Cecilia, who had calmly taken a seat and steadied the atmosphere for a moment, lowered her voice in a subdued tone.
"The one afflicted by the curse is a man named Ferdio Hadim. He is a cardinal who is also actively serving as a heresy inquisitor."
"Ferdio Hadim..."
It was a name that had never appeared even once in the game, but it felt like a lightbulb suddenly flashed in my mind.
A tragic figure whose records had been completely erased due to his horrifically ignoble death.
Yet in the setting materials, his death and the curse were emphasized multiple times, even described as something the goddess herself lamented.
Because of that, he had been the subject of endless speculation in the 'Origin World' community.
"I see."
Before she could continue, I quickly cut in.
"He tried to smash the Catacombs—a den of black mages and a cult hub for countless organizations—only to get counterattacked instead. The enemy's strength and scale exceeded expectations, and a 'demigod-level demon' appeared out of nowhere... Ferdio Hadim barely made it back alive, but already under a fatal curse."
"...H-How!? Y-Yes! Exactly!"
"Moreover, according to the Church of the Goddess's independent analysis, the curse wasn't the type that simply gnawed away at the target's life. It was a high-level curse that warped their very existence. A power that could rightfully be called an authority. Isn't that right?"
"...!!"
Cecilia's mouth clamped shut.
"And the endpoint of that curse is..."
"S-Stop! That's enough! You can't say any more! It's top-secret!"
She shot to her feet in a panic, waving her hands frantically while glancing at Murel, who stood stock-still like a mannequin.
"Murel's fine, though."
"What makes you think so!? You've only known her for a few days!"
Wow, she already knows that much. The Church of the Goddess's resources are no joke.
"Our time together may be short, but Murel and I are bound by a deep, unbreakable bond. Right, Murel?"
"Of course, Lord Alzen."
"Don't lie! Even if that's true, more people knowing the secret isn't good for anyone!"
"It might be a problem for the Church of the Goddess if it spreads, but not for me."
"Urgh...!"
I grinned slyly, teasing her, and Cecilia ground her teeth in genuine frustration.
"Heh. Alright, enough of that. Let's end this topic here."
"...You really won't say anything later? Promise?"
"Sure, sure. Anyway... that's the main point, right? The 'fragment of the Demon King' embedded in Ferdio Hadim's brain. A way to remove it completely."
"...!!"
She froze, eyes wide, then finally nodded with difficulty.
"You know everything, so I can't hide it. It's classified, but I've already said too much... Yes. Cardinal Ferdio Hadim was cursed by the Demon King. I don't know why the Demon King was in the Catacombs, but that's not the point. If we can extract that fragment of the Demon King completely... humanity might be able to take down one Demon King...!"
Cecilia clenched her fists, her expression resolute.
"Hmm..."
The term Demon King referred literally to the pinnacle among high demons.
One could interpret it as simply the king of demons, but in reality, their stature was so exalted and mighty that even high demons dared not approach.
Why? Because they were avatars—incarnations—created by the Demon God dividing parts of itself.
Unlike me, who was just a normal human shrouded in rumors, they were truly divine beings.
For beings as overwhelmingly powerful, meticulous, and cautious as they were, humanity had virtually no information on the Demon Kings up to now.
Their identities, habitats, appearances, personalities... we knew absolutely nothing.
Their information blackout was so thorough and meticulous that even in the game, the protagonists only learned their true natures upon directly confronting them.
But at this very moment, one Demon King had let slip a clue.
The fragment of the Demon King lodged in Ferdio Hadim's brain.
To curse a cardinal—not some ordinary person—with a 'corruption into a demon' curse, even a Demon King would have had to pay a steep price.
...I don't know exactly which one, but that Demon King probably chose to do so specifically to humiliate and toy with the cardinal and the Church of the Goddess.
No matter how seasoned a cardinal and formidable a heresy inquisitor Ferdio Hadim was, he was no more than a fly before a Demon King. If it had wanted him dead, it could have killed him ages ago.
Oh, and for reference, there are three Demon Kings in total.
Only by defeating all three can one finally get a chance to face the Demon God.
"...Even the goddess sighed in sorrow at his death."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
I snapped out of it after unconsciously reciting a line from the setting materials and looked at Cecilia.
"Anyway, a fragment containing the Demon King's aura and authority could yield a ton of valuable intel."
"Exactly! We could finally glimpse the Demon King's shrouded identity! This would be a massive step forward for humanity!"
"...Hmm."
This was something even I felt motivated to jump into proactively.
Not just anything—it could raise the chances of reaching the ending.
Plus, it was easy to resolve.
In the late game, nobles and allies turning into demons from corruption became routine. And in the epilogue after slaying the Demon God and seeing the ending, there was a brief scene years later where those corrupted characters were restored to normal.
Naturally, the setting materials, packed with every trivial detail and backstory, spelled out the resolution method in full.
"I can help. I can resolve it."
"Really!? Then right away...!"
"Hold on. First, let's talk compensation."
"...Pardon?"
She gaped as if she'd heard something unbelievable.
"Compensation. You're not expecting me to work for free, right? What can the Church of the Goddess offer me?"
"N-No... You! Did you even listen properly!? Don't you grasp how important this is!? And you're talking payment...! We'll handle that generously after the job's done!"
"How can I trust that? At least draw up a contract."
"No, you... What kind of person...!"
She stammered, paling as if she couldn't believe someone like me existed, then drooped her head at my nonchalant attitude.
"No matter what I say, it won't work... Wendy. Come out."
The moment she murmured that, the space behind her rippled, emitting a brilliant light.
And then, the silhouette of a woman emerged.
"..."
I watched the scene calmly, unsurprised.
I hadn't for a second believed the saintess Cecilia had come alone.
The counterpart to the Shadow Knight: the Knight of the Dawn Light.
Where the Shadow Knight cloaked itself in darkness, the Knight of the Dawn Light shrouded itself in radiant brilliance.
A resource summonable only by the Church of the Goddess, its identity veiled in mystery.
Of course, I knew it.
If the Shadow Knight underwent a brutal, horrific process of turning weeds into wildflowers, the Knight of the Dawn Light endured a systematic, rigorous process of polishing raw gems into jewels—that's all I'll say.
"You called for me."
A tall beauty with blue hair, clad in light armor, bowed gracefully.
"Wendy. I need the communication orb."
"Here it is."
Wendy promptly pulled out the orb and placed it on the table. Cecilia glanced my way.
"Lord Alzen. May I use it for a communication?"
"Gonna have a meeting with the bigwigs? Why not just come back tomorrow?"
"...No. It shouldn't take long."
Her eyes, biting her lip, gleamed with firm, dazzling resolve.
Planning to push through with her saintess authority, huh.
No skin off my back—I welcomed it.
"Fine. Go ahead."
I nodded, and Wendy immediately cast a holy spell, enveloping Cecilia.
Cecilia's form vanished from sight, her voice silenced.
"...A bit flashy."
As I grumbled and reached for the wine bottle, my eyes met Wendy's.
Her alabaster skin contrasted sharply with her deep blue eyes, which stared straight at me.
"Why stare like that? Got questions?"
"...No. My apologies."
"The demon who killed your parents is named 'Harkal.' It can transform into devoured targets and, having eaten their brains, recall their memories too. A troublesome one."
"...!!"
Her eyes widened just a fraction.
Impressive mental fortitude—not much reaction to info that could shape her life.
"It's not a high demon, so you could kill it on sight. Meeting it would be the hard part, though. Identifying it too... Oh, and your little brother is at an orphanage under the Church of the Goddess in the imperial southern city of Delrinda."
"...H-How..."
Still, blood ties hit hard—she couldn't help but waver.
I smirked at her trembling voice.
What I'd just shared was utterly meaningless trivia.
I'd tossed it out on a whim.
No plans to exploit her or demand payment.
Though building rapport might prove useful...
...To begin with, all her info was buried in the setting materials. Left alone, she'd never have learned her revenge target's identity or her brother's whereabouts in her lifetime.
That had bugged me a bit.
That was all.
"Just for fun. Wanted to see your reaction... Pretty boring woman, huh."
"I have nothing to offer as payment."
"I said it was for fun. No need."
"...Thank you."
"Sure."
Interest faded, I savored the wine and half-reclined on the sofa.
"Lord Alzen. Here."
Murel astutely fetched a thick pillow, wedging it under my neck and shoulders.
"Oh."
Perfectly comfortable.
Just close my eyes, and I'd be out in seconds?
"Mm..."
As drowsiness overtook me and my eyes drooped, the barrier around Cecilia lifted.
"Lord Alzen. I spoke with His Holiness the Pope... Wait, you fell asleep!? Unbelievable!"
"Not asleep yet..."
Rubbing my eyes, I sat up groggily to see Cecilia's furious face.
"Yawn~ So, decided?"
"...Not yet. His Holiness wants to speak with you directly."
"Huh? The Pope with me?"
"At least use honorifics...!"
She paled, pressing a finger to her lips with a worried look.
Saintess through and through—kind-hearted.
"I'll handle it. Just hand over the orb."
"...Here."
I took the crystal orb she offered.
An elderly figure was already visible within.
-Greetings. I am Nerdi'an Hapecherim, Pope of the Church of the Goddess.
The kindly old man, with neatly combed white hair and a stylish white beard, smiled warmly.
"Hey there. Starnassila Alzen here."
"...!!"
Cecilia flailed wildly to stop me, but I ignored her and locked eyes with the Pope.
-Ho ho ho. Quite the spirited young man.
"Skip the chit-chat. Straight to business."
Gulp!
"Phew... So, what'll you give me for saving Ferdio Hadim and extracting the Demon King's fragment?"
-Hmm. Do you have something in mind?
"Hand over one sacred relic."
-.....
My bombshell made the Pope's face stiffen slightly, while Cecilia turned deathly pale, looking ready to faint.