Leon and Beta looked at the Archbishop and mocked him at the same time.
A fat body, slow steps, such weak stamina that he wheezed after every movement, and a bald head.
This guy had none of the traits of a strong man.
Not to mention Lutheran, who had once fought him back at the academy—even Zenon was far stronger than him.
And yet, he was still one of the Twelve Knights of the Cult.
Beta even doubted her own eyes. Could this man actually be powerful and simply good at hiding it?
"Master?"
"Don't look at him, he's far too weak."
"Really? Is that so?"
It didn't matter if she couldn't see through him herself—her master's eyes never made mistakes. Beta immediately accepted that the bald man was truly weak.
---
At the same time.
Sinon, the elite sharpshooter, was lying prone atop a tower a thousand meters away, her rifle already aimed.
Beside her was a magical communication tool.
The moment Leon or Beta gave the order, Sinon would pull the trigger and execute a perfect headshot.
"Hm, by the way, this head is really shiny. I've never seen one reflect sunlight so well. Damn, what if I miss because his bald head blinds me?"
To be honest, that bald spot made Shino feel like her 36x scope was almost unnecessary.
Were snipers naturally too sensitive to reflective objects? It was so dazzling that she was actually worried about aiming.
Leon: "Don't worry. We still need him to complete the preparatory steps for opening the sanctuary and to lead the way inside."
Sinon: "Yeah, I understand."
Jack had no idea his life was being threatened and still carried on with his opening speech.
"The time has come! Great Goddess, please hear our prayers and test the warriors gathered here!"
The bald man then stepped into the trap.
Suddenly, a massive red magic circle spread across the arena floor, and the audience erupted in cheers again.
The [Goddess's Judgment] had officially begun.
---
Five hours later…
"Haha~ This is so boring, I've hit my limit."
Leon held his head and fell asleep.
Although the three women around him didn't show it outwardly, their eyes betrayed their boredom and impatience.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty…"
"The mood is understandable."
"Oooh, I'm tired of just sitting here."
From the start until now, over two hundred participants had appeared, but only a handful received responses from the sanctuary and summoned the memories of ancient warriors.
And only one could win.
With the endless cycle of entrants appearing and exiting, it was no wonder they felt weary.
For the record, the one who had won so far was Iris. To the audience, it had been an exhilarating, fierce, and spectacular battle.
But to Leon and Beta, the level was far too low. She and her opponent had barely reached the strength of low-level Night Raid novices—completely worthless.
"That's enough, I'm leaving."
Feeling that the time was nearly right, Leon rose and left to prepare for the stage.
Iris and Rose glanced at him enviously. As the prince of a great nation, he did as he pleased. Even if they wanted to leave, they couldn't, since they still had to act as his holy godchildren.
But not long after Leon left—
The bald Archbishop approached.
"Hohoho~ Dear princesses and ladies, how are you enjoying it? Are you liking this [Goddess's Judgment]?"
"…" x3
Beta, Rose, and Iris exchanged wordless stares. If not for duty or status, they would have already left.
Cough, cough. "The number of successful summons this year is indeed rather small," Jack admitted with some embarrassment.
Then, his gaze wandered among the three women until it froze on the stunning Beta.
The bald man quietly moved closer to the silver-haired elf, trying to be discreet.
Beta still wore a faint smile.
But in her heart, she raised her middle finger at him.
[Ugh, disgusting. Stay away from me, baldy. The only person in the world allowed to look at me with such thoughts is Master!]
"You must be the famous novelist, Natsume-sensei. Hahaha~ What a beautiful elf."
"Haha, thank you for the compliment."
[He's staring at me again! Look at me one more time, and I'll rip out your eyes and crush them with my bare hands! My body is something only Master may admire and touch. How dare a fat, bald pig like you think otherwise?]
Jack didn't dare make a move in such a public setting, or else he might have reached out already.
Beta would have broken all his fingers in an instant.
An ordinary person wouldn't be treated so ruthlessly by her, but this bald man was an enemy of the Cult. It was only natural to deal with him mercilessly.
After that, Jack tried to strike up more conversation with Iris and Rose, acting as if he were irresistibly charming.
But truthfully, a middle-aged, bald man with a beer belly and foul breath was the type that would instantly die in the eyes of any woman.
Especially compared to Leon, who—even when yawning—looked beautiful.
Beside Jack, the gap was like heaven and hell. It was enough to make anyone sigh, as if Leon were the pinnacle of humanity, and Jack its lowest point.
"Ahem, Natsume-sensei, are you free later? Care to join me for dinner?"
"Ara~ What a shame, I have other matters later," Beta said, suppressing her nausea.
[I'm busy writing the next chapter of 'The War of Midnight-sama,' so I have no time for you, bald man. And besides, you won't even live to see dinner.]
At that moment—
The bell tolled from the clock tower.
The time had come.
Dozens of girls in the arena opened their eyes.
"What? Who?!"
The knights of the guard shouted in alarm.
They saw a dark figure descending from the sky, landing in the arena with overwhelming presence.
The sheer force of his aura jolted everyone awake instantly.
Leon had finally shifted into his true persona.
"The time has come. Tonight, I shall release the ancient memories sealed within the sanctuary!"
He snapped the hem of his slime attire.
A long black sword appeared in his hand.
With a single swing through the air, everyone present felt as if the world itself had been split open.
"!!"
"?!"
"Master~~!" (≧▽≦*)
Iris and Rose were stunned.
At the same time—
The Sanctuary responded to Midnight naturally.
Far larger than before, a vast, intricate crimson magic circle manifested, inscribed with countless ancient runes.
Of all those present, only Beta, proficient in literature, deciphered a few words. Her expression turned pale with shock as she read their meaning aloud.
It was the name of the one being summoned.
"The Witch of Calamity, Aurora…"
Also known as—
Diablos!!
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."