Dear Bennet Hilton,
Greetings to the hero who saved the world. How have you been?
I have been following, with great interest, the path you and your companions are carving into history. From what I hear, you have become a prominent figure in the new faction known as the Reformists , courageously challenging the outdated traditions and corrupt practices of the Church of the Goddess .
It brings me great joy to witness the undeniable strength behind your actions. Moreover, knowing that the road you tread is one of righteousness fills my heart with pride.
However, opposing the ruling powers is never an easy task, is it? Just as a prepared wizard fears nothing, the deeply rooted forces that have solidified their grip on the long-standing authority are equally formidable.
I can’t help but wonder if you’re encountering challenges, particularly with the grand festival approaching. I find myself in a similar predicament.
The Academy remains as peaceful as ever. The sinister hands of the Dark Wizards have been struck down wherever they dared appear, and for the unseen threats, I’ve managed to counter them, sometimes by sheer luck.
To share a bit of this fortune with you, we have successfully eradicated the threat codenamed 『Virgin Who Drinks Pleasure』, the Succubus Queen who had been encroaching upon the Elmest Estate.
Although the whereabouts of 『Corpse Flower that Consumes Fear』 remain unknown, I firmly believe that diminishing the influence of the Dark Wizards, as we have done, will eventually open doors to decisive victories.
I hope this news offers you even a small moment of happiness.Now, let me explain the difficulties I face, which is the reason I have written to you. How wonderful it would be if we could share our burdens and assist one another.
And I carry a faith—a star that shines in my heart I serve a serene and gentle Goddess. This faith is ancient──unshakable as if it will remain solid for eternity.
Yet, through a series of events, I have found myself devoted to another faith—a playful and seductive one, radiating a beauty that captivates all creation.
It is certainly considered virtuous to serve one faith alone.
However, my heart refuses to choose. Instead, I find myself honoring and serving both, as they are equally dear to me, and neither can be abandoned.
With this in mind, I seek your counsel, Bennet.
You have skillfully pursued two rabbits, caught them, and held them in your arms. From what I know, your strategy has not wavered to this day. How do you manage this balance?
If you are willing, would you share your secret with me?
If a letter proves insufficient, I am ready to visit you in person. I eagerly await your reply at your earliest convenience. Wishing you continued success in your journey.
From the Academy—
A wizard yearning for reunion.
===============================================================
Bennet’s party gathered around the circular table, groaning in frustration. On top of their existing challenges, a letter from the Crazy Professor at the Academy had arrived, adding yet another layer of worry.
Bennet stared at the letter spread across the table and muttered wearily.
“This is why I hate wizards. They always write such cryptic letters⋯⋯.”
“Have you exchanged letters with wizards before?”
Tara, squinting through her magnifying glasses as if she was locked in a staring contest with the letter, raised her head at Bennet’s comment. She was wondering if it was a female wizard.
Bennett folded his arms and replied.
“Back when I was a Dark Wizard⋯⋯ there were plenty who issued orders like this. I still remember one. ‘Look to the winged serpent that swallowed gold coins; may the shattered crescent moon’s light reflect upon their fangs.’ Can you guess what that meant?”
“Uh⋯⋯ give a Basilisk a dental checkup?”
“It was an order to pierce a dagger through a merchant’s skull.’”
“Yikes.”
Do they all suffer from some disease where they’d die if they didn’t overcomplicate everything ? Tara removed her magnifying glasses with a shudder. Judging by Bennett’s past Bennett’s experiences, Crazy Wizard’s letter might need to be untangled at least three times over.
“The first part of the letter is clear. No metaphors, and straightforward.”
“Eung. It’s just the usual—‘I’ve heard about the『Reformist Faction』, and stuff.’”
“And he seems to understand the trouble we’re currently in. For him to write something this normal, he must be quite an extraordinary individual.”
“⋯⋯He’s a lunatic who once unleashed a Succubus in the Academy to flush out Dark Wizards. I’m sure he’s been keeping tabs on us in ways we can’t even imagine.”
Crazy Wizard had heard about them during a professor’s gathering when he was talking to Alexon—so it was indeed a method the Bennett party couldn’t think of.
This added pressure to an already difficult situation faced by the party.
Their troubles were deeply intertwined with the upcoming 『Hero Selection Tournament』 in Holy City. When the Hero of the Church of the Goddess was chosen, the Saintess was automatically required to join the Hero’s party, as dictated by longstanding 『Regulation』.
『Regulation』 were different from lines written in the texts. 『Regulation』 was rules setted by Goddess, therefore absolute.
Unlike the lofty proclamations of the sacred texts—“Be generous to others” or “Never doubt your king who leads you”—『Regulation』carried absolute religious authority as decrees directly set by the Goddess.
For instance, Tara customizing her Saintess attire into rags might draw gossip but wouldn’t get her excommunicated. However, defying 『Regulation』⋯⋯.
The Goddess’s Divine Power would immediately cease, and those old Cardinal would waste no time excommunicating her.
“Well, my Divine Power has already been cut off ages ago.”
Tara scoffed. Her connection to Divine Power had long been severed; she maintained her Saintess status by using the Metamorphosis Thorns of Lament to siphon Divine Power from others. So, she didn’t fear the Goddess’s punishment.
But the Cardinals’ excommunication? That was a different matter entirely.
“There’d be no escaping their political maneuvering. I’d lose my Saintess title, and the Reformist faction would collapse into chaos.”
“But if you were to willingly join the Hero’s party, then⋯⋯.”
“If that Hero is just a puppet for the Cardinals, you wouldn’t last long. And an unfortunate ‘accident’ during the journey would be enough to put an end to Saintess Tara.”
Thus, the Bennett party had only two options:
Either ensure the『Reformist Faction』 claimed the Hero’s position in the upcoming 『Hero Selection Tournament』.
Or at the very least, prevent the Cardinals’ faction from installing their own candidate as Hero.
As they strategized, Crazy Wizard’s letter arrived—as if he already knew exactly what was happening.
So, they wracked their brains trying to decode it, hoping the letter contained the key to their breakthrough.
-⋯⋯⋯⋯.
“What do you think, Niolle? Any thoughts?”
While Bennett and Tara briefly wandered off-topic, Niolle had quietly reread the letter dozens of times and finally came to a conclusion.
-I think it’s⋯⋯just a casual letter?
“Eung?”
-It’s written as though it might mean something, but there’s no grand message. Just a friendly letter⋯⋯ Ah, I think he might be asking Bennett for dating advice.
After all, if Crazy Wizard really knew the full extent of their crisis, wouldn’t he have included something more concrete? Moreover, the handwriting lacked any sense of urgency.
And honestly, if Crazy Wizard was actually trying to send something serious, they thought it would be more⋯⋯ indulgent and full of revelry. They thought it would be more brimming with mischief.
However.
“Have we been pushing Niolle too hard⋯⋯?”
“Seems like it. There’s no way this is a love letter. Forget the paperwork and document analysis for now, Niolle—take a break.”
-No, I’m, fine⋯⋯.
“Come here. I’ll lend you my lap.”
Bennett gently stroked the back of Niolle’s neck, coaxing her to relax. She didn’t resist and let herself sink onto his lap.
His large, calloused hand moved gently through her hair, and Niolle smiled, her body softening as she let herself rest.
She clung to him lightly—just enough to not make him uncomfortable or self-conscious. Her hand rested on his thigh, feeling the muscles of his legs.
“This next part—the mention of faith⋯⋯do you think it’s a metaphor? Or does he genuinely mean he’s a follower of the Goddess?”
“It could go either way. He’s acted to protect multiple worlds, so it’s entirely possible he’s allied with or is friendly towards the Goddess here.”
“So, assuming he does believe in the Goddess of this world, when he talks about gaining a new faith, is that meant literally?”
“Not abandoning one deity but worshipping two at once? It sounds⋯⋯strange.”
Niolle was certain her interpretation was correct, no matter how hard she thought. But she didn’t want to interrupt Tara and Bennett’s serious discussion.
After all, Bennett’s lap was just too comfortable, and watching the two of them having a warm, friendly discussion was enough to lift her spirits. It was true that she had been pushing herself too hard recently, so she figured it wouldn’t hurt to take some rest.
Besides, her current position was strategically advantageous. This location, had a mountain at its back, so it was exceptionally secure.
If an affectionate atmosphere started to develop between Tara and Bennett, then she just needed to turn away and pretend to be asleep.
“In ancient texts, although most of it has been redacted⋯⋯ there are vague mentions of a being opposing the Goddess. Or rather, traces of such a being. No images, no descriptions of its abilities—just traces. If this letter is hinting at that, then⋯⋯.”
“That feels like a bit of a reach. If this information requires access to the Church of the Goddess’s inner sanctum, even that professor wouldn’t have the means to obtain it. The reference to another god might symbolize something else entirely.
“Could it just be for show? Like, ‘I’m about to betray the Goddess, so maybe the 『Reformist Faction』 should keep an eye on me’? A way of creating a pretext so that he can approach us.”
“The letter itself does feel like a justification. Otherwise, there would be no reason to send one at all. For now⋯⋯ we should respond with a formal invitation.”
Niolle listened to their back-and-forth like a lullaby and slowly drifted off to sleep.
In the end, the Bennett party interpreted Crazy Wizard’s letter as saying, ‘You’ll be fucked by Dark Wizards if you stay there. So I’ll come and handle it, and I’ll help you out in the process.’
And so they wrote back, sending an official invitation to the festival, using it as an excuse to arrange a meeting.
===============================================================
『Hero Selection Tournament』.
An extravagant event orchestrated by the Cardinal faction of the Church of the Goddess. Its purpose was to gather Hero candidates from across the continent and choose the one most suitable to bear the title of Hero.
Rumors suggested that after the preliminary rounds, candidates would face three grueling trials. The organizers were confident that only one true Hero would remain at the end.
“There are probably schemes at play.”
Having followed Tara into the Church of the Goddess and joined the 『Reformist Faction』 to root out the corruption within the Church, Bennett had clashed with the Cardinals countless times. This experience had sharpened his ability to predict their methods.
They were nothing more than power-hungry swine.
From hoarding Divine Power to monopolizing Divine Magic and prioritizing people with heavy pouches, Bennett was able to clearly feel the greed of the Cardinals.
So he didn’t even think about the notion of fairness from them.
The Hero candidate they were backing—Benjamin—was undoubtedly at the center of a mountain of vile schemes aimed at ensuring his success.
Bennett glanced up at the portraits of the Hero candidates. His gaze stopped at one with the drooping seaweed-like hair. Him.
A sharp-eyed young man with dark green hair stared back at him. Benjamin.
According to background checks, Benjamin was a depraved and lustful man. Before becoming a candidate, he had been responsible for countless scandals. Even now, his behavior was riddled with threats and misconduct.
He roamed the streets with a gang of his followers at his beck and call.
Benjamin was a jackal who was driven by his impulsive desires.
Yet, the Cardinals had chosen this troublemaker as their pawn, offering him their complete support. They shielded him from damaging rumors with bribes and fabricated glowing narratives to elevate his image in the eyes of the public.
Was Benjamin selected because he was easily manipulated? Or did he possess some hidden quality that made him indispensable?
Or perhaps the Cardinals were so confident in their strategy that they believed even an incompetent pawn like Benjamin could lead them to victory⋯⋯?
Bennett stared beyond the portrait, trying to decipher the true motives of the Cardinals as they clung to the Pope.
“Man, Heros are actually fucking doomed, like actually. If even someone like him is a candidate, I can already predict the Church of the Goddess’s fate a hundred years from now⋯⋯.”
A voice pierced through his thoughts.
A familiar voice—a voice he could never forget. Yet, it was a voice that shouldn’t exist. After all, Bennett himself had split its heart in two.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
But it was still alive.
Eyes brimming with malevolence, teeth sharp enough to devour human despair, and a facade of beauty hiding something truly monstrous within──
“Outer God, you were still alive?”
“Oh, ohoho⋯⋯? I- I am not such a being. I am Hee Yeonghyeon, a noble lady from a distinguished family, and…”
Shiing.
“Keep talking.”
“…I am the leader of the Beggar’s Union Hao Sect branch, with over ten dependents to feed and care for⋯⋯ fuck it, take this!”
Kkagagagack, swoosh!
Evil God-chan scraped the ground with her scaled feet, kicking up dust and debris into Bennett’s eyes. But he sliced through the cloud of grit with a single swing, as if he expected it. And he began chasing after her.
Tadadadadat.
Short, frantic steps overlapped with large and rhythmic footsteps. Evil God-chan ran as though her life depended on it—which, it did.
“Why now? Why now⋯⋯!”
“I’ll carve you into ten pieces this time and offer your corpse yo Abraham’s grave.”
“MIMA, MIMA──!!”
Thus began The Chase: Season 3.
***
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