Reverse Dungeon

Once the chaos died down, the people of the Vatican flocked to Keith. They had seen what had happened inside the Vatican, or at least heard enough to understand. Even those who had not witnessed it firsthand soon learned the story from others.

The Vatican’s barrier was gone.

For the first time in their lives, they stood fully exposed to the outside world.

Demons had always roamed within the walls, but until now, they had at least ignored those who kept to their homes. That was no longer the case. Now, the people of the Vatican were no different from those outside it. If demons found them, they would die.

They would have to hide in shabby shelters, small and miserable enough to escape notice, trembling in fear of being discovered. At any moment, demons might break into their refuge, tear apart the only safe place they had, and devour them.

And where were they supposed to find even those pitiful shelters?

The Vatican was already overcrowded. Too many people had gathered here. They stood out. If a powerful demon decided to trample through them, there would be nothing they could do to resist.

“Sir Keith, please protect us.”

“Come back to us, Sir Keith. Lead us.”

“Please become the new Pope.”

“That is not possible,” Keith replied, shaking his head. “The Pope is chosen through a conclave of cardinals. Unless the cardinals gather again, a new Pope cannot be elected—unless God Himself bestows a divine revelation....”

His answer was frustratingly proper.

Keith turned and glanced at Ian, his expression carrying a faint, expectant look. Ian had no idea why.

What? Does he want me to hand down a divine revelation or something?

If Ian could have done it, he would have. He would have loved to fake a revelation, make Keith the new Pope, and see what buffs the “Pope” title would give him.

But would people really believe a revelation thrown together on the spot?

One wrong move, and he could be branded a heretic and executed.

For now, Ian chose to cheer Keith on in silence.

“How are the cardinals supposed to return? Aren’t they already gone? None of them have come back to the Vatican....”

The people continued pleading with Keith.

Keep going, Ian encouraged him inwardly.

The cardinals, who had once presided over their dioceses, had not returned to the Vatican since demons began ruling the world.

In the original Keith route, the journey began with searching for those missing cardinals. Finding them all and bringing them back to the Vatican was a major part of the storyline.

For a defense-focused game, it involved a ridiculous amount of running around.

“Do not speak so insolently. Who can prove that the cardinals are dead? Without them convening, electing a new Pope is out of the question,” Keith concluded.

That ended the discussion.

Keith carried a certain authority. Once he decided a conversation was over, most people did not dare continue it. The crowd fell silent, their pleas cut short.

Then someone picked up a stone and hurled it at Maverick.

“It’s his fault! Sir Keith won’t stay and protect us because of him!”

“He’s the sinner who drove Sir Keith away! He should be executed!”

Maverick said nothing. He only bowed his head and endured as the stones struck him.

Keith, appalled, stepped forward to stop them.

“What are you doing?!”

“But Sir Keith, are you really going to abandon us?”

“How are we supposed to survive?” they cried, sobbing.

“I am not abandoning you,” Keith declared firmly. “I am a servant of God. I will never abandon those who believe ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) in Him.”

As he gave that resolute answer, he glanced at Ian so pointedly that even someone oblivious would have understood he was asking for help.

Ian felt uneasy.

“Give us a command, Lord Ian. How can we save these people? We need your wisdom.”

Didn’t you say you never thought I was wise...?

Ian was bewildered.

Then an idea struck him.

Wait.

There was something he had always wondered.

Why had the king in Ian’s route abandoned his castle?

Castles were built to withstand outside enemies. And yet, because of the king’s foolishness, Ian had ended up governing his people from a cave.

In Keith’s route, the Vatican castle was supposed to collapse too....

Ian looked over the castle.

It was intact.

Thanks to Ian shaking Maverick’s resolve, Keith and Maverick had not destroyed the entire structure during their fight. The Vatican’s white, elegant walls still stood as pristine as ever.

And Ian had the authority to establish a third dungeon.

A second external force!

“Keith!”

“Yes, Lord Ian.”

Keith, who had been quietly watching him, saw Ian’s mood change in an instant. The troubled look on his face vanished, replaced by a bright smile, and he gazed up at Keith with an almost childlike eagerness.

Another strange idea, Keith thought.

No.

Perhaps a sacred one....

Ian’s eyes sparkled as he spoke. His emotions shifted so easily that it was almost endearing.

“You’re going to be the administrator of this place.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m going to declare this my dungeon.”

The moment Ian finished speaking, the ground around the Vatican rumbled.

A round, translucent barrier appeared once more, enclosing the entire area.

“What in the world...?!”

“My God!”

While the people dropped to their knees and clasped their hands in prayer, Keith quietly asked Ian, “Did you create this barrier, Lord Ian?”

He had seen similar miracles in Ian’s dungeons before.

“Uh, of course I did.”

Ian answered without so much as blinking.

It was in the Vatican’s management tab. I spent my experience points to activate it, so technically, yeah, I did.

Keith was certain Ian was lying, though he could not say exactly why. As far as Keith knew, Ian was an excellent liar.

Whether a divine messenger ought to be so skilled at deception was another matter entirely, but....

“A miracle indeed...,” Keith murmured reluctantly.

“That’s what I said.”

What an amusing man, Keith thought, nodding at Ian’s stubborn insistence.

Ian, meanwhile, could not understand why Keith’s belief in him as a “Savior” seemed to drop every time he opened his mouth.

And yet, for some reason, Keith’s loyalty kept rising.

It made no sense.

“Sir Keith, who is this man...?”

“Is he a priest?”

The people, now fascinated by the miraculous figure Keith was addressing, wanted to know who Ian was. Judging by the conversation, the black-haired man seemed to be responsible for this divine event.

“This man is....”

Keith hesitated, but before he could continue, Ian poked him in the side. If Keith started spouting nonsense about Ian being a “Servant of God,” it would cause all kinds of trouble.

“A friend,” Ian interrupted.

“......?”

Keith stared at Ian in confusion, but Ian did not look back.

“Ah...! Of course! Sir Keith’s... friend?”

“Friend! ...Friend?”

“...A friend, I see!”

The crowd’s reaction was bizarre.

Does this guy not have friends? Ian wondered.

Not that he was one to talk, but still. What was with that reaction?

Apparently, everyone knew Keith did not have friends.

“Yes... a friend. My friend, Lord Ian, saved me from the demons and captured them.”

“Together,” Ian whispered to Keith.

Since he was shorter, he had to tilt his head slightly to reach Keith’s ear.

“...Yes. Together. We captured them.”

“Wow... wowww!”

“Unbelievable!”

The crowd burst into applause and cheers.

Why Keith addressed his “friend” so formally and even added “Lord” remained a mystery, but who cared? Friends were friends. Ian was clearly feeding Keith his lines, but the people did not seem to mind.

Keith’s friend.

Friend?

Why were they standing so close, whispering to each other like that?

Ding!

[The people find your relationship suspicious.]

Ding!

[The people find your relationship questionable!]

Ian had no idea what the problem was.

How was he supposed to know something was off when he had never had friends himself?

Didn’t I handle that well?

In any case, Keith, now appointed as the “Administrator” of Ian’s third dungeon, began organizing the remaining Vatican soldiers and assigning them to their proper roles.

As Ian reviewed the defensive spells and manpower available in his third dungeon, “Vatican,” he could barely hold back his laughter.

This is insane.

He was probably the first person ever to possess something like this. Ian missed the internet desperately. He wanted to brag about it so badly.

After taking some time to rest, they finally managed to tear themselves away from the people clinging to them and left the Vatican.

Well, that worked out somehow.

As Ian grinned, Keith asked, “Where should we go now?”

“To the Eastern Fairy Queen’s Island.”

It was not because Ian needed the antidote found there. He had already healed the priest with .

But I’m out of alcohol.

The island also happened to be the closest location that housed one of the Demon King’s life vessels. In gaming terms, proximity usually meant lower difficulty.

Ian nodded to himself with confidence.

Keith asked, “The Fairy Queen’s Island... such a place exists?”

“Of course. Fairies, elves—they’re all still alive. If humans are surviving, why wouldn’t other races be?”

“That’s not what I meant... I was wondering how Lord Ian knows about such a place. Aren’t those places normally impossible to find?”

Thinking of the steadily plummeting credibility of his “Savior” title, Ian replied solemnly, “God revealed it to me.”

“Ah, I see....”

Ding!

[Keith doubts whether you are truly a “Savior.”]

Why?!