rslcontracting Chapter 101: Only the Demon Lord Would Kill Him! (End of Book)
Chapter 101: Only the Demon Lord Would Kill Him! (End of Book)
Chapter 101 – Only the Demon Lord Would Kill Him! (End of Volume)
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Lin Wei had only spoken half the truth.
The so-called “Holy Light”… was, in fact, something he had replicated himself, back when he first crossed over. By leveraging the sacred relics of the Holy See and forcefully analyzing them with his Demon God’s Divinity, he’d managed to simulate its effects.
In the end, it wasn’t some unfathomable power. It was simply a unique energy created when the goddess Alicia spread her divinity—a force no more mysterious than the world’s basic elements: wind, fire, lightning, and so on. As long as one possessed a comparable Demon God’s status, it was perfectly possible to imitate and recreate it. The only catch was that he alone could wield it; it couldn’t be shared or taught to others.
But the other half of his words hadn’t been a lie.
He really had met the dying [Pope of the Dawnstar], Ostavi.
The man’s face had been ashen, his wounds spilling golden blood—life ebbing away at an unimaginable pace. Yet aside from a faint regret for the many things he’d left unfinished, the Pope had shown little emotion.
He’d only seemed frustrated that he hadn’t been able to save more of those present—a mild disappointment, nothing more.
Then, suddenly, Ostavi had fixed Lin Wei with a piercing gaze and blurted out something utterly baffling: “I’ve got my eye on you. Since I’m dying anyway, don’t you dare waste my Holy Light.”With the Pope’s last reserves of strength, he’d performed the Holy Light Baptism. Lin Wei, still in possession of his Demon God’s Divinity at the time, had used it to simulate the [Holy Light Affinity] talent—gaining a power equal to the Pope’s own sacred energy.
“I never imagined the purity of the Holy Light I’d developed back then would reach this level,” Lin Wei mused.
“And now… it’s become a troublesome thing that nearly exposed my identity.”
“Honestly, I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.”
But thinking back, if he hadn’t gotten so full of himself—spouting all sorts of strange nonsense while dealing with those cultists—none of this would have happened.
If not for that, the Memory Stone would never have captured his voice, and he wouldn’t be in this mess now.
In hindsight, meeting the Pope just before his death had actually ended up helping him in the present.
What a truly compassionate man he was.
“You… you really met the Pope of the Dawnstar?”
The overwhelming fear that had gripped her finally began to subside. A trace of hope flickered in Veya’s eyes as she looked at him, as if desperately wanting his words to be true.
“Yeah… He said something like, ‘Not bad, not bad, my judgment is as sharp as ever. Take my ideals and live well, you rascal.’ Judging by his tone, I think he rather hoped I’d join the Holy See.”
Lin Wei let out a helpless sigh, imitating the Pope’s manner of speech.
Helping the Demon Lord fully awaken the Holy Light, then recommending him for the Holy See… That guy really wasn’t quite right in the head.
But then again… it seemed like Popes, by their very nature, always had a screw or two loose.
Just look at the current useless Pope, for example.
“If you still don’t believe me, go ask your Pope yourself,” Lin Wei said, raising an eyebrow. “See if that doesn’t sound just like her teacher. And by the way, was it her who sent you to interrogate me?”
He reached out and gently pinched his wife’s tear-streaked, beautiful face.
Amused, Lin Wei gazed at her. Though the situation had taken a turn, he couldn’t help but notice that today he’d discovered a brand-new side of his beloved Veya.
Still, he had to admit—this particular side of her was a bit much.
If he could help it… he’d rather never see it again for the rest of his life.
“The Pope doesn’t know about any of this. I intercepted the Memory Stone myself and came here alone.”
No need to ask which “useless Pope”—because she was the one.
Veya lifted her head, gazing at him. The golden, holy light returned to her eyes.
That voice, that manner of speaking—there was no mistaking it.
He really had met her teacher, and he truly had received the Pope’s Holy Light inheritance.
So that was why Lin Wei’s Holy Light was so pure.
“So… you’re the only one who knows,” Lin Wei said, a little surprised as he looked at her.
“I mean… aren’t you afraid I might actually be connected to those so-called traitors of the Holy See? Or maybe I’m a spy sent by the Demon Clan or something.”
He narrowed his eyes, feigning a menacing glare. “What if I got angry, killed you on the spot, took whatever valuables you had, and ran off?”
He reached out, fingers lightly pressing against her neck as if he might strangle her then and there.
“That way… no one would ever know your true identity.” Veya’s voice softened, almost unconsciously.
That was her real plan—if she let herself be “killed” by Lin Wei and he escaped, he’d be so wracked with guilt that he’d never dare set foot in the Empire again.
And then… she could secretly protect him for the rest of his life.
“You make me sound like a total scumbag,” Lin Wei muttered.
She’d rather risk being strangled than ever harm her own husband.
Damn it, my wife is way too cute—what am I supposed to do?!
Lin Wei had to admit, his heart was pounding. Most of the time, this woman was so easy to tease.
So why did she have the power to hit him so hard, every now and then?
“Honestly, even if I really were a spy—or hell, even the Demon Lord himself—there’s no way I could hurt my beautiful wife.”
“At worst, I’d just knock you out, smuggle you out of the Empire, and keep you locked away somewhere to bully you every day.”
Killing his wife to “achieve enlightenment”? Please, that was insulting.
Lin Wei gave a smug little snort. And besides—if it really came to that, I’d just kidnap you, keep you under house arrest, and squeeze every drop of energy out of you, day after day!
I’d make sure you never escaped back to the Empire, until you finally agreed to settle down and live in seclusion with me!
That’s my grand plan as the great Demon Lord, Lin Wei!
“If you really were the Demon Lord, well… that’d be a whole different story,” Veya said.
“Huh?”
Just moments ago, she’d been scared out of her wits, but now the mighty Pope finally let out a sigh of deep relief.
No ties to the Demon Clan, no connection to any traitors.
His Holy Light even came from the [Pope of the Dawnstar]—the most legitimate inheritance, one only a true successor could receive.
Veya looked at Lin Wei with a silly grin, her eyes shining with a light that made his heart skip a beat. She patted her cheeks and sat up in a sudden, graceful motion.
“All right, then. Let’s leave this whole thing behind us—never mention it again, for the rest of our lives.”
“And after that… it’s about time you come clean about just how much you’ve been keeping from me.”
“Huh? What do you mean ‘come clean’? I’m just an ordinary adventurer—I haven’t hidden a single thing from you!”
Lin Wei guiltily averted his eyes, making a valiant attempt to change the subject.
Unfortunately, that trick had zero effect on Veya. Before he could even move, she’d looped her arms around his neck and settled herself firmly on his lap.
At this distance, her alluring scent was impossible to ignore.
“Just how advanced are your potion-making skills, really? How far can you actually push the Holy Light? And what’s your true power level right now?”
“And another thing… Where did you get all those talents for solving every problem the Pope runs into? Are you really going to make me wring the answers out of you, Lin Wei?”
“If that’s the case, then I guess we’ll just have to have a nice, long chat about all of it.”
Staring at her, cheeks puffed out and eyes full of adorable menace, Lin Wei couldn’t help but smirk. Just as Veya’s expression turned panicked, he scooped her up in his arms.
And, without another word, carried her straight toward the bedroom.
“I think the real question is—who’s going to wring who dry tonight?”
“If you can actually make me beg for mercy, I’ll answer anything you want, no matter how many questions you have!”
“Then you’d better prepare yourself for a long night—don’t you dare—mmph!”
A sudden burst of magic sealed the room, silencing every sound.
All that remained was the faint shimmer of Holy Light, swirling gently around the furrowed brow of the Pope, as the night quietly unfolded.
◇
A world blanketed in green stretched out like a gently undulating ocean.
A breeze swept across the wilds, carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass. Following the lush, sloping path ahead, one could see a towering tree at the horizon—an ancient giant, standing proud and alone against the edge of the sky.
“Commander Meilin.”
“Mm.”
The clergy they passed greeted her in hushed, solemn tones. Meilin nodded in acknowledgment, then continued along the pebble-strewn path to the base of the great tree.
Beneath its ancient boughs stood a life-sized statue. The features were so vivid, so lifelike, that it seemed the subject might smile and speak at any moment, eyes fixed on some distant vision.
A riot of fresh flowers transformed the spot into a natural garden, their colors and scents weaving a tapestry of remembrance.
Holy radiance shimmered gently over the inscription at the statue’s base, revealing its owner’s name:
[Pope of the Dawnstar], Ostavi.
The most highly praised and respected Pope in the history of the Holy See.
His entire life had been devoted to ending war and restoring peace to the world.
He’d spearheaded countless reforms, steering the corrupt Empire back onto the right path.
He worked tirelessly to spread Alicia’s light, rescuing countless souls from the depths of despair.
It was he who personally freed the demi-humans, once regarded as slaves, from their chains—telling them that so long as they worshipped the goddess, they could live freely on the Empire’s borderlands.
Under his leadership, races other than humanity signed peace accords for the first time.
Under his influence, the Holy See and the world itself seemed to be moving swiftly in a better direction.
And in the end… he sacrificed himself on the Demon Clan frontlines, all for the sake of peace.
He was the only Pope in history to have fallen outside the walls of the Holy See.
Countless scholars have pondered: if [Pope of the Dawnstar], Ostavi, had been given just ten more years…
What kind of world might this have become?
If the Demon Clan hadn’t chosen betrayal—if, instead, they’d truly declared peace—
Then… could war have vanished from the world entirely?
But all those possibilities are gone, lost forever.
“Happy birthday, Teacher.”
Meilin placed the flowers she’d brought before the statue, her voice soft. Memories of days gone by slowly surfaced in her mind.
“You taught us to pursue peace—to never start a war unless there was truly no other choice.”
“You told us to cherish every believer of the goddess as a precious life, not to treat them as expendable numbers just because of their strength or status… But without you to guide the Holy See, we’ve completely lost our direction, haven’t we?”
“Selena… she just can’t seem to shoulder your ideals. If only you were still here.”
That scene would haunt her for the rest of her days.
A monstrous mask, a cold blade driven straight through his chest—severing the Pope’s future forever.
If only… if only she’d arrived a little sooner.
Maybe she could have saved her teacher.
If that useless Selena, chosen by the goddess Alicia herself to be the next Pope, had led the army to counterattack the Demon Clan instead of ordering a full retreat—
Maybe, just maybe, they could have saved him. Maybe the Holy See would look utterly different today.
“Only the Demon Lord is beyond forgiveness.”
Meilin clasped her hands before her, gazing toward the distant setting sun.
Lightning flickered in her eyes—a terrifying resolve burning in her gaze, as if she could pierce through the very fabric of the world.
“I will kill him.”
“No matter what, I will.”