Ch.545I Met a Ghost

“I’m back.”

I announced my arrival while dusting off my shoulder and forearm with my right hand.

Grayish stone dust and dirt fell in a shower. My entire body was covered in powder that had clung to me from wandering through centuries-old dust pits. Like a pet dog that hadn’t bathed in years.

“Ah, you’ve returned safely. I was worried since you were later than expected, but I’m relieved.”

Lacy, who had been discussing the future management of the Holy State with the cardinals, excused herself from them and approached me as soon as I returned.

Her concern seemed genuine, with faint relief mixing in her gently curved eyes.

I was later than expected. I had considered the possibility of Rotholandus’s soul appearing, but I hadn’t anticipated him going on such a long speech.

“I heard occasional loud noises. Did something happen inside?”

“Loud noises…? Ah, that. There was something like a guardian protecting the mausoleum. Some kind of metal giant… It was noisy because I had to destroy it.”

There’s no need to explain in detail about the Colossus or whatever. It’s just a pile of broken metal now anyway. Even if the dwarves tried to repair it themselves, it would be faster to make a new one than restore it.

[Aren’t you omitting the most important part? The story of how you jumped like a rabbit when startled by the broken machine.]

…Why would I mention that? It’s embarrassing just thinking about it.

“A guardian… There were no records of such an entity being stored there. It could have been dangerous. Thank goodness you came after recovering your strength somewhat.”

Lacy sighed with relief. As if she was truly glad I wasn’t hurt.

“Uh… I guess so…?”

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. She seems to think I went through some fierce battle…

[I guess so indeed. You’re such a liar. In reality, you just took out your frustration on a motionless piece of metal.]

Hersella giggled, mocking my disgraceful behavior once again.

‘…….’

How long is she planning to tease me, seriously.

I muttered an inaudible complaint while exhaling a long breath like a sigh.

Why on earth is everyone around me so eager to make fun of me? Maybe I should discipline them sometime?

—-

“The blessing of fire immunity… Indeed, there were legends that Rotholandus walked through storms of swords and arrows as if taking a stroll.”

Lacy seemed very curious about the internal structure of the mausoleum and what had happened there, but I postponed detailed explanations and only told her about receiving the blessing that protects the body.

I thought that stories about meeting something like a ghost of one of the Great’s Twelve Knights, or the information he shared about the Holy Grail, weren’t appropriate to bring up in front of the cardinals.

After all, it meant that their inability to hear God’s voice, the rarity of saint appearances, and the weakening of paladins and priests were all due to the unilateral actions of Carlos the Great and his Twelve Knights.

It might be difficult for them to accept positively.

So rather than telling everything I heard verbatim, it seemed much better to explain it separately to Lacy first, then let her filter what parts should be shared with them.

“It seems that defeating the guardian and inheriting the ancestor’s blessing was a ritual to be officially recognized as a successor to the Twelve Knights. I should document this.”

When I demonstrated the fire immunity blessing by cutting my arm, Lacy stared at it intently with sparkling eyes, like a middle schooler watching an adult video for the first time. She looked ready to grab a dagger and try cutting me herself.

The cardinals were equally impressed.

“A protective blessing that prevents injury. For Lord Median, it’s like adding wings to a tiger.”

“Physical abilities rivaling pure-blooded werebeasts. Defensive capabilities like a dragonborn’s scales. And on top of that, human karma and skills. Who in the world could compare to you, my lord? This is truly a blessing for humanity.”

“Hmm… remarkable.”

They all nodded and offered words of praise. Though it meant little to me.

Who in the world could compare to me?

For now, that might be true.

As for the future… who knows. It’s up to me, I suppose.

Unlike my indifferent expression, Lacy seemed pleased with the cardinals’ admiration. She nodded, clutching the holy symbol at her chest, and declared before them:

“With this, the ritual of proof is concluded. In the names of Elpinel, Astraea, Imela, Ausrine, Vimos, and Menes, I recognize Lord Median as the successor to Sir Rotholandus of the Twelve Knights. Does anyone object?”

There was no reason for objection.

The four cardinals expressed their agreement without a moment’s hesitation. Including the cardinal from the Church of Vimos, whose allegiance was unclear.

Whether this was due to the impact of witnessing the mausoleum of the Twelve Knights opening by itself, or because the Church of Elpinel had regained its position as the leading faction in the Holy State, I couldn’t tell.

…Perhaps they figured that opposing would only add one more corpse to this mausoleum. After all, the number of cardinals Lacy had buried amounted to about half of them.

Honestly, she could rightfully be called a cardinal killer given the numbers.

—-

Anyway, that’s how I “officially” became a successor to the Twelve Knights.

Not just a descendant by blood, but the only heir who inherited both the blessing and relics of the Twelve Knights intact.

“…I’ve been thinking, isn’t it pointless to announce this now?”

I expressed my sudden doubt to Lacy.

The fact that I was a descendant of the Twelve Knights was treated as established even before any announcement, and even if I wanted to use my successor status, I had already completed everything I needed to do in the Holy State.

It seemed like nothing would change by making it official now.

“It’s not meaningless. While the practical benefits may not be great, it will make it easier to handle many matters that require justification.”

“For example?”

“Well… issues like the governance rights of Arad.”

Lacy took a sip from her teacup on the desk to moisten her throat, then explained the details to me.

Arad, the city I had declared occupied as Ka’har, still had its official governance rights in an ambiguous state.

Recognizing my declaration of occupation would be an outrageous act under Holy State law, but denying it would mean showing hostility toward Lacy and me.

In reality, the city was nothing but a burden to Lacy.

It was difficult to return it to the Church of Astraea, awkward to hand it over to another church, and completely abandoning it would only benefit the Church of Kranus, which caused strong resistance.

“However, now that Lord Median has been publicly declared a successor to the Twelve Knights, we can simply discuss with Cardinal Ernliter about dedicating Arad to Sir Rotholandus. It would be perfectly natural by our country’s standards for you, as Rotholandus’s successor, to govern a city dedicated to him.”

“Does it work like that?”

“Yes. It’s an indisputable and solid justification. Moreover, beyond the Arad issue, many matters requiring justification can be resolved simply by stating ‘the successor to the Twelve Knights desires it.'”

“Hmm.”

So it helps in many ways. Though it helps Lacy more than me.

…Well, that’s fine. Lacy’s benefit is my benefit too.

I smiled slightly and nodded to indicate I understood her explanation.

“If your question has been answered… can you tell me now?”

Lacy smiled gently as she put down her teacup and sat on the sofa across from me.

“I’d like you to explain in detail what happened in Sir Rotholandus’s tomb, the truth you couldn’t mention in front of the cardinals. To be honest, it was almost unbearable to contain my curiosity on the way back.”

I figured as much. Lacy holds strong admiration for Carlos and the Twelve Knights. Of course she would be excited about stories related to them.

“Right, where should I begin…”

I pulled the ashtray from the corner of the table in front of me, lit a cigarette, and began my story.

“I met the soul of Rotholandus, one of the Twelve Knights, there.”

My opening statement must have been more shocking than expected, as Lacy’s eyes widened like saucers as she prepared to listen to my story.

—-

I told Lacy the story that Rotholandus had shared with me.

The world that Carlos and the Twelve Knights had dreamed of.

The Heaven’s Wall plan directed by Elpinel.

The golden cup containing God’s power.

The unfinished seventh Holy Grail.

The crumbling Heaven’s Wall and Rotholandus’s warning.

I relayed his story exactly as he had told it to me.

Except for the fact that those who hindered Carlos and drove him to decline were Ka’har, including the “Death of Heaven” and other sorcerers.

There was no point in mixing in lies beyond that. If Perlien, who would someday return to the Holy City, went through the same process and met his ancestor, it would be immediately exposed.

“So, do you have any confidential information about the Holy Grail? Like how it was originally stored, how it was stolen, or the identity of the thief who took it. Anything you know would be helpful.”

“……”

Lacy didn’t answer. Or rather, she couldn’t answer.

The story was perhaps too shocking and grand for her to process. She just sat there with a blank face and open mouth.