The Case of Being Reincarnated as a Heretic Mob Character in an Eroge Where Everyone is Extremely Determined - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Characters Who Fall into Darkness Often Lose Their Highlights

Where did the friendly atmosphere go when she was showered with high kicks just a moment ago?

A tense atmosphere dominated the scene as if to express—If there are doubts, they must be cleared immediately.

Juanquiro, who had been smiling arm in arm, now cast a sticky gaze as if she had regained her usual demeanor.

“Hey, Pork. Maybe we just misunderstood, and Oakley-kun isn’t actually crazy at all?”

At Juanquiro’s bombshell statement, I stiffened.

Pork let out an incredulous ‘Huh?’ and began to dismiss the theory dramatically with exaggerated gestures.

“No, no. We already knew he was quite off, didn’t we? There are so many things that can’t be explained unless he’s mentally unhinged. Like his incomprehensible actions in the city of Metashim, and even that mobile fortress plan—wasn’t it his proposal that started it all… right, Joanne?”

When the conversation was turned to Joanne, she froze for a moment, then began to nod her head vigorously.

“That’s right. It was born because Oakley proposed it. My Oakley is amazing.”

“The source of the rational and innovative ideas that even we Executives hadn’t thought of must be due to the blend of loyalty and madness within him. Indeed, the inexplicable actions at Metashim are impossible unless one is out of their mind. I know because I’ve seen it directly; I’d bet on it.”

After being told so strongly, Juanquiro falls silent, not even making a sound.

The conclusion had been reached on the day of the interrogation.

The moment it was dredged up, I felt a chill, but the decisive facts, such as knowledge of a past life or the original work, were hidden within my brain.

Therefore, Juanquiro and the others will never arrive at a solid answer.

The inconsistent, incoherent, and unplanned actions at Metashim, my mental state in disarray, objectively speaking, are that of a madman. To mimic a madman is to be a madman oneself—if one runs amok on the main road, they are indeed a madman.

Consequently, my actions fit within the framework of a madman, and without exception to this phrase, I can be said to be a mad person.

“…If Juanquiro-sama’s chains depend on the recognition of the subject, then ultimately, there is no meaning to that question. Humans always believe themselves to be sane, after all.”

Juanquiro twisted her lips into a frown, as if the answer had been prepared just for her.

“Doesn’t anyone understand? There’s this indescribable sense of discomfort inside me… it’s so frustrating.”

Having said that, I realized something. Juanquiro was convinced that I was a sane person pretending to be a madman.

By exploiting the weak point in the chains and escaping suspicion, I must have seemed too lucky from Juanquiro’s perspective—why was it that I only had that one way out… she must be wondering how I managed to find an excuse to escape that predicament.

In fact, my escape from Juanquiro’s chains was almost coincidental.

Although I had hoped to be judged as a madman, the fact that Juanquiro and Pork made that decision was an unintended stroke of luck—like being overheard regularly calling Aaros-sama is the best.

For Juanquiro, who had seen through the lie of my mutual love with Joanne, it must be annoying to have everything obscured by the ‘subjectivity of a madman.’

Her reasoning was correct, and in truth, it was accurate.

My closeness with Joanne only developed after the battle with Celestia.

Until then, I had been a mob Heretic, and the fight with her led me to become deeply involved with the heretical Executive.

From Juanquiro’s perspective, it’s understandable that she might think I was connected to Celestia and had been instigated by her.

It was probably a mistake to have spoken to Steve, the puppet of Pork, alluding to the cult’s discomfort and faint hostility.

That conversation could be interpreted as me just going along with what Steve said, but it’s doubtful whether Juanquiro took it that way.

The decisive factor was the act of betrayal in the city of Metashim. I attacked Steve and made the reckless move to try to meet Alfie.

From Juanquiro’s perspective, it must have seemed like I finally showed my true colors.

(It’s no wonder Juanquiro would think it’s impossible… for such a suspicious person to conveniently and coincidentally be deemed a madman upon interrogation.)

Her suspicions are shaped by a pile-up of facts.

Even the recent mobile fortress plan could be seen; depending on the viewpoint, it can be said it was an achievement designed to dispel any skeptical stance.

Thanks to the many Executives sympathetic to me, it seems I might be able to weather this situation, but it looks like I won’t be able to let my guard down around Juanquiro for a while.

Sweating profusely under my clothes, I felt anxious, still not freed from Juanquiro’s chains.

“Ah… then I’ll make this the last question. In the end, what do you think of Alfie, Oakley-kun? If you had met with Alfie, how would that have led to the weakening of Kenneth Orthodox? I couldn’t ask at the time, but now I want a proper answer.”

“…!?”

Celestia almost let out a voice in response to Juanquiro’s question.

I glared at Celestia with all the emotion I could muster, silently pleading for her to keep quiet.

Perhaps my prayer was heard as Celestia, with a puzzled look, held her breath.

“…I thought that Alfie was a person with the caliber to climb to the top of the Kenneth Orthodox Executives.”

“Hmm.”

“I thought that by meeting Alfie, I might be able to crush that opportunity.”

If I had saved Alfie, he wouldn’t have hatched as a hero.

His determination might have wavered after being saved by a Heretic like me, leading to the conclusion that ‘even Heretics can be good people’.

Therefore, my statement just now barely avoids being a lie. After all, I was acting to crush the opportunity for a hero’s birth.

Naturally, Juanquiro’s chains do not react. Celestia seems confused, not understanding the situation.

The Executives listening in from behind also seem unable to follow the conversation.

With the atmosphere like this, I can almost relax, thinking I can push through with it being dismissed as the ravings of a madman—when Juanquiro, seemingly giving up, retracted her chains back into a different dimension.

“So you’re saying you found a commoner who could potentially become an Orthodox Executive, and you tried to crush him. That’s somewhat suspicious, but it would be a waste of time to delve any deeper, so I’ll let it go.”

She walked to the corner of the room and, with a clatter, plopped down onto the chair with vigor.

Juanquiro’s tone remained light-hearted until the end, but the doubts within her seemed to be deep-rooted.

“Don’t worry about it, Oakley. She’s just jealous because you’re starting to get recognized by Guru-sama.”

“Joanne, shut up.”

Juanquiro, blushing, averted her gaze.

As I realized there might be such circumstances, I noticed Celestia, who was sitting in the center of the room, rapidly shifting her eyes.

(…What’s that? Celestia… No way! Hey, don’t you say it!?)

I contemplated forcibly silencing Celestia, who was acting inexplicably, but it seemed she wasn’t concerned with me at all.

Although Stella and Shadiq continued to observe her, they appeared to be unbothered.

Following her gaze, it seemed that Celestia was concerned with something outside the building.

“…Do you really think you can get away with doing something like this?”

As the conversation came to a pause, Celestia began to voice her grievances.

It sounded like nothing more than a defiant parting shot from an overwhelmingly disadvantaged position, but her words, wrapped in an odd sense of intimidation, made me start to ponder.

‘What do you mean by ‘something like this’?’

“It’s about attacking Metashim and Daskell, resulting in numerous deaths. What do you gain by killing innocent people?”

“Innocent people… you say. While it may be true for the majority, being a follower of Kenneth Orthodox is not something that can be overlooked.”

“What―”

“Unfortunately, our conflict has now surpassed the realm of debate. We must fight with all our might until one of us perishes… No matter how much we discuss, this fact will not waver.”

Celestia’s statement seemed to rehash the current situation.

Her thoughts were unreadable, and the only thing smoldering within me was a premonition that she was up to no good.

(…Is she trying to extract information from Aaros? It appears so. Well, I can understand trying to gain any information as a last stand of resistance—)

Suddenly, my consciousness shifted to the ring finger on my left hand.

Various elements flashed through my mind in an instant, and I began to process my thoughts rapidly.

Celestia’s exquisite composure.

Her behavior is seemingly trying to draw out information.

And the fact that she herself had arrived at the mobile fortress plan—

All these things mixed together, and I reached one conclusion.

—Could it be that Celestia also has prepared a ‘marker’ role?

A jolt of electricity ran through me, and then a clear premonition surfaced.

Once I had that thought, the answer wouldn’t let me go.

(Could it be…no, what is this…!? Should I stop it, or should I let it go—)

I was about to whisper this premonition to Aaros, but at the last moment, I hesitated.

——Celestia was aware of the outline of the mobile fortress plan. Her reckless pursuit of Aaros and his group is due to the same reason——

Perhaps because she has the insurance that it’s okay to die just once.

Struck by a sudden flash of insight, I find myself covering my mouth.

I observe Celestia’s body in detail. Ears, eyeballs, fingers, feet, and other skin surfaces—there are no missing parts to be found.

However, one must not be misled by appearances.

The ‘transfer’ of the body can also be done by removing internal organs. Even if there is no visible damage on the surface, there is a possibility that she has left her internal organs far behind or handed them over to someone else.

The ‘restriction’ that Aaros can enforce is only ‘acts of hostility against members of the Aaros Temple Order.’

Since suicide does not count as an act of hostility against the organization, it could be perfectly carried out.

The reason she has been shifting her gaze is to check whether her own marker is safe and to confirm whether the positions of the heretical Executives are slightly distant from her, so they can’t stop her from committing suicide…?”

(So, that’s it… I thought the orthodox side couldn’t carry out the mobile fortress plan from a humanitarian perspective, but like Joanne a little while ago, if it’s just a matter of carrying a piece of flesh, that’s not necessarily the case. Probably Celestia’s marker is hiding an organ in a pocket or pendant…)

Even if the implementation of the ‘Mobile Fortress Plan’ is impossible due to the Orthodox teachings, it is still possible to place a mere ‘marker’.

There are plenty of ways to do it, such as placing the marker role underground to satisfy the transfer distance or infiltrating spies into the city of Metashim.

She may not have the same teleportation range as Joanne, but she should still be able to easily cover a distance of about one kilometer.

(Good job, Celestia—just run away!)

The Orthodox side was unaware of Juanquiro’s existence and abilities.

Therefore, she could bring back sufficient new information if she were to return now.

It must be significant that Juanquiro was identified as a non-combatant.

My heart fills with hope.

The Aaros Temple Order may be cunning, but Kenneth Orthodox is not losing either.

Just as I thought so and tried to lift my face—

The iron door behind me opened—

“Aaros-sama, we have captured a spy.”

—Despair slammed into my chest.

Before my eyes, there were the common Heretics who had crowded into the torture chamber and the figure of the captured Orthodox spy.

Stella’s small lips seemed to twist into a smirk, then she started laughing as if she had lost her mind.

Aaros, with an exaggerated gesture, struck a questioning pose and approached Celestia, who was trembling and pale with fear.

“Oh my, oh my, oh my… Who might this be, Celestia-san? A spy… did he say a spy? That’s not good…”

“H-how—”

Celestia’s face was now truly steeped in despair. Aaros’s ‘shadow’ was gaining influence, swallowing her body whole.

“Using Joanne’s tactics to catch us off guard… a truly splendid idea…. But did you think we weren’t taking precautions? Right, Stella?”

“…Just as Aaros-sama says… Stella has a keen nose… the smell of blood, flesh, fat, bones, bodily fluids… I can distinguish them all… I had memorized Celestia’s scent over these past few days.”

“Read the undercurrents, anticipate the future, and never let the enemy take the initiative. It’s the iron rule of large-scale combat.”

Stella, laid her hands on her victim, a spy of the Orthodox Church.

The sound of flesh bursting, like a millstone grinding, filled the air, and in an instant, the spy was consumed.

In the echoing torture chamber, where screams reverberated, the last hope for Celestia spilled from the spy’s embrace—her organs tumbling out.

Stella picked up a piece of meat, put her hands together and said ‘Itadakimasu’, then, as if to flaunt it in Celestia’s eyes, she rolled it on her tongue, chewed slowly and repeatedly, and swallowed it as if savoring a gourmet dish.

“…Ah… the taste of Celestia’s despair… the finest delicacy that I’ll never taste again…”

Watching this, a single tear fell from Celestia’s eyes.

Even I, standing in the corner of the room, couldn’t utter a single word. I never imagined they had foreseen this far. I felt a sense of despair greater than Celestia’s.

“Celestia, your hope has been severed. But rest assured, your despair will transform into abundant hope.”

From Aaros’s sleeve, a shadow burst forth, attacking the sister who looked up in despair.

Celestia let out a small scream, ‘No―’ and then her voice was extinguished.

For several dozen seconds, a sphere formed of a viscous black liquid writhed in the center of the room—then, as if breaking out of an eggshell, something hatched from within.

What emerged from the egg was Celestia, clad in a distorted nun’s robe with inverted colors.

Her eyes were dyed in darkness, reflecting no light.

Freed from the restraints of the chair, Celestia slowly stood up.

“Our eighth Executive—Celestia Hotthound! Welcome to the Aaros Temple Order! Let’s welcome our new comrade with a round of applause!”

At Aaros’s command, the torture chamber erupted in excitement.

Amidst the room filled with applause and cheers, I alone was enveloped in deep despair.