Ch.392Clark (1)

The investigation of the underground temple is currently almost exclusively controlled by the Empire of Minerva.

Rina informed me that other countries are busy with their own problems, and there’s a risk that secrets—specifically, the success of the summoning ritual—could be leaked.

Since this is a truth that must be kept hidden for now, they’re only receiving minimal support from the Empire of Minerva and the Papal Kingdom of Sabre.

This secret is known only to a select few; even within the Empire of Minerva, only the imperial family and I know about it.

The same goes for Sabre. Unlike the Empire of Minerva, Sabre has dispatched only a small number of personnel, so hardly anyone knows.

Even those who do know understand the gravity of the situation and won’t speak carelessly about it.

Above all, Rina said she would gather the leaders to discuss this matter, so an official announcement should be coming soon.

“Lady Luminus told you to go?”

“Yes.”

That’s why I found it somewhat puzzling that Kate was going. Since Luminus ordered it, there was nothing to be done, but I wondered if something was happening.

“What did Lady Luminus say?”

“She told me to escort a distinguished guest from there.”

“A distinguished guest? Did she really say ‘distinguished guest’?”

“Yes.”

I opened my eyes wide. For Luminus to refer to someone as a distinguished guest meant it was extremely important.

What could be happening at the temple that required Kate to personally escort someone? I’m a bit curious.

It wouldn’t be bad to go along, as I could also retrieve Grandfather—that is, Clark’s—remains that might be resting in the temple.

“If I could go with you…”

“Absolutely not.”

When I cautiously asked, I received a sharp answer. For reference, that response came not from Kate but from Adelia beside her.

Adelia looked at me as if I were a naive child after hearing my question. Her gaze conveyed absolute refusal.

Well, the distance from the dormitory to the underground temple is far, and with only a minimal investigation team dispatched, there are hardly any high-level personnel available.

In other words, we would have to use a carriage, which would greatly increase the probability of being attacked.

I had the feeling that no amount of persuasion would work, so I reluctantly nodded.

“Alright. Then, Kate, may I ask one favor?”

“What favor?”

“If at the temple…”

I slowly explained based on what I had seen in my dream. First about Clark.

Whether Clark’s remains were really in the underground temple as in my dream, and if so, whether they could be retrieved, and so on.

I had already mentioned this to Father, but he was just surprised and didn’t seem to believe it much.

That’s understandable since he said he had never heard such a story before.

He trained Father harshly just so he wouldn’t die somewhere out there.

Even I’m not entirely convinced of the situation, which is why I’m asking Kate for this favor.

“…Your grandfather is resting in the temple, Issac?”

Kate’s eyes widened in surprise as soon as she heard my story. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her so surprised.

But as I mentioned earlier, it’s not certain. It could just be a random dream from my imagination.

Even if it is just a dream, it’s fine because it adds interesting material for my writing. This is just for confirmation.

I don’t know why Clark never told Father the truth, or how he discovered the existence of the underground temple, but I’ll find out soon enough.

When he cast the sorcery, he left a message saying he would come here directly. I have no idea in what form he’ll come, but we have Ariel.

She can see souls, so if Clark comes here, she’ll give us a signal first.

“It’s not certain. I only saw it in a dream. So I’d like to ask you to check it out.”

“I understand. Perhaps it’s a revelation from the gods.”

“A revelation…”

If I had to guess, it’s highly likely that it was from when I first crossed over to this world.

The summoning itself succeeded, but an unexpected soul crossed over, and perhaps he watched the situation in that state.

I’m not sure if this should be called a revelation, but it doesn’t matter much if we can find out Clark’s whereabouts.

“Maybe it is. Anyway, is it possible? Please don’t just bring the remains without checking thoroughly and let me know. There could be unnecessary conflicts.”

“Of course. But to think your grandfather also fought demon worshippers. Perhaps Lord Hawk also…”

Kate’s voice trailed off suggestively. She’s probably asking if our father also had experience in extensively eradicating demon worshippers.

She seems to think that hunting demon worshippers is a mission unique to our family, passed down from our ancestors.

Honestly, she can’t help but think that way. Even I have greatly contributed to crushing demon worshippers.

To this, I shook my head from side to side, directly denying her assumption.

“No. My father said he hadn’t heard anything about it. If my grandfather really rests there, the mission probably ended with him.”

“It seems there’s quite a complicated story behind this.”

“I’d like to investigate directly, but the situation doesn’t allow it. First, we need to confirm if my grandfather is really there.”

According to my dream, Clark abandoned the hero’s mission himself. Whether it was due to severe pressure or a sense of powerlessness, no one knows.

Also, for whatever reason, Father has never been directly harmed by demon worshippers.

This is especially surprising considering his red hair would make him stand out wherever he goes. This applies not just to Father but to our entire family.

They fought fiercely against barbarian beastmen at the border, suffering physically and mentally, but ultimately gained glorious honor.

There was no “mission” inherited from previous generations, which contrasts with Clark, who closed his eyes in loneliness.

“I understand. If it’s confirmed he’s there, what will you do? I’m curious if you’ll reveal his deeds to everyone.”

“First, I’ll write a similar story in a book. I’m not sure if my grandfather really did those things, but there are many heroes who have passed through the world.”

I’ll also add plausibility to Xenon’s heroic deeds, expressing it as a will that continues even after death.

However, it’s just a motif; I don’t plan to fully capture his story but will fictionalize it to some extent.

“A hero who passed through… I’m sure it will turn out as you wish, Issac.”

At my words, Kate smiled brightly, then quietly closed her eyes and made the sign of the cross. Even just making the sign of the cross conveys a sense of reverence.

I could roughly guess what she was thinking and gave a bitter smile.

Unlike others, Kate will assign all sorts of meanings to whatever I say, so there’s no use in saying anything more.

“By the way, can communication orbs reach that far?”

“No. The entrance to the underground temple is deep in the mountains, so most communications won’t reach.”

“What about teleportation?”

“Since it’s not an official visit, permission won’t be granted. We’ll probably have to use carrier pigeons.”

“Carrier pigeons?”

I made a puzzled expression at the mention of carrier pigeons. As you know, carrier pigeons are a communication method that uses the homing instinct of pigeons.

However, they require considerable time and cost, and even capturing the birds is a challenge. If there’s anywhere that still uses them, it would be the military.

Even the military nowadays uses teleportation for important items. With teleportation being overwhelmingly superior in speed, security, and effective range, carrier pigeons have naturally disappeared.

Therefore, they are rarely used nowadays unless for special occasions. That’s why I was puzzled.

“Yes. The Church has trained carrier pigeons for emergencies. They were trained for worst-case scenarios, but since even teleportation is difficult at the underground temple…”

“I see. Who receives the letters?”

“Normally I would receive them, but since I’ll be gone from today, the Church will deliver them. I’d like to send them to your dormitory, but demon worshippers might exploit that.”

How thorough. I nodded at Kate’s explanation.

I hadn’t even thought about carrier pigeons, but they might be useful later if not now.

“Can I see one? I’ve never seen a carrier pigeon before.”

“Of course. Please wait a moment.”

Kate said this and briefly left her seat. The carrier pigeon was in her room, so it wouldn’t take long.

And not long after, she returned. She had a pigeon with fluffy, snow-white feathers perched on her hand.

Despite its snow-white body, its eyes shone golden, giving it an appearance worthy of legend.

“Wow. It’s really beautiful. Is this really a pigeon?”

“Yes. It’s a pigeon raised with plenty of the Church’s holy power.”

“Coo coo coo.”

Flutter-

As soon as Kate finished speaking, the pigeon flapped its wings vigorously. I flinched greatly at the pigeon’s sudden action.

However, the pigeon merely settled gently on my shoulder and took no further action.

No, it started pecking my cheek a few times with its beak and rubbing its face against mine, as if showing affection.

“Coo coo coo!”

“Uh…”

“Coo coo! Coo!”

Could this be because of the pure blessing I received from Hirt? That’s highly likely, seeing how it shows such affection despite meeting me for the first time.

The pure blessing is close to divine power, making animals and plants love you. Except for those classified as monsters.

I looked at the pigeon rubbing its face against mine and gently stroked its head with my finger. The pigeon then came even closer to me and cooed cutely.

“Coo!”

“It’s cute. Does it have a name?”

“…”

Even though I asked while stroking its head, Kate gave no answer. She just stared at the carrier pigeon with a strange gaze.

Her expression was also unusual, with her lips pressed into a straight line, showing no emotion.

Kate rarely makes such expressions, and just as I was starting to feel a chill, she muttered in a small voice.

“…I’m jealous.”

“Um… Kate?”

“I want to be like that soon too…”

How much desire must she have accumulated to be envious of an animal?

******

Around the same time. At the underground temple where chaos had erupted.

[…I’m telling you. I didn’t even hurt you. Even though I look like this, my reason is intact. I’m not the Father of All Things but a being permitted by Lord Hirt. Understand?]

“Ugh…!”

[Well, I can understand you. But what can I do? My son wants to bury my remains. This is the only way.]

The temple has now entered a lull. The personnel dispatched to the investigation team were elite and indeed strong.

Clark was just stronger. In life, he not only slaughtered all the top officials of the demon worshippers but also disrupted the summoning ritual.

If you think about it, he had power equal to or greater than an elf warchief, so it’s natural that the investigation team was helplessly subdued.

[Hey. Is it hard?]

Clark poked the knight below him and asked. The knight, who was currently being used as a chair, was humiliatingly sprawled face down.

In response, the knight trembled but gave no answer. Only the sound of grinding teeth could be heard intermittently.

Clark clicked his tongue at the knight’s determination, which could be called either tenacity or stubbornness.

[Knights are the same no matter the era. Uselessly stubborn.]

“That confidence… won’t last long…!”

[Yes, yes. Believe it or not, it’s up to you.]

Currently, the investigation team that Clark had completely subdued was unconscious in the vicinity. It looked like a massacre scene to anyone who saw it.

However, he had knocked them out one by one through overwhelming power difference, so not a single person had died.

Even the knight currently being used as a chair caught Clark’s eye because he had resisted until the end.

It could be said that he was unlucky in many ways, but the knight judged that this was better and continued to endure.

If he just held out, his colleagues who had escaped would bring reinforcements. With that mindset, he gritted his teeth.

“Ugh… hng…”

[You’re exaggerating. I’m just bones now, so I should be light.]

That’s not exaggerating. It’s fucking heavy, I feel like I’m going to die. That’s the knight’s inner thought.

It’s true that he’s just bones, but even those bones boast tremendous weight. Plus, he’s wearing the armor he wore in life.

Completely unaware of this fact, Clark thought of the knight as just a weak guy and was enjoying his leisure.

He’d like to just leave, but with the situation as it is, he can’t move carelessly.

If he went out recklessly, he’d be easily mistaken for a monster, and in the worst case, the Empire might bring an army.

So for now, he has no choice but to wait until someone he can talk to arrives.

Rustle- Rustle-

Clark habitually rummaged through his pants pocket. However, there was nothing in his already tattered and worn pants pocket.

At this, he clicked his tongue and looked at the knight beneath him.

[Hey. Do you… no, never mind.]

Clark shook his head. Then he looked around.

[Hey. You there.]

“…”

[I know you’re awake, so answer me.]

“Y-Yes!”

When Clark asked in a threatening voice, a man raised his head from among the people.

He was one of the archaeologists who had been analyzing and researching Clark’s remains before the incident.

Originally, he had planned to pretend to be unconscious until the situation was over, but somehow Clark had already noticed that he had regained consciousness.

To this, Clark looked at the archaeologist and asked in a serious voice.

[Do you happen to have any cigarettes?]

“Ciga… rettes?”

[Yes. Cigarettes.]

Clark suddenly asking for cigarettes. While the archaeologist was bewildered, Clark spoke with deep regret.

[I missed not having cigarettes before I died too.]

“…”

[Ah. Should I ask my grandson to put it in the book? Taking one good drag of a cigarette right before death. How cool would that be!]

Something is seriously off about this skeleton. The archaeologist couldn’t help but think so.