Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy

Chapter: 673

The day after the Pope’s attack. Following Phoebe’s summons, I arrived at the Holy Land and blinked at the numerous high-ranking individuals greeting me.

Why are these people, who should be desperately working in their own countries, here?

Isn’t preparing for the impending disaster the priority right now?

Why are they trying to get to know me!?

Panicking, I turned my gaze toward Phoebe, who smiled softly.

“I told you last time. We just need to create an environment where the Young Lady doesn’t have to sacrifice herself.”

Phoebe’s suggestion to shift my responsibilities onto the various nations made sense.

It made sense, but…

Couldn’t they give me some time to mentally prepare?! Meeting new people is so stressful for me!

Especially if they’re high-ranking individuals!

Ah, seriously, back in the day, I could brush off encounters with high-ups as people who didn’t relate to me, but now I can’t do that anymore!

I can’t act aloof with this damn Mesugaki Skill of mine!

I had a lot to say, but I suppressed it and went along with Phoebe’s intentions.

She prepared this environment for me, so I couldn’t complain in front of her.

…And honestly, it’s true that I can’t handle every situation.

Just look at the incident that occurred last night.

I only have one body.

When everything happens sporadically, there’s nothing I can do.

But trusting that situation to others is too unsettling, especially with the variables inside the dungeon.

Dungeons that deviate from ordinary circumstances are likely to be different from what I know.

Even just looking at the dungeons we challenged yesterday.

“Don’t worry for now, Employer. I’ll help you.”

Most importantly, it seemed Phoebe sensed my burden and called for Karia, allowing me to participate in the meeting without pressure.

It’s true that my authority has increased, as even if I spoke rudely like “You guys smell like livestock pens with all your desires as nothing but beasts,” the high-ranking individuals felt uncomfortable but didn’t show any discontent.

At the end of the meeting, this was the direction we set:

I personally tackle any dungeons with high variables or danger.

However, dungeons with low risk or few variables will be delegated to the countries’ forces, and I’ll also inform them of how to respond to the dangerous dungeons just in case.

In fact, most of what I conveyed during the meeting with the Apostles was unchanged, except for informing them of the ways to deal with dangerous dungeons and how to minimize damage.

What struck me differently this time was how cooperative the opponents were.

“We’ll dispatch the 1st Knight Order.”
“We plan to recruit special knights.”
“I’ve requested cooperation from the elders.”

While the various nations had previously decided to cooperate for this disaster, they never said they would deplete all their forces.

Ultimately, what mattered to them wasn’t the crisis for humanity, but their own countries.

But today was different. They eagerly presented what they believed to be their best forces.

There was no need to ask what caused this. The person who created this situation was right there; who would I blame?

“I apologize, Young Lady. We didn’t get to tell you as we were preparing since the night before yesterday.”
“Ah. You didn’t want to praise me, did you? Just say you want me to compliment you. It’s obvious you’re wagging your tail like a dog saintess, wanting some approval.”
“…Is that so?”
“Isn’t it? Or not? I don’t care either way.”
“C-could you praise me… please?”

Forgetting the morning’s bewilderment, I patted Phoebe on the head.

She smiled and accepted my touch.

From then on, Phoebe continued to flit around to support my convenience.

She prepared equipment that had been blessed beforehand, sent people to the places we needed to go first, and tried to reduce sacrifices by involving Holy Knights in various regions’ situations I wasn’t even aware of.

Along the way, I told her she didn’t need to go through so much trouble and tried to persuade her through Joy, but Phoebe always did her best regardless.

I didn’t know how happy she was to receive my praise, but she kept trying to share my burden.

Seeing that scene, I thought it wasn’t necessary, yet on the other hand, I wondered if I should tell her to stop.

The results were good, I got quite comfortable, and Phoebe was happy too.

Yeah. I overlooked Karia’s words and again forgot that this world doesn’t operate like a game.

Humans can act inappropriately following their desires, no matter how misguided they may seem.

Whether it’s for good or not, they can make mistakes as beings.

To put it simply, humans themselves are a variable.

I realized that when Phoebe called several people two days later.

I felt pretty good.

Thanks to Phoebe working hard, I found things easier in many ways, the Pope had lost considerable strength and posed no variable, and honestly, the people praising me lifted my spirits a bit.

After all, no one really feels unpleasant about receiving compliments.

While tackling dungeons, I thought if this continued, I could prepare comfortably for the day of the final battle.

I imagined that I could save everyone.

I was the rotten water of the Soul Academy.

So when I came outside the dungeon and met Karia.

When she told me not to be surprised and to listen to what she had to say.

And when she informed me of a disaster that had occurred in one city.

I felt a shocking emotion rush through me.

“Those crazy bastards did something awful.”

Some people had independently moved against the plans I established in a specific area.

They attempted to tackle the dungeons according to the plans I told them before I decided to roam around in various dungeons.

“…What kind of crazy people are they!?”
I only told them to defend! Just to defend!

Upon hearing this news right as I emerged from the dungeon, I asked Joy for a teleportation spell while getting the detailed situation from Karia.

“Did those sloppy bastards complete the strategy?!”
“If they did, I wouldn’t be here.”

That part was fine. If they had truly followed the strategy perfectly, no damage would have occurred.

At the very least, if they had properly followed several strategies in case of failure, the repercussions wouldn’t spread to the surroundings. Yet, they had done nothing.

“I don’t have any concrete information, but I doubt they did anything. If they had prepared any countermeasures, that chaos wouldn’t have happened.”

Karia told me to brace myself.

That place would be more horrific than anything I’d seen before, so I shouldn’t be caught off guard.

“Ha. I don’t care how much those sloppy bastards have suffered.”

Hearing those words, I put on a strong face.

To be honest, perhaps I underestimated the landscape of hell.

Having faced hell several times while reading other people’s memories, I thought it’d be alright to meet it in reality.

Did the other friends remain stoic upon hearing this? Did that have an influence?

Probably. As long as they didn’t back down, I couldn’t back down either. I steeled my resolve and followed Joy’s magic toward that place.

And what I saw first were people frantically running around.

“Doctor! Is there a doctor anywhere!?”
“Kerry! Where are you! Kerryyy!”
“Have you seen someone named Pavog!? What did he look like!?”
“Mom! Momaaa!”
Uwaahhhh!
“Damn it! Evacuate the injured! Now!”
“Where’s the clergy!?”
“Here… Saintess!”

Someone spotted Phoebe and raised their voice. One by one, people rushed towards her.

They begged to save their acquaintances. They pleaded for this disaster to end.

They demanded she call for support with her authority.

I let Phoebe deal with their grievances as I moved forward.

“This person will not live!”
“No! There’s still hope!”
“Get out now! Before you die too!”

One doctor declares death to maximize assistance for as many as possible, while the unaccepting friend protests.

“Anyone who can fight, step up now!”

Someone shouts with their head bleeding, desperate to gather as many soldiers as possible.

“We’re short on weapons!”
“Damn it! Just throw a rock or something!”

A person voices dire needs while another thinks optimistically amidst the worst reality.

“When’s the support arriving!”
“We’re running out of manpower!”
“There’s a monster! A monster!”
“Damn it, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die!”
“Shut up and get out! You bastard!”

In the face of despair, some hope while others struggle for survival; some shout to maintain order.

“…Apostle?”
I pushed aside those trying to grab me, kicked away the ones blocking me, and made my way upward to stand atop the city wall.

And there lay the battlefield.

At the front of the battlefield, people screamed.

In fear, they turned, only to be killed by monsters rushing at them.

The wailing of someone sprawled out on the ground.

The stench of decaying corpses and surrounding insects blended with the overwhelming stench of blood, thick enough to be suffocating against the burning earth.

Every scene burned into my eyes, and though Grandpa spoke in my ears, I couldn’t discern his words.

The only sounds I heard were the screams of people. There was no room for excuses.

This was hell that I created. All suffering in this place was my sin.

Heh I chuckled bitterly and threw down the mace and shield, drawing my hands together.

Then, unexpectedly, fairies emerged beside me and embraced my face, while my divinity flowed out and formed wings behind me.

Seeing that, I closed my eyes and offered a prayer.

May they be blessed.

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