Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Pilgrimage
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“The Adma breeding ground at the entrance to the Demonic Realm has been destroyed.”
“What?! The Adma breeding ground?! How!”
“It’s beyond recovery. The collector has also completely stopped.”
At his subordinate’s report, Ludwig Brandt expressed his displeasure with his entire body. The manifested demonic energy lashed out like a whip, tearing at the surroundings.
“Damn it! That place was crucial! Nothing is going right! What kind of lunatics went all the way out there and destroyed a breeding ground! A place overflowing with demonic energy! Don’t tell me it was those Holy Kingdom bastards?!”
“It wasn’t the Holy Kingdom. They haven’t said anything about dispatching priests to the Demonic Realm.”
The plan to incorporate the Raelian Church into the Holy Kingdom wasn't going smoothly either.
That damn Pope. The old raccoon was so suspicious that he refused to make a decision, despite the pressure from the Senate.
And now, a vital source of demonic energy, a breeding ground, had been destroyed. Nothing was going right.
Of course, there were still many other places besides the Adma breeding ground, which was a relief, but right now, every bit of demonic energy was precious.
“But! What kind of madmen were they! What about the intelligence department? Why didn’t they know about this beforehand?”
“…”
The subordinate couldn't answer easily. The Central Intelligence Bureau’s resources were currently focused on the greater cause rather than its original duties.
Kidnapping citizens, establishing breeding grounds, experiments, torture, liaising with black magicians, and monitoring the Holy Kingdom’s movements.
There were no resources to spare for anything else. Weren't all the existing intelligence team members already deployed externally?
Every department had abandoned its original role and was racing toward a single goal.
“The Grand Plan is just around the corner, and this is what’s happening!”
How was he supposed to report this to His Majesty the Emperor? This would inevitably require a change in plans. The original idea was to push the Raelian Church into the Holy Kingdom and proceed from there.
Even that had become impossible.
“Adma, Rzhev, Libria! Not a single thing is going right! What the hell are these useless bastards even doing!”
Along with his blazing fury, demonic energy clawed violently at the surroundings. Recent interruptions had forced him to re-evaluate all his plans.
“Review the projected scenarios immediately and re-check all intelligence lines. Get rid of anyone who’s a problem and rebuild the network.”
“Understood. I’ll get right on it.”
Ludwig Brandt’s nerves had been fraying day by day since the incident in the capital.
He was under pressure from all sides. After all, wasn’t it his department, the Central Intelligence Bureau, that moved like the Emperor's own hands and feet?
That also made it a place that received a great deal of scrutiny, envy, and jealousy.
“Hah. What’s the status of the research?”
“One unit is ready. It can be used immediately. The rest should be ready sequentially.”
“Begin additional production. And don’t make any mistakes.”
“Understood. The antenna modifications are also complete. They can be implemented immediately. At the very least, the wave shouldn’t be interrupted midway.”
“Implement it at once.”
Improving the performance of the existing antenna was excellent news. The previous one had far too many shortcomings.
“An antenna. Such a curious device. How does Da Vinci even come up with these ideas?”
Yes, how could the world be filled with only bad news? If there was bad news, there had to be good news as well.
As his excitement subsided slightly, his focus shifted back to those who were sabotaging the Empire’s Grand Plan.
“Who was it? One person? Or a group?”
“Nothing has been confirmed, but in the case of the Adma breeding ground, it was a small group.”
“Hmph. Increase security. Pay special attention to the ruin excavation. That will be the most important part of our future operations.”
He was at the point where he just wanted to see the faces of these saboteurs. Take the demonic energy explosion in the capital. That incident alone had thrown so many things off course.
The existence of black magicians had been brought to the forefront, and many of them had been hunted down by the Holy Kingdom.
The main laboratory researching chimeras had also been damaged and eventually shut down, and the true nature of the Seven Deadly Sins' stone was revealed, causing the Holy Kingdom to pursue it with fiery determination.
Furthermore, the ruin excavation had been temporarily suspended. There was simply no way to open the door. Hadn't they acquired the materials to open the Lagaris ruin's door by sheer chance?
On top of that, Sejanus's recent death in Libria had considerably displeased His Majesty the Emperor. Personal conduct aside, the man had been good at staying on His Majesty's good side and scratching where it itched.
“Hmph. Send a request for cooperation to the other departments. Tell them to shut up and cooperate if they don't want to face His Majesty's wrath for ruining the Grand Plan.”
“Understood.”
Matters that were supposed to be conducted in utmost secrecy were no longer secret. Most of them involved connections between the Empire and *them* that could not be exposed.
The mere thought of it was a headache. It would be one thing if cooperation with other departments went smoothly, but that was no easy task.
They were all just scrambling to get into the Emperor's good graces, constantly wary and envious of one another, only thinking of how to bring each other down.
“I’m scheduled for a report tomorrow. I want projected scenarios drawn up before then, no matter what. Use every available resource.”
“I will have them ready by tomorrow morning.”
After his stoic subordinate left, Ludwig Brandt gazed out the window at the bright sunlight.
The sunlight couldn't penetrate the glass pane, its light shining only outside the window. It was a brightness he would never fully feel again, but he had no regrets.
“The Grand Plan cannot be delayed. Absolutely not.”
Even if the direction was different, the Grand Plan had to be carried out. If that was His will.
***
After several days of secret investigation, the party arrived in Rzhev and immediately established communication with the Pope.
From Libria through Adma to the entrance of the Demonic Realm, not a single part of their report was anything less than urgent.
- Hmph. Those bastards deserve divine punishment. I don't know what God is doing, not snatching them up. You did well. A man like that deserved to die.
Seriously, how could the Pope say something like that? You’re God’s representative; you should be the one going after them. This is absurd. And he says I did well? I had to clean up that mess and travel all the way to the Demonic Realm without any proper rest!
Of course, I couldn't say what I was thinking out loud. Absolutely not. He was still the Pope. And I'm not Prometheus.
“Honestly, it’s quite serious. I can’t even begin to guess how many more of those breeding grounds exist within that vast Demonic Realm.”
- Let's deal with them one at a time. And Niceta, I heard you ran off with a treasure. Is it safe? Gleb was raising all sorts of hell.
At the Pope’s words, Niceta scratched her head awkwardly.
“Yes, well. I’ve been putting it to good use.”
- Well, since you already took it out, just use it well and don't lose it.
“I apologize for the trouble.”
He was a pretty cool guy. I could almost hear Gleb’s complaints about maintaining his dignity all the way from here. Maybe he figured since his personality was already exposed, he might as well be open about it.
- This seems sufficient to shut those old raccoons up. We might even be able to brand them as heretics. The problem is that what they use isn't demonic energy. It's something unknown.
The Pope seemed lost in thought, muttering to himself repeatedly.
- For now, it would be best for you to return to the Holy Kingdom. You've more than achieved your objective. The mission is a success. A rather perfect success, in fact.
I nodded at the satisfaction in his voice. This should be enough. Both in terms of results and accomplishments.
- And you rescued a child?
“Yes. I plan to become her guardian.”
Niceta had volunteered to be the guardian of the child rescued from the breeding ground.
- Becoming a child's guardian is no simple decision. It means taking responsibility for that child's life. Are you confident?
“Yes. I intend to see it through to the end.”
- If that's the case. I will pass the message along to the mercenary corps. And return to the Holy Kingdom as quickly as possible. The political situation is becoming quite urgent.
Pope Provino must have felt it too. There was no more time to spare. Time was steadily ticking away, and the Empire's foolishness knew no bounds.
“There is something I wish to say.”
Just before the communication ended, Niceta, who had been hesitating as if pondering her words, slowly opened her mouth.
“I wish to go on a pilgrimage. Please grant me permission.”
- …
“I have thought a great deal during this mission.”
Niceta's voice, which had been trembling faintly, grew clearer as she spoke, filled with conviction.
“I realized that glorifying and practicing God’s name is not confined to the Holy Kingdom. I also realized that faith without action is meaningless.”
A pilgrimage—an act where priests of the Holy Kingdom traveled the continent for various reasons to understand God's will and practice His teachings.
She wasn't embarking on this pilgrimage just for fun. A pilgrimage, being a self-determined journey, had to be incredibly arduous.
- Is this a decision you have considered thoroughly?
“My mind is made up. And for my pilgrimage, I would like to follow Sir Kratos. I have seen and learned much through this mission.”
Huh? Me? Why am I suddenly being brought into this? And she didn't even discuss it with me.
It seemed I wasn't the only one who felt that way; Seamus and Reinhardt stared at Niceta and me with wide eyes, as if expecting an answer.
“Don’t look at me like that. I had no idea either.”
When I shook my head, their gazes returned to Niceta. She was the only one who could provide an answer now.
- If that is your will, then finding your purpose through a pilgrimage must be fate. It will not be easy. Kratos is a mercenary, and in times like these, he will be sent on all sorts of missions.
“I am fully prepared for that.”
- Very well. I grant you permission to undertake your pilgrimage until you are fully satisfied. However, like all priests on pilgrimage, you must find your own answer by the time you return.
“Understood. Thank you.”
- I wish to speak with Kratos alone.
At the Pope’s words, Reinhardt led Seamus and Niceta out of the room, and I sat awkwardly in front of the communication device.
- You really charmed her, didn't you? One of the Holy Kingdom's own.
“I’m sorry, but does my opinion not matter at all? I just heard Niceta’s decision for the first time myself.”
- The outcome remains the same. Please take good care of Niceta. She is a delicate child. But she is also a child of immense potential; I am certain she will prove her worth.
“So, is ‘no’ not an option? As you can see from the report, she seems to have, shall we say, a hard time controlling her emotions. Though she has improved a lot.”
Contrary to my words, I was pleased. Why would I dislike having a priest with me? Especially a skilled one.
- Ahem, Niceta does have a tendency to get a bit excited. But you've managed her well, haven't you?
- I will submit a long-term mission through the mercenary corps. Put her through the wringer for her pilgrimage. So she can experience, feel, and grow.
Provino paused before continuing.
- My own greatest growth came when I was with your master.
What other reason could there be for him to bring up Prometheus's name so sentimentally? He was trying to gloss things over. What a sly old fox.
If I just accepted this with a smile, wouldn't this thick-skinned Pope just wipe his hands of the matter?
“To that extent? A mercenary of my caliber is always flooded with mission requests anyway. And it's not like I'm short on money.”
- Ahem. That's why I gave you the pass, didn't I? That's not something one can get so easily. And I gave you a weapon! It's quite a fine weapon! Filled with holy power!
“I know. But you don’t really think that pass is an absolute necessity for me, do you?”
In truth, it was. It was extremely necessary. It was a powerful card that would grant me the unlimited favor of figures from the Holy Kingdom in my future endeavors.
“I’m grateful for the weapon, but it’s not exactly a treasure, is it? Just a pretty good item. And since I have spiritual power, it’s not something I desperately need.”
I could picture the Pope clutching the back of his neck.
- Did I ever tell you? Your obnoxiousness is the spitting image of your master's.
“Yes. You mentioned it during our last meeting. Thank you for the compliment.”
Perhaps finding this situation, where I wouldn't yield an inch to the Pope, strange, Provino fell silent for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.
Maybe he was reminiscing about the old days. Just as Provino had always asked for a handout on every mission, I was now pouncing on him to squeeze out anything I could.
- What is it you want?
Good, he’d raised the white flag.
“I will tell you later. Please grant me one favor, within a reasonable range.”
- Within a reasonable range. A scary request. A request on credit. In return, I ask this of you with certainty. As you said, she is a child who is lacking in many ways.
- She has many scars, lacks experience, and gets excited easily. But I can tell you this for certain. The limits of her potential are far greater than my own.
Niceta had greater potential than Provino, who was counted among the top five Popes in the history of the Holy Kingdom?
Since he said it himself, it must be true. It wasn't like he was a poor judge of character. That meant her talent was truly immense.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of picking only easy missions from now on. If anything, you should be worried I'll work her too hard.”
- All the better. Trials that don't break her will only make Niceta stronger.
After the communication with Provino ended.
Kratos shouted to his companions waiting outside.
“Priestess Niceta will be with us for a while. The duration is indefinite!”
As long as my end goal is revenge, I cannot and will not take the easy path. Whether that path is one of flowers or one of flames, I'm more than willing to be the first to walk it.