Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Priests of the Holy Kingdom (1)
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“It's been confirmed as a real black mage laboratory. They couldn't get too close, but they said it's certain.”
Following Derek’s orders from the previous night, a few members had visited the laboratory noted on the paper and confirmed the presence of actual black mages.
“We’ll have to contact the Holy Kingdom. They’ll drop everything and come running for black mages.”
In any case, their plan was to kill the black mages, so the Holy Kingdom’s help was essential.
Of course, Kratos’s skills alone would likely be enough, but wasn’t it always better to have more cards up your sleeve?
He could already win with the hand he’d been dealt, so there was no need to reveal everything.
“The captain already contacted them. They should arrive quickly, don’t you think? The Holy Kingdom’s reputation took a serious hit after this incident in the capital.”
“So, we’ll move on the black mage laboratory once the Holy Kingdom arrives.”
“That’s what I’d expect.”
Kratos suddenly thought of those priests, the ones who had driven away monsters with their holy power.
“Ah, what about the priests from the Raelian Church?”
“They all passed away.”
“What? They’re dead? The priests?”
Kratos scratched his head, caught off guard by Reinhardt's answer.
“Yeah. For some reason, their holy power didn’t work that day. They stayed behind until the end, trying to do something, and got buried under a pile of monsters. Why, is something wrong?”
“No, I just had something I wanted to ask them.”
“*Sniff*. I’ll never forget their noble sacrifice. They stayed to protect the city until the very end, but…”
All the Raelian priests were dead? He hadn’t seen any of their bodies. When he’d made it through the gate to the inner castle, he hadn't seen a single priest's corpse, not even a scrap of their clothing.
He also hadn’t heard anything about their remains being collected separately during the cleanup.
“Maybe they died while trying to escape somewhere else.”
“What was that?”
“Ah, nothing. Anyway. I get it. Thanks. I should head over to the outer wall.”
“Wait, Kratos. Thanks for showing up when you did. Because of you, the damage wasn’t worse.”
Leaving Reinhardt’s embarrassing words behind him, Kratos headed for the outer wall, where repairs were in full swing.
There was no guarantee the monster wave was over, and even if it was, defenses were essential.
A single moment of carelessness had resulted in far too great a loss. Many lives were lost, and their homes were destroyed.
On his way to the outer wall, Kratos’s foot caught on something sticking out of the churned-up earth, and he nearly fell, just barely managing to catch his balance.
“Ugh—what the?! What is this?”
To identify the strange object, he began to dig into the ground with the crowbar end of his pry bar.
*Thunk.*
After digging around a bit, a lumpy black mass, which looked ominous at a glance, popped out.
“What is this? It gives me a really bad feeling. But it feels familiar, too.”
The energy he felt at his fingertips was unusual. It was an object containing a strange power, similar to Magi yet fundamentally different.
“Why is something like this buried here?”
When he infused it with Spiritual Power, a black aura shot out from the stone and clung to the end of his power as if trying to devour it.
“What are you guys? You don’t seem particularly dangerous, though.”
He didn't feel the same intense revulsion he did when facing Magi. It was just a little unsettling. But at the same time, it felt strangely familiar. An energy that seemed like a mixture of things.
One thing was clear: it was by no means natural.
If this was artificial, it must have a purpose, but he couldn't figure it out yet. What purpose could it have been created for? It was certainly buried in the ground for a reason.
On a hunch, he began to expand the range of his Spiritual Power radar, and something with a similar energy signature came into detection.
“Why didn't I catch this until now? Or was it planted recently?”
There were about twenty of them. Seeing as they were spaced at regular intervals, it was clear someone had intentionally planted them.
He had to dig them all up. Leaving them here wouldn't do any good. Besides, he felt he needed to do some personal research on them.
“Kratos! The captain is calling for you! All members assemble!”
Just as he finished digging up over thirty of the mysterious stone lumps while circling the city, a corps member’s shout reached him. Kratos tapped the dirt off his pry bar, put it in his inventory, and stood up.
***
“Excuse me? All regions… you said?”
Please let me have misheard. A monster wave across the entire continent? So suddenly? Without any warning?
Normally, a monster wave would be preceded by observable signs and would only occur in a specific region.
“You heard correctly. The report says a monster wave is happening across all regions, no, the entire continent. With no warning whatsoever. The entire continent was engulfed in flames at once.”
How flustered had he been when he made the call for a mid-situation report? He had thought it was just a problem around the Benya Strait.
A monster wave across the entire continent? Did that even make sense?
Derek sighed, rubbing his bristly beard. The exhaustion etched across his face overnight showed just how much he had agonized.
“The Empire has declared martial law throughout its territories. They seem to believe it’s the work of black mages, and apparently, many cities have already fallen. Lagaris is in a similar situation right now.”
Monsters could be made more ferocious or stronger under the influence of black magic, but a black mage couldn't trigger a continent-wide monster wave like this.
Especially not a controlled monster wave like this one.
Therefore, it was clear this wasn't the work of black mages alone.
Having lived on this continent and experienced all sorts of things through many different identities, he could say this with certainty.
Someone’s intention was definitely involved. Yes, he would bet all his money and his right hand on that assumption.
“What do we do, sir? Do we continue the mission?”
“Nothing changes. We stabilize Lagaris, cooperate with the personnel dispatched from the Holy Kingdom to destroy the black mages’ base, and then return to headquarters. Of course, we might receive different orders along the way, but we’ll deal with that when it happens.”
The members nodded with grim expressions.
“What about the other units? Are they all okay? They must have all been out on missions.”
Derek gave a small nod at Reinhardt’s question. He hadn't received a detailed explanation, but it was certain that all units except one, which was left for defense, had been dispatched on missions.
However, if something had gone wrong, the vice-commander would have informed him. The silence meant that, for now, everyone seemed to be safe.
Though there was no telling how long that would last.
“We don’t know what lies ahead. We might have to go on twice, no, many times more missions. I’m telling you this so you can prepare for the difficult situations we might face. That preparation is something only you can do for yourselves. Your lives are your own to protect.”
“…”
“Well, if we go on more missions, we’ll earn a lot of money! There’s a lot I’ve wanted to buy!”
Seamus’s well-timed joke broke the heavy atmosphere, and laughter erupted among the members.
“We’ll leave Lagaris to the soldiers and other mercenaries and focus on eliminating the black mages. Priests from the Holy Kingdom will arrive tomorrow, so manage your condition and expect to move out the same day.”
“Yes, sir!”
“And don’t do anything that could get you in trouble with the Holy Kingdom. Especially if there are Inquisitors among them. They’ll be on edge.”
In the Holy Kingdom, the most feared figures were, of course, the Inquisitors. They were beings who showed absolutely no compromise when it came to ‘evil.’
In a way, they seemed similar to the Venatio species.
Kratos fiddled with the wooden plaque he had received from an Inquisitor when he escaped the capital.
***
There were no monster intrusions during the night, but the soldiers' eyes were filled with a fatigue they hadn't shown before. They were all on the verge of collapse from standing guard so rigidly without a wink of sleep.
“The people from the Holy Kingdom are here! Open the gate!”
As the hastily patched-up gate opened and the Holy Kingdom’s personnel slowly entered Lagaris, even the usually haughty lord stepped forward anxiously to greet them.
“W-Welcome. I am Viscount Devon, the Lord of Lagaris.”
These weren’t just any priests. Judging by the robes of the one at the front, he was at least a Bishop. Flanking him were Paladins and Inquisitors.
It was a clear example of how seriously the Holy Kingdom was taking the current threat of black mages.
“Thank you for the welcome. I am Bishop Luciano.”
“Glory to the Holy Kingdom. You must be weary from your long journey. Please, let us go to the castle. I will have a meal prepared.”
In a situation like this, a single word from the Holy Kingdom had the power to ruin his domain in an instant. Especially with black maces nearby.
“Before we dine, I would like to speak with the members of the White Mercenary Corps. I was told they know the whereabouts of those black mages.”
“Ah, yes!”
However, they paid the lord no mind, calmly scanning their surroundings as light emanated from their hands.
“Derek Heinman, Captain of the White Mercenary Corps’ 12th unit. It is an honor to meet you.”
As Derek stepped forward, the Bishop smiled brightly and shook his hand.
“It is thanks to people like you that evil continues to lose its ground.”
“Is it not our natural duty? In fact, we are pleased to be able to assist the Holy Kingdom, however little we can. Your presence here is a great reassurance.”
Luciano seemed quite pleased with Derek’s words, nodding with a benevolent smile.
From the monster wave and the stirrings of black mage groups to the rise of a new religion, there were so many matters to handle that the Holy Kingdom was even sending out acolytes still in their training for real-world experience.
“It would be impolite to refuse the lord’s hospitality. Priest Zermano, please take some of the acolytes and Paladins and accompany the lord to his castle. I must speak with our other brothers here.”
“As you wish.”
The lord, looking relieved, headed to the castle with some of the priests. Luciano smiled at the still-tense Derek and gestured.
“Let us go to where you and your men are staying, Brother Derek. It will be more comfortable to speak there.”
“Ah, of course.”
Derek led the Bishop and the Inquisitors toward the lodgings where the White Mercenary Corps was staying.
Unsure of when a battle might break out, all the members were resting in their rooms.
“By the way, it must have been difficult to pinpoint the black mages’ laboratory. How did you manage to identify it?”
“One of our members happened upon the information while scouting a monster den. Just in case, we went near the laboratory to confirm the residual Magi before contacting you.”
“Ho ho. Is that so? I have heard much of the White Mercenary Corps’ fame, but you are truly remarkable.”
When they arrived at the lodgings, curious members peeked out their heads. The Inquisitors expertly began to emit their holy power.
Luciano also began to generate holy power, checking the surroundings.
“What is this!!!”
His expression hardened at the sudden explosion of Magi he felt, and he raised his hand toward the man standing at the center of it.
A Paladin drew his sword and held it to the man’s neck, while the Inquisitors’ holy power surged as if ready to be unleashed at any moment.
“What in the—!”
“What is the meaning of this!”
Despite Derek’s protest, Luciano did not lower his hand.
“I feel demonic energy.”
But the man, despite being threatened, showed no signs of agitation, meeting his gaze with a calm expression.
Normally, wouldn't they run away with their tail between their legs? That's why he thought the man before him might have something to say.
“I am curious about your identity, brother. I trust you will give me a proper answer.”