Chapter 285

“A holy relic?”

The Crown Prince had mentioned that a jewel belonging to a Habsburg branch was stolen, and coincidentally, two theft cases had occurred.

“Yeah. The last trace of its magic was caught on the road to the German border. So the Papal State entrusted this case to me and Nicolaus in Germany. Even if I wasn’t in this country, I would have been in charge of this case with him anyway. Haha.”

“Because of your insight ability.”

“That’s right. The foresight ability… the future it reads changes frequently and it’s physically demanding, so even they don’t expect much from it, but their thoughts on the insight ability are different. They seem to think we can find it quickly with that ability.”

“Hmm.”

“But it’s not really like that. How can I use my ability when the target isn’t in front of my eyes? I’ll just have to tackle it head-on like everyone else, I guess.”

Narce laughed with a troubled expression. I can’t even imagine how much he was pressured to make the impossible possible.

“Well, I guess so. But you use it on me just fine.”

“Hahaha, that’s true. It’s only possible because it’s you, Lukas.”

“…I don’t know if I should feel honored…. Anyway, are you okay with using your ability?”

“Hmm? Ah, I’m much better. I’ve been recovering since the terror attack, so I’m much better than before~”

Narce smiled brightly as if to say not to worry.

“That’s a relief. Then we can start right away. First, what is the lost holy relic?”

Holy relics are objects related to Jesus and the saints. For example, the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified, the Holy Nail used to nail Jesus to the cross, the Lance of Longinus used to pierce his side to confirm his death, and so on. In addition, the bones and remains of saints are also considered holy relics.

“Lignum Crucis. And the Holy Nail as well.”

“……”

A hollow laugh escaped me. Leo, who was standing behind me and silently listening to our conversation, also sighed.

They’ve really done it now. To have the very core of the core stolen. I was just planning to have a calm conversation with Leo until the end of the day, but I get called by the Crown Prince, and as soon as I get back, I hear that the True Cross has been stolen.

Lignum Crucis means the wood of the cross, the True Cross, and it usually refers to the largest piece of the True Cross among its fragments, which is kept at the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana.

“You said a holy relic kept at the Papal State was stolen. Why was something that should be in Spain at the Papal State?”

“Actually, it was stolen from that monastery first. For some reason, the Lignum Crucis that was in the monastery was found in the Vatican, and the Papal State decided to keep it and send it to the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana. On that date, it disappeared and was last detected around the Italian border checkpoint heading to the German Empire.”

“Right. Then what about the Holy Nail? I know the most famous one is kept at the Trier Cathedral.”

“That’s right, it disappeared without a trace. It’s not something that was lost in the Vatican, but as it’s a Catholic relic, the Papal State stepped in. It was also impossible not to intervene when a similar incident happened at the same time.”

The scope is expanding rapidly. The Trier Cathedral is in Germany. Spain, the Papal State, and our empire.

‘She also said the Habsburg branch’s jewel came to Germany.’

Then I have to ask this. I finished my thought and asked.

“When did this happen?”

“We discovered it was stolen late last night around midnight. It was roughly the same at the Trier Cathedral. It’s been about 40 hours now. For 40 hours, church people have been investigating without sleep, but… this is all they’ve found out.”

“They didn’t steal something like the Iron Crown of Lombardy? That crown has jewels and gold on it.”

“That’s safe.”

“They stole the Holy Nail but not the Iron Crown?”

That is also known to have been made by melting down a Holy Nail.

Of course, modern tests showed no iron content. I remember there was an opinion that a Holy Nail was never in it from the beginning, or that it was replaced in a later period. But anyway, it is still believed here that the Iron Crown contains a Holy Nail.

“I know, right. But my personal guess is… the story that a Holy Nail was melted into it is just a rumor.”

Narce happened to say the same thing. He must have tried using his insight.

Anyway, I nodded and slowly touched my head.

“Narce. Actually, Leo and I just met Abraham.”

“Ah, right. I thought so.”

“She also said that a Habsburg jewel disappeared in the empire and we have to find it. I didn’t hear the detailed circumstances of the case, but it’s a coincidence.”

“…A major theft like this happened at the same time?”

Narce stroked his chin with a troubled face.

“…There’s a possibility that the culprits are the same. Not the same person, but people from the same organization, right?”

“Maybe. That’s why I asked about the Iron Crown of Lombardy earlier. If the culprits are the same, it seems like they’re collecting expensive items right now, so is there any reason not to steal that crown, which is studded with expensive minerals? They might have stolen the holy relic from Spain, or even if not, the culprit, who has the ability to infiltrate the Papal State without anyone knowing, stole the Holy Nail from the Trier Cathedral on the same day but couldn’t steal the Iron Crown of Lombardy?”

Narce, who was resting his chin on his hand, tapped his lips with his fingers, then smiled and looked at me.

“Then, Lukas. Then what if, as you questioned, they ‘didn’t steal’ it?”

“The culprit’s motive wouldn’t be money. In the first place, the Trier Cathedral doesn’t just have the Holy Nail, it also has the Seamless Robe of Jesus and the skull of Saint Helena.”

“That’s right, exactly~ And there are many more things worth money in the Vatican.”

“So there must be a reason why they only needed the Holy Nail and the Lignum Crucis, but I can’t even begin to guess what that is yet. To say it’s for religious reasons, honestly… there’s no reason to take the Habsburg branch’s jewel.”

I said that and called Leo, who was walking around behind me.

“Leo.”

“Yeah.”

“What do you think is the reason Abraham entrusted us with the Habsburg branch jewel case? First, to screw with us. You guys get out of your main job of dealing with victims and do some chores.”

Narce covered his mouth and burst out laughing.

“Haha, imagining this hypothesis is true is quite a predicament, isn’t it~?”

Leo also let out a hollow laugh similar to Narce’s. I counted on my fingers and continued.

“Second, to damage our careers by giving us a difficult problem that no one can solve.”

“Hmm, right. The possibilities you’ve mentioned so far happen more often than you think.”

Leo placed the teacups in front of us and sat down, answering.

That’s right. They usually do this when they want to send someone into exile. It’s a very standard method regardless of time or place.

I folded another finger and said.

“I’m not done. Third, because this matter is related to Pleroma. In other words, is the phrase ‘Eschet is the right person for this case’ because we have to deal with Pleroma in this case?”

The surroundings suddenly became quiet. Leo nodded calmly.

“Considering the conversation Her Highness had with us earlier, the third is the most reasonable.”

“Right.”

“But you brought this up to try to deduce the culprit’s motive… even if the culprit is really Pleroma, I can’t get a sense of what the motive is. If they need the holy relic for spiritual reasons, they would only take that, so why did they take the jewel too? Since there’s a part that doesn’t make sense, wouldn’t it be better to not decide on the culprit in advance and just investigate where the items went right now, whatever we can find?”

“…Yeah, that’s a good point too.”

Since there are no clues at all, let’s investigate by the book.

It’s a situation where just sitting and thinking leads to more confusion and no answers, so he’s right. We can change our strategy again when we catch even a minor clue while doing that.

Leo stared at me, then warped somewhere and brought back a bundle of documents.

“This is the investigation record from the investigation bureau. I got a notification on my artifact earlier. Let’s check this first. The time of theft was about 3 days ago. The item is a sapphire parure that belonged to the head of the House of Austria-Este, the market price is….”

Leo raised an eyebrow at the number. I pulled the paper he was holding slightly to check.

“……”

I couldn’t help but have the same reaction as Leo.

About 50 billion won in Korean currency. A parure refers to a set of jewelry with gems, such as earrings, a necklace, a ring, a belt, a tiara, and so on. As far as I know, that’s what it is. It’s inevitable when you add it all up. Besides, since she said it was passed down from the time of the Holy Roman Empire, the price of some of the gems in this parure would have been even higher due to their historical value.

“Shiny pebbles are creating an economy.”

“That’s how it is.”

“What’s the owner’s name?”

“Leopold Ferdinand August Maria von Österreich-Este.”

Leopold von Österreich-Este. Judging by the surname, he is indeed a branch of the Habsburgs. I mulled over the name a few times.

“The incident happened when Archduke Leopold visited the empire during the Pentalon recovery period. It’s not that the Archduke brought the parure to the empire, but it’s stated that it disappeared while he was away. It’s also written here that the last trace of its magic was felt on the road to the German Empire.”

“…As expected, the method is the same. For now, it would be best to look for the jewel while looking for the holy relic. And to be precise, there’s no evidence that a citizen of the empire is the culprit, is there?”

“That’s right.”

Nevertheless, the possibility is high, so they are stepping in like this. They probably didn’t want to be criticized even more, as they had already shown many disappointing moves in the international community recently.

It’s good to have a friend who organizes the direction of my thoughts. I clapped my hands lightly and looked around at my friends, saying.

“Alright. Then we should start by searching the auction market, by the book. As you know, when it comes to jewels and holy relics, everyone swarms like bees to get even a little something.”

“I’m already checking the sales lists in the documents. But the places where such holy relics can be distributed without damage are mostly illegal members-only auction houses, so I don’t think anything will be caught with the ledgers I can obtain.”

Narce said with a vague smile.

Of course. When a theft like this happens, the investigation bureau always checks the auctions first, so what kind of person would put such a stolen item up for public auction?

“Then we’ll have to do an undercover investigation. Have you requested it from the investigation agency?”

“Not yet. The Papal State doesn’t trust this country’s investigation agencies. I’m trying to persuade them to report it, but I’m not sure what will happen.”

“……”

They must be considering the possibility that the Imperial Government is an accomplice and has extorted the relics, or that a spy is hiding in the investigation agency and has destroyed the evidence, leading the case into a labyrinth. Logically, this is the only possible story.

“If we go in ourselves, we have our limits in conducting an undercover investigation because we don’t have multiple bodies, and we don’t even know the names of the really private places.”

“Elias would be different.”

At my softly spoken words, Narce’s eyes widened. I could see Leo’s expression souring. Narce burst out laughing.

“Ah~ right. I’ll go get him.”

Five minutes later, Elias arrived in my room with a grinning face.

“Hey guys! Why were you all here without me!”

“Elias. Do you happen to know any secret auction houses?”

“Auction?! You called me for that? Of course! I’m an expert! Ask me anything!”

Elias, excited to be with everyone, raised his voice and spoke energetically.

‘What a braggart….’

“Stop bragging.”

Leo voiced my thoughts exactly. Because of that, I could see Narce trying to hold back his laughter.

“That’s so mean! Well, I don’t know everything. But I know a few auction houses run by dilettante clubs.”

“How do you know? Weren’t you definitely going to school with me?”

Leo asked with a darkened face.

“You wouldn’t know because you only study after school. Anyway, I haven’t been to most of them myself! But why an auction house?”

“……”

We exchanged glances. Narce began to explain.

“A holy relic was stolen, and there’s a high possibility it’s in the empire. We have to find it before it’s lost forever.”

“What? Like a saint’s bone or something? How…?”

“The Lignum Crucis and the Holy Nail were lost. That’s what we’re wondering too. We couldn’t find a trace of the person who took them.”

At Narce’s words, Elias looked around at us.

“Oh my… no wonder the kids were a bit quiet.”

“You’re the one being loud.”

“Anyway! This is no time for me to be shouting like this. What kind of club auction house should I tell you about?”

At Elias’s question, I thought for a moment and answered.

“Hmm…. No clubs that are too Old Human-like.”

“Sex-related?”

“Yeah. No connection. Let’s exclude game-oriented clubs for now, too. The topic might come up, but it’s enough to check them if nothing comes up after looking everywhere else. We have to prioritize clubs that deal with relics and antiques, or jewels. Even if it seems a bit ambiguous, just throw out everything you know.”

“Hmm, then Zeitlose Schatzgilde. I remember it’s in Berlin, and it’s the largest precious goods auction club I know. It’s strictly an anonymous membership system, so it’s perfect.”

“The largest scale, huh.”

“Maybe they’ve already investigated it since a lot of relics and jewels come up for sale? Surprisingly, a lot of politicians are members here.”

“We have to do that investigation. Any other places?”

At my words, Elias rolled his eyes and then slapped the sofa with his hand.

“You guys are doing it?! Why?! …There’s also a place called the Heritage Protection League…. Hmm, I know that jewels don’t come up for sale much there. It’s mostly relics and antiques.”

Why else? We’re from the Papal State, so we have no choice. The Papal State also prioritized people in Germany because of the travel time, so it’s hard to say anything.

“Any others?”

“Hermetische Gesellschaft, this is a large-scale place specializing in the occult, and religious-related antiques often come up. A lot of people, regardless of whether they’re Old Humans or New Humans, are members.”

Is it a Hermetic society?

Three places are enough for now. Narce was also looking at my notebook and me and nodding slightly. I closed the pen cap and checked the time. It was 8 p.m.

“Alright, thanks. Is it okay to go at this time?”

“Now is the perfect time!”

Elias said with sparkling eyes.

Looking at him, it seems like he wants us to take him with us. I smiled and held out the paper.

“Really? Can you write down the locations?”

*  *  *

I can’t go with them.

Elias can only be taken along when a troublemaker is needed. But at this point, I’m starting to envy Elias, who’s at home.

—“It’s a good thing Elias didn’t come~”

Narce smiled with a soul-drained face.

We are now sitting in a dark bar, wearing masks. This is the third time we’ve approached the table Elias told us about, at the time he told us.

The previous two attempts were just a bust. We were bombarded with all sorts of questions, and although we managed to answer all of them well with insight and improvisation, it seems they had a way of telling the ‘real’ ones. Despite acting and answering correctly several times, an atmosphere was created where we were suspected of being spies from another club, so we just ended the situation and came out.

This is the last group.

An old Old Human man with clear eyes adjusted his mask, clasped his hands, and asked seriously.

“It’s good that young people are interested in the occult and mysterious relics. As you know, you need to take a test to enter our club.”

“Alright. What’s the test?”

When Narce answered with a smile, the old man said with a stern look.

“You can’t say it so lightly. You must answer with a serious attitude within 3 seconds.”

3 seconds? I answered with a reluctant face.

“Ah, yes…. I’m sorry. But why do we have to go that far?”

“That’s how you can be called a true enthusiast. Now, what is the name of the golden treasure chest made by the Lion Duke that opens when you pour holy water and holy blood on it?”

“……”

“Haha, we’ll come back next time~”

Narce laughed, shot up from his seat, and pulled my hand. I could hear the old man calling after us from behind.

It’s always like this. The previous two times, we were kicked out in the same way. I came out to the street and muttered while observing other people’s actions.

“They’re not called enthusiasts for nothing. They live in a completely different world from us.”

“I know, right~ Haha.”

The plan is going awry. I didn’t know they would be this much of a true ‘enthusiast’. What the hell is a treasure chest made by the Lion Duke? How are holy water and holy blood the key? Isn’t that something out of a legend? And what’s with that way of talking to someone you’ve just met? Why are they talking about things only they know….

It’s understandable that they have to do that to filter out the fakes, but it’s still very difficult. The strangely clear energy coming from the person himself and that peculiar method are making me even more flustered.

“Phew…. That’s a really strange question. You don’t know the answer either?”

“I have a guess using my insight, but there will be more questions like that. I could try if it weren’t for the strange time limit, but the 3-second barrier is too strong…. Still, I got the feeling that it’s a group worth trying to get into, so it’s a shame.”

The barrier is strong. That makes sense.

This is the third time we’ve been—almost been—kicked out. If we go any further, rumors will spread, so we can’t. This activity also requires studying.

I grabbed the shoulder of the trudging Narce.

“Then let’s do this for now. We’ll get some books on the occult and relics by tomorrow morning, study, and then come back.”

“Ah, you want us to stay up all night studying?! To blend in with the dilettantes?”

“Yeah.”

“Hahaha! Alright. But… I’m really worried about what to do if this isn’t the right place.”

I agree. We have no other places to investigate besides the auction houses. For now, we have no choice but to collect even rumors, even the smallest of clues, whatever we can find.

And so, we returned to the dorms and the mansion. I saw Narce off and sat back on my bed. Now I was the only one left in my room. I unfolded the 12-year-old newspaper I bought from a junk dealer and thought.

‘…If I turn back time and camp out there on the day the holy relic disappeared, I might be able to find the culprit.’

Of course, it was just discovered at midnight; the theft would have happened before that. The primary problem is getting the time right.

Let’s say I get the time right. No matter how much I turn back time, it would take about two days to get to Italy. Or I’d have to beg the Papal State to open a portal, but they’re unlikely to agree easily if I do that at a time when the theft hasn’t even happened yet. The problem is also how to convince the people around me before the incident even happens, and crucially, I have to go to the hospital at that time to create a flawless record.

So, if I’m going to camp out, I have to aim for the Trier Cathedral. The problem is, to camp out there, I need to persuade the officials, but there’s a high chance I’ll just be seen as a crazy person. I’m a clergyman of the Papal State, so if I persuade them well in that direction, let’s say. Even if I manage to get inside, there’s a possibility that the future will change, such as a theft happening somewhere else, avoiding the Vatican and the Trier Cathedral, just because I’m camping out there.

And, even if I succeed somehow….

I still haven’t heard about Leo’s Retry. I have a guess. To be precise, he already told me the truth a long time ago, but it’s probably a story I didn’t interpret correctly. After hearing what he said to me that day, how could I not even have a guess? The reason I’m trying to say my last goodbye to him before I turn back time is also connected to that guess.

Of course, it might not be as serious as I expect. If so, I would welcome it. I’m just hoping it’s nothing big.

Whatever it is, I have to hear the story from his mouth. It’s meaningless for me to be considerate based on my own assumptions. I worked hard to resolve the hospital matter and made time with difficulty today, but starting with the Crown Prince, time started to fly by. And now it’s 2 a.m.

‘…Well, whatever. There’s plenty of time to catch him. For now, I’ll bring him back tomorrow evening.’

A good idea just came to me. I took in the newspaper article I was reading and opened the traits window.

Even without retrying, isn’t there a way for me to get a clue right now? I can’t be sure that a clue will come out. But it’s worth a try.

Extra Chapter

Stage 1: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come!

Stage 2: —

Stage 3: —

As I stared at the stage name for a few seconds, my vision suddenly turned white.

While my vision hadn’t yet returned, I heard someone’s voice.

“Excuse me. Can you hear me?”

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