Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Nature of Authority
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"Ah, the headmaster… But isn't an Archbishop of Shion quite high-ranking?"
"He's third in the line of succession, but there are many archbishops. I don't know his exact standing."
"I had no idea he was such an important figure."
It was a great relief that the person he could consult about divine magic was Headmaster Gregor, who had treated him better than anyone.
Seeing the bright expression on Loan's face, Oscar felt at ease.
He said.
"First, return to the division and report to the Commander. You can meet with the headmaster anytime."
"Yes, Vice-Commander."
Loan returned to the Faith Division and gave the Commander a detailed report on the process of deciphering the Le Tell magic.
After hearing Loan's entire story, Commander Adrian burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, I don't understand a single word you're saying."
"Um… well, that is to say…"
"No, no. In any case, thanks to you, that woman Magda owes me another one, so that's all that matters."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Thanks to this, I can walk with my head held high. Hahaha!"
Adrian seemed to be in a good mood.
Loan decided to take the opportunity to bring up his research on ghouls.
Unfortunately, the Commander spoke first.
"You're tired, aren't you? I had something to tell you anyway. Do you want to hear it before you head home?"
"To me, sir?"
"Yeah. Look at this."
Commander Adrian had been contemplating something, placing small models on a large map.
He pointed to a building-shaped piece.
"These are the Union branches we established after destroying all of Le Tell's human tree farms. This one is in Doughton."
"Ah…"
"They aren't grand institutions with a lot of personnel. For now, it's just one or two members from the Practical Division standing guard until the Stabilization Division finishes its setup."
Loan gazed at the locations of the branches on the map and then spoke.
"Considering Le Tell was active in Ollen, it's highly likely that their main headquarters isn't located outside the perimeter of these branches."
In that moment, Adrian's eyes sparkled.
He had always been surprised by Loan's talent, but this time, it felt different.
"Why do you think that?"
"I've been wondering for a while why we would need to set up these branches… I thought the first priority would be to monitor the movements of Grave, including Le Tell."
"Oh?"
"Yes. If you look at this branch, this one, and this one, they all have their backs covered, and this one over here has its back to another branch, creating a new enclosed area."
"That's right."
"Isn't this an attempt to narrow down the search area for Le Tell's headquarters? Like a continental version of the roundup we conducted in Ollen."
Adrian and Oscar looked at each other and nodded.
Their gazes exchanged feelings of surprise and pride.
Adrian said.
"Yes. We're drawing a picture, placing small pieces on a large map. We've narrowed it down quite a bit. Finding Le Tell's main base won't be far off."
"Is that so?"
"Mhm. That's why I hope you'll grow a lot by then."
Caught off guard by the Commander's words, Loan blinked and asked back.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The Union is short-staffed as it is. We need every member to be worth a hundred."
"Are you telling me to become a Runner quickly?"
"It's more important to have the capability first than the rank. The rank will naturally follow."
"…"
Loan suddenly recalled the long, stretched-out tongue of the ghoul.
As expected, the Commander brought it up.
"It's natural to secure evidence to have your contributions recognized. You did well. But I couldn't help but feel a sense of impatience in your story."
He had no retort. It was true.
Fortunately, the Commander hadn't brought it up to reprimand him.
"Let me give you a piece of advice. In your case, it would be better to focus on your training than on accumulating merits."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I told you that rank follows skill, right? Most people's abilities don't improve that quickly. In the meantime, they'll have more opportunities to achieve merits."
"Yes."
"You learned how to use your body in a single day. And I heard you had a breakthrough with a movement technique during your mission? Being able to do that is extremely rare. You should focus on getting better at what you're already good at."
"What I'm good at…"
"First, you need to properly hone your own abilities. That magic you showed yesterday, it seemed like it needed to be explored more deeply."
"Yes, you're right."
Loan found his direction in the Commander's words. He also read the expectations and hopes within them.
The Commander added.
"And you. You seem to have a lot on your mind after visiting the Honor Division."
"Did it seem that way?"
"Your growth is a great help to our overall strength, so for now, just focus on that."
There was nothing wrong with a single word he said.
In the end, he hadn't even been able to bring up the ghoul cure, but his mind felt calmer, his thoughts more organized.
Loan placed a fist over his heart with sincerity.
"Why are you being so formal? It's making me uncomfortable."
Adrian shook his head with a look of distaste.
"Anyway, you've worked hard these past few days. An official from the kingdom is coming tomorrow afternoon to award merits, so come in after lunch."
"From the kingdom, directly?"
"Mhm. Reorganizing Ollen must be quite a troublesome task. Once the award ceremony is over, take a few days off to rest and train."
"Yes. Thank you."
An award ceremony.
It would be nice to have his contributions recognized, of course, but it didn't seem like something he needed to worry too much about.
***
The next morning.
Having shaken off the fatigue of the past few days with a deep sleep, Loan took advantage of the morning hours to visit his alma mater for the first time in a while.
Daphne, the Dean of Academic Affairs, was overcome with emotion upon seeing Loan in his uniform.
"Loan, how can it suit you so well? You look like you've grown even more. How is life at the Union? Is the food to your liking? Are there any seniors bullying you?"
"Everything is great, ma'am. The Commander of the Honor Division praised my literary sensibilities. It's all thanks to your excellent teaching."
"What did I do…"
Daphne's face flushed as she repeatedly patted Loan on the back.
As Loan tried to dodge, feigning pain, his eyes met with the swordsmanship instructor, Diego.
Loan bowed his head slightly.
"You joined the Faith Division?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did Edi mention me?"
Edi was probably Commander Adrian.
"Yes. The Commander was very impressed. He said that thanks to Diego's excellent teaching, I have no bad habits and a solid foundation."
"Well, that's a first. That prig actually complimenting me."
Diego snorted. He seemed to be in a very good mood.
Loan shook his head and said.
"I'm grateful too, sir. Because you built my foundation so well, I was able to learn a movement technique quickly."
"A movement technique?"
"Yes. I had an epiphany during my last mission."
"How long have you been there? What nonsense. As if a movement technique is something you can just get by having an epiphany."
Diego's surprise was genuine as he questioned Loan, but Loan found himself admiring Diego's consistently humble nature all over again.
The commotion in the faculty office quickly spread throughout the school.
While walking down the hallway to meet Headmaster Gregor, Loan had to endure the flood of attention from his underclassmen.
Everyone at the school knew that the top graduate had joined the Union and was performing admirably.
Besides, Loan had been immensely popular even as a student.
They couldn't approach him openly now that he was a respectable member of the Union, but the joy of seeing their admired senior after so long sometimes burst forth in tears.
After an ordeal more intense than facing a swarm of ghouls, Loan finally arrived at the headmaster's office.
Headmaster Gregor was also delighted by Loan's visit.
After praising his recent achievements, the headmaster asked quietly.
"You didn't come all this way just to say hello, did you?"
"No, sir. I came because I want to learn about the Authority of the See of Shion."
"It seems your recent mission has given you something to think about. You wish to gauge the power of the dark cult through the Orthodox Church, is that it?"
"Yes…"
Gregor understood Loan's intention in an instant.
It wasn't as if such attempts hadn't been made before, but for some reason, Loan felt a sense of guilt.
Gregor soothed Loan's worries with a benevolent smile.
It was so warm that his heart was naturally put at ease.
Gregor said.
"To do that, you must first understand what Authority is. The power used by the priests of Shion is commonly called Authority, but strictly speaking, it is divine magic. Authority is included within it."
"So it's a component, not the whole thing?"
"That's right. It’s a blend of formula-based magic and a mysterious, auspicious power whose origins are hard to grasp. The part of it that defies understanding is what we call Authority."
"Something that's difficult to explain…"
Gregor smiled and said.
"It reminds me of when you first cast Fireball, Loan. I said then that it was like watching the divine magic of Shion."
"You did?"
"Yes. I don't know why I felt that way, but I sensed a certain purity. It was as if you were using a special sense that the priests of Shion naturally possess."
Something clicked in his mind.
His ability to see and directly manipulate mana was also an incomprehensible, unexplainable power.
To others, it might look like an Authority.
In other words, just as his own magic couldn't be separated into formula-based spells and the ability to directly control mana with his will, the same was true for divine magic.
If so, couldn't the same be said for a demon's Authority?
‘So that’s what was omitted. It’s not simply about calling upon a demon's power; there must be a part that just happens, without a formula—a part that’s difficult to explain.’
Since it was a summoning ritual, it was highly likely that the part related to the medium was omitted.
The problem was, even if he knew that, could he counter it?
‘Demon summoning, ghoul transformation—it’s all just magic. There's no need to assign great meaning to the artificial phenomenon of a human turning into a ghoul.’
Phenomena can be reversed, and magic can be countered.
He didn't know how yet, but he was certain that it was at least possible.
This was a significant breakthrough.
"This has been a great help, Headmaster."
Loan expressed his deep gratitude to Gregor for the realization he had gained.
But Gregor, on the contrary, looked apologetic.
"Not at all. It would have been helpful if I could have shown you directly, but my abilities are under a ban… I've done nothing, really."
"I will always strive to be as humble as you, Headmaster."
Gregor shook his head several times as if there was nothing to be done, then took something out of a drawer and said.
"If you get the chance, visit Shion. You will surely gain something by seeing it for yourself. This should be of help."
Loan accepted what was offered to him.
It was a metal bookmark engraved with a special crest and Gregor's name.
"This is…"
"It is one of an Archbishop's personal articles."
"It's very valuable."
"It is. Any priest of Shion will be sure to lend an ear to what you have to say."
"Thank you. I hope I get that chance."
Loan gave a bittersweet smile and bid Gregor farewell.
After a fervent send-off from the school staff and his underclassmen, Loan returned to the Union's main building to attend the afternoon award ceremony.
A considerable number of members from various divisions had already gathered around the grand training hall.
Loan began to search for his seniors from the Faith Division amidst the crowd.
Just then.
"So the reason the officials are attending the ceremony here instead of going to Ollen is because of the Crown Prince. Is he planning to bestow the rewards himself?"
"We'll have to see if that's all there is to it, or if he has other plans. I hear he's hard to please."
"Is the Crown Prince that fastidious?"
"They say he gauges people's strength by making bets and challenging them, finding fault for no reason."
"Hearing that, I have a feeling this award ceremony is going to have some trouble…"
The seniors' conversation stuck in his ears.