The Echo of Truth Cult

In the basement, dim firelight flickered.

Ansu stared at Elder Hall, whose face was hideously ugly. "Your eyes?"

"That's right, my eyes!" Elder Hall looked behind him and waved away all the cultists, including Mary.

When only the two of them remained in the basement room, he continued:

"Now that you've joined the Echo of Truth, you should already know our origins and sacred mission, shouldn't you?"

Ansu hadn't expected him to launch straight into doctrine.

To be honest, this was the first time he'd ever felt that... these people really were bona fide cultists.

After all, Cecilia, the Witch of World Destruction, wasn't exactly a typical cultist.

"I don't know."

Ansu shook his head, feigning confusion. Cecilia had never told him any of this.

"You don't know?" Elder Hall was taken aback, then his expression turned furious.

"That Mad Witch! She recruits people for the Order, yet doesn't even tell them our doctrine?"

"How dare she act so recklessly! Does she have any idea what she's doing? Is she trying to leave the Order?"

Ansu thought that, in the future, she really would "leave the Order."

No, that wasn't right. She'd become the "Order" herself, after slaughtering every elder who opposed her...

Cecilia was even more "extreme" than the cultists.

"That wretch! She's gotten so arrogant. If I'd known, I should've nipped her growth in the bud!" Elder Hall grew angrier as he thought about it, then glared at Ansu again.

"Fine! Since she never told you, I'll convey our sacred mission to you myself!"

"Remember this." His voice softened a little. "We are the successors of the Great Magic Empire of the Second Era. Our mission is to restore the splendor and glory of the ancient age of magic!"

Elder Hall truly seemed to have received some kind of "divine calling." His voice and expression were utterly earnest and focused—though, to Ansu, he also fit the stereotype of a cultist perfectly.

"We have always dedicated ourselves to studying the ultimate mysteries of magic and exploring the truth of the world. We want to return this filthy, fallen world to humanity's beautiful and pure pastoral age! Unfortunately..."

Elder Hall sighed regretfully. "The world has now been seized by false gods and their minions. That beautiful age will never return..."

Ansu silently watched the self-stirred elder, thinking that if he hadn't played the game, he might actually have believed this nonsense.

These cultists made it sound noble, but they were only committing acts of terror in the name of truth. Wherever they went, they brought death, Corruption, and panic...

"So..." After finishing his lofty speech, Elder Hall finally got back to the point.

"Since you've joined the Order, you also have a responsibility to work for its future. There's something important I need your help with."

"Since Cecilia chose you, you must have realized what a dangerous person she is." Elder Hall gave a cold smile.

"Not one person the organization sent to her before you survived. You're sure to meet the same fate. Don't think she's keeping you around because she values you! Heh heh heh, she's just found a new toy. You have no idea how vile that Mad Witch is..."

"So, Elder Hall, you mean..." Ansu frowned.

"I'm the only one who can keep you alive." Elder Hall acted as though he thought highly of Ansu and patted him on the shoulder. "But in return, while you work for her, you'll also work for me."

"For example?" Ansu asked hesitantly.

"It's not as difficult as you imagine. You only need to let me know when we need you..." Elder Hall narrowed his eyes. "Where she is and what she's doing. That's all."

"Oh..." Ansu fell into thought.

Cecilia wanted him to be her informant and investigate the school, while Elder Hall wanted him to secretly keep tabs on Cecilia...

What was this, a spy thriller?

The Echo of Truth Cult was clearly nowhere near as united as he'd thought. Since Hall had said "we," there must be others behind him. Maybe this was a clash between Cecilia's teacher and another faction...

"Elder Hall, I'm afraid that might be difficult..." Ansu hesitated. "If Lady Cecilia notices anything strange about me, she'll kill me..."

Elder Hall's expression abruptly changed. His eyes turned sinister. "You think you have a choice?"

Ansu cursed silently. Then why had he bothered telling him all that? Was this just a cutscene?

"Don't worry. When the time comes, you won't have to do anything..." Elder Hall gave a sinister grin. He opened his withered palm and held out a slowly wriggling insect toward Ansu's mouth.

"What the hell is that?!" Ansu stared at the worm, now inches from his face.

It seemed to receive a command from Elder Hall. The closer it got to Ansu's mouth, the more vigorously it wriggled, until it seemed eager to burrow inside.

"It'll merge with your body and relay information to me. No one will notice..." Elder Hall watched Ansu tense up.

"But if you dare disobey me, it'll slowly burrow into your organs and gnaw at your heart, killing you in unbearable agony..."

Ansu wasn't afraid of insects, but he couldn't stand the thought of one crawling into his mouth.

Just imagining the thing squirming inside him made his whole body go cold...

He struggled with all his might, pulling at the ropes as he tried to get away from Elder Hall's outstretched hand.

"Wait! Hold on!!"

"Can't you use some other method, Elder Hall? I promise I can be a good spy, really! I'm already great at this sort of thing!"

Elder Hall sneered and pushed the insect toward him again. "If promises worked, there'd be no wars in this world! Quit wasting my time! Swallow it!"

Damn it! Ansu couldn't take it anymore.

[Magic Immunity]

He was done pretending!

He'd seen Magic Insect Magic in the game. Though it looked like a physical ability, it still counted as magic—and he could defend against any kind of magic!

With a crackling sound,

the insect in Elder Hall's hand instantly dissolved as if it had melted. Elder Hall seemed to feel it too and hissed in pain.

"Y-you brat, what did you do?!" He was utterly shocked. He hadn't expected this kid to know magic.

And he couldn't tell what kind of magic had countered his own!

Ansu strained against the sturdy ropes.

Danger focused his mind. In his desperation, he'd even advanced three progress points at once!

[Mage Hand (Mastered) (Learning Progress: 50/50)]

An invisible hand behind Ansu helped him undo the ropes.

"Mage Hand?"

While the other man was distracted, Ansu dashed to the nearby torch and gripped it tightly.

According to the game's mechanics, fire was the best counter to Magic Insect Magic.

Of course, a little torch like this probably wouldn't do much. It was better than nothing, at least.

Ansu didn't want to keep playing along. This was a dead end anyway, so he might as well get it over with. He'd rather let the cultists hack him to death than swallow a worm.

"You..." Elder Hall stared at Ansu, who held the torch. "You really are full of surprises... You've got so many tricks up your sleeve. How did Cecilia manage to sneak you into the Echo of Truth?"

He immediately thrust out a hand, its half-human, half-insect form surging toward Ansu.

"I'll have to take you back and study you carefully..."

Ansu had no choice but to block with the torch. But just as he swung it—

A powerful surge of magic filled the dim basement.

"Who's there?" Elder Hall's expression changed.

"Why is it you again, you ugly thing? Didn't I already beat you up? Why don't you ever learn?"

Cecilia's clear, pleasant voice, tinged with mockery, came from somewhere in the darkness.

The next second,

Elder Hall clutched his arm, which had been severed halfway up.

"Ahhhhhhh—!"

Large swaths of insects, scorched by black flames, fell to the floor. The air immediately filled with the savory aroma of a barbecue stand.

The smell of grilled food made Ansu a little less repulsed by the insects.

Ansu immediately looked toward the voice. Cecilia slowly emerged from the darkness.

She glanced at Ansu without expression.

"Hmph."

"You really are a handful..."