Antagonist Protection Service

There was one last thing to check before I took on the Contract.

"Are there any other preparations I can make beforehand...? There's still quite a bit of World Stability left-- oh, that's right."

'I'm saving up for that armour, aren't I. Then, I should be just about ready to go, huh?'

With this eagerness to get started blazing within me, there really was no need to waste time.

It's been pretty much exactly one month since I returned from Drakon-Rasa plus a couple more days, and now once again I'd be stepping foot into an unknown Illusory World.

Fortunately, this time shouldn't take nearly as long.

"Librarian, send me over."

"Roger that~! Commencing start of operation in threeee~! Twooo~! Oneee~~!"

Following the Librarian's animated countdown, I steeled myself.

Again, I would face the Protagonist.

Again, I would deceive.

And again, I would kill.

"..."

For some reason, this weight felt heavier with the knowledge that I was actively hiding all of this from everyone.

Honestly, this... really was something they should never discover.

'Sorry. For not feeling bad. I know you would probably not look kindly on me...'

But, in the end, that's exactly why I had to hide it.

With such recurring thoughts momentarily flickering through my mind, I reminded myself, closing my eyes to reinforce that concentration, to drive the point home.

Focus on the Protagonist.

Focus on the mission.

Focus.

"..."

"..."

"..."

[Transporting to the Illusory World of 'Consecrated Hell: Decalogue Trial'~!]

The very instant I felt that yet-unfamiliar, nauseating sensation of travelling between worlds, the Librarian's announcement rang out within my mind.

Subsequently, I opened my eyes.

"...?"

Sitting on a long, empty wooden pew――I found myself in a church.

[The target is 'Lilliana Weiss, the Detective'!]

Glancing around, I gathered in the rest of my surroundings, but it really did appear just like an ordinary, Christian church.

It appeared a relatively small building, but as I turned my head, I noticed some others―eleven, to be precise―all sitting on wooden pews like myself, and seemingly just waking up from a collective sleep.

If one thing was to be noted, it was their clothes; everyone was wearing strangely archaic clothes which I could only describe as fashionably gothic, and sort of similar in style to the attire of some of the more peculiar nobles in Drakon-Rasa.

At that moment, I looked down at my own body.

[Your identity is of a nameless stranger who woke up to find himself as part of the mysterious 'Decalogue Trial'!]

I, too, was dressed in smart, gothic-style clothes.

"―Ey ey!? The hell's goin' on 'ere, ah!?"

Suddenly, I heard a rough-sounding voice. Snapping my gaze, it turned out to be a large-statured, seemingly young man on one of the backmost pews, gripping at his own clothes as if they were as unfamiliar to him as mine were to me, and donning a fearsome expression like a disfigured mix between a grimace and a scowl.

"Tsk, this bloody prehistoric shite... Peh... Huh? Oi. Any're you lot gonna tell the fuck's goin' on, or what?"

Before casting that fierce look to everyone else in the room, the man spat, cursed, and rose from his seat with evident dissatisfaction.

Despite being met with his full attention, however, it was very well possible that nobody desired to be the nail that stuck out to this hammer of a man, as no-one spoke up.

Apparently, such wariness only made his attitude sour, however.

"...No? No-one'a ya fuckin' pussies gonna speak up, ah!? Don't kid me, you lot, fuckin' brats, ancient geezer, ya other bitches! Useless shits! Think yer better than me, ah? Stayin' silent, ya think that'll keep you safe, ah...?! 'Cause it fuckin' won't, I'll tell you that right now! So you lot better open those shitty mouths, else I'll do's you a favour'n open 'em up real nice'n wide for ya, ah!"

Roaring out a deluge of unwarranted insults and expletives that I was sure would get any T.V. show cancelled, the furious young man seemed about to storm towards any one of the individuals in this room, when all of a sudden...

"W-waaaaa...!"

A child's flood of tears wailed.

Naturally, everyone's eyes snapped to that source of the disturbance, upon which a mature woman―seemingly the child's mother―cradled him in her arms, lowering herself so as to avoid their intense gazes.

Thereafter, a rather petite girl approached part way towards the man, her slow steps coming to a halt just a few pews away.

She opened her mouth, and a soft, eloquent voice flowed.

"Excuse me. I apologise that I won't be of any help in regards to your previous questions, but I do surmise it would be for the best if we all took a moment to calm ourselves and work together to find a solution here. After all, I'm sure nobody here wants to see a poor child upset, do we?"

Shooting a brief glance over to the little boy in question as she said that, as well as to everyone else in the room, the girl, who could only be in her young teens, returned her gleaming blue eyes to the rough man with a gentle smile.

He, in return, wasn't so gentle.

"Huh. The fuck? Why'd I give two shits 'bout some bitch'n brat over there? Or what, you also part'a this 'ole fuckin' thing too, ah, missy?"

The girl, receiving such an accusation, had her previously sympathetic expression turn upside-down, as if at a loss, and shaking her head faintly as if to deny the claim.

That action, which caused her evidently well-groomed, back-length teal hair to waver slightly, was interrupted.

"Pardon you, sir."

Before her frowning face could respond, someone dressed like a priest stepped forth.

"Sincerely, I would ask that you not make such an unnecessary ruckus in this house of God. It is certain to say that not you, not I, nor this sister here, are involved with whatever bizarre machinations are at play, and so I would please ask that you refrain from this reckless lashing out, so that we, as has been suggested, can work together to figure out what is going on."

"Teh, fuckin' 'ell... Ya must think I'm some kinda retard, ah?"

Snorting a laugh, the rough guy took one step towards the other, bearing his teeth with a look in his eyes that alone proved his exasperation.

'What the hell...'

Taking all of that in, a series of events which passed from one to the other all within the span of a few minutes of my arrival, when I was yet to fully adjust to the situation at hand.

A situation with yet another unknown place.

A situation with yet another crowd of unknown people.

A situation with yet another unknown diegesis.

It was at that―that very moment.

"――Um um~! Clap clap-! Everyone, could we please try to quieten up a bit? Yes, thank you~"

A second, likewise rather petite young girl spoke out. Glimpsing her appearance, for but an instant, my eyes widened severely.

Like that of a fairytale princess, pink hair...

At the very same time, a suspenseful timbre vibrated in my ears.