Dominic asked again, as if he still could not fully process Gunther’s words.
“So... that’s all I need to do?”
“Yes.” Gunther nodded. “You just take charge of the children.”
Gunther delivered that cold verdict based on the information he had gathered over the day. This place was not actually such a difficult stage. Even though it was considered “hidden,” in terms of difficulty it was closer to a bonus location. And that was because he had entered the body after the most difficult barrier had already been overcome.
“The hardest part was infiltrating Audrey House with legitimate status.”
Of course, that did not mean the remaining obstacles were trivial. Inside the orphanage there was a “death zone.” The teachers who would interfere with the escape, Headmistress Audrey herself, and the rest. The obstacles were still serious. But all of those were things that could be broken through with brute physical force. The outline of the action plan was already gradually taking shape in his head.
Which meant only one problem remained.
“The children.”
The Magnificences and their candidates had undergone thorough brainwashing so they would preserve absolute loyalty to the Luthien Theocracy. Fortunately, this was not direct indoctrination through the authority of Repose. The other Seven Evil Gods would never allow Repose to influence their own Magnificences. However, the intensity of the cult conditioning through daily lessons, doctrine, and the entire lifestyle inside Audrey House was extremely high. Convincing the children to flee the orphanage of their own will would not be easy. But Gunther did not lose hope.
“With Dominic, it becomes possible.”
He had heard from Yuria what position Dominic currently held inside the orphanage.
The most devout child. The one who enjoyed the complete trust of every teacher, including the headmistress and Masiu. And finally, the leader who naturally served as the center among the children. That meant, if necessary, he would be able to lead them.
Naturally, Dominic alone would not be enough. That was why Gunther had already chosen another helper.
“Absolutely,” Gunther said quietly. “Everything has to happen fast. Ideally, we finish everything in just a few days.”
Dominic’s blue eyes blinked slowly. “You’re in even more of a hurry than I thought.”
“Because I need to be.”
There were more than enough reasons to hurry. Gunther knew that in the future Dominic would eventually be completely broken and led by the cult. Because of that, the chain of causality would make the Cult of Repose unbelievably powerful.
And that meant the “mask” Dominic was currently wearing would sooner or later be torn away. What if the escape attempt itself became the cause?
Too many risk factors. The best approach was to move as aggressively as possible, leaving no openings.
“And also...”
The fact that Raymond had failed in the original story still would not leave his mind. A man with such deep intelligence, capable of perfectly hiding his intentions and infiltrating a top-secret facility... why had he ultimately lost?
Gunther still did not know the reason. [N O V E L I G H T] There were variables here he had yet to grasp. So he had to strike and leave as quickly as possible.
“Well... I’m not against hurrying either.” Dominic nodded seriously. “I don’t want the children to stay in this cursed place even one day longer.”
“Good,” Gunther answered shortly. “We’ll stop here for today.”
Raymond’s heightened senses caught someone approaching.
“From tomorrow onward, do exactly as I told you.”
Dominic hesitated for a moment, then smiled — sincere and childishly simple.
“I was scared... but I’m glad there’s a reliable adult beside me.”
“...I see.”
“Yes.”
A reliable adult, huh. While Gunther turned those words over in his mind...
Rustle—
With a light movement, Dominic disappeared into the shadow of the building.
“Oh, right. Please be kind to Yuria. She’s a good girl.”
Gunther silently nodded and headed back toward the residential wing. Soon, he realized whose footsteps those were.
“Ah, Teacher Raymond.”
A gentle voice. An old nun holding a lantern slowly approached him. In the firelight, her face, lined with wrinkles, resembled a plowed field. Gunther instantly arranged the proper expression on his face.
“Headmistress.”
“How was your first day in the role of ‘Instructor’?”
“A day that made me look forward to the future.”
Audrey seemed satisfied with the answer and smiled softly.
“As you know,” she added in a smooth voice, “reports must be submitted daily.”
.
.
.
Audrey silently watched Raymond’s retreating back.
There are moments in life when feelings accumulated over years suddenly awaken for no visible reason. It is intuition that cannot be explained, yet cannot be ignored.
Once, she had been the head of the Society of Holy Flame and had spent decades hunting heretics and apostates. She knew: warnings from intuition were rarely false.
Raymond Pilgrim. Yes, he was a perfect priest. Education, career, faith verification records. Even the evaluations from his previous assignments — every document confirmed his flawlessness.
Too clean a man. And that was exactly what created that strange sense of discomfort.
“It was always like this. The truly dangerous people were precisely the ones without flaws.”
Of course, he could simply be a worthy clergyman. The leadership had thoroughly verified everything before dispatching him, so that possibility was more likely.
However, Audrey had always believed that suspicion was not a sin, but her duty. It was probably for that very reason that the cult had appointed her, a veteran of the Society of Holy Flame, as director of Audrey House. So that she could burn away any trace of corruption.
Fwoosh—
Audrey turned up the flame in the lamp slightly. Without taking her eyes off Raymond’s receding shadow, she quietly made her decision.
“I’ll need to file a request for reinspection.”
This was an important period. A time when the Theocracy was preparing to spread its influence across the entire continent. No variables, no disturbances could be tolerated.
***
Ding!
Morning in Audrey House always began with the same sound. The ringing of the bell from the tower. Its clear, rhythmic tolls spread through the corridors, waking the children still lingering in sweet dreams.
“Oooh, it’s already morning?”
“Do you know what’s for breakfast today?”
“Damn, it’s cold...”
The children turning under their blankets began getting up one after another. Some yawned and rubbed their eyes, while others pulled the blankets over their heads in one final act of resistance.
Tap-tap—
At that same time, one child had already stepped lightly into the corridor. It was Dominic. His morning route had not changed in years. Habitually knocking on the doors of the neighboring rooms, he began waking the others.
“Come on, everyone, no dawdling. Get up and let’s go eat.”
For reference, the children’s rooms were divided by age. Fifteen-year-old Dominic was among the oldest in this wing.
“Ughhh, I want to sleep more. You can’t sleep again?” the drowsy Remesia grumbled, hugging her blanket. Dominic smirked and ruffled her hair, making her puff her cheeks in displeasure, though she did not try to dodge him.
“......”
Behind her, Yuria appeared. She was already neatly making her bed, preparing for the new day. Children designated as Children of the Month of Repose usually behaved exactly like this: trying to seem older and more obedient in order to earn even a little love. Though all of it was useless.
“Ahem.”
Out of habit, Remesia was about to glance at Yuria, but suddenly stopped herself and stole a look at Dominic instead. He pretended not to notice and silently moved on to the next room.
Rustle—
The residential wing was very spacious. There was enough room to give every child a room of their own, but Audrey grouped them in at least six per room. The official reason given was unity and solidarity — so the children would support one another and not feel lonely.
However, Dominic had long understood: this structure was not for the children, but to make them easier to monitor. Even so, he never voiced dissatisfaction or doubt aloud.
Knock-knock.
Stopping before the final door, Dominic knocked carefully. There was no response. More precisely, sounds came from inside, but they were impossible to make out.
“Aa-uu... ba-ba.”
A soft smile played on Dominic’s lips. The young man quietly entered and stood before the cradle.
What greeted him was cheerful babbling.
This was the room for the youngest children, one- and two-year-olds who required special care. Those whose “talent” had been discovered at an extremely early age.
“Good morning, Zenon,” Dominic said quietly and gently, and a tiny hand firmly wrapped around his pinky.
“Hi-ya...” The baby’s face bloomed into an adorable smile. Feeling the warmth radiating from those fingertips, Dominic stood there silently watching Zenon for a while.
This year marked the sixth year since he had entered Audrey House. In that time, Dominic had seen countless children with “talent.” He had seen them laugh, play, and grow.
And he had seen... their end.
Children whose bodies were torn apart by their inability to accept the power of a god. Children whose minds collapsed, turning them into madmen. Children who were destroyed after being judged lacking in faith. And even those who, after being selected as a Child of the Month of Repose, were simply slaughtered like livestock.
All of those images layered themselves over the warmth of that tiny hand. Dominic’s face twisted for the first time.
“I... definitely...”
Dominic left the room. The warmth that had existed only moments before vanished without a trace, and only the expression of a deeply faithful and unwavering young man remained on his face.
What followed was the usual routine. Doctrine lessons. Basic exercises in controlling divine power. Prayers and services at strictly designated times.
During breaks, Dominic’s gaze casually swept across the orphanage grounds. Naturally, the gaze of the other party occasionally swept back in return. They did not need to meet eyes. There was no need — today’s course of action had already been decided yesterday.
In his usual casual tone, Dominic called out to the Remesia seated beside him.
“Rem.”
“Hm?”
“There’s something here Teacher Masiu might praise us for...”
Remesia immediately sprang up in interest. Dominic gave her a slight wink.
“Want to try it? Just the two of us.”
.
.
.
Meanwhile, while Dominic began the “operation to recruit Remesia,” Gunther was also steadily advancing his escape plan.
“Yuria?”
“Yes!”
“Let’s go to prayer a little earlier today.”
“Yes!!!”
Yuria, whose face visibly brightened, tightly clung to Gunther’s hand. Together, the two of them headed into the underground section of Audrey House. To the place where worship of the Seven Evil Gods was held... and to the energy source sustaining the entire building, the structure of which he had already calculated with Heavenly Mechanism Vision.
Crackle—
In the instant when no one was watching, a scarlet spark flickered across Gunther’s fingertips.
[Characteristic: Godslayer unique skill “Deicide” ready for use.]
