Chapter 28 – Weiman Direct Domain

– Sanctuary Contamination Level: 68%

– Caution! From 80%, all external communications will be restricted.

– Warning! From 90%, entry and exit to the sanctuary will be restricted.

‘Already 68%? Then that means the contamination has progressed quite a bit.’

The Weiman Direct Domain he had crossed over to.

The messages that floated into his vision were as unusual as the eerie and gloomy sky.

‘Restriction on entry and exit from 90%…’

If it progressed this far, it would soon exceed 90%, and once that happened, even leaving this area would become difficult.

Rashid was lost in thought as he headed toward the diocese located in Weiman.

‘Come to think of it, I don’t know much about that inquisitor named Ludrick and that woman.’

This place was the world inside the game he possessed.

Although he did not know every character in the game, since he was an experienced veteran in his own right, there was no way he wouldn’t know if they were even slightly important.

‘I know about Jaeger at least. Since they are a family specialized in demon hunting. But that’s all.’

What was the reason?

Because they weren’t famous?

‘One is an inquisitor with the surname Jaeger. Sure, even if I might not know an inquisitor, the other is a direct blood relative of the Director of Palace Affairs. But why have I never met her even once?’

Especially between the two.

Aria Sanctum was a completely unfamiliar figure to Rashid.

It would be different if he had met her at least once whenever he pushed aside Vane Sanctum,

but there had never been such an instance.

‘Perhaps… the reason their names are unfamiliar is that neither of them could escape this place.’

Chronologically, Inquisitor Ludrick and Aria Sanctum, who applied for the Deputy Inquisitor position, would have come to resolve the matter here.

If they had failed their mission, they would have died here or been trapped forever.

‘If so, that makes sense to some extent. They both failed.’

A question arose in Rashid’s mind.

‘But no matter if the opponent is an archdemon, it is a bit surprising that an inquisitor with the blood of Jaeger could not accept the archdemon’s surrender. Or is the opponent someone even the great Jaeger could not handle?’

The archdemon was just that difficult of an opponent.

The same went for Rashid.

‘Even with the Gauntlet Lucifer, it will be hard. Since I haven’t fully grown yet.’

The most important stat among the stats was Mana.

That Mana stat had only reached 10 just now.

Rashid floated the status window in his vision.

Physicality[H] : 12

Sensibility[S] : 16

Mana[A] : 10

Mentality[M] : 11

◇ Traits: [Eighteen Martial Arts] [Critical Hunter] [Speed Freak] [Double-Edged Time] [Swordsmanship Expert]

The stat system was simple.

5 stats was the base, and every time the stat increased by 5 from there, the power doubled.

That is, at 10, Mana increased twofold, and at 15, it became fourfold.

Currently, Rashid’s Mana was at a level about twice that of an average person.

If he had become a mage, he would be called an ordinary talent.

‘To match against an archdemon, my Mana stat would need to be at least 20. But since it’s only 10 now, it’s a difficult task.’

Still, that did not mean confronting them was entirely impossible.

Since he possessed the power of another archdemon for now, if there was something to compensate for his lacking Mana, confrontation was theoretically possible.

‘More than that, if it is Scarver…’

There was an artifact related to him.

It was not in the form of a gauntlet like Lucifer.

‘Right, it was a dagger. One that reverses time.’

Even so, going back a few seconds was all it did.

And the number of uses per day was fixed.

‘Resetting every midnight and usable three times.’

It was that kind of artifact.

‘I want to have it, but…’

as expected, the problem was accepting the archdemon’s surrender.

Rashid recalled the countless users who were once toyed with by the archdemon and whined on the community board.

‘He is not a conventional demon. He is a fellow who excels at playfulness, ridicule, and driving wedges. They said that if you start getting caught up in his tricks, you will really be dragged down to the abyss and have even your soul plundered.’

There was a user who had saved the Weiman Direct Domain, which was closed down every time, just once.

He had uploaded his strategy guide to the user board.

What Rashid relied on was the strategy guide he had read back then.

‘Let us try doing it according to the strategy that user uploaded back then. Honestly, you only get done in because you don’t know. If you know, is it possible to get done in?’

Weiman Direct Domain.

The land fully incorporated into the Empire through the war of conquest was called a direct domain, and unlike autonomous domains ruled by specific families, a direct domain was a place governed by a mayor appointed by the Emperor in accordance with Imperial law.

The Emperor usually appointed the mayor of the largest city in the direct domain, and that mayor governed the entire direct domain.

And the name of the largest city usually became the name of the direct domain, and the same was true for the Weiman Direct Domain.

Weiman Metropolis.

Within it, there was a cathedral called the ‘Sanctuary’.

This cathedral was the very center of the Weiman Diocese and the place where Inquisitor Ludrick had asked to meet in two days.

On the way to the cathedral.

Rashid passed along the empty roads of the city, watching the chaotic streets.

Under the gloomy sky, people, as if possessed by something,

were participating in various political rallies.

“Since before the Gray Morning, the Empire has been sickened by incompetent and corrupt power-holders. Let us gather our minds together to open a new era! Come to our Golden Age Party.”

The Golden Age Party.

It was a political party that Rashid also knew.

‘Were they holding political rallies even in a place like this? Well, it makes sense since it’s the party that will grow the largest.’

With the help of the Guild Federation,

the Empire, which had barely managed to win the war against the Allied Kingdoms, could no longer maintain the same imperial authority as before.

This was because the Guild Federation demanded a Council.

Because of this, countless political parties sprang up in the Empire, and the Golden Age Party was one of those parties.

‘Lion. He was probably enticed by those words too.’

Rashid recalled the predecessor Honorary Cleric who was no longer here.

‘He was probably a party member. Perhaps he had met him.’

The one who might become the final villain of the entire story, that is.

“Our party representative said: Only humans! Only humans can save humanity! We must no longer remain in the outdated ruling system of the old era. Are you going to entrust our destiny to other races who have nothing to do with us? I am asking if you will entrust it to vampires.”

“No!”

“Absolutely not!”

“A new ruling system is needed in the new era. Let us boldly step out to the Council by joining our party and decide our destiny! Achieve the revolution with us!”

“Revolution in our hearts!”

Revolution in our hearts! Revolution in our hearts! Revolution in our hearts!

The rally participants repeatedly shouted the slogan of the Golden Age Party.

He could just ignore it, but

Rashid, who knew very well how that small spark would spread, could not simply brush it aside lightly.

‘A great massacre will break out. All races other than humans will be cleanly swept away.’

The event that would occur before that massacre was probably the Landfall.

The collapse of the Imperial Family would be the starting point of everything.

‘The division will depend on whether the named figures can stop Kaiser or not. If they cannot stop him, things will turn out as I know.’

A somewhat unexpected story reached Rashid’s ears.

“Tonight! At Valhalla Hall, famous as a beer chain! Our party representative will host the rally in person. Those who wish to join us, gather at Valhalla Hall tonight at 6 o’clock!”

Rashid’s bike came to a stop.

Since it was an empty road, there was no particular problem, but Rashid’s expression was quite troubled.

‘That guy is coming here?’

This was an area that would soon be sealed off by the tricks of the archdemon.

To think he would visit such a dangerous place in person.

It was completely unexpected.

‘I didn’t know that. To think that out of so many places, he would come here.’

If it was an area that would be permanently sealed off anyway,

it was an area that could be ignored without holding political activities.

For it was as good as non-existent.

‘I don’t know the reason, but if I can just kill him…’

It would be the second great achievement following Saintess Mariel.

‘In any case, I have to clean him up too.’

The problem was whether the opportunity would arise or not.

‘Will the opportunity even arise?’

He contemplated it.

It was a very important matter, to the point of forgetting that he had stopped on the road.

‘He himself is nothing special. The problem is the guys he brings along.’

In terms of military power alone, that fellow was at the most pathetic level among the various Lazarus Villains.

The problem was that the subordinates he commanded were equivalent to other Lazarus Villains.

And there was more than just one or two of such subordinates.

That was the problem.

‘Growth is happening not only for me, but the villains are growing at the same time. If I can just catch him before he grows any larger, he will be the best prey.’

Just as he finalized his thoughts and tried to move,

Rashid felt an unknown threat.

This was the influence of the Sensibility stat he possessed.

A supersensory intuition reaching four times that of an average person gave him a warning signal.

‘What is it?’

His body moved before his judgment.

Almost reflexively, he abandoned the bike and drew the mana stone sword to cut down the flying bullet.

The bullets that followed targeted Rashid, but Rashid, who had slipped between the buildings, was faster.

‘Who in broad daylight?’

Sticking to the building wall, he checked the enemy.

Good heavens.

The ones who attacked him were the police forces of this place.

They were shooting bullets toward the rally participants and dispersing them by force.

“It is fine to shoot them dead! It is the mayor’s order to unconditionally disperse all rallies or groups, using any means and methods!”

Looking at the situation, it seemed to be an attack targeting the rally participants rather than himself.

‘Even if political rallies are that bothersome, to act like that? That will surely become a problem.’

It was possible to some extent for the Imperial public power to covertly attack or disperse political rallies.

For the act of rally itself was a challenge and provocation against the imperial authority.

But dispersing them so openly was out of the question.

At least the current Imperial Family was looking at the reactions of the Guild Federation.

‘Come to think of it, they said this place was in shambles?’

That they don’t trust each other and bite each other.

The phrase in the case file saying it was the middle of a distrustful hell came to mind.

It was one of the contents he had lightly scanned when leaving the Heresy Inquisition Bureau.

‘Could it be that influence?’

Since it was not targeting him for now, once the situation quieted down, Rashid emerged from between the buildings and scanned the chaotic surroundings.

Then he encountered other armed individuals.

Looking at their attire, they were from the Empire’s first knighthood,

the knights of the Conquering Knighthood.

“Look who it is. The loyal hound of the order that defined us as evil.”

As far as Rashid knew,

there was no instance where the order defined them as evil.

If there was, it would be the dogmatic decision of the diocese here.

“Wait a minute. I came from the Papal Court. I do not know the situation here well, but I am someone who has little to do with this place.”

“No relation? It seems you are playing tricks because you are short on numbers. Your bullshit won’t work on us.”

The number of them was three.

And their hostility remained as it was.

“The Branch Commander said so yesterday. Rather than being punished as evil, let us punish that abominable good.”

An abominable good.

For them to turn out like that was clearly the play of the archdemon.

However, even so, the threat to him could not be justified.

“I am an Honorary Cleric. Be prudent in your next move.”

As he threw a clear and solemn warning,

the reaction of the knights changed.

“An Honorary Cleric?”

They had picked a fight thinking he was a mere cleric, but that was not the case.

“If it’s an Honorary Cleric, there is only one in the order, isn’t there?”

“I heard they receive treatment equivalent to a knight?”

“A knight?”

The three looked at each other, seeking an answer.

If the opponent was a mere cleric, they would have disposed of him without hesitation, but if it was a fellow knight, the story had to change.