Chapter 400

While I was bickering with Hersela, Lacey took another sip of holy water, pondered for a moment, and then gave me the Church Order’s own answer to my question.

Is it the Life Force that drives people mad, or do mad people seek the Life Force?

Seeing as I haven’t gone mad yet, I personally think it’s the latter, but Lacey seemed to think differently.

“The cause and effect are reversed… Hmm. I’ve never thought of it that way. But it’s an undeniable fact that Life Force deeply influences a person’s character. According to our Church Order’s experiments—ah, I mean research records—even those who were originally mild and timid gradually became violent as they accumulated Life Force, eventually turning into madmen who ran amok.”

Wait, did she just drop a word I can’t ignore?

Experiments. She definitely said experiments. They researched how Life Force affects human personality.

So, the reason the Church Order knows so much about the power of Life Force is because of human experiments…?

The image I had of priests is slowly crumbling.

Where are those who hate evil, love good, value charity, and serve God with devout hearts?

A Saintess who wants to exterminate all non-humans, and a Church Order that’s been conducting human experiments to build research records.

Of course, they probably didn’t just grab innocent people for experiments, but used captured heretics or something…

Still, seriously.

In any other world, wouldn’t they be labeled as an evil religion instead of the other way around?

“Of course, whether you believe that those with deep Life Force have fallen into sin and become evil, or that their inherently evil nature was merely hidden and revealed by Life Force, is entirely up to you, Sir Median. I can only offer a warning. Does that answer your question?”

Now she’s wrapping it up nicely, but it’s not sinking in at all.

Thanks to my lineage and actions so far, I’ve earned the Church Order’s favor. If not for that, I might’ve been captured and killed long ago because of the depth of Hersela’s Life Force.

Back when I didn’t understand how to use Life Force and relied solely on physical strength, I was strong but not overwhelmingly so.

I might’ve been ambushed, dragged off, and locked in the Church Order’s basement, tortured or turned into an experimental subject.

Looking back, the best decision I made after arriving in this world was to get close to the Church Order’s members.

“Uh… yeah, that answers it. Thanks.”

I got an answer, alright.

The answer that if I show any signs of heresy in front of the Church Order, my life is over.

“That’s a relief. Then, shall we return to the main topic? As I mentioned earlier, we’re visiting the Holy Kingdom as envoys, so they won’t openly antagonize us. At least, there won’t be any public clashes. Of course, I’ll be summoned to a hearing immediately. Unlike me, you might receive an enthusiastic welcome.”

Lacey handed me a cup of holy water, suggesting I hydrate since the conversation was going to be long. The transparent liquid in the pure white teacup shimmered faintly.

…Wouldn’t this taste better if brewed with black tea?

Though Lacey always drinks it plain.

Unlike regular water, black tea is a luxury item, so as a Church Order priest, she probably avoids it.

“A hearing… sounds ominous. They’re not going to nail me to a cross and start whipping me while interrogating me, are they?”

“…The Church Order isn’t that barbaric.”

Lacey gave me a slightly scolding look.

Not barbaric, huh? Yeah, right.

You’re the ones who developed that bizarre interrogation method of opening people’s skulls like pot lids and scooping out their brains repeatedly.

The Church Order folks really need to look at themselves more objectively.

“The hearing is conducted through formal Q&A sessions. It’s similar to a religious trial, but it deals with secular matters rather than doctrinal issues. So, there’s no need to worry about my safety—at least, not during the hearing itself.”

Her tone suggested that things might get dicey after the hearing.

“Therefore, there are three things we need to be wary of. First, failing to answer the hearing’s interrogations and losing the justification for the diocese’s existence. I’ll handle that. Second, ambushes on the way back to our lodgings or at the lodgings themselves. If there are those who want to remove me entirely, they’ll definitely strike then.”

“So, I’ll have to stick close to you. Or at least have a couple of masters as guards.”

I can bring a few from Épée de Ciel.

Ja-han might be tricky, but Nigel, Damien, Leonor, or Milia should be fine.

Wait, Leonor might be a problem. Even if she’s cut ties with her mother, the stigma of being a witch’s descendant won’t disappear, so some might still take issue with that.

“Exactly. You’ll need to be careful. Sir Median’s strength is already widely known across the world. Some say the Empire exaggerated it, but the consensus is that you can handle five or six masters with ease. So, the assassins targeting us will likely avoid direct confrontation and instead use other methods, or prepare forces even you can’t stop.”

“Does the Holy Kingdom even have that kind of strength?”

To beat me in a full-on fight, they’d need at least two hero-level figures.

And since publicly known forces can’t be used as assassins, they’d have to deploy secretly trained forces.

“I don’t know. I doubt it, but… overconfidence and complacency bring disaster.”

True, if Apostles or Demons personally intervene, things could get unpredictable.

One-on-one, I could win, but if the numbers increase, it won’t be easy.

…Though, if things escalate that much, it’s no longer an assassination but a war.

Hiding hero-level battles is impossible.

“So, what’s the third thing?”

If the first threat is public interrogation and the second is covert ambushes, what’s the third?

“Traps, of course. Instead of openly criticizing us or sneaking in to attack, they’ll commit shocking atrocities and pin the blame on us. It’s the most dangerous and deadly method because it’s unpredictable.”

Definitely the most dangerous method.

And the most dangerous method is also the one they’re most likely to choose.

So, in the end, we’re going to a country where we can’t even tell who’s an ally or enemy, searching for clues while dealing with public interrogations, ambushes, and potential traps and false accusations.

Fighting Isabella again might be easier.

“…Should we just not go?”

“It’s a bit late for jokes like that…”

Lacey smiled awkwardly.

She knows how difficult and dangerous this trip to the Holy Kingdom will be.

Maybe she’s even more worried than I am.

But she has no choice but to go.

Neither do I.

—

As I continued talking with her, I lit another cigarette.

This is the third one. Lacey had the window open, but the room was already filled with the scent of mint.

“…Alright. I get what we need to worry about. So, what’s the plan? You’re not going to say that observing the situation is the best plan, are you?”

“That would be the worst plan. It’s completely handing the initiative to the enemy. I have no intention of choosing such a passive and frustrating response.”

Lacey sharply criticized Leopold.

Well, Leopold was a bit frustrating back then. He’s improved since, though.

“Then…?”

“My hearing, your welcome ceremony, and the verification of the twelve knights’ lineage—none of these can be completed in a day. It’ll take quite some time, and during that period, all eyes in the Holy Kingdom will inevitably be on us.”

“Yeah, that’s probably true. So?”

Lacey smiled, pulling up the corner of her mouth.

“So, we’ll make the most of that opportunity. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. The more attention we attract, the easier it’ll be for my Special Operations Unit to infiltrate the enemy. We’ll actively use them and mobilize every means available under Elpinel’s name.”

Her smile was less like a saint’s and more like a high-ranking member of a massive criminal organization.