Novel:
Author: Karumi Ayumu
Chapter 8: The Hero's Adventure Starts After This!
Cynthia scolded the hero for trying to break the jar.
"Besides, Sir Hero, I just don't understand what jars and barrels are to you. Breaking and fishing through people's property or public items is bad!"
"Ah, I guess it really was no good, huh?"
"You guess, so you knew it was bad. Then why did you do it?"
"Because I'm a hero."
"Just what are heroes like in your world….. Anyway, if you keep doing that you'll be arrested by the guards. Please repent so you won't do it again!"
"Repent… Ah, that's right, I almost forgot."
The scene shifts to the demon who was trying to return to its hideout.
"Dammit, acting like a human is such a pain…"
It had been caught by one of the neighbors of the house it was using as a hideout, and was now going to church.
"See, today you're going to pray properly, since you always get it over with and go home early."
"I'm not good with places like this, granny."
The demon couldn't say 'my body will start burning if I stay here too long' so it had to endure it, interacting with the neighbors to properly act like a human.
"Don't say that. If you come and pray here everyday, one day in troubling times God will save you."
Flashing an evil smile, the demon thought, 'Heh, I'd sooner put a curse on him.' Just then, the doors to the church opened and a familiar lot entered.
"Hi, we'd like to pray here."
"Gah, Hero?!"
Worried about the surprised demon, the elderly woman asked, "What's the matter?"
"N-no, it's nothin'…"
The demon suddenly felt someone peering at it. It turned around to see the maid there.
"Oh, it's you."
"Eep!"
"I'm sorry about my companion earlier. I've properly disciplined him so he won't do things like that again." The maid apologized, bowing her head to the demon.
"No, really, don't worry about it, Miss Maid, ahaha…"
The demon was relieved, 'Seems like they didn't chase me down here.'
The priest started talking to the hero. "I haven't seen you before, are you travelling?"
"Yes, I just got here yesterday. It's my first time at church, how should I pray?"
"Well then, please go to the altar, kneel and hold your hands together."
"So it's fine if I copy what everyone else is doing?"
"Yes, that's right. O god, please bless your new believer!"
The hero sat beside the demon.
'Why beside me?! Is it because I chose the farthest spot from the altar?' As the demon felt restless, it was struck by the final blow.
"I'll pray too, since it looks like things will get harder from now on." The maid also sat beside the demon.
The demon was about to retort, 'I'm stuck in between?! Why?! Go sit by the hero, you! Do you bastards not get along?!' But it managed to endure it.
"Well now, I'll go home for the day."
"See you tomorrow, Father."
"Yes, see you tomorrow too. May God bless all of you."
The neighbors were about to go home, but the demon didn't notice. It was too busy desperately trying to pray so it wouldn't look suspicious.
"He's praying really hard today, isn't he? There's steam coming from his body."
"Something definitely happened with him. Let's quietly go home so we won't bother him."
"Right, it's pretty unusual for him to be like this."
The demon was left in the church.
The hero asked the priest a strange question. "Excuse me, Father, don't you have an adventure log?"
"Adventure log? If you mean the Bible, I have it."
"Do you mean something like a diary to record one's daily actions? I have a new notepad here, feel free to use it if you like." The maid handed the hero a notepad with a fountain pen in it.
"Thank you. You really do have everything, Cynthia."
'A journal! That's handy, I gotta stay here a little longer. Just what's he writin'?' The demon peeked into the hero's adventure log. Written there was:
Username: Super Yuuto Yuuto
Password: zxcvbnm
The demon was bewildered. 'What kind of spell is this?! Or, actually, is this some code??'
"Hmm, I've written in my adventure log so why don't we leave now, Cynthia?"
"Was it necessary to write it at the church, Sir Hero?"
"That's just how it is."
The hero and the maid left the church.
"I-I'm saved…… O god, I thank you for saving me from that guy!" The demon prayed from the bottom of its heart, smoke coming from its body as it cried.
Watching that, the priest said, "What a beautiful prayer, full of piety. What holy war were we in the last time I saw this…..?"
The demon received 20 damage from God’s divine love.
Hope you guys get all the Dragon Quest references here, haha.
Thanks so much for all the comments, it’s really so much fun showing them to the author. Hope you enjoy