CH 99

“So the Hero succeeds yet again.”

Bishop Andrei chuckled, delighted with the victory report he had received. The Pope looked at him in disbelief and snorted.

“The Hero is doing well. After a week had passed, I was starting to worry about his safety. In the end, he was able to defeat it with some help from his party. They seem like a very competent bunch.”

Andrei laughed merrily and put a cigarette in his mouth. The Pope looked at the flickering flame and motioned for Andrei to offer him one. Andrei pulled one out of his pack and handed it to the Pope. He took the cigarette and twirled it around in his hand.

“…Indeed. I never would have thought that he would’ve done this much.”

“That’s why he’s called the Hero.”

The Pope smiled and lit his cigarette.

“Putting that aside, you’ve been running around with fire under your feet, trying to catch heretics by the tail. It’s about time you tell me your harvest.”

Andrei shook his head bitterly, and the Pope frowned slightly at his lack of confidence.

“I chased them day and night, I tried everything to stop them from cutting off their tails and running away, but all I could get was small bits of information. Nothing useful.”

The Doomsday Cult had plenty of experience running and hiding. In the end, all Bishop Andrei got was a branch group, not the main body of the cult.

“We need to find the executives, but we only end up with the fodder. They may be deeper into this world than we thought, seeing how easily they disappeared.”

The Pope nodded. Their roots run deep, far deeper than they can fathom. Like a parasite, it seeks out a host to attach itself to, moves from place to place, reproduces, and migrates to another host. It will hide, masked, deep within society.

“…We’re going to have to deal with them sooner or later because they’re not the kind of people who will sit back and watch another Disaster be defeated.”

Cigarette smoke filled the Pope’s office. Andrei opened a window in his office and tried wafting the smoke out. A cold wind blew the smoke back in. Andrei placed his hand on the windowsill covered in snow. The Holy Land was as calm as ever, even after the Disaster’s defeat, the solemn silence dominating the streets.

“We need to open our food storage for a bit. It’s not a good time to hide away the Holy Relics either. The Saints who left them wouldn’t want their legacy to rot at a time like this.”

The Pope said with a sigh. What an ironic world. Amidst catastrophe, the only reason there are no human squabbles is because a tremendous hegemonic power controls the continent. Without it, the world would’ve probably collapsed due to internal strife.

“Do you need more support on your end?”

“There is no need. The mercenary we hired this time is working really well. He can do the work of an entire group by himself, and it’s worth a shot bringing him into our ranks.”

Andrei seemed quite amused as he talked about the mercenary. The Pope wondered how strong they must be if Andrei was willing to risk the information on the Inquisition’s existence to bring them in.

“Also, I probably don’t need to tell you, but Marianne has been transferred to the Templars.”

The Pope nodded

“She won’t be able to take on any more Inquisitorial duties, no matter how powerful she becomes. Marianne has found a reason to fight, which has nothing to do with our work. She doesn’t have her pure hatred and anger toward the heretics anymore. It’s best for both parties if she never has to work with us again.”

Andrei tapped his fingers on the desk as he spoke. The cigarette in his hand was burnt out, something no longer of use. He dropped the butt into the ashtray and rubbed his hands together.

“But Andrei, you don’t seem to fight with much anger or hatred either.”

“Is that so?”

The Pope narrowed his eyes.

“There are probably just a bunch of screws lying around somewhere.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Andrei let out a small chuckle.

“But none of the inquisitors have a screw missing.”

***

“…So, is that why I need to sneak back home?”

The head of the Kingdom’s musketeers nodded. He was an old knight. He was one of those who had watched from the back with Georg and the other knights at the hearing last year. He was among the few knights who hadn’t tried drawing the Holy Sword. He nodded patiently at my question.

“Yes. The Kingdom is experiencing a rising tide of deputies seeking to capitalize on your absence and seize power. It’s nothing your Majesty can’t quell, but… I can’t think of a better time to weed out those unhappy with the current system.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly. The Hero was still missing in the eyes of the Kingdom. The Queen had said that she would support the Hero. They have received a request for assistance in finding the missing Hero. It was the perfect time for those who wished to usurp the throne.

“Did you get permission from the Queen?”

“As soon as I received the news of your success, I sent a letter to Her Majesty. It was an offer I made, and although Her Majesty said she didn’t want to use the warrior for political purposes….”

His voice trailed off.

“There were concerns from her entourage that the palace would become too noisy if left unchecked. Her Majesty said she’d like you to take full responsibility for it.”

It wasn’t a difficult task, and since I’d turned my back on them, I might as well start cleaning up the mess that would stab us in the back.

“What do you think I should do?”

“I want you to enter the royal palace with the noise of the people behind you when all the impurities are out.”

Trust and suspicion are only part of the political game in the palace. It wouldn’t matter unless they actually believed in me and trusted me. It was a bittersweet feeling.

“Alright, I’ll do that.”

I licked my chapped lips and said. The Musketeer’s face relaxed in relief.

“On behalf of everyone in the palace, we thank you, Hero.”

I held out my hand to the Musketeer as he bowed.

“Well, let’s get going. They aren’t going to idly sit and wait for the soldiers to return.”

“Ah, yes, the fact that you are returning has been carefully concealed, with the cooperation of the Holy Land. Though I’m sure the information will somehow leak out.”

“Not when they’re fighting inside.”

At my sigh, the Templar laughed bitterly. I stood up from my seat, and the Musketeer rose behind me as if to escort me. Georg, who was with me, followed.

“We will get you to the Capital as quickly and comfortably as possible.”

“I look forward to it.”

It was time to return. I walked out of the room, eager for the next chapter to unfold.

***

“I knew it would come to this. After all, one person can only do so much.”

The Great Hall was noisier than usual. The court nobles and high nobles were engaged in heated discussions, and Agnes glared at them as they fought, splattering spit all over the room.

“The Hero went in alone… he must’ve been proving how ‘self-righteous’ he was by dealing with the Disaster alone. A week has gone by, yet we haven’t heard anything.”

Public opinion of Hero has not reversed since Evernode. In fact, the critics and detractors were more busy criticizing him. Neutrals had been swayed to his side by his performance, but not enough to ultimately gain the court’s approval.

“It’s not too late, Your Majesty. Even if the warrior is killed in battle against the Disaster, it won’t have much effect on the morale of the entire population.”

Another nobleman quickly continued Count Wallace’s words. He was conscious of the Queen’s unhappy expression.

“The Hero has already done plenty by taking care of two Disasters, though we could hardly credit it to his efforts. If we can make him a national hero and find the right people to succeed him, we’ll have killed two birds with one stone.”

“My lords.”

The Queen’s voice was colder than the north wind, and the man who had been spouting words like a machine gun shut up at its chilling echo. The verdict still lay with the Queen and the Interior Minister, who controlled most of the court’s nobility.

“Are you trying to blind and deafen me, or do you think I don’t have eyes and ears? You don’t think your little castle is all there is to this country. Do you think I don’t know what the Hero means to the people? Have you seen how revered he is in the North?”

The count turned away.

“Why are you thinking of replacing the Hero when we could use our efforts to find him instead?”

Agnes spoke in a reproving tone, and the hall went silent.

“It’s been a week, Your Majesty, and with no word from the reinforcements yet, we need to start thinking about what comes next in the event of the Hero’s death. I’m sure he would also want us to continue hunting the Disasters.

Said the Interior Minister. The Queen looked at him with a fierce glare, but he didn’t react except to shrug his shoulders.

“So, in preparation for what’s next, you’ll let the Hero die alone? Will you just do with him as you please, then let him go when he needs help the most?”

Agnes spoke sarcastically, and the Interior Minister offered an easy smile.

“You speak harshly, Your Majesty. Who am I to take the Hero’s life in my hands and do with it as I please? That is something no one in this world should do.”

There was a thorn in the Minister’s words. He asked if the Queen was about to do something no one should ever do. Agnes’s eyes met his.

The Minister was walking a tightrope. The Queen could use her authority to continue with her decision, but it would create a bad image for her subjects. A ruler’s power rarely comes solely from themselves alone.

“The subjects are restless. There’s no news of the fog lifting or the Hero’s whereabouts. We have hastily dispatched reinforcements, but there is no guarantee that even they will return safely.”

Agnes barely swallowed her rising anger. When she sent the reinforcements, she risked their backlash and the loss of her personal force. It only took the Minister a few days to push forward like this. Agnes gripped the armrests of her throne hard.

“You seem desperate for the Hero to die fighting the Disaster, yet you believe he’s not fit to be the Hero?”

The Minister shook his head.

“Of course not. I’m looking at the situation objectively and offering advice accordingly. I’m sure all of us want him to return safely.”

“And if he does return, everything you’ve said will be for naught.”

“I’ll take that kind of stigma. Isn’t that better than pinning our hopes on the Hero who may never return?”

The court held their breath, watching the battle between the two. The power-hungry and bite-at-any-cost groups have now been appropriately brought out. At Agnes’ over-exaggerated frown, a few shrewd nobles became restless.

“Her Majesty seems to be quite eager for it.”

“…No, I’m just disappointed at your short-sightedness.”

“We’re being realistic, Your Majesty, so why don’t you just do as we say.”

Agnes stared helplessly at the Minister. He seemed to take in the Queen’s downtrodden expression, and a smile of pleasure was plastered onto his face.

“Come in.”

Until Agnes said that.

The doors of the Great Hall swung open. The atmosphere in the room froze. The nobles turned their heads toward the entrance, their heads stiff like broken dolls.

The sound of steady footsteps filled the room. An imposing figure walked toward the center of the room, accompanied by knights.

“This reminds me of the last hearing, Your Majesty.”

“Though your position is quite different now.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Agnes’ mouth. Elroy spoke in a low voice.

“I, Elroy the Hero, have returned after defeating the Fifth Disaster, the Mist.”