Chapter 409

After receiving Lacey’s orders, Himler left a message saying he would visit again and then leaped out the window. His movements were as natural as when he entered, making one wonder if he wasn’t a former thief or assassin.

“…I wonder if they’ll be okay.”

There are said to be thirty-nine members of the Special Operations Unit spread across the Holy Kingdom. They have to spread rumors for Lacey while infiltrating criminal organizations and monitoring the movements of priests. It doesn’t seem like a task possible with such a small number.

Their mediocre skills are also a concern. Except for Bels, a high-ranking paladin, there doesn’t seem to be any master-level fighters.

“Are you worried about failure?”

“More like worried about them dying pointlessly. Knights who haven’t reached master-level die too easily.”

Even simple criminal organizations are likely to have knight-level fighters, and if the organization is connected to a shadowy force, there’s a chance a master-level villain might appear. I can’t be sure since there’s a gap of a few years from what I know, but some named enemies I occasionally encountered after graduating from the academy were originally from the Holy Kingdom.

If such individuals are still hiding in the Holy Kingdom, the members of the Sacred Order will face a brutal end if their identities are exposed.

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

Lacey’s eyes were filled with unwavering trust. Whether it was trust in their abilities or faith in Elpinel, I couldn’t tell.

“If you say so… Then that’s good.”

I’d prefer to investigate myself or send my own master-level fighters for support, but our group’s names and numbers were likely known the moment we crossed the border, so I couldn’t just scatter them around. The church orders wouldn’t allow foreign masters to roam the Holy Kingdom’s territory unnoticed.

Moreover, splitting our numbers might lead to us being picked off one by one. Six masters together would be a deterrent against assassination or open combat, but one or two isolated in another city would be easy prey.

“So, what’s the plan now? Judging by how things are going, it doesn’t seem like attending the hearing will end well.”

I leaned back deeply into the sofa and blew cigarette smoke toward the ceiling. In our current state, arriving in Alhebron and attending the hearing would likely result in being charged with all sorts of crimes and arrested before dawn.

If things go that far, the only thing I can do is take down the church members blocking the way and rescue Lacey.

Excommunication would be inevitable, and I’d probably be labeled a first-class heretic. Every priest and paladin in the Holy Kingdom would come after me.

They wouldn’t stop until I’m dead, driven by religious fervor that no threat could deter. I wouldn’t lose in a direct confrontation with all of them, but depleting the Holy Kingdom’s strength would be an irreparable loss for humanity.

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

“First, we need to meet Cardinal Drexler.”

“Drexler?”

“He’s a cardinal of our church order. Unlike other cardinals, he won’t refuse my request for an audience. I plan to meet him and get permission for certain authorities.”

Lacey took a sip of the wine Leonor left behind and explained the detailed plan.

To safely conclude the hearing or at least get it postponed, cooperation from other church orders was inevitable. We’d need to pull at least one of the three factions, excluding the Elpinel faction, to our side to gain some reprieve.

“We’ll have to give up a lot, but we need to create an opportunity to act first.”

However, the problem was that in her current state of being demoted to a regular priest, Lacey didn’t have the authority to negotiate with other church orders. That’s why she planned to seek permission from the cardinal first.

“What if Drexler doesn’t agree? He might blame you for the Elpinel Church Order’s current state.”

If it were me, I’d think that way. Half of that blame would be true.

“…Both the cardinal and I are representatives of Elpinel’s will. If our opinions differ, we’ll have to ask Elpinel who is right.”

“Can you explain more concretely? Do you expect an answer if you pray?”

I’ve heard it’s not easy for gods to convey their voices to the mortal realm. Lacey also said she’s never received an oracle.

So, are we expecting a cross to fall from the sky like before?

“Elpinel conveys her will through signs, not voices. So, we must create a situation where her will can manifest. To put it concretely… it’s a proof of purity.”

“Still not very concrete. What’s a proof of purity?”

Do you prove it by crying? It’s not like we’re dealing with a gun-toting vampire; that doesn’t seem like it would prove who’s right.

“It’s an ancient conflict resolution method of our church order. We light a sacred flame on each other’s left arms and gradually expand the area. The one who can’t endure concedes. It’s a simple yet certain method.”

“What…?”

This is some insane chicken race. Setting fire to arms and seeing who lasts longer? A duel trial would be more reasonable.

“The heat of the sacred flame reflects one’s sins. While no one can be free from sin in their lifetime, the weight of those sins varies. If the opinions of someone heavily burdened by sin clash with someone lightly burdened, following the latter’s will would be closer to Elpinel’s intent.”

“If you say so…”

From my perspective, if Lacey asks Cardinal Drexler to do this, he’d agree to anything short of handing over the entire church order.

A man in his seventies, living a comfortable life in a high position, wouldn’t want to endure the torture of setting his arm on fire. It’s practically blackmail with a sacred flame.

“Can’t you use that to make other cardinals concede?”

“…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 sacred flame.”

Lacey shook her head.

Well, that makes sense. To the Elpinel Church Order, Elpinel’s will is the truth, but to other orders, it’s just a follower of a religion they don’t serve setting them on fire.

“So, what authority are you planning to get? Which church order are you planning to negotiate with, and how?”

“In my opinion—”

Lacey continued with a detailed explanation.

The authorities she needed to obtain from the cardinal and the church order suitable for a secret agreement. What she would offer in exchange for their support during the hearing.

“Hmm… Okay. That sounds good. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised. I didn’t expect you to go that far.”

I brushed the cigarette ash off my hand and let out a hollow laugh. The plan far exceeded my expectations, so much so that I didn’t even notice the ash falling on my hand.

“For the sake of eradicating evil, this is nothing.”

Lacey made a reverent sign of the cross.

—

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

The fact that twenty-five back-alley thugs had been turned into minced meat didn’t even become a topic of interest. Not a single city resident talked about it, and no priests came to investigate the murders.

These people really don’t care at all about what happens in the back alleys. Maybe they know but choose to ignore it. After all, thugs being slaughtered isn’t a bad thing for the city.

“If we keep going, we’ll pass through Holon.”

“Holon, huh? The Menes Church Order and the Ausrine Church Order govern it, right? What’s it like?”

Drugs are rampant in the back alleys.

“It’s a city with strong influence from the Menes Church Order. It’s full of energy during the day and solemn at night. It’s famous for a big festival held once a month on the full moon, but… we won’t have time to see it.”

A festival, huh? I’m curious, but the full moon is still ten days away, so there’s no helping it. Milia will be disappointed.

Still, having Holon on the way to the capital is a welcome thing. Both Lacey and I have some business with the Menes Church Order.

Meeting them before arriving in Alhebron wouldn’t be a bad idea.