Chapter 197 – Revelator

【Soul Board】Gravey

Age: 62 Rank: 28

【Vitality】

..【Natural Recovery】3

..【Stamina】1

..【Immunity】

….【Magic Resistance】3

….【Disease Immunity】4

….【Toxic Immunity】2

【Magical Power】

..【Mana】9

【Dexterity】

..【Dexterity】8

..【Tool Mastery】

….【Pottery】2

【Willpower】

..【Mental Strength】12

..【Faith】

….【Holy】8

……【Healing Magic】2

……【Support Magic】2

..【Charisma】4

【Intuition】

..【Instinct】6

The man was sixty-two years old. Based on the way he talked, Hikaru assumed he was much older. He either aged quick or was just pretending to be really old.

Unken, who had four points on his Instinct, became wary of Hikaru when he summoned his Soul Board. He sensed something. With six points on Instinct, one would be able to perceive things no normal human being could.

What really caught Hikaru’s attention, however, was the name.

「What’s the matter? Coming in or not?」the man asked.

Hikaru nodded at Lavia and Paula before deactivating his Stealth.

「Good morning.」

「Oh, you’re still kids. I thought for sure you were older.」the old man said, smiling.

Hikaru and the girls entered the shed. Woven mat covered the floor. The old man urged them to take their seats on chairs which were basically just chopped logs. He then handed them chipped mugs with tea in them.

「Sir, you seemed to have known we were coming.」

「Yes. But before we proceed, is that girl with the fine garment from the Tower?」

「N-No.」Paula answered.「I was raised in a church, but right now I’m accompanying Hikaru-sama as a Healer.」

「Hikaru… I see. So that’s your name.」

「Yes. And this is Lavia and Paula. We travel around together.」

「Hmm, yes.」The man nodded, smiling brightly.「Drink your tea before it gets cold. I actually had a dream that you’d come visit me.」

「A dream?」

「Sometimes I get dreams about meeting new people.」

「I see. Did you dream about your friend Scott Fairs dying then?」

The old man dropped his cup, spilling tea all over the table.

「Wh-What did you say?」

「Father Scott is dead.」

「Oh… I see… How unfortunate…」

Gravey got up and walked back and forth. Paula took out a handkerchief and wiped the table clean.

「Hikaru, who’s Father Scott?」

「The owner of the notebook I found, which mentioned of Sir Gravey, a Red Priest who was demoted to a Gray Deacon. But he was supposed to be deployed in the countryside. I didn’t expect to find him here in the slums, running an awareness program.」

「How much do you know?」the old man asked.

「Not much.」

Shrugging his shouders, Hikaru told the man everything he knew; although most of it was simply what he read in the notes. Scott wanted his notes to be given to someone else, so Hikaru couldn’t hand it to Gravey. It would also mean telling the man that he sneaked into the underground laboratory and explaining his abilities.

Hikaru explained that he was an adventurer and an informant to Scott. Gravy accepted his words without asking further questions. He seemed to trust Hikaru right off the bat. His “dream” must’ve played a part in it.

「Father Scott was a pious believer.」the old man said.「He probably couldn’t stop himself from wanting answers.」

「What are you doing in Agiapole?」

「I knew the people who were forced out of town. Someone has to guide them.」

「Isn’t that going against the Tower’s Master’s wishes?」

「I am prepared for the consequences. I don’t have much time left. I’ve lived my whole life serving God. No point in changing my ways now.」

A heavy resolve, Hikaru thought. Despite having people like him, the Church was heading into a strange direction. Perhaps him looking too old was a way to conceal his background.

「How do you know my name?」the old man asked.

「Call it a hunch.」

「Hunch…?」

「Anyway, the story you told just now… It’s different from what the Church is teaching.」

「Yeah! I’ve never heard that version before!」Paula cut in.

「Hmm… You’re a follower of the Church, yes? What I know is something I learned when I was a child. The current Pope changed the story and therefore, the textbooks as well.」

「He changed the textbooks?」

「There are too many unfathomable points as to how the world was created. The old books simply stated facts, while the newer versions included the Church’s interpretations.」

Did the Pope alter the books to hide something? Or perhaps to distract the believers?

「Is the current Pope the one who ordered to find people with a messenger-related job class?」

「No, that’s been around for some time. To be more precise, it was the previous Pope who ordered for people with the job class to be invited as guests. The Church then asked them questions. Treating them like caged birds, however, is the current Pope’s doing.」

「I see.」

The current Pope held a great interest in God, a being involved in the world’s creation. Heaven’s Messenger classes were clearly related to Gods and drakons. The Church was probably studying the holy items for the exact same reason.

The question now was: What were they trying to achieve with the information?

Probably nothing good.

「So, Hikaru. How did Father Scott pass away?」Gravey asked.

「I don’t know the exact details, but it seems he sneaked into the underground laboratory. I only knew about his death because the magic item that was supposed to keep running as long as he was alive had stopped working.」

「A laboratory, huh…」

「Do you know about it?」

「Father Scott mentioned it to me once. I only advised him to stay away.」

After that, Gravey told them that if they wanted to know more about his version of the “teachings”, the old textbooks would be best, but unfortunately, he didn’t have any in his possession. Libraries owned by the Church should have them, but probably only the one in Agiapole and the old churches in the countryside.

「You’re still young. Don’t poke your noses into anything too dangerous. In the first place, Agiapole isn’t a place for people to live in. Saint Rusalka and Saint Beyond… even the other Saints were special people with incredible magical prowess. They tried to keep the believers away from Agiapole, but the people wanted to live by their side, so they built a city.」

「Really…?」

「Only a handful of people from the Tower know about this.」

The story Hikaru knew did mention that Rusalka advised the people to stay away. But the believers followed him anyway, an act that emphasized the faith of the people. But what if Saint Rusalka wanted them away because it was dangerous? Dangerous, how?

The magic circle underground.

「I suggest you leave soon. Once breakfast is over, people might come here.」

「Okay. Thank you for everything.」

「You’re welcome. If possible, I want to talk more. I sense some mysterious aura from you three. Exalted, yet pure.」

Is he referring to Drake?

「There are people who support this place, but it wouldn’t take long before it’s discovered. We might be driven out for good.」

「I see. Take care, then.」

「May God bless you.」

Hikaru activated Group Obfuscation and they left. Gravey probably advised them to leave because this place was dangerous too. After all, this was a gathering spot for people expelled from the city. That included criminals.

「The soup here is good, Brother.」

「Yeah. I’m glad we came here.」

As they returned to the city, Hikaru spotted a pair of siblings. The older brother had a few scratches, but was otherwise fine. They appeared to be street urchins. Hikaru didn’t know those kids were the ones that Shuva witnesses being tormented.

Hikaru made his decision. The Blue Knight went down the cave, past the magic circle. The man told the Pope’s secretary that he fought some sort of a monster.

There was something in there, and Hikaru wanted to find out what it was.

I have to go.

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