A little while later.

The people holding scissors approached me and said,

“Your hair has gotten very long.”

“...It just happened.”

In the unit’s early days, Squad Leader Lee Sanga had cut the soldiers’ hair.

Later, after the unit grew larger, we did get a separate barber soldier, but.

Since I had not had the leisure to receive that kind of haircut for a while.

My hair had grown out into a fairly messy state.

“This might actually be better.”

“Right. This way will be better for creating a special atmosphere....”

Snip.

My hair.

Was cleanly cut away.

“Then we will do this part like this....”

“And we will preserve this kind of feeling here....”

Several people clung to me and began grooming my hair.

And that was not all.

People holding makeup tools even came over and began applying something to my face.

'...This feels awkward.'

Since I had never been made up by so many people’s hands before, it felt extremely awkward.

When I glanced aside.

I saw the unit members watching me as if this was entertaining.

“Could you fix this part?”

No.

It would have been fortunate if they had simply watched because it was entertaining.

“It is good to make him look as aesthetically pleasing as possible, but I heard Sergeant Shin Youngjun will be taking on the role of a leader this time. In that case, rather than pursuing only beauty and making him look delicate, it would be better to make him look as charismatic as possible.”

“Ah... that is true!”

“That makes sense. Let’s do it that way.”

Beyond that.

There was even someone actively participating in making me up.

'Jeong Sua, that punk... didn’t she say she didn’t like this religion?'

Jeong Sua was focusing on making me up along with the others.

I stared at that sight in disbelief for a moment.

Then I let out a hollow laugh inwardly and thought.

'Well. I’m not exactly in a position to criticize anyone on that point either.'

At first, I had thought of them as something like a pseudo-religion.

But now that I had seen them, they did not seem to be entirely like that.

I felt that especially strongly from my conversation with David.

They would accept damage to their own organization for the sake of doing what was right.

That could be a dangerous idea, if you looked at it that way.

But it was also a righteous way of thinking that did not even spare their own bodies.

What was even more surprising was.

'There was no taste of lies.'

No, not just lies.

There was not even the suspicious taste of someone hiding something.

At least, that man David had truly been thinking that way.

We had become hostile for a short time due to circumstances, but.

When I thought about it, they too were ultimately one group of human survivors resisting ruin alongside everyone else.

Whatever else could be said, they had also helped the Legion take control of the Korean Peninsula.

The reason they had opposed us.

Had also turned out to be because they were worried about me.

At the very least.

My thoughts were leaning toward the possibility that they were not the sort of humans who belonged among villains.

'...There are still parts I don’t understand, though.'

And.

As I was thinking about that part.

“Please listen comfortably while you receive your makeup. The order of events for the coronation is....”

Lee Haein approached and began explaining the coronation.

There was nothing particularly special about it.

It was simply an event where I followed the host’s instructions, then put on the crown the Cardinal handed me.

The crown would be handed over.

That was why it was a coronation.

“I apologize for making you participate in such a troublesome matter.”

After finishing the explanation, Lee Haein opened her mouth with an apologetic expression.

“To be honest, I do not think there is any need to go so far as to hold a coronation... but the Cardinal’s opinion was extremely firm.”

“Why did that Cardinal say this coronation had to be held?”

“He is a little closer to being a stickler for principles. His position is that an important secret of the Church cannot be shown to an outsider we cannot trust.”

An important secret of the Church.

That must be the evidence they had mentioned, the thing that could answer my questions about the system.

“However. He is only somewhat rigid. He is not someone who goes against doctrine.”

And at that moment.

Lee Haein, who had been speaking with me, moved her feet and headed toward the back of the dressing room.

“Once this coronation has been completed.”

Other than the door connected to the corridor.

There was one more door inside the room that led somewhere else.

“He will humbly accept you as the new leader.”

When the door opened.

Beyond it.

Was a ceiling soaring high into the sky.

Beautiful stained glass letting light pour in.

And a massive hall filled with splendid decorations.

***

“Brothers and sisters, today is a glorious day that will be recorded in the history of our Church.”

After heading beyond the door Lee Haein had opened.

I had no idea when it had begun.

But I could hear the Cardinal giving some kind of speech, and the murmuring of countless people listening to him.

“One more favored by our Lord than any other. Our new brother!”

As I listened to that sound.

I awkwardly adjusted the splendid white garment I had changed into in that dressing room.

“I shall introduce the one who will guide the road ahead of us.”

At those words.

I climbed onto the platform.

Then.

“Ahh....”

“So that is....”

I saw an incredible number of humans.

Murmuring as they looked at me.

'There are so many.'

There were so many humans that even this broad hall could barely hold them all.

Among them, I could see Legion members standing here and there, those who had not been able to follow me earlier.

'So they allowed the Legion members inside too.'

With that thought.

I walked across the platform and looked over the gathered crowd.

Among them were children and the elderly.

There were even many humans who did not appear to be awakened.

All survivors could become awakened, so they were treated as potential reserves.

But that only applied to humans who had grown to a certain extent.

Even if they became awakened.

Children that young were often hard to count as combat assets.

From an organization’s point of view, not only were they not much help, they were usually a loss.

Even so, there were quite a few children here.

'The people who handled my grooming didn’t feel like combat types either.'

People who could not participate in battle.

That meant this was a society with a place prepared even for people like them.

The fact that they had created such a sound society was almost impressive.

“Thank you for accepting my request.”

And a little while later.

After arriving at the center of the platform, I was able to face that Cardinal.

Splash....

“With this water, I shall wash away the dust of disbelief you have accumulated in ignorance.”

When Lee Haein, who had approached the Cardinal’s side at some point, handed him a small cup of water.

The Cardinal lightly scooped up the water from the cup and sprinkled it on my face.

“With this fire, I shall burn away the remnants of evil clinging to your soul.”

Aside from that.

Several people came and went, conducting various religious rites.

'These are all things I’ve seen plenty of times somewhere.'

Was it because this was not an old religion?

Most of the rites were things I had seen often in other religions.

“With this, the countless vanities you accumulated as an unbeliever have all been washed away.”

And a little while later.

“You have been reborn under the name of the Church, and have gained the qualification to become our brother.”

All the complicated rites came to an end.

“And now!”

Only the final stage remained.

“I wish to pass on to you this crown that has rested upon my head for long years.”

The Cardinal.

Took the splendidly decorated crown behind him and approached me as he spoke.

“This sacred crown symbolizes the realization He bestowed upon us. Its weight is heavy, and its responsibility will by no means be light.”

“.......”

“But if it is you, who are loved by Him more than anyone else, I believe you will be able to bear that weight in full.”

And.

Just before that crown was placed upon my head.

“...Believe, you say.”

“......?”

I looked at the Cardinal.

And opened my mouth in a small voice that the others could not hear.

“How do you believe in me?”

***

“You believe that if it’s me, loved by Him, I can bear the weight of the crown?”

Yes.

This Church was a far more normal place than I had thought.

A sound society, to the point that I even thought some parts of it were better than the Legion.

That was precisely why there was something I found strange.

“How do you know what kind of lunatic I might be?”

“...Brother?”

This was a world where even surviving was difficult.

If this were an organization running without any thought, there was no way it could have created such a sound society.

That old man who was supposedly the guild leader of this Church.

Cardinal Jung Suhwan must have been a fairly excellent leader.

And yet.

“You are saying you will entrust an organization this large to some bastard whose identity you don’t even know, just because his level is high?”

Their act of appointing me as leader.

Was completely contrary to the soundness I had seen until now.

“If I were a lunatic who only had a high level, I might make a choice that collapsed this organization as it is. Making an outsider the head of the organization just by looking at his level... honestly, I don’t understand it.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

To be honest.

At first, I had thought it was because they were a group of fanatics whose faith was everything.

I thought they might be the kind of people who cared about nothing else as long as it matched their faith.

But....

'The scene I saw after coming here was a little different from what I had imagined.'

They were not really fanatics like that.

If anything, they were extremely rational people.

To the point that they embraced even children, who would be inflicting a great loss on the group right now.

“How can you trust me enough to entrust me with the leader’s position?”

That was why.

I simply could not understand this choice of theirs.

“...I apologize for saying this.”

When I revealed that question exactly as it was.

The Cardinal answered me with a strange smile.

“But I do not particularly trust you as an individual all that much, Brother.”

“...After calling me all the way here?”

“Please do not misunderstand. It is not only you, Brother. To begin with, no matter how outstanding a human may be, I believe it is impossible to trust an individual completely.”

Before proposing this coronation to me.

That Cardinal had also said something along the lines that not all humans could be trusted just because their level was high.

They too must know that there were villains among those with high levels.

“It is the same even if they are not villains. No matter how many good deeds someone has built up... in the end, humans are imperfect. There is no knowing what misjudgment they may make, or what sudden event may cause them to make the wrong choice.”

“Then why?”

“As I said. We are not trying to entrust you with the leader’s position because we believe in you. What we believe in is... the system. That alone.”

“...Are you going to say again that I am favored by the system? I already heard that....”

“No. It is precisely the opposite.”

He smiled.

“We believe in the faith in the system that you will come to possess.”

With those words.

The old man raised the crown in his hands toward my head.

“We cannot believe in individuals, but we can believe in the faith we hold. If you come to hold the same faith as we do... then we can be certain that what you do will align with what our Church desires.”

“.......”

“It may sound suspicious now, but please believe me. Once this coronation ends... you too will understand the meaning of my words.”

At those words.

I looked at the crown being placed upon my head and thought.

'He’s certain I’ll come to have the same faith as them.'

A certainty that was far too firm.

Among the reasons he might hold that kind of certainty, there was only one thing I could guess.

'What the hell is this evidence they’re trying to show me?'

Lee Haein had said it.

That if I saw it, I too would come to hold the same faith as them.

It was an extremely puzzling point, but.

I too had many questions about the system.

Having come this far, I could not turn back now.

The moment this coronation ended.

I would head out to confirm that evidence—

Ding.

That was what.

I was thinking at that very moment.

[The effect of Title - King Slayer activates.]

A small message.

Floated up before my eyes.

[The heads of many races and civilizations who possessed great charisma.]

[All of them lost their lives by your hand.]

[You pierced through the intimidation exuded by great kings, and in the end, cut off their heads!]

[The pressure of any powerful being cannot affect you.]

And.

Only after seeing that message was I able to realize one fact.

[You acquire complete immunity to mental interference from beings of lower rank.]

The thing the old man had said.

That once the coronation ended.

I would come to possess the same faith as them.

[Effect of Holy Relic - ‘Crown of Ordromineum’.]

Those words really.

“This....”

[You resist mental domination!]

“What the hell... are you doing...?”

Had meant exactly what they sounded like.