I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 58 Commedia Dell’Arte (1)

To transform his family into a renowned mage family, Baron Belacre poured all his efforts into it.

Perhaps it was because someone had taken notice of such a man, or maybe it was a coincidence that brought them together.

Sharl approached the Belacre family.

“So you mean… creating a clone with my flesh and blood?”

“Yes, that’s correct. You only need a small portion; we can proliferate it to prepare the necessary amount.”

‘Is that… even possible?’

Caelo Belacre had encountered Sharl once before. A neat but ordinary person. However, his abilities were by no means ordinary.

“Would it work in Academia, which is strictly secured with all kinds of magic? They are prepared for most magic…”

“This ‘Flash Doppelgänger’ won’t be affected. This magic was originally from a fake grimoire created by a swindler.”

Sharl smiled confidently.

“However, I have refined… or rather, restructured the concept to build a new spell. Academia has no countermeasures against this magic because of that.”

“You create… magic?”

Most magic instructors settled for slightly modifying existing magic. But to take inspiration from fake magic, restructure it, and create a real spell?

‘That sounds unbelievable.’

Caelo wondered if the man before him was a con artist. But Sharl’s magic indeed worked. Despite all sorts of measures, as long as it was made with Caelo’s body, it would be recognized as Caelo himself.

“You will be attending Academia for me for a year…”

“Yes, that’s part of the contract.”

Even as Caelo felt a peculiar discomfort watching Sharl speak in his form, he made a request.

“Lilybell Ospryng. Please help her. I…”

“Aha, a love story, is it? This is interesting. A passionate love… I’d like to experience it too. Do tell me more in detail.”

Caelo satisfied Sharl’s many curiosities. The outcome was quite satisfying. Even though he couldn’t meet his beloved Lilybell for a while, thanks to Sharl’s special mental stabilizer, Lilybell’s anxiety improved.

‘When the party day comes… I’ll see her again.’

While Baron Belacre prepared to sacrifice most of the attendees at the party to achieve his ‘grand undertaking’, Caelo only awaited Lilybell. He had already made arrangements with Sharl to spare only Lilybell as an exception among the sacrificial lambs. With Sharl’s planned scheme, Caelo would pretend to be innocent and a victim, hiding the truth from Lilybell.

“You must have had a hard time getting here. Is there anywhere you’re feeling uncomfortable?”

That’s why he made a slight mistake when he saw her at the party. Sharl, disguised as him, was supposed to have traveled with her.

‘Come to think of it, where did Sharl go? He was supposed to escort Lily and then naturally step aside… Did he go to see my father?’

“Caelo… you asked the same thing the whole way here in the carriage, didn’t you?”

Thankfully, Caelo’s mistake went unnoticed. Or so he thought.

“Caelo Belacre! Are you the murderer known as Sharl?!”

After the attack, when a woman in a dress, a Luminaries, used a miracle on him, he thought it was all over.

‘I should just confess everything. Sharl doesn’t seem to be here, anyway. I need to ease my guilt, at least a little!’

He thought that would suffice.

“Why…? Even knowing that I love her!”

The man… no, the woman revealed herself in disgustingly flamboyant fashion. Elegantly tearing apart the body of the woman Caelo loved. And so graciously…

“Your father opposed the marriage, didn’t he? He told me to handle it.”

As if stating the obvious,

“You should listen to your parents, young master.”

She displayed an uncaring expression.

* * *

‘It was excessively pale even for a Pale Guard… Could it really have been a corpse?’

Looking at the Pale Guards with their flamboyantly burst faces exposing their skulls, I bit my lip. They were puppets prepared by Charlotte, who was skilled in necromancy and forbidden magic, but their characteristic pallor had prevented me from noticing.

‘Lilybell… was she killed inside the carriage?’

The real Caelo must have remained in this mansion, and the Caelo we saw at the Academia was indeed Charlotte.

“Pardon my rudeness. It’s an unexpected situation, so I lacked manners.”

Charlotte, lightly covering her blood-soaked body, used magic to change into a dress, stepping forward with dignity, as if being escorted by the dead Pale Guards like a lady.

“You wretched!”

There was someone who erupted in anger at the sight of Charlotte and the wailing Caelo, and that was Professor Elrave.

“〈Aero Crunch〉!”

Professor Elrave didn’t hesitate to cast magic at Charlotte. The wind in the air attempted to rip her apart like the ferocious teeth of a beast, but Charlotte responded nonchalantly.

“I’ve learned so much from you. Elemental magic is genuinely fascinating and amusing.”

As Charlotte swayed her fingers in the air, the ominous magic, which seemed ready to scatter fresh blood at any moment, transformed. The wind was clutched in her hand like a staff.

‘She seized magic from a third-tier professor that easily?’

‘Interception.’

While similar to interference, it’s different as it entails mastering the magic. It involves seizing the opponent’s magic and redirecting it against them or using that mana to unfold other spells.

“Curious? This is interception. It’s a feat possible only when you excel in mana control and understanding of magic more than your opponent does.”

Charlotte looked at the frozen students, amusement evident in her expression.

“How did you… my magic!”

Elrave gritted his teeth, striving to reclaim and unfold the magic whose control had been seized, but to no avail.

“I studied hard.”

Charlotte struck the ground with the wind staff.

“〈Multiple Updrafts〉.”

A fierce wind began to whirl up from the ground. Yet, someone was there defying the violent storm.

“Charlotte!”

“Oh my.”

Charlotte maneuvered the wind to evade Arian’s sword. Arian quickly swung her sword again, only to be thwarted by a shield of dead Pale Guards controlled by Charlotte.

“Unforgivable villain! How many innocent lives do you intend to take!”

“What can I do? It’s a ritual that demands those without sin. I wish delivering sinners would suffice.”

“How dare you speak like that!”

Arian smashed the Pale Guards before her with her fists. Yet, more Pale Guards formed a wall of shields to block the way.

“You deal with that woman and the rest.”

“You cowardly!”

Arian began dealing with the Pale Guards first to protect the people. The magic professors and guards fought against the rest of the Pale Guards, with the students diligently supporting them from behind.

“〈Blue Lance〉!”

I seized the chance while Charlotte wasn’t focused on this side and swiftly attacked. Nonetheless, Charlotte intercepted once more, disintegrating the water spear mid-air before it could reach her.

“Professor Simon Magus. There’s a lot I wonder about you.”

Charlotte licked her lips.

“How did you know? When I deliberately canceled my magic back then. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand. My timing was spot-on to the tiniest fraction… Care to explain now?”

“You’ve killed my student… What are you preoccupied with?”

Charlotte had managed the wind blades Elrave summoned with a flick of her hand, using them to propel her body into the air.

“You can wait. For now…”

Riding the wind, Charlotte swiftly flew right up to my face.

“I’m curious. Why does that creature only use simple magic? What exactly is its identity?”

“Why are you babbling about things as if you were my student?”

I found Charlotte’s demeanor unpleasant, so I swung a fist at her. However, she dodged effortlessly, sticking out her tongue playfully.

“Sorry about that? It was unavoidable.”

“You mean killing Lilybell? Or deceiving everyone by pretending to be Caelo?”

“Killing Lilybell Ospryng was because of a contract, you know? I did need a suitable body.”

Charlotte glanced towards Baron Belacre as she spoke.

“I didn’t think such a thing would be requested through a contract that granted only three wishes. Eliminating a partner his second son liked, how tragic.”

“Are you mocking…?”

“I’m serious. I, too, found some affection.”

As I glared at Charlotte, Baron Belacre, clearly agitated, shouted at her with a strained breath.

“What are you babbling about! Kill them all!”

“Yes, yes, it’s a contract, so I have to comply. But… you do know this is the last of what I can do through the contract, right?”

“It doesn’t matter! Although sacrifices have slightly decreased, with the march of Luminaries’ military officers, I shall receive divine power without the need for that foolish second son!”

Charlotte bowed to him with a grin.

“For your information, that door was also ordered by Baron Belacre. It’s incredibly resistant to physical impact and absorbs mana to seal itself even tighter. I didn’t imagine it would be used against the Dwellers of the Abyss, though…”

Elrave tapped into his mana vehemently, cursing.

“This damned thing! You killed someone’s student and now behave so dismissively!”

Elrave aimed his wand at Charlotte, who seemed to ignore him, launching a terrifying array of spells at her.

‘He used multiple spells at once, I see.’

It seemed to be a strategy to counter Charlotte’s interception.

The wind blades swirled, transforming into a vortex, from which icy arrows of the wind pelted Charlotte. Simultaneously, a storm exuding scorching heat aimed to batter her body. As various spells collided, they caused explosions and repulsions big and small.

“Hmm… 〈Scarlet Curtain〉.”

Charlotte pouted slightly, gathering the blood adhered to her body and the blood on the ground with magic.

The blood-clad barrier, fluttering like a curtain, enveloped Charlotte, easily deflecting all of Elrave’s attacks.

“Don’t get me wrong, Professor Elrave. I’m interested in learning more about wind element magic, but…”

*Slash.*

The next instant, with a sound of something being sliced, Elrave’s arm fell to the ground.

“Right now, I’m more curious about Professor Magus.”

“Crazy…”

I could only be astonished.

She successfully intercepted that chaotic barrage designed to disorient and confound.

“All of this is, by the way.”

*Swoosh!*

Charlotte consolidated the remaining wind, piercing it through the chest of a nobility under protection.

“An improv act. My plan turned into a complete mess.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“The reason I’ve revealed myself… is because the Baron’s command incidentally forced me to fulfill the contract this way. In exchange for Caelo’s identity, funds, and the etiquette of nobility… I agreed to fulfill three wishes.”

Charlotte flashed three fingers as she spoke.

“To prepare an Outer God ritual that would grant massive mana and immense knowledge to the Baron. To murder Lilybell Ospryng. And to reveal myself, killing everyone here. It’s not profitable, but it ended up like this.”

“So what are you trying to say—”

“The Dwellers of the Abyss attempted to recruit me and eventually sought to abduct and incorporate me into their ranks. It’s terrifying. Honestly, my heart is troubled, and my mind is in turmoil.”

Ignoring my reaction, Charlotte rambled on…

“The reason I’m telling you all this is simple. As a mage, curiosity is unbearable, right? I feel like going crazy if I don’t satisfy my curiosity. That’s why I’m letting you know everything, Professor.”

Her light green eyes gleamed with curiosity as if nothing else mattered amidst the bloodstained chaos.

“So, Professor, tell me too. How did you know during the interception? What is Tako’s true identity? How did you drive out the Dwellers of the Abyss? I want to know everything.”

TL’s Corner:
For clarification, Caelo thought that Sharl was male.