings grew on her back.

 

「…What the…」

 

「I am…」

 

「I am a Goddess. But I’m not the same Goddess that the church is worshipping, that’s the 『Sun Goddess』. I’m known as—— 『the Goddess of the Evening Dusk』.」

 

「The Goddess… of the Evening Dusk…」

 

I unconsciously muttered to myself as I was so taken aback by the turn of events.

I’ve always thought that her beauty is out of this world, but to think that she’s a real Goddess…

 

「Or perhaps it would be more familiar for you, the followers of the Sun Goddess to call me the 『Evil God』?」

 

「…..So it was a cult invitation after all.」

 

「Fufufu, you can say that.」

 

She laughs happily for a moment, and then her expression turns serious again, as she was at the beginning of our conversation.

 

「Do you desire power?」

 

「…….」

 

「You, who have been betrayed by your companions… don’t you want an overwhelming power that can surpass even the hero and get your revenge on your companions?」

 

……I can tell that she’s not saying this as a mere joke.

 

「What kind of power is it?」

 

「It’s 『Dark Magic』. This will convert your power to dark attribute offensive magic. I have manifested in this world many times by transferring my memories, looking for a 【Priest】 to turn into 【Dusk Sorcerer】. If you’re willing to make a 『Pact of the Dusk』 with me, I will grant you Dark Magic, the ultimate attribute of offensive magic.」

 

…Will I really be able to finally use offensive magic too?

 

Huh, wait a second.

What did Sybilla say just now?

 

「What do you mean by 『converting』 my power to offensive magic? Is it not something that I have to learn from the beginning?」

 

「No, that wouldn’t be all of it. You will have to sacrifice all the Priest-related magic you have learned along with all the knowledge and magic power you have accumulated in order to learn Dark Magic.」

 

It’s not much of a price to pay in exchange honestly.

All I had to do was sacrifice all the magic I had learned up until now.

 

I recalled the time when I was still in the Hero Party.

 

My companions who also learned healing magic.

Jannet, who was the first to learn the same healing magic as me, even though her Job, the Sage, is said to specialize in offensive magic.

Emmy, who learned the same healing magic, even though she is already physically strong and has more strength than a Healer.

And lastly… Vince, who even though he trained and grew up the same way as I did… even though he’s already strong in both swordsmanship and magic, specializing in offensive magic… also learned healing magic on top of becoming the Hero.

 

I wonder how many times have I thought to myself that I don’t need healing magic?

And how many times have I wished that I had offensive magic instead?

 

The ultimate offensive magic attribute.

The one thing I desperately wanted all this time.

I could get it all just by sacrificing this healing magic I never needed.

I’ll probably never get another chance like this.

 

I looked at Sybilla and was about to open my mouth——.

 

——When I suddenly remembered the girl crying alone on the corner of the road, Brenda.

 

「Sorry, but I can’t take your offer.」

 

「……Eh?」

 

My answer was no.

 

…I see, now I was finally able to truly understand myself.

Looks like no matter how many hardships I’ve been through and going to face from this point on, I’m still not the kind of guy who can abandon a crying child because of my selfish wish.

If the Goddess have foreseen this far ahead, even knowing that I will make such a decision, and still bestowed me with this shitty Job called 【Saint】, then as I thought, she… The Sun Goddess fully deserves my hatred.

 

「If I lose my healing magic, I will no longer be able to help those children out there crying for help, right? That’s why I can’t take your offer.」

 

Sybilla opens her eyes in shock and lowers her gaze with a pained expression as if she’s trying to hold back tears after hearing my answer.

 

「…..Right…..you were always that kind of guy…. Looks like I’ve underestimated what a Saint can accomplish huh… I hate it, really… I hate it so much… I hate myself who can’t hate you even after you said all that.」

 

The hand Sybilla extended to me was about to drop weakly.

But I grabbed that hand and held it tightly before that happened.

 

「By the way.」

 

「What is it now? I no longer have any business with you anymore.」

 

「But I do.」

 

Sybilla looks at me with a dubious face while still being pretty annoyed.

I look at her straight in the eyes and told her.

 

「Putting all of that aside, that Dark Magic you told me… can you please teach me how to use it?」