I Became the Evil God’s Apostle 12

Ban thought Orma would give him an earful, but instead, Orma just stared at Ban with a face like he’d bitten into something bitter before changing the subject. Then, while Ban tilted his head in confusion, Orma spoke with an air of someone utterly fed up with everything.

“Let’s go. Where is it?”

Why would his god so obediently follow along? Though the question crossed his mind, Ban promptly guided Orma in the direction the bandit had told him.

The cave the bandit had mentioned wasn’t far. It was suspicious that they were pacing around in front of it rather than waiting inside despite the scorching sun, but Ban calmly dismounted his horse and struck up a conversation.

“You’re not waiting inside?”

“……Ahem, hmm.”

They were acting evasive and exchanging glances with each other, which was strange. Ban approached the bandits, hoping that something different from what he expected would happen. Surely this cave was the bandits’ hideout, but Ban had walked in of his own accord because he was confident he wouldn’t be harmed even if they had other intentions. Both Ban and Orma—neither of them could die.

However, as he drew closer to the cave, a fishy smell gradually wafted over, and Ban’s face instantly crumpled. The nauseating smell, closer to the stench of blood than filth, grew thicker the nearer he got to the cave. Since Ban was smelling it, Orma must have noticed too, but he was still watching Ban from a distance behind.

“Hey, are these the ones?”

Inside the cave, someone who appeared to be the bandit leader was grinning wickedly, showing rotten teeth. Among the gaunt people, he alone boasted a large, robust build, and unlike those pacing outside, the people around him had fierce, cruel eyes.

In that brief moment, Ban surveyed the cave, the bandits inside, and the feeble bandits watching nervously outside, and inwardly sighed.

‘Ah, please.’

He knew he’d fallen into a trap. No, it had been strange from the start that the bandits would readily tell them a place to talk, so he could say he’d anticipated even that. Whether they were bandits or people being threatened by bandits didn’t matter to Ban. In his head, only the hidden quest reward was flickering.

If he reformed even these scum and made them worship Orma, would he receive a reward? But… would Orma just sit back and watch? It would be fortunate if he didn’t swing his spear around, saying he didn’t want to get involved with weird things.

“I-is that enough now? Hurry and release my child.”

“Hmm, two horses and… even a guy with a pretty face. Not bad, huh? Hey, release that bastard’s son.”

It seemed they weren’t simply robbing people’s property but actually kidnapping people. No wonder the hand gripping the worn dagger was trembling—he’d been forced into banditry because his own child was held hostage.

However, regrettably, the face of the man who had sold out Ban to save his son grew increasingly pale, filled with despair. Something corpse-like was dragged from that dark corner and thrown outside the cave like dust being shaken off. Seeing the person who’d been talking with the leader scream and call out a name, that grotesque and horrific form appeared to be his son.

“Din did some experiments on that bastard. He’s still breathing. If you treat him well, he might live, kuhahaha!”

Well, it looked like everything below the knees was missing. Ban alternated looking between the bandit clutching his son and wailing, and the cackling leader with a lukewarm expression.

What should he do—did he really have to reform these bastards? No, could they even be reformed? These vicious types were exactly the ones who easily submitted to fear. Would it be better to make them believers that way?

When he glanced over, Orma was staring intently at Ban with a bored expression. It didn’t seem like they could leave peacefully now, but if a scene broke out, his god would surely jump in and gleefully hold a bloody festival as if he’d been waiting for it.

Just then, the bandit leader approached Ban with a sinister smile. As he tilted his head back and forth, reeking of filth, Ban’s head naturally turned toward the sky.

‘Hah……’

Since he’d lived as a Holy Knight in this place, he’d refrained from killing, but if you included his previous life, Ban hadn’t lived all that cleanly either. Of course, he’d willingly bloodied his hands for the nation, and back then, Ban’s work had included “dealing with types like these,” so it was familiar work if anything.

“Are you scared? You’re suddenly looking at the sky. Hey, show me your face properly. Hmm, looks like I could sell you for a pretty penny?”

The bandit leader who’d drawn close tapped Ban’s shoulder. It seemed he also dealt in slaves in these parts, as he was licking his lips while looking at Ban—definitely that impression. Ban stared at the leader with an expressionless face and thought.

‘No matter how I think about it, this side is hopeless, so I’ll deal with them…… Can I still get the quest reward if I just evangelize to the people who were being threatened? But with his son in that state, will my words even reach him?’

He couldn’t waste much time. After all, wasn’t Orma already making it obvious he was displeased even just with this brief detour during their journey? Or would it be better to roughly clean up here and give up on the quest reward, regrettably……

Whether or not he knew Ban was looking at him like he was a troublesome problem, the bandit leader unhesitatingly raised his hand and gripped Ban’s chin. Then, as if checking merchandise, he shook it roughly this way and that, examining Ban’s face. Like someone who didn’t know what would happen to him, his docile attitude without a hint of resistance and his expressionless face were chastely beautiful. In reality, he was wondering whether or not to kill them.

Can a man really look like this? The eyes of the leader observing Ban gradually changed. Look at this? He’ll sell for much more than expected? Did he live cooped up in some monastery or temple? Where did something like this roll in from?

“Hey, Din! If you touch this one, I’ll kill you! I’m going to sell him for a high pri— Aaaaaaagh!”

Before the leader could finish speaking, a chilling weapon flew from behind Ban, cutting through the wind. Following that, with a swoosh, warm blood splattered on Ban’s pale face.

His god, who’d grown bored of watching this scene, had finally stepped in directly. The hand that had been touching Ban’s face as it pleased was severed and dropped to the floor with a thud.

“Ah……”

At Ban’s short sigh, Orma flinched as if reading the mood. However, his hesitation was brief—Orma swung his golden spear again with an expressionless face. To the bandit wailing while holding his mangled son, to the bandit who’d used that son as a test subject for horrific games, and to the bandit leader who’d dared to spout nonsense about selling his Apostle.

There was no mercy in his spear.

After the sounds of begging for life, screams, and the sound of slicing through the skin and bones of those trying to flee had passed, eventually, no one except Ban and Orma remained alive in front of the cave.

Ban stood still until the surroundings became a scene of carnage, and only after the massacre ended did he turn his head to look at Orma.

He expected him to nag about why they’d even come here, or to praise annihilation, saying that irritating vermin-like humans should indeed die. However, Orma glanced at the leader’s hand that had fallen to the ground, then approached Ban, wiped the blood on his cheek, and said plainly,

“Let’s go.”

“……You have nothing to say?”

“What should I say.”

“……”

“You said I’m your fucking god or whatever. Then think of this as divine punishment.”

Divine punishment for daring to touch his Apostle…… Ban chuckled at Orma’s words. Then Orma shrugged, made the golden spear covered in blood disappear, and said,

“I am curious about what exactly you were trying to do here, but if you don’t want to tell me, I don’t want to pry either.”

Why was he acting uncharacteristically kind? Though the question arose, Ban didn’t bring it out into the open. The kindness was only toward Ban anyway. There had been those who deserved to die, but those who didn’t had all died as well for the price of annoying and irritating Orma. And yet, in the end, Ban had gained nothing. How embarrassing.

A system message flashed that the hidden quest had failed since he’d killed all the bandits, but Ban had inwardly questioned whether it was right to evangelize to such scum anyway, so he obediently followed behind Orma. Rather, he was a bit grateful that Orma wasn’t asking anything……

‘Ding!’

Ah, please.

[You have failed the hidden quest! But don’t worry. A new quest has arrived for you!

Hidden Quest: Turn the poor boy captured by bandits into a believer who worships your god.

Create a Believer (0/1)

Reward: Faith Points +5, Faith Gauge +5]

Another quest had appeared. Compared to before, the Faith Points given as a reward decreased by 5, but the Faith Gauge was still the same……

‘Is anyone alive?’

Looking at the quest content, it said to turn “the poor boy captured by bandits” into a believer, and if that referred to the son of the bandit who’d led Ban here…… regrettably, Orma had already sent him to a comfortable place.

When Ban stopped following and stood still, Orma also turned his head as if asking what the problem was now. Just as he was looking at Ban with a displeased face, a faint voice was heard from inside that cave reeking of mustiness.

“Plea…… please save me……”

It sounded like a child’s voice. As Ban reflexively walked toward it, Orma frowned and urged his Apostle once more.

“Let’s go.”

“I apologize, I’ll just check and come right back.”

At Ban’s words, an irritated sigh burst from Orma’s mouth. However, he didn’t particularly stop Ban or grab him with a rough hand. He was probably just watching to see how far this would go, but Ban ignored it and walked toward where the voice had come from.

Unlike the intense sunlight that seemed like it would burn everything, inside the cave was dim. There were occasionally things that appeared to be corpses, or small boxes containing stuffed animals and such…… but nothing that looked human.

“Hic…… H-here…… Please save me……”

Ah, I need to lower my gaze more than I thought. Ban’s head turned toward the floor where the sound was coming from. And there, a small child with a long tail swishing back and forth was curled up.

……It seemed to be human at least, but a tail?