Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Paladin of Mercy and Punishment (2)
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Jamie was heading home with Black after a brief meeting. His mind was a whirlwind.
The Zenith Church he knew didn't help anyone. Their main god was like that, so their followers were even more so.
Had the church's doctrines changed over the long years?
Their scriptures remained the same, but he couldn't rule out the possibility that interpretations had shifted.
'Still, that seems unlikely.'
Jamie knew Zenith better than anyone. Its divinity stemmed from 'violence'.
No matter that it ended in 'peace', Zenith gained massive divinity through the process of war.
Could the one who incited violence truly help others?
Especially given its nature, it made no sense. That savage mongrel using its own followers to aid others? Hardly.
'That's why it's suspicious.'
Zenith wouldn't offer pure goodwill without motive. There had to be some purpose.
He didn't know what it was, but the events unfolding in Hice felt like part of that scheme.
'I can't let such things happen on land that's meant to be mine.'
Hice was the first stepping stone to topple the gods.
Letting it fall into chaos would jeopardize his future—he had to prevent that at all costs.
Kreek—
As Jamie steeled his resolve, Black pointed toward something.
In the darkness lay a man with dazzling blond hair. His attire suggested he was a traveler.
But he harbored something deeply unpleasant within.
Jamie scowled and ordered Black.
"Let's descend."
Black landed gently, setting its master down softly.
Jamie strode toward the fallen man.
"A priest?"
What emanated from his body was divine power.
Jamie scanned him head to toe. A fine sword hung at his waist, and his clothes were made of high-quality material.
Jamie instantly recognized the man's identity.
'A high-ranking cleric.'
Not just in appearance—the immense divine power surging within confirmed it.
And not just any high-rank.
Long ago, Jamie had been tormented by ones just like him. The memory made him grimace involuntarily.
'Why is a paladin collapsed in the street?'
Kreek! Kreek!
Black flapped its wings as if to say it found it strange too. When a wing smacked Jamie's cheek, he glared, and Black innocently looked away.
"You little..."
Kreek—
Now it was even whistling mockingly, despite not knowing how to breathe fire.
Jamie clicked his tongue and turned back to the paladin.
What to do with this guy?
Just kill him—
Grab—
The man seized Jamie's ankle.
Startled by the sudden move, Jamie hurriedly used Black to shield his face.
The man lifted his head, trembling. His cheeks were gaunt, sunken deep.
He forced his mouth open.
"Hun... gry..."
'Hungry?'
"Hun... gry...!"
'What about hungry?'
"I'm starving...!"
The man cried out desperately before passing out again.
Jamie stared at the back of his head in disbelief.
A paladin, of all people, collapsed from hunger in the street?
He shook off his leg, detaching the man's limp hand. It looked almost pitiful.
"Urgh, I'm so wasted~ Why's the world spinning like this~?"
"Sheesh, Big Brother! Walk straight, will ya?!"
"My bro! Haha, my little bro!"
"This guy's totally hammered."
"Tell me about it. Snap out of it!"
Three drunken men stumbled out of an alley.
Two were struggling to support the one who'd had too much.
"Hehehe!"
"I ain't drinking with Big Brother ever again!"
"Me, boozing like this at my age... Huh?"
The oldest of the three stopped mid-sentence, staring somewhere.
"What's up?"
"There's a guy collapsed over there."
"Huh?"
The younger one looked where he pointed.
Sure enough, a blond man lay on the ground.
"World's full of folks worse off than you, passed out in the street."
"Damn, another baggage to carry."
"Just leave him."
"Let's go—mmph!"
"Shut it, Big Brother!"
The young man clamped the mouth of the incessantly rambling drunk.
"If we hadn't seen him, fine, but now that we have, how can we pass by? I'll take him."
"Big Brother's a saint."
The one called Big Brother chuckled and hoisted the blond man with effort.
"Whoa! Tooootally!"
"Stay still, Big Brother!"
"Let's go."
They trudged home, each carrying one.
Jamie watched silently from the shadows before stepping out.
He hadn't expected people to show up.
"What's a paladin doing here?"
He didn't seem from the Zenith Church.
Definitely from another order—passing through, perhaps?
Whatever the case, the guy was lucky.
Had those people not appeared, Jamie likely would've killed him.
'Better this way. Avoids complications.'
Killing a paladin would've prompted his order to search from Hice outward.
He was confident he wouldn't get caught, but no need to invite unnecessary risks.
"Let's head back."
Kreek—
Black spread its wings wide.
Jamie grabbed its leg and returned to the mansion.
And the next day.
"Oh, good to see you, lad!"
At the Welton family's breakfast table.
The blond paladin from last night was sitting at the same table as Jamie, gnawing on a chicken leg.
"Hahaha! If not for the Count's grace, I'd have died in the street!"
Jamie stared at the blond man in utter disbelief.
The man, who introduced himself as Ras, was definitely the one the drunks had dragged away last night. So why was he here?
"Heh, hardly my doing. Credit to the guards."
The men who'd taken Ras home were Welton house guards. They'd found a clerical badge in his possession and reported it up the chain.
"But those guards are the Count's men, aren't they? So it's your grace all the same."
The sly Ras's words drew a hearty laugh from Count Welton.
"A paladin starving to death, though?"
"We're human too. Though I've heard that at higher realms, we sustain ourselves with divinity and last longer than most."
"Divinity sure is impressive."
"Isn't it? Never ceases to amaze me."
Paladin Ras raised his fork in agreement to Countess Sears Bell Welton's remark.
Count Welton chuckled at his cheerful demeanor.
"From the Pyro Church, right?"
"Yes. I serve the Goddess Pyro of Mercy and Punishment."
"Caught me off guard at first. Didn't you, dear?"
"Yes, quite the surprise."
"Mind sharing why?"
Ras blinked curiously at their reactions.
Sears responded with another question instead.
"Do you know Bishop Sephira, by chance?"
At the name Sephira, Ras's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh! Are you from Apton, Madam?"
No Pyro cleric would be unaware of Sephira—the grand archbishop of the 'Apton' branch.
Sears nodded with a smile.
"From the Bell family."
"An honor to meet you."
At 'Bell family', Ras's eyes bulged. He dropped to one knee before Sears and bowed deeply.
Jamie nearly spat out his food at the bold display.
"I'm with the Weltons now, so no need."
"St-still."
"Hahaha. It's been ages since I last saw a Pyro priest prostrate like that."
"You too."
Jamie glanced bewilderedly between his parents.
They treated Ras's actions as perfectly normal.
'What the hell is going on?'
He knew the Pyro Church had a presence in Apton, ruled by his maternal Bell family.
But that didn't explain prostrating to Sears. A church in a territory was like a tenant to a landlord.
Did tenants kneel to landlords?
The Bell family and Pyro Church were likely just that.
And paladins only knelt to bishops or higher.
'Something I don't know?'
Ras's attitude showed a deep bond between Pyro Church and the Bells. But what, exactly?
Best to ask outright.
Jamie put on an innocent face and asked his father, Count Welton.
"Why's he doing that, Father?"
"It's complicated to explain. I'll tell you when the time's right."
Count Welton replied gently.
Jamie inwardly clicked his tongue. After breakfast, he'd corner one of them for details.
If the Bell-Pyro ties were tighter than expected, it spelled headaches.
'Pyro. She's one I have to kill eventually too.'
"Rise already."
Sears grabbed Ras's arm and pulled him up.
Ras gazed at her, voice thick with emotion.
"It must be Mother's will that led me here."
"A life without sin."
"Mercy without harshness. Never dreamed I'd offer these words here."
Ras sat, repeating his disbelief over and over.
"Eat up before it gets cold."
"Thank you, I'll dig in."
At the Count's urging, Ras began eating.
The table's usual warmth felt especially cozy this morning.
'Gonna puke.'
Everyone but one, anyway.
After breakfast, Count Welton took Ras to his study.
They shared tea and light conversation.
"So, what brings you all the way here? No reason for Pyro Church in the eastern reaches."
Pyro's influence in Celdam Kingdom was minimal, centered around Apton and nearby territories.
"Expanding eastward?"
"No. I came for another reason."
"Another?"
"Pursuing someone."
Ras's expression turned grave.
"Someone conducting horrific experiments no human should."
"Sounds like black sorcerers."
"Not a black sorcerer. Or rather, no different in the end."
"Who is it?"
"A chimera maker."
The Count's eyes widened.
He'd never imagined 'chimera' from Ras's lips.
"Someone illegally crafting chimeras?"
"Yes. Worse, not ordinary ones."
"Can chimeras ever be ordinary?"
"Hahaha, not like that. Before I explain... a favor?"
"...If I can."
"This is top secret even in the church. Help me, and I'll tell you."
"You want cooperation."
"Yes."
Ras watched tensely.
He hadn't known this land was Welton territory Hice, but it was divine opportunity.
Count Welton, a mighty Sword Master. His aid would make it easy.
"Hm."
The Count drummed his fingers, pondering.
"Chimera maker."
Chimeras were artificial lifeforms blending multiple creatures' traits. Not inherently criminal. But the world deemed them so.
Because they used 'humans' as materials.
Not all did, but every known chimera maker had.
'And church top secret...'
The Count met Ras's steady gaze.
Paladins didn't wield mana, thus no aura. Ordinary knights struggled to gauge their realm.
But as a Sword Master, the pinnacle of the blade, he could read one's spirit regardless of power source.
Ras was no mere paladin. His presence equated to Expert knight—short of Master, but commander-level.
Such a man hunting a chimera maker alone.
"Can't promise full support due to my position. But knowing your ties to my wife's family, hard to ignore."
"So you'll..."
"I'll help."
Joy lit Ras's face.
"Truly grateful!"
"Save it. Why's Pyro chasing a chimera maker? And why no kingdom request?"
Chimera makers were humanity's foes.
The kingdom would've sent troops.
"Kingdom aid would help, but tarnish Pyro's reputation."
"How so? If it's reputation-ruining to tell anyone, why tell me?"
"Because it's you, Count Welton. In-law to the Bells."
Had Sears not been a Bell daughter, he wouldn't have spoken.
"What I say now mustn't leave this room. Please."
"...Go on."
"The chimera maker we're after."
Ras's eyes chilled.
"Used Pyro Church divinity in his creations."
"...Meaning?"
"Over ten clerics sacrificed to his hands."