Chapter 80 - Mixed Blood! Mixed Blood!
"Alright," I reply.
"They all stray from the path of humanity, so it's better if you don't know."
Her blurred green eyes look up at me with concern.
Even though she cares for me this much, not telling her anything might actually be more cruel.
But even so, I don't want to say what I don't want to say.
"Is it really that terrible?"
"Yeah."
"If that's the case, then even more so, I don't want to let you push yourself alone, Father. Maybe there's something I can do to help."
"I'm not keen on having you help me with murder, though."
While spreading out the futon, Rio watches us from the corner of her eye.
She looks like she's definitely eavesdropping.
"...So, that means you're going to kill the High Priest. Not through persuasion or sealing. ...Wait? That person, they come back to life even if they're killed, right?"
"That's how it is."
"Then how?"
"I heard that if it's suicide or an accidental death, that skill won't activate."
"Suicide..."
Angelica's expression darkens all at once. Whether due to her personality or her faith, it must be an unacceptable method.
"Are you going to drive that High Priest to commit suicide?"
"Apparently, if I commit suicide, they'll follow me in death. They're the ones who proposed that as a condition."
"...That's twisted..."
"Right?"
"You don't... have any intention of meeting that condition, do you?"
"Of course not. I can't quite trust the High Priest's words. They might intend to let me commit suicide first and then continue living nonchalantly. If that were the case, I'd be leaving the strongest villainess loose on Earth in my absence."
"That's right! It's absolutely no good for you to kill yourself, Father!"
In combat, one should always move while assuming the worst-case scenario.
It's better to act assuming the High Priest has absolutely no intention of dying.
"In short, we just need to make the High Priest commit suicide. It's difficult, but I don't think it's impossible."
"...It must be a sad method, isn't it?"
"Don't look so depressed. I've also thought of a plan to properly seal them while keeping them alive."
Suddenly, Angelica's face lights up.
"What... then please let me help with that! That's right, no matter how much of a villain they are now, you can't let your old comrade die. Knowing you, Father, you'll definitely end up blaming yourself."
Even for someone like that, if it can be resolved while they are alive, that would be best, Angelica said, clasping her hands together.
She closed her eyes in a pose as if offering a prayer to God. A faint smile played on her lips.
Her divinity, like a statue of the Holy Mother, made me recoil involuntarily.
"...The High Priest is probably the one responsible for making a massive amount of evil spirits possess you. And yet, you think it's better if they don't die?"
"Yes."
"Why? Is it because you know how you and I became close and you feel sympathy? Or is it because of your faith? Like, because God said every life has value?"
"Um... didn't I just say? Father, it seems like you would regret it if you let that person die. That's why."
"...In other words, you think it's better if the High Priest doesn't die, even if it means I suffer mental damage. Do you seriously think that?"
"Yes!"
I slumped down, my knees giving way.
I was filled with self-loathing, thinking about what kind of methods I was about to employ despite being loved so devotedly.
"...Sorry, Ange... I'm sorry..."
"What's wrong all of a sudden!?"
As Angelica flustered about, I confessed my sins.
"...I'm sorry... I was... thinking of splitting again."
"...Is it okay if I ask why?"
I told her, omitting the gruesome expressions like cutting off the High Priest's limbs, burning out their vocal cords, or damaging their spinal cord.
"Well, you see. I can't say the method, but I have a way to weaken the High Priest while they're still alive."
"Weaken them? Is it a debuff or something?"
Angelica voiced an idea that likely sprang from her pure heart.
The idea of just hacking off limbs would never come from the brain of this pure girl.
"W-well, something like that. I actually use debuffs too. Anyway, I'll do various things to weaken the High Priest, but there's a bottleneck to this. The High Priest's HP exceeds 23,000. If left alone, they'll naturally recover and be able to move around freely."
"...So, that's where the split Father comes in?"
"That's it. Multiple versions of me, having multiplied, will take turns watching them and periodically weakening the High Priest."
In other words, for the rest of my life, destroying that woman's spinal cord or crushing her vocal cords will become my life's work.
"Don't tell me it's all the way until the High Priest reaches the end of their lifespan?"
"I want it to be, but the problem is they have no lifespan. It seems they're using Alchemy to stop aging, and they haven't aged since they were twenty-nine."
"...No wonder I thought their attempt at looking young was bizarre... Eh? But what will you do then? If Father becomes a frail old man and is called to heaven, who will watch the High Priest? There's no one else besides you, Father, who can restrain and weaken that person!"
"I'll leave that to my descendants, I suppose."
"...Father's children..."
How grand, Angelica sighed.
"However, there's one problem. From my next generation onwards, it will become quite difficult to weaken the High Priest on their own. After all, they have a Defense of 15,700 and a Magic Defense of 77,000. No matter what kind of weapon from Earth you use, it probably won't work. In this world without monsters, leveling up to raise stats will also be hopeless."
"Then, if Father really does die of old age, isn't it all over...?"
"I'll take measures so that doesn't happen. Fortunately, some of my parents' skills are passed down to the children. If even my [Skill: Divine Sword] is inherited, there will be hope. This skill produced considerable firepower even at a low level."
"May I ask one thing?"
"What is it?"
Angelica raised her hand hesitantly. It was a motion like when asking a question during class.
"You've been saying 'descendants' this and 'descendants' that, but who does Father intend to have children with?"
"..."
"Father?"
That was the hardest thing to say.
"...Well... you see? If we're going to build a clan to monitor the High Priest, I've been thinking that the mother should be someone with considerable potential."
"That's me, right? Right? After all, I'm a high-stat Holy Maiden, aren't I? You're going to make lots of babies with me, and then leave the sealing of the High Priest to those children, right?"
"...Sorry... sorry... the candidate for mating... isn't Ange... It's not that... I don't like you as a person... in fact, as a woman, you're totally my type... what am I even saying?"
"I-it's okay, I'm actually happy, please continue."
"U-um, anyway, if we're going to create a clan specialized in weakening and monitoring the High Priest, I have no choice but to choose another child."
Due to the sheer guilt, my voice naturally dropped in volume.
"...Just who... are you going to have children with...?"
It was painful for me to say this too, but right now, I wanted to confess everything and beg for forgiveness.
"...It's Ayako-chan."
"...May I ask the reason?"
"Well, you see? Ayako-chan possesses a high aptitude for Dark Attribute magic, and she's the only one in this world who has debuff skills, right? If these are passed down to the descendants, we can lower the High Priest's Defense for generations. ...So, Ayako-chan and I will make lots of children. If children are born who inherit both the Divine Sword and debuffs, we'll be safe. We'll use the strongest spear after softening up the prey's body. With that, even if the descendants' ability to level up is hopeless, I think they can somehow process... neutralize the High Priest's body. After that, until the day humanity perishes, hybrid warriors with my and Ayako-chan's blood will continue to monitor the High Priest while keeping them alive."
"It's not 'continue to'! Jeez!"
Angelica puffed out her cheeks, looking absolutely furious.
"The scale is way too big, the burden on Father's descendants is too heavy, and above all, it's the absolute worst that Father would do lewd things with someone other than me!"
"I know! It's one of the worst options, and I have no intention of putting it into practice! I don't even know if Ayako-chan will agree to leave descendants!"
"Of course she'll agree! Ayako mutters that she wants to give birth to a dozen of Father's babies all day while doing housework!"
"Is that what the apartment is like while I'm gone?"
That's super scary, I thought, feeling a chill.
As I was shivering while hugging myself, Angelica questioned—no, interrogated me with a cold stare.
"I'm getting more and more scared to ask, but what other methods have you thought of? There's something more proper, right?"
"...Well, yeah."