Chapter 23 – Dangerous Thought

Inside the armored vehicle, Rashid saw the other clerics who were secretly conscious of him.

They were Lion’s loyal subordinates, and they were individuals selected under strict criteria from among the numerous clerics stationed in the Basilica.

In other words, the elite among the elite.

‘Their combat power level probably exceeds that of common clerics. If they wear magic armor, they will be better than mediocre knights. Because they only chose such guys.’

That was not all.

The thoughts and ideas they possessed would also not be much different from Lion’s.

Having shared the same thoughts from the beginning, they must have done everything together with Lion until now.

‘Even the anti-vampire sentiment. It will all be identical.’

Only by subduing all of them

would this matter end.

Fortunately, the only ones wearing magic armor were himself and Lion.

No matter how great a cleric was, they had no choice but to tuck their tail in front of magic armor.

Since the martial prowess of knights was higher than that of clerics from the beginning entirely because of magic armor.

However, as if to make such thoughts meaningless,

one of the clerics, who kept being conscious of Rashid’s magic armor, spoke to Lion.

“Boss, is there nothing for us?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at that. Someone came out wearing even magic armor, but we could not even wear light armor.”

Lion laughed lightly.

“Who do you think we are escorting? She is the one who will soon become the next Saintess. Normally, it would be strictly forbidden, but fortunately, His Excellency the Director of Palace Affairs permitted it. Once we arrive at the Holy See, customized magic armor will be provided for each individual. I specially placed the order to match your sizes, so be grateful to His Excellency the Director of Palace Affairs.”

Only then did smiles spread across their faces, which had been full of worry.

They had a headache because of the magic armor, but since that problem was resolved,

it was a natural reaction.

‘Magic armor for clerics… Well, since even the knights have been pushed aside, they have to wear at least magic armor to have a justification.’

There was nothing to worry much about.

Because the customized magic armor given to them could not possibly perform better than the magic armor equipped by the knighthood.

‘The problem is that guy.’

Rashid’s gaze directed toward Lion.

‘His magic armor is specially designed to match his title. Perhaps it could exceed the level of the magic armor worn by knights. As long as one can endure it, it is not impossible to draw the performance of the magic armor to its limit.’

Furthermore, his martial prowess was not just overwhelming knights as known to the public, but was at a level where he would not be pushed back even when fighting several knights simultaneously.

Power equal to the vice-commander or above.

‘How it will turn out, I will only know once we fight.’

The situation was on the decent side.

Since the seal was lifted, there was no restriction on the use of mana, and since he even wore magic armor, he was quite free from sudden surprise attacks.

Rashid thought over Lion unconsciously.

‘If I think of him as the culprit who caused this incident, everything in the past is explained. The point that he freely killed the victims by penetrating the tight security of the Basilica. The martial power that overwhelms knights. And even the point that he shook the board in a timely manner as if he knew everything.’

If he did not know the fact that he was the culprit, he had to realize it even now to survive.

‘I was not that fast either. The culprit changes every time, and even when that guy was the culprit, I thought “no way” around this point.’

The armored vehicle burning mana stone fuel ran with a loud noise, and Lion, who was lost in thought inside it, suddenly came to Rashid and sat facing him.

“Your name was Rashid, right? May we talk for a moment?”

“Of course. Go ahead comfortably.”

There was still time left before arriving at the Holy See.

Using that spare moment, Lion attempted to converse.

“As for you, what do you think about the current state of affairs?”

“The current state of affairs? Do you mean the incident where some assailant threatened the Basilica and massacred the candidates?”

“That is not it. That is merely a small matter.”

“Did you say that was merely a small matter?”

As a believer, was there something larger than that?

“I cannot understand that word at all.”

“Although you do not know well how the world turns because you have been cooped up in a small monastery.”

Lion leaned his back against the vehicle wall and crossed his arms.

“Outside this order, it is turbulent with revolutionary forces trying to welcome a new era.”

He wondered what he was talking about coming out of nowhere,

and it turned out to be recruitment.

Since it would be a waste to kill him, he approached with the thought of saving him if they happened to share the same ideology.

“Revolution… Isn’t that something that has absolutely nothing to do with us?”

“How can you say it has nothing to do with us? When this nation itself is inside the imperial capital, how can you speak like that? The order cannot exist without the imperial citizens. The order exists because they exist, and they can also live without trouble because the order exists.”

“Is that so?”

“The Empire’s situation is not much different from here either. It is rotten to the core due to the incompetence of the ruling class. Just as someone said, it is truly a time when Landfall is needed.”

“Landfall… If the Bureau of Human Inspection outside hears this, they will be very pleased. It is an extremely dangerous remark.”

Lion snorted.

“Hmph, I am a believer. Even the Empire’s Bureau of Human Inspection cannot do anything to the order’s Honorary Cleric.”

“That is true, but…”

“Anyway. This rotten world is changing rapidly, and its cause converges into one thing. Do you know what it is?”

“I think I know what it is, but…”

Rashid examined the other clerics who were not participating in this conversation.

Because they were full of wary eyes.

“I do not particularly have any ill feelings toward them.”

Lion smiled faintly looking at the magic armor he wore.

“It seems so. You seem completely unprepared to face the rapidly changing world, just like the rigid and old-fashioned order society. It would have been nice if your thinking were a bit more flexible.”

He was about to end the conversation with that,

but it was Rashid who caught him as he left.

“While you hate vampires that much, how on earth are you going to protect the candidate here?”

“A mission is a mission. Emotions must be excluded from a mission. And you seem to be misunderstanding something. I do not hate vampires.”

“Is that so? Since you discussed revolution, I thought you hated vampires. Usually, do not those who discuss revolution have strong antipathy toward the vampire ruling class?”

“It is not that I hate them. I just think of them as remnants of the old era that do not suit the new era. And this is not my thought, but the flow of the new era that cannot be resisted.”

“The flow of the new era…”

“If you have time, go outside the order and look at the protesting people. Perhaps many thoughts will come to you. If your thinking is truly flexible, that is.”

The conversation ended with that.

There was also a way to buy favor by agreeing with his words,

but if the words happened to leak out, that was also a risk factor.

Rashid decided to move according to his original plan.

The armored vehicle stopped, and they arrived at the Holy See.

The Holy See, where strict security was being maintained by countless clerics, was entirely moving according to Lion’s instructions.

Of course, among them were armed knights and a dispatched inquisitor could also be seen,

but the knights only guarded their positions.

They did not seem to have the authority to instruct or command the clerics like Lion.

This was a beautiful masterpiece of the Director of Palace Affairs.

‘There is an inquisitor, but…’

Since the number of Heresy Inquisitors within the order was so small.

There was only one inquisitor visible right now.

Even that single one was sitting at the Holy See entrance, casually flipping through a book.

Looking at his expression of finding everything annoying, it seemed he had really been dragged out reluctantly and was just guarding the spot.

‘It seems there is nothing I can hope for from that inquisitor.’

Carrying bags holding bombs like this right now,

and yet there is not even a single person who blocks and inspects them.

It was mind-boggling, but that was reality.

‘Of course. Who on earth would think that the culprit who will carry out the bomb terror here is the Honorary Cleric who is in charge of the security here? Moreover, he even has the protection of the Director of Palace Affairs.’

The clerics carrying the bags were able to enter the Holy See in a free-pass manner.

Not a single person asked about the bags.

‘This is a problem.’

Rashid did not like this situation.

If it flowed like this, the Holy See would be sublimated into a blue flower along with the last remaining candidate.

‘Do I have to use the inquisitor?’

None of the clerics guarding the Holy See would be able to interfere with the Honorary Cleric’s work.

The knights too, lacking command authority, would not be able to stop the Honorary Cleric.

Except for one.

The inquisitor was the sole exception.

‘And then there was that quest. The quest to find the Arcane Flower.’

That quest was also important.

Because only by completing it would the path to becoming a Heresy Inquisitor be unlocked.

‘If I expose that, it will count as me finding it. The problem is the timing.’

Rashid scanned the surroundings.

He saw the candidate, who still showed obvious signs of tension even after entering the Holy See, and Lion leading that candidate.

“Let us go inside. We have prepared a room here for you to stay until the competition. You can stay there for the time being.”

“The other people have not arrived yet…”

“They will find their way on their own. You do not need to worry about them.”

“By any chance… have we met before?”

“No way. This is the first time.”

Perhaps because they relaxed, the subordinates who followed Lion looked for the magic armor immediately after entering the Holy See.

“Where is our magic armor? We need to change right now.”

“The boss said so. He left them in the basement open space.”

“In the basement open space? There should be cleric barracks nearby though?”

“We brought something. Use your brain.”

“Ah, right. As expected of the boss. He always looks several steps ahead.”

This chaotic moment was the opportunity.

Rashid stopped while approaching the inquisitor who was casually flipping through the book.

At the moment, the inquisitor got up from his seat and suddenly stepped outside the Holy See.

A surprised knight sought him.

“Inquisitor, where are you going?”

“Shift change, shift change. I am really sick of this job. How long do they plan to keep high-class personnel like me cooped up here?”

Rashid’s expression stiffened.

‘Oh. It’s that guy. I did not recognize him at once because he had his head buried.’

Lucian Alhazen.

He was the Director of Palace Affairs’ henchman.

‘Was even the inquisitor here an accomplice? Then this place is completely finished.’

Rashid thought.

The reason why the culprit went out of his way to release the candidate he was holding.

‘He must have planned to manipulate the evidence through that inquisitor. He probably intended to frame the knighthood as the mastermind of this incident. Since circumstantial evidence or suspicion would already be overflowing with that candidate who returned alive.’

The inquisitor who fled in a timely manner.

It seemed they had absolutely no intention of keeping the bombs idle.

‘Seeing that inquisitor guy running away in a hurry, are they planning to just detonate them?’

Rashid examined the internal situation again.

The candidate had been taken by Lion, and the remaining subordinates were heading down to the Holy See basement to wear the magic armor.

‘It is right to secure the bombs first.’

The basement open space of the Holy See.

In that fairly spacious place, six dark greenish-brown weapon boxes were placed.

Inside each weapon box was a specially ordered magic armor, and confirming this, the corners of the clerics’ mouths curved wide.

“To think the day would come when I get to wear magic armor.”

“I told you it was a good idea to follow the boss.”

“This way, we won’t have to yield to that guy.”

“So what if he caught Heimdall? Is there anyone who can stand against dogpiling?”

It was the moment they were just about to pull out the packaged magic armor.

“What? Why are you here? Weren’t you following the boss?”

They questioned Rashid, who had followed them all the way to the basement open space.

“Because I have something to verify separately.”

“Verify what?”

“That bag you brought. They let it through upstairs without even inspecting it. May I check it?”

“What?”

“Why would you check this? They just let it through upstairs too.”

“That is why I want to check it even more.”

Rashid held the mana stone sword and embedded a bloodstone inside it.

‘I am sorry, but I do not particularly like headache-inducing developments.’

“If verification is impossible, I will verify it myself.”

The clerics who were about to wear the magic armor showed bewildered expressions.

Because he looked ready to open the bag and check its contents at any moment.

Exchanging glances with each other, they drew their weapons almost simultaneously.

Six against one.

However, Rashid was in a state of wearing magic armor.

‘No chance.’

Simultaneously with the movement of the six clerics, Rashid’s timeline tore apart.