Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Zenith Church (5)
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On the way back to the estate.
Jamie glanced at Ras, who still wore a grave expression. The paladin hadn't said a word since encountering the fully armored holy knight.
Something's up.
Jamie had sensed the unnatural divine power from the paladin as well.
"I heard something from Riki earlier."
"Hm? Oh, right. What did you two talk about?"
"He had a friend at the orphanage who was chosen by Zenith God."
"Oh. That's rare."
It wasn't uncommon for people to be chosen by the god they actually worshipped.
Ras had been chosen himself and become a paladin, so he wasn't all that surprised.
"So he went to the church's main headquarters yesterday."
"Yeah. If you're chosen by the god you serve, you have to go to the place closest to them."
"He said he wants to be chosen someday too and become a priest."
"Haha. Hope that works out for him. Riki's a good kid."
Jamie subtly gauged his reaction.
No dice. Not enough?
After a moment's thought, Jamie recalled another juicy tidbit and spoke up.
"Two months ago."
"Yeah?"
"The army from our family crushed the biggest crime syndicate in Hice, Rival, after they got caught trying to traffic people."
"...?"
"Brutally, they were targeting kids for human trafficking right in our territory."
Ras stopped in his tracks.
Jamie pretended not to notice and kept walking, then glanced back.
"What's wrong?"
"Is that true?"
"Yeah. Lucky we found out ahead of time, or it would've been a disaster. Oh, Riki said he stayed with Rival for a bit too."
"What?"
"Come to think of it, was Zenith Church always the type to do charity work for others?"
Jamie muttered it casually, as if to himself.
Ras's face darkened.
"Doesn't seem like it, right?"
"...Zenith Church."
Pyro Church had once been quite close to Zenith Church.
So Ras knew their tendencies to some extent.
I forgot.
Jamie was right.
Zenith Church hardly ever did anything for others.
Orphans were no exception.
They wouldn't care for orphans.
He should've sensed something off there.
Of course, they didn't completely ignore helping others. But the Zenith Church in Hice was definitely going overboard.
Then he looked at Jamie.
It felt like he was leading the conversation to make me realize it... .
"Why?"
Jamie tilted his head at Ras's gaze.
No way.
He knew Jamie was a genius kid. But he was still just a child. It had to be coincidence.
He doesn't even know the goal in the first place.
Overthinking it.
But if it was real...
No 7-year-old has that kind of insight.
Ras shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Either way, Jamie's words had been a big help.
He smiled and ruffled Jamie's hair.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"Everything. Alright, hop on my shoulders!"
"Are you really my big— Whoa!"
He was about to ask if he was really his big brother when Ras suddenly hoisted him up onto his shoulders.
Then he broke into a full sprint toward the estate.
"S-Stop!"
Jamie's desperate screams echoed through the empty streets.
After dinner, the count and Ras spoke privately.
Ras gave a brief report of the day's events.
"Jamie said that?"
When Ras relayed what Jamie had said on the way back, the count looked quite surprised.
"I think it was probably just coincidence."
"...Yeah, probably."
Count Welton knew Jamie was an incredible genius, but figuring it out without context seemed unlikely.
On the other hand, maybe Jamie had zeroed in on the discrepancy and reached the truth that way.
It was too much for a 7-year-old's judgment, but given what he'd shown so far, it was hard to dismiss outright.
But that wasn't the point, so he got back to business.
"Rival and Zenith Church."
"The kid Riki at the orphanage used to live with Rival too."
"Very suspicious indeed. I thought their actions were just missionary social work."
The count knew a bit about Zenith Church's ideology.
But situations change, and since it was benefiting the territory, he'd just watched.
"If what you say is true, that's different."
If Zenith Church's branch in Hice was demanding kids from Rival, it couldn't be ignored.
But it was just suspicion—no hard evidence.
No matter Count Welton's reputation, Zenith Church wielded influence across the kingdom and the world.
"We need justification."
"As expected."
Ras knew as a knight before priest how important justification was.
He pondered briefly, then told the count.
"I'll find evidence."
"Alone might be dangerous."
"I saw a paladin with the bishop before leaving the church."
"And?"
Bishops had paladin escorts. Nothing odd.
But Ras's eyes were serious.
"Couldn't identify him."
"What do you mean?"
"Couldn't tell if he was really Zenith Church's paladin."
The count frowned.
If a paladin with the Zenith bishop wasn't Zenith's, whose was he?
More importantly, Ras said he couldn't tell. A paladin of that level should distinguish other faiths' divinity easily.
"No way."
"Not certain, but to me, it looked like a 'chimera'."
"Does that mean the chimera creator has started experiments?"
"Probably."
The count rubbed his brow.
"How strong?"
"...I think I'd have a slight edge."
"I'll assign three."
No sooner had the count spoken than three black shadows dropped from the ceiling.
Ras looked back in surprise.
Three swordsmen clad head to toe in black cloth stood behind him.
Didn't sense them at all!
Clearly elite assassins.
But longswords hung at their waists—weapons ill-suited for assassins who preferred subtlety.
"They've been the Welton shadow knights, guarding the family for ages. Expert-level baseline, so they'll help."
"Knights... really?"
"Well, sort of."
The count chuckled.
He knew Weltons were a top swordsmanship house continent-wide.
But expert assassins too? Never imagined.
"I'll uncover their true nature."
"Lives without sin."
Ras's eyes widened at the Pyro greeting from the count.
He smiled and made the holy sign.
"Mercy without cruelty."
"Mercy without cruelty, my ass."
Jamie pulled his finger from his right ear and sneered at the air.
"Chimera creator, huh."
He'd just been eavesdropping on the count's office.
In case the count noticed, he'd used Black's help for maximum stealth in the listening spell.
"Bigger scale than I thought?"
A worried tone.
But Jamie was smiling.
Of course. His hunch was spot on.
Zenith, that bastard cult, was still a bastard cult.
"Kid-targeted chimera experiments, though. Pretty disgusting."
On the other hand, he could guess why kids.
The chimera creator coveted divinity.
Kids were pure. Lacking experience kept everything pristine. That's why they couldn't distinguish good from evil.
Perfect vessels to fill.
Ideal for human experiments.
Didn't know how they'd infuse divinity, but they'd remodel bodies optimally.
Undoubtedly producing impressive chimeras.
If that paladin was a chimera like Ras said... .
Their experiments had reached a high level. But not complete.
Chimeras weren't his specialty, but overlapped with black magic.
Unstable divinity.
Even he noticed the anomaly.
So Ras saw through it perfectly.
Zenith Church likely aimed for perfect chimera paladins indistinguishable from Zenith's own divinity.
"Black."
Kkieeek—
Black, perched on the bed, flew over at his master's call.
Jamie tied a letter to Black's leg.
"Go to Raiza."
Kkeek!
Affirmative. Black spread its wings wide and flew out.
Jamie watched it go, closed the window, and sat.
Need thorough prep.
He felt it.
The end was near.
A big fight was coming.
No idea how big, but always be ready to cast.
"Memorize."
Jamie's eyes turned purple.
Mana surged through his body.
Azad yawned lazily.
No sleep as undead, but yawning lingered as a habit when bored.
"How long we gotta do this?"
"Until they show suspicious movement."
Raiza, beside him, silently watched the church and replied.
An hour ago, a letter from their master Jamie arrived.
Simple contents: Report any suspicious activity at the church immediately.
Also, watch for fully armored knights.
"We just follow orders."
"Bored, that's all."
Azad grumbled but refocused on the church, master's command absolute.
As undead, they felt no stiffness from stillness.
Hours passed quickly.
People came and went, but no suspicions or paladins.
Azad stretched needlessly, whining boredly.
"Well, nothing hap—"
"Move!"
Raiza kicked Azad aside.
Sssrk—
A chilling blade sound.
A straight line scarred the stone where they'd sat.
They jumped up, eyeing their attacker.
Azad's eyes widened.
"B-Big Brother. That's...!"
"Looks like it."
A knight in full white armor, helmet included, gripped his sword two-handed.
"Snuck up that stealthily, we couldn't sense?"
"... ."
Undead upgrades boosted physicals several folds.
Yet no hint until the strike.
If not for vigilant Raiza, Azad would've died instantly.
Divinity was undead's worst nightmare.
"I'll... kill."
The paladin readjusted his grip.
Fierce eyes gleamed through the visor.
"Big Brother."
"I'll block. Tell Master quick!"
"You go! I'll— Gah!"
Mid-sentence, the paladin thrust.
Tremendous speed and power.
Human days, it'd cleave him in half.
Raiza clicked his tongue and charged.
Paladin swung without looking back. Blade grazed his neck barely.
Too much for us!
Raiza decided.
He dashed past with all might.
Sword followed close, but Raiza knew the terrain.
Grabbed a ceiling pipe, leaped up.
Paladin kicked off ground. Blade trailed afterimages, spewing divinity.
"Go!"
Raiza landed by Azad, shoved him out a side window.
"Big Brother!"
"Tell Master—!"
Slaaash—!!
White sword aura engulfed Raiza.
"Kill... ."
Thinking one down, paladin leaped out the window.
"Where!"
Raiza burst through the aura.
Left arm and side deeply gashed, but right arm and legs intact.
Grabbed paladin's ankle tight.
Paladin swung blindly again. Divine slash whipped fiercely.
Vision went pure white.
Dead this time—
"Didn't expect you'd track my puppets and counterattack."
Darkness swallowed the light.
Light resisted fiercely, but
"Shut up."
Ziiing—!!
Black gears began turning.
Dark Dimension
[Dimensional Prison / Absolute Darkness / Mana Drain]
"I'll dissect you here."
Jamie, cloaked in Black, bared his teeth in a grin.
The world filled with darkness.