Chapter 15 – Honorary Cleric

Akard pinched the bridge of his nose.

“This will cause an uproar. We can no longer keep this matter a secret either.”

The reason?

It was simple.

A Saintess candidate was massacred.

Then, people would ask about the safety of the remaining candidates.

Could the talk about the kidnapping not arise here?

“I must go to the headquarters. It’s a summons for the entire knighthood. Probably because of the candidate’s massacre. In any case, protecting them is our duty.”

Rashid reacted.

“Then do I move alone?”

“No, I’ll just drop by the headquarters briefly, and I will keep accompanying you. In any case, I need to be there to find the candidate.”

With the status of a mere cleric, it was practically impossible to pester here and there in the Empire and the Holy Order.

At least he, the Vice Commander, had to be there for it to be smooth.

“Then that is a relief. I felt helpless at the thought of poking around those uncomfortable places alone.”

“If there is nothing more to see, will you come to the headquarters with me? The business will end quickly. The Commander will step forward directly, and I have my assigned duty.”

“Let’s do that.”

Rashid looked around the Saintess’s room one last time.

Other than the phrase stating that the Holy Blood was defiled, nothing in particular caught his eye.

‘I’ll have to come back here after seeking advice.’

Akard called out his beloved mount.

Because moving by wyvern was faster than by bike.

Far away.

Seeing the wyvern flying from the sky, Rashid wore a troubled expression but soon accepted it.

‘Getting a ride shouldn’t be a big problem. The issue is riding it alone.’

“What happens to the bike here?”

Akard replied.

“I called people, so they will bring it to the headquarters.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

The two who boarded the wyvern crossed the sky and arrived at the headquarters.

The training ground in front of the headquarters was filled with knights who had come upon hearing the news like them, and the wyverns they rode on.

The central hall of the headquarters.

As the entire knighthood gathered, Commander Kain, who was waiting, stepped forward.

“You must have heard the news, but one of the Saintess candidates participating in this competition was massacred by an assailant.”

The knights buzzed, and Kain continued speaking with an unshaken expression.

“Some of you may know. I have recently been holding a key position on the Sacred Affairs Election Committee. So I know the internal affairs quite well. The candidates participating in this competition are four. Since one was hit here, now three remain.”

At that moment, one knight stepped forward.

“What happened to the candidate we were holding? Is that child safe?”

“That child…”

He had intended to keep it a secret until the end.

But since things turned out like this, it couldn’t be helped.

Even so, instead of the Commander who couldn’t answer easily, Vice Commander Akard stepped in quickly.

“I am in charge of that candidate. So do not worry about that child.”

“Ah, you were in charge of her, Vice Commander? Then that is a relief.”

The knights seemed to agree with those words, and Kain did not say anything more either.

“Ahem! Anyway, the safety of the remaining two candidates is also in a critical state. Thus…”

Kain, who trailed off, saw a group of clerics barging into the central hall of the headquarters.

When the embarrassed knighthood was filled with questions upon seeing the group of clerics who had visited unceremoniously, before long, a person wearing magic armor stepped forward from among the group of clerics.

Rashid, seeing him, narrowed the bridge of his nose.

There was only one person in this world who could boldly wear magic armor among the clerics.

‘Honorary Cleric.’

The beast of the sanctuary, aka the Dancing Lion.

It was Honorary Cleric Lion.

The one called the unique Honorary Cleric of this era barged into the knighthood without permission.

“Are you… not the Honorary Cleric?”

The number of clerics he brought was substantial.

Not only that, seeing that their expressions were quite confident, they seemed to have some backing.

“What did you come here for, Lion?”

His eyes were cold and solid like a long-tempered sword, looking strong as if God’s will was engraved in his eyes.

“I am extremely sorry to visit suddenly without news. However, this is something permitted to us by the Papal Court.”

Lion showed the order bearing the seal of the Holy Order’s highest authority to both Kain and the entire knighthood.

“In connection with the candidate massacre this time, the escorting of the Saintess candidates has come under my supervision entirely.”

“You?”

Kain expressed doubt.

“Why are you taking on that task instead of us? Isn’t there some mistake?”

“I do not know the will of the higher-ups. However, the higher-ups view that we are more suitable for this matter than the knighthood.”

Although the knighthood’s power was also at a non-negligible level,

the number of clerics stationed in the Holy Blood State was also substantial.

Since they were at a level to almost form a legion, they also had some power.

“At least in connection with this matter, the knighthood will have to follow my words.”

Kain displayed his uncomfortable feelings.

“My knighthood absolutely does not respond to leadership imposed by external personnel. Let alone a cleric’s command. No matter if you are the Honorary Cleric, that is out of the question.”

Lion’s eyes turned fierce.

“Then I will consider that you, Commander, are disobeying the Papal Court’s instructions. Do you intend to be framed as a heretic over a mere matter like this?”

“A heretic… No, why would the Papal Court…”

Kain could guess the reason without difficulty.

It seemed the anti-vampire factions had stepped forward to prevent a vampire candidate from becoming the most likely next Saintess.

Because if only the vampire candidate survived among the candidates, the first vampire Saintess would be born with no way out.

“Even so, you cannot give commands here. I am furthermore against excluding us from the escort mission.”

“You seem to be misunderstanding something. I am not trying to completely exclude you, Commander, and the knighthood from this matter. Rather, I plan to place forces appropriately according to the higher-ups’ tastes. However, this much is certain. Our clerics will protect the vampire candidate. You can take charge of the remaining two candidates, Commander. Don’t tell me you intend to deny this as well?”

“I deny it. How can an external force protect our candidate?”

“Commander. Do you still not know that this is the will of many people? Do not worry. Staking my honor and the honor of all the clerics here, we will surely protect the vampire candidate.”

Lion brought up his own honor and even the honor of the entire clerics.

If it came to this, Kain also had no choice but to take a step back,

but from the perspective of Kain, who had to hide a certain fact, even that was not easily accepted.

“I politely decline. That is something completely unacceptable.”

“Commander, do you intend to keep refusing the Papal Court’s order?”

At that moment,

the crowd of clerics parted, and a single black uniform revealed himself.

Rashid recognized him at once.

‘It seems the Heresy Inquisition Bureau came out for support fire. Well, if the opponent is the knighthood, it makes sense.’

The Heresy Inquisition Bureau was the only place in the Holy Order that could check the knighthood.

Thus, the Director coming in person was natural in a way.

“Commander, it is hard to see your face even when we are close.”

“Director…”

Director of the Heresy Inquisition Bureau, Reinhardt Walter.

His eyes were somewhat coldly subdued.

“Please move according to the Honorary Cleric’s instructions. As long as you quietly follow this matter, I probably won’t have to step forward.”

The Vice Commander, who was quietly watching, stepped forward.

“Commander, why don’t you just reveal it? It seems this matter is unavoidable.”

Kain, who had contemplated for a long time, reluctantly confessed.

“Actually, there is something I haven’t told everyone. The candidate we were holding is currently kidnapped.”

A major commotion arose.

Everyone looked surprised.

Lion raised his voice again.

“Then it is even more of a problem. Out of the four candidates, two have already been hit. If you do not want to mix with us, how about we take charge of and escort the remaining two candidates separately? Don’t tell me you refuse this as well?”

“No. Let’s do as you wish. We will take charge of one candidate, so you take charge of the other.”

“Thank you for the cooperation, Commander.”

The visiting clerics flocked out of the knighthood headquarters.

Rashid gave a complex and subtle look to Lion among them who were departing.

‘The only Honorary Cleric at the current point…’

Lion, who suddenly stopped his steps, turned his gaze to Rashid who was staring blankly at him.

Rashid lightly bowed his head, and Lion, who had been wondering seeing him not follow him, soon recognized his identity and smirked.

“Director, do you have more to say?”

Although the clerics had all withdrawn,

the Director of the Heresy Inquisition Bureau was still remaining in his seat.

Thus, when Kain spat out a question, the Director spoke toward everyone present.

“I remained in my seat for a moment because I felt I should convey that news here too.”

“News? What news? There wouldn’t be news bigger than our candidate being kidnapped.”

“This is intelligence sent a few days ago from the Imperial Internal Inspection Bureau. You, do you know of the Arcane Flower?”

“If you mean the Arcane Flower… are you talking about that mana bomb? I did hear that such a thing exists.”

“Yes, it is intelligence that the mana bomb was recently smuggled out of the Revolutionary Party.”

The Arcane Flower.

Most seemed not to know.

“Its destructive power is substantial. It is a strategic weapon developed to completely annihilate a localized area. It seems to have been smuggled out of the Revolutionary Party and handed over to some believer. Since this is reliable intelligence, you may believe it as is.”

“Why that story… don’t tell me they are targeting this place?”

“There was an opinion from the Internal Inspection Bureau that the candidate matter this time and that matter are by no means unrelated. Although they are also conducting an investigation, we cannot just stay still either.”

The Director continued speaking.

“Protecting the candidate is also important, but please investigate the Arcane Flower together as well. Our inquisitors are also continuously chasing that bomb. However, since we do not have much capacity, we are requesting cooperation from the knighthood here.”

The words that followed were important.

“If there is someone who finds that bomb here.”

Since everyone present here was a knight and a noble, it was a statement applicable to them.

Except for just one person.

“I will grant a new seat in the Heresy Inquisition Bureau. Since this is spoken by me, the Director, it is absolutely not empty words. The issue is serious to that extent, so it would be good for you to know and act accordingly.”

With those words as the end,

the Director also withdrew from his seat.

The knighthood stirred even more, and among them was Rashid, who had been waiting for something.

– Would you like to accept the class change quest ‘Arcane Flower’?

– Upon completion, changing classes to ‘Inquisitor’ is possible as a reward.

‘It popped up. I was waiting.’