Chapter 462
Chapter 462
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 462
Chapter Title: Information Warfare (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Angel.
The proxy of faith that descends to the earth on behalf of gods who find it difficult to directly project their power into the mortal world, performing miracles.
'An angel, huh?'
'Wasn't it human from the start? I had my suspicions...'
The Pantheon executives gathered in the conference hall struggled to compose themselves as they stared at the overwhelming, transcendent figure radiating its presence right before their eyes.
Whatever such a being said carried more persuasive power than anything else.
Of course, there was no law saying angels couldn't lie, but wasn't this a place governed by the law enforced by the Chairman that compelled only the truth?
'It's not forcibly ignoring abilities with power. That one is definitely speaking only the truth.'
The Chairman could instinctively sense that fact.
And above all, as priests serving gods and among the top powerhouses in the entire Pantheon, they knew exactly what the angel who had just revealed its true nature had done moments ago.
'A sacred oath sworn upon their own faith.'
Having witnessed that moment with their own eyes, they had no choice but to believe.
If what it had just said was a lie, that angel would have lost all its divine power and fallen on the spot.
Naturally, the situation could only flow in a direction far from its original purpose.
From a seat interrogating suspicious violations of rules to a countermeasures meeting led by the very subject of that scrutiny.
'More compliant than I expected. As always, this method works best on priests, doesn't it?'
Heinrich nodded slightly, seeing the executives listening intently to his words.
No matter how different their gods were, they were all seekers walking the path of faith.
Few could brazenly defy a messenger of the gods standing before them.
'...Not all priests have that temperament.'
Wasn't the perfect example right there, the ones currently the talk of the town?
Pandemonium.
Commonly known as the 'followers of evil gods,' but it wasn't just those serving ominous deities bent on destruction.
There were zealots armed with extreme ideologies, arrogantly believing their faith was the one 'true' path and all others heretics.
Thus, those insisting on purifying the world through holy wars formed another pillar of Pandemonium.
'That's why they can't unite easily and exist in scattered fragments. They'd clash and refuse to tolerate each other if they met.'
Because they couldn't consolidate, Pandemonium had long devolved into a convenient hunting dog for the Reverse Heaven Society to manipulate at will.
Compared to them, the Pantheon was positively moderate.
It started from the basic rule of recognizing and accepting other denominations as equals.
'In a way, this incident was a foreseeable outcome. Lowering entry barriers for inclusivity naturally creates vulnerabilities.'
Fortunately, their influence hadn't reached the Pantheon's top leadership, the 12 Committees.
Well... to be precise, a scribe had risen that far but was dealt with by his own hand, naturally stripping away their influence.
If she had still held her position, things wouldn't have resolved this smoothly.
'See? This is why you should live righteously.'
Heinrich smiled in satisfaction.
Gazing at the executives deep in serious conversation before him.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Immediately after the several-hour-long meeting with the Pantheon's leadership concluded.
"Ah! Brother Heinrich! That took longer than expected. How did it go? Did you accomplish your business?"
The one greeting Heinrich as he exited the committee hall was Priest Jason, who had supported him throughout this Pantheon visit.
Since Heinrich, not yet formally joined, faced limitations moving alone, the one who'd been with him longest had volunteered as guide.
"Just a minor misunderstanding. It's all resolved now."
Heinrich, a soft smile playing on his lips, nodded nonchalantly.
Then, glancing at him, he spoke up.
"By the way, Priest Jason, you're from the Tamaria Dimension, right?"
"Yes. I mentioned it in passing, but you remembered."
Passersby glanced curiously at the two conversing as they walked.
Specifically at Heinrich, with his silver hair and golden eyes.
His tumultuous arrival had inevitably imprinted him on everyone's minds.
"I've heard religious wars rage fiercely there. Two major denominations at each other's throats, neither yielding an inch."
"Correct. A holy war between our Rasus Church and the followers of the evil god Luseni."
"Are those evil god followers still causing trouble on Earth...?"
"Sigh, yes. They're in Pandemonium now. Falling for the evil god's temptations, they can't even come to their senses after returning to Earth. How tragic."
Priest Jason clenched his fists in outrage.
As if genuinely pitying those who devoted body and soul to an evil god.
"...I think so too. After enduring all those hardships to survive this far, unaware they're being used like puppets."
The two men sighed in unison.
Though they referred to slightly different targets, the sentiment was much the same.
"But why ask suddenly?"
"Oh, nothing much."
As they chatted and walked on.
Heinrich spotted several people waiting before his assigned quarters.
"Just... hoping they'd stop being a nuisance and vanish quickly."
Priests from Outerica, busily acting on his orders.
Heinrich gazed at them with sunken eyes and continued in a low voice.
"Those followers of the evil god."
Then he halted, flashing Jason a bright smile.
"And the shadowy bastards behind them."
It was a smile tinged with personal emotion, somehow chilling.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A few days later.
On a day of deceptive calm, like the eve of a storm.
"Hold on! What is this outrage? I'm Sandro of the Piscus Church! Think my church will stand for this?!"
It began abruptly.
Without warning, a storm shook the entire Pantheon.
"Sandro Fermi. You stand accused of colluding with Pandemonium multiple times, starting with the murder of Rabin William three years ago."
"...What nonsense? Framing me out of nowhere? I would never kill my friend! ...Oh, I see. You bastards are using me as an excuse to target my church!"
"Deny it all you want; it's pointless. We've secured and verified the evidence. Shall I list all the priests murdered thanks to the intel you sold?"
"...Trying to mock me with lies won't work! You filthy dogs of the committee, stuffing your own bellies!"
Naturally, no one admitted guilt meekly.
Instead, they brazenly claimed the Pantheon Executive Committee was trying to tame their denominations.
But such resistance didn't last long.
"......"
Before irrefutable, inescapable evidence, silence was their only option.
Once things reached that point, even their backing churches were powerless.
The executives hadn't stayed silent after Heinrich's briefing for nothing.
They didn't stop at cross-verifying the traitor intel provided; they uncovered additional crimes.
Eschewing security for minimal trusted personnel, they pounded the pavement themselves.
"How much have I devoted to the church all this time! And you're discarding me over this?!"
"Damn, how did they figure it out? I cleaned up perfectly."
"It's over. Scatter immediately and regroup at B Point!"
The result.
Not only direct communicators with Pandemonium but also those profiting off them were swept up in a massive roundup.
With the entire committee staking their all, operations proceeded without a hitch.
'Impressive... They seemed lax before, but once committed, they show their global organization's true colors.'
He'd barely sensed it during their lion-like lethargy, but now they flexed fully.
In a short time, they patched info gaps into a perfect noose, earning admiration.
'After this, expect more proactive self-policing. That alone should drastically cut Reverse Heaven Society puppets.'
One unexpected aspect watching the purge: not all Pandemonium sympathizers had grand motives.
Some acted believing it best for their church out of conviction, but that wasn't all.
'They targeted that vulnerability from the start.'
Jealousy, envy, desire, wealth, honor, factional gains.
Priests, yet human, they fell for it easily.
The biggest reason: it had nothing to do with their faith.
Siding with Pandemonium didn't erode piety or violate doctrines.
Their creeds lacked such provisions anyway.
Hostility toward external foe Pandemonium within Pantheon's fence was just Earth's humans' pact—unrelated to their otherworldly gods.
The gods felt the same.
Good/evil distinctions were human-made anyway.
Most gods simply granted fitting divine power to believers.
Many implicated were from neutral churches between good and evil gods.
Including true believers acting for their church.
The so-called hardliners in any group.
Zealots refusing to accept their church's relegation to obscurity in Pantheon's limited stage, vowing any means to revive it.
"It's been a while."
"Kuh, Heinrich...!"
For example, Walter, holy warrior of the Quilladia Church.
"I should thank you. Without that first encounter, I wouldn't have sensed anything off."
"Wh-what are you talking about...?"
Walter scowled questioningly, but Heinrich had no intent to explain kindly.
He was here only to check traces of manipulation.
'...There it is.'
Staring piercingly into the man's eyes, Heinrich finally spotted the faint trace deep within.
So subtle, he'd miss it without suspicion and scrutiny.
Without Doctor's intel or subordinates' verification, he'd never have noticed.
"What the hell are you saying?!"
Perhaps feeling pressured by Heinrich's silent gaze.
Walter lost composure, lunging wildly—but after a prior thrashing, he could do nothing.
"Gahk!"
Heinrich impassively watched him writhe on the ground, then turned away.
No need for more here.
Pantheon's execution squad en route would handle cleanup without his involvement.
"...Phew, time to see your face."
Platinum divine power blazed around him.
Extending his senses maximally, he soon detected one presence.
Distinguishing one aura amid swirling divine powers in Pantheon was near impossible—but for him, just somewhat bothersome.
His body shot forward.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Noise from afar reached him.
Priest Jason, hurrying toward it, frowned.
"Heavens, what's all this commotion?"
The sudden events plunged the entire Pantheon into chaos.
As a federation, Pantheon prioritized mild measures like cooperation requests over force—but that alone gave each church headaches.
With ironclad evidence, they couldn't blindly shield their own.
"Tsk tsk tsk, never a dull day. Time's too short to devote body and soul to the divine."
Jason stroked his short beard, clicking his tongue.
Shaking his head, he traversed the dim corridor.
Whatever happened outside was none of his concern.
He just needed to continue his faithful routine.
Lost in his own tasks, ignoring external affairs.
At the corridor's end, he encountered an unexpected figure.
"Priest Jason."
"My, isn't that Brother Heinrich? What brings you here?"
His eyes widened at the man.
Face glowing ethereally... no, emanating a halo, exuding otherworldly mystique.
"I've come to see you."
Heinrich spoke slowly.
In a voice devoid of prior gentleness, laced with clear chill.
"Joker."
The Reverse Heaven Society pawn who'd infiltrated Pantheon, deceiving all from start to finish while plotting in shadows.
And a Pandemonium evil god follower.
"......"
Joker met Heinrich's gaze with an expressionless face.