Chapter 43: The Promised Future of Hero Ryuguin④
“I remember when I heard that your combat power was actually as worthless as garbage; I pressed my head in disbelief, thinking it would take longer than expected.”
Gilbert mocked Ryuguin.
“On that note, I feel sorry for you, Holy Knight-kun, but that ‘Limit Break’ Skill of yours? Truly a valuable skill.”
At that moment, Cardinal Gilbert’s expression turned momentarily dumbfounded.
“Hm? Wait a second. Your Mana Capacity—”
He then looked at Ryuguin as if he were witnessing something disappointing.
“Could it be that ‘Limit Break’ was only temporary?”
As Gilbert nodded to those around him, the barrier restraining his body vanished. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the tiny defect covering his mouth disappeared, replaced by a minimal barrier that enclosed him.
He could speak again…
Though he had the option to remain silent, Ryuguin furrowed his brow and decided that whether he spoke or not, it would ultimately be the same.
“…That was a once-in-a-lifetime skill.”
“Ah, what a waste. I had been planning something in my head since earlier, and now it’s all for nothing.”
Gilbert, with a furrowed brow, quickly regained his composure.
“But, well, it’s fine.”
He turned his gaze toward the members of the Klaatel Church.
“Today, many have come from Klaatel at my call.”
From among the numerous church officials, ten stepped forward, including the Pope. They immediately surrounded the restrained Ryuguin.
“Everyone here has something to say to you.”
Ryuguin swallowed hard.
“You’re too foolish to understand unless I say it clearly, but they are all furious with you.”
As Ryuguin glanced around, his body trembled.
“The Royal Capital, Green Eyes, Skruld, Blue Moon, Sea Sky, Flipper, Permel, Jin Fizz, Sangaf, Lemone.”
Gilbert listed the names of several towns. He recognized them all… or rather, they were all places they had visited.
“Everywhere you went, you hurt many people. Those who were harmed by your ego have loved ones too. It’s no surprise they seek revenge. It’s only natural.”
The restrained Ryuguin desperately twisted his body, struggling to escape this place as quickly as possible.
“Moreover, you cast a wicked spell on Saintess Mika. Nearly everyone in the upper echelons of the church holds her in high regard. You have committed many sins, and they are far from forgivable. So why do you think you can remain unscathed?”
Gilbert asked Ryuguin with biting sarcasm. Unlike before, Ryuguin could no longer escape or even make excuses. It might have been the first time he was confronted so directly with his own sins.
“Well, in any case, whatever we make you do, you can’t just stay as you are. We’ll be applying some spells.”
At Gilbert’s signal, those surrounding Ryuguin began to lay out several items on the floor, drawing geometric patterns and symbols resembling magic circles around him.
“I thought about why a monster like you was born, and I think it’s because the desires inherent in your personality have become too inflated.”
Gilbert spoke lightly, his tone casual. To an ordinary listener, he gave no impression of harboring any sinister plot. That, in itself, was terrifying.
“Do you know what the Three Major Desires are? ‘Hunger,’ ‘Sexual Desire,’ and ‘Sleep Desire’—these are said to be fundamental human urges.”
“…I know that much.”
“Good. There are many kinds of desires, so we decided to start simply with the Three Major Desires.”
“Start… with?”
The preparations of the church officials proceeded smoothly, and one of them began to chant something. Gilbert ignored Ryuguin’s repetition and checked his surroundings.
“We’re entering the final stage. This… is a Forbidden Spell. Naturally, I think it’s an unethical technique. We’re going to remove what should be called instinct from you…”
Ryuguin’s expression turned blank, as if his brain refused to comprehend.
“Regarding this spell, the madman who secretly conducted experiments sacrificed many lives before he was captured. Humans are surprisingly fragile. If you meddle with these three desires, it seems you might just die…”
“Ugh.”
Ryuguin swallowed hard.
“But don’t worry, you can relax. He has already figured out how to avoid death.”
Gilbert spoke of death so casually that it frightened me as well.
“The worst-case scenario is removing all three. The ‘Three Major Desires’ are deeply rooted in survival instincts, so if you take them all away, you’ll lose most of your will to live and become a living corpse. Therefore, we must leave at least one intact.”
“Well, there are also taboos regarding the degree and combination of these, but…”
“Don’t make that face; relax. You won’t die. Just listen as I continue. What we’re going to do is take away your ‘Sexual Desire’ and ‘Sleep Desire.’ Keeping ‘Sexual Desire’ for you is out of the question, and ‘Hunger’ is directly tied to human survival, so it’s difficult to meddle with… so we’ll leave that alone, and you should be grateful for that. If we overdo it, you might break or your personality might change, but… well, you should be fine with ‘Sleep Desire.’ From now on, you won’t be able to sleep, but as long as you receive proper recovery, it shouldn’t be a problem…”
I recalled the hellish training in the Royal Castle, where I had used Healing Magic in place of sleep, pushing my training to the limit with barely any rest.
“It’s time.”
Gilbert announced.
Ryuguin shook his head vigorously, tears streaming down his face.
“Stop, stop…”
His words were rendered meaningless by fear.
“Desireless Punishment (Land Stamp)!”
As Gilbert pronounced the final decree,
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Ryuguin’s body was engulfed by a pillar of light that erupted from the ground.
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I must promote this, so please forgive me!
The paper version of this work’s comic adaptation will be released on November 19! Both volumes 1 and 2 will be released simultaneously!
It’s just ten days away.
It features scenes of Sena-chan munching like a small animal and the vibrant, full-color allure of Sensei.
I would be grateful if everyone could pick it up!