A Bookworm's Journey in the cardinal world ||Tensura X Ascendance of a Bookworm

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Rimuru's POV

Upon entering the city, I hurried to the central square. A large crowd had gathered, their faces somber and filled with despair. As I approached, the crowd parted and knelt before me, revealing Rigurdo and Kaijin at the forefront.

"Rimuru-sama, we are overjoyed at your return. There are matters that require your attention. Please, come this way..."

Their words and actions suggested they were trying to prevent me from seeing something ahead. A sense of foreboding gripped me.

"Rigurdo, Kaijin. Step aside. I already know what has happened."

At my command, the people reluctantly cleared the path. What lay before me was a scene of unimaginable horror. Countless monsters, men, women, and even children, lay as if in peaceful slumber... all dead. A hundred friends, gone.

No... this can't be true! My mind struggled to comprehend the scene. Though I have no need for breath, I felt breathless. Though I lack a heart, it pounded violently in my chest.

"What is this? What happened?" My voice, cold and distant, escaped my lips. I felt my heart grow cold.

Rigurdo, trembling, explained, "A while ago, we were attacked by a group claiming to be followers of the Western Saint's Church, along with knights from Farmus and Ehrenfest. We lost contact with other groups, and then we were attacked by those disguised as adventurers."

The Western Saint's Church... the group Hinata was part of . It seems I was too late.

A Hobgoblin elder added, "As you ordered, we welcomed the humans with respect, without harming them."

"Fool! Are you implying this is Rimuru-sama's fault?" Rigurdo countered, enraged.

"P-please forgive me! I meant no such thing..." A distant apology echoed, but it did not reach my heart. My orders, my words, had led to this tragedy.

I am a monster who once was human. I only wanted to coexist with humans, but reality is far more cruel. What should I do now?

... Who knows? Think for yourself.

A voice in my head denied responsibility. But I will not allow it. I am the cause of this tragedy; the responsibility is mine. Regret and anger welled up within me.

We convened a meeting with the executives and ministers to assess the situation. Despite my shaken state, my mind remained clear.

There were three assailants. In ten minutes, they killed a hundred of us. The group that set up the barrier remained outside, so their actual numbers are unknown.

They declared, "The West Saint's Church condemns this city as a den of monsters. Within a week, along with the Farmus Kingdom and Duchy of Ehrenfest, we shall cleanse this land. We are led by the great hero, King Edmalis, and the noble saint Veronica, the current Aub of Ehrenfest's mother. Surrender, and we shall grant you a painless death. Resist, and you will know the wrath of our god Luminious. Cease the pointless struggle, and surrender. Otherwise, only gruesome death awaits you! Oh wise adventurers! You should know with whom justice lies. Choose wisely."

They mercilessly slaughtered women and children. Benimaru seemed pained, holding back his words.

"But before they could cause more damage, they were confronted by a priest in white robes, Ferdinand, the brother of the current Aub of Ehrenfest. He told them to stop the massacre, but they refused. A knight confronted a woman, but a child with dark blue hair intervened. When the knight refused to stop, the child unleashed a devastating spell, killing all the knights before she died. The delegates from Ehrenfest are under house arrest."