Reincarnated as a Cultist Mob - Chapter 9

 Yandere Girl Loves Me to Death, Can’t Sleep

Judging from the protagonist's dark-descent route, the relationships among the executives—excluding the cult leader—are neither particularly good nor bad. Even after actually living inside the cult, my impression is that their relationships stay right around that level. It feels like friends of friends. This might be a distinct difference compared to the relationships among the Orthodox executives.

If this were a spin-off work, the executives from both the Kenneth Orthodoxy and the Aalos Temple Cult would be attending academy with the protagonist, enjoying school life together, though...

Anyway, since the core principle of action for the Aalos Temple Cult executives is "Follow the words and deeds of the cult leader," everything else is severely lacking. Perhaps I can use Yoanne's obsession to drive a wedge between her and Juankilo. Better yet, it might even be possible to maneuver Yoanne into killing Juankilo—

As preparations for the Battle of Metasim progressed at a breakneck pace, I immediately moved into action. I needed to test Yoanne’s feelings toward me while gauging the intensity of her feelings toward Juankilo. Without raising suspicion, I'd extract an answer to "Who is more important to you, me or Juankilo?" If things look promising, I'll ask about the cult leader too.

Since the ring finger inside the pendant has started rotting and giving off a foul stench, it should be about time for Yoanne to show up, so I take a walk outside. Depending on the body part, marker pieces seem to rot unless replaced every few days.

"Ah, there you are! Oklee!"

Here she comes. Running over like she's five minutes late for a date.

As usual, Yoanne is wearing the robe I gave her. Since it originally belonged to me, it’s oversized on her petite, fragile frame. Portions of the jet-black outerwear trail low enough to drag on the ground, and her arms swing inside sleeves so long they swallow her hands entirely.

"I’ve been waiting for you. I figured it was about time to exchange the marker."

"How thoughtful. Well then, come to my room."

Why her room? I almost blurted out the question, but replacing a marker outdoors would admittedly be risky. Even in a cult's hideout, a basic level of public decency is maintained.

Yoanne’s room was inside an ancient castle looming halfway up the mountain. Stepping into her room for the first time, it was surprisingly ordinary, albeit sparse. Since most of her character route is spent inside a dungeon, you don't even get to see this room in the game even if you enter her individual route.

Even though it belonged to Yoanne, stepping into a girl's room required some nerve. It would have been far less nerve-wracking if the interior were grotesque, but because it was so normal, I didn't know how to react.

"Why are you stopping? Don't be shy, come in."

"...Ah."

Pushed in the back by Yoanne, I stepped into the room.

—Click.

(...Did she just lock it?)

Glancing back at the door handle, I saw a latch and a twist lock. A double lock. I might have been lured into a trap. Yoanne walked past me toward the center of the room. I tried to reach for the door latch out of her line of sight, but Yoanne grabbed my hem and pulled me deeper into the room.

Just like that, she tripped my feet and sent me tumbling onto a lavish bed.

"Hey. Two lovers, alone together in a room—what would you do?"

"Well... I really wouldn't know."

Since when did we become lovers? Yoanne's capacity for delusional assumption is off the charts.

"Isn't someone like me unworthy of an executive?"

"Then work hard to be worthy. That's what makes you my man."

"I am speechless."

Lying on my back on the bed, Yoanne lowers the cage of her slender limbs over me. Crouching like a hyena about to devour its prey, her short hair frames my field of vision like a curtain.

—She’s aroused. Seeking blood like a carnivorous beast, she wants me. Terrifying heat radiates from her every move.

In my previous life, affection from the opposite sex was nothing more than an oversensitive delusion. Why must I face such direct, raw emotion now?

"Is it weak here?"

Well, the heart is definitely a human weakness. Yoanne crawls her left hand—missing its ring finger—across my chest. As the tip of her long finger presses and rubs the exact spot above my heart, I smother a groan that sounds like a scream. I thought this was just a simple pendant replacement, but she's going all out.

When her fingertips stop moving, Yoanne leans against me, seemingly satisfied with my lack of resistance. Pressing the side of her head against my chest, she listens intently to my heartbeat.

"Oklee's heart is thumping."

"...Of course it is."

My heart was beating like a alarm bell. Too many unexpected things were happening, making me react defensively. I had prematurely assumed her expressions of "affection" only occurred in dungeons or interrogation rooms, but am I about to be slaughtered in an ordinary room? I dove into a death zone before I could even prepare myself.

I now understood the size of Yoanne's feelings toward me. But what about her feelings toward Juankilo?

"Lady Yoanne, do you like Lord Juankilo?"

"...Why bring up Juankilo's name?"

"Because it is necessary."

"...Well, he's a comrade. Normally."

Yoanne's tone turns sour for some reason. I see, her relationship with Juankilo is just "normal." Something like work colleagues. At this rate, it seems she likes me more than Juankilo.

I thought about following up with, "Who do you like more, the Cult Leader or me?" but I couldn't bring myself to take that step.

"Shall we exchange the marker soon?"

"Once we exchange the marker, are you leaving?"

"Yes, that would be the case."

"...I see."

Unfortunately, I have no intention of sharing a bed with Yoanne. I presented the pendant and offered the contents of the box.

Yoanne applies healing magic to the marker, regenerating it as her own ring finger. Since she's going to sever it again as a marker anyway, it feels like an extremely tedious act. Though its effectiveness is undeniable.

(This woman cut off her own finger without hesitation... I knew it, but she really doesn't hesitate at all.)

Yoanne chops off her ring finger with a knife from the table. Blood leaks from the severed wound and splatters onto my cheek. Once again, her ring finger settles into the pendant, filling the inside of the box with blood and flesh. Grimacing slightly, Yoanne applies healing magic to the wound, stopping the blood that spurts at steady intervals.

"Did it hurt?"

"A little."

As if to comfort her, I wrapped my left hand around hers. A human-like gesture shown in a momentary expression drove me to do so. Yoanne gently squeezed my hand back.

If she knows the pain of being hurt, why does she try to strip away my limbs?

If told it's just her fetish, I'd have to shut up, but if I lose my arms, I won't at least be able to put a robe on her anymore. Is she really fine with that?

"Lady Yoanne."

"Yeah?"

"Are my arms and legs in the way?"

"Ah, yeah. I think they're in the way."

"...Why? Without arms, I can never wrap a robe around you again."

When I said that, Yoanne straddling my waist opened her eyes wide.

"Without legs, I won't be able to stand beside you either."

"True. You won't be able to hug me either."

If you understand that much, then why? As I pleaded with my gaze, she muttered softly.

"...Because... I like that Oklee better, I guess..."

A chill ran down my spine. To steal someone's limbs for such a trivial reason. A cruelty like a young child tearing off an insect's legs, combined with a complete lack of objectivity to question it. Even if I point out the contradiction and encourage her to correct it, she is fundamentally incapable of changing herself. Because she is complete as that kind of person.

"I like the Oklee who wrapped a robe around me. I like the Oklee who shot a crossbow to save me. But I like the Oklee who can't survive without my help even more."

...I will never, ever be able to understand this woman. Most of the people I've met so far were capable of admitting their faults or correcting their mistakes.

Yoanne possesses a nature similar to the unreasonable bullies I occasionally ran into in my past life. Even speaking the same language, words don't get through. No matter what you say, they cannot change their way of living.

"Is it strange to want to dye the person you love in your own color...?"

Pitiably, she is simply that kind of creature.

Seeing that the spiral pattern in her eyes didn't waver, I completely gave up on trying to persuade her. My entire body went limp, and I let out a long breath.

"Oklee, stay here tonight."

Abrupt words. I struggled to answer.

"But..."

"It's fine, I won't do anything."

"...If you say you won't do anything..."

At my weak response, Yoanne's mouth curved sloppily. She lifted the pendant at my neck and reverently placed a kiss on it.

"Good night, Oklee."

"Good night, Lady Yoanne."

Yoanne turned off the room light and eagerly rested her forehead against my chest. After adjusting her position to find the sweet spot, she buried her face in my chest and began to breathe softly in sleep.

(...Is she really not going to do anything? Was she not in the mood? Or was she tired? Either way, she's an incomprehensible woman...)

The moment her arms went around my back, my blood ran cold, but she simply wanted to embrace me so I couldn't escape. I was held in place with vice-like strength.

"She really is cute when she's sleeping, though..."

Soft mounds were pressed against my solar plexus. However, my lower half didn't react at all... well, it twitched a tiny bit, but obviously nothing came of it. Of course not. In fact, if I did get turned on, I'd despair of myself.

Feeling intense suffocating pressure and heat, I slowly closed my eyes.

I might not be able to sleep tonight.

☆

Going back in time to shortly before Oklee was forced to help with Juankilo's interrogation.

A certain man was becoming famous among the executives as a devout believer in the Aalos Temple Cult.

"AALOS-SAMA IS THE BEST!!!!!!"

This roar was from a certain ordinary believer who couldn't contain his love and respect for Cult Leader Aalos, choosing the early morning when everyone was fast asleep to vent his impulses.

That voice echoed loudly enough to reach the ears of the executives, earning high praise as a regular wake-up call.

'Oh my, someone is shouting my name again.'

"It's a man named Oklee Mercury. I've had my eye on him recently too."

'A promising youth recognized by Juankilo... How wonderful. Our cult will be secure with young men like him.'

Receiving Oklee's declaration of love from the old castle, Aalos's tone turned visibly brighter even through his mask. Nodding repeatedly as if savoring the moment, Aalos readjusted his hat.

Having spent a long time with the cult leader, Juankilo could tell he was happy about Oklee's actions and a little embarrassed.

'Oklee-kun, was it? If I recall, he was a survivor from a previous operation.'

"Yes. Excluding us executives, he is the only cultist who fought against the Orthodox executives and survived."

'...Hmm. And such a man strongly worships me. I am truly blessed with subordinates.'

Aalos squeezed the words out with deep emotion. His voice bore the strain of tears, filled to the brim with profound emotion and motivation beneath the mask. Juankilo took the tearful cult leader by the shoulder, standing beside him as they looked down at Oklee, who was the size of a tiny bean.

'Oklee Mercury. Previously, he was rather unremarkable... or rather, didn't leave much of an impression, but I see. So "the early morning guy" was Oklee-kun...'

Not just Cult Leader Aalos, Juankilo, and Yoanne. His name was starting to spread to other executives as well. Even the fifth-ranked Pork Tedlotus recognized his existence.

'He possesses a sincere attitude toward us and excels in enthusiasm for proselytizing. Furthermore, he has the strength and incredible luck to survive a battle against enemy executives. He is a cut above the rest.'

"Is that so? He might actually just be a small fry."

'Haha, Juankilo is strict.'

Juankilo felt a tiny pang of jealousy toward Oklee, who was gathering the cult leader's attention.

'"If you love your child, send them on a journey." Oklee-kun must overcome more and more trials to become stronger. And we shall gently push the backs of believers like him.'

Juankilo nodded at the cult leader's words.

She felt her emotions sway just a little in her heart.

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