The Case of Being Reincarnated as a Heretic Mob Character in an Eroge Where Everyone is Extremely Determined - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Having a nameless mob thrown into the Executive meeting is nothing short of a public execution.

In the late 2000s, during the era when my previous self was alive in Japan, an adult PC game called “The Seeker of Yumei” was released.

Although it didn’t make much of a splash immediately after its release, the game gradually gained popularity through word of mouth and rose to fame.

This work is a Western dark fantasy that depicts the battle between the “Kenneth Orthodox” representing the orthodox church side and the ‘Aaros Temple Order’ representing the heretical side.

The rough flow of the story is as follows: the protagonist, whose hometown was destroyed by the attack of the ‘Aaros Temple Order’, is saved by “Kenneth Orthodox,” and from there, the protagonist joins the Orthodox side and throws themselves into the battle to destroy the Heretics…

The protagonist, who had their family and friends slaughtered, possesses incredible mental strength, and in the canonical route, he defeats almost all of the Heretic Executives, achieving a complete victory.

It’s important to emphasize here that the protagonist has no special lineage or setting, nor does his hometown possess any such special qualities.

In other words, the protagonist fought against the Heretics solely with his mental strength.

Well, as a result of being captivated by the god of “Kenneth Orthodox,” the protagonist does awaken to magical powers… but that’s not really important.

The charm of this work is that every character is fully resolved and determined to give their lives.

Not only the protagonist but also the heroine, the friend who is an ally, the Master, the enemy—every named character, though they may struggle with the prospect of offering their own life, does not hesitate.

If their death is for a reason they can accept—namely, “to win the religious war”—then their own life is a small price to pay; that’s the kind of thought process they operate on.

Therefore, the selling points of this work are the erotic, grotesque, and depressive elements, as well as the “burning” aspect of the canonical route.

I remember being overwhelmed by its quality when I bought this game in the 2010s.

The illustrations that do not feel outdated, the fierce way of life of the characters, the meticulousness and intensity of the battle depictions, and the sweetness of the everyday life in the individual routes are all top-notch.

What’s great about the individual heroine routes is that the inner thoughts of the heroines, who were thought to be mad with passion, become clear.

By falling in love with the protagonist, you can smirk and think, “Ahh, so they were girls after all.”

…Well, if all you could do in their individual routes was flirt with the heroines, it would have just been a plain old Eroge.

As an incredible point of “The Seeker of Yumei,” even in the individual routes, the heroines might die or end up in a vegetative state depending on your choices… It goes to the extreme with its ‘Ryona’ elements.

There are even routes where the ally base is annihilated within ten clicks after the daily life part ends.

Moreover, the depiction leading up to death is brutal.

Nine times out of ten, there’s nothing left of the original form or even a lump of flesh.

This is because all Named Character characters come standard with “self-healing magic that can revive from death,” which makes battles more intense.

If the enemy is going to heal, you have no choice but to obliterate every single cell, which is just too crazy.

Just now, I witnessed such a brute-force confrontation. Even though Celestia shredded Joanne’s body to dust, Joanne immediately revived due to the healing magic she had activated beforehand.

According to the original Named Character characters, such extraordinary acts “require preparedness… because the shock will come.”

Even a cut on the finger with a knife brings a “shock”… The Named Character folks who don’t get flustered even with a shock equivalent to death are insane.

Currently, I was intensely regretting being on the side of the Heretics.

If I had to join a group of the same monsters, I should have sided with the Orthodox, where human language would be more easily understood.

Although it was good to be reborn in this world for a second time, of all things, I ended up as a nameless mob in the Heretic… ‘Aaros Temple Order’.

Really, you never know what’s going to happen in life.

(I just had a thorough experience, but the Aaros Temple Order is rough with its people. Or rather, it’s clear that the consumption of nameless mobs is intense. Even as a nameless mob, it would have been a million times better to have become a mob for the Kenneth Orthodox…)

In a base deep in the secluded mountains, I was waiting for the arrival of the Guru with my head deeply bowed.

Present at this location were me, the only one who survived among the expendables, Joanne who fought Celestia, and two other Executives. The rest of the Executives were probably out.

Anyway, it was unthinkable for a mob like me to be allowed to sit in on an Executive meeting.

(Why did she call me here, this woman…!)

I glared at Joanne, who was sitting in the Executive’s chair… no, I didn’t do anything like that; instead, I kept my gaze down the whole time.

It was none other than Joanne who had summoned me here.

Could it be that she intends to pin the responsibility for the loss of nine followers on me?

I can’t escape that responsibility. With the difference in authority between an Executive and an ordinary member, I can’t win no matter what.

(So even if I survive, a different hell awaits me huh…)

Half-resigned about my own treatment, I shifted my attention to the other two executives.

…The seventh-ranked and the fifth-ranked Executives. If I remember correctly… their names were Pork and Juanquiro.

The reason their names didn’t come to mind immediately is that these two are characters who might not even be mentioned by name, depending on the route.

Even in the canonical route, they’re rather inconspicuous.

Now, Joanne holds the position of the sixth rank, but the “Rank 6” doesn’t purely represent combat strength; it’s determined by considering both contributions to the cult and combat ability.

Depending on the battle conditions, it’s even possible for Juanquiro, the seventh rank, to surpass the first-ranked leader… I think.

As I’m contemplating this… the leader sprouted up from the ground… literally.

In the grand hall of the old castle where the Executive meeting was being held, a human being emerged from the floor.

Explaining it as I saw it doesn’t make sense, but that’s actually what’s happening. It’s truly creepy.

“Yes, I’ve arrived now. Let’s hear the report then.”

The masked man—the leader of the Aaros Temple Order—began to speak in a muffled voice. His face was concealed by a white mask marked with an X, making his expression unreadable.

Guru Aaros Hawkeye. He is the boss of the cult, referred to by the original players as “the most vicious personality.”

In person, surprisingly, there was no sense of intimidation or fear. However, there was an undeniable feeling of something foreign accumulating in the pit of my stomach. The fact that his expression was invisible added to the eeriness.

(This guy is Guru Aaros… the man I least wanted to meet…)

It’s been a while since I reincarnated into a mob character in this world and became a Heretic, but this is the first time I’ve come face to face with him.

Indeed, even the protagonist was taken aback when they first met. “Huh, isn’t he just a normal guy who can hold a conversation…?”

Certainly, his aura alone gives off the vibe of a kind father. But in reality, he’s the leader of a cult.

This guy is nothing but a madman with a silver tongue.

…In fact, if you raise his favorability too much, the protagonist gets brainwashed, leading to a dark fall and the destruction of the righteous path. Not funny at all.

Say the wrong thing and you’re obviously dead, raise his favorability and you’re still dead because you become his favorite! Gahaha, it’s a dead end.

“I was tasked with bringing back the head of a woman who fled into the forest… but I am terribly sorry. I have failed…”

Before speaking, everything seemed fine, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I couldn’t speak properly. And when I reported the failure of the mission, a long silence fell among the four Executives.

Hey Joanne, you were part of this too, right? Why are you on their side…!

“…Please continue.”

“T-the woman’s true identity was the enemy Executive Celestia. I cooperated with Joanne-sama here to attack Celestia, and after cutting off her right arm, the enemy escaped. We let her slip away.”

“Any casualties?”

“…Nine members of the temple congregation have died…”

“Is that so… That’s a pity.”

I reported the facts as they were and realized my own fate. Aaros’s tone was indifferent as if he was about to say farewell.

(This…I’m going to be killed…!)

Tentatively, I raised my face, and Aaros was looking back and forth between Joanne and me.

“However, I am tolerant of my subordinates’ failures. I think of you adorable ones as my own children. Let us forgive the oversight of losing Celestia.”

“Ah…eh? Oh, thank you so much!!”

A premonition of death.

I was certain I had felt it…

But no. Aaros’s leniency is not kindness but indifference. I intuitively felt that.

At least to someone like me, a mere extra, there’s not a shred of love.

Probably, it’s more like, “I’ll let you off the hook while forgiving Joanne at it.”

However, things have taken a turn for the worse. I’ve now caught the attention of three Executives, including Aaros.

Assuming I was already on Joanne’s radar, this means I’ve now made a bad impression on four Executives.

“Joanne, what did you feel fighting against Celestia?”

“I lost because we’re a terrible match. I won’t lose next time…”

“You said that before, didn’t you?”

“…S-sorry.”

“It’s good that you can apologize honestly, Joanne.”

Even the mad Joanne seems to be no match for the leader.

Listening to their amiable conversation, I break out in a waterfall of cold sweat.

What should I do? I was planning to run away from the temple organization when the time was right… but there are too many watchful eyes, and I’ve let things slide until now.

Is there no escape anymore?

“But Guru-sama, I’ve figured out the strategy, and I’m confident that I can crush her the next time we meet. It’s the third time’s the charm, right?”

“Well, I’m looking forward to it.”

(…!? Third time’s the charm…!?)

I snap back to reality at Joanne’s words.

At the start of the main story, Joanne and Celestia face off three times without a conclusion.

If it’s only the second time now… then naturally, I must be in the world before the start of the main story.

(…I’ll keep that in mind)

“Then everyone, I have a business to attend to, so please excuse me.”

With only those words left behind, Arlos was absorbed into the ground just as he had appeared.

The other two Executives also left the great hall, leaving only Joanne and me behind.

Below, a puddle of greasy sweat had formed. Even after the meeting had ended, droplets continued to fall from the tip of my chin.

Joanne jumped down from the Executive’s chair, and, as she passed by me, she told me to follow her.

“Hey Oakley, you’re going to act with me from now on. We’re going to make up for this failure.”

“As you command.”

I shrank my body habitually, knelt down, and surrendered as if to say I didn’t have a shred of rebellious spirit.

Joanne Sagamix.

A girl with an individual route that is only available if the protagonist falls into darkness. Her way of expressing love is “mad love and surveillance.”

The protagonist, having lost his limbs, is destined to receive her eternal affection…