Reverse Dungeon

Before Keith’s swords were completely spent, the squire looked ready to fall.

“Sir Keith!” someone shouted.

“It was all lies! There’s no way Sir Keith could be a heretic!”

“Sir Keith, we’ve been waiting for you!”

The murmurs swelled. The crowd had clearly heard the exchange between Keith and the squire with their own ears. Now they understood the evidence pointing to the Vatican offering sacrifices to demons. As people of faith, they knew which side stood closer to righteousness and to the “teachings of God.”

They began chanting Keith’s name.

Ian found the sudden shift in atmosphere unsettling.

‘This doesn’t feel right.’

There was no such thing as an easy boss in a game. Even if the timeline had changed and the boss had not fully prepared, this was still the Vatican, a place overflowing with trials. And wasn’t there more than one boss here?

Sure enough, the heavy doors of the Pope’s chamber creaked open, and the Pope himself stepped out, his white beard flowing with solemn majesty.

‘Of course.’

Phase Two had begun.

“What is all this commotion, my people? ...Sir Keith.”

“Johann Kluft II.”

Keith no longer addressed him as the Pope. His gaze was cold and piercing.

“Silence! What madness is this in the House of God? Sheathe your sword at once!”

The Pope’s voice was grave and commanding, carrying a natural charisma that made the clamorous crowd fall silent on instinct. Even the squire lowered his sword and took a step back. Keith, unwilling to attack an unprepared opponent, let the confrontation pause.

“Johann Kluft. Answer me. What happened to the injured knights and priests, the sick brought here for treatment, and the countless starving orphans who knocked on the Vatican’s doors?”

“The injured were healed, the sick received care, and the hungry were fed. All of them returned to their proper places, as you well know.”

“Do not feign ignorance. I am speaking of those who never returned.”

Keith’s words were sharp, but the Pope deflected them smoothly.

“Sir Keith, I have always held you in great respect. Though you are accused of betraying God, you served the people for many years. Yet it seems you have forgotten reverence. Is this who you truly are?”

The Pope knew how to handle people. Answering a question directly was never the wisest course. His measured, dignified words stirred unease in the crowd. Keith was still Keith. But could the kind and benevolent Pope truly be lying?

‘Fools.’

The Pope felt a mixture of pity and contempt for the people. He had ruled over them for so long that he knew their weaknesses, their cowardice, and their frailty all too well.

In the end, people believed what they wanted to believe.

This was the Vatican. The soldiers would arrive soon. He would kill Keith here and now. Whatever miraculous means had allowed Keith to return, it did not matter. If Keith died now, his patron would surely forgive the Pope’s failures.

And these same people, forever loyal to the victor, would once again declare Keith a heretic.

The Pope understood people perfectly.

He smiled gently.

Keith, however, did not waver.

“I asked you what happened to those who disappeared. Will you not answer? Will you claim ignorance? There is nothing in this Vatican you do not know. Are you admitting to dereliction of duty? Answer me, Johann Kluft.”

“I have already answered. They received what they needed and returned. Those who did not return to their homes went into the arms of God. You know as well as I do that life and death lie beyond human control. Do you wish to condemn me for sacrifices made for God? If so, then do so, if it eases your conscience.”

The crowd stirred uneasily. The Pope’s words sounded reasonable. He could not be blamed for deaths that occurred in service to the church, nor for tragedies suffered by those who sought sanctuary from demons.

But there was someone in the crowd who required a different kind of persuasion.

“But, Your Holiness... isn’t that a lie?” 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Keith’s squire, Maverick, spoke in a trembling voice.

“Didn’t you tell me otherwise? You said those sacrifices were necessary, that there was no other choice. You once promised me you would never lie to me, even if lying was easier. Why are you lying to the people now?”

‘Foolish boy.’

The Pope suppressed a sigh and closed his eyes. Managing the ignorant masses was always troublesome. There was no point becoming angry over what he already knew.

In a kind voice, he said, “...Yes. Some among them made sacrifices in a different form, for God.”

“What...!”

“Your Holiness! What are you saying?”

“Are you saying you truly offered them to demons? How could you, Your Holiness?!”

The crowd erupted in anger. This was precisely why the Pope had avoided telling them the truth.

“They sacrificed themselves willingly. It is thanks to their sacrifice that we enjoyed so {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} many long years of peace.”

“That’s absurd...!”

“Your Holiness!”

The people felt the Pope was making excuses. They wanted to shout in outrage, but the Pope continued.

“Can we dishonor their sacrifice by calling it ‘fodder for demons’? Would you defile their noble offering? And who was it who truly defiled it? You, Keith!”

The Pope’s voice suddenly turned harsh.

“The Vatican enjoyed long years of peace until you angered the demons and desecrated that sacrifice! Who is to blame for the demons now roaming these sacred halls? You, who refused to accept a noble sacrifice and returned alive instead! Because of you, these poor people are starving and sick in their homes! Answer me!”

“......!”

The crowd wavered.

If the Pope’s words were true, then Keith’s refusal to accept his own sacrifice had enraged the demons and caused them to unleash havoc upon the Vatican.

When the demons first breached the Vatican’s wards, people wandering the streets in ignorance had been devoured before they could even scream.

‘Come to think of it, wasn’t that around the time Keith’s name was added to the heretic list?’

The people remembered.

Their gazes shifted toward Keith. He could feel their eyes on him.

How could these people, who shared his faith and his sense of righteousness, be swayed by such lies?

Keith was tormented. He could not find the words to defend himself. Sustaining the Vatican through deals with demons was wrong. He could never agree to preserve the Vatican in its current state.

That meant the Vatican had to be abandoned, even if demons took over. The people living here would have to leave and find a new home.

When Keith failed to answer, disbelief began to seep into the crowd’s eyes.

“Sir Keith...”

Their voices trembled.

Keith shook his head.

He could not accept what they wanted. If they hoped for a Vatican free from dealings with demons while still remaining exactly as it was, was that not a contradiction? Such a thing was impossible. The Vatican was already in the demons’ grasp.

As the people’s anger began turning toward Keith, Ian spoke up.

Unlike Keith, Ian did not overthink it.

“What are you even talking about? The demon you made a deal with is dead. Sir Keith killed it. That’s why its underlings are running wild through the Vatican. Why do you lie every time you open your mouth?”

“......!”

Jeong Yiwon had been born with a talent for stirring the pot, a gift that had gotten him into trouble with upperclassmen even before he became an orphan. After he lost his parents, it only grew worse. He knew that to win an argument, there was no need to aim far. You only had to strike at the logic right in front of you.

In other words, seize the weak point in their words.

And Ian excelled at that.