Chapter 280 The Holy Labor Corps ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Phew… that was one massive serpent, wasn’t it?” Sister Amelia sighed, wiping her brow.
”It’s a monster known as a ‘God-Eater,’¹ dear ♡,” Mother Marian replied. “To think it would crawl out of its hole without even hibernating… it must have been absolutely terrified of Zil Meina to come all the way out here, don’t you think? ♡”
This was around the same time Kento was being swallowed whole by a giant snake of his own. Elsewhere, in the western lands, the nuns of the Demon-Subjugation Church²-Sister Amelia and Mother Marian-had just finished their own hunt for a gargantuan serpent, having set out to deliver the people from the coming “Stampede.”
”The God-Eater… let’s see,” Amelia mused. “Despite its size, it has a cowardly nature. It masks its presence and prefers to stalk prey far smaller and weaker than itself… right?”
”My, you’ve certainly been doing your homework, haven’t you? ♡” Marian said with a smile. “They rarely descend toward human settlements, and any seasoned warrior can spot one if they’re looking. But for common travelers or greenhorn adventurers, they are a true nightmare… ♡”
”We were lucky to be the ones who ran into it,” Amelia said. “It’ll make for good rations, and the hide is valuable too. Should we haul it to the next town?”
”Hmm… ♡ That would be fine, but let’s get it off our hands as soon as we can,” Marian suggested. “If there’s a village nearby struggling with the trade routes cut off, it’ll be a godsend. Besides, we really should be moving along~ ♡ Come now, boys! Pick up the pace! ♡”
”**YES, MOTHER!**” the men shouted in unison.
The ones barking back were the men of the group: the monks, the Holy Knights, and the Martial Monks of the Church. It was a motley crew-some dispatched from the Holy Capital, some from the Canarias Bishopric, and others picked up from the various towns they’d passed through along the way.
Mixed in with them were several other nuns besides Amelia. It was, for all intents and purposes, a ragtag disaster relief unit formed to combat the Stampede. In the specialized tongue of the Demon-Subjugation Church, they were known as the “Holy Toil Corps.³“
The group’s leader was Mother Marian. Ordinarily, such a post would go to a high-ranking priest or a martially gifted Holy Knight. For a nun to lead-even the head of a convent-was highly irregular.
Yet, not a single person there breathed a word of complaint. One reason was simple: she was the living embodiment of the “Ancient Nun.”
”Gods… Mother Marian is just… so beautiful…” one monk whispered.
”I mean, yeah, ‘beautiful’ is one way to put it, but… damn,” his companion muttered, unable to look away.
”You lot! Your training is pathetic!” the lead knight barked. “A true man of the cloth doesn’t let his heart flutter at such sights! Cast out your worldly desires! Cast them out!”
”**GYAHHHH!**” the monks cried out as they were struck.
”Ugh, men with zero discipline are the worst,” one of the younger nuns complained.
”Seriously. I just wish they’d stop being such a distraction,” another added.
”Oh, now, now~ ♡ Isn’t it wonderful for everyone?” Marian interjected. “The men build character by resisting the women, and the women build character by enduring the gazes of the men. The journey itself is a trial. Let’s all stay focused on our spiritual growth, shall we? ♡”
”A-Ah… y-yes, Mother Marian!” the men stammered.
There was one common thread that bound this haphazard group together: they were all devotees of the “Old Church.” They revered the era when the Church truly lived up to its name as the “Assembly of Teachings to Subdue Demons”-the Demon-Subjugation Church.
For these believers, a “Demon-Quelling Journey” like this one required men and women to travel together. By maintaining their vows of abstinence even as the hardships of the road forced them into intimacy, they believed they would forge a greater strength.
And for such a journey, the ideal leader was a woman. Her role was to stoke the fires of the men’s desires while simultaneously keeping them under her thumb. It was a position that demanded a certain… touch.
Even the “Holy Maidens” of the modern era were said to have originated from these “Journey Leaders.” With her flowing violet hair and her habit straining against her voluptuous curves, Marian was the perfect woman for the job.
But it wasn’t just her looks that kept them in line. Above all, her authority came from her raw power-a strength honed by the ancient, ascetic lifestyle of her order.
”Mother! Behind you-!” Amelia cried out.
”Fret not, little Amelia ♡ I’ve had my eye on him the whole time~ ♡” Marian replied calmly.
Roar! A Shadow Wolf leapt from the brush, aiming for a blind spot, only to be incinerated by a pillar of hellfire before Marian even turned around. Simultaneously, several more bursts of flame erupted around the perimeter of the Holy Toil Corps.
”Marian of the… ‘Sultry Smolder’⁴…” someone whispered in awe.
Marian moved like a dancer, her flames waving around her like a shimmering veil, reducing the pack of Shadow Wolves to ash in heartbeats. A moment later, the rest of the unit drew their weapons to meet the coming tide.
”W-Where did all these monsters come from?!” a soldier yelled.
”The blood! They’re being drawn in by the scent of the God-Eater!” another replied.
”But they’re so fast! And there are so many of them, even with a group our size…!”
It wasn’t just Shadow Wolves anymore. They were being encircled by a multi-species horde. They had taken down large monsters before on this trip. They had been ambushed before. But never had they faced a concentrated assault of this magnitude without warning.
”They didn’t just **gather** here, sweetie~ ♡ I **called** them… ♡” Marian murmured.
Only Amelia, standing closest, caught the remark. She wanted to ask what she meant, but there was no time.
”Amelia of the ‘Azure Sin,’⁵ moving out!” the girl shouted.
With a roar of blue flames that mirrored her mentor’s-yet burned with a different heat-Amelia dove into the fray. Shadow Wolves, Giant Bears… and more. Earth-Golems. Great Black Ants. Monsters that weren’t even native to the Canarias Kingdom were appearing in the swarm.
The monks and nuns unleashed their Holy Arts alongside Marian and Amelia. The Holy Knights drew steel, and the Martial Monks used their fists and feet as divine conduits. Their methods differed, but they all tapped into the same source: the “Divine Miracle,” the power to quell demons.
They could feel it. Their power was surging. They were certain now-this journey was exactly what they needed to elevate their faith. This was the path the ancients had walked.
Unlike “Mages,” who grew through study and logic, these believers grew through the fervor of their conviction. It was the primary reason the Church and the mages had never seen eye-to-eye.
Finally, the assault was quelled. Carcasses lay piled high in every direction. At this rate, the stench would only draw in more. Amelia moved to incinerate the remains, as she had done a dozen times before on the road. But a hand reached out to stop her-the hand of her beloved mentor.
”Let’s leave them be for today, shall we? ♡” Marian asked.
”B-But why, Mother? If we leave these here, anyone using this road will be in mortal danger!”
”Exactly ♡ Which is why we’re going to camp right here tonight,” Marian explained. “We’ll stay until we’ve slaughtered every single monster in the region before moving on. It seems we’ve already arrived at our destination, after all ♡”
A chill ran through the members of the Holy Toil Corps. Their “destination.” They were already in the heart of the Stampede.
Unlike the Royal Army, their goal wasn’t just to kill “Zil Meina.” It was to save the people. And while the beast was their ultimate target, their immediate mission was the extermination of every threat in their path.
Now, Marian’s comment about “calling” them made perfect sense. This was the ancient method of efficient extermination. In a monster-infested zone, you kill a “King” first. Then, you use its blood to lure the swarm. Then you use the swarm’s blood to lure the next wave… and the next.
You keep going until the woods are empty, or you are dead. On that day, the Holy Toil Corps realized their true journey had only just begun.
—
Summary:
Mother Marian and Sister Amelia lead a mixed group called the Holy Toil Corps into the western lands during the monster Stampede. They kill a ‘God-Eater’ serpent and use its blood to intentionally lure a massive swarm of monsters. The chapter reveals the ancient, brutal training and extermination methods of the Demon-Subjugation Church.
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Trivia:
- The God-Eater is naturally cowardly and hides its presence.
- The group is a mix of Holy Capital elites and local town recruits.
- Marian’s group intentionally travels in mixed-gender units to test their abstinence as a form of training.
- The monsters attacking include species not native to the Canaria Kingdom, signaling the severity of the Stampede.
- Marian is deliberately creating a ‘killing field’ by not burning the corpses
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Character Insight:
Marian demonstrates a ruthless efficiency and deep knowledge of ‘ancient’ church traditions that contrast with her playful, teasing exterior. Amelia shows growth in combat but is still grounded in conventional humanitarian logic, which Marian is currently challenging.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Ancient Nun’ concept refers to a period where the Church was more primal and focused on direct demon combat through physical and spiritual trial.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• Marian – A ‘Mother’ and supervisor from the Church of Demon-Subjugation. Her appearance and demeanor defy the Church’s purported ‘chastity,’ instead she has wavy purple long hair, busty, black nun, tear mole under eye, and monroe walk. She has arrived with a clear purpose: to confront Kento about the ‘Devil’s Stick.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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