Reincarnated as a Cultist Mob - Chapter 8

 Declaration of Intent

The world of the original work, Seekers of Twilight and Light, is in chaos. In the main story, cultists go on a rampage, but on top of that, the country is on the verge of collapse due to an epidemic, leading to conflicts, magical beasts and dragons appear and cause havoc, and massive disasters strike—in short, it's a world where people die left and right.

Every time the world was engulfed in chaos, people accumulated the suffering of living, the fear of death, and a sense of awe toward the unknown. Naturally, concepts that formed the prototype of religion emerged, and many ethnic groups came to have their own religions. This is where the religion that became the origin of "Kenneth Orthodoxy" arose.

However, the Kenneth Orthodoxy of the ancient world seems to have been a very small-scale religion compared to what it is today. When wars between ethnic groups began in the ancient world, each group created a single god above all others to make their god appear stronger than the rest. Over a long period, Kenneth Orthodoxy became a monotheistic religion.

A long time after becoming a monotheistic religion, a single disaster destroyed a certain country overnight. Neighboring countries suffered immense damage from magical beasts fleeing the catastrophe.

Facing a hellish scene that felt like the end of the world, the people of Kenneth Orthodoxy sought salvation from "God." As a result of praying, wishing, and clinging onto their faith—"God" became real.

One hundred days after the disaster, seven Orthodox believers appeared across the world, declaring, "God has granted us power." They unanimously claimed to have met God in their dreams and saved the people using supernatural "Magic." These seven chosen believers continue to protect Orthodox followers, passing the role down through generations.

...This is the rough background of Kenneth Orthodoxy up to the present day. I vaguely remember this lore appearing in the main game.

In contrast, the origins of the Arlos Temple Order are quite shallow. While Kenneth Orthodoxy is a religion dating back to ancient times, the Arlos Temple Order has a history of at most a few decades, even including its days as a merchant guild. Since the length of history directly confers authority, mystery, and tradition, the short-lived Arlos Temple Order normally shouldn't have had what it takes to stand against Kenneth Orthodoxy.

However, Arlos was no ordinary human. Originally a believer in Kenneth Orthodoxy, he radicalized for the sake of his own ambitions. He took over the merchant guild—which had been a connection for making money—through "a certain performance," and grew it into a major faction, which is truly terrifying.

Incidentally, the final performance he executed was "Resurrection from Death." The original game's text suggested that he returned after hanging himself. However, whether he was truly dead is unknown, and even if he was, how he resurrected remains an eternal mystery.

By overcoming "death," he gained a miraculous charisma and aura of mystery in a short span of time. Taking advantage of the era filled with damage from disasters and magical beasts, Arlos stoked the anxiety of the masses with clever speeches, creating an influx of converts.

Then one day—just like the legends of Kenneth Orthodoxy—multiple cultists claimed to have gained immense power. At the same time, Arlos, having awakened to powerful magic, began his move to take over the world—

This is the backstory preceding Seekers of Twilight and Light, and I remember it detailing how the group led by Arlos grew radicalized.

(I recall fan theories suggesting Arlos got his power thanks to a mischievous god... a real evil deity, though.)

I compounded poisons and gunpowder, finishing my daily missions. An environment where I can focus mindlessly on my tasks is nice. It lets me forget the harsh reality.

"..."

Once the work was finished, a intense sense of exhaustion and despair washed over me with the sunset. The cursed names of the executives surfaced in my mind, and I clutched my head, pulling at my hair.

Yoann Saga-mix. Juankyro Legacy. And... Cult Leader Arlos Hawkeye.

Because of them, my life is completely ruined. Especially those two women... it goes without saying they are the absolute worst kind of human beings. If I could, I'd like to start my life over from birth, team up with the protagonist, and wipe out these cultists.

(Although indulging in such delusions is just empty...)

My immediate goal is "survival." However, since my life is now targeted not only by Kenneth Orthodoxy but also from within the Arlos Temple Order, I had asked Juankyro the other day for a reassignment—requesting to be moved to another branch where Yoann and Juankyro weren't around.

Naturally, it was rejected. She brushed me off with a smirk, saying, "Did you really think you could run away?" It was ruthless. I knew a mob like me couldn't push my opinion through, but... they clearly have no intention of letting go of a subordinate whose weakness they hold.

"Hey, did you hear?" 

"Yeah, they said there's a gathering coming up after a long time."

Listening closely to the conversation nearby, I learned that a gathering would take place starting tomorrow at noon. At these gatherings, long-term plans are announced, and we mobs receive bonuses or words of praise to boost morale. But what good does receiving words of appreciation from Arlos or the other executives do? It feels like a waste of time...

As I tried to drink water from the well, someone tapped my shoulder from behind. There were only two eccentrics in this base who would talk to me. Knowing it would be bad either way, I resigned myself and turned around.

Short white hair, dark skin, and golden eyes. Slender waist, long legs, and a ample chest pushing against her clothing. A beautiful woman with a great figure was standing there.

"Hey there, Okuri-kun. Mind doing me a favor?" 

"Yes. What kind of request is it?"

I bowed respectfully to Juankyro, who wore a sadistically playful smile. Asking in a way that pretended I had a choice while knowing I couldn't refuse was nothing short of bad taste.

Conversations with her drain my mental energy in a different way than with Yoann. I suppose I have a weakness against her teasing demeanor.

"I need you to help me with a little interrogation." 

"An interrogation, you say?"

Juankyro tilted her head and smiled playfully. The contrast between her light, jokey tone and the gravity of our topic only heightened the sense of surreal dread.

As we walked to the interrogation room, she explained that the subject was a spy captured the other day, kept alive to squeeze information out of.

"It's somewhere between an interrogation and torture. Heavy physical work is a bit tough for me~"

Relieved slightly that Yoann wasn't around, I stepped into the room where tragedy had almost unfolded recently. In the center of the dark room, a stranger of a woman sat slumped in the chair where I had once been bound.

Naturally, torture instruments lay nearby. She was blindfolded with a rough cloth and couldn't grasp her surroundings—yet hearing the sound of Juankyro's high heels, she cowered in terror.

"Good evening, miss." 

"Eek!" 

"I'd like to continue from yesterday. You don't mind, do you?"

Juankyro placed her hand on the spy woman's shoulder. Gently sliding down the blindfold, Juankyro stroked the woman's chin with a sensual touch. The spy woman was weeping. The next moment, as Juankyro's dark-skinned hand overlapped with the woman's right hand, she forcefully pulled her right hand forward.

"Okuri-kun, I want you to handle peeling off her fingernails."

Juankyro looked at me with an evaluating gaze. Attaching a long, narrow tool to the woman's right hand, she began explaining how to use it.

"Just slip the thin fork section between the nail and the skin, then fix it with the clamp. After that, just push the lever down slowly when I give the signal. See? Easy, right?"

"M-Me... do this?"

I shrank back in fear before the tearful woman. Seeing my hesitation, Juankyro prodded me forward with irritation.

"That's what I said. Or would you rather I have Yoann expose your lie?" 

"..." 

"You've already killed people, haven't you? Stripping a few nails now won't change anything—besides, I'll heal her afterward anyway."

It was true that I had killed people before. But I had never intended to inflict unnecessary pain before killing. I only killed when it was necessary for my own survival. I couldn't bring myself to do this. No, I couldn't. Meeting the desperate eyes of the Orthodox woman resisting violently, I found myself emphasizing with her.

Unlike the executives, her struggling figure trying to escape pain and fear overlapped with my own.

"—I can't do it."

Feeling a severe headache, I refused her request.

However, a low, heavy voice froze my heart.

"Huh? You're refusing? An executive's request?"

The Orthodox woman looked up at me with a pleading gaze, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.

—If Juankyro hadn't been there, my swayed heart might have helped her escape. But Juankyro was right beside me, testing me with sharp, hawk-like eyes.

I couldn't bring myself to sacrifice my own life.

"...I'll... do it. Please let me do it." 

"Mm-hmm, I knew you were a capable man. You really have what it takes."

Juankyro patted my back reassuringly. Saying, "Alright, here we go," her magic activated, and the interrogation began.

—To sum up the result, I didn't end up having to use that nail-peeling torture device.

"Ah, what a shame. That spy must have broken completely from being bullied yesterday."

Although Juankyro is a non-combatant, she is a user of healing magic. Yesterday, after torturing the Orthodox woman, she must have healed all her wounds. Thanks to that, the woman earlier had a clean body without a single injury.

However, the memory of torture was deeply carved into her mind. She answered Juankyro's questions truthfully without telling any lies.

"Well then, lend me a hand again next time~"

I parted ways with Juankyro. I rushed straight to the bushes and threw up violently.

Ah, I feel like absolute garbage.

Why am I so powerless? Even if it's for my own survival, can I really keep doing things like this?

(No. Of course not...)

The flashback of the Orthodox woman's crying face haunted me. She wasn't killed, but from now on, she'll face even worse treatment—horrible things I can't even bring myself to speak of...

(I'm so half-hearted.)

I tried hard not to discard the goodness in my heart, but I was using that very excuse to tolerate my own heinous acts. I hated myself for it immensely.

(...Juankyro is a non-combatant. If I could kill her... wait, even if I kill her, the organization's policy won't change. Unless we do something about the cult leader Arlos, we'll just keep dragging out this status quo.)

The reason I enjoyed playing Seekers of Twilight and Light was ultimately because the canonical route had a story where good triumphs over evil. I was merely enjoying the cultists' way of life and madness as a form of creative entertainment.

But in this world I'm living in now, there is no "player" to make the best choices. Therefore, whether Kenneth Orthodoxy achieves complete victory comes down to sheer luck.

—I have to change it. With my own hands, as a former player.

(I have to destroy the cult from the inside...)

I looked down at the pendant around my neck. Yoann holds affection for me. While it's true she holds even greater devotion to the cult leader, if something were to trigger her becoming a true ally, there wouldn't be a more reassuring partner.

As I pondered, I realized my thinking was too much like a player's mindset. I don't possess insane willpower or magic power. It's like knowing how to start a fire without having any tools.

It's just counting chickens before they hatch. Delusions can swell up heroically as much as they want—like a balloon with nothing inside.

In the end, it all dissipated. My determination was fierce, but the reality remained unchanged.

Carrying a sense of frustration, I attended the gathering at noon the following day.

"The time for our Arlos Temple Order to make a leap forward has come."

The gathering, which began with Arlos's usual grand speech, took an unexpected turn.

"Preparations are complete for the battle to reclaim my birthplace, 'Metashim'."

—Metashim. Hearing that word made me feel instantly awake.

It was the same name as the protagonist's hometown.

The protagonist's hometown was destroyed by an attack from the Arlos Temple Order. This event occurred in the prequel before the story officially began and serves as the indispensable motivation for the protagonist in Seekers of Twilight and Light.

If the Battle of Metashim is about to happen, we will inevitably cross paths with the protagonist.

If I can take action there, perhaps—

(...I might be able to save the world.)

Gulping down my saliva, I listened intently to Arlos's speech.

"—Do not fear! Reclaim the 'Holy Land' with us!!" 

A thunderous cheer echoed through the grand hall. Secretly steeling my resolve, I decided to make a life-risking contact with the "protagonist" who should be there.

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