Fled Without Realizing I Had Prevented the Apocalypse

“That was really close.”
Three days later, arriving at the Count’s mansion right on the scheduled time, I let out a deep sigh of relief.
“If I had gone around, I would have definitely been late.”
Even though I took the shortcut as originally planned, I only had 30 minutes to spare.
If I had chosen to go around completely, I would have certainly missed the deadline.
“I hope I wasn’t detected.”

Catching my breath after running non-stop for three days, I glanced back at the path I had come from.
Due to the appearance of the Grade 10 Contaminant, the streets near the Count’s mansion were already in chaos.
Although the Count’s soldiers were out controlling the streets, they couldn’t stop the anxiety spreading among the citizens.
News that the Contaminant had been subjugated would soon reach here, but until then, everything would remain in this state.
However, what I was worried about were the members of the knight order who had directly faced the Contaminant’s energy.
‘Thanks to it revealing its fragment, it was easy to catch, but…’
The outer god’s fragment possessed by the Contaminant is both their greatest strength and weakness.
If you cut off their connection to the outer god, the Contaminant will just disappear, losing all its power.
All I did was deliver a single strike aimed at that fragment.
I tried my best not to leave any traces, and I actually succeeded in doing so…
“They won’t know. They shouldn’t know.”
In a situation where I’m hiding like this, if the commander of the Imperial Knight Order gets a clue, it means not only facing that crazy woman but also my location and identity reaching the Emperor’s ears.
Scarlet Frausia. That woman offered her loyalty to the Emperor to hide her madness. She would probably report to the Emperor no matter what she does.
For me, who had done something close to treason when leaving the Empire, having a report go up to the Emperor is particularly uncomfortable.
So, the best strategy is to avoid doing anything that might lead to a report being sent up.
“I need to leave here quickly too.”
Count Araxis’s mansion.
Although they’re close to the type that doesn’t show much loyalty to the current Emperor, they’re still nobles of the Empire.
If I stay too long in any way and a report goes up to the Emperor, it’s highly likely to become troublesome.
So I need to quickly complete the request and leave before such a thing happens.
Thinking this, I slowly made my way towards the Count’s mansion.
“Excuse me.”
“Are you perhaps the premium courier?”
“…Yes.”
“We’ve been waiting for you. I’ll escort you inside.”
The head butler bowed deeply as soon as I approached.
As if they knew I was coming, they guided me into the mansion without any inspection. I followed the head butler silently.
“You’ve arrived about thirty minutes earlier than the scheduled time.”
“I’m a bit quick on my feet, you see.”
“We thought you wouldn’t be able to arrive on time because we heard a Grade 10 Contaminant had appeared on the way…”
“Then why were you waiting outside?”
At my question, the head butler paused for a moment before briefly saying,
“My master said you would definitely arrive on time and told me to wait.”
“…I see.”
“Yes, it’s good that you actually arrived early, isn’t it?”
The head butler left a brief smile and started guiding the way again.
Following the butler’s lead, I looked around the surroundings of the mansion.
The mansion, built with bright wood, seemed to have been positioned well, as it was receiving sunlight directly through the windows.

The potted plants and paintings installed on the way to the corridors were also contributing to brightening the atmosphere of the mansion.
Moreover, the Araxis Count family was known to have been living well with a gentle temperament without any blemishes, so I expected the internal atmosphere to be not bad at all.
And as if to shatter my expectations, the atmosphere of the Count’s mansion was exactly the opposite.
Servants passing through the corridors wearing masks and not making eye contact with each other.
Flowers in pots that emitted a gloomy atmosphere despite facing the sunlight, only looking down at the floor.
Even the interior of the mansion, despite clearly being made of bright wood, was emitting a dark and gloomy energy.
It was as if the entire mansion had transformed into a sticky swamp.
A state that could hardly be called normal.
It was enough to make me wonder what on earth had happened to the Count’s family.
“Everyone has been depressed like this since hearing the news that a Grade 10 Contaminant appeared in this area.”
As if understanding my curiosity as I looked around the mansion, the butler said so.
Because of the Contaminant, he says.
It was an absurd excuse.
Even if the atmosphere between people could be explained that way, this sticky energy emanating from within the mansion itself was definitely not something that could be created overnight.
“…I see.”
However, in that situation, I couldn’t deny the butler’s words, so I just nodded.
After walking in silence for a while.
“We’ve arrived.”
The butler stopped in front of a door.
It was a room from which a dense energy was leaking, as if the atmosphere of the entire mansion was condensed in one place.
“The master is waiting inside.”
At the butler’s guidance, I nodded and slowly moved to open the door.
However, the butler blocked my movement.
“It would be courteous to disarm before entering.”
Disarm.
It was an absurd suggestion, but since I had entered the mansion, the owner’s word was law, so I obediently unstrapped the sword I was carrying and disarmed.
And then, after getting permission from the butler, I entered the room.
Then, the first thing that caught my eye was the quite haggard faces of the Count and Countess.
They looked like they had been through a lot of hardship at a glance.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency the Count. And, Madam Countess.”
“…Let’s skip the cumbersome greetings. Let’s check the item first.”
It was the Countess who responded to my greeting.
The Countess, who seemed to have not slept for a long time as dark circles were visible despite her makeup, tapped the table in front of her, saying she wanted to check the item.
Her tone was oddly irritable, but somehow I had an inkling, so I took out the item from my pocket without a word.
“Here it is.”

A small box given by Beatrice’s merchant guild.
Inside, well-packaged, a tear-shaped bottle with a transparent interior.
An ancient elixir called the Goddess’s Tear, said to contain the blessing of a goddess due to the amount of magical power it contains and its efficiency despite its small size.
An ancient item from when gods actually existed in this world, and because it’s not easily found, it’s essentially priceless, and I was holding it in my hand.
“Please check it.”
As I placed the box on the table, the Countess immediately picked up the box and thrust it towards the Count.
Then, the Count’s eyes briefly turned towards the Goddess’s Tear before returning to their original state. At the same time, he nodded slightly.
“It’s the genuine Goddess’s Tear.”
The Countess, who had been watching this intently, spoke on behalf of the Count.
As if representing the Count’s will.
At the same time, she took back the Goddess’s Tear she had thrust at the Count and put it in her own bosom.
“Now then, about the advance payment…”
“I really can’t stand listening anymore.”
“…What?”
The Countess’s eyes widened in undisguised surprise.
Although her expression suggested that I might have misheard, I continued speaking without minding.
“The disgusting smell that’s been here since I entered the mansion is overwhelming now that I’m up close, how can I pretend not to notice?”
“What on earth are you talking about…”
“How long do you intend to pretend? You must have realized you’ve already been found out.”
“……”
At my question, the Countess, or rather, something wearing the disguise of the Countess, hung her head.
The dark, sticky energy steadily flowing from her body.
Despite her attempts to hide it, it couldn’t be concealed – the same demonic thoughts as the black magician I had subjugated before coming here.

Among them, if I had to pick a demon of this sticky, swamp-like category…
“Is it Lust?”
“…How did you know?”
As I realized her true identity, the contractor of Lust immediately changed her stance.
She gently caressed the skin of the Count sitting next to her and tilted her head.
“I’m sure I completely hid my energy. It’s not something that can be detected by human senses.”
At the same time, her eyes glowed red.
Dozens of arrows that looked ready to shoot me dead at any moment were generated around her.
“You, what’s your true identity? I’ve never heard of someone like you among the Empire’s superhumans.”

To the contractor’s question, I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them and answered.
“Thinking of me as one of the Empire’s superhumans is already a wrong judgment.”
“What?”
“Stupid woman. You said it’s not something that can be detected by human senses. Don’t you understand what your own words mean?”
“No way…”

The contractor’s eyes widened.
At the same time, I took out an item from the black magician I had subjugated earlier and held it out.
The crow’s feather symbolizing Malphas, the Generalissimo of deceivers that he had been shouting about.
A demonic token emitting such dense demonic energy that no one but a demon contractor could possess it.
Seeing this, the nature of Lust changed.
She showed a coquettish smile and spoke, pretending to be at ease.

“It seems it wasn’t a lie that you came across the forest where the Grade 10 Contaminant was staying.”
What lie.
Ignoring Lust’s words, I asked a question.
“Were you trying to obtain the Goddess’s Tear by using the Count as a puppet?”
“Not exactly a puppet, it’s his real body, but yes, that’s right. He couldn’t resist when I took his daughter and wife hostage.”
“The daughter and wife, you’re planning to dispose of them now?”
“The Count is still resisting, so they’re locked up in a nearby cave. The butler who confiscated your weapon earlier is managing those two women.”
“I see.”
The contractor of Lust, who had answered all my questions, approached me as if interested.
At the same time, she emitted an aura of lust from her entire body to seduce me.
Her eyes were already half-crazed.
“Now can I ask you a question?”
“No.”
“Can I masturbate with that feather… What?”
As I rejected her question, I lightly slit the contractor’s throat with my finger.

Then, a red line appeared, and the contractor’s head fell off with a thud.
Despite her head being cut off, there seemed to be some life force left, as the contractor, with her eyes wide open, asked me a question.
“You were pretending to be a contractor? How…”
Instead of answering, I left one word:
“Sleep.”