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SSS-Class Suicide Hunter (Web Novel) - Chapter 264: Family Interview (1)
Chapter 264: Family Interview (1)
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
Translator/Editor: Ryuu
The Heretic Inquisitor disappeared without a trace.
In the empty space, only the sofa's center sagged slightly, as if bearing the weight of the Heretic Inquisitor. We looked back and forth between the empty sofa and the hologram.
“Gong-Ja, do you really think he can handle it well…?”
“Hmm. The Heretic Inquisitor has grown a lot compared to before.”
“Even if a psycho changes his heart and becomes less psycho, it’s just a reduction of one letter. He's still crazy.”
“Anastasia. Think about it. Isn’t it a great progress if we consider it as losing the ‘path’ in psychopath?”
“Indeed. That’s one way to look at it….”
“Hey. What nonsense are you two exchanging…?”
The Paladin interrupted our idle talk with a look of disbelief.
“Ever since you two became friends, just overhearing your conversations makes my head go blank. The Black Dragon Witch and the King of Death. I never thought such unlikely figures would become friends, but the shock of seeing you two get along so well is even greater... One is the epitome of a clueless thug, and the other was a perfect ice queen.”
“Why? Feeling lonely because we’re besties? I've always kept my heart open to you too, Paladin. Hey, hey. Friends. Friendship! Come on!”
“This woman is the second in command of our tower…”
The Paladin sighed behind her helmet, just as something changed in the hologram.
“Ahahaha!”
That familiar laughter, which often resounded in the waiting room, now came from beyond the hologram.
As if instinctively turning our heads away from a foul smell encountered on the street, we looked towards the hologram, where the Heretic Inquisitor appeared.
“Greetings! To the Mountain Calamity Tribe and non-Mountain Calamity Tribe!”
The cutest blonde trash can in the world smiled broadly.
“This is my first time meeting you in this form! When I was in Limepolis, I mainly possessed dogs to communicate with you. Even in your dreams, I insisted on appearing as a dog! So, I believe— the best greeting for this occasion would be this.”
The Heretic Inquisitor floated in the jungle’s void.
“Nice to meet you! Mountain Calamity Tribe!”
The Heretic Inquisitor smiled brightly.
It was as if a dazzling light twinkled in the sky.
“That, that…?”
“Same as him. Exactly like the person we saw in the video!”
“What is this……”
The Mountain Calamity Tribe gazed up at the void in a daze. Not just them, but many other tribes turned their attention there, especially since the overwhelming duel by Seimslam. The spot where the Heretic Inquisitor was transmitted was right above Seimslam's head, capturing everyone's attention instantly.
“Lime. Truly godlike in appearance, isn’t he…?”
“He's beautiful….”
The Mountain Calamity Tribe murmured unconsciously.
Yes.
The leisurely floating figure was already divine in itself. In reality, he was continuously using the ability [Holy Technique-Teleportation], every 0.5 seconds, creating the illusion of floating in the sky. The Mountain Calamity Tribe couldn’t possibly know that. They gazed up at their god with rapturous faces.
"......."
At this moment, a flicker of hope passed through the minds of us, his colleagues, watching the hologram in the waiting room.
“Huh? This is…”
“Surprisingly, is it working?”
“Right. The Heretic Inquisitor's original appearance is to die for. Nobody would object if he ranked fourth just based on his looks. Just a few national-treasure-level smiles from him and…”
“He might easily sway them.”
Yes. Perhaps we underestimated the Heretic Inquisitor.
His stunning appearance.
Sharing the beauty quotient of our tower with the Black Dragon Witch, his deceptive face, along with his enchanting voice and smile. Even when walking on the ground, he could charm people, let alone floating in the sky. Isn’t that practically divine!
“Mountain Calamity Tribe.”
The Heretic Inquisitor clasped his hands in front of his chest. Having been the guild master of the Temple of All Gods for 10 years, his gesture of praying was truly devout.
“I love you all.”
The face of the praying Heretic Inquisitor was as beautifully sculpted as marble. His slightly lowered eyebrows, eyes twinkling between them, lips exquisitely closed as if about to confess a secret….
All his gestures made the Mountain Calamity Tribe gaze up in a daze.
“You must have seen all the footage and know about me, the Heretic Inquisitor. The one praised as the great dog for you, was isolated for 200 years just for you. I wanted to live with you, to watch over and care for you from the closest distance!”
“Lime…”
“Right. Other gods leave as soon as their work is done, to another world or something. But our god stayed with us… It’s hard for one person to endure even 50 years, but he withstood 200 years… Without revealing his true self to anyone, unable to talk with friends, he endured for 200 years…. That’s……”
“That’s right."
The Heretic Inquisitor clasped his hands.
And once again, he smiled brightly.
“It's because I love you.”
Ooooooh!
The Mountain Calamity Tribe began to get excited. Naturally. The truth that [the one leading you was actually not a god, but a human] is shocking, difficult for each person to accept.
But conversely, the truth that [even though he’s human, he still loves and dedicates himself to you], was enough to overturn the shock. What if he's not a god? What is a god anyway? Someone who watches over and takes care of us, isn’t that our god?
“An angel!”
A young Mountain Calamity Tribe waved their tentacles.
“He’s an angel!”
“Right! An angel who loves our race!”
“Angel! You’re so beautiful! Ah, angel! Thank you!”
The name of god simply changed to angel.
“Ahaha. Oh! My lovely snails!”
And the Heretic Inquisitor was an optimal figure for propaganda, spreading falsehoods, deceiving the masses, fabricating stories, MLM business, and producing and distributing fanatics. Attach the most beautiful face in the world, the most enchanting voice, and then equip the most terrible psychopath AI, and you get someone like the Heretic Inquisitor.
“Don’t be surprised that my appearance differs from yours. Compared to the love we share, appearances are truly nothing! Likewise…”
With a snap of his fingers, the Heretic Inquisitor slimmed down. He transformed into an adult form. The Mountain Calamity Tribe, startled, fluttered their tentacles, shouting ‘Lime!’ ‘Lime!’ Seeing this, the Heretic Inquisitor returned to his child form.
“As you see, I can change my appearance at will. Appearance is not important! Love! Only my love for you and your affection for me are truly beautiful!”
“Ooooo, Lime….”
“The great dog, guiding our race….”
Hmm.
Indeed.
Perhaps I underestimated the Heretic Inquisitor’s abilities….
I sat in the waiting room, watching the hologram with incredulous eyes.
“He could just be dropped into any world and he’d start a cult…”
“Yeah. He’s a natural, born with the talent to be a cult leader… Isn’t it too much? Like, such inherent talent shouldn’t be allowed in this world.”
“……The Heretic Inquisitor has encountered and dealt with all sorts of religions, sects, and heresies that have flooded the outside world. Those not dealt with were managed. In the realm of religion, it’s almost impossible to beat the Heretic Inquisitor.”
However.
There are always exceptions.
-It's noisy.
Slap!
A whip crack filled with sound energy echoed throughout the venue. The leaves of the dense palm trees in the jungle shook, and the bark fragments flew off with the wind. The Mountain Calamity Tribe, jolted back to reality, turned their tentacles toward the source of the sound.
-Just now, I submitted a bill to the Fire River Council, yet my foolish kin still fail to realize its gravity.
The strongest of the Mountain Calamity Tribe.
Despite having only one tentacle left, Seimslam still reigned over the Fire River Council with an irritated expression, crinkling her tentacle.
-To talk about gods, one must challenge me to a duel and withstand at least one strike of my sword. That’s the law. Clear, concise, and obvious. Despite such clear laws, are you all barking like dogs because Lime forgot the grace period for guidance?
-.......
-Ordinarily, it would be permissible to execute all who broke the law.
The air in the jungle turned ominous in an instant.
-Considering the uniqueness of this matter, I will overlook it this time.
-Huurrrrghhh...'
-Limeeee….
Sighs echoed throughout the jungle. No one was unaware of how strict Seimslam was as a chairperson, especially among her own Mountain Calamity Tribe. The consensus was that she was stricter with her own race.
-Lime.
As the surroundings quieted down, Seimslam raised her tentacle to look up at the Heretic Inquisitor.
-Heretic Inquisitor, you said.
“Yes! That’s correct!”
-Let me ask first. Is that truly the great Lime's real name?
“If you’re asking if that’s my true name, hmm, it’s a bit difficult to answer.”
The Heretic Inquisitor smiled.
-I have a name that represents my life, and one that represents my birth. ‘Heretic Inquisitor’ is the former. It’s similar to your title, ‘Chairman of the Fire River Council’! It reveals my position, declares my stance, and showcases my duties and abilities.
-I am Seimslam.
Seimslam looked up at the Heretic Inquisitor expressionlessly.
-Seimslam. That’s my name. I could be the Chairman of the Fire River Council, I could step down from it, I have a life before becoming the Chairman, and I can forge a new life after not being the Chairman. Thus, your word. Seimslam. Only that is my name.
"......."
-What is your name?
Time passed.
It was still high noon, the sun blazing down. The midday sunlight, bouncing off and blocked by the palm leaves, scattered fractal-like shadows on the ground. Seimslam stood under a shadow halved by the leaves, and the Heretic Inquisitor, too, had his face covered by shadows split into two or three parts.
“Bambolina.”
-Bambolina?
“Yes."
The Heretic Inquisitor smiled faintly.
“It means ‘doll.’ It’s a foreign word from your perspective. You can also call me KyKna if you like. It means the same thing. However, I would prefer not to be called Bambolina.”
-Why is that?
“That’s a name my only master sometimes calls me!”
-.......
“If you really must call me by my real name, please call me KyKna.”
-Understood, KyKna.
Waiting Room.
As the conversation unfolded, my colleagues quietly glanced at me.
"......."
"......."
The fact that I became the Heretic Inquisitor's master was, not from anyone else but from the Heretic Inquisitor himself, subtly spread. Anyone like the Black Dragon Witch or the Paladin would have some idea about the special contract we shared.
Only to me.
The Heretic Inquisitor had sworn loyalty to me and now shared his real name with his children. He had revealed it.
“It must be dawning on Bambolina now.”
It was inevitable.
“He must realize that it’s not just a gathering of a cult leader and followers.”
I had to fulfill many conditions to learn the Heretic Inquisitor’s real name. I had to overcome numerous obstacles and prove my qualifications and abilities. That I was more competent than him. That I could use him much more effectively....
However, in the world, there are those to whom you must reveal yourself without such [conditions].
“That place, if I were to make a comparison, is like a meeting between parents and their children.”
Children.
Daughters.
Sons.
“Even as the head of one of the top five guilds in the tower, the Heretic Inquisitor cannot reveal his title as the ‘Master of the Temple of All Gods’ in front of his children. Rank four? He can’t boast about that achievement either.”
Perhaps, if parents and children spend time together, with parents growing older and children maturing, living in the same society—then they might understand and respect the weight of titles like ‘Master of the Temple’ or ‘Rank Four,’ and between understanding and respect, affection might blossom.
But not now.
“As Bambolina said, he is facing the Mountain Calamity Tribe for the [first] time.”
The first encounter between parent and child.
There, the Heretic Inquisitor, not as the Master of the Temple, but only by his real name, could only reveal her true face.
Unless he intended to exploit her children.
"......."
Across the hologram, the Heretic Inquisitor was still smiling.
Yet, the air surrounding that smile was somewhat cold. The warmth and gentleness that filled her smile when she was the cult leader for everyone, had now transformed into a mere politeness to reassure the other party.
Even though that other party was none other than her children, akin to the Mountain Calamity Tribe.
-Lime.
Seimslam looked at the god-angel-father figure with an expressionless face.
-Our Mountain Calamity Tribe has a unique way of thinking. Only things with utility have value in this world. Only those with utility should survive, and the useless should be ignored and left to naturally fade away.
Seimslam swung her remaining tentacle.
-We strive our whole lives to be useful. Rest is just a preparation for work. Sleep is a rest for daily life. Wake up early to train oneself, and return after finishing work at night. In the meantime, constantly check whether one has been useful enough or if there’s been any negligence.
Seimslam continued. Her words, hidden in the shadows of countless palm trees, crept into the darkened ground. Lime. The Mountain Calamity Tribe in the shadows chirped, nodding their tentacles in agreement with Seimslam’s words. Lime.
-Useless ones are inherently flawed. We give them blue stones and let them rot in their squalid burrows, among themselves.
Blue stones, glowing sapphire stones, were a drug commonly consumed by the Mountain Calamity Tribe. Due to their addictive nature, even the tribe members avoided them. Listening to this, the surrounding Mountain Calamity Tribe nodded again.
Lime.
Like the sound of cuckoos echoing in a dark forest, the Mountain Calamity Tribe chirped from the shadows.
-No need to kill them. Rather, we keep them alive as much as possible. Seeing them begging for blue stones even at the brink of starvation lets us [normal] Mountain Calamity Tribe members reassure ourselves of our utility. We are still useful beings.
Lime.
-For life’s failures, it’s not a bad deal. They ruined their lives over their love for blue stones. If they love blue stones more than life, then we’re giving them more than life itself. Lime. Eat. Eat more. Eat as much as you want.
Lime. Lime.
-Even as outcasts, they are [useful]. They keep us alert and cautious. Lime. We are a great race. We subjugated six races under our tentacles, built great caves, and reigned from them. Although our thousand-year empire eventually fell to the lowly blades of slaves, in our hearts, in our spirits, the empire still exists, and we strive every day as imperial citizens to be [useful].
Lime.
-......All of this.
Lime.
-All of it, I learned from you.
Lime.
"......."
-You taught us what is useful and what is not. As children, we nodded our heads. As adults, we acted with our tentacles. You taught us to have pride, and we built an empire under your guidance, we were shaped by your words.
Lime.
-You gave birth to us.
"......."
-What we feel. The way we disdain others. The way we find joy. What we take pride in. What we strongly feel we shouldn’t do. All of it was taught and inherited from you.
"......."
-So, KyKna. Even if you didn’t physically give birth to our bodies, you gave birth to our minds, our senses, our lives. You are the parent to all of us. Even look at our language. Originally, you called yourself ‘Lime.’ Because of that, we say ‘Lime’ when happy, ‘Laimu’ when rigid. See? Your name even dictates our happiness and discontent.
Lime, Lime.
Laimu.
Lime.
-But.
Seimslam glanced around.
-Hanging around with these idiotic Earth Spirit Tribe…
Dark red Asuras stood with their arms crossed, listening to Seimslam’s words with utmost seriousness.
Was it their seriousness that amused her?
Seimslam laughed, “Pfft.”
-I realized how [abnormal] I, our race, am.
"......."
-A person can be useful and then become useless. Or useless and then become useful. Uburka, hailed as the strongest warrior in Earth Spirit Tribe history, was born with albinism, struggling to walk under the sun. A failure as a warrior. But he turned his albinism into a challenge to overcome, overcame it, and built his life as a series of triumphs.
Seimslam muttered.
-If he were born into our tribe, he would’ve been addicted to blue stones from childhood, rotting in a filthy burrow. And his [utility] would’ve been to endure our mockery and scorn.
"......."
-KyKna.
Seimslam looked at the Heretic Inquisitor with an expressionless face.
-Our father.
“Yes."
Gradually, the Heretic Inquisitor's expression had also faded.
A wise child of the Mountain Calamity Tribe asked the parent with no smile.
-Father, why are you such a psycho?
