Chapter 178
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Monster Diversion
"Phew, they ended up leaving quietly after all. Was I just being overly paranoid?"
Bishop Bells tilted his head repeatedly as he returned to the temple after seeing off(?) the delegation.
Bishop Bells was no fool. In fact, if anything, he was regarded as an exceptionally talented individual even within the temple.
This place, Ballista Fortress, was quite a distance from the capital Vatican, but judging by its scale, it was a major religious stronghold of considerable importance.
Such a post couldn't be handed over to just anyone.
Thus, Bishop Bells had never believed from the start that Jerome and Luna had come simply to pray.
Who would buy that? The direct heir of the Shield Family, the empire's sworn enemies, showing up at the temple for prayer?
It'd be more credible if word got out that His Holiness the Pope was actually a woman.
So he'd kept a sharp eye out in the prayer room for any shenanigans, but in a ridiculous twist, he'd dozed off.
If this got out, it'd be a colossal blunder—one that could see him burned at the stake right in the heart of the capital without a second thought.
The moment his eyes snapped open, he'd checked around them and even gone out to see them off.
Just in case he'd overlooked something.
But against all his worries, they'd left the temple peacefully, without a single untoward action.
'Did they really just pray out of respect for Great Archbishop Luna and take their leave?'
Arriving back at the temple amid a whirlwind of thoughts, Bishop Bells headed for his room to handle his duties. Or at least, he tried to.
Thud, thud. Halt!
"......"
Why was that?
On his way to his room, the door to the chamber holding Great Archbishop Luna's mother suddenly caught his eye.
Even though he'd confirmed no issues with personnel back in the prayer room.
A strange unease slithering up his spine redirected his steps—not toward his office, but to that very room.
As he neared, he spotted several maids murmuring among themselves.
"What's going on?"
"Ah, Your Excellency."
One maid bowed to Bishop Bells, whose eyes widened in surprise.
"Head maid? What brings you here?"
The room was important, sure—but only symbolically. It wasn't demanding work.
In other words, the head maid wouldn't come all this way unless something serious had cropped up.
"W-well, unlike usual, Madam hasn't returned her meal tray... This has never happened before."
It was a minor issue. She could be ill or simply nodded off.
But driven by the mounting dread along his back, Bishop Bells brushed past the head maid and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock!
"Madam, it's Bishop Bells. Have you retired for the night?"
"......"
"Madam, if there's still no response, I may have to enter. Are you all right?"
"......"
With silence persisting despite his repeated calls, the bishop signaled the maid to fetch the keys.
"Head maid, open the door."
Click! Creeeak!
At his command, she unlocked and swung it open. The head maid's pupils dilated as she peered inside.
"Y-Your Excellency... M-Madam... she's nowhere to be seen..."
The maid's ashen face confirmed Bishop Bells' worst fears.
"This... this is insane...!"
He shoved her aside and stormed in. What met his eyes was an utterly empty room—Madam gone.
"Emergency! Assemble every soldier in the temple! Pursue the 7th Holy Knight Order! Do not—under any circumstances—let that delegation escape!"
Bishop Bells' cry—nay, a scream near enough—rang out, shaking the entire temple.
If word of Great Archbishop Luna's mother slipping away reached Pope Francesco's ears, he wouldn't live to regret it as a free man.
At that very moment, as Bishop Bells' wail threw the temple into chaos...
The uproar wasn't confined to the temple alone.
"...Say that again."
Duke Camille's face, which never cracked even amid hordes of monsters, had frozen over like a sheet of ice.
"I-it's... The Colosseum beneath the 7th Holy Knight Order's training grounds, where we researched Heterogenous Powers... It was found completely demolished, not a scrap left."
"......"
Duke Camille was a Swordmaster among Swordmasters—a Grand Master, liberated from all worldly ailments.
Yet for the first time since ascending his throne, a throbbing ache pierced his skull.
What kind of absurd report was this, devoid of any context?
"...Survivors?"
"None. Every researcher, every Black Lion, even the 7th Holy Knights guarding it—all burned to cinders. Can't even identify the culprits."
"Could it be that Shield Family whelp's doing?"
Naturally, the first suspect in his mind was the outsider who'd entered the fortress: Jerome.
"Apologies, but unlikely. Per reports from Captain Staat's messenger, everyone bar the errand boys headed to the temple."
"Couldn't those errand boys have snuck in?"
His aide grimaced at the retort. Having to counter his lord's questions repeatedly was awkward.
Duke Camille knew as much and waved it off to spare him.
"Never mind, that was a foolish question. Besides, the Colosseum isn't so sloppily defended that a few brats could breach it."
Even if Captain Staat had stepped away to escort(?) Jerome, half the 7th Holy Knights were still posted there.
To dispatch them silently? Only someone of throne-seated caliber could manage it.
And such a figure popping up out of nowhere to wreck Ballista? Even less plausible.
"Dispatch an investigation team immediately. Uncover every trace tied to the culprits. If this leaks to the Continental Alliance, it'll be a headache."
In the span of a single breath, Duke Camille had composed himself perfectly and issued calm orders.
The Colosseum wasn't unique to Ballista. Scattered across the empire, each pursued research differently—so its destruction wouldn't halt the work entirely.
Still, as one of the largest facilities, the loss was devastating.
His swift handling of emotions in mere breaths was praiseworthy.
Right then—
Flicker!
A small cluster of light began shimmering in Duke Camille's office.
"......?"
Puzzlement flickered in his eyes.
Not because he didn't recognize the phenomenon.
On the contrary—he knew it better than anyone, having arranged it himself.
What puzzled him was why now.
He'd ordered it, yes—but never dreamed it'd actually happen.
The light faded, revealing a familiar mage's face.
Gildre, chief mage of the monster research lab, Chamber.
"Gildre? Why are you—"
As he questioned, an inexplicable unease welled up unbidden.
'No way?'
That vague dread soon became reality from Gildre's lips.
"Your Grace, it's an ambush! Intruders hit Chamber!"
"What?!"
Whoosh!
Duke Camille shot to his feet at last.
"How many attackers?!"
Gildre faltered. He'd fled in haste amid the crisis, too panicked to count.
"Th-that's... We suspect two, Your Grace. Forgive me."
He squeezed his eyes shut and shouted. Admitting defeat to just two meant severe punishment—but he couldn't lie to his lord.
"What?! Just two? What the hell were you doing?!"
As expected, Duke Camille's wrath descended.
"I-it's... They woke the monsters in the stone coffins, so we got attacked by our own... Mercy, Your Grace!"
"They woke the monsters?"
Hearing the report, Camille's fevered mind cooled sharply.
'Woke the monsters.' No ordinary intruder would make that call.
Even an idiot knows better than to unleash monsters in a research facility like Chamber.
What if they turned on you instead?
Meaning the enemy knew from the start—the monsters would rampage.
At this point, even Duke Camille had to concede.
"...Jerome. That bastard."
Right after Jerome left, Colosseum and Chamber hit simultaneously.
Deny it further, and he'd be unfit as a commander—not cautious.
"...Fetch my armor. And relay to the 4th Holy Knight Order: mobilize at once."
"Pardon?! Your Grace means to lead personally?!"
His aide gaped in horror.
In normal times, he'd never dream of questioning—but this was unprecedented.
"Looks like you and I misjudged. Those errand boys... no ordinary lot. Can't let Sir Staat meet a dog's death."
It defied common sense, but the results spoke.
Colosseum incinerated. Chamber monster-wrecked.
Meaning the Shield Family whelp traveled with lackeys capable of that.
'Then I must nab them before they link up with Jerome. Delay too long, and they might truly slip away.'
Jerome's execution was what his sovereign, Archduchess Ibarella, desired. He couldn't fail.
Clank!
Clad in pristine white armor symbolic of the Holy Empire, Duke Camille was greeted by Saint, captain of the 4th Holy Knight Order, with his full knights.
"Your Grace, 4th Holy Knight Order—fully assembled."
"Mm."
Nodding curtly at Saint's report, Duke Camille spurred his mount without another word.
'He headed for the temple. Should be just exiting the fortress by now.'
With the 4th's mobility, half a day to catch up.
He'd told Staat to proceed slowly—no way they'd escape before Urk Plains, facing the Shield Family border.
Crunch!
'Brace yourself, whelp. You'll regret toying with me 'til your dying breath.'
How long had they ridden?
As they thundered toward the outer walls at breakneck speed, eerie sounds reached Duke Camille's ears.
-RAAAAAAGH!
"......?"
Rumble-rumble-RUMBLE!
Vibrations shaking the ground even from horseback.
"Aaaargh!"
"Kyaaah!"
Faint screams growing louder signaled trouble at the outer walls.
"What in the...?"
Arriving at last, Duke Camille was "greeted" by thousands of berserk monsters rampaging through the fortress outer defenses.
"D-Duke! His Grace the Duke is here!"
"We're saved!"
Bloodied knights, mages, and soldiers cheered his arrival—but Camille was utterly baffled. Even the temple's usually desk-bound forces were out, desperately suppressing the horde.
What kind of dogshit situation was this?
One adjutant dropped to his knees before him, pleading.
"Your Grace! Forgive me for not reporting sooner! It all happened so fast..."
"No need for apologies. What happened?!"
"S-suddenly, a monster horde appeared on the ramparts and went wild! Luckily, the 2nd Holy Knights were nearby, so we're holding—for now. But there are too many; we're being pushed back!"
Outer walls. Sudden monsters. Gildre's report.
Everything clicked in Camille's mind like a puzzle snapping together.
GRIIIND!
"You... goddamn rats...! Daring to make a fool of me!!"
His aura ballooned explosively.
He yearned to chase them down and rip them to shreds for the dogs—but the 7th was absent.
Without him and the 4th, leaving the 2nd alone against this? Catastrophic losses.
The 2nd were key for the coming war.
No cheap cannon fodder to waste on trash mobs.
Shing!
In a heartbeat, decision made—he drew his sword.
"...4th Holy Knights, with me. We crush these monsters. No time—full force."
"As commanded!"
And so, Duke Camille and the 4th Holy Knight Order, who had been hurtling after Jerome at terrifying speed, wheeled about.
Even Saladin hadn't anticipated his "recycled" monsters delaying Camille and the temple's pursuit this effectively.
Had he known, he'd have lorded it over Jerome for years.
Unfortunately, the already-escaped Saladin had no inkling.