Chapter 118

“Don’t do this.”

The executioner whispered in a troubled voice.

It was his job to carry out executions, but this time, he really didn’t want to work—especially since the target on the guillotine was Darian.

The hero of the Adrian Empire, the center of the Gallery’s bait.

If he killed him, the executioner’s life could also end just as unpredictably.

“Why aren’t you executing him already!”

At that moment, one of the bishops shouted harshly.

Executing him would mean social death.

Not executing would mean immediate death for disobeying orders.

As the executioner trembled in this dreadful dilemma, a calm voice cut through.

“It’s all right. Execute me.”

It was none other than Darian speaking.

At least a person with their neck on the guillotine shouldn’t be saying such things.

“Wha? But…”

“I won’t die. Have faith.”

Faith in whom? The Head of the Gallery?

To the executioner, he seemed a hero, but also a fanatic.

Though the Head of the Gallery was great, in the end, he was still mortal.

It was almost enough to want to scream for him to come to his senses, knowing he was bound to die.

“Start!!”

At the voice of the bishop urging, veins bulging in his neck, the executioner squeezed his eyes shut.

“Curse me if you must.”

He too was someone’s father in the end.

And it was the moment he cut the rope.

The vicious blade of the guillotine fell.

And at the moment it reached Darian’s neck—

– Bang!!!

Light exploded from Darian’s body.

The light quickly oxidized the guillotine’s blade and soared skyward.

“Wh-what?”

At the outrageous phenomenon, the executioner’s mouth hung open as he fell backward.

“…No way.”

“…What am I seeing right now?”

A pillar of light, an actual pillar made of light.

As everyone stood shocked, unable to do anything, the pillar of light gradually dimmed, and someone emerged.

Darian, wielding a radiant holy sword.

“Y-you’re the hero.”

This was no fake hero.

He was clearly the hero itself.

As the executioner trembled in fear, Darian spoke in the same calm tone as before.

“I understand your actions.”

“B-but…!”

“Have faith.”

Despite trying to kill him, he understood and forgave the executioner.

In that moment, he no longer appeared to be a boy lost in fanaticism.

In the presence of the holy hero, the executioner knelt and bowed his head.

“I believe…!”

Then, it happened.

“Th-this is nonsense!”

Down below, the bishop yelled in shock, his voice rising like a screech.

“A hero? There’s no way it could be a real hero! That’s impossible! There’s no such thing in the world!”

He was a bishop.

But he didn’t believe in God.

He was simply an opportunist, drawn to the taste of strong power while embedding himself in the cathedral.

But a hero?

At that moment, as he struggled in shock from witnessing the hero before his very eyes—

“Heretic. Do you still not believe despite seeing with your own eyes?”

– Thud

Darian grabbed the bishop by his bald head.

And with his other hand gripping the sword, he aimed precisely at the bishop’s neck, saying,

“God exists.”

“Ugh, ahhh…”

The blue blade touched his neck.

As the bishop cried tears of fear from impending death, Darian whispered into his ear.

“Believe in the Head of the Gallery.”

– Swish!

With that, one of the three bishops in the cathedral had his head fall to the ground.

And Darian raised the head toward the sky, shouting,

“Glory to the Head of the Gallery!”

[Sharing our positions.]

[Partially sharing the powers of the holy sword, a possession of ‘the Head of the Gallery’.]

Darian’s face lit up with delight.

*

[Title: Wow, this hero is for real?]

(The pillar of light soaring into the sky meme)

(Meme of one of the bishops getting beheaded)

I won’t doubt it again, haha;

Please forgive me.

[Recommend 9999+] [Disagree 0]

– Wow, I totally believed it.

– The Dragon Queen could really cut heads off well.

– The Dragon Queen is the world’s best hairstylist.

Nonsense, look at how these guys suddenly switched tactics, haha.

Darian lived and awakened his powers.

“Awesome!”

I thought things were going well.

[Sharing our positions.]

[Partially sharing the powers of the holy sword with the target.]

*But only possible while in ‘the Head of the Gallery’ designated state.

*Powers can be revoked at any time.

[Choose the current ‘Head of the Gallery’ abilities.]

“Didn’t go as planned!”

However, if I had known it would share Wi-Fi and GPS like this, I wouldn’t have designated it.

My location, which no one should know, was now exposed.

Although I was stuck in a bunker, without any means to get out, being trapped would be the end.

“This is really bad?”

Options for choosing Darian’s abilities appeared.

But I had no time to worry about that.

I never thought my location would be exposed in such a ridiculous way.

Even if I could pinpoint Darian’s location from meeting him in Kellierhton, now we were sharing it like this?

[Inviting ‘Darian’.]

Head of the Gallery*: No, dude;

With a sense of urgency, I sent a message to Darian.

“Ah…”

At that, Darian in the chat immediately knelt down and bowed his head.

– Why is he suddenly kneeling?

Nonsense, it’s like he’s received a divine mandate.

But wasn’t he appointed by the Head of the Gallery?

Shut up, idiot, just notice and kneel for now.

Seeing this, soldiers nearby looked around, put down their weapons, and all knelt in unison.

Darian: Ah, God, I humbly await your command.

Head of the Gallery*: Seriously, what’s going on?

Head of the Gallery*: Just get up for now;

Just then, Darian suddenly slammed his head into the ground.

Then, raising both hands to the sky, he shouted.

“How could I dare! Please speak freely!”

Head of the Gallery*: What the heck.

Could a person actually believe someone so fervently?

“Is he messing with my head on purpose?”

Could he be causing disruption knowing I know his location?

Then, as if he caught on to my intentions, Darian sent me something.

[Scroll of Life]

This scroll contains life.

If the scroll is torn, the caster will immediately die.

Caster: Darian.

Darian: If it’s about my dwelling, please don’t worry. I understand it’s not yet time.

Darian: I prove this with my life; please accept my faith!!!

Darian: (Praise the hero decoration)

Head of the Gallery*: No, why.

Head of the Gallery*: Save your life, you crazy person.

Darian: (Look at me! Hero decoration)

Darian: (Tearful hero cat decoration)

Head of the Gallery*: Seriously.

“Ugh, I’m feeling dizzy.”

It was the same as last week’s meeting of the club members.

Did these cultists really think they’d die if they didn’t offer their lives to me?

I quickly returned the scroll and messaged.

“I get that you trust me, but…”

The issue is that it’s not a matter of interpersonal trust, but a problem of faith between gods and their believers.

Head of the Gallery*: Why do you trust me so much?

Darian: Only God has provided food and shelter to this one who has lost everything!

“Well, just because you gave me a can of tuna at that time?”

Wouldn’t anyone have handed that over if they saw someone collapsed like that?

Especially for someone like me with a surplus of tuna cans.

You would risk your life based on just that one thing?

But maybe that statement was a land mine, as Darian elaborately explained to me.

Darian: I am not the Black-haired Beast!

Darian: I know grace and warmth.

Darian: What was merely a can of tuna was the entirety of the world for me.

Darian: The moment I accepted that tuna can, I swore my soul to you!!!

Darian: He is God, the Head of the Gallery!!!!!

Head of the Gallery*: Ugh.

“Talking any longer feels like my head is going to burst first.”

After exchanging a brief conversation, I understood.

Darian was sincere.

If I told him to take his own life, he would do so without a moment’s hesitation.

And the problem still wasn’t over.

There were remaining remnants to deal with.

[Title: Wow, these guys are hilarious, haha]

(Meme of a protest taking place in the cathedral basement)

Was there such a place as well?

It was ridiculous that they all clustered there for a protest at the slightest provocation.

[Recommend 6621] [Disagree 12]

– I can’t believe it, haha.

– (A heartening elf con)

– -in-

Nonsense, you guys are the originals—elfy ears!

If it weren’t for the Head of the Gallery, wouldn’t these pasty little guys have been wiped out?

Do they think they’re something special?

Many of the power holders in the cathedral had been slain.

Yet the roots still remained.

At the moment the pillar of light soared, they immediately took their troops and hid in the cathedral’s basement.

“But why?”

At first, I was puzzled.

There was nothing to gain from a protest.

The primary source of food in this world was the marketplace.

If I closed the marketplace, they would have no supplies, no place to protest, and no justification.

– Haha, what are those idiots doing?

– Will the food be provided by their ancestors?

– I had no idea such places existed despite attending that cathedral for ten years.

The Gallery also showed similar reactions.

At that moment, I couldn’t find the bishop anywhere among the protesting party.

“Could it be they’re trying to escape through the back door?”

Is there a hidden space in the facility?

It was 100% likely a rat hole.

However, their resistance was unexpectedly fierce.

[Title: Seriously, this game is petty.]

(A meme showing oil poured on the floor and ignited)

(Meme of the magicians constantly adding heat to the fire)

For crying out loud, it’ll exhaust us anyway.

– Ugh, damn cathedral.

– Still being rude to the end, haha.

But the problem was that they were holding up well.

Had they anticipated this situation? They’d completely blocked the entrance with fire magic.

Thick smoke and heat kept even the knights from daring to enter, leaving us stuck.

“I’ll have to call for the Deputy of the Gallery.”

Of course, calling the I Will Not Die Even If I Am a Vampire or Felici was also an option.

Though we were a bit far away, it seemed it would take some time.

I was on the verge of sending a chat to summon the Deputy when—

– ???

– Hero, what are you doing right now?

– (Confused elf con)

Standing before the fierce flames that could swallow even knights, Darian stepped forward.

Ignoring the scorching heat, he suddenly knelt and looked up at the system.

“What’s he doing?”

As I paused the chat to watch Darian’s bizarre behavior, messages suddenly came from him.

Darian: Head of the Gallery.

Darian: Please grant me the strength to overcome this crisis.

Head of the Gallery*: ???

Suddenly, he was asking me to pray for strength.

“How can I?”

But I wasn’t a god.

I’m just a normal guy browsing a gallery.

However, before I could explain, having finished his prayer, Darian stood up.

– Whoa, what’s he doing?

– Stop, you crazy guy!!!

“Don’t tell me?”

My anxiety crept in during that moment.

Darian threw himself into the flames.