Apostle of the Pantheon

Thanks to Felicia's flawless covering fire, we made short work of the Baron's hunting dogs.

I went straight into the interrogation.

"From now on, you answer only what I ask. Talk nonsense and that skull of yours is getting cracked open!"

Mani stood beside me, spinning her pitch-black blacksmith's hammer in slow, menacing circles before hoisting it high.

"L-let us go! Do you have any idea who we are, you insolent little—GYAAAAAH!"

CLANG!

Mani's iron hammer smashed into the mage's knee before his pitiful threat could finish.

"We know exactly who you are—that's why we're asking!"

At the same instant, I gave a casual flick of my fingers.

"W-what are you doing?!"

"Squeak!"

In the blink of an eye, a swarm of hundreds of sewer rats erupted from the darkness and enveloped the black mage from head to toe.

"Huuurk!"

"If you don't start talking, I'm ordering them to start chewing. If you don't want to be stripped down to the bone, you'd better open that mouth."

Between the bone-crushing hammer blows and a rat swarm whose front teeth flashed as if ready to tear flesh at any moment, the mage began to shake like a leaf in a gale.

"Blackstone Mine. You sorted out beastmen by grade and siphoned some of them off separately, didn't you? Where ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the hell were you taking them, and for what?!"

"Th-that's..."

When he rolled his eyes and stalled, Mani raised her hammer again. The rats began gnawing at his earlobes in unison.

"AAAAH! Sacrifices! They're sacrifices! Offerings for the coming festival!"

"Sacrifices? A festival?"

My brow knotted hard. The mountain of my kin's pitiful white bones I'd seen in the basement of the Baron's villa flashed through my mind.

"This has something to do with that event opening on Ratstein Island in two weeks, doesn't it?"

"Y-yes!"

"What kind of nightmare are you pulling off out there? Speak clearly."

"I-it's... a hunt."

The mage's bloodless lips trembled.

"The high lords release easy targets—frail humans, ordinary beastmen—into the forest and enjoy a human hunt. But the finest quarry of all... is you rodent beastmen!"

"Why?"

"His Lordship is a noble of pure Adlerheim blood! He loathes you tiny, feeble little rats with every fiber of his being. He turns loose Unterensch like you—inferior species—into the woods and takes supreme pleasure in shooting you dead with hunting rifles while you scream and flee!"

The madness written across his face left me, Sena, Mani, and Hilde frozen in horror.

"Hahaha... of course, the most important part is that the blood and agony spilled in that hunt make excellent offerings for the great ritual!"

"You sons of bitches..."

My fist, clenched in his collar, shook so hard the blood drained from my knuckles.

"So? After you offer those sacrifices and scatter all that blood—what exactly are you trying to summon?!"

I was roughly shaking the mage by the throat, trying to wring the core of it out of him, when—

"Th-that's... ghk!"

His eyes suddenly rolled white. A grotesque tattoo hidden at the nape of his neck began to blaze scarlet.

"Loti! Get back—now!"

Sena threw herself in front of me and raised her shield.

"Gaaaargh!"

The black mage coughed up a fistful of dark crimson blood and went limp.

Hilde clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"A lethal gag curse. Classic black magic—and a particularly vicious strain of it."

We cleared out in a hurry.

We'd gotten everything we needed from the black mage. Time to gather reinforcements.

At Sena's suggestion, we headed for the cathedral.

The spires of the Pantheon Grand Cathedral, rising from the heart of the capital, were vast enough to pierce the sky. Our opponent was a heavyweight noble; we needed support. More than that, Camilla's side had gone completely silent about the villa basement I'd tipped them off about with that note a few days earlier.

The moment we stepped into the grand lobby, a murderously thin, icy tension hit us like a wall.

"This insult will be formally protested in the name of the Crown and the Assembly!"

High-ranking officials in gleaming dress uniforms were jabbing fingers at the clergy, veins standing out on their necks. Across from them, investigators of the Heresy Inquisition—Camilla at their head—stood ramrod straight, murder in their eyes.

"As you please. The Pantheon will never overlook the shadow of a demon."

Camilla's reply was as cold as ice. The nobles stormed out through the cathedral doors as if there was nothing left to see.

"Camilla!"

Once they were gone, I approached carefully and called out. She turned, pressing a hand to her throbbing forehead. Deep exhaustion and suppressed fury were tangled across her face.

"Loti, you're here? Haa... I'm sorry. That madman of a Baron—the speed at which he cuts his tails and wipes his tracks is beyond anything I imagined."

Camilla raked her silver hair back with an irritated hand.

"The second I saw the note you sent, I forced the Inquisition's troops into that villa basement. But there wasn't a single bone pile, not even a bloodstain—it was scrubbed clean, like they'd hosed the place down!"

Filthy, fast bastards. The moment they realized there'd been a horned-mouse trail in the lounge, they must have scrambled to erase every last scrap of evidence.

"You failed? With that mountain of bones still there?"

"Which means we have no proof right now. You saw those stiff-necked nobles who just left? They're people from the Crown and the Central Assembly."

From what she went on to explain, Baron Schwarzenstein's web of power was far more horrific—and far more stubbornly tangled—than I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thought.

"Pressure came from every direction: the Adlerheim Embassy, the Assembly, even the royal household. They protested that the Pantheon had gone too far, searching a high noble's private estate without hard evidence. Even our upper ranks are in a very awkward position."

This is actually going to drive me insane. I never thought they'd be that quick.

We were shown into an inner chamber. The white-haired archbishop who received us was letting out sighs so deep they seemed to sink into the floor. Fortunately, he was someone we could trust.

"Nnngh... thank the heavens we declined the Baron's party invitation. To think such a ghastly atrocity was unfolding behind that glittering facade."

Apparently an invitation had reached them as well, but the whole affair had felt so spiritually off that they'd refused it on the spot.

We put our heads together from every angle, but even the Church side seemed to have no sharp card they could play immediately. Which left only one answer.

"It's simple, then."

"Simple?"

Camilla echoed my muttered remark.

"Yes. On the day of the hunting party itself, we hit the scene on Ratstein Island in person. We take them red-handed."

A little over a week until D-Day. Generously put, it was bold and fearless. Honestly put, it was a radical operation that might as well have been a suicide run.

"But Loti, that island is the Baron's fortress floating in the middle of a lake. It'll be crawling with heavily armed private troops and black mages!"

"Loti, you said you were an adventurer? Your heart is admirable, but I'm afraid from this point on the Heresy Inquisition should—"

The archbishop politely stepped into my path. The usual repertoire: it's too dangerous, children should sit this one out.

That was when it happened.

Unable to endure another second, Rodentia's golden phantom exploded into the air.

The sacred air of the Grand Cathedral screamed for an instant. Pure, overwhelming golden radiance poured from Rodentia's spiritual form and swallowed the vast lobby without a gap.

The archbishop and high bishops who had been wearing solemn faces a moment earlier went round-eyed, as if their eyes might pop clean out of their heads.

"Ah—you are the..."

And in that very instant—

BONG! BONG!

Though it was nowhere near the hour for worship, the colossal bells at the cathedral's peak began to thrash of their own accord, flinging solemn peals through the air.

But the real miracle was only beginning.

WHOOSH!

From the great holy brazier set in the exact center of the cathedral, flames suddenly erupted skyward. A strange fire—so bright it hurt the eyes, yet not hot at all. The sacred blaze billowed as if it meant to reach the ceiling, then tilted gently toward Rodentia as though drawn by a magnet.

And then a voice, immeasurably vast and warm, that filled the entire Grand Cathedral.

I couldn't understand the words. But the emotions woven into that resonance, I understood with perfect clarity.

Shock at an unexpected reunion. The flustered panic of someone who has gone out and only later realized they left the gas on. And finally... gladness.

Rodentia's phantom, her spirits already soaring, scurried over to the brazier and began to grumble and fuss. The vast form of flame wrapped her up in a gentle embrace and answered.

The clergy reeled for a moment at the blasphemous phrasing. A single stream of flame bent sharply over the crown of Rodentia's head.

SMACK!

A crisp, ringing impact echoed through the sanctuary.

Rodentia clutched her head with a deeply wronged expression. The flames, as if they had never been angry, cradled her gently once more—then dissolved into tens of thousands of crimson light-particles and vanished like magic.

Camilla's face flooded with certainty and awe. The surrounding clergy cried out in trembling voices.

"Truly... Her Grace has briefly descended upon us!"

As if entranced, the clergy dropped to one knee or bowed their heads in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reverence. The archbishop, too, muttered with both hands shaking, as if he still couldn't believe it.

"W-wait... among the old records, I once read a passage about an ancient goddess who tenderly watched over persecuted rodent beastmen. At the time I dismissed it as little more than a legendary possibility, but to witness such a manifestation with my own eyes... yes. The investigator's words were not mistaken."

"Yes. When I had only heard of it, I confess I was half in doubt. But our Church's own Lord has personally descended and granted so clear a confirmation... how could I dare question it further!"

The archbishop blinked and let out a deep, heavy sigh.

"Before another Lord of the Pantheon returned to us, I offer infinite glory and reverence."

The tangled audience was settled in an instant. Rodentia, who had in a heartbeat become a provisional yet formally recognized deity, received the most deferential treatment imaginable.

The proof of divinity changed everything.

A short while later—

"His Grace the Archbishop has authorized immediate and full support."

One of the bishops solemnly declared as he presented massive chests packed with the finest holy water and sacred oils.

"Furthermore, to completely cut out this blasphemous demonic shoot, the Pantheon has decided to dispatch the Order of Holy Knights under the Church's direct command. It is a large-scale heresy-suppression expedition—the first in a hundred and fifty years."

"Hold on a second."

People who had been wringing their hands in distress mere minutes ago were now this passionate? I had to ask.

"Earlier you said he was too big a fish and it would be hard. So why the sudden change?"

"It was, until a moment ago."

At my pointed question, Camilla's mouth curved in a cool little smile as she tightened her grip on her staff.

"This is no longer a political problem. It's a matter of faith and spirit. Between Oakwood and the demon-worshippers who've been running wild without fear in the capital's back alleys lately, we can't just sit and watch. And more than anything..."

Camilla shrugged toward the high clergy deep in grave conference.

"The great Goddess of the Brazier herself descended and put her physical guarantee on it. What more eye-watching do we need? When a formal apostle of the Pantheon is marching out to purge a demon, standing around sucking our thumbs would be the real blasphemy."

Ah. Only then did every piece click perfectly into place. This was now a sacred expedition led by an apostle officially recognized by the Pantheon. No reason left to hesitate.

Rodentia planted both hands on her hips and tilted her nose so high it seemed ready to pierce the heavens.

The heart-stopping descent of the Goddess of the Brazier at the Grand Cathedral. Rodentia's ultra-fast official recognition by the Pantheon was complete.

Together with Camilla, we headed for the Gendarmerie to recruit our final card.

"An investigator of the Heresy Inquisition, here? I heard you forced a search of the Baron's villa without authorization, got thoroughly marked by the upper ranks, and walked away empty-handed... And Loti—why are you mixed up in this again?"

To Inspector Coldwell, who asked with a thoroughly dubious look, I relayed every last horrific truth we had uncovered, without softening a single detail.

The moment he understood, Coldwell's jaw went slack and he froze solid. The pipe clenched in his teeth clattered to the floor.

"O God of Order... watch over us..."

Coldwell muttered in despair.

"But that hunting party on Ratstein Island is known to be regularly attended by members of the royal collateral lines. And those arrogant imperial ambassadors are tangled up in it too. You want our gendarmerie and the Heresy Inquisition to jointly invade that sensitive, closed-off fortress island without authorization? That's insanity! One wrong step and this is open treason!"

"You know as well as I do, Inspector. Even if we file for a search warrant by the book, the Baron will just dodge it with every clever trick he has!"

I leaned far over Coldwell's battered desk.

"This country's laws will never judge those high-ranking pieces of garbage. What good is a law that holds its breath and freezes in front of the real criminals?"

Coldwell's thick mustache trembled.

From everything I'd seen, he was a man rigid to the marrow—a true believer in principle and procedure. But how long could he keep his patience when the very fence of that law was revealed to be sucking the blood of the innocent?

"...Damn it all!"

Coldwell yanked open a drawer and pulled out a stack of blank search-warrant forms. Then he seized a fountain pen and began scribbling like a man possessed.

"I never thought that in a lifetime of wearing a police uniform, one cheeky little mouse-beastman kid would make me personally commit overreach and write illegal blank search warrants with my own hand... What a sorry fate this is..."

Even as he grumbled roughly under his breath, he slammed the Gendarmerie's red official seal into the corners of the documents without a shred of mercy. THUD! THUD!

"I pray that hellscape you described is absolutely certain, kid."

Good. Even the hard-nosed gendarmerie forces are fully on our side now.

With the alliance sealed, I returned to Hamster Wheel Village on steps that felt considerably lighter. In the village, the second-class Rat Rangers who had just finished hell training stood at rigid attention, waiting.

"All right, everyone, listen up. There's something I need to tell you about the battle ahead. We—"

I had just mounted the platform and was about to deliver a solemn address when—

"Squeak! Squeeeak!"

Beyond the Apostle's ears came the cries of the wild rats at the village outskirts. A warning.

A chill like a sheet of ice seemed to run down my spine.

So they finally came.

To them, our village was nothing short of a buffet. There was no way they would simply drool and leave us alone. And with Blackstone Mine stripped bare by us, they must have been desperately short on beastman sacrifices.

I pulled out my red beret and jammed it down firmly on my head.

"...We're out of time. All units, switch to Level-One combat readiness—immediately!"

"C-Captain! What's going on all of a sudden?! Squeak!"

At Temi's startled cry, I shouted so hard it felt like the drill ground itself might crack.

"The Foundation bastards have pushed all the way into our front yard! Squeak!"

At that single icy shout, the Rangers—venom rising in their eyes—finished preparing to sortie at once.

There's still some distance. From the scale, it looks like a forward recon unit... but the main force could be lurking somewhere in the forests around here.

As I hesitated, my gaze drifted to the central square of the village—to the enormous wooden structure rising sturdy and tall. The giant hamster-wheel prototype that Mani and the veteran carpenter mice had finished assembling only recently.

Wait. Could we use that as a defensive weapon for the village?

I decided not to hold anything back.