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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Johann, you’ve been hard to find lately.”
“Yeah, yeah! Karina and I were so worried!”
“…I’ve been busy.”
“You still need to rest.”
…She wasn’t wrong.
I nodded in agreement, cutting a piece of steak and putting it in my mouth.
I had been so busy with…work, neglecting my escort duties, that I hadn’t had a proper conversation with them in a while.
But it couldn’t be helped. Preparing for war wasn’t easy.
Aside from my request to Principal Merlin, I had also sent a letter with various documents to Archbishop Pierre and been gathering intelligence on the empire’s movements through the information guild.
If the Church cooperated, securing the empire’s support would be straightforward, but if events followed the original story, the other archbishops, aside from Pierre, would be too cowardly to act decisively.
If Pierre could persuade them, things would be much easier.
If not…I had a plan.
“I can’t rest yet.”
“What are you doing? Can’t you tell us?”
“Y-yes… C-could you tell us…?”
Should I tell them? It wouldn’t cause any problems, but I was hesitant.
They would probably try to dissuade me. But I didn’t want to lie. Lies could damage trust, and I didn’t want that.
Even for me, that would be painful.
“I’m going to erase the Halphas Cult from this world.”
“…What? The Halphas Cult?”
They stared at me, wide-eyed, clearly surprised by my declaration.
“The Halphas Cult…the ones who cursed Karina?”
Milia had a surprisingly good memory, considering I hadn’t told her about the curse.
“We raided one of their branches and obtained valuable information. We even found their headquarters. I’m going to destroy it.”
If I attacked their headquarters before they could relocate, Halphas, having lost his pawns, would be forced to reveal himself. His arrogant nature wouldn’t allow him to ignore such a provocation.
That’s when I would unleash his hard counter. Even Halphas couldn’t withstand it. Besides, Halphas wasn’t particularly strong in direct combat.
He was a demon specialized in tactics, strategy, and fortification.
Engaging him in direct combat would be half the battle.
“…Isn’t that…dangerous?”
“Don’t worry. Trust me. I survived ten years in that hellhole of an island. Halphas is nothing compared to that.”
“But…”
Karina looked at me with concern, her expression clouded.
She was worried I would get hurt. But I couldn’t stop now. There was no turning back. The Halphas Cult’s actions had caused widespread discontent.
The tension was palpable. The higher-ups needed an outlet for this pent-up frustration.
The empire and the Church would soon begin preparing for war.
I estimated we had about a month.
It was a tight schedule, but not unreasonable for mobilizing an army. I would use that time to make my own preparations.
“We have to deal with Halphas eventually. We can’t let the curse remain on Karina forever.”
She would have died long ago if she wasn’t the Saintess. Only divine protection allowed her to withstand a high-ranking demon’s curse.
And it was only because Halphas wasn’t particularly skilled in curses that she had survived this long.
This couldn’t continue indefinitely.
The curse would eventually consume her.
“But…”
“Karina, even if you object, I have to do this. I can’t ignore this opportunity.”
“…I know I can’t stop you. But promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Come back safely.”
Karina’s gaze, filled with worry, met mine. I didn’t avert my eyes.
“Of course.”
“Don’t get hurt, okay? Karina and I will be waiting here…”
“M-me too…”
“Thank you.”
“If you’re going to do it, then win.”
[Contractor, you’re quite popular…]
It was…nice to have people waiting for me.
I nodded, remembering the ten years I spent alone, with no one to welcome me home.
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“War…you say…”
“A mere knight escort calling for war… This is unacceptable.”
“But he has Philia’s blessing. Someone with a Saint’s blessing wouldn’t make such a claim lightly.”
“He’s not the only one who claims to have a Saint’s blessing. And there’s no proof—”
“And what about this flute? Do you still doubt him after seeing this?”
Everyone looked at the worn flute on the table. Philia’s flute, revered as a sacred relic by the Church. They had already confirmed its authenticity.
How a mere knight escort had acquired such an item was a mystery, but its return to the Church was a cause for celebration. The archbishops didn’t question its provenance.
The potent divine power emanating from the flute was undeniable.
Besides, countless people had witnessed the miracles he had performed.
“Hmm…”
The five archbishops gathered at the Kalon Grand Temple continued their discussion, their expressions troubled.
However, after an hour, they had made little progress. The topic of war was a difficult one.
“He doesn’t understand the implications of war. The bloodshed…it’s unimaginable.”
“But isn’t this the opportune moment, as he claims?”
“There’s no guarantee this opportunity won’t arise again. Perhaps haste will lead to even greater losses.”
“Archbishop Pierre. What are your thoughts?”
While the other archbishops debated amongst themselves, Archbishop Pierre, who had been in charge of Karina’s education, remained silent.
He was rereading the letter from Johann.
‘To lift Karina’s curse, we must eliminate the Halphas Cult…’
“Archbishop Pierre! Speak up! Are you going to remain silent?”
Archbishop Cotin, unable to contain his frustration, finally addressed Pierre directly. The other archbishops, while remaining silent, looked at him expectantly.
‘If he’s right, we have to do this. But I doubt these old fools will agree.’
The forces he could mobilize alone were limited. Most of them were already deployed, combating the Halphas Cult.
Gathering them would take time, and pulling them away from their current assignments would be difficult.
“Archbishop Pierre!”
‘…No, I shouldn’t even be hesitating.’
“I will support his call for a holy war.”
“What?!”
“What did you just say?”
The other archbishops, startled by Pierre’s sudden declaration, asked him to repeat himself. Pierre, addressing the hesitant old men, reiterated his stance.
“Whether we succeed or fail, whether it’s dangerous or not, I will support this ‘holy war.’”
“Think carefully, Pierre. This is no laughing matter.”
“Which is precisely why we must act.”
Pierre’s blue eyes scanned the faces of the other archbishops.
His gaze was a silent question: would they join him? The archbishops exchanged uneasy glances.
They were hesitant to commit to war.
“If we fail, the Church’s authority will be undermined.”
“So you’d rather sit back and watch Halphas run rampant?”
“That’s not what I’m saying, but…”
“Good heavens, you stubborn fools! The Halphas Cult cursed the Saintess! We have to destroy them to save her!”
“But a holy war is a difficult undertaking.”
“Which is why I’m saying we should do it. If you disagree, then don’t participate. I’ll go alone.”
Pierre’s resolute tone silenced the other archbishops, who exchanged glances.
Should they follow his lead? Or oppose him?
Success would bring glory, but failure would lead to ruin. These old men wouldn’t easily relinquish their power.
‘This is why the Halphas Cult was able to infiltrate so easily.’
Old men, their courage replaced by fear.
Pierre closed his eyes, confronting the guilt gnawing at his conscience.
The guilt taunted him, whispering accusations: this is your fault. You are a sinner.
Pierre wouldn’t turn away.
‘If I had been more thorough, this wouldn’t have happened. Kalon, please…grant me the strength to atone.’
“…I’ll give you until tomorrow to decide.”
Pierre left the meeting room without waiting for a response.
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