Chapter 0128: Sorry, Clown Girl
Hisako wasn't the least bit surprised that the Captain of the Black Scripture had been utterly crushed by Kayle and beaten into a swollen mess.
After all, based on the original work's revealed information, this Captain's combat ability was roughly above Solution (Lv.57) but far inferior to Antilene Heran Fouche—and even a fully armed Antilene could barely defeat a naked Shalltear.
And Kayle?
Apologies, but as an NPC crafted with an abundance of top-tier materials, Kayle's stats completely overshadow Shalltear's—such is the tragedy of version updates! Shalltear, being one of Nazarick's earliest NPCs, simply couldn't keep up with the latest version's power level, whether in terms of NPC templates or materials used (tears).
Back to the point—if the Black Scripture's Captain was no match, and even Antilene Heran Fouche stood no chance, what other cards did the Slane Theocracy have left to play? World-class items?
Apologies again, but due to Hayashi's last-minute bulk purchases, nearly 170 out of the 200 world-class items were now gathered in Sky City's exhibition room. Among them, the most terrifying "Twenty" were all in Hayashi's possession—yes, even the Slane Theocracy's "Downfall of Castle and Country," used in the original story to control Shalltear, now rested quietly in Erina's inventory.
So really, Hisako couldn't see how the Slane Theocracy could possibly win! Whether in terms of high-end combat power or top-tier items, the Slane Theocracy didn't have even a sliver of a chance! If they could still win under these circumstances, Hisako would eat this computer screen on the spot!
That's how confident she was!
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"Had enough?"
"Y-yes, enough…"
The Black Scripture's Captain felt somewhat aggrieved. Kneeling on the ground, he reached up to touch his face and couldn't help but shed silent tears—ah, my handsome face, has it truly met its demise? I specifically asked not to hit the face, yet this brutish woman pummeled it relentlessly.
So cruel.
She'll never get married!
Hisako smiled at the Captain and asked, "Since you're the leader of the Black Scripture, you must be the most powerful warrior in the theocracy, correct?"
The Captain glanced at Kayle, then calmly shook his head. "Not at all. There is one in our nation who surpasses me in strength."
Hisako feigned surprise. "Oh? I wonder how they would compare to my top general, Kayle here?"
Upon hearing Hisako's words, Kayle instinctively straightened his posture—just listen! Supreme Hisako called me her top general! A top general, you understand?
"Well... I honestly can't tell the difference at the moment..." The Captain wore an uncertain expression—this was truly a tragic matter. Antilene Heran Fouche could obliterate him effortlessly, and so could Kayle. Since both defeated him with equal ease, the Captain genuinely couldn't determine who was stronger.
"I see..."
Hisako adopted a thoughtful look. "In that case, might we have the opportunity to meet this Antilene Heran Fouche you mentioned?"
The Captain gave an awkward yet polite smile. "I... don't have the authority to command her deployment. I can only report this matter and await the theocracy's higher-ups' decision."
Obviously. How could a loser like you, who was crushed by Antilene, possibly order her around?
Hayashi rested his cheek on his hand, calmly musing to himself.
Hisako shook her head placidly. "No matter. You need only relay our request."
"Understood." The Captain picked up the spear that had fallen to the ground and said softly, "Then, I shall take my leave for now."
Had he won, things might have been different. But after such a crushing defeat, the Captain had no face left to stay any longer.
"Captain—" Seeing him about to depart, Hisako's eyes flickered. She stopped him and, pretending to glance at the nearby clock, said, "It's almost time. Why not stay for lunch before leaving? You could also sample some of our local delicacies."
Hayashi nodded solemnly. Local delicacies indeed—so special they make you feel extra awkward!
The Captain hesitated for a few seconds before finally deciding to humor the request—mostly because he feared that rejecting even such a small courtesy might provoke them if they took offense.
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After lunch, Kayle escorted the reluctant Captain away—the man kept turning back every few steps, clearly hoping to stretch the 500-meter walk into an all-afternoon affair just so he could find an excuse to stay for dinner. Once he was gone, Hayashi flopped limply onto Erina's lap and groaned, "Ugh, what a hassle—"
Before his transmigration, Hayashi had mocked Ainz for overcomplicating things and fighting shadows. But now that he was in the same position, he realized just how troublesome it all was—especially since Hayashi belonged to the order-aligned faction. He couldn't just flip the board like Ainz and bulldoze through everything without a care.
Erina chuckled as she smoothed out Hayashi's messy hair, tousled from his restless nuzzling. "Isn't Hisako handling everything? All you have to do is sit there and play the big boss, right?"
Hayashi pouted and said, "That's true, but it feels like things are going to get really troublesome—just thinking about the relationships between the Empire, the Kingdom, and the Theocracy, not to mention the Lizardman tribes and the Elven Kingdom, gives me a headache!"
Hisako gave her young master a helpless look and said, "Master, you're thinking too far ahead—why not focus on something more immediate?"
"More immediate?"
"For example—"
"For example, the matter concerning a certain twisted former traitor of the Black Scripture?" Hisako pulled out her phone from her pocket, flipped to Clementine's page, and placed it on the table. "Of course, the nickname you gave her was 'Clown Girl.'"
"Ah—"
Hayashi let out a sound of realization as he sat up from Erina's lap, thoughtfully stroking his chin. "You're right. If we take preventive measures, we might be able to avoid a tragedy..."
Erina leaned in, pressing against Hayashi's back from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder. "Are you planning to imitate Ainz and become an adventurer, or will you take direct action?"
"Becoming an adventurer is out of the question. I don't have the patience to grind from a rookie up to Adamantite rank like Ainz did," Hayashi waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, didn't we already experience being top-tier adventurers in the Konosuba world? Right, Yunyun!"
"Mhm!" Yunyun, who had been seriously pondering what to eat for dinner, nodded vaguely before taking a sip of the juice fermented by her Pokémon and happily squinting her eyes.
Hisako nodded in understanding. "Then let's just take direct action and capture Clown Girl and that necromancer."
"Supreme One!" Kayle immediately knelt on one knee, volunteering, "Please allow me to complete this mission!"
"Take Morgana with you," Hayashi thought for a moment. "But we can't be sure when Clown Girl and Baldy will appear in E-Rantel, so you might have to stay there for a while."
"Understood—"
Kayle nodded firmly, standing up. "Then I'll set off with Morgana right away. We'll capture them the moment they show themselves!"
Hayashi nodded, giving Kayle an encouraging smile. "Do your best!"
"Yes!!"
If Kayle had a tail, it would probably be wagging at lightning speed!
And so, our guardian angel turned and left the hall, barging into her sister's room. She yanked Morgana—who was wearing a semi-transparent lace nightgown—out of bed and, amidst her sister's furious shouts of "Are you insane?!" dragged the now-robed Morgana out of Sky City.
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Meanwhile, in the Slane Theocracy.
While Kayle and Morgana arrived in E-Rantel, disguised themselves, and lay in wait for Clementine's appearance, the Captain of the Black Scripture had already returned to the Holy Capital with his squad members.
"Click, click—"
Standing at the doorway, Antilene was intently fiddling with a Rubik's cube in her hands. She lifted her eyelids to glance at the approaching captain and couldn't resist mocking, "Judging by your appearance, did you get beaten up by those people over there?"
The captain touched his face with a mournful expression and said, "I already received emergency treatment. Are there still marks left?"
"No." Antilene shook her head, gleefully holding up a mirror. "You call this treated?"
After one glance, the captain's face immediately darkened. His lips twitched as he stared at his handsome face in the mirror—now a patchwork of blue and purple bruises—and nearly blacked out. Clearly, the people from the Sky Castle had tampered with the injuries during their attack, deliberately ensuring he returned with this face.
Damn it! No wonder the soldiers along the way had been giving him strange looks when he returned to the Divine Capital. And here he thought they were all stunned by his dashing looks...
"Ahahaha—"
Antilene burst into laughter at the captain's disgruntled expression. "Seems like a very interesting bunch—and since they managed to defeat you, they must be pretty strong too."
"Ah, they were indeed formidable." The captain nodded, then glanced at Antilene. "Next, I'll report what happened at the Sky Castle to the higher-ups. The upper echelons... might dispatch you."
"Oh—"
Antilene's fingers paused slightly on the cube. A faint smile curled on her lips as she murmured, "That would be just perfect."
I've been rotting away in this boring place for so long, my body's practically growing mold.