Chapter : 103

“My apologies, Sir Benaya, but it seems difficult to permit you to take Hartain.”

Ferdiel’s voice echoed through the office, amidst the towering stacks of documents.

“As a father, I wish to see my son.”

“I am acting according to the ancient rules of the Church.

And I have entrusted Hartain with the most important task.”

“Is that more important than a son meeting his father?”

Only a son when it’s convenient.

If he could, Ferdiel wanted to click his tongue or unleash a torrent of criticism loud enough to shake the office.

However, even that could be used against him as evidence of being emotional during the verification, so he swallowed his feelings.

Besides, the judgment he had patiently awaited for so long was just around the corner; he could swallow this much irritation.

“For a former Heretic Inquisitor like Sir Benaya to emphasize such human emotions, it is quite amusing.”

Ferdiel stood up from his seat and organized a few documents. He picked one and handed it directly to Benaya.

“This is a matter for which Sir Caelus must submit evidence for verification.

Please deliver it.”

“How foolish, Fel.”

What? What in the world did I just hear?

For a moment, Fel couldn’t believe his ears.

Unless Benaya was mad, there was no way he would spew such nonsense.

Well, with the Pope about to be ousted, he must be going mad. Ferdiel scoffed.

“Wasn’t it the master who gave you your leash that forced you to live as Ferdiel?”

“Are you trying to deny what you’ve enjoyed?”

“Enjoyed?”

Had anyone ever asked for such power?

Fel struggled to suppress the surge of emotion.

He couldn’t get swept up by such a petty provocation.

Especially not when he was about to reveal his hidden fangs and hunt his opponent.

“You speak amusingly, Sir Benaya.

If you’re going to go mad, I hope you do it gracefully.”

After forcing the document into Benaya’s hand, Fel turned away without hesitation.

“But you still hold the name of Ignos.”

“That was the last piece of advice from the master who once completed you.”

Pity for his disciple, how utterly disgusting.

“Then, as the disciple who received your teachings, let me give you one last piece of advice. Abandon the Pope.”

When Fel blinked once and opened his eyes again, a sword was pressed against his neck.

Despite the murderous intent, as if his throat would be slit at any moment, Fel remained composed.

“There is a limit to the respect I show you as the Sword of Doctrine.”

“There is a limit to the respect I show you as an Ignos.”

Fel intentionally tilted his neck.

A red line appeared on his neck, and blood began to trickle down.

He might die if the sword went any deeper. However, there was no fear in his eyes.

Convinced that he would not die, Fel merely stretched the corners of his mouth into a confident smile.

“If you continue to follow the Pope, you will meet a terrible end.”

“Even that is the destiny of an Ignos.”

He couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with the Pope.

Perhaps expecting understanding from a man who worshiped a human as a god was meaningless in the first place.

However, he had to correct one thing.

“That is not the destiny of an Ignos, but the destiny of you alone, Benaya Ignos.”

End such a terrible destiny with your generation. And don’t mess with my friend.

When a murderous glint flickered in Fel’s eyes, Benaya smiled lightly.

To be so anxious about losing the dog he raised, as long as he didn’t change that disposition, Benaya would never follow Fel.

* * *

“Is it true that he’s been deceiving God through unjust methods all this time?”

“Hey, be quiet.”

One of the priests walking together hurriedly jabbed his close friend’s side with his elbow.

If a pro-Pope faction member like Benaya heard them, who knows what kind of retaliation would follow, yet he was spouting such dangerous words so freely!

“You might really die without anyone knowing.”

“You’re curious too, though.”

“The truth will be revealed through the fifteen-day verification.”

The priest, who had been hastily looking around, whispered to the other priest.

“Apart from that, it’s an undeniable fact that His Holiness the Pope has led the Church well so far.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“With all the achievements he’s made, if he were to be easily ousted, that in itself might be a problem.”

The priests, who had been chatting among themselves, left, and Theo, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

“So his achievements in leading the Church well are indeed being recognized.”

A saint who led the revival of the declining Church with a gentle smile.

That was the unavoidable current evaluation of the Pope.

“Those guys, they just say whatever comes to their minds!”

At the sight of Hartain flaring up next to him, Theo chuckled.

“In the end, it’s an image that Fel has to endure, so calm down a bit.”

“You think I can calm down right now?!”

Do they take me for a patricide who doesn’t even recognize his own parents!

In the first place, Fel is! He seemed to have a lot to say, but Hartain kept his mouth shut.

“You know that as long as our plan goes accordingly, it’s useless no matter how much they gossip, right?”

“Are you really planning to execute that plan?”

Hartain expressed his reluctance honestly.

For Hartain, who was born into a family of Heretic Inquisitors and raised as one his entire life, Theo’s plan was not a pleasant one.

A union of a demon and a human, what kind of hybrid was that?

And the fact that the subject was Benaya was particularly unsettling.

“If you don’t want to, I’ll just do it alone.”

“Who said I didn’t want to.”

Hartain had a complicated expression.

He had overheard everything that had happened between Fel and Benaya, thanks to Theo.

Actually, it wasn’t eavesdropping; Benaya had come in while they were discussing the plan, and he had unintentionally heard everything.

“Fel did his best for me.”

He tried to stop Benaya, who was determined to follow the Pope to the end.

It was his own way of giving advice, even at the risk of the plan being exposed.

The one who ultimately ignored it was Benaya, and he would have to pay the price for it.

“In the dream, did father die at the Hero’s hands?”

“No, you and Fel kill him.”

“Did… father regret following the Pope?”

Theo couldn’t easily answer ‘no.’

“There’s no way that man would regret it!”

Hartain, who had shot up from his seat, stretched.

“It’s actually a relief that he’s so like himself to the end.

If he had said he regretted it, I probably wouldn’t have believed him.

No more hesitation! Let’s move according to the plan.”

“I’m counting on you.

You’re the only one who can access the Pope’s library.

I’m trusting you with this, okay?”

With his position at stake, the Pope would prepare a last resort.

The core of this plan was to guide that last resort to be advantageous to them.

To do that, there was a book that needed to be sneakily taken from the Pope’s personal secret library.

“Don’t worry. I’ll succeed even if I have to risk my life.”

At Hartain’s words, Theo grumbled with a slightly pale face.

“Try not to risk your life if you can help it. Even if you fail, I’ll take care of it.”

At Theo’s words, Hartain looked down at Theo, who was still crouching on the floor.

For some reason, he had a ridiculous thought that he could trust whatever that guy said without a doubt.

“Hmm, strange.”

He thought Fel was the only one who could make him feel this way.

He was a guy who had a strange way of drawing people in.

“Alright. I’ll leave the cleanup to you then.”

Theo, who had been watching Hartain’s back as he jumped out the window as if performing a trick, got up and dusted off his clothes.

“Then I guess I’ll go look for the ring too.”

This marks day N of the ring search. I hope I can get some results soon.

* * *

I think I’ve searched almost all the warehouses in the Church, so why is it that only Solomon’s ring is missing?

“Albedo, don’t you feel anything?

Something threatening, or something that makes you feel bad just by looking at it.”

《My mood hasn’t been good since I came to this place, so is there some kind of problem?》

Well, from his perspective, he was forcibly dragged into the territory of his greatest enemy. It’s understandable that he would be displeased.

“I’ll buy you any snack you want when we go back to the Academy.”

《Even the steak from the dormitory cafeteria?》

“Is there anything else you need besides that?”

Seeing his chance, he threw some bait, and Albedo’s tail wagged back and forth, as if his mood had improved.

《That is sufficient. So, what kind of bad feeling are you talking about?》

“A feeling like your territory is being invaded?”

I remember it being described that way in the original story.

I was tearing my hair out when Baal, who I thought was a guild raid boss, appeared in the original story.

《I don’t feel anything like that in this warehouse, at least. But, must you steal that?》

“It would be nice if I could have it.

No matter how I think about it, my compatibility with demons is not good.

Every time I get involved with demons, something bad happens.”

Albedo, who was one of those bad things, remained silent.

“If I get something that can exert force on demons, wouldn’t my life become a little easier from now on?”

《Even so, considering how you meddle in all sorts of things, it doesn’t seem particularly useful.》

“That’s a harsh thing to say.”

Anyway, it’s not in this warehouse, right?

Don’t tell me it’s already in the Pope’s hands?

“What if I’m mistaken?”

Since Benaya had easy access, I thought it wouldn’t be a warehouse that the Pope personally owned.

What if it’s actually in the Pope’s warehouse? Then I’m truly screwed.

“Should I at least ask where it is?”

I feel like the risk is getting bigger and bigger, having to raid the warehouse after the library.

“For now, there are three warehouses left, so let’s look for the rest. Albedo.”

《You ask for a lot. Steak alone will not be enough.》

“Alright, I’ll buy you whatever you ask for. So please cooperate.”

《Fine!》

I don’t have to ask Albedo to be a stand-in, so at least this part is convenient.

Once again, I used magic to erase my presence and headed to another warehouse.

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