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There’s one thing you must keep in mind: the temple… or rather, the Pope is considering how to deal with me, thinking I can’t possibly be an Apostle.

“So, I don’t actually need to prove I’m really an Apostle or that I never impersonated one. The act of proving itself is merely a formality, just an excuse to justify oneself.”

“Why are you suddenly bringing up something so obvious, Jonah?”

Ellie tilted her head as she flexed her mechanical arm like she was checking it.

She looked somewhat similar to usual but dressed a little differently. Instead of a bartender’s outfit, she wore a suit, looking more like a mafia member with a coat draped over her shoulders. It was a strange yet pleasant sight.

If she were to pull out some mana herbs later on, I’d believe she walked straight out of a movie.

“I think Ellie has put too much effort into her outfit.”

After all, Ellie, who was accompanying me in the capacity of my protector, had dressed up a bit… but since the conclusion would lead to combat anyway, I wondered whether it was even necessary.

In response, Ellie chuckled and spread her arms to show off her attire.

“This? Despite how it looks, everything’s made from materials harvested from Sixth Floor monsters.”

“Really?”

“The Sixth Floor has various flora and fauna. If you have the proper hunting skills, you can acquire more than you’d expect.”

“Ah.”

The Sixth Floor is the land where the God of Beasts lies. The monsters there could easily be considered spiritual beings.

Given that the setting has an array of bizarre creatures, it’s not impossible to collect materials and find great artisans. But…

“Why go through all this trouble to make ordinary equipment? I mean, you’d said you could operate without any problems on the Seventh Floor, so essentially, this is gear suited for a lower level.”

“It might be so, but…”

Having said that, Ellie curiously pulled out a mana herb cigarette from her pocket and took a puff. I ignited it with a tiny flame spell.

Winking in gratitude, Ellie spoke with a slightly awkward voice. “If there’s nothing else to do, I end up paying extra attention to the design. There has to be a reason why the finest equipment is always so stylish.”

“Ah.”

So, Ellie, who has been forcibly reduced to a mere rabbit-gondyu due to the lack of upgrades, has been focusing a bit on aesthetics?

I understood perfectly.

Nodding silently, I watched as Ellie, now looking a bit embarrassed, blew the smoke away from me and continued.

“Alright. If we’re all set, let’s go. They should be finishing their preparations over there too.”

“Sure… Oh, let me grab this first.”

I wrapped a red scarf around my neatly arranged labyrinth exploration gear.

The God of Thieves, or more precisely, Sif’s consciousness had dissipated, leaving this legacy behind, which turned out to be a divine item.

Lif had gifted it to Sif, a scarf that shared in Sif’s mythology.

It’s not strange for such objects to be imbued with divine power.

What’s more important, however, is what kind of power it possesses.

Although lost during the War of the Gods, one of the artifacts of the Goddess of Love was said to be a Mirror of Transformation.

If you recited the incantation while looking into that mirror, it would change your gender.

For reference, it even granted minimal cosmetic magic, producing a somewhat presentable appearance regardless of the gender… but there was a slight issue with a low probability of turning into a futanari.

While there are those who deliberately seek that side effect, for most, it would be a disaster.

Thus, divine items aren’t necessarily good by default; it’s crucial to properly understand what power is contained within.

In that sense, the power imbued in the red scarf is quite simple.

“How does it look? Does it suit me?”

“Huh? Suddenly, what’s with the scarf… well, I suppose there’s no outfit you could wear that wouldn’t suit your face, Jonah. It’s alright.”

As I displayed the scarf while descending the stairs, Ellie gave a vague nod.

It likely looked like an ordinary scarf to her.

The strength to conceal the distinct aura of divine items. True to the God of Thieves, it’s imbued with stealth abilities.

Of course, simply hiding the fact that it’s a divine object isn’t the end of it. The stealth power it possesses is just a supplementary effect. Its true abilities are much stronger.

Enhanced stealth overall, and the power of assassination that makes ambushes much more lethal.

It’s a power that symbolizes Sif’s myth—having stolen the god’s heart without being detected throughout his life.

As grand as it sounds, however… like the Mirror of Futanari, it does come with its own set of restrictions rather than side effects.

“Ah, Ellie. Wait a moment. I think I left this behind.”

“Hmm? I’m pretty sure I put it in my pocket…”

With a confused expression, Ellie received the lighter I handed over. She wasn’t mistaken; I had stealthily taken it from my pocket while lighting her mana herb cigarette.

The scarf’s wearing restriction—an experienced thief must steal something without being caught at least once a day.

If they fail to meet this condition, it’s just a warm scarf.

Perhaps due to her lightning reflexes and various stealth skills, she’s regarded as a skilled thief.

Although it’s somewhat cumbersome equipment that can be activated for 24 hours through a specific trigger, the effect is certainly undeniable.

This will surely help with the upcoming endeavors.

Nodding to myself, I descended to the first floor, where Lydia, Benny, and Eve were already waiting, fully prepared.

“Eve? Haven’t Lemon and Apple shown up yet?”

“Oh my? How kind of you to think of them. I appreciate your concern, but those two fools are still lacking in both strength and skill, so I left them in a safe place.”

“Ah, right? Lemon and Apple’s expressions always give their thoughts away.”

As I nodded, Eve lightly tapped the ground with her cane made from the branches of the World Tree.

At that moment, the air above us split, and something emerged from the crack.

A luxurious potion bottle made of transparent glass, decorated in gold.

“This potion is made with the dew from the World Tree. Drinking just one will enhance your natural healing for the next three days.”

“Such a precious item…”

“Being valuable means it should be used at important moments, doesn’t it? Ah, while it enhances recovery, it won’t suffice to heal severed wounds, so please don’t act recklessly.”

“I wasn’t expecting anything that much.”

Just maintaining my stamina in a healthy state would be a great aid to me.

With a smile, I joined the others in downing the potion. It tasted just like water.

“Phew. Alright, let’s get moving then.”

The party silently nodded and followed behind me.

Everyone was adequately armed without appearing overly suspicious.

Lydia, for instance, wore her armor and always carried a weapon, so there wasn’t a noticeable shift in her appearance. However, her subspace contained her entire collection of gathered equipment.

Benny, as usual, wore a snug dress and a witch’s hat, but every piece of her ensemble was fortified with powerful protective magic courtesy of Eve.

Eve also sported a slightly fancier outfit and carried her staff made of the World Tree, but it’s crucial not to forget that she’s the owner of a magical device shop.

From a single piece of cloth on her body to tiny gold accessories, everything was a powerful magical device.

And then there’s me.

At first glance, I appeared dressed like a typical adventurer, with just the red scarf added in, but… in reality, I had various weapons hidden all over my body.

I can confidently say I’ve never been this heavily armed when entering a labyrinth.

With such a formidable attitude, our party headed toward the temple.

Did they plan on spreading rumors even before the verdict was announced? Whispers presumed to come from the temple began to circulate.

Of course, no one would speak such things to our faces. The aura we projected was too intimidating for that.

Thus, we reached the entrance of the temple. There, an Inquisitor, Karen, awaited us, her dark circles heavier than usual, making her complexion appear even gloomier.

“…Welcome.”

“Oh! It’s Karen! What brings you here?”

“I, who had ties with you, Jonah, have been assigned to welcome your group.”

“Ah?”

I supposed this was her chance to gauge how suspicious we might be. If anything seemed off, I could swiftly take action.

As always, her mind works in a less-than-desirable direction.

I suppressed a smirk wanting to escape and smiled brightly.

I never thought Karen could keep her role as an ally hidden indefinitely. But revealing it now would not be in anyone’s best interest.

With a smile untouched by doubt, I continued.

“Thank you, Karen! Though it’s under unfortunate circumstances we meet, I hope we can encounter each other under better conditions next time! Perhaps very soon!”

Emphasizing “very soon,” I noticed sharp glimmers flashing in Karen’s gloom-laden eyes.

She quickly bowed her head, concealing her reaction.

“I’m sorry, but my work keeps me quite busy, so unfortunately, it’s difficult. The Goddess of Love must be watching over us, and I cannot afford to be lazy. I must live a life without shame.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

While the words were a rejection… Karen knows I’m the Apostle of Love.

Her response of not wanting to be ashamed before the goddess was, in fact, an indication that she would consider collaborating with me in due time.

So, we shared subtle signals with each other as we made our way through the temple’s interior.

How long had we walked like that? Before we knew it, we stood before a massive door reaching toward the ceiling.

“This place is…”

“The courtroom. It’s where we’ll discuss the allegations against you, Jonah. From here on, your party members must stand as witnesses, so they’ll need to move separately.”

“Ah? Then let’s wrap this up quickly!”

Nodding, I exchanged brief glances with my party members as they approached the other door a short distance away.

Following that, I opened the ominously closed door in front of me.

Thus began the religious trial.

 

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