Not long after, Russell had already left the mansion.
Before leaving, they also discussed how to split future cooperation profits. Russell even offered to lower his share and increase Satou Kazuma and the others' earnings.
This made it hard for Satou Kazuma to understand for a moment.
He was splashed with sleep potion, and he's not even angry?
Are the people in this world... somewhat mentally troubled?
Satou Kazuma always felt that there was something strange about Russell.
Could it be...
Russell is also a masochist?
Never mind, let's talk about this later.
Satou Kazuma sat in a chair, thinking about what happened in the previous loop.
The Witch Cult was pretty much dealt with, but Petelgeuse probably didn't die completely.
After all, this guy's ability to transfer his body is really too troublesome.
Satou Kazuma is currently unable to figure out if there are any limits to Petelgeuse's body-transferring ability.
If he wants to completely defeat that guy, he has to find a way to stop that ability.
Moreover, his target doesn't seem to be just Emilia. He also seemed excited when he saw Aqua earlier.
If he doesn't deal with Petelgeuse and the Witch Cult behind him, this guy will probably come looking for him himself.
This is so troublesome.
What's more, that White Whale appeared out of nowhere at the end.
What kind of monster is that?
Satou Kazuma sighed and turned to look at Aqua beside him.
To deal with that kind of monster, even with Beatrice, it's definitely not enough, right?
It would take at least an army.
"Hey, Kazuma, have you thought about what I should do next?"
Aqua looked at Satou Kazuma expectantly and asked.
"I don't have any ideas yet."
Satou Kazuma shook his head. The situation in this world is much more complicated than he thought.
Just dealing with Petelgeuse is troublesome enough.
Is there any way to get it over with once and for all?
And he also needs more people.
"It's about time, waste-of-a-goddess, go open the door."
"Okay."
Aqua nodded, walked to the door, and opened it.
Almost at the same time, a flustered Natsuki Subaru appeared in front of them.
Natsuki Subaru rushed into the mansion, picked up a teacup, and drank a mouthful before collapsing into a chair.
"Why did that weird monster appear at the end! What kind of monster is that..."
Natsuki Subaru's eyes were full of confusion, and he couldn't help but sigh again.
"This... I don't know."
Satou Kazuma scratched his head.
Beatrice said earlier that the White Whale was likely attracted by the large amount of mana released here.
If that's true, in a sense...
Satou Kazuma attracted the White Whale.
After all, the situation was critical at the time, and Satou Kazuma didn't have much of a choice.
But luckily, Natsuki Subaru didn't seem to hear what Beatrice said at the time.
"Um, do you want anything else to drink? I'll make it for you right away!"
"No need, by the way, Kazuma, why are you being so enthusiastic today?"
"Isn't it because I saw you just went through something so hard! I will definitely find a way to help you solve this crisis!"
Satou Kazuma said to Natsuki Subaru with a very serious look on his face, feeling a slight pang of conscience.
"Kazuma... thank you!"
Natsuki Subaru felt a little touched.
He previously thought that Satou Kazuma was a bit unreliable, never expecting that he would be able to do this much for him.
"I feel like we still need to focus on dealing with the Witch Cult first."
Satou Kazuma said,
"We need more people."
"If we can get Emilia and Rem to join the fight, it would be much easier, but someone has to guard the mansion."
"I have a good candidate here!"
Satou Kazuma smiled meaningfully.
...
A dozen minutes later, a person came to the mansion's hall.
She was wearing a very tight-fitting maid outfit that outlined her figure perfectly. Underneath her long, black hair was a face so delicate that it was almost enchanting.
Elsa.
"Wait, wait, wait, you, you, you're?!"
Natsuki Subaru looked at Elsa in shock. He never expected that she would be in this place.
"Kazuma, what's going on, hey, Kazuma!"
Natsuki Subaru nudged Satou Kazuma, who then snapped out of his daze of staring at Elsa.
"Wonderful, Kazuma-sama, to look at me with such a dirty look without hiding it~ So good~"
Elsa smiled suggestively.
"Kazuma, she's the Bowel Hunter, right? Why is she here!"
Natsuki Subaru asked in disbelief.
"Actually, she's just someone with the same name and same face."
Satou Kazuma said seriously, talking nonsense.
"I see."
Natsuki Subaru nodded in understanding,
"Like hell I do! Do you think I'm Aqua?"
"I heard everything! You'll be punished by the heavens!"
Aqua popped out from the side like a ghost.
"Well, things have come to this, I can't hide it anymore."
Satou Kazuma then explained how Elsa joined their group.
Of course, he chose to keep secret the fact that he originally wanted Elsa and Meili to go out and kill monsters to earn money, but found out that making figures was more profitable.
"Is this really okay?"
"It should be okay for now."
Satou Kazuma nodded.
He used his enemy detection ability several times and confirmed that Meili and Elsa really didn't have any hostility towards him.
Besides, they've both joined Aqua's Axis Church, so they shouldn't be enemies.
"But what about Emilia?"
"Emilia hasn't seen Elsa—at least, this version of Elsa."
Satou Kazuma replied.
In this established timeline, the battle was already over when Emilia arrived.
All she saw was an unidentifiable Elsa, and she never saw Elsa's real appearance.
"I guess so..."
Although it felt weird, Natsuki Subaru knew that they needed all the help they could get, and he trusted Satou Kazuma's judgment.
"That feeling at the time was so good! So good!"
Satou Kazuma pursed his lips. Bringing Elsa was not his intention.
But for now, Elsa is the second strongest fighter in their group after Beatrice, and she can regenerate. Using her as a safety net against the Witch Cult should be good.
After all, Satou Kazuma doesn't want to attract the White Whale again because of using magic.
Witch Cultists are not the main problem. The most important one is Petelgeuse. He's hard to defend against.
If...
Wait a minute.
Satou Kazuma suddenly had a bold idea.
...
That night, just like in the previous loop, Satou Kazuma and the others arrived outside the village.
But this time, Satou Kazuma didn't choose to lie in wait here. Instead, he took everyone with Natsuki Subaru to the forest.
He had already told everyone his plan in advance, and now it was time to implement it.
The moment they entered the forest, Satou Kazuma activated his enemy detection ability, and a dense wave of hostility surged towards him.
That was all the Witch Cultists ambushing in the forest, preparing to attack.
"It's up to you, Subaru!"
Satou Kazuma said.
"Okay."
Natsuki Subaru swallowed and nodded.
He took a deep breath and shouted loudly into the forest:
"Petelgeuse! Cardinal of Sloth! I have something to talk to you about!"
His voice echoed through the deep forest.
"Hmm? Hmm? Hmm? To know my name, to know my location, and then come here without any defense?"
Just then, that familiar, crazy voice rang out.
Petelgeuse slowly walked out.
Behind him were densely packed, fully armed Witch Cultists.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on everyone—finally, focusing on Natsuki Subaru.
"Are you looking for me?"
"That's right, Petelgeuse of the Witch Cult, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth. I am the Sin Archbishop of Pride, Natsuki Subaru!"
Natsuki Subaru immediately said to Petelgeuse, trying to keep his voice calm.
This was Satou Kazuma's plan!
To have Natsuki Subaru impersonate a member of the Witch Cult, thereby making the other side lose their guard.
In the previous loop, what Satou Kazuma knew about the Witch Cult was not necessarily that they knew each others identities. Petelgeuse even once regarded Natsuki Subaru, who also exudes the scent of a witch, as the Archbishop of Pride.
Satou Kazuma wanted to take advantage of this.
"That's Pride?!"
Petelgeuse looked at Natsuki Subaru in surprise, but soon believed him,
"You exude the unmatched love! It's truly envious, the prior Pride Position was vacant, and now you have been favored to obtain this position? Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! We finally have someone who shares common ideas! Love, love, love! All of this is love! But—given that you have received Satella's love then you must have the Gospel from her right? Let me see your Gospel!"
"Haha, its convenient, its convenient that I brought it!"
Natsuki Subaru said while fetching a book from his own pocket.
The Book of Wisdom!
Behind Natsuki Subaru, Satou Kazuma had a victorious smile on his face.
Everything was proceeding according to his plan!
Satou Kazuma previously discovered that every Witch Cultist had a Gospel, and guessed that this was proof of their identity.
If Natsuki Subaru wants to impersonate them then possibly Petelgeuse could have him show his Gospel.
Therefore Satou Kazuma borrowed the wisdom book her with Beatrice in advance.
Although this book no longer has the according function, but it is sufficient to mislead the other party!
While Petelgeuse's attention was on Natsuki Subaru, Satou Kazuma was about to begin his plans.
He stood behind the group, the other people with him are a human wall of sorts that could block the Witch Cult's line of sight—especially the most elegantly figure, Elsa.
Steal!
Satou Kazuma unleashed his ability, and in unknowing and without any evidence stole the Gospel from Petelgeuse's pocket into his own hand.
He secretly removed the writing tool that he came with, and wrote down several sentences.
"Indeed, indeed its the Gospel! Its love's proof!"
Petelgeuse's expression glowed with a smile.
"Can I take a look please?"
"That won't work! This is a Gospel that Satella gave to me specifically, that absolutely cannot allow someone else to see! This, this is the Gospel's commands!"
"Natsuki Subaru said this immediately.
"Was that the Gospel's commands then, my assumptions were like this indeed! But Subaru-sama, why, why do you bring these relevant people over here—wait, this person is falsely impersonating goddess, this unpardonable one!"
The smile on Petelgeuse's face instantly disappeared, being replaced by a face that was incredibly distorted with a terribly sinister expression, and projecting an immense hatred in his eyes.
His view was on a target, its Aqua.
"Hey, what was with that, who was it that you assume to be impersonating, I am a genuine…"
Without giving Aqua more arguments, Natsuki Subaru immediately stepped forward and stated:
"Bringing these people over here was the Gospel's commands as well!"
"The Gospel's commands? I understood, I understood! This is a test for you as well, to prove your love then you have to offer this defiant impersonator as sacrifice, as long as—"
"That, that is not the assumption at all, how about you read the Gospel?"
Natsuki Subaru told Petelgeuse while turning his own head and making eye contact with Satou Kazuma.
The later party also nodded, and silently stuck the Gospel back into Natsuki Subaru's hand.
"Gospel, Gospel, Gospel! Is there a new direction?"
Petelgeuse was just about to take the Gospel out during that period, but Natsuki Subaru imitated the action of sneezing, and stepped forward to make contact with Petelgeuse.
"Sorry sorry! I have a bit of a cold!"
"As the follower being loved, Subaru-sama, you must pay attention to your own body! We must be diligent!"
Petelgeuse did not mind in the way others did of the actions of the other parties, because the terribly strong witchcraft atmosphere plus the Gospel acted as proof of identity and he did not defend against Natsuki Subaru at all.
He went hand in his pocket, and retrieved the Gospel—this was in fact that Natsuki Subaru put back.
Petelgeuse opened the book pages. Looked intently and revealed a face in total shock.
"Why does the Gospel want me to achieve this that has only been requested? In the recent amount of time, this opportunity, the situation, what exactly are the witches considering, my means are lowly as it is! Even! Cannot fathom something like this?!"
The distorted words are written:
Those being brought by Pride are companions, not enemies, we must listen to their instructions.
----
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