Chapter 264: I’m Coming to See You Now
Chapter 264: I’m Coming to See You Now
“The Righteous Light has sent me here!”
Let’s just go with that.
I could feel the bewildered stares of the other women, but my expression didn't waver.
I could always settle the details with the Righteous Light herself later.
The clergymen hesitated at my dignified, unwavering attitude. They continued to glare at me for a moment, their holy power surging, but then—
“Wait… that’s!”
“It’s a divine object! A divine object of our main church!”
“Lower your swords at once! I can feel His blessing!”
It didn't take long for them to notice the Shining Lion Dagger and the Sun God’s Blessing dwelling within me. They immediately stood down from their combat stances.
Man, I love clergymen for this. They drop their guard the second they feel their god’s energy.
As I lowered the dagger with a beaming smile, a priestess who appeared to be their leader stepped forward.
She was a woman with salt-and-pepper hair, transitioning from middle age to her senior years. Judging by the church’s symbol embroidered in gold thread on her vestments, she clearly held a high-ranking position.
She made the sign of the cross and greeted me first.
“May the sun illuminate your path. I am Gertrude, a humble servant of the Righteous Light. Might you be Sir Yandel?”
“That’s right. Since you already know who I am, this should be quick. The Righteous Light whispered to me through the light, telling me to come here.”
“…Pardon?”
Gertrude looked dazed, perhaps because I’d skipped the pleasantries to get straight to the point, or perhaps because I’d mentioned the Righteous Light speaking to me.
Without giving her time to think, I pressed on.
“You’re holding them off well thanks to the Saintess deploying the barrier at the right time… but those cultists have a trump card. At this rate, the barrier will break.”
“A trump card… You mean that veil?”
“Exactly. Reinforcements are on the way, but they’ll take time. We have to stop the ritual before then.”
“…Is that even possible? To break through that horde of monsters?”
“Of course. Do you think I received the Righteous Light’s blessing for no reason, even though I’m not a member of the clergy? I’ve done things like this countless times. I have a plan. Will you help me?”
“…….”
Gertrude fell silent for a moment, processing my words. Even if she didn't have time to digest everything else, she seemed to have understood my final question perfectly.
Before long, she spoke in a calm voice, having reached a conclusion.
“As it happens, we were just debating whether to wait for reinforcements or find a way to identify the nature of that suspicious veil.”
So that argument I saw earlier was about that?
“Are you certain that veil will break the barrier? Did the Righteous Light tell you so…?”
“No. The ritual is my own deduction. However, based on the Fallen Heaven Plan they’ve been preparing recently, the fact that they’re holding their ground despite knowing they can’t break through normally, and the scale of the army they’ve raised, I judged it highly likely.”
“The Fallen Heaven Plan?!”
I thought a high-ranking priestess would have heard something from the Pope… but based on her reaction, she was in the dark.
Quickly suppressing her confusion, Gertrude glanced behind her. The other Holy Knights and priests met her gaze and nodded.
Turning back to me with eyes that had grown even more solemn, Gertrude spoke.
“If there is even a chance of danger… that is enough. We will gladly assist you. What would you have us do?”
“Thank you. I’ll explain the plan now.”
*
Whether it was because of the divine object and the blessing, or because our goals aligned with their faith, the Holy Knights and priests were incredibly cooperative. While Iris and Iona were setting up the magic circle, I took a moment to check their capabilities, and they seemed quite skilled.
Gertrude was the only high-ranking priestess, but the others—belonging to the Church of the Righteous Light, which was known for its combat prowess—were more than capable of pulling their weight.
To put it in mage terms, it felt like having one high magician and several intermediate magicians. Unfortunately, however, only a few could keep up with Iona and me.
While Gertrude was powerful, her advanced age and the fact that she was a priest with relatively less physical training were drawbacks.
Though buffs could compensate to some extent… she wasn't quite fast enough to keep up with Iona and me moving at full strength.
For the same reason, the priests decided to stay behind to protect Iris, leaving only the Holy Knights.
After excluding a few rookies who lacked experience, only four remained.
Well, I’d originally planned to charge in with just Iona, so having four more was plenty.
By the time I’d shared the plan and finished the final checks, Carla trotted over, signaling that they were ready.
“Master. The magic circle is in place.”
“Yeah? Perfect timing.”
Since we’d set out early in the morning, it was now nearly noon. In other words, it was close to midday.
It was the time when the blessing of the Righteous Light, who was also the Sun God, would be at its strongest.
I glanced up at the sun hanging in the center of the blue sky before heading toward Iris.
“Master. We are ready on this end.”
“Same here.”
I chuckled as I examined the magic circle drawn on the ground.
It was larger than I’d expected—about seven meters in diameter. Looking at the patterns packed tightly within that wide circle was enough to make my head spin.
It was a complex magic circle, but I could tell instinctively that everything was connected to the staff placed in the center.
I looked at the Dawn’s Light that Rebecca had lent us for a moment before asking Iris, “When can you start?”
“I can activate it right now.”
“Good.”
I gave Iris’s head a gentle pat and looked at the two assisting her.
“Carla, Elisha. You two be careful. Once they realize artillery is firing from here, they’ll swarm this place.”
“The priests said they’d set up a barrier, so don’t worry about us, Master!”
“That’s right. Besides, aren't you the one in more danger, having to pave the way?”
“Well, I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
I’d hunted Greenskins until I was sick of them, after all.
Finally, I approached Gertrude, who was huddled with the other priests preparing a joint divine art.
“Could I ask for a blessing before we go?”
“Of course. Come here.”
Gertrude bestowed buffs on Iona, the Holy Knights, and me. She wasn't quite at the level of Helena, who had become the Saintess, but she seemed to be just a tier below.
Now, all that was left was to charge in at the right moment. Just in case, I tilted my neck toward Iona and asked, “Want another sip?”
“Stop! Stop! Don’t tempt me right before a battle! My mana and stamina are perfectly fine, so I’m good! But you have to let me drink a lot later, okay?”
“I feel like you already drink as much as you want… but fine. I’ll let you have your fill.”
“Gasp! That was actually a bit erotic, Student Yandel.”
“…Where are you even going with that?”
I chuckled and looked straight ahead. A green tide of overwhelming numbers still stretched out before us.
However, I wasn't particularly afraid. There was something else weighing on my mind.
The massive divine barrier covering the Great Temple. And the red veil that had already obscured more than half of it.
I’d been watching the speed at which that veil was rising. It was faster than I thought; at this rate, it would have been completed within three days.
Not that I was going to let that happen.
I pulled the Mask of Intimidation and the Transparent Robe from my inventory, put them on, and addressed the Holy Knights lined up behind me.
“Let’s go.”
Sring.
The sound of weapons being drawn followed my words. I also activated Blood Force to boost my physical abilities.
Thump!
A massive surge of mana pumped from my heart, reaching the tips of my hands and feet. It felt as if every single cell was being awakened.
Blood Force was a spell that dissolved mana directly into the blood to strengthen the body. Perhaps that was why it felt far more efficient now that my core was integrated with my heart.
Feeling the vitality flooding my entire body, I leaped off the cliff.
“Hup!”
Iona and the Holy Knights threw themselves down after me.
Needless to say, we weren't trying to commit suicide.
“Levitation.”
A simple levitation spell. However, the spell—now far more delicate and capable of covering multiple people at once—spread out from me.
Whoosh—
Those who had been falling as if they were about to slam into the ground landed on the surface as light as feathers.
At the same time, I felt a powerful surge of mana from above, accompanied by the sound of chanting scriptures. They had started on their end as well.
But we didn't have the luxury of listening. We were already bolting across the ground.
Dash!
The distance between us and the monsters closed rapidly. The features of the creatures, which had looked like nothing more than a green wave, gradually became clear.
No matter how dull Orcs were, they were bound to notice when someone charged at them so openly.
A few of them in the rear spotted us and widened their eyes. Just as they were about to shout to their comrades—
BOOM!
A fireball suddenly plummeted from the sky, blowing away the sharp-eyed Orc along with the surrounding area.
A path was blown wide open. Beyond the rising heat haze and black smoke, dozens of pairs of eyes glared in our direction.
How bloodthirsty.
…So, I should return the favor.
I poured mana into the mask, and the mana spread out like a heavy force field, weighing down on them.
Thud!
Their eyes were instantly pinned to the ground. Unlike the usually bellicose Orcs, they were trembling visibly—clearly not in a normal state.
It was a clear status ailment that went beyond a simple flinch.
I’d originally made this magical tool just to set the mood… but it turned out this was possible if I had the mana to back it up.
I smirked at the frozen monsters.
“You’re all dead.”
Infinite Stun Gazua!