CH 57

I ignored the frozen Bishop Andrei and quickly dismissed the cluster of lights overhead. He stared unblinkingly into the void above my head for a long time after the halo was gone. The soup before me began to cool when he regained his senses.

“I hope I’m not seeing things.”

I shook my head.

“You saw correctly. I have passed the trial of the crown, and I have gained its power. Though the vessel of the crown is shattered, its mark remains above my head.”

I pointed my index finger at the top of my now-empty head. Bishop Andrei clasped his hands together, making a sound that was a mixture of exclamation and surprise as if still in disbelief.

“It was a very, very holy sight. Any devout Puritan would have the same reaction. You looked like one of the apostles of the God of old. I’m surprised by how much you’ve grown.”

The Bishop closed the box and set it aside. The fact that the crown was now broken didn’t bother him much. His attention was focused solely on my head.

“When you said you knew something about the Disaster, did it have anything to do with the power of the crown?”

His question was precisely what I needed him to say.

“Yes. I didn’t see it completely, but I got a glimpse of the Disaster.”

Since he said no one had ever successfully used the crown before me, it would be good to exaggerate some of its capabilities.

(Good thinking.)

I couldn’t tell if she told me in admiration or disgust. The crown has given me a vision of the Giant, so it wouldn’t be a lie to say that it’s given me information on the Disasters. Meanwhile, the Bishop’s brow furrows with concern.

“That said, the broken crown will cause a fuss since the Holy Land had been clear that Holy Relic was loaned to the Hero, not given….”

Bishop Andrei exhaled with a sigh. His gnarled fingers tapped his temples as if trying to extract a thought.

“I don’t see any way to get the relic’s power back, and the truth is that the Holy Land valued its historical value more than its actual power. If the body of the crown had been intact, I could clear up the trouble. However, it now seems like a cheap imitation.”

Bishop Andrei straightened up, placing a hand on his collar.

“I don’t think now is the right time to discuss this, so would you like to move on to the next topic?”

When I nodded, the Bishop drank water and cleared his throat. As I waited, half interested, half worried, he turned to Marianne and opened his mouth.

“To cut to the chase, I’d like to bring Marianne back for a while.”

It was an unexpected request. I blinked and turned to Marianne beside me. Her eyebrows twitched in slight surprise, but she didn’t react otherwise.

“Why?”

I asked innocently, though I was almost sure it was the work of an inquisitor.

“Something quite disturbing has happened to the Holy Land, though I don’t think it’s unique to us…”

“What’s going on?”

Suddenly, the pressure in the room increased. It grew in intensity, then settled heavily. It was not the atmosphere of someone preparing to fight. ‘This is the true power of Andrei Jarvin.’

“Before I explain what’s happening, I should reveal my true affiliation.”

Bishop Andrei glanced around, then released a burst of mana. It formed a barrier that functioned to block out sound and movement.

“As deeply rooted as the Holy Land is, there can never be only one kind of faith, for the gods no longer appear before men, and so even within the Holy Land, there are many branches, each with their own interpretations of the teachings left behind by the gods and saints.”

He stretched out his fingers and traced the shape of a tree trunk stretching across the table.

“But among them, there are always those who fall into strange places. Apostasy is not punishable… but those who follow heretical teachings are a different story.”

Bishop Andrei’s voice was as cold as the Giant’s winter.

“Those who founded denominations not recognized by the main body of the Church. Those who follow them and preach strange beliefs. Those who lure the unsuspecting and lead them astray. Those who deny gods and myths to blind the eyes of the world.”

The room’s temperature seemed to drop as he spoke of the sins of heresy, one by one.

“Marianne and I hold the title of Inquisitors to dispose of them. You’ve probably heard of us; we work covertly for the Puritans.”

“Dispose of…”

“It is our primary duty to capture and interrogate those who have fallen under the spell of the heretics and bring them to trial before the Holy Land. However, that rarely happens.”

As he spoke, the scent of blood grew thicker. I looked into the Bishop’s eyes. His cold, unsmiling face said evenly as he told me his mission.

“You mean there’s been a case of heresy?”

“Yes. I’ve been working hard to nip them in the bud, but they’re like cockroaches in the kitchen. You can catch them and catch them and catch them and catch them, but they just crawl out from somewhere.”

Bishop Andrei stabbed his salad with his fork. The cabbage crunched under it.

“Hero, have you ever heard of the doomsday cults?”

I frowned and shook my head. Doomsday cult, I’d never heard something so distasteful, not even in the original. I wondered if it hadn’t made it into the original because Arjen was pretending to be a member of the Holy Land.

“Yeah, well, they’re very stealthy and patient. It would be strange to know.”

The Bishop took a long breath and draped his fork over his plate.

“Just as the Holy Land splits into various denominations, so do doomsday cults consist of those who worship the Disasters and catastrophe for various reasons.”

The Bishop extended his left hand and pointed his fingers one by one.

“Those who wish for the end of the world, those who are mesmerized by the sheer power of catastrophe, those who hate the Puritans, those who are mindless criminals… But the worst of them all….”

He curled his fingers into a tight fist.

“Are the worshippers of the evil gods in the Age of Myth.”

Bishop Andre’s voice was wrapped in cold anger.

“The way they gaze upon mythology is nothing like ours. They interpret the myths and see the world through the eyes of an evil god who sought to destroy the world, to engulf it in chaotic darkness. They’ve been around since the time of the myths, and they’re ancient and cruel.”

I glanced at Marianne, who, like Bishop Andrei, had a stone-cold expression.

“The evil gods have all died in the Age of Myth, but their wishes are still rooted in this world, and the form in which they have sprouted is the Disasters.”

Bishop Andrei clenched his rosary and released it. His demeanor changed, a little calmer.

“We’ve caught the Doomsday Cult in the act this time, and the Pope has given us orders to act. As head of the Inquisitors, I will soon launch a major purge.”

He turned to Marianne.

“As you saw, Marianne is one of our strongest Inquisitors. She’s a great asset to us and will play an important role in rounding up the heretics.”

I looked at Marianne, her expression steadfast yet wavering simultaneously. Her mouth was set, but her eyes were cold and confused.

“So, I hope you will allow her to return, if only for a moment, Hero.”

I narrowed my brow. Of course, for something like that, I could grant permission. But the look on Marianne’s face when she heard the Bishop’s request for her return prevented me from opening my mouth. After spending almost every waking hour in her presence, I can now see the subtle changes in her expression.

“…I can’t give you an answer right away. She’s part of our party now, and as I said, we don’t know when or where we’ll be needed.”

I gave a vague answer.

“It shouldn’t take long, it should be over before winter sets in, and we will be staying within the kingdom, so we should be able to return quickly if she is needed.”

“There’s too little information for me to decide right now, so give me some time to think about it.”

It was complicated. If Marianne’s powers were needed, and the chance of them succeeding with her absence was high, then I would have no choice but to let her go. Otherwise, my last resort was to bring the whole party to help. Bishop Andrei shook his head slightly, understanding my answer.

“Marianne, what do you think?”

“…I, uh, don’t mind. If you allow me, I will go to help right away.”

She said, her voice feigning composure. I moved my hand under the table over hers. It was trembling when I touched it. Marianne’s hand flinched in surprise, but then the trembling ceased. Bishop Andrei remained silent and still, lost in thought before he spoke. His gray eyes lost their facade momentarily, and I noticed an expression different from embarrassment.

A slight curiosity.

“…Well, how about this.”

Bishop Andrei said, slamming his hand on the table.

“I will formally request the Hero’s Party’s cooperation in this matter. While I’ve received word from the Kingdom of Kairos that they’re willing to help, I will talk to the Crown and the Holy Land again because the Hero’s Party can move as one. I will likely gain their approval since it’s related to the Disasters somehow. And…”

Bishop Andrei flicked a glance toward the space above my head.

“I suppose we could work out the crown thing naturally.”

I narrowed my eyes. I hadn’t expected him to suggest what I’d been thinking of as a last resort.

“What do you think, Hero?”

Bishop Andrei asked, his usual smile spreading across his face again. I frowned slightly, meeting his gaze. I could feel Marianne’s golden gaze boring into me.

***

I replied that I would think about it, but whether that sounded like an affirmation or not, Bishop Andrei got up and left the restaurant, saying he wanted to speak with the royal family first.

“Why didn’t you send me back with Bishop Andrei?”

Marianne and I were strolling through the streets of the Capital, heading back to our headquarters. I glance sideways, and she is staring at me. She looked confused but relieved at the same time. I looked into her golden eyes and shrugged.

“As I said, you are a member of the party.”

Marianne didn’t turn away from me. It wasn’t enough of an explanation for her.

“…It’s just a quick trip. There’s no need for you to be so concerned.”

“Like I said, we still don’t know much about what’s happening, and that whole doomsday cult thing bothers me.”

‘However, the main reason is your expression when you heard it.’ Marianne looked at me and blinked. I smiled sheepishly and turned away. I started walking again, and Marianne followed, still gazing at me.