Chapter 567
Chapter 567
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 567
Chapter Title: A Great Friend to Meet
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Last time I went looking for that meteor, I ran into some heretics.
They'd teamed up with a secret village of human traffickers hiding in the fog, trading lives like they were just merchandise.
I had no idea what they were using them for.
But it was obvious they'd be feeding those lives into some evil, horrific purpose, just like always.
Of course, I slaughtered the villagers unilaterally, and the three heretics who'd shown up at the village got completely wiped out too.
Even now, I think that was a damn good call.
Fucking excellent.
"So, you want to investigate the heretics in the Mist Plains, huh."
It seemed Elise was keen to dig into the origins of the evidence I'd collected after killing those heretics back then.
Someone of Elise's caliber couldn't just let something like that slide.
"That's right."
But that was pretty much impossible.
The fog was already thick as hell back then, and now in winter, it was even worse. Finding anything would be twice as hard. Lose your way for a second, and you're truly fucked. That place made the snow mountains look tame.
More than anything, if I was moving with Elise, I couldn't call in Hildegarth. Which made tracking down heretics a no-go.
Ah, shit.
Now that I was face-to-face with Elise, the fact that Hildegarth and I had some kind of partnership weighed heavy on me.
This is bullshit...!
You bitchgarth...!
Of course, even friends keep secrets from each other.
"But you're here alone? What about Penitent Holy Knight Arkiona and the others? Even if operations are on hold for winter, a few could swing by to help. We've got solid evidence now."
Did they tell Elise to investigate solo again?
With physical proof in hand, they could mobilize like during the crusade, but this felt like too much for her alone. This wasn't a one-person job. It needed a proper team, regardless of skill.
"That's a fair point. But even with operations paused, the demons' threat is still very real, so command won't pull any troops."
"Ah, got it."
Winter had hit full force, ending the large-scale searches, but the demons and heretics were still out there. No spare manpower.
"I'll do the initial scouting, and if I find solid leads, we'll plan a full search and purge."
"I see."
So they dumped the first recon on Elise, as usual.
She has it rough.
But surprisingly, Elise was the type of cleric who loved this kind of work. She looked genuinely thrilled just talking about it.
"And... if this goes well, they promised to promote me to mid-level nun."
"M-Mid-level nun...!"
Mid-level nun!
Elise was a rising star in the Radiant Cross Society, being groomed as a full-fledged paladin. Despite being way younger than me, her talent was so polished she was on the elite track.
Junior to mid to senior nun, then final promotion to paladin. That was the righteous path laid out before her.
"So paladin soon!"
"Still a ways off."
Elise said shyly.
"When that day comes, we'll go beyond Divine Friends to Paladin Friends!!!"
"Hehe, yeah, you could say that. Paladin Friends... but Divine Friends feels more natural somehow."
"Heh heh heh, me too."
Obviously, the role of paladin varied between churches—and even within the same faith, specialties differed by order.
Paladins weren't all the same.
Like how there's a battalion commander colonel and a staff officer colonel. That's the comparison.
I'm a Cardia Saintess Direct Paladin, not a Brass Celestial Society paladin. Different branches. Even if Elise becomes one, it'd be a different type from mine.
"So this is like your promotion trial."
This mission was basically Elise's trial by fire.
Normally, you don't meddle in a friend's promotion trial, but this was different.
Her poking around the Adventurer's Guild meant she was looking for me—which meant she was asking for my help.
"Got any plans? The Mist Plains aren't a walk in the park."
Help from a Divine Friend? Hard to turn down.
"It's fucking huge, visibility's shit. And winter snow means even locals get lost. Can we really root out heretics who've been hiding there forever?"
We couldn't cover that expanse alone. You'd need a massive search op just to have a shot.
It was their turf—or close enough. They knew it ten times better than us, and with all the hidden spots, plenty of escape routes.
Plus, the locals weren't trustworthy anyway.
The whole village was traffickers, and it'd stayed secret for years until I massacred them.
"That's why I came to you for help, Saint."
"Heh heh heh, gotta help with something like this. But charging in blind won't yield shit. Elise, if we're going, we need a plan first."
"Wise counsel."
Elise nodded at my words.
"Indeed... you seem even more seasoned than before."
"Eh, just common sense."
Unlike other spots, the Mist Plains demanded serious prep. Not like messing around near a village.
"Truth is, I've been agonizing over it too. I assumed command would greenlight a big op when I pitched it..."
She'd requested a large-scale effort at first, figuring it wasn't solo work.
But it got shelved, and she was ordered to scout alone before winter ended.
"I'm used to solo missions, but this one's got me stumped."
"No kidding."
With her personality, she'd take any order without complaint, then come to me when stuck.
"If it seems impossible, you could stall or report it's not feasible... nah, not your style, Elise."
She nodded.
"I can't back down. Not with heretics involved..."
"Can't just sit on that."
"...Exactly."
Shit, if she's trying this hard, shouldn't they at least assign her one holy knight?
Even if they're toughening her up, this is overkill for solo.
Or maybe it's to build her skills in rallying outside help?
Whoever's training her for paladin is ruthless.
"Hmm... tricky how to help. Elise, any deadlines? How much time we got?"
"Goal is to wrap recon ASAP, but no firm timeline."
"Roger."
How to play this?
Should I talk to the Cardia Saintess?
Ah, wait—I never mentioned the Mist Plains to her. She'd take interest if I did... but it's complicated.
"Real pickle. Elise, we could scour the Mist Plains top to bottom and still miss what we're after."
"...I figured as much. But you're the only one I could ask. Please, lend your strength and wisdom."
Elise gazed at me with her usual faith-filled eyes.
"Well, I'm a sub-priest too. I'll mention it to the Cardia Saintess. Might work out."
"Thank you so much, Saint!"
Her face lit up with a bright smile.
This needed a word with the Cardia Saintess. No other way around it.
Anyway, Elise and I kept eating, chatting about this and that. Demons popping up here, heretics caught there—mostly her side's news.
I filled her in on my recent exploits too.
"Saint, we got an official notice from the Isvant Brass Celestial Society about slaying a great demon called Andromalius. Know anything?"
She asked so innocently.
"Andromalius?"
"Yes. It's in our church's demon codex—a seriously powerful one. They say the Brass Celestial Society took down an incomplete specimen."
I got half the credit for that.
"Yeah. Me and some holy knights handled it."
"Wh-What?! Say that again!"
"I tipped them off."
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Elise was floored again.
I happily recounted the whole thing. She reacted with wide eyes and clenched fists the whole time.
Elise really was a great friend to run into.
We finished eating and headed out.
"Anyway, Elise. Even if I become a paladin and head to the capital, we're bound by our Divine Friend bond, so no worries. Being on detachment means I'll be back here plenty."
"That's..."
Honestly, I was bummed as hell. We didn't see each other much anyway, but capital duty would cut it even more.
"You going to the capital... Sure, becoming a full paladin to fight evil is great, and landing such a prime post is worth celebrating."
Elise looked regretful too.
Same here.
"Still, it's so disappointing... I don't know how to express it. But a blessing feels right. I know you'll excel. For the day we meet again, let me minister diligently."
Her regretful face broke into a smile.
That was Elise's honest heart.
Tears welled up.
"Heh heh heh... snif. It's not like we won't meet. Thanks, Elise. I'll bust my ass. Oh, but as a paladin, you can link up with other churches easier, right?"
Sending letters across denominations should be no big deal. They share core goals despite splits.
They'd have channels for it.
"...True."
"So don't sweat it. Alright, Elise, I've got stuff to do, so we'll split here. Staying at your usual spot?"
"Yes."
"I'll talk to the Cardia Saintess. If she says yes, I'll come right over. Hang tight."
She beamed and bowed energetically.
"Thank you so much, Saint! I'll await you!"
"Yeah, yeah. Coming soon. Rest up—you came a long way."
She waved and vanished into the distance. I headed straight home.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "That nun showed up?"
"Yeah. Remember the heretics in the Mist Plains? She's here to investigate and wants my help."
I got home and briefed the wives. Winia propped her chin, eyeing me like another trip?
"Hmm, Mist Plains... safe in winter? Sounds rough."
"Totally. That's why I'm asking the Cardia Saintess. Might get backup."
"If the black-haired guy says heretics, she'll help... so you wanna help the nun?"
"Course. She's the one who saved my ass at my lowest."
Winia stared into my eyes.
"Well, gotta help then. Not some rando."
"Heh heh heh, thanks. Where's Cloudie?"
"Out with Karin sis to grab clothes."
"Clothes? Oh."
I'd left the sasquatch pelts from last hunt at the tailor. Guess they went to pick 'em up. Was gonna grab them myself later.