Having read the original work, Ryou naturally knew the abilities of the watermelon-headed man named Petelgeuse. Petelgeuse was originally the adoptive father of Emilia and an evil spirit who could forcibly sign contracts with those possessing the proper qualifications, absorbing their life force to survive. For each action, he would prepare ten spare contractors as vessels, allowing him to switch bodies whenever the one he was possessing was about to die. These spare vessels were called his "fingers." Including his own body, he effectively had more than eleven lives in total, making him a formidable opponent, especially when combined with his combat abilities. However, this was only a problem for the Ryou of the past.
Now, Ryou had many methods to prevent him from transferring bodies, leaving Petelgeuse helpless to await death. To make matters worse, Petelgeuse had encountered Anastasia, the Frost Witch Queen. Each of Anastasia's spells contained the power of the Abyss, capable of corroding souls. Before Petelgeuse could escape his current body, his soul was already disintegrating from the Abyss's power.
"Farewell, Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti," Ryou said coldly as he watched blood splatter from the shadowy waves. Then, he turned and boarded the dragon carriage.
"Master..."
Rem looked worried as if wanting to say something but hesitating.
Ryou, of course, knew what Rem was concerned about. The appearance of the Archbishop of Sloth from the Witch's Cult in Mathers territory was no small matter; it could very well signal a large-scale attack by the Witch's Cult. Among the people left behind, Ram, who couldn't recover her mana on her own, was the weakest. Rem's concern was natural.
Ryou gently patted her shoulder in a comforting manner.
"Don't worry. Our companions are stationed at the mansion as well. Even if the entire Witch's Cult comes, they can hold them off."
"Yes, Master."
The worry in Rem's eyes lessened slightly, though her expression still showed some lingering concern. Ryou didn't push further; after all, if someone's most cherished sister was potentially in danger, they couldn't simply sit still either.
However, Ryou didn't realize that his ominous words would soon come true.
...
Time rewound.
While QRyou was traveling to the Sanctuary with Anastasia and Rem, a group of people in black robes escorted several oddly dressed men and women into the small village near Roswaal's mansion.
"Who are you people?" a tall villager asked warily upon seeing so many suspicious figures at the village entrance.
One of the group, a young man with short white hair and a delicate appearance, smiled innocently as he replied, "Good afternoon. We are from the Witch's Cult, here to greet the great Witch of Envy, Satella, who is about to return. As for me, I am the Archbishop of Greed. My name is Regulus Corneas. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
Regulus greeted him politely, but the moment he mentioned they were from the Witch's Cult, the middle-aged man's face went pale with fear.
"W-W-Witch's Cult! The Witch's Cult is attacking!"
Before Regulus could finish his introduction, the middle-aged man turned and fled, screaming in terror.
"Hey! Turning your back on someone like that is rude, you know? Didn't your mother teach you basic manners? Or are you so poor that you didn't receive even the most basic education in etiquette? That's sad. I guess I'll have to teach you what manners are—at the cost of your life."
With a sigh, the talkative white-haired youth suddenly unleashed a terrifying wave of malice, as if a ferocious beast had broken free from its chains.
"Don't thank me~"
Regulus smiled as he waved his hand. A wave of invisible force spread rapidly through the air.
Slash!
A series of sickening sounds echoed out—the sound of flesh being torn apart. The fleeing man, who had turned his back on Regulus, was the first to be struck. His body, mid-run, was sliced into pieces as if slashed by invisible blades. Blood sprayed like a fountain, and those villagers closest to him met the same gruesome fate.
In an instant, the peaceful village transformed into a blood-soaked hell.
"Wow, you're all so fragile~"
Regulus complained.
"Monsters! Help! Run!!!" the distant villagers screamed as they tried to flee.
But before they could take more than a few steps, their bodies were covered in cuts, as though invisible blades were slicing through them as well. Soon, they all collapsed, covered in wounds.
At that moment, a lazy voice echoed.
"After walking such a long way, I'm starving. Can't you all just stand still so I can kill you more easily?"
The speaker was a short, brown-haired youth with an indeterminate gender. His dirty clothes and ragged cloak made him look like a scavenger rummaging through garbage.
It was Lye Batenkaitos, the Archbishop of Gluttony.
With just two Archbishops of Sin, over a hundred villagers had been killed or wounded in the blink of an eye. The militia that rushed to aid the village quickly lost morale, throwing down their spears and wooden bows before fleeing in all directions.
The village soon descended into chaos, with hundreds of villagers fleeing in every direction. Some ran blindly into the forest, breaking through the protective barrier and entering the territory of the magical beasts. Soon, flocks of birds scattered from the forest, followed by the chilling roars of magical beasts and the desperate screams of those unfortunate enough to encounter them.
Even those who fled along the village road weren't spared. As they tried to escape, they were intercepted by Petelgeuse, who, while screaming, "You're all so sloth!" pursued them relentlessly.
The other Archbishops of Sin seemed disinterested in the chase.
"What should we do now?"
Lye asked Regulus.
"Of course, we're heading to the mansion to greet my 292nd bride, the beautiful silver-haired half-elf!"
Regulus declared loudly.
"Hey, I'm warning you—don't mess around with that silver-haired half-elf. She's crucial to the return of the Witch. Got it?"
Lye reminded him.
But Regulus immediately turned hostile.
"Are you questioning my decisions, you little runt? Do you want to die?! Huh?!"
Lye's lips twitched, but he didn't respond. Although all the Archbishops were powerful, there were still differences in strength among them. Regulus, with his abilities to stop time and his Lion's Heart, was the strongest of them all, capable of going toe-to-toe with beings like the Divine Dragon or a fully-powered Ram. Only someone like Reinhard could definitively defeat him.
Unfortunately, despite being over a hundred years old, Regulus had the emotional and intellectual maturity of an elementary school child. This was a problem. Because of his strength, Regulus's relationships with the other Archbishops were strained.
In a world where personal power could alter the balance of nations, the strongest fist was the ultimate truth.
"I won't argue with an idiot," Lye thought to himself.
Just then, a voice broke the tension.
"Have any of you seen Capella?"
The speaker was a woman wrapped entirely in bandages. Apart from the black robe symbolizing her status as an Archbishop, she wore nothing else. Bound in golden chains with barbed hooks, she exuded a menacing aura. Her exposed eye glinted with madness, scaring off any potential suitors.
This was Sirius Romanée-Conti, the Archbishop of Wrath, who called herself the wife of Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti.
The "Capella" she mentioned was Capella Emerada Lugnica, the Archbishop of Lust. Given her surname, Capella was likely connected to the royal family, possibly a disgraced princess. But after joining the Witch's Cult, she became nothing more than another reviled cultist.
"Who knows where that woman went?"
Regulus shrugged.
"I saw her. She headed straight for the mansion earlier," Lye replied.
"So she went ahead to cause trouble for that silver-haired half-elf, huh?"
Sirius grinned.
Of all the Archbishops, Capella hated the Kingdom of Lugunica the most, wishing for its immediate destruction. In her eyes, even the royal candidates who had not yet ascended to the throne were obstacles to her plans.
"That damned woman! How dare she go after my fiancée! I'll kill her!"
Regulus fumed, his temper flaring again.
"I have to head over there right now. My fiancée can only die by my hand!"
Regulus spat coldly before running toward the mansion.
"Sirius, this place is already cleansed. I'll go check on those two. What about you?"
"I'll stay here and wait for my darling to return. Maybe he'll need my help~"
Sirius giggled like a lovestruck girl.
Lye felt a wave of invisible pressure from this display of affection as if it had dealt a critical blow to his single status. Even as the embodiment of Gluttony, he felt nauseated by all the dog food being thrown at him.
"I'll leave you to it, then. I'm heading out."
He waved and quickly retreated, following Regulus.
"Ugh, a bunch of disgusting men. My darling is the best~"
Sirius swayed from side to side, the golden chains on her wrists dancing in the air like some kind of bizarre ritual. Behind her, the bodies of villagers—burned, cut, and mutilated—were being piled up by the Witch's Cult members.
The entire village—nearly five hundred people—had been slaughtered by the cult, from infants to the elderly. Not a single person had been spared.
Faces frozen in fear, pain, and despair seemed to silently protest, but in this world, the powerless being slaughtered was the norm. The blood from the pile of bodies slowly spread across the ground, forming a macabre image of death itself.
At the same time, a severely injured little girl limped toward Roswaal's mansion.
"Help... help me..."
The girl cried out, collapsing just outside the gates, as if she had used up all her strength getting there.
Emilia, who had been practicing her magic in the garden, was the first to notice.
"What happened? Are you okay?"
Emilia rushed over to help the girl, with Puck following closely behind.
"You're so kind, Lia," Puck praised her.
"Just like I'd expect from my daughter."
Puck wasn't wrong. Emilia was indeed as kind as an angel. Unfortunately, this trait made her ill-suited to be a leader. A true leader should first assess the situation and maintain distance, waiting for professionals to handle it.
Emilia glared at Puck.
"Puck! Now's not the time for that! Please go get Beatrice."
"Got it!"
Puck gave a playful salute before flying off toward the mansion.
In Puck's mind, with so many strong individuals stationed at the mansion, even the Sword Saint would be no threat. Anyone attacking here would have to be insane.
This overconfidence nearly cost Emilia her life.
Just as Emilia was about to reach the little girl, an urgent voice called out.
"Miss! Get away from her!"