Trigger Warning: This chapter contains depictions of explicit and violent scenes.
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The Second Prince, Eagle Simon, was, in some aspects, evaluated as having the makings of an emperor even more so than the Crown Prince. He was a talented and intelligent individual, and his performance was outstanding not only in the political arena but also on battlefields both large and small. There were even voices in some quarters suggesting that he should be enthroned as emperor.
So when it was revealed that Eagle, who had solidified such a strong position, was a pagan follower, the entire empire was riddled with shock.
What could have been the reason? Was it the starting spark of a rebellion to take the throne?
Cassia inwardly shook her head. That was the one conclusion you could reach, but when you look at things coldly, it was clear that wasn’t the case. If he intended to rebel, he would have tried to gather forces that would be more helpful. How could a handful of pagans offer any practical strength to the second prince?
Then, why did Eagle, a powerful man with nothing to lack, step into a religion that opposed the Empire’s state religion, start a war, and bring about his own destruction?
For some reason, she had a strong feeling that the words flowing from his mouth right now might reveal the ‘reason’ that no one had known before.
“Rejoice. We have succeeded in finding the demon’s den where innocent youths have been kidnapped, violated them, and murdered.”
“Uwooooh!”
“Kill the demon!”
“Victor X!”
Mixed in with the excited shouts of the believers was a familiar name. Cassia flinched with a start. Zester seemed just as startled and for a brief moment, the expression on their faces when they looked at each other were exactly the same.
Pope Victor X, the highest authority of the Orobas Vatican.
According to the teachings here that referred to the main god Orobas as a ‘Demon’, it was only natural that the Pope, Victor X, would be considered a villain, so it wasn’t shocking to hear his name.
The shocking part was the accusation that the group responsible for ‘kidnapping young people’, that is, the suspect behind the ‘disappearance incidents’ occurring in the capital, was the Orobas Vatican.
Once again, the voice of the young boy Remiel, whom she had met a few days ago, rang in Cassia’s mind.
『Right now, in this empire’s capital, the only ones with the authority to take civilians without special procedures are the Orobas Knights.』
She had suspected it, but was it really true? If pagans had been kidnapping young people, this man wouldn’t be saying such things in this place right now.
Cassia took a slow, deep breath. Her biggest worry had been the situation of the missing people, and after hearing Eagle’s firm words, despair settled into her heart. Kidnapping, assault, violation, and murder?
“This is already the third ‘hideout’. Of those we rescued during the first two, some confessed to Victor X’s atrocities but were dragged away and imprisoned on charges of being pagans. All were given execution dates, and some have already been executed.”
“Damn it!”
“Those bastards!”
“That is why this rescue mission must be even more cautious. If you do not wish for them to be dragged away and killed again, you must not allow them to tell the ‘truth’, even if it angers you. We do not yet have the power to oppose the Pope. So, if you do not want the rescued to be framed as pagans and killed, you must advise them to stay silent about what happened there. It is heartbreaking, but right now, that is the only way to save their lives.”
Cassia was confused. She stared straight at Eagle’s masked face and tried to steady her ragged breathing.
“Wife, what did I just hear? Is that man delusional?”
“Who knows.”
Cassia spoke sparingly to Zester, who whispered quietly in her ear.
“A third hideout? What in the world…”
“It seems there were places where they were imprisoning abducted young people. When one was discovered, they simply made another. This is apparently the third. And it looks like this Remiel church is the one who found it and rescued the kidnapped people.”
“Wait. So the real culprit behind the disappearances is…”
“It seems to be the Orobas Vatican.”
“Damn it, does that even make sense?”
“It’s not impossible. Is there any guarantee that a Pope is a pure and untainted saint? They said the disappearances started after the current Pope, Victor X, took office. And the Remiel faith also started to spread around the same time.”
“Isn’t there a chance this man is lying?”
“Well. What need does he have to lie? If pagans kidnapped the people, they would have hidden it from the believers. Or if the believers found out, they would have placated them with sweet words saying there was a reason for it. If this is truly a lie, it could be a ploy to cause the disappearances and frame the Orobas faith to foster distrust. But, no…”
Cassia stopped and shook her head.
“If these Remiel followers were the ones who instigated the disappearances, the Imperial Family and the Vatican would have made things even worse long ago. The Imperial Family would have publicly declared the disappearances to be the work of pagans and made a big deal of it. But we only heard about it through rumors. What does that tell you?”
“They don’t want people to know?”
“Exactly. They’re pushing the blame onto pagans when a few rumors inevitably leak out, but they clearly don’t want to escalate this matter. Not wanting to escalate it means they don’t intend to stop after just one incident. They plan to continue kidnapping young people. Considering this is already the third hideout, that is what this man is suggesting.”
“They’ve gone insane.”
Zester swept his hair back with a confused expression.
Getting involved with the pagans who were persecuted by the Imperial Family and the Vatican was a disaster waiting to happen.
But what if the real perpetrators of these wicked crimes were the Vatican, and the pagans were the ones trying to stop them?
No, even if that unbelievable situation were true, what could he, with his meager power, possibly do? And what was Cassia thinking, coming here?
While Zester was struggling to organize his chaotic thoughts, the masked man standing in the distance spoke again in a solemn voice.
“I am always sorry to ask for your help. I will be waiting for the believers who will join in this rescue mission. During the rescue, you may lose your lives, or your identity as a Remiel believer may be exposed, leading to your arrest by the Vatican. Keep that fact in mind… As I always say, the risk is high, so I will absolutely not force anyone.”
The masked man, Second Prince, Eagle Simone, spoke generously.
“The third demon hideout is the underground chapel of the Lezebu Church on the outskirts of the capital. We will meet two days from now, at midnight, at the residence of Brother Milton, located on Lezebu Street on the outskirts of the city.”
Finishing his announcement, Eagle stepped down from the platform. The thunderous cheers of the believers echoed through the wide underground hall.
* * *
Fwoosh.
The sound of raindrops falling could be heard. It seemed to be raining outside.
“Aaaagh! Please, spare me!”
In a cramped room where young people with hollow eyes sat packed so tightly they couldn’t claim even a handspan of space, Pia covered her ears. The terrible screams, impossible to drown out even by the rain, seeped through the thick stone walls.
It had been four days since she had been dragged by Orobas Knights and imprisoned in the basement of an old church, without any explanation.
Pia and the other abducted youths had already learned the shocking ‘truth’ of this place. But even though they had mouths, they couldn’t scream, and even though they had feet, they couldn’t run.
They would all likely die here. The only difference would be whether they died a little sooner, or endured a little longer.
Ah… where had things gone wrong?
She had promised her mother she would cook a delicious breakfast for the beautiful, kind noblewoman staying at their inn. So she had gone to the market as usual to buy meat and fruit.
“B-Big Sis… I’m scared.”
Pia looked down at the trembling presence clutching her arm. The moonlight flowing in through the hand-sized window settled pitifully on the tears welling up over a pair of clear chestnut eyes.
“It will be okay.”
Karam, whom she had met here, was a boy one year younger than Pia. More than half the abducted youths were boys. All were pale, slender beauties, so Pia could roughly guess the preference of the ‘monster’ who terrified them all.
She had never acted in ways that could be mistaken for heresy so she thought if she went and explained properly, it would be fine. Pia was terrified but she convinced herself to remain calm. However, the Orobas Knights who snatched her on the road back from the market gave her no opportunity to explain. Because she hadn’t been captured for a crime in the first place.
‘I don’t want to die.’
At first, the thought of being taken to be violated by a monster had horrified her. But now, she thought that if she could just live, that would be enough. She didn’t know when she would be called out, but if she begged for her life and promised to do whatever she was told, wouldn’t she be able to survive?
Four days. It was enough time for despair to crush her sense of justice and guilt until nothing remained but the instinct to live.
After the last scream faded, heavy footsteps echoed across the damp stone floor. Everyone inside in the cramped cell tensed.
Thud, thud.
The footsteps of about three people arrived in front of the iron bars.
Pia lifted her bowed head.
‘Ah, I’m in trouble.’
She had made direct eye contact with the monster’s green eyes, glowing vividly in the darkness. Trembling, Pia lowered her eyes again.
‘What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?’
A noble and high-ranking person. Pia had seen the monster before. At the very front of the Vatican’s procession that took to the streets on national holidays.
“That one will do.”
The low voice of the monster, no, of His Holiness the Pope, flowed out as he pointed at someone.
Clang.
The closed iron bars opened, and one of the Orobas Knights standing next to the Pope entered. He pushed through the young people sitting packed together and shivering and approached Pia. Every time the knight brushed past a body, everyone flinched.
‘So it’s me.’
Just as Pia froze, staring blankly at the hard stone floor…
“Ahh! No!”
Startled, Pia’s head jerked up.
The one the knight’s hand had roughly grabbed and pulled up was Karam, who had been clinging to her side just moments ago. Karam’s pale face was contorted with fear.
“N-no…Please save me…”
Thwack!
Expressionless, the knight slapped Karam across the face. Karam’s head snapped around, and his face met Pia’s, who was looking up in fear. Their sorrowful gazes tangled mid-air.
“Don’t damage him.”
“I apologize, Your Holiness.”
“Hhk, save, save…”
Karam whispered desperately, staring straight at Pia. Even as he was dragged away helplessly, he refused to take his eyes off her, as if she was some kind of savior.
Click.
The iron bars of the room from which Karam had been dragged out were locked again.
Pia kept staring at Karam outside the bars. She didn’t have the strength to meet the green eyes of the monster standing next to him. She dropped her head again, pretending like she couldn’t see anything.
Don’t look. Don’t look at me. I don’t want the monster to notice me. I don’t want to die.
“Aaaaaagh! No!”
As the screams faded away, Pia remained silent. Not only her, but everyone who ‘wanted to live’ covered their ears and shut their mouths.
Four days. It was enough time for the instinct to survive to crush any petty sense of justice or guilt.
Therefore, their silence was not a sin.
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 84 - June 27, 2026
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