Who Is The Pup That Doesn’t Know To Fear The Tiger?

The reason a pup doesn’t fear a tiger is because it hasn’t been struck by one.

A remark by Violentia evaluating Benialis.

---

Violentia had been unable to pull herself together lately.

She had no time to bother with the feeble Benialis.

Moreover, she felt something strange even after visiting Kim Han’s house; everyone there except Kim Han did not look easy to deal with.

‘Damn it! Just what the hell is that guy!’

The man she met there who had trembled, an incredible existence who had neutralized her with a single finger.

Every time she thought of that man whose strength was beyond imagination, she grew uneasy and couldn’t focus on her work.

“Did I tell you to find out?”

When Violentia muttered into the air, a red silhouette dropped from the sky.

A person wrapped head-to-toe in dark red cloth, as if obsessed with the color, knelt on one knee and bowed.

“…There’s still no particular news.”

“Why?”

“That place is impossible to infiltrate.”

Surprised by the man’s words, Violentia asked again with a shocked face.

“Impossible to infiltrate, not just difficult? The Death’s Shadow that even comes and goes from the Miseratio temple where Benialis stays?”

At Violentia’s question that sounded almost mocking, the being called the Death’s Shadow answered by bowing its head once more.

“No, what could possibly be harder than the Miseratio temple?”

Despite Violentia’s irritable outburst, the Death’s Shadow calmly continued.

“First, there are an enormous number of magic circles. They are extremely high-level runes that will inevitably detect anyone who enters. Even if you force your way in considering that, there are four tower masters and the elders of each magic tower stationed there, so soon after you’ll risk capture rather than being killed.”

“…Capture? By mere tower masters?”

“They’re not mere tower masters. They have become at least twice as strong as before the Battlefield of the Gods began.”

Violentia fell silent for a moment.

The Death’s Shadow would say it couldn’t do something rather than lie. If so, it meant there was something significant there.

“Then investigate the people who come and go from the mansion. Check everything that regularly goes in and out.”

“Understood.”

“And the two men I told you to look into?”

“The two men are already quite famous across the continent. One appears to be a swordsman, carrying three swords. As a representative he has reached a considerable level; operatives who approached using invisibility magic and stealth artifacts were all killed in a single stroke. The other seems to be a martial artist of unknown identity. Similarly, before anyone could get close, they were struck by an unknown attack and blew apart.”

That day Violentia ordered an investigation into the two men who had been at Kim Han’s mansion besides herself.

Those following her later noticed something was happening when a black space formed above Exorsus, but the only representatives who sensed a change in divine power from afar and came were those two men.

It was natural to investigate such powerful figures, and it would be even better if they could be recruited into her organization.

So she gave the order, but it seemed they’d already been detected.

“For now, observe from as far away as possible. Don’t charge in rashly.”

“Yes.”

“Go.”

The man’s red form vanished, and Violentia resolved to focus on Kim Han’s mansion for the time being, until she uncovered the secret of that shivering man.

But things in the world rarely go as planned.

About ten days later, despite her resolve, a single incident forced Violentia to grit her teeth and refocus on Benialis.

---

Benialis was enjoying the best of times as a representative in his fourth year.

Because Violentia, the bitch who had exposed his shame, had been quiet lately without so much as a word.

He didn’t know why. It was more accurate to say he didn’t particularly want to know; he was in an excellent mood.

So he had been preparing a party for four days straight. Benialis ate a late breakfast—no, lunch—and left his room.

As Benialis left, five clerics entered his room and began casting healing spells on a woman writhing on the floor, bleeding.

Moments later, the many wounds across her head and body rapidly healed, leaving only faint scars.

The clerics’ actions didn’t end there.

They forced the barely conscious woman’s mouth open and poured potions down her throat, and only after the eldest cleric cast a mental protection spell did they finish.

When she regained consciousness, the clerics holding her arms roughly threw her onto the bed.

“Get your wits about you. He will come by again in eight hours. Until then, tell us if you want anything to eat, wash yourself, and wait.”

“S-spar… no, kill me. Please…”

No cleric heeded the woman’s pitiful plea. They rubbed their hands on their clothes as if they’d touched filthy filth and left the room.

From outside the door, the woman’s sobs occasionally drifted out.

Meanwhile, Benialis, having left the room, entered a large conference hall.

The place where Benialis stayed, including the hall he had just entered, did not belong to him.

Of course Benialis might consider it his, but strictly speaking it was the temple building of the Holy Realm Alliance, including the Amor temple.

The Amor temple had been destroyed but was being rebuilt rapidly, and the place they occupied now was the temple of Miseratio, the goddess of mercy known as Amor’s closest aide and right hand.

They didn’t know about Amor’s priests, but the clergy of the goddess of mercy forbid sexual relations.

Yet Benialis and his fellow representatives had sex throughout Miseratio’s temple regardless of time or place.

Because of that, unlike before, Benialis and the representatives drew scowls from Miseratio’s clergy.

But they carried on even more brazenly and lasciviously, as if such things mattered nothing.

The only reason Miseratio’s priests kept quiet was that Benialis and his group hadn’t touched them yet.

Entering the conference room, Benialis sat at the head seat with a face full of confident smiles.

“Everyone is doing well. More importantly, what about those bitches?”

“Yes, we’ve imprisoned them underground. Haha. Of course they aren’t being allowed to rest.”

“Haha. Good, very good! Hahaha. Who brought such excellent information this time?”

Benialis asked gladly, and a soft voice from a woman seated to one side of the hall answered.

“They said Libor.”

“Oh? Then give that representative food, drink, and women. He was a warrior, wasn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“Then guide him to the combat instructor and assign two paladins as attendants.”

“Understood.”

As the woman stepped back, a middle-aged man seated closest to Benialis, who had said nothing until now, spoke cautiously.

“Um… Benialis?”

“Huh? What’s the matter?”

“Isn’t this going a bit too far…? And what about the other things that representative mentioned…?”

“It’s not excessive. And leave the other matters alone.”

When the man, surprised, questioned him further, Benialis replied as if annoyed.

“I said it’s not excessive. If we don’t reward this kind of act, who will work harder to break up the demon god bitch’s flock? Besides, that place is originally a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair. I’ve already spied it out, so you needn’t worry.”

Though some praised him for finishing the reconnaissance, Benialis’s face hardened as he turned and left the hall.

But it lasted only a moment.

As soon as the stairs leading underground appeared, Benialis’s face turned into that of a child expecting Christmas presents.

“Haa… haa… P-please, th-that place!”

This place, filled with the screams of women, had originally been a prayer room in the temple’s basement.

It was being used for an entirely different purpose. It was called a prison, but more accurately it was a toilet full of squat pans.

“Ah, Benialis. Have you arrived?”

“Yes. How is it?”

“Yes. Two more were admitted today. They’re so stupid they don’t even seem like representatives.”

“Haha, we’re not identical to a stupid crazy bitch. Alright, good work.”

Benialis looked around with satisfaction and, as if hearing a sweet melody in the women’s screams and gasps, hummed a tune as he went back up.

Kidnapping representatives of the demon god faction to sate their lusts; on second thought, it was a thumbs-up-worthy operation.

But how could Benialis break through the ‘Setting’ and abduct and rape representatives?

He exploited two loopholes: the harmful ‘Setting’ and drugs.

The method was simple.

Although Benialis’s representatives did likewise, Violentia’s representatives were not all concentrated in the western region.

For various reasons they normally spread out across Exorsus. Those representatives became the targets.

First, an attractive, lesser-known representative approaches a woman. He starts with small talk, then feigns surprise upon learning she’s a representative and asks to spar.

To make the spar effective, he explains the harmful ‘Setting’ and leads her to change her ‘Setting’ to Moderate Injury.

In the ensuing spar, he naturally lets her win (sometimes he actually loses).

Then, saying thanks, he invites her to a fancy dinner—and five out of ten fall for it. Idiotically, that is.

Whether from confidence as representatives or a desire to recruit them into their group.

Delicious dishes and prepared wine at a fine restaurant.

A woman intoxicated by the aphrodisiac mixed into the wine and the mood; she’d be ready to build ten thousand walls in a single night!

This is the first trap: the start of consensual intercourse.

The harmful ‘Setting’ is still set to Moderate Injury.

They then secretly bring the drugged woman and further drug her, forcing a gang rape.

It’s unclear how far the ‘Setting’ deems Moderate Injury, but rape was not classified as Moderate Injury.

Perhaps because the ‘Setting’ was peculiarly lenient toward mental trauma and wounds, Benialis’s plan succeeded more thoroughly than even he had expected.

After that, the outcome was predictable.

They couldn’t be freed without a cleric’s restoration spell or an alchemist’s potion for status ailments. Unless a representative had superhuman willpower…

The one who provided information about the harmful ‘Setting’ used here was Libor.

He was the representative who had been chased out of Kim Han’s mansion like a dog and cast out by his patron deity.

After more than two weeks of continuous parties, when Benialis’s representatives’ vigilance grew lax, one of the captive female representatives managed to escape.

Naked, she fled across Exorsus, eventually reaching the western region, briefly recounting what had happened before passing out.

On March 3rd, Year 4 of the Battlefield of the Gods.

It became known that a female representative affiliated with Violentia’s faction had been gang-raped by male representatives of Benialis’s faction.

---

I, no, we smiled with satisfaction as we read a report.

The report was a short document from One, who served as Benialis’s double agent.

We successfully freed the Violentia representative who had been held captive by Benialis.

“It succeeded. One is really capable, unlike some people.”

“Ahem…”

The one who cleared his throat at Lee Hyo-ju’s remark and stared off into the distance was Arun. Lately he’d been on thin ice for failing to complete a task Lee Hyo-ju assigned.

“Arun’s been like that for days, so let’s move on. Next?”

“Yes, I’ll report. Recently there have been some red guys spying around our mansion, but they should retreat soon. Once their numbers dwindle, Naruan can step in and ‘swish’ them away.”

Merus mimed slitting his throat and addressed Naruan, who grinned broadly and nodded in agreement.

“Next, we need to stir up more fights. It’s too quiet now. Why fight with words when you have good swords? Well, it’s training, so they won’t die, but getting cut still hurts even if you don’t die.”

“…Is that so?”

“Of course! So first, we swipe away the guy in the eastern district who’s trying to investigate Benialis’ side. He won’t die, but it might hurt as if he would. Then we swipe another who lives outside the eastern region, one with some standing. After swiping one or two more like that, they’ll happily fight among themselves. Haha.”

He looked like a lunatic. He grinned while talking about killing others.

Suddenly I wondered why this guy had been so aloof and elusive in his past life.

“Then proceed with that, and Naruan and Liru can handle the swipes. Merus, if you hadn’t known of my existence, if I didn’t exist, how would you have spent your time in the Battlefield of the Gods?”

“…I don’t know. Hmm. I suppose I’d have read all the books in the library where Shio resides, then set out on adventures. I don’t like stupid people, or weak ones, and I hate suckers, so I’d go alone. But why are you asking… Could it be!!”

“Hmm?”

“You’re going to abandon me, aren’t you! I give my loyalty, my heart, my body… gag!!”

The group turned their gaze from Merus, who was being thrown from the terrace into the garden by Hazel, and spent their time quietly sipping tea.

In two days, what the masters were preparing would be complete.

As they expanded the training ground, they warned not only me but the entire legion membership that breaking and cutting was to be expected.

Lately, members who had been training diligently had been ordered by Talis to stop and rest as of yesterday.

I poked at the quiet Violentia and Benialis out of boredom and they immediately took the bait. There’s no joy in fishing when everything bites.

“Ah, right! Merus! Stop whining and go tell all the legion members to gather in the dining hall!”

“…And give them my regards, okay?”

“Tell them to gather in the dining hall with not a single person missing.”

“Ah, yes!”

Seeing Merus pull out a communication crystal while lamenting his fate on the garden soil, I opened my inventory.

In my inventory, an item I had completed yesterday after almost exhausting the materials I’d saved was radiating a brilliant light.