Episode 142

Sacred Power.

A power well-known for driving out darkness and all impurities, yet much about it remained unexplained.

For instance.

It required no payment to use.

Magic consumed mana, and even the so-called impure sorceries or dark magics demanded something in return for their use.

However, mysteriously, sacred power did not. To wield it, one only needed the will to express it, and increasing its strength didn’t even require repetitive training.

Only proving oneself as a devout believer was necessary. Thus, people called sacred power a miracle from God.

“A power bestowed by the Lord to halt the beasts descending from the mountains.”

“A power tenderly given by the Lord to his lambs.”

But truthfully, a life of daily prayer and strict adherence to the Ten Commandments was, honestly, a suffocating existence for mere mortals.

Cardinal Deviale Jebiel.

Even he, one of the twelve Cardinals of Lucerne, wasn’t born a devout believer.

In his youth, just before his comrades were annihilated by a drooling beast, had light not burst forth in that moment of crisis, Deviale might not have led a faithful life.

Therefore, for paladins who directly use sacred power in the field, each has at least one experience of God’s miracle.

Tragedies like families being offered to heretics, or younger siblings eaten by beasts.

However, the person Deviale was now visiting had not experienced such a tragedy.

According to those around him, he simply emitted light upon receiving baptism as an infant.

Truly a beloved of the Lord.

Thud, thud.

Walking down the cathedral’s corridor, Deviale saw light leaking from the chapel in the distance.

Since it was neither a weekend nor morning but night, the chapel should have been empty, but intense light was flowing out from within, enough to drive away all darkness.

Entering the chapel, Deviale recognized the source of the intense light.

The captain of the 2nd Unit of the Steel Knight Regiment, Malleus Garibaldi.

“Always an impressive sacred power.”

Praying towards the cross, the light emanating from his body was as brilliant as the light Shiron had emitted in the Alhyeon Room.

“I pride myself on my piety, but to think there’s faith greater than mine.”

Truly, this was the realm of fanaticism.

Deviale watched his back, waiting until the prayer ended. After all, with the level 9 magic [Room of Truth] activated, he wouldn’t respond to calls.

Finally, the light from his body ceased.

“Hmm…?”

Feeling Deviale’s presence, Malleus turned around. True to the rumors that ‘Malleus Garibaldi weeps during prayer,’ his eyes bore tear stains.

“Cardinal. You should have said something when you arrived.”

“Would you have had me interrupt your prayer?”

“Seems my joke didn’t land.”

Malleus stroked his beard, clicking his tongue.

“In your younger days, you were quite the witty friend, easy to joke with. But it seems positions change people; becoming a Cardinal has made you stiff and less amusing.”

“Not particularly.”

Deviale sighed deeply, rubbing his brow.

“It’s just been a busy period recently.”

“Short-handed, are we? I could lend some knights if you wish.”

“It’s not a matter of being short-handed. Though it may be presumptuous to say, it’s a task only I can undertake.”

No matter how minor the tasks, they were handled by priests of the diocese, but his task involved disguising treatment for the Emperor. The curse was so deeply ingrained that it affected not just the body but the Emperor’s mind as well.

Depression.

Often the Emperor appeared normal, but occasionally, he would cry over trivial matters. Fortunately, the Emperor was aware of this himself, so he only met with a very select few who were tight-lipped about the situation.

“You’ve had your share of troubles too.”

Malleus, not knowing the details, looked at Deviale with sympathetic eyes.

“May I offer a piece of advice?”

However,

He had a rough understanding of the situation through the ‘revelation’ he had received a little while ago.

“Yes. It’s a situation where nothing should be disregarded.”

After receiving Deviale’s permission, Malleus began to speak slowly.

“The Emperor of Rien enjoys making light jokes.”

“Jokes…?”

“Yes, similar to the light jest I made just before.”

Malleus slightly altered the content of the ‘revelation’ he had heard. The ‘righteous god’ prefers to remain hidden, so Malleus felt compelled to act as the deity’s intermediary, albeit presumptuously.

“So… it would be wise to approach your duties with a more relaxed heart. Losing your peace of mind narrows your vision, and opportunities to act might be missed.”

“Ah… I understand.”

Deviale nodded, his eyes wide with realization. Malleus’s advice was timely, especially since Deviale had been finding his interactions with the Emperor challenging.

“By the way, may I now discuss the reason for my visit?”

“Anytime is fine.”

Deviale nodded, feeling a sense of relief. Seeing this, Malleus retrieved a stiff piece of paper from his pocket.

“I was returning from a visit with Sir Hugo yesterday. He mentioned he was heading to a southern resort for a vacation.”

The event was from the day before but remained vivid in Malleus’s mind.

Hugo, not in his usual armor but dressed in a tuxedo and carrying a trunk in each hand. Mrs. Eldrina was also there, dressed to the nines… Malleus wondered what was happening.

“The next expedition was supposed to be a month away, wasn’t it? I’ve heard the imperial palace is in turmoil, with Jard and Azak dead, and new guards needing to be drafted. In such chaotic times, Sir Hugo is taking a vacation?”

“Um…”

“And I’ve heard you played a significant role in this. What exactly happened?”

Now it was Malleus’s turn. However, his tone was not accusatory towards Deviale; it seemed more like he was seeking a thorough explanation.

Deviale leaned back and began to explain.

“Sir Hugo seemed very tired. He’s getting older, and continuing expeditions without rest seemed perilous. So, I suggested he take a vacation.”

Deviale explained his reasoning calmly.

It wasn’t a misguided action, and in the long term, it proved beneficial for humanity, so explaining it wasn’t difficult.

However, he didn’t disclose everything.

“Didn’t Sir Hugo mention the hero?”

The proposal for Hugo’s active vacation and the initiative to temper the spirits of the boastful nobles in the empire were Shiron’s ideas, yet Malleus omitted mentioning Shiron. Therefore, Deviale chose not to bring up Shiron either.

“…Is that really everything?”

“Do you expect a different answer?”

“Not at all.”

Malleus crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

“That’s peculiar…”

[In the next expedition, Sir Hugo will perish, and a girl named Siriel Prient will take his place. So, Sir Malleus, do not return to Lucerne but remain in Rien.]

The Lord had clearly stated… Sir Hugo would meet his end in the upcoming expedition.

‘It doesn’t seem like the Cardinal is lying. He’s not that type of person.’

Doubt filled Malleus’s eyes as he looked at the Cardinal, but he quickly blinked, concealing his emotions.

The ‘righteous god’ had admitted to not being omnipotent, so Malleus simply assumed the prophecy had been inaccurate. Malleus chuckled and stood up. It was late, and there was a rule about going to bed early and rising early, prompting Malleus to retire.

“By the way, I meant to ask.”

[What happened to Shiron Prient?]

But the words of the Lord take precedence over regulations. Malleus decided to conclude the conversation.

“What happened to Shiron Prient?”

“…Yes?”

“I heard the child played a crucial role in resolving this incident, but he’s nowhere to be found.”

“…”

“You haven’t mentioned him, so I thought I’d inquire.”

Malleus glanced at Deviale.

“Since you’ve been associating with him recently, you would know his whereabouts, wouldn’t you?”

“He mentioned going on a pilgrimage.”

“A pilgrimage? So, he’s in Brahham?”

“Yes.”

“Ha ha…”

Malleus chuckled at Deviale’s composed response.

Deviale furrowed his brows, puzzled by Malleus’s reaction.

“Is there an issue?”

“Not at all. Just thinking that the youth is undergoing unnecessary hardship.”

“Unnecessary?”

What did he mean by that? Deviale looked at Malleus with wide eyes. To suggest that a pilgrimage to the holy land was unnecessary was unthinkable for a follower of the ‘righteous god’.

As a believer who knows the identity of the hero and as the Cardinal of Lucerne, he couldn’t just dismiss this lightly.

“It’s not that the pilgrimage itself is unnecessary.”

Noticing the slightly hostile gaze, Malleus waved his hands at the enthusiastic Cardinal.

“That’s the thing. The residents of Brahham can be a bit uncomfortable, no? They don’t even consider it rude to stare at others. They somewhat look down on people from Lucerne.”

“There is such a tendency, yes.”

Deviale agreed with Malleus’s words. He had been to Brahham himself and knew what kind of place it was.

The people of Brahham look down on the devotees who come from outside.

Although they worship the same righteous god, the people of Brahham are drenched in a petty sense of superiority, thinking, ‘We are more loved by God.’

However, this is not entirely without basis.

The citizens of Brahham possessed visible sacred power. It was believed that the sacred power, which typically manifested through enlightenment, could be wielded even by infants in Brahham, so it’s no wonder they are prideful.

Yet, despite such power, the leadership of Brahham was not contributing to the Makal Mountain expedition. Hence, Lucerne and Brahham, though worshipping the same god, did not have a good relationship.

Malleus continued.

“I spoke because of the pain he will endure in aspects completely unrelated to the pilgrimage. It’s such an isolated place from us, after all.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Deviale recalled the residents of Brahham he saw on his pilgrimage in his younger days.

The light emanating from the hands of an infant.

It was certainly an unnatural phenomenon.