Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Darkness Cast Over the Holy Kingdom
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He was the incarnation of a Throne. I'd thought he was extraordinary from the first moment I laid eyes on him, but this was astonishing. I knew he served a Throne since the Holy Kingdom harbored enemies, but I never imagined I'd hear that epithet here.
A few years in the future, there had been a massive boom in interest around the Thrones on Earth. It happened because four vanguard hunters became apostles of Thrones in just one month.
Naturally, that drew a ton of attention to the Thrones, and experts seized the opportunity to dive deep into research, uncovering their epithets and more.
Among them, the Great Hero of Infinite Strength was an epithet I'd heard before.
"Herac—!"
Before I could blurt out the true name in shock, a massive hand clamped over my mouth. He smiled kindly—wholly at odds with his appearance—and explained.
"You don't casually utter the true names of Thrones. They can observe the entire Abyss, after all. They might take offense and cause trouble. Of course, He isn't the type... but it's about respect and courtesy. Their true names carry such immense dignity. That's why we call them by epithets that reflect their feats and powers."
I nodded frantically, and only then did the giant hand finally release my face, letting me gasp for air.
"Are you even human? How is your hand as big as my whole face?"
He let out a hearty laugh at my question.
"Your face must just be small, then. And no, I'm not human. Precisely speaking, I'm half-human, half-giant. Born to a human mother and a giant clansman father—a mixed breed."
So he really does carry giant blood, I thought. No way he was an ordinary human.
And he's got two powers from the Giant Gods, no less. He's got deeper ties to giants than I expected.
Of course, I knew Giant Gods and giants were different beings—comparing gods to humans was obvious.
Think of giants as a degraded version. I set aside those complicated thoughts and sat across from him, steering the conversation.
"I've entered the Abyss exactly twice. Once about a month ago, and once a week ago."
Archbishop Batroi listened intently. Emboldened, I began explaining in as much detail as possible.
"And both times, I was ambushed by demons. What happened was..."
The moment "demons" slipped from my lips, the room's atmosphere shifted. The sly, relaxed, strong yet gentle vibe turned razor-sharp, overwhelming, violent, and immense in an instant.
Even breathing or speaking felt oppressive, a clear sign of his fury. Naturally, it wasn't just about them attacking me—it was that demons had dared show up on this land.
"And that's the end of it?"
I shook my head and met his gaze. Could I trust this man?
The bandit leader had been about to name an archbishop at the end. There were only four archbishops in the Holy Kingdom, and one of them was in league with demons.
But a demon becoming an archbishop? Impossible.
Unless they contracted a fallen angel as their familiar, no one could harbor both divine power and demonic energy in one body. Even fallen angels stored them separately in their wings, using only what they needed—storing both in the flesh simultaneously was impossible.
Unless they had a Mythic-grade Chaos stat or an Origin-grade Pride stat.
I wasn't sure about Pride, but someone with Chaos's power had to exist somewhere. You could get it just by collecting two wings, after all.
Anyway, odds were 25%. The probability that the man before me was the traitor colluding with demons.
Can I trust him?
The doubt didn't linger. I needed an ally anyway, and he—with his name on the letter of recommendation—was the best fit.
Besides, with that power, he has no reason to become a demon.
An incarnation of a Throne couldn't become a demon. So one quick check would do.
"Can you speak with the Throne you serve?"
His face twisted slightly at my words, but he quickly grasped my meaning. His body was legion-sized, but his insight was leagues beyond.
"No way..."
"Just let me confirm. Then I'll help you root out the traitor."
Batroi pondered with a stern expression before nodding. Then he suddenly stripped off his upper garment, struck a pose, and...!
"O God, Your incarnation requires Your aid!"
He prayed to the Throne. What a madman. Would any god accept that as prayer? Or was the god the crazy one?
In that fleeting instant, an immense presence manifested here. Just a gaze. I'd felt it before, but the pressure was overwhelming.
Heracles. The greatest hero of Greek myth, born a demigod, who forged a colossal dignity and legend that even the highest gods couldn't touch. He wasn't the supreme god, but I recalled hearing he was an irregular stronger than one.
Gulp.
My mind didn't crumble. I was even starting to get used to sensing a Throne's presence.
Heracles's aura was like an amplified version of Archbishop Batroi's.
Overwhelming, violent, ferocious yet gentle and grand.
"A close friend... you say?"
Rowing? Wasn't that the epic tale of great heroes?
The Argonauts expedition. If that myth was real, traces of it must linger somewhere in this Abyss.
And he'd been close friends with Asclepius. That's how he knew my story.
"Uh... please convey my thanks that I'm using the supreme god's blessing well."
I see. I'd figured he'd show his face again eventually since he hadn't, but now I knew why.
I bowed toward the heavens, receiving Heracles's blessing as the Throne's gaze withdrew.
"Doubts cleared now?"
"I never doubted you. I just needed confirmation."
"So... one of the archbishops is tied to demons?"
"Not just tied—he seems to have played the biggest role in corrupting them into demons. Probably colluding with the demonkin and demons."
I added more details after. From the truth of their blood-based sorcery to what they might be plotting in the Holy Kingdom.
Once Archbishop Batroi heard it all, he rose and headed to the window. I followed naturally.
Gazing at the grand temple outside, he extended a hand.
"That left room belongs to Archbishop Mang. He oversees all rituals and ceremonies."
"The right one is Archbishop Saipan's. He handles all internal affairs, big and small. From simple finances to managing the faithful."
Then his hand pointed straight ahead.
"The center room is Archbishop Aoira's. He manages all external affairs. The Holy Spirit Festival was held due to his strong advocacy."
Finally, Archbishop Batroi pointed to himself.
"I handle all military matters. I have absolute command over every knight order in the Holy Kingdom. And as Captain of the Inquisition, I exterminate demons and heretics. You won't regret reaching out to me."
Having the military archbishop on my side would definitely make things easier.
Back to square one, I sat again, sipping the drink he offered while pondering deeply. In the end, I decided to go all in.
His identity was confirmed. Incarnation of a Throne and all.
"I have a quest I received."
I switched my status window to public and showed him. He read it and scowled.
"If it's the Holy Kingdom's underground, it must mean beneath this grand temple... That's a prison. An ancient dungeon where we lock up heretics and the catastrophes that once brought ruin. But what's happening there?"
"I don't know the details. The system just directed me here. And the first quest is just to investigate, not resolve."
The underground was a prison—for sealing catastrophes?
If something broke out from there, the Holy Kingdom and surrounding realms would be wiped out. Even a few intact disaster beasts could end the world.
No matter how strong Archbishop Batroi was, he couldn't compare to disaster-grade monsters. Taking one down would require four or five like him.
It truly lived up to its Mythic-grade EX+ difficulty. I could see why it was rated that way.
Tsk. I clicked my tongue, grimacing. I had to stop it. If it erupted, it was beyond salvageable.
One shot from Longinus's starter. One from descent. If three or more appeared, it was over.
Time for choices and focus. I revealed the Sun Eye and looked at Archbishop Batroi, opening my mouth.
"I'll head to the prison. Stay here and find the traitor, Your Excellency. It's definitely one of those three. You'll have better odds than some stranger like me. And if you go to the prison, the traitor might catch on."
Batroi nodded at my words.
"I'm no good at sleuthing anyway. I prefer smashing and beating down. I'll sniff out the traitor. You check what's going down in the prison."
Decision made. I got my ID issued, earned the honor of 4th-grade faithful status from the start, and prepared to slip into the underground prison.
"Three days. If you're not back in three, assume things went south. I'll go in. That place is too dangerous—lower your guard for a second, and you're done."
I nodded too. Covering that vast area in three days would be tough, but no choice.
Time was short.
"The traitor will likely strike during the Holy Spirit Festival. Whatever they want, the chaos of crowds is their chance."
"I'll be back."
With that, I headed underground. That was the last I saw of Archbishop Batroi.