The Case of Being Reincarnated as a Heretic Mob Character in an Eroge Where Everyone is Extremely Determined - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Psychological Advantage of Being the Villain Compared to the Righteous Side.

One night, on a certain day of a certain month, we began our march toward the Metashim region.

Autumn was coming to an end, and the harsh winter seemed to be just around the corner.

The air was so cold that without proper winter gear, one might lose all sensation in their fingertips.

Aaros had enchanted our robes with a spell for stealth, making us less noticeable, but I’ve hardly ever felt the benefit of it.

Most of the Believers don’t even complain, but I’m sure some of us, like Steve and myself, wish for better equipment.

In direct combat, the stealth effect is as good as useless junk.

While on the march, Steve stumbled into a puddle, and I reached out to help him up.

“Steve, grab my hand…!”

“…Thanks.”

(His hands are freezing… Is he okay?)

Worrying about Steve’s hands, which were as cold as ice, we resumed our march.

According to the information extracted by the inquisitor Juanquiro from a spy of the Orthodox Church, the defenses in the Metashim region are expected to be thin for the next few days.

The Orthodox Church’s Executive is either in another location or busy with other missions, presenting us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

However, the total number of Believers from the Aaros Temple assembled for the army wasn’t large either.

Even for a battle that would likely be deemed a ‘holy war,’ there were only about five hundred or so.

Young male Believers within the stronghold were gathered, and the rest were left to keep watch.

Still, the leader himself would be going into battle, accompanied by two Executives.

Having three Executives in the fray was far more valuable than a horde of insignificant mobs, so I could somewhat understand the higher-ups’ decision to limit the number of troops to conserve resources.

The two Executives joining the battle were Joanne, ranked sixth, and Pork, ranked fifth. Juanquiro, ranked seventh, was left behind to hold the fort.

The remaining three Executives were to draw the enemy Executives further away from the Metashim region by instigating guerrilla warfare in other areas.

In the original storyline, the Aaros Temple Order was on a winning streak, claiming victory after victory.

The town in the Metashim region—namely, the protagonist’s hometown—fell into the hands of the Heretics, plunging it into the depths of despair.

The orthodox army stationed in the town was trampled without a fight by the three Executives, and by the time the orthodox Executives arrived, they had suffered catastrophic damage and were forced to retreat.

…If history were to follow its course, my chances of dying here would be slim.

But will things really go so smoothly?

Feeling anxious, we continued to walk for a full day until we arrived in the Metashim region.

Looking down from the mountainside at the fertile land below, we confirmed the lights of the town.

This is a peaceful region located in a corner of the ‘Holy Nation Geluid’ which would become the stage for a religious war.

Fortunately, the land of Metashim rarely suffered from the ravages of magical beasts, disasters, or epidemics, and it was also a region prosperous in agriculture due to its fertile lands.

To begin with, this world incorporates the staples of fantasy, such as magical beasts, dragons, magic, and special abilities that only the chosen ones can use.

Although the original system in the work had concepts like levels and skills, they don’t seem to exist here.

Thanks to that, the disparity between the mob characters and the Named character has become quite significant.

The Holy Nation Geluid, as its name suggests, is a theocratic state with the highest leader of the Kenneth Orthodox, the Executive ranked number one, at its head.

It does not adopt parliamentary democracy at all, and the concepts of human rights and democracy are quite thin.

A class society where the Kenneth Orthodox holds overwhelming power is the form of the Holy Nation Geluid.

The reason why the Kenneth Orthodox came to hold power is largely due to the magical powers granted to the chosen seven.

In this world where magical beasts and monsters run rampant, one cannot survive without borrowing the strength of the warriors of the Kenneth Orthodox.

Furthermore, the humans who serve these Executives are also monstrous in the eyes of the common people, which means that class consciousness and hierarchical relationships are also deeply rooted in the psyche.

Unlike the world where modern Japan exists, this world is one where genuine miracles and magic occur. Power may be granted by a god, and salvation may be found.

It was only natural for the teachings of the church and the dominance of religion to grow.

The highest ruling class of the Holy Nation Geluid is composed of seven Executives.

Supporting them are the Kenneth Orthodox Believers, or their relatives and families, who are expected to be the next executive candidates.

In addition, clergy such as priests also fall under this ruling class.

Just below the ruling class are merchants and landlords with strong ties to the Orthodox Church, as well as knightly families who have served the great landlords, who also occupy the upper echelons of society.

Other professionals, such as craftsmen, dominate this middle class.

The populace at the bottom consists of common people such as peasants and workers.

Since the ruling class makes up less than three percent of the population and the middle class at most about ten percent, it’s fair to say that around ninety percent of the citizens are concentrated in the lower class.

The life of the lower class is modest, and they must pay taxes, but the majority live peacefully without succumbing to magical beasts or disasters.

Throughout the original work, there are depictions of the populace being unable to hold their heads high in front of the ruling class, perhaps because they protect their lives from magical beasts, mobs, and disasters.

To the people, the seven Executives are heroes.

The level of civilization is probably between the medieval and early modern periods.

There are some technologies that stand out due to magic, but it’s safe to assume that the general population’s lifestyle is around that level.

By the way, our lives as common Heretics are even less than those of the lower-class citizens.

Every day, we share a cramped space for communal sleeping. There’s no privacy, and we are forced to serve without rest or pay.

However, most Heretics don’t know the outside world, so they don’t complain.

Isn’t that great?

Aaros, who leads the group, looked up at the night sky and signaled for everyone to stop.

It was probably about time for the other three Executives to be attacking other regions; he seemed to be using telepathy to communicate with someone, his hand pressed to his ear.

Kenneth Orthodox’s Executives are always busy with internal affairs, commanding subordinates, and responding to magical beasts and disasters, never having a moment’s rest all year round.

The sparsely populated frontier regions tend to be put on the back burner, and as a result, they are more prone to damage from magical beasts and Heretics compared to densely populated areas. In other words, there’s a shortage of Executives.

The Orthodox side would like to focus on eliminating the visible threat of Heretics, but there are unavoidable circumstances at play.

Every time this happens, I can’t help but think that those who destroy and steal have a considerable advantage over those who protect. It’s like they can afford to be reckless because they have nothing to protect.

The orthodox side, with its large organization and national pride, must scramble to prevent civilian casualties, while Aaros and his Heretic followers can launch aggressive offensives, accepting a certain level of damage thanks to their convenient brainwashing education.

During the original gameplay, I can’t count how many times I’ve yelled, “Damn you, Heretics!! I’ll kill you myself!!” just like the characters in the story.

Sometimes I even slammed the desk in frustration at their cunning and disgusting behavior.

There’s probably no one better at sabotaging the enemy than they are.

After finishing his talk, Aaros turned to us and cleared his throat with a cough.

“Kill everyone except for the children and women. However, try not to damage the farmland or livestock. They are important food sources, after all.”

He speaks casually, but this masked bastard really says some outrageous things.

What does he think human lives are?

If he had even a shred of compassion for others, there wouldn’t be a mass loss of life about to happen.

I gripped the hilt of my longsword so tightly as if to crush it, trying to contain my anger.

In this world, the powerless are trampled upon. It’s my fault for being incompetent.

Ah, damn it all to hell.

(If only I had the power to kill Aaros… No, even if I managed to eliminate the cult leader, someone would surely emerge to carry on his will. It’s no good unless I have the power to simultaneously take out all seven Executives, brainwash all the Heretics, and convert them to the Kenneth Orthodox faith…)

Religion is difficult to define in a single word, and because beliefs differ, so do values, making conflicts more likely to arise.

Therefore, when religious wars break out, it’s not uncommon for the fighting to continue until one side is completely destroyed.

What’s more troublesome is that even if you tell a cult Believer, “You are being deceived,” they won’t just say “Oh, is that so?” and convert.

He really did something terrible…

“Well then, everyone, shall we get going?”

Joanne and Pork disembarked from the carriage and stood next to Aaros, who was already standing on the slope of the mountain.

We are now looking down at the town we are about to ravage.

The lights of life are burning. In each building, in each streetlight, lives of innocent people dwell. The lives of people who have worked hard, with their own ups and downs…

“Oakley, I’m off.”

Against the backdrop of the amazing city lights, Joanne shows her white teeth with a beaming smile.

She reaches out her hand towards me, the ‘marker’, with a look of reluctance, then her expression twists into one of madness.

I exchange a glance with Steve, whose eyes are wide open, before swallowing my saliva.

―The outcome of the battle is determined not by the strength of magic, but by the intensity of malice and murderous intent.

I was all too familiar with the viciousness of the abilities held by the Aaros Temple Order Executive.

When the sixth-ranked ‘Joanne Sagamix’ and the fifth-ranked ‘Pork Ted Lotus’ join forces, their malevolent abilities truly shine.

Joanne’s specialty, ‘throwing’, boasts a range of several tens of kilometers, and her accuracy is abnormally high.

Anyone near the point of impact will likely be killed instantly by the shock and the aftermath.

And then there’s Pork Ted Lotus―her magic comes with a certain notoriety.

Pork can manipulate an infinite number of thorny briars that appear from an interdimensional space within the gaps of her clothing, but she also has an extension of her ability that allows her to ‘freely control corpses that have been afflicted with the poison of thorns’―

―By now, you should understand. The cruel operation we are about to undertake.

“Guru-sama, the building where the Orthodox soldiers are stationed is that one, right!?”

“Yes. Please do as you wish.”

“Understood――!”

Joanne lifts a rock with a radius of just over two meters above her head. A thorn from Pork pierces it, causing a slight crack in the stone. In an instant, the surface of the rock changes to a purple color, clearly turning into a toxic appearance.

Invasion strategy against the populace devised by Aaros―

Fans of the original work call this devilish strategy, which led to the destruction of the protagonist’s town, by this name.

‘Zombie Bomb’

“Haaah――!!”

Thorn-contaminated rocks trace an arch of dust in the night sky.

The rock projectiles dance high in a gentle parabola. The poisonous stones rapidly shrink in size, flying straight toward the town spread out a few kilometers below.

What lies ahead is the garrison marked with the symbol of Kenneth Orthodox.

It’s the town’s sole stronghold, where the Orthodox soldiers dispatched to protect the Metashim region gather.

After a terrifying sound of slicing through the air―impact.

A moment later, a heavy sound of destruction reaches us.

In the distance, a tragic scene unfolded where the stronghold of the Orthodox soldiers had crumbled away without a trace.

Rocks scattered, buildings completely collapsed, and within ten seconds, the beautiful person in male clothing standing next to Joanne twisted her cherry-colored lips.

“Aaros-sama, the activation of the autonomous operation type… has been confirmed.”

“Excellent.”

With that report, everything was understood.

All the soldiers stationed at the garrison were dead, infected by the poison of Pork’s thorns.

And within less than a minute, they had transformed into ‘zombies,’ the manipulated puppets of the heretical cult.

It was not merely an attack, but a method of assault that inflicted the most damage on the Orthodox side.

It was an inhumane tactic that could secure an overwhelming advantage, both strategically and psychologically.

This is the secret weapon Pork and Joanne had been hiding—the ‘Zombie Bomb.’

“Here we go—it’s starting!!”

What’s about to begin is not a battle.

It’s a one-sided massacre, a trampling.

But in the midst of this tragedy… I will…

(I will meet the protagonist and grasp it!! That thing called hope in this world!!)

I tumble down the mountain slope.

Swallowed by the screams and roars of the Heretics, I begin my advance.

The battle that serves as the prequel to the original work, the ‘Battle of Metashim,’ begins.