Chapter 50 – Basilica Choral Dome

Was there any reason to refuse joining?

“Instead, there is a condition. Members who join the club must help each other materially and spiritually. That is the condition.”

“Is it something like pulling each other up and taking sides?”

“Yes, even if it is bad and disadvantageous to oneself.”

Seraphine showed a cruel smile.

“Betrayal among members is absolutely impossible. Since we are companions in the same boat and family.”

A chair professor of the Magic Tower and even the imperial family were involved.

Since the order would also join if he participated as well, the synergy effect seemed to be substantial.

“Then is the reverse case also valid? Even if I do something foolish, the members will help me materially and spiritually, right?”

“Of course. There is no betrayal between us. That is the intent and purpose of establishing our club.”

The Director of Palace Affairs wore an intrigued expression.

“Covering for and helping each other like family, even if it is a wrong path…”

His deliberation did not last long.

“I want to meet the people of the club first. I must verify with my own two eyes first whether such a club really exists as you say, and if those people truly belong to it.”

“Although not often, our members hold regular meetings every year. New members are also often discussed at that time. The meeting this time is next week.”

“That is good. I can see them before the concert.”

The concert was a double-edged sword for him.

It would be a blade that struck down all his enemies, but at the same time, the blade holding him responsible would return to him.

“To be honest, I was deliberating a bit over the concert. Because the risk is so high.”

“Once you join the club, you cannot cancel the concert.”

At the unexpected words, Vane tilted his head.

“What do you mean by that?”

“As I said, it is about helping each other materially and spiritually. Your Excellency must help me. I expect my performance to unconditionally be played in that Choral Dome.”

Was it revenge?

“I heard that you have killed numerous followers since escaping from the Vocal Academy. Is it perhaps related to that?”

“Didn’t we both want the same thing? I remember accepting Your Excellency’s proposal for that reason. It was not something the Count forced upon me. It was my decision.”

“The risk of that matter is high. If things go wrong, it might end without achieving anything.”

Seraphine shook her head.

“No. That can absolutely not happen. Whatever Your Excellency’s thoughts may be, I intend to unconditionally repay them with my performance.”

A bitter smile escaped Vane’s mouth.

“Do you intend to do so even if I say no?”

“As I told you. Once you join the club, we must help each other. Your Excellency must unconditionally help me.”

“Hmph, you sound as if I have no choice.”

“Wasn’t it what Your Excellency originally wanted? To pull back now… I am disappointed.”

“It was fifty-fifty, but to think you would act like this. Now it makes me want to do it even less. Do you have some other hidden agenda behind my back?”

“The hidden agenda would be yours, Your Excellency. I am merely repaying this order that raised me with my performance.”

Vane tapped the armrest of the reception sofa with his fingertips.

“What if I oppose or interfere?”

“Your club membership will fall through.”

“Did you recommend me to join the club with that in mind?”

“I thought someone like Your Excellency would not refuse that proposal. So let’s go with the original plan. We are helping each other. I will achieve my revenge, and Your Excellency will survive alone to completely take over the order. Didn’t you want that originally?”

Although her inner motives were highly suspicious, the existence of the club was more interesting than that.

If such a club really existed and her words were true,

even if things went wrong, he could borrow the power of the club.

“Let’s meet the club members first.”

Vane showed a chilling smile.

“I really like the words that we help each other in any case. If that is true, there is no reason to decline.”

Vane’s gaze as he looked at her turned quite blatant.

“Because I am not the only one being used.”

She was once a hunting knife that he had forged and lost.

Joining the club meant retrieving that knife again.

* * *

“You’ve been visiting quite often lately, Chief Inquisitor Lucian.”

Lucian spoke while glancing particularly at only one of the two inner rooms.

“Since it is where my lady is, of course I should come and take care of you. Do these guys even take care of you, Lady? I should at least come and take care of you.”

“I’ve felt this since a long time ago, but that title of ‘Lady’ is quite bothersome. I didn’t say it when I was an attendant, but I must tell you now. Please correct it.”

“Ah, then I will refrain from using the title ‘Lady’ as much as possible, Inquisitor Aria.”

As he checked Rashid’s office, he wore a sly smirk.

“More than that, I sincerely congratulate you on becoming an inquisitor. His Excellency will surely be pleased as well.”

She replied in a mechanical voice.

“Yes, thank you.”

Lucian scanned the inside of the office, which was cramped for three inquisitors to use, and spoke.

“Besides, inquisitors usually work in teams of two, but there are as many as three here?”

“Because it was a formal promotion. It won’t be right away, but we will be split up eventually.”

Lucian was still smiling brightly.

“Or why don’t you come under me? If you are under me, you won’t even have to do much work. I won’t give you any pressure either, and it would be perfect if you just keep stamping your attendance and then get married into a good family. What do you think about this?”

A cold gaze flew at him like a dagger.

Accepting it as a refusal, Lucian cleared his throat and asked about something else.

“Ahem, by the way, is Inquisitor Rashid inside?”

“Yes, he is inside.”

He walked into Rashid’s room without hesitation after a light knock.

Since he hadn’t visited just once or twice,

Rashid did not seem very surprised either.

He had known since the moment Lucian entered anyway.

“Inquisitor Rashid. I saw something interesting earlier.”

“Hey.”

Lucian thought he had misheard at first.

“Is it okay to barge into someone else’s room so recklessly?”

What was with this guy?

Where did the respect for the Chief Inquisitor go, and why was he suddenly speaking informally?

“Inquisitor Rashid. Don’t you think something is very wrong right now?”

Then Rashid pointed at his nameplate with his index finger as if to emphasize it.

“My title is no longer Deputy Inquisitor. So I have no reason to speak respectfully to you. Isn’t that right, Lucian?”

Lucian frowned deeply.

If he knew it was just formal, he shouldn’t act like that.

However, as the title itself was Chief Inquisitor just as he said, Lucian had no choice but to keep his mouth shut while scowling.

Rashid reproached him.

“I’ve felt this for a while, but you really have no manners. Now that we have the same title, I hope you show some consideration.”

Fuck.

Since the guy who was speaking respectfully to him just the day before yesterday suddenly changed his tone, his mood could not help but be completely ruined.

“I will. But don’t you think you’re being too arrogant?”

“The arrogant one is you, not me. You aren’t my superior either, are you? Why are you coming to someone else’s office and making a fuss? Do you have something to say to me?”

Although he was dumbfounded, Lucian quickly erased that expression and brought up what happened earlier.

“Are you, by any chance, interested in revolution?”

Rashid shook his head.

“Meeting the party representative there was just for business. Since there are so many cases I am handling, you see.”

“You must also know what kind of place the Golden Age Party is.”

“Even putting that aside, is it any of your business?”

Even if Rashid was not his subordinate, it would have been possible to visit and scold him if he were a Deputy Inquisitor, but now that their titles were the same, even that became impossible.

“Unbelievable.”

Realizing that things could no longer be as before, Lucian left with a bitter smile.

‘He has been visiting openly since some point, and it serves him right. Should I have grilled him more?’

He was someone who could be considered an enemy.

Since there was no reason to treat him well, Rashid did not regret it.

‘Directly clashing with him will happen after Seraphine.’

As far as Rashid knew,

Vane would join Lazarus after Seraphine.

Driven into a corner by ‘a certain incident’ that would occur later, Vane would grasp unrivaled power in the order, and also receive the protection of the Magic Tower.

‘The fight against the battle mages will begin.’

Of course, that was for later.

For now, Seraphine was the priority.

* * *

The night sky was as clear as glass, and the sacred light spread softly.

Beneath it, numerous followers and distinguished guests had already arrived at the stairway of the Basilica Choral Dome, which was bathed in colorful lights.

Each time the high-end ceremonial vehicles with a black gloss stopped in line, the doors opened, and splendid followers adorned with silk and gold thread poured out in turn.

Appearing while flashing their respective insignias, they exchanged all sorts of greetings and pleasantries as soon as they saw each other.

False smiles, formal embraces, and brief glances scanning each other as if to reconfirm their status crossed.

The sight of them subtly smiling while being overly conscious of each other’s presence was truly a night banquet of the powerful competing for face.

In particular, the area around the Director of Palace Affairs was exceptionally noisy.

“This concert hosted by Your Excellency is indeed a night where the sacred light has descended. Only Your Excellency, even in heaven, could prepare such a grand occasion.”

“Haha, you flatter me.”

“Without Your Excellency’s deep sophistication and planning, how could such a night of sacred light be possible? The entire order bows under Your Excellency’s grace tonight.”

At the same time, flattery toward his younger sister, who occupied the seat next to him, also lined up.

She was wearing an evening dress instead of a uniform, fitting for the occasion.

“Ah, so this is the newly appointed inquisitor. Standing beside the Director of Palace Affairs, she is reassuring beyond words. Despite being young, her gaze is already like that of an accomplished inquisitor. I look forward to her future activities.”

“Even though it is the first time meeting you, your gaze that penetrates people is extraordinary. The order has gained a very precious talent.”

“Miss Aria, I sincerely congratulate you on becoming an inquisitor.”

Standing with her back to the Choral Dome illuminated by splendid lights, she saw her superior mingling with several clerics far away.

He was scanning the entire Choral Dome while giving instructions to a cleric next to him.

She recalled the instructions he had given.

The instruction to attend quietly according to formalities so that the Director of Palace Affairs would not suspect anything.

Since she was not pleased with that order, her expression as she looked at him was slightly subdued.

“Aria, let’s go.”

Then, at her brother’s call, she stepped onto the stairs leading to the Choral Dome.

‘They are moving.’

There was Rashid, who was watching Aria and the Director of Palace Affairs.

Beside him stood Carl Setier.

“You have deployed all the troops at the places I instructed, right?”

“Yes, we will remove all the resonators simultaneously with the start of the concert.”

“I cannot trust the clerics in charge of security here. The only ones I can trust are you and the other clerics brought from outside the Basilica.”

“Fortunately, our number is not small, so there won’t be any issues.”

“The only thing left is the Sacred Sound Resonator up on that dome…”

Since he had to target Seraphine, dealing with the Sacred Sound Resonator was too much.

Instead, he had him.

The one he had marked as the next attendant.

“Carl, I leave the Sacred Sound Resonator to you. There will probably be guys guarding it.”

“Unlike last time, I will absolutely not disappoint you this time.”

“You released the restriction, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

Rashid, who deliberated for a moment, continued.

“The attendant position is vacant right now. So I am thinking of you.”

“Is that so?”

“Actually, it might sound strange to say this, but could you raise your magical aptitude a bit more?”

“Like a mage?”

“Right. I know well that this is a strange request. But I will take responsibility. To employ you as my right hand, your current level is insufficient. To compensate, you will need magical knowledge to the level of a mage.”

“In that case… I will try learning it first.”

“You must have talent. Since your track record has been good. Even if you don’t, don’t be too disheartened. Your current level is excellent, and I just mean for you to grow a little more from there.”

“Yes.”

“Then, I leave the Sacred Sound Resonator to you.”

Rashid, finishing his words, walked toward the Choral Dome.

It was time to clean up Seraphine.