Ch.409Towards the Next City

Having received Lacy’s orders, Himler said he would visit again next time and leapt out the window.

His movements were as natural as when he entered. So much so that I wondered if he might have been a thief or assassin.

“…I wonder if they’ll be alright.”

There were thirty-nine Special Crusaders spread throughout the Holy State, wasn’t it?

Spreading rumors for Lacy while infiltrating criminal organizations and monitoring the movements of priests—it didn’t seem possible with those numbers.

Their mediocre skills were also concerning.

Except for Vels, a high-ranking Paladin, it seemed they had no Master-level forces.

“Are you worried about failure?”

“More than failure, I’m worried about them dying pointlessly. Knights who haven’t reached Master level die too easily.”

Even simple criminal organizations likely have knight-level fighters, and if an organization is connected to the mastermind, in the worst case, a Master-level villain might appear.

There’s a gap of several years between what I know and now, so I can’t be certain… but in the story after graduating from the academy, some named mobs I occasionally encountered had backstories of originating from the Holy State.

If such individuals are still hiding in the Holy State, the Crusaders would meet a terrible end if their identities were discovered.

“They’ll manage well. They’re all cautious, capable, and more devout than anyone, so I believe Elpinel will guide them.”

Lacy’s eyes held firm trust as she said this.

Whether that trust was in their abilities or an expression of her faith in Elpinel, I couldn’t tell.

“I see… That’s good then.”

I’d like to investigate personally or send my Masters to support them, but our names and numbers would have been recorded when we crossed the border, so we couldn’t split up as we pleased.

Would the churches allow a foreign Master to disappear and roam the Holy State’s territory?

Besides, dividing our numbers might lead to us being picked off one by one, just as they planned.

Six Masters together would be intimidating for assassination or direct confrontation, but one or two Masters isolated in another city would be easy prey for them.

“So, what are you planning now? From how things are going, it doesn’t look like attending the hearing will end well.”

I leaned back deep into the sofa and blew cigarette smoke toward the ceiling.

If we arrived in Alhebron and attended the hearing in our current state, we’d likely be arrested on various charges before the next morning.

If things went that far, all I could do would be to knock down any church members who stood in my way and rescue Lacy.

Excommunication would be inevitable, and I’d probably be designated as a first-class church enemy.

All the priests and Paladins of the Holy State would come after me.

They wouldn’t stop until they were killed, armed with religious fervor that no threats could deter.

I wouldn’t lose unless I faced them all head-on… but destroying the Holy State’s forces would be an irreversible and massive loss for all humanity.

If the clergy were wiped out, we’d have to face waves of monsters later without healers, buffers, or even counter-dealers.

“First, I need to meet Cardinal Drexler.”

“Drexler?”

“The Cardinal of our church. Even if other Cardinals refuse, he won’t reject my request for an audience. I plan to get some permissions from him.”

Lacy took a sip of the wine Leonore had left and explained her detailed plan.

To successfully complete the hearing, or at least get it temporarily suspended, cooperation from other churches was inevitable.

We needed to bring at least one of the three factions, excluding the Elpinel faction, to our side to get even a postponement.

“I’ll have to give up a lot… but I need to create an opportunity to move first.”

However, the problem was that even if she wanted to negotiate with other churches, she had no authority as a demoted priest.

So she planned to visit the Cardinal first to get permission for this.

“What if this Drexler doesn’t give permission? He might blame you for the Elpinel Church ending up like this.”

That’s what I would think.

It’s also a criticism that’s half true when you consider it.

“…Both the Cardinal and I represent Elpinel’s will, so if our opinions differ, we must ask Elpinel who is right.”

“Could you explain more specifically? Are you saying an answer will come if you pray?”

I heard it wasn’t easy for gods to send their voices to the mortal realm.

Lacy had said she’d never received a divine revelation either.

So what, is she expecting a cross to fall from the sky like before?

“Elpinel conveys His will through signs, not voices. So, we must create situations where His will can unfold. To be specific… it’s called the Proof of Purity.”

“No, that’s still not specific at all. What’s the Proof of Purity?”

Is it proven by crying?

She’s not a gun-wielding vampire, and I don’t see how that would prove who’s right.

“It’s our church’s time-honored conflict resolution method. We place holy fire on each other’s left arms and gradually increase the area. The one who can’t endure surrenders—a simple yet definitive method.”

“What…?”

It was an insane chicken race.

Setting arms on fire to see who lasts longer—trial by combat would be more rational.

“The heat of holy fire reflects one’s sins. While sin can’t be separated from a person’s life, the weight of sin varies for each person. If opinions conflict between someone with heavy sins and someone with light sins, following the latter’s will would be closer to Elpinel’s intention.”

“I see…”

From my perspective, if she asked Cardinal Drexler to do this, he’d probably agree to anything short of handing over the entire church.

A man over seventy, especially one who had risen to a high position and lived a peaceful life, wouldn’t want to endure the torture of setting his arm on fire.

It’s essentially threatening him with holy fire.

“Can’t you make other Cardinals submit with this too?”

“…That would be difficult. They don’t serve Elpinel, so they wouldn’t accept a method where right and wrong are determined by Elpinel’s holy fire.”

Lacy shook her head.

That makes sense.

To members of the Elpinel Church, Elpinel’s will is like truth, but to other churches, it’s just a religious person torturing themselves with fire.

“So, what authority are you trying to get? Which church do you want to negotiate with, and how?”

“I think—”

Lacy continued with a detailed explanation.

The authorities she needed from the Cardinal for negotiations, the names of churches suitable for underground agreements, and what she would offer in exchange for their protection at the hearing.

“Hmm… that sounds good. Honestly, I’m surprised. I didn’t expect you’d go that far.”

I laughed as I brushed cigarette ash off the back of my hand.

I was so surprised by her plan, which far exceeded my expectations, that I hadn’t even noticed the ash falling.

“To eradicate evil, this much is nothing.”

Lacy made the sign of the cross with a devout attitude.

—-

The next day, we left Nasiriya early in the morning and headed toward Alhebron, the capital of the Holy State.

The slaughter of twenty-five back-alley thugs didn’t even become a topic of interest—not a single city resident mentioned it.

No clergy came to investigate the murders either.

These people truly don’t care at all about what happens in the back alleys.

Or perhaps they know but ignore it. After all, the slaughter of thugs isn’t a bad thing for the city.

“If we continue straight, we’ll pass through Holon on the way.”

“Holon. That’s governed by the Church of Menes and the Church of Ausrine, right? What kind of place is it?”

Drugs are rampant in the back alleys there.

“It’s a city where the Church of Menes has strong influence. It’s full of energy during the day and solemnity at night. It’s famous for holding a big festival once a month when the full moon rises… but given our schedule, we won’t be able to see the festival.”

A festival. I’m curious, but the full moon is still ten days away, so it can’t be helped.

Millia will be disappointed.

Still, having Holon on our route to the capital was quite welcome.

Both Lacy and I had some business with the Church of Menes.

It might be good to meet them before reaching Alhebron.