Chapter 58 – Counterattack

Rashid met Carl at a location adjacent to Basilica.

Just as he had mentioned in advance, Carl arrived with a group of several cleric leaders stationed at Basilica.

“Ben Marcus. I am a cleric.”

“Haman Noctum. I am a cleric.”

“Shark Recto. I am a cleric.”

The introduction of names continued.

Quite a few leaders came all the way here, to the point where it was difficult to remember them all.

Although Carl had explained, Rashid could easily see the reason why they had come.

“I am Inquisitor Rashid. Looking at your expressions, I think I know why you came.”

Along with that, a message floated into his field of vision.

– Do you accept the main quest ‘Find Director Walter’?

– Reward upon completion: ‘Mana +1’.

One of the clerics said,

“What we are most dissatisfied with are those mages running rampant in Basilica. Honestly, we don’t know much about the battle between the higher-ups. However, that is no excuse to bring in the Magic Tower bastards.”

“It is the same for me. Inquisitor, since you were also a cleric once, you know how much of arch-enemies we are with the Magic Tower bastards, don’t you?”

There were several who agreed with those words.

The rest had other reasons.

“We think the former system is better than the Director of Palace Affairs who went as far as bringing in the Magic Tower. Although we must adhere to political neutrality, we believe we also have a choice. We will follow you, Inquisitor, even if it leads to death.”

Death was always beside them.

Although there were those who were not like that, they wouldn’t have become something like a cleric if they valued their lives.

Rashid lightly scanned them as they surrounded him.

“First of all, let me thank you. It must have been a difficult decision as a cleric.”

Having offered a light appreciation, he went straight to the point.

“I feel the same way. I really didn’t like seeing the Magic Tower bastards running rampant. However, in order to overturn this situation, the first step is to find the missing Director. Carl mentioned that you know about his location?”

“Yes, we know. The place where the Director is located is currently a villa located on the outskirts of the capital. Although a small number of our personnel remain there, the ones guarding it as the main force are those mages.”

There was a reason why the mana-related reward had appeared.

“Did those mages take charge of that too?”

“Even if he is placed on standby, it would have been difficult for us alone to keep the Director detained. So I suppose that’s why, but…”

“At any rate, I will find the Director first.”

Rashid climbed onto his bike, and subsequently, the rest of the clerics, including Carl, all got onto their bikes.

Rashid spoke to the other inquisitor beside him.

It was Aria.

“You, don’t follow us. Go to another area and draw their attention.”

“A diversionary tactic?”

“Since you were in the military, you should vaguely know what I mean, right?”

Even if she was a deputy inquisitor, she was still an inquisitor.

Starting her bike, she said as she was not one to demand accountability,

“Would Basilica do?”

Even so,

what boldness to go right into the middle of enemy territory.

“Won’t that be difficult? There should be quite a few mages there.”

“Then I’ll do it near there. If I slice down just a few of them, they will gather like bugs.”

“Don’t overdo it. I’m sending you for a disturbance, not telling you to face all the mages there.”

“It amounts to the same thing.”

She departed first.

Rashid, taking the other clerics, headed to the place where the Director was imprisoned.

When Rashid gestured, the cleric who knew the way took the lead.

The group of clerics, violating all traffic regulations of the Empire, rapidly exited the capital and arrived near a villa located on the outskirts.

It was a quiet forest path, and a little further ahead was the villa where the Director was imprisoned.

“If we go in just a bit further from here, the villa where the Director is imprisoned will appear.”

It meant combat was imminent.

Rashid equipped his mana armor, and the remaining clerics also fully armed themselves.

Before breaking into enemy territory,

Rashid handed down brief instructions.

“I authorize you to release your restrictions. And if those mages get in the way, you may kill them without hesitation. I will bear all the responsibility.”

The clerics laughed faintly.

How grateful they were to hear those words.

The clerics broke the rosaries and various types of sealing tools they held, recovering their mana.

“Then let’s go.”

The bikes, emitting roaring sounds, sped along the forest path, and soon reached the villa where the group of mages was stationed.

The group of mages guarding the front gate wore flustered expressions.

Identifying friend or foe was the priority, but unfortunately, Rashid did not allow it.

Breaking through the main gate in his mana armor, Rashid suppressed the mages with a single strike.

It was before they could react with magic bullets.

Once identification was finished, the green-robed mages projected magic formulas into the air all at once.

Then, this time, the clerics moved.

The agile clerics used various kinds of weapons to suppress all the mages.

Since they were all cleric leaders and not ordinary clerics, their combat power was incomparable to that of ordinary mages.

They would at least need to bring a purple-robed Mage Captain to match them.

The fight ended in an instant.

The mages, numbering in the dozens, were taken down just like that by Rashid and the group of clerics.

It would be an appropriate expression to say they were almost swept away without even having time to resist.

“I will take the lead. I’ll leave the remaining small fries to you.”

Putting forward his Absorption Core, Rashid barged into the villa.

Inside, the mages who had been waiting in advance began to resist all at once. Near them lay the corpses of the clerics who had been cleared out beforehand.

Magic bullets poured down, but it meant little to Rashid, who put forward his Absorption Core.

The formulas were all neutralized and fully replenished as fuel for the Abyss Stone.

‘Though it won’t neutralize all formulas, it seems at least those pathetic magic bullets pose no threat.’

Inside, there was a purple-robed Mage Captain in addition to the mages, but they were still no match for Rashid.

Typically, the power of the Magic Tower corresponding to an inquisitor was a Mage Commander.

Had there been a Mage Commander dressed in pure white robes, it might be different, but since there was not, Rashid advanced with irresistible force.

Behind him, the corpses of mages piled up.

To the extent that the following clerics found it overwhelming, he wiped out the entire Magic Division inside the villa in an instant.

The arrived Director’s room.

There, the Director, who had already cleared out the mages, stood waiting for Rashid with his hands behind his back.

“I wondered who would come find me first, and it turned out to be you?”

A clear smile appeared on the Director’s face.

Rashid bowed his head lightly to the Director, then immediately entrusted the surrounding cleanup to the following clerics.

Then he stood next to the Director.

“Are you alright?”

“As you can see, I am fine. However, my mind is not at ease. I did not expect him to strike me directly. There was no sign of it at all.”

“Yes, we were also flustered. We did not expect you to be placed on standby overnight.”

“Only the day before, he was a person who smiled and said we should get along well. I didn’t trust him, but to think he would strike immediately.”

“Since taking control of the Inquisition Bureau is necessary to eventually take control of the Holy Order, it must have been a natural step from the Director of Palace Affairs’ perspective.”

“A pathetic man. He must know what this means, wouldn’t he?”

“Are you going to counterattack?”

“Isn’t that why you came to find me?”

He continued speaking.

“I had also thought of just accepting it if no one came to find me. I thought the general trend had already tilted. But since you came for me, I must think otherwise.”

“The Director of Palace Affairs is currently in a state of abuse of power. And that attempt to assassinate His Holiness and take control of the entire Holy Order corresponds to the crime of sacrilegious usurpation and rebellion.”

“The crime of sacrilegious usurpation and rebellion…”

The Director smiled bitterly.

“Yes, that will be his end.”

Whether he had really assassinated the Pope or not was practically unimportant.

They could just create evidence.

“I will return to the Inquisition Bureau.”

“Director, some of the inquisitors are already following Lucian as defectors. Of course, the number is not large. Even if they are a minority, they probably won’t welcome your return, Director. Also, since they are cooperating with the Magic Division, some fighting is bound to be inevitable.”

“Indeed. That man Lucian won’t back down easily either. He knows what it means to step down from that position.”

This was the opportunity.

“Director. Before I escort you, I have a request.”

“A request?”

“As I said, once we arrive at the Inquisition Bureau, there will be quite a few guys resisting. It could be at the level we expect, or it could be more than that. Perhaps the majority of the inquisitors have turned.”

“I don’t think it would be so. But you are not wrong either. We don’t know yet. We have to go there to find out.”

“That’s why I think what we need is overwhelming power.”

“Overwhelming power?”

“Having a strong momentum will surely be helpful in regaining control of the Inquisition Bureau.”

“What is it you want to say?”

“I have another mana armor.”

As Rashid caressed his bracelet, the armory popped out.

The mana armor mounted in the center of it was completely different from what the Director knew.

“That… looks peculiar. It seems to be a mana armor, but…”

The surface of the exoskeleton was metal, but its interior was made of flesh and bone, making it a bizarre mana armor beyond description.

“Yes, what you are thinking is correct. That is a demonic artifact. Did you know that I once set out on a dungeon exploration with Her Highness Mariel?”

“Ah, I already know about that matter. It’s a past event that I can’t even remember now.”

“It is an item discovered there. It is a mana armor, and it possesses tremendous power. If you permit it, I wish to wear it.”

“Will it be alright? That… possesses the power of a demon.”

“I have confirmed several times that the demon’s evil influence does not reach me. However, I was reluctant to wear it because I was conscious of my status as a church member. Under the current circumstances, I think it is the weapon that will give us the greatest strength.”

“Your superior will hate it very much. Isn’t your superior a demon specialist?”

“No matter what my superior is, the only one I care about now is you, Director.”

“I won’t care. However, I am more worried about whether it is really alright to wear that.”

“Wearing it is not a problem. Seeing that the evil influence does not reach me even while wearing it, I feel that I paid a sufficient price in the dungeon back then. I was the only one who returned alive, after all.”

It was only a problem within the Holy Order.

Outside, it was not that much of a problematic matter.

“I have no particular intention of stopping you from wearing it. However, if you seem to be manipulated by the demon or show such signs, I will have no choice but to find your superior.”

“You do not have to worry about such problems. However, since the eyes of others are concerning, I only hope the Director will understand this point.”

“To put it simply, you’re asking me to turn a blind eye.”

“Yes.”

“It seems you still do not know me. I value selecting people carefully. Once they become an inquisitor, I tend not to care much about whatever they do. Unless they truly cause a scandal, that is.”

“Still, isn’t it better if things go smoothly? The only person who would complain about me wearing that is someone at your level, Director. If you quietly turn a blind eye, my mind will be at ease.”

“If everything related to demons had to be rejected, virtually no magic should be permitted in the Holy Order. Yet magic is permitted covertly. It’s nonsense. If the new Pope forbids everything related to demons, then my thoughts will change. Otherwise, I will simply acquiesce.”

The approval was granted.

‘With this, I can wear it openly now.’

It was a good outcome.

“Are there clerics outside?”

“Yes, they came to find me, harboring a strong resentment against the Director of Palace Affairs bringing in the mages. Their help was immense in finding you, Director.”

“I should give them a reward later.”

The Director left the room.

“Change and come out. I will wait outside.”

Simultaneously with the Director’s departure, a quest-related message appeared.

– You have completed the main quest ‘Find Director Walter’.

– Reward obtained: ‘Mana +1’.

– Do you accept the main linked quest ‘Stop the Director of Palace Affairs’?

– Reward upon completion: ‘Jaeger’s Blood’, ‘Mana +2’.

‘The rewards… are different from what I expected?’

Since the mages were involved, it was somewhat expected that a mana-related stat would be given.

However, the granting of the trait ‘Jaeger’s Blood’ was questionable.

‘Even if the rewards are random, can this appear?’

Of course, it was a good reward.

Regarding demons, Jaeger’s Blood was absolutely decisive.

‘Could it be…’

An uneasy thought crossed his mind.

From his previous play experience, there was a balance in the game’s world, meaning the number of possessors of a trait was limited.

If he obtained a trait that was hard to get, it would mean someone else had lost it.

‘That might be the case. They are not guys who would help for no reason. They must have done something, and if they are Magic Tower bastards, they would have targeted the ones associated with exorcism nine times out of ten.’

Rashid, who changed his mana armor first, came out of the mansion and saw the waiting Director and the group of several clerics.

Although the clerics were quite surprised by the shape of the mana armor which was different from before, since the face under the raised visor was familiar, most of them accepted it as it was.

The Director offered a brief comment.

“It suits you well.”

Though the interior of the mana armor was bizarre, its outward appearance was a very profound and excellent mana armor itself.

“Is it a Class 1 mana armor?”

“Yes, it is Class 1.”

“Class 1… I can understand your greed. A Class 1 mana armor is an item you cannot get even if you want to.”

Seeing him even nod his head, it seemed he liked it.

“The only means of transportation is a bike, will you be alright?”

Now, all that remained was to head to the Inquisition Bureau.

The Director sat on the bike without hesitation.

“I also rode them a lot in my younger days. No matter how good a car is, nothing is as fast as this on a congested road.”