WE TRIED TLS

Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer

Chapter 216 | This World Is (1)

Pandemonium snapped their thin, spidery fingers as they watched the flare rise into the sky.

It was because they couldn’t predict when Wrath would awaken.

> [Damn you, Wrath…]

Of course, right now, they were by no means weak.

Sacrificing precious things made Demons stronger. All Demons had this in common, but their efficiency was unmatched. With treasures worth unfathomable amounts poured into this ritual, their current power far exceeded the norm.

They could now exert several times the power they usually could.

And that wasn’t all. The Seal of the King they’d used had not only transformed this area into a domain of Demonic Power but also opened a gate connecting it to their homeland.

That meant the influence of any gods had been severed, allowing them to wield their full power freely. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t have anything to fear in this world anymore.

> [Even after pouring so many treasures into this, the only ones who scare me are you and our King.]

Even though they were in perfect condition and their strength was enhanced many times over, Wrath still terrified them. The vessel of Wrath had been quite impressive, but the true Wrath who’d come out after it was gone filled them with dread.

> [Damn it.]

They flicked their fingers a few more times, guessing Wrath would soon awaken and fearing the power they would unleash. They grew even more anxious when Wrath, who should’ve stirred any minute now, didn’t wake up.

They thought Wrath would’ve regained control by now… but for some reason, it still hadn’t happened.

> [That damn temperamental bastard!]

Wrath really was an expert at infuriating others! Pandemonium clenched their fists in frustration but had no intention of getting any closer.

If Wrath awakened the moment they got close, it’d be nothing short of a disaster. They had no interest in taking up such a gamble.

After all, even Satan maintained a respectful distance from Wrath, so why should Pandemonium act any differently?

How many Demons had lost their heads in an instant for ignorantly stepping too close? How could they approach Wrath recklessly when they hadn’t forgotten the decisive reason why Gluttony ended up dead?

> [Lord of the Hall, what should we do about that? Shouldn’t we take some sort of action?]

They’d completely given up on the idea of approaching, but those several minutes of silence prompted the steward of the Hall to start fussing.

His fear of a single flare was truly ridiculous. There was no way any of the mortals could do anything even if they saw it.

> [Shut up.]

> [Understood.]

Ah… Now that they thought about it, this guy had always been like that. Smart Demons often coveted the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons whenever they left it unattended, which was quite annoying.

That’s why before coming here, they’d intentionally chosen the most gullible Demon they could find as its steward… But now they were starting to wonder whether that had been the right choice.

> [And…]

Well… They were satisfied enough that this guy hadn’t betrayed them and had followed their orders despite the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons remaining unopened for centuries.

Pandemonium thought quite highly of that, so they weighed their options carefully.

> [You there, pick that up.]

> [Understood.]

This command was directed toward a lesser Demon waiting nearby.

> [I could’ve just done that…]

> [I told you to shut up.]

> [Mph.]

While obedient but stupid Demons were a rare treasure indeed, Pandemonium smacked the grumbling steward with lava, feeling irritated.

The other Demons had positioned themselves around the area, ready to respond even if Wrath were to suddenly awaken.

> [Where should we move it?]

In the meantime, the lesser Demon quickly picked up the vessel of Wrath.

The body, still alive, dangled weakly in its grasp. It seemed the vessel had truly fainted, seeing as it wasn’t resisting.

> [Hold on.]

However, what was truly surprising was that despite the vessel’s unconscious state, Wrath showed no signs of stirring within it.

Losing consciousness was akin to losing control. Even if Wrath had been thoroughly suppressed, with their oppressor gone, they should have started waking up by now…

> [Does a vessel capable of holding Wrath require a soul of such caliber?]

There was no other explanation for this situation. That mortal must have dedicated every last bit of its will to suppress the Demon within it.

For the first time, Pandemonium was genuinely amazed by a mortal’s soul, so much so that they truly yearned to preserve it in a jewel, as they’d joked earlier.

> [What should I do with this…?]

At the same time, they felt anxious.

Until now, they’d planned on just killing the vessel outright if it seemed Wrath was about to seize control.

> [I don’t really like leaving loose ends just to get stabbed in the back later.]

However, if Wrath couldn’t exert any of their strength even while the vessel was unconscious, the situation was a bit different. It’d be a waste to kill it.

> [Is something wrong…?]

> [Will you only shut up after I cut out your tongue?]

> […]

So, if the vessel were to die, what would happen to its contents? They would spill out, vanish, or escape.

This was especially true if the vessel was suppressing them. Once the host died, Wrath’s soul would immediately break free.

And as always, it would leisurely escape their grasp and wander the world yet again, seeking a new vessel capable of holding them.

On the other hand, if the vessel wasn’t killed but consumed alive, Wrath’s soul and all the power it contained could be absorbed in its entirety.

They could steal Wrath’s strength.

> [The trouble is, there’s no guarantee they won’t awaken…]

The problem was time.

They planned to delay the absorption until they’d at the very least dealt with the Hero—while Wrath’s power and their own weren’t naturally opposed, consuming another’s power couldn’t be done without consequence, and consuming it now would make their battle against the Hero far more difficult—but the probability of Wrath remaining dormant until then was rather…

For all they knew, Wrath might already have awakened.

Pandemonium recalled one of Wrath’s old titles.

They were once called the Master of Deceit and Trickery.

It was a title earned in admiration of a being at the bottom of the food chain, something even lower than a Goblin, managing to kill Lust through cunning alone.

That incident also marked the birth of “Wrath.”

If anyone wasn’t on guard around the protagonist of one of Hell’s most well-known incidents, they could only be considered a fool.

Crack.

And Pandemonium had no intention of being one.

After dismissing the lesser Demon with a wave of their hand, they poured molten lava onto the vessel of Wrath.

The flowing magma burned away its clothes and skin before transforming into sharp spines that pierced its muscles and bones.

If Wrath had already awakened and were just waiting for an opportunity, they certainly wouldn’t be able to tolerate this much.

They didn’t merely impale the vessel’s limbs but used a sealing technique. And not just any old technique, but the same one their King had once used to seal Wrath’s physical form.

> [Are you really not awake?]

If they could resist this kind of provocation, they absolutely wouldn’t be “Wrath.”

They lightly brushed the hem of their clothes, thinking about that Demon who, once known as the Master of Deceit and Trickery, had grown closer to the essence of Wrath as time passed.

> […Well, fine.]

As such, they came to a conclusion.

Whether this situation was truly caused by the vessel’s soul or Wrath’s deception, keeping them alive wouldn’t be an issue as long as they could be dealt with either way.

> [How could a merchant resist a gamble like that?]

All the power they’d gathered to kill Wrath had changed form.

They now had only one goal: to seal Wrath.

To seal Wrath until after killing the Hero, until the moment came to absorb them!

> [Let’s see who wins this!]

* * *

「I’m so, so sorry… I’ve been really sorry all this time… S-so I’m letting you go now. Thank you for holding on until now.」

* * *

WE TRIED TLS

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“Go. The turtle may be slow, but the Great Demon over there is fast. That side needs your help more urgently.”

“…!”

The Inquisitor couldn’t go to assist the Demon Knight. Just as she began to feel miserable about this fact, Berserk spoke up.

That one remake was the best thing she could’ve said to ease the Inquisitor’s guilt, if such a thing was even possible.

“Can you handle this alone?”

“I don’t know.”

Yes, assuming it was possible.

However, could Berserk truly stop that thing alone? How could she, who didn’t have overwhelming Arcane Power like the Demon Knight, fight that gigantic monster…?

“Save your strength.”

“…!”

The Inquisitor instinctively tried moving to block the oncoming attack, but Berserk instead picked her up and carried her over the outer wall.

Meister was also secured under Berserk’s other arm.

“…!”

This wasn’t the first time this had happened to the Inquisitor, so she readily accepted Berserk’s gesture. Bam. With a heavy impact, they landed on the ground a short distance from the walls.

“What in the…!”

However, a certain someone experiencing this for the first time felt differently. The sensitive Meister stiffened at that sudden bodily contact, his posture showing his obvious displeasure.

Bam, cruuuumble.

But when a section of the wall collapsed a moment later, he had no choice but to relax his body.

Had Berserk not grabbed them and leaped down, they would’ve suffered great damage from the turtle’s attack. They might have been crushed between the monster’s neck and the wall, leaving only blood and flattened flesh behind.

“But I will still hunt it.”

“…That’s quite some admirable optimism.”

Meister let out a sarcastic remark. However, there was still genuine praise beneath his tone.

Due to his disposition as a researcher, he strangely viewed such reckless endeavors positively.

“Okay, go now. I’ll handle this.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’re the one who’ll have the hardest time.”

The Inquisitor, who’d been hesitating for quite some time, finally made a decision.

Whether Berserk could handle that monster or not, the situation inside the city also needed to be addressed, no matter what.

Someone had to go and buy time.

…Although she wasn’t sure whether this was the right choice.

“This way!”

The wizards and knights who’d fled before them shouted from not too far away. Waiting beside them stood five horses.

Kiaaargh! A Siren that had flown too close was struck down by a knight’s spear, making it crash to the ground.

“May the blessings of God be with you.”

“Go.”

With their means of escape now secured, all she had to worry about was Berserk, who was staying behind.

As the Inquisitor followed Meister to the waiting horses, she glanced behind her. Berserk, having dropped them off safely, had already turned back to the wall.

Bam! The gigantic turtle kept ramming its body against the wall as if determined to break through it.

“Y-you don’t have to push yourself too far! If it gets too dangerous, be sure to retreat!”

“…”

Was this really the right choice? The Inquisitor briefly hesitated as she watched cracks spread across the wall with each impact and Berserk’s back standing straight and resolute as she silently raised her spear.

It felt similar to when she’d sent off the Demon Knight to fight on his own.

“You have to promise!”

“Go.”

Perhaps it was even worse. After all, even the Demon Knight she’d placed her complete trust in eventually used the signal flare to request help.

There was no guarantee Berserk wouldn’t fall into peril.

“Berserk!”

At that point, she started to doubt the conclusion she’d just reached.

If that were to happen, if that was how it would end up, rather than splitting their forces, shouldn’t she stay and help Berserk to completely kill that monster?

No, she had to save the Demon Knight, so rather than that monster… rather than that…

“Promise me…!”

The Inquisitor suddenly found herself thinking about a very fundamental question. Could she even handle this Demon that even the Demon Knight couldn’t?

Could she really overcome that overwhelming Demonic Energy? Perhaps that was the most critical question of all. If she fell, this place, this city, would have no hope.

“…Promise me.”

Since there’d be no one left to strike down the enemy if she remained here, there’d be no next step to take.

For the first time ever since she started this journey, the Inquisitor’s body suddenly stopped moving.

“What are you doing?!”

At that moment, Meister, whom she thought was even more annoying than that slippery troublemaker, grabbed her.

His arms were rather lean, as expected of someone from the Sland tribe, yet densely packed with muscles befitting a craftsman. As such, his grip was firm. Her feet even slipped over the ground slightly as he grabbed her. He really was stronger than she’d expected.

“I get that you’re worried, but did you just stop?! Stop being so annoyingly wishy-washy!”

His voice was sharp and low as he scolded her.

“You’re not the only one with people to worry about! Hesitation only gets more people killed! Is this your first time on a battlefield or something? Pull yourself together!”

He was right. Indeed, this was a battlefield. No matter her choice, people would die. The only difference would be how many.

“If you really want to save people, start thinking about how to end this faster!”

The Inquisitor closed her mouth in the end. Maybe it’s because he’s a wizard, but his ability to cut through to the truth was truly uncanny.

Clack, clack.

Half dragged forward by Meister’s strong pull, her legs began to move again.

“Go ahead first!”

“…I’m sorry!”

Before long, they reached the group waiting ahead. Riding on three horses, the knights and wizards departed first.

Deathbringer had taken the thinner of the remaining horses.

“Come on, get on! Iron wall, you take the other one!”

Seated atop the horse, Deathbringer extended a hand toward Meister.

Meister glanced at the remaining horse—it was clearly a fine horse—and quickly accepted Deathbringer’s hand.

“Will that be fine?”

“Weight-wise, you riding alone is the same as us riding together on one horse, you know?”

The Inquisitor wondered for a moment whether it was truly okay for two grown men to share a single horse. However, that troublemaker sharply cut through her thoughts.

He was right. The two’s combined weight wasn’t much different from her own, equipped with her armor and shield.

Neeeigh.

“…You are?”

The Inquisitor naturally moved to the remaining horse. Now that she looked at it a bit more closely, it resembled the one the Demon Knight had been riding.

No, it was actually the exact same horse.

Snooort.

Was it because someone other than its owner was trying to ride it? That guy showed some evident discontent but ultimately relented as if deciding to let it slide just this once.

The horse, larger and sturdier than most, supported her firmly.

“Let’s go!”

Though this moment seemed long, it actually took them less than ten seconds to mount their horses and urge them forward with light kicks to their sides.

Ruuuuumble!

Just then, they heard something tremendous collapsing. As their horses picked up speed, they instinctively turned their heads to look.

Boom!

The second wall was collapsing right before their eyes, resulting from the turtle repeatedly ramming into it.

“The wall…”

A substantial amount of seawater poured in, carrying with it the corpses of Merfolk that had failed to escape.

The knights groaned at the sight of the proud walls of Bemurchen in shambles.

“Berserk!”

On the other hand, the Inquisitor and Deathbringer were only worried about Berserk. “You idiot, watch where you’re going!” At Meister’s loud shout, Deathbringer regained his focus.

Only the Inquisitor glanced back to glimpse Berserk’s situation.

Boom!

Berserk, seeming completely unconcerned for her safety, stepped on the fragments of the crumbling wall and rushed toward the monster.

Her platinum hair, reflecting the light of the nearby lamps that were still intact, shone like the rising sun.

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