I Reincarnated into a Game Filled with Mods

“Are you unwilling to answer? Well then, I could make you spill it forcibly.”

Selene leaned in closer, our bodies almost touching. Her thigh, snug in tights, pressed between my legs, the smooth texture brushing against me.

In her right hand, a rapier had appeared, the blade looming dangerously close, ready to stab me dead at a moment’s notice, conversation be damned.

Her left hand was squeezing my neck tightly, but while I felt pain, it wasn’t enough to suffocate me into unconsciousness. A masterful control of strength befitting an Inquisitor.

I had anticipated this much. I had touched the Pope, the very embodiment of her faith, and the fact that she hadn’t simply killed me right then was a testament to her restraint.

“Of course, I must answer. But first, could you let go of this hand?”

“Why should I do that?”

“……Very well. I will speak like this. Where should I start explaining?”

“Everything.”

From between her lips, a voice dripped with an unsettling tone leaked out.

“Tell me everything you know, without a single lie. If you don’t…”

The rapier’s blade shimmered ominously in the dim light. Shk! The tip lightly touched beneath my chin. I could feel the cold, chill of moonlight seeping in.

While the divine power of the sun radiated warmth, the divine power of the moon was frigid. The chill crept up from beneath my chin.

“I will show you the lowest level of the Inquisitor’s office. It is a space where you will be forced to divulge all that you know and all that you don’t. You won’t ever face the sky again, so choose your words wisely.”

“Understood.”

I answered readily.

My goal was to persuade Selene to skip the middle part and head straight to the final boss of the DLC. I had no reason to engage in a futile power struggle at this point.

“When I and the other Knight Commanders had an audience with the Pope of the Sun, the Pope of the Moon descended there in person, you are aware of this, right?”

“If it concerns matters within the Holy Kingdom, there’s nothing we don’t know. From the moment the Pope of the Moon visited the Sun Cathedral, we have watched everything unfold inside.”

“Then you must also have seen the Pope of the Moon use violence against the Pope of the Sun.”

“We saw everything. However, that was an act carried out by Her Holiness the Pope. It is not our place to interfere or judge. Are you trying to use that incident against us now?”

“What I’m trying to say isn’t about the act itself. It’s about the reason behind it.”

“…….”

Selene frowned. From the Inquisitor’s perspective, bringing up that day’s events would be quite unseemly, so her reaction was expected.

The unprecedented incident of the Pope of the Moon using violence against the Pope of the Sun was exposed to those not of the Holy Kingdom, but of the Empire, and to high-ranking members like the Silver Dawn Knights.

She would surely want to forget it, but my continued mentions of that situation were giving her a severe headache.

“Fate cannot be changed. And the fact that you cannot give up the Pope of the Moon. Do you not have any inkling about what I’m suggesting?”

“Do not try to slip away with vague expressions, nor ask me to clarify. Just speak plainly and divulge everything you know. Did you really think I would fall for such a shallow trick and endlessly ramble on?”

The strength of her hand squeezing my throat intensified. But I still wasn’t in danger of suffocating or fainting; the pain simply increased.

“In conclusion, the actions the Pope of the Sun wishes to take are viewed as meaningless acts by the Pope of the Moon. Even though those actions are meant for no one else but herself.”

“…….”

If she had witnessed the events that unfolded within the Cathedral, it was something she could logically infer, and thus Selene only frowned in silence, unable to refute.

I too had no idea why the Pope of the Moon had acted in such a way in front of us when she could have done it after we left.

If the situation had been that desperate, I could understand. However, it was puzzling that she didn’t seem desperate at all, by neither her expression nor her actions.

This was something I would have to ask her directly after taking down the boss.

“Therefore, the key point is what actions the Pope of the Sun intends to take for the Pope of the Moon.”

“…….”

“But the answer has practically already been revealed. Since you said you cannot give up the Pope of the Moon, it means the relationship has become twisted enough to warrant such a statement. Or it implies that you will no longer be able to meet.”

“…….”

Selene remained silent. Either my statement had struck home, or she was deep in thought; it could be one of the two.

In truth, the incident that transpired when we had an audience with the Pope of the Sun was a mere coincidence. Who would have imagined that such events would unfold between two Popes? It wasn’t even a scripted game event.

However, as I organized my thoughts that night, I concluded that if I played my cards right, I could skip the entire middle story of the DLC.

Because the Pope of the Sun was harboring ill feelings about the sacrifice of her sister. And she was, perplexingly, putting immense trust in me.

‘Well, the background setting hasn’t changed much.’

The reason the Pope of the Moon mentioned sacrifice was linked to the creature abandoned by God—the final boss of the DLC. A revelation had been given that one of the Popes must be sacrificed to capture it.

The one who had volunteered for the role of scapegoat was none other than the Pope of the Moon.

Of course, if there was no intervention from the protagonist, the result would be an inevitable destruction of the Holy Kingdom, indicating that this plan would ultimately fail, and the other Pope would die during the battle.

‘In the game, I had just thought that the two must perish as it had to be.’

In this world, the Pope of the Sun was refusing the future that was meant to be and was seeking some other way. The story differed considerably from the game, where both Popes accepted their fates with calm acceptance.

This was the reason I resolved to skip the story. If one side was refusing their fate, then the process of persuasion would be much easier than in the game.

“So, if there’s a way to avoid sacrifice—?!”

At that moment, Selene hurled me with all her strength. I flew across the chapel and tumbled several times onto the silvery carpet spread on the floor.

“Ugh?!”

“There seems to be more to explain, but I shall only entertain this much. The content I have heard until now is enough for me to make my decision.”

A chilling voice came from behind me. I quickly straightened myself. Selene, with an ominous expression, was walking toward me with a blank face.

In her left hand, she held a sacred catalyst. The rapier in her right hand shone with the dim light of the moon. Soon, dark silver divine power began to burst forth from the sacred catalyst.

“At first, I thought you would not speak carelessly, and I was going to request that the matters of the Cathedral remain a secret, as it would be troublesome if rumors spread.”

Clack, clack! The sound of high heels echoed as it bounced off the marble walls and floor.

“However, I just had a gut feeling that should not happen.”

I hastily drew my blood-stained sword. The moment I lifted my weapon, a silver flash flickered. Reflexively, I brought my arm up to intercept the trajectory of that flash.

Chae-aaaeng!

With a sound like breaking glass, a fierce impact knocked into my arm. The silver flash that had just entered was one of the patterns from my boss fight with the Inquisitor.

It was akin to signaling intent to fight; however, I inwardly sighed in relief.

‘Just the fact that she didn’t stab me dead right away is more than halfway successful.’

I had worried the most about her stabbing me while listening to my explanations, but having dodged that, I could now persuade her step by step.

“Why did you say such things to me?”

But even so, I didn’t think I could get through this situation without clashes.

Behind Selene, a small moon rose. Shadows projected from the moonlight. The full moon melted within the spaces between the darkness.

“Couldn’t you have opted for eternal silence instead of forcing this situation? Why did you feel the need to unveil what you know to me in a setting like this?”

Another moon rose, on the left. Then one on the right. And one above my head as well.

“Why did you choose to act this way?”

Inside the chapel, there were now four full moons floating above us.

“What you know is a secret that must not leak outside. Yet you seem to be anything but tight-lipped. So, I cannot trust your vow of silence.”

The tip of her rapier was pointed at me.

I had expected this situation as well. As an Inquisitor, she would stop at nothing to prevent the sacrifice of the Pope from leaking.

If the fact that one of the Popes had to make a sacrifice became known, it would inevitably lead to the question of why, and the rumors would snowball into something uncontrollable.

Whether it was revealing the existence of the monster sleeping underground or keeping it a secret, either scenario would undermine the faith established thus far.

“I am aware that the Empress has taken a significant interest in you. Considering that, even if I were to give my life to the wrathful Empress, I would still do what I must do now.”

Selene assumed a rapier’s characteristic charging stance. Then, from the same four moons floating around us, identical silver rapiers sprang forth.

“You must accompany me to the Inquisitor’s office.”

Lowering the tip of her sword slightly and taking position, persuasion may not have worked instantly, but I had a plan ready for such a scenario. I had no intention of fighting Selene here.

It was time to skip the explanations and cut straight to the chase.

Selene charged forward, tracing a silver trajectory. I only needed to deflect it once. In that moment, I brought my sword into an attacking arc and shouted.

“If there’s a way to claim victory without sacrifice!”

Jjaeeng!

The blood-stained sword clashed with the rapier, creating a terrifying sound. The tip halted right in front of me, and the fake attacks that were flying toward me flickered and vanished.

The rising full moons set. The chapel was once again enveloped in a dim, silvery hue. The divine power that had surrounded the rapier, and the divine power flowing from the sacred catalyst, disappeared without a trace.

I lowered my voice and calmly spoke once more.

“If there’s a way to capture that monster without the sacrifice of Her Holiness, how would you respond?”

Selene’s eyes trembled.

“……What?”