My dear witch, please turn evil according to the script!

Chapter 415 Four Kinds of End
Roland was not in a hurry to go to the Papal City.

According to Suren, Roland felt that the Pope should be able to hold out for quite some time.

This is a classical-style magician.

To put it simply, he is extremely skilled in close combat, and not through physical enhancement techniques, but through a genuinely honed and powerful physique.

With his unfathomable divine magic and blessings, Roland felt he should still be quite formidable in combat.

With the help of the Holy See's elite forces and divine magic, they've held out for months, so a few more days shouldn't make a difference.

Besides, he did help; by airlifting a large stabilizer from Enva to the location of the Papal City, it should alleviate the symptoms.

While the problem cannot be completely solved until the source of the disaster is addressed, at least the cracks can be prevented from widening.

Just like what Sinos just did.

Moreover, the rift that caused the Vatican such a headache was probably no less significant than the commotion caused by the hole in the sky not long ago.

Considering that the Ash Order's original headquarters was located beneath the Papal City, could it be that those madmen pulled off some amazing feat before they were wiped out?
Roland recalled the nickname that was often mentioned in Papal City.

The place watched over by the gods.

He used to think it was just a metaphor, after all, that was Papal City, the headquarters of the Holy See.

It is also reasonable to run some advertisements that are conducive to the promotion of the doctrine.

But now he suspects the title may be literal.

Is there a possibility.

Was the Papal City built specifically to suppress the major disturbances caused by the Ash Cult below?
Otherwise, there's no reason for them to suddenly "relocate the capital," especially to such an unfavorable location in the northwest border region, which is only about a thousand kilometers away from the demon race's stronghold, Enwa.

It's even closer from the Papal City to Enva than from the Papal City to Isfar.

The two are separated only by a mountain range, a strait, and a desolate, uninhabited area stretching for hundreds of kilometers.

There was no reason for establishing this base.

It is cold and remote, with an extremely cold climate and barren land.

Even if members of the Vatican enjoy asceticism, there's no need to torture themselves like this.

After all, true ascetics, like Clark, are extremely rare.

If we start from this conjecture, let's assume that the Papal City was built to suppress something, like a demon-suppressing tower.

Does the current disaster mean that the suppressed thing has broken free?

If that place was truly under the watchful eyes of the gods, and the "suppression" had an effect under their gaze, then what about now?
If the suppression fails, does it mean that the watchful eyes of the gods have disappeared?

The Holy See worships five deities.

Goddess of Earth and Fertility, God of Sun and Justice, God of Truth and Magic, Lord of Storms and Tides, and God of War and Courage.

Could it be that all five of these righteous gods have encountered problems?
Did they make an even bigger mess that forced them to withdraw their "attention" and focus all their efforts on the enemy, or... were they dead?
When Roland first had this idea, he actually thought it was quite possible.

Because the gods, who used to respond to the prayers of believers almost every time, have become increasingly silent in recent centuries.

Apart from that God of Truth.

He is rather aloof and rarely answers; silence is the norm for him, but he will also issue divine pronouncements.

The other four righteous gods are completely different.

Even the most ordinary believer's prayer, even if not very devout, can receive some blessings from the gods if they are lucky enough to be heard.

This usually manifests as some minor benefits.

For example, you might become healthy, the fruit trees in front of your house might suddenly be laden with fruit, or the pests and weeds in your field might disappear instantly.

These are the "miracles" that are frequently received by the followers of the goddess of earth and fertility, who have the largest number of believers.

This is also the deity with whom we still have relatively frequent interactions to this day.

As a result, His followers are increasing.

As for the others, such as the God of the Sun, he rarely spoke after the Demon King War ended, and for the past ten years he has almost exclusively spoken with His chosen one—the current Pope.

This is some little-known fact about the Vatican, provided by Suren.

The God of War, who used to frequently bestow blessings upon brave adventurers, soldiers, and warriors, also suddenly reduced his frequency of blessing in a short period of time, just like the God of the Sun.

Unfortunately, He did not have any chosen ones in the Vatican who He deemed worthy, so the current situation is impossible to judge.

As for the Lord of Storms and Tides, he fell completely silent after the great exploration mission initiated by the Academy failed.

As a result, His followers are almost nowhere to be found.

No one would worship a god who doesn't respond, especially when other gods do.

Of course, it is more likely that the ocean-going sailors, fishermen, and merchants who used to worship this deity have changed their professions due to the drastic changes in the marine environment.

If we no longer go to sea, we no longer need to revere the sea god.

Humans in this world sometimes have a very rigid grasp on the matter of faith, but at other times they are also quite pragmatic.

After leaving the castle, Roland planned to return to the inn that Iluvia had mentioned.

Cellina took Polycia out for a stroll in the streets. Polycia wanted to eat something delicious, but she didn't know if there were any shops still closed in this city that had experienced such a dramatic ups and downs during the emergency evacuation.

As for him, it would be better for him to rest first.

For example, take a nap before dinner.

After dinner, chat with Kalia and try to comfort this seemingly cheerful and sunny girl whose heart is actually sensitive and fragile.

Only then can he feel at ease...

Ok?
After walking a few steps down the street, Roland noticed something was amiss.

Nobody is watching me.

It's not narcissism.

Instead, Roland should rightfully be the most eye-catching guy in the city.

As soon as he stepped out of the castle, he felt the gazes of all kinds of people coming from all directions. There was the curiosity of ordinary civilians, the awe of guards, and the worship and respect of the imperial army…

Roland could sense all sorts of complex and varied gazes.

But now, that gaze has disappeared.

The surrounding civilians and soldiers acted as if they couldn't see him, continuing on their way or busy with their own affairs.

Roland quickly realized his predicament.

I've been dragged into a strange alternate dimension again.

However, he quickly overturned his own idea.

Because he did not perceive any change in space.

It's more like a... illusion and afterimage from the depths of memory and consciousness.

As if to confirm his idea, the street, which was somewhat chaotic but generally peaceful and serene, transformed into another scene in the next moment.

A thick, shadowy darkness, entirely unlike that of the Whisperer of Eternity, enveloped everything before them.

This is not a darkness that brings silence to all things, but a more active and aggressive force.

That was the corrupting power originating from the Lord of Black.

Roland quickly recognized the true form of this power.

The black mud, seemingly alive, writhed everywhere, swallowing, corroding, and digesting everything it came into contact with.

People, buildings, weapons, roads...

Everything was swallowed by the black mud, then turned into part of the black mud, and then the next swallowing began.

On another corner of the street, the sounds of gunfire and magic still rang out, seemingly the city's last stand.

But the voices of resistance were quickly silenced by the writhing, unbearable noise.

Only a strange, black, spherical creature, flowing with black mud and tentacles formed from it, moved through the streets at an incomprehensible speed.

Then, the scene changed.

A thick fog obscured the view.

Strange sounds drifted through the mist, as if some bizarre creature was approaching.

The streets were silent, the deaths were bizarre and creative, and the bodies were hung from the streetlights on both sides of the street.

The strange creatures appeared and disappeared in the fog, seemingly waiting for Roland, this outcast, to lower his guard before launching an attack.

They made no attempt to conceal their intense hostility.

The clicking sounds, like the spherical joints of a puppet turning, rose and fell. Strange puppets, their pale faces covered with blood-soaked skin and expressions of extreme fear, were gradually revealing themselves in the mist.

Then the scene changes again.

Roland was already used to this.

But what he saw still surprised him somewhat.

The streets were now littered with smoldering debris.

Ashes drifted in the wind, and the corpses of the dead began to burn, then transformed into puppets that attacked once more.

The final scene transitions to a pure, deathly darkness.

He couldn't see anything.

Then, his consciousness returned to reality.

He continued walking down the street, even in the same spot where he had first realized something was wrong.

It seems that only a very brief break occurred in his consciousness.

Because the people around him did not show any surprise or confusion in their eyes.

It was as if he were really walking down the street.
Roland knew what he had just seen.

Those are the four kinds of end for this world.

Can't we focus on just one aspect when it comes to protecting against evil spirits?

"Hey Roland, what are you daydreaming about on the street?"

The familiar voice brought Roland back to his senses from the scene he had just witnessed.

He looked up at Kalia, who was holding a bag of French fries in one hand and a fried chicken leg in the other, and asked, "Where is Ms. Flam?"

"Of course she went back first! After seeing that I was alright, she gave me a handful of money and told me to eat whatever I wanted."

"..."

Some of those sentences were rather subtle. But they were the kind of things that Flam would say.

Then Roland looked at Kalia.

Unlike usual, even though she had plenty of food, she didn't look very happy.

The smile on his face seemed more like a forced gesture to avoid worrying others.

No wonder Flam left first...

I think it would be better to leave Kalia alone at times like this.

Roland sighed.

He would have thought the same way if it had happened before.

However, this time, Kalia's ordeal seems to be even more severe than the previous suspected cannibalism incident.

"Lia, come with me for a walk, and then let's find a quiet place to chat before I leave."

(End of this chapter)