Into the Holy City
Five hundred years had passed since the lands outside the barrier of Holy City Heilen were abandoned. A specially reinforced carriage rattled along a path that had once connected Sak to the Holy City, though now barely a trace of the road remained. Inside sat five Heroes, and myself, my limbs tightly bound.
So, it's come to this.
Libero and Guineus. I had slain two Demon Kings. And right at the scene of the deed, I had been discovered by the Heroes of the Holy Church.
Escorted to the Holy City...
Actually, it wasn't a bad outcome. When I killed the 71st Demon King, I had done it so quickly and cleanly that my identity remained hidden. But this time was different. The Church must have been monitoring Libero and Guineus through some magical means.
Which means they've already caught wind of my existence.
Whether they could link me to the 71st Demon King, I didn't know. However, the mere fact that I had slain two Demon Kings was enough to make me a threat in their eyes. If the Demon Kings realized a mere boy, not yet fully grown, possessed such power, they would stop at nothing to eliminate me.
In that sense, being escorted to Holy City Heilen by these elite Heroes was, in a way, the best-case scenario. Holy City Heilen was the safest place in the world from the Demon Kings. It possessed the largest and most formidable barrier, rendering ordinary Demon Kings completely powerless within its bounds. Often called the City of Heroes, it boasted an overwhelmingly larger number of Heroes compared to any other barrier.
Not that going to the Holy City is without its drawbacks.
First of all, entering the Holy City under these circumstances meant I would be placed under the constant surveillance of the Church. I would lose the freedom to move as I pleased, let alone meet other Demon Kings like Libero. Then there was the issue of how they would treat me. I wouldn't know the details until we arrived, but my current position was undeniably precarious.
Well, it can't be helped.
It was bound to happen sooner or later. There was a limit to what I could do without officially registering as a Hero. In fact, registering earlier wouldn't have been a bad idea anyway, considering the sheer number of benefits Heroes enjoyed. The only reason I had avoided it until now was Libero.
Libero...
As his name drifted through my mind, a voice broke the silence.
“Hey, kid.”
It was the archer. Of course, I knew exactly who she was. Not just because she was a famous high-level Hero, but because we had actually crossed paths before.
“You know me, don't you?”
Of course I did. She was none other than Ryutmila, the high-level Hero. I had met her alongside Gwen while on our way to the Trial. However, I kept my mouth shut.
“Did you forget? Well, whatever. That's not what I'm curious about anyway.”
She began questioning me on her own accord.
“That sword must have been given to you by Gwen. But there's no way you defeated a Demon King with a mere 2-star Relic. How on earth did you pull that off?”
Once again, I had no reason to answer. After all...
“Ryutmila.”
Stella cut in before Ryutmila could press further.
“Not here. We don't know who might be listening. The only place this boy should speak the truth is in the Cult Leader's chambers.”
She was right. Any conversation held outside the barrier ran the risk of being intercepted by the Demon Kings. Frankly, the same could be said even inside the barriers; the only place that could be considered absolutely secure was the Cult Leader's room.
“...Understood.”
Ryutmila readily conceded the point.
After traveling for what felt like an eternity, the carriage finally arrived at Holy City Heilen. Though it felt long, it was easily twice as fast as traveling through Basil and utilizing the Gates.
Is that the barrier of Holy City Heilen?
Unlike other barriers, Heilen's was completely transparent. Yet, perhaps due to some sort of cloaking magic, the city's interior remained hidden from the outside. It was only after we passed through the barrier that the city finally revealed itself.
This is... far beyond what I expected.
The scenery of Holy City Heilen was entirely different from Basil or Sak. Starting with its sheer scale, buildings packed every inch of my vision. If someone who had seen this place were to look at Vasilium, they would never have considered Vasilium a proper city.
And the most breathtaking sight of all was the towering spire rising from the center of the city. Beneath it stood a massive, temple-like structure constructed of white stone.
If Basil felt like an exotic countryside, and Sak felt like an Eastern-style steampunk town, Holy City Heilen felt like a highly developed Mediterranean civilization.
Noticing that this was my first time in Heilen, Stella spoke up.
“They don't call it humanity's greatest and final city for nothing, you know?”
Her voice was remarkably bright and cheerful compared to before. As one of the few Saint-level Heroes, I already knew this was her true personality.
She began to give me a brief history of Heilen—how refugees from all directions had flooded into the city during the Age of Chaos, and how the white stone buildings constructed back then still stood to this day.
While she talked, the carriage turned onto Heilen's grand avenue. The avenue seemed to lead straight to the massive temple in the center.
“Sightseeing's over.”
Stella drew the carriage curtains back down, plunging the interior into darkness once more.
“Normally, I'd wave to the crowd outside, but today we have a walking state secret with us.”
The carriage climbed a gentle slope along the avenue and finally came to a halt at its destination.
Stella pulled a hooded cloak from the storage compartment. It looked identical to the one Gwen used to wear.
“Put this on before we get out.”
As I took it from her, she explained.
“It's a special ops cloak enchanted with perception-impeding magic. Though, of course, how I choose to use it is entirely up to me.”
It seemed to be slightly different from Gwen's. I threw the cloak over my shoulders and pulled the hood down. I had no way of knowing if the perception-impeding magic was actually working, but I trusted her word.
“Follow me.”
I followed them into a room that resembled a reception parlor. After we waited for a brief moment, Stella left the room to report first. I was left behind with the rest of the escort party.
“Hey.”
It was Ryutmila. The moment Stella was out of sight, she addressed me.
“What's your name?”
The reason for her interest was glaringly obvious. She was still searching for a successor to inherit her bow. Unfortunately for her, archery was far from my specialty. And more importantly...
“I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you my name.”
I looked around at the gathered Heroes and spoke calmly.
“I know this might sound rude, but I cannot easily trust people I've only just met.”
How many spies working for the Demon Kings were embedded within the ranks of the Heroes and the Holy Church? I could swear there were more than I could count on both hands. My knowledge as a player made that abundantly clear.
Which means even these people aren't necessarily trustworthy.
Hearing my response, the swordsman in the group bristled.
“Hey, kid, do you think we're just some run-of-the-mill, low-ranking Heroes?” He stood up from his seat, pointing a finger. “Except for that guy over there, everyone in this room is a high-level Hero.”
He was pointing at a healer cowering in the corner. Just as I was about to retort that being high-level didn't make them immune to being spies, another voice cut in.
“Enough.”
It was the vanguard of the party, who had been listening in silence until now. The heavy armor covering his entire body lent a profound weight to his presence.
“The boy is right. I've rarely seen those who wag their tongues too easily live very long.”
At his heavy, authoritative words, the swordsman grumbled and sat back down. It was then that the door opened.
“Why is it so tense in here?”
Stella returned, having finished delivering her preliminary report. She scanned the heavy atmosphere of the room.
“Hmm...”
But she shook her head dismissively.
“Well, whatever. Anyway, boy.”
She pointed at me.
“The Cult Leader wishes to see you.”
I had expected as much. Slaying two Demon Kings was not something that could be resolved with a simple written report. Escorting me here wasn't just for my protection; it was to decide what to do with me.
At least I don't have to go through the Apostle Council.
That was a relief. I strongly suspected there was at least one spy for the Demon Kings sitting on the Apostle Council. Bypassing them and going straight to the Cult Leader meant she had made the right call.
Even so...
I felt a slight pang of nervousness. Even in my memories as a player, the Cult Leader was shrouded in absolute mystery. I had been awestruck just by the sight of Holy City Heilen; I couldn't even begin to imagine what she would be like.
“Saint-level Hero Stella requests an audience with the Cult Leader, accompanied by the boy who defeated the Demon Kings.”
A voice echoed from within.
“Enter.”
The doors parted, revealing the Cult Leader's chambers. Surprisingly, the room was entirely devoid of any ornamentation. It was a pristine, pure white chamber constructed solely of white stone. And at the far end of the room, she sat.
The Cult Leader.
The thin, pure white veil she wore did little to conceal her pale skin and slender figure. She was undeniably beautiful by any standard, but she exuded an inexplicable, transcendent mystique that went far beyond mere physical beauty.
What on earth is she?
Even in my player memories, nothing was known about her true identity. There were only fragments of lore stating that she had led the survivors to establish Holy City Heilen, organized the Holy Church, and guided the Heroes ever since. But one thing was certain: my immediate fate rested entirely in her hands.
“It is an honor to see you again, Your Holiness. I am Saint-level Hero Stella.”
Stella knelt before the Cult Leader and bowed her head. I followed her lead, dropping to one knee.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Alan Flake, a Pathfinder.”
There was no point in hiding anything now. This was the exact opposite of my encounter with Gwen. When you know next to nothing about the person you are facing, absolute honesty is the best policy.
Though, of course, I still have a plan.
I had plenty of time during the carriage ride here. I hadn't spent that time merely staring blankly into space while bound. I had been constantly revising and refining my plans for what lay ahead.
“Raise your head.”
I raised my head at her command, meeting her gaze through the translucent veil.
Whether or not I can save the Reim Kingdom depends entirely on how she decides to treat me.
I had to steer this conversation in the direction I wanted, no matter what.
“A Pathfinder... How intriguing. Is it true that you have slain two Demon Kings?”
“It is true. And there is one more thing I wish to tell you.”
It was time to play the card I had been holding close to my chest.
“I am also the one who killed the 71st Demon King.”