Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: A Friend's Duty
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-I was wrestling with a similar problem not long ago.
Instead of answering directly, Loan recounted what had happened in Rhodos.
The demon that had possessed Bella.
The demon that Senior Boris had accepted.
Sophie, who had the potential to become a vessel for a demon.
He explained how he had long pondered whether he could remain dispassionate if the people close to him turned to evil.
-Did you find an answer?
-To be honest, I avoided coming to a conclusion. Instead, I shifted my focus to how I could purify souls consumed by demons, or even the demons themselves.
He added that he had hoped to find some answers by speaking with the Archbishop.
-Haha, and yet here I was, posing a question to you instead.
-This was something I, too, had been contemplating after meeting Matthias.
A choice made by a purely and clearly purified demon, based on its own judgment.
It couldn't be sanctioned by the Union's standards, which had always simply defined darkness as evil.
And so, a thought occurred to him.
Perhaps he had been wandering lost because he was trying to find an answer to the wrong question.
Feeling his thoughts clear slightly, Loan answered.
-My wish for all demons to return to their own world hasn't changed. Still, I think I need to establish a standard for my own judgment.
He slowly continued, organizing his thoughts.
-Whether human, demon, or purified demon, everyone should be responsible for their actions. And if someone influenced them to commit those actions, they too must bear responsibility.
An answer that refused to divide things into a simple dichotomy.
-And earlier, you asked what Aul is to me. To answer that...
Loan suddenly raised his hand and gently stroked the neck of the sleeping Aul.
As if pleased, the slumbering Aul tilted its head, cradling Loan's fingers in its feathers.
-Aul is my friend.
He didn't hesitate in the slightest. Therefore.
-A friend is someone who helps another friend from making the wrong choices. It's my duty to make that effort. Instead of thinking, ‘He’s my friend, so he'll be fine,’ I should be more attentive. Because he is that precious to me.
At Loan's answer.
Fabian wore a blank expression for a moment.
-I see. Yes.
It was so obvious.
That was how it should be.
And if he had truly cherished Matthias like a son, he should have paid closer attention when he first heard of Matthias's ideas.
They should have explored the Great Mother God's true will together through prayer.
Had he been negligent, thinking, *‘It’ll be fine, surely he wouldn't do anything bad’*?
Because he was so familiar. Because he had mistakenly believed he knew him well.
A common mistake people make with those closest to them.
Had he perhaps over-interpreted his own role, believing he had to embrace and watch over a wider world, a greater number of people?
-Yes. This is quite...
Archbishop Fabian felt a sense of shame before the human boy, whose lifespan was embarrassingly short in comparison.
From his expression.
Loan, too, could sense the Archbishop's feelings.
He knew his words could have hurt him.
-I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you were like that...
-It's alright.
-Of course, I'm not very good at it myself. I just meant I'm going to start trying from now on. I feel like I haven't been very considerate of my friends and the people around me, and have often been particularly cold and distant.
Archbishop Fabian shook his head with a benevolent smile.
-You will do well. I'm sure of it. Gregor has raised a fine disciple. How that sharp fellow managed to raise a student with such a warm heart...
He called Headmaster Gregor 'that fellow'.
Loan felt he had spoken too presumptuously to such a person.
Was the Archbishop actually incredibly old?
So old that even apologizing felt awkward.
“...”
Loan, feeling a little restless, kept glancing at the Archbishop.
Fabian, careful not to wake Aul on his head.
The two walked on silently, as if gliding.
An awkward yet thought-provoking companionship.
As Loan wracked his brain for something to say.
Fortunately, a group of shabby-looking bandits greeted them on the mountainside.
There were quite a few of them. Six.
“Now this is a funny pair. A Union and an elf priest? And what’s that on his head? Is he raising a bird up there?”
A man with a missing front tooth, who had been tapping his shoulder with his scabbard, made a fuss, telling his companions to look.
Laughter erupted from all around, as if it were the funniest thing in the world.
Loan was secretly glad to see them, but that aside.
*What should I do?*
With the Archbishop present, he briefly wondered if it would be right to show them some mercy.
Fabian stepped forward before Loan could.
“I didn't want to show such an unsightly scene in front of a guest of Sion, but what choice do I have? I cannot allow other good people to lose their lives because of mercy I have shown.”
His intention was declared with a gentle smile.
Naturally, another round of sneers followed.
The gap-toothed man threw down his scabbard and said.
“What’s this crazy bastard talking about?”
He drew his sword abruptly because he had sensed a heavy resolve in Fabian's words.
To be able to sense that meant he was either well-trained or had been a bandit for quite some time.
“There's no need to feel wronged. From all of you.”
Fabian continued.
“The stench of blood is overwhelming.”
In that instant, a sword slashed down diagonally toward Fabian's neck.
*Swish—*
Contrary to the sloppiness of his first impression, the attack was incredibly fast and smooth. And ruthless.
So cruel that one wondered how he could be so vicious to a defenseless priest.
But the fiercely descending sword stopped dead above Fabian's head, moving no further.
“Hiek!”
The reason the bandits were horrified.
Was because Fabian had raised his fingers and caught the blade.
The moment a tiny blue spark of lightning crackled from his fingertips, *BAM!*
Having struck the man's chest with his other fist, Fabian weaved through the space the bandits had created, landing a series of punches.
No wasted movements. He moved to the necessary position and took down each opponent with a single blow.
“Ugh!”
“Gak!”
It was over in an instant.
The blue line that left an afterimage on the forest path also resembled a bolt of lightning.
Even considering the vast difference in their levels, Archbishop Fabian's absolute precision was incredibly impressive.
Moreover, the fact that his posture hadn't wavered in the slightest during the fierce exchange was even more shocking.
*Aul didn't wake up...*
Aul, still sleeping soundly atop Fabian's nest-like hair, was proof of his divine skill.
Loan was about to say something, but stopped, thinking it might be presumptuous.
Fabian offered a short prayer for the fallen men, then turned to Loan.
-Just because one believes in God does not mean one always shows mercy. In fact, the Great Mother God even commands us to boldly return those beyond redemption to nature.
With that, he left the dead where they lay and started walking.
Loan quickly followed behind him.
A host of new questions had sprung to mind.
A short while later.
Loan changed the subject.
Speaking aloud for a change, partly to lift the mood.
“By the way, are you heading to the south because of the Brien problem?”
“That's right. It seems the Corrupted Monks causing trouble along the Path of Penance are their doing. It appears to have started in the south.”
“Seeing as you're handling it personally, Archbishop, the Orthodox Church must be taking it very seriously.”
“Haha, it's purely a matter of manpower. All the capable ones are up in the north.”
The place where most of Sion's battle priests and bishops had been deployed, along with the Union's Freedom Division led by its captain.
It was a testament to just how great a threat the orcs were.
Fabian added.
“While spreading the Great Mother God's teachings is the mission of the Orthodox Church, we also have the responsibility to punish those who fail to follow them. We are severely short-handed. It's embarrassing to have you see me, a man of little worth, handling this alone, Lord Loan.”
“Not at all. I feel much more secure traveling with you, Archbishop.”
Fabian threw his head back and laughed, looking a bit awkward.
Just then, Aul, finally awake, pecked at Fabian's head.
A clear signal to stop shaking and move gently.
Not wanting to impose any further, Loan sent Aul back.
A hint of disappointment crossed Fabian's face, but he didn't bother to tidy the nest Aul had made.
And he continued their conversation.
“We might be walking into a dangerous situation, yet you seem very composed. Have you ever encountered a black mage before?”
“To be honest, the only proper black mages I've met so far have been demons. I was actually looking forward to it.”
“Oh dear. I certainly hope it's not some mediocre black mage...”
Fabian, who had been playing along, quickly trailed off.
He'd had the thought, *what if Loan is disappointed?*
*What a ridiculous thought...*
Wasn't this like wishing for a powerful black mage to appear?
It was true that when talking with Loan, one naturally found oneself hoping the boy's wishes would come true.
He hastily changed the subject.
“If the Corrupted Monks are the product of black magic... could you, Lord Loan, perhaps gauge the caster's abilities based on them?”
“Well, the monks' own abilities weren't that impressive. In fact, they were weaker than ghouls, but another aspect of them is far more dangerous.”
“Another aspect?”
“The Corrupted Monks emit an evil aura.”
“Ah... I did receive reports that people enveloped in the mist were acting strangely. So that was the reason.”
Dark mana, to be precise.
He'd phrased it that way since he couldn't reveal that he could see mana.
Loan also mentally reviewed the other information he had.
It wasn't certain yet, but the Corrupted Monks were like mobile facilities for creating vessels—objects—that demons could inhabit.
But this hypothesis was only possible based on facts the Union had uncovered on its own.
He couldn't just tell the Archbishop everything right now.
He fudged the details.
“Yes. I suspect they must be quite skilled to use magic of that caliber.”
“I see. In that case, let us think more of tension than anticipation.”
“Ah, understood!”
This wasn't to be dismissed as mere humility.
It was a cautiousness naturally ingrained in his attitude and thoughts.
Even a powerful individual like the Archbishop was like this.
Loan felt this was a journey from which he had much to learn.
Two days passed like that.
The Archbishop's destination was a mountain city called Arosa.
Due to the surrounding environment, there wasn't much space for people to gather and live.
Half of the city's population lived in a settlement within a basin, while the other half was scattered widely along the mountain terrain.
The Orthodox Church had focused on Arosa purely as a result of backtracking the movements of the Corrupted Monks.
“We've gathered information from various points. To be precise, we believe their base of operations is White Peak Mountain, near Arosa.”
Following the bishop's explanation, he looked up, and indeed, the name seemed perfectly fitting.
The tall, magnificent white mass reminded him of a giant scoop of ice cream.
“It must be quite cold.”
“It's easy to freeze to death without a foundation of magical and divine power. How about you, Lord Loan? Will you be able to endure it?”
This was the same Loan who had raked in money without so much as a coat in the middle of a winter blizzard.
A confident smile naturally spread across his face.
“Excellent. Still, we should make the proper preparations before we depart.”
The two made their final preparations in Arosa, which included getting coats, and then obtained information from a local priest.
Most of the households on the outskirts had recently lost all contact.
“Looks like we came to the right place, Archbishop.”
Loan and the Archbishop immediately began their ascent of White Peak Mountain.
The path was already difficult to find, but a sudden blizzard that obscured their vision made walking itself a challenge.
Loan cast a wide [Barrier of Perception] and began to sense for dark mana.
“My, this is no small feat.”
With Fabian's old-fashioned sigh.
The two trudged onward, conversing only when necessary through telepathy.
Night fell, and Loan kept a fireball afloat for them for a long time.
The next day, the same ordeal continued.
Then, at a certain moment.
-I think we're almost there.
Loan reached out and pointed somewhere into the blizzard.
Fabian narrowed his eyes, waiting for his vision to clear.
A massive building, its back against a pure white cliff, came into view in his gray eyes.
It was entirely black.