Volume 1, Chapter 61 – Who Is the Defender of the Lord’s Glory and Law?

“Isn’t this the corridor outside the Spiritual Flogging Club? Why is there a human here? Is she teaching material for the Divine-Human Research Society?”

“Oh? Maybe she’s a wild human. Does anyone want her? If nobody does, I’ll pick her up and take her home.”

“A collar, a maid outfit, black hair… Isn’t she the slave owned by Stella Darkfallen? I saw Miss Darkfallen walking her around campus on a leash not long ago.”

“Tch, so she’s the slave of an SSS+ student. That suddenly makes her difficult to lay a hand on.”

The succubi’s whispers drifted into her ears. Some were curious, some covetous, some indifferent, and some disgusted, but in the end, their wariness of Stella’s name made them choose to ignore her.

In the past, Lainia might have rebuked them before fleeing the area to avoid attracting trouble, but right now, she had no attention to spare for the succubi’s interest in her.

Because she had squeezed into a spot by the doorway and witnessed the Spiritual Flogging Club’s entire presentation.

Stella Darkfallen’s presentation.

Lainia listened to the deafening cheers from inside the clubroom, feeling nothing but unease and apprehension.

What had she just witnessed?

Highly provocative gestures, words delivered with carefully controlled rises and falls, even the way Stella embellished her rhetoric with quotations from the classics…

There was no doubt about it. What Stella had used was a preaching technique possessed only by high-ranking clergy within the Holy See!

A sacred art used to enlighten the masses and spread the gospel.

Had she stolen those preaching techniques from somewhere and secretly learned them, or had she simply been born with this kind of talent…

Too terrifying.

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If Lainia had not known that she was currently a prisoner who had fallen into the Demon Realm, she might almost have thought she was sitting inside St. Maria Church in the capital, listening to the Supreme Saintess preach.

Tears overflowing, wails pouring forth, the silence of repentance.

It was almost exactly the same.

Except the Saintess used light to build heaven, while Stella Darkfallen was using those exact same bricks to erect an inverted Tower of Babel within the abyss.

And now, the evil succubus who had enslaved and tormented her was actually inciting the savagery buried within the demons’ hearts, trying to gather a disorganized mob that knew only how to fight among themselves into a demon crusade united by faith.

‘What…’

‘What blasphemy.’

Lainia once again realized just how severe the trial the Lord had bestowed upon her truly was.

She had originally thought that Stella Darkfallen was merely a twisted succubus who possessed nothing but power, her heart filled with wicked thoughts and sin.

No matter how much Stella grew, one day she would still be nothing more than a powerful individual gifted with the ability to devour Holy Light.

And as long as she was merely an individual, she could be defeated.

All Lainia needed to do was cautiously remain hidden at Stella’s side and uncover the secret behind her ability to devour Holy Light. That would be enough for her to find an opportunity to defeat her.

But only after peeling back Stella’s veil did she suddenly discover that the darkness hidden beneath it was so thick and black that it nearly drove her to despair.

She had been wrong.

Completely wrong.

Rеaԁ οn ΚаtRеαⅾіոɡСαfе

How could this possibly be some twisted succubus with nothing but power? She was clearly an ambitious schemer who knew exactly how to deceive and incite the masses.

“Is this… the trial the Lord has bestowed upon me?” Lainia murmured softly amid the clamor.

‘Lord.’

‘Did You allow me to fall this far and preserve my life precisely so that I could personally witness the birth of such a formidable enemy?’

If she is not stopped, the world will never know peace again.

But…

Lainia remembered the mere tip of Stella’s strength she had revealed in the Blasphemous Forbidden Forest, as well as her unfathomable talent for dark magic.

As she was now, what could Lainia possibly use to stop her?

Rush forward and throw her life away?

Or hide her own incompetence like a coward, cling to life beneath this demon’s protection, and even slack off during training?

“I can’t… keep going on like this.”

Lainia made up her mind.

She remembered the contemptuous words that demon had spoken at the training arena before.

‘You’re far too weak right now. If I don’t make you a little more durable, how are you supposed to be useful later?’

Rеαⅾ on КаtRеaⅾіnɡСafe

Since Stella wanted to remake her into a useful weapon.

A durable toy.

Fine.

Then Lainia would let her have her way.

“Since you want to turn me into your weapon…”

Lainia gave the silver-haired figure surrounded by admirers on the platform one final, profound look. She watched as Stella finished her speech, casually stepped down from the platform, and entered the lounge.

“Then I’ll make use of the power you forcibly poured into me. I’ll endure every torment you inflict upon me, eat every last bit of food you give me, and learn every technique you teach me.”

At that moment, she could almost hear the Lord whispering softly beside her ear.

“Lainia, she is the trial I have bestowed upon you.”

Lainia turned around and headed back toward the training arena.

She was not going to rest.

She was going to train more.

‘Just you wait, evil succubus.’

She would continue enduring humiliation and bearing this burden, tempering herself without end until she, this deadly weapon, became sharp enough to pierce straight through the demon’s heart.

Her body might tremble from pain, her knees might bend beneath overwhelming power, and for the sake of survival, she might even be forced to bow her head and put on a collar, forced to wear that humiliating maid outfit, forced to call out “Master” again and again against her true wishes.

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But her soul alone.

This faith alone.

Would never waver in the slightest before that arrogant succubus.

‘You want to tame me?’

‘Stella Darkfallen.’

‘Then you are destined to be disappointed.’

No matter what inhuman treatment she suffered, no matter how thoroughly her spirit was ravaged, she would absolutely never submit.

‘Who is the defender of the Lord’s glory and law?’

‘It is me, Lainia Pandorica!’

Translator Note

It’s funny that each character has their own different misunderstanding, but eventually they’re all reach to the same conclusion xD