The Fifth Inquisition Office (3)
The Fifth Inquisition Office (3)
Beatrice grumbled.
【You said you would learn my Holy Arts, so when exactly do you intend to learn them?】
"She secretly wants me to learn them."
【I—I do not! It is simply an act of repaying a debt...!】
Leaving the grumbling Beatrice alone, I sank into the darkness. Shadow Holy Arts.
The moment I stirred Naga's Sacred Power, my presence vanished in an instant.
Beatrice shuddered.
【To dare use the serpent's Holy Arts within the Sanctuary of Ra...! I...I...I was a fool to have thought well of you even for a moment!】
"I'm doing it because I need to."
I slipped between shadow and shadow. It was already night. A very deep night, at that.
The Sacred Relic I was after was inside Prayer Room No. 3. A massive cathedral. A place where moonlight touched countless stained-glass windows and shone through.
"......?"
A priest patrolling the corridor suddenly spun around.
"Is someone...there?"
"......."
"Did I mishear?"
After she left, I slowly walked out of the darkness. As expected of the church headquarters, everyone here was quite skilled.
They say a rich family survives three generations even after ruin, and the church headquarters had exactly that feel.
But it didn't matter. I had already reached my destination. All I had to do now was take the Sacred Relic.
【Th-this place is...】
Beatrice flinched.
【Don't tell me you...know about the Fountain of Eternity?】
"You're sharper than I expected."
【Th-then why are we here...】
As if she couldn't understand, she tilted her head from my shoulder.
【Why is there no security at all?】
"Because they forgot."
【...They forgot where the Fountain of Eternity is? Does that make sense? Such a precious Sacred Relic? It's practically the symbol of the Church of Ra?】
"It's different from the era you lived in. You've been dead for hundreds of years, so they've lost more Sacred Relics than they still have. You can tell just by looking at Brionac, can't you?"
【Even so, this is...to forget the Fountain of Eternity...】
Beatrice glanced back at me.
【Aren't they idiots?】
Hey. You people just got called idiots by your idiot Saintess.
"Shall we clean the place out?"
【How do you even know about this in the first place?! You said you'd forgotten everything else?!】
"I'm Ra's favorite, prettiest child."
【That's my title...?!】
"In this era, it's me."
I pressed myself flat against the wall. Left three-three, right three-three. I slipped my hand into a hidden space and turned it.
A small vibration rose with a grinding sound. A hole like a dog's door popped open in the floor. I quickly jumped into the hole as it began to close again.
It felt like falling into an endless underground. I wrapped my body in Sacred Power. I took a short breath and invoked a Holy Art.
[Sacred Flame (A) activates.]
Come to think of it, what were my stats roughly? I didn't think I'd checked properly.
[Zahard Balton] [Level: 54]
[Race: ???] [Class: ???]
[Class Unique Skills]
-Sun God's Love: Sun-God-related skills you possess grow rapidly.
-Sun God's Grace: Your Sacred Power recovers rapidly.
-Sun God's Blessing: You can handle the Sun God's Sacred Relics without risk.
-Sun God's Prayer: You are immune to mental corruption.
[Class Unique Skills]
-Serpent God's Love: Serpent-God-related skills you possess grow rapidly.
-Serpent God's Grace: Your Sacred Power recovers rapidly.
-Serpent God's Blessing: You can handle the Serpent God's Sacred Relics without risk.
-Serpent God's Prayer: You are immune to status ailments.
[Apostle]
-Mixed Sacred Mark (A): Repels all Demonic Force. Can grant Sacred Marks to others. Subordinate priests become mixed, and some body parts may twist. (5/20)
-Mixed Divinity (A): Two divinities have mixed. Usage has become more difficult, and it is not detected by ordinary Sacred Power detectors.
-Healing (B): Can perform healing and combat simultaneously. The world calls this 'Immortal's Battle.'
-Blessing (B): Status ailment resistance greatly increases, and composure can be maintained except in special circumstances. Physical abilities greatly increase, and Sacred Power temporarily increases greatly.
[Church of Ra]
-Sacred Flame (A): Produces sacred fire. Purifies evil and can burn some things that cannot be burned. The size and limits of the flame are proportional to Sacred Power. Efficiency has greatly increased, and even fine details of form can be set.
-Prayer of Fire (B): Praying maintains body temperature for a long time. Physical abilities greatly improve.
-Holy Water Production (C): Infuses water with Sacred Power. Activates the body's healing power and raises resistance to Demonic Force.
-Sacred Wall (B): Can block off certain areas. Can be applied thinly over the skin and wreathed in fire. Exhibits power comparable to armor and negates impacts below a threshold.
-Whisper of Fire (B): Enhances weapon performance. Flames settle upon it, and it can be granted to others' weapons as well. Grants resistance to Demonic Force.
-Purification (C): Expels curses and purifies the corrupted.
-Sword of Judgment (A): Derived from the Sun God Church's foundational swordsmanship 'Song of Fire.' Unnecessary parts were reduced, and the inquisitor's sword has been famous for lacking mercy since ancient times. The sword, sharpened through countless brushes with death, judges the enemy.
-Crown of Ash (EX): Offering tribute raises the grade of Sun-God-related skills.
[Church of Naga]
-Yeongryeon (C): Creates a quiet shadow. Can seep into darkness and move without sound.
-Prayer of Scales (C): Praying erases your presence for a set duration. Physical abilities improve.
-Venom Production (C): Can produce venom within the body that causes stomach pain.
-Serpent's Whisper (C): Part of an object's appearance seeps into darkness. Can hide objects, and only applies to objects being held.
-Erosion (C): Seeps into the mind and plants suggestions in another's mind.
-Black Scales (B): Derived from the Serpent Church's foundational swordsmanship, 'Song of Shadows.' Unnecessary elements were trimmed away, and those who master the sword are famous for living in darkness.
[Shared Skills]
-Meat Cooking (C): Grills meat deliciously.
-Seafood Cooking (B): Can make even seafood that cannot be cooked delicious.
-Beverage Making (C): Can make delicious beverages.
I could just barely set foot in the upper-middle ranks of this world.
It hadn't been long since I crossed over here. And yet I was already at this level.
I whistled. Wasn't this enough to look beyond bishop-level and toward archbishop-level?
At this rate, bam! I'll grind everything down! Dwayne! You're dead!
【I can see the end.】
Beatrice was right. I wrapped my body in Sacred Power to brace for the impact.
[Sacred Wall (B) envelops your body.]
[It cancels impacts above a certain threshold.]
BOOM!
Dust billowed in all directions. I dusted off my clothes. I'd fallen for quite a while. Good thing there was a hole to get out through—if I'd had to crawl back up, it would have been a disaster.
Let's see.
I lit up the surroundings with Sacred Flame. Inside the wide clearing, there was a single door. Simple writing above it.
"Prove your worth...huh."
Simple enough.
"Saintess Beatrice. Let me borrow your weapon."
【Ah...?!】
The spirit sitting on my shoulder trembled. She panted briefly.
【Th-this disgusting Sacred Power...filthy...it's filthy!】
"Want me to squirt some more?"
【What?!】
"I misspoke. I meant, 'Want me to pour some more?'"
【You pervert! Molester! Lowlife! Sadis—!】
"Heave-ho."
【Haaah...?!】
The earring moved. In an instant, it transformed into a spear and settled into my hand.
Spear of Light Brionac. I tapped the door with it.
Grind.
The door opened. Beatrice melted into a puddle.
【I've been...defiled...】
She's kind of like Surtr. Fun to torment.
I carefully examined the inside of the door. It was filled with enormous stone statues.
If someone failed to prove their worth, or if the statues sensed an unfamiliar power, they moved immediately. They were artifacts made in the Golden Age, so each one was nearly bishop-level. If they ganged up on me, I would obviously die.
But the statues only twitched and didn't move much. They rolled their stone-hard eyes and stared straight at me.
One statue poked another in the ribs. They seemed to converse with their eyes, confused.
"Whoa, whoa! I really am a priest of Ra! Look, see!"
I conjured Sacred Flame in my hand. The statues that had been twitching and hesitating went quiet. I almost became a spear pincushion.
[You have entered the Sanctuary of Ra.]
[Your damaged body recovers rapidly.]
[Your entire body fills with Sacred Power.]
[A small miracle descends before you.]
In the distance, I heard the faint sound of water. I followed it slowly.
A red carpet.
The moment I stepped softly onto it, the world flipped. At the end of an endless, luxurious corridor, a faint floral scent lingered.
A garden.
Everything within sight was covered in beautiful flowers. It had transformed into a luxurious place that seemed like somewhere noble young ladies would take tea—a place utterly unimaginable in a gloomy underground.
This was Ra's garden and sanctuary. A place imbued with divinity, said to have been personally arranged by her.
I was moved by the true appearance that had been hidden behind an illusion. When I first discovered this place in the game, I had gasped in admiration.
A red bird chirped. It perched on my shoulder. Beatrice sniffled.
【Ramatnix! It's been so long!】
I slowly stroked the red bird. Its fiery feathers rustled.
One of Ra's Sacred Relics. But this Sacred Relic couldn't be taken out of here.
It was practically Ra's pet. The firebird Ramatnix, descended into the mortal world, served as Ra's messenger.
Something like an angel that delivers revelations, I suppose.
The firebird placed the paper it had been holding in its beak onto my palm. I unfolded it.
-It will take a little more time.
【A revelation?! What could it mean...?】
"I think it means exactly what it says."
Was she still digging into the twisted Sacred Mark?
I crumpled the paper roughly and tossed it behind me. Beatrice snapped.
【How dare you toss aside Ra's sacred revelation!】
"I already read it. It'll burn up soon anyway."
【Even so! Treat it with more care!】
"Yeah, yeah."
I moved toward the sound of water. The garden was vast. The place was overflowing with things that were practically elixirs.
I wanted to pick some now, but I had to hold back. I couldn't touch anything without Ra's permission. And since I couldn't communicate with her right now, I couldn't get permission either.
Besides, I was after something else.
"...Found it."
The source of the water sound. A fountain absurdly small compared to the scale of the garden.
Purple liquid flowed endlessly from it. Beatrice murmured as if lost in sentiment.
【The drink of the gods...Nectar...it's been a long time.】
[You have discovered the 'Fountain of Eternity.']
[You have discovered Nectar.]
[Your faith becomes full.]
[You become intoxicated by the fragrance.]
['Sun God's Prayer' overcomes it.]
My consciousness, which had drifted away for a moment, snapped back into place. It really is potent. No wonder they call it Nectar.
The drink of the gods. There was no detailed explanation, but its efficacy was incredibly powerful.
Drink it raw, and your internal organs melt and the human body itself bursts apart. They say that when the priest who first discovered it drank it and burst to death on the spot, Ra's priests were shocked and called it poison.
But its efficacy, on the premise that it can be "accepted," was regarded as a supreme miracle drug. In other words, if diluted and sold, it would become an incredible product that made holy water or potions look like nothing.
And this Fountain of Eternity was a fountain where such Nectar steadily welled up. It wasn't called a Sacred Relic for nothing.
【You mustn't drink it. It only shows its true worth when diluted. If you drink it raw, even an apostle will die.】
"Are you worried about me?"
【Wh-what! I just mean you can't die yet because I haven't finished repaying my debt...!】
I let Beatrice's grumbling go in one ear and out the other. I filled the canteen I'd brought with Nectar.
A scent so fragrant it made my head spin for a moment. A holy water that, without immunity to mental corruption, would make you greedily gulp it down until your brain burst and you died.
I'd have to be careful when diluting it later.
I filled one canteen, but something felt unsatisfying. I couldn't bring that many canteens in the first place since I'd snuck in...but leaving with just this felt like too little reward.
Then a thought suddenly struck me.
Come to think of it...hadn't I picked up a strange object near Beatrice's corpse?
I rummaged through my clothes and took out the 'Distorted Holy Grail.' Beatrice flinched in surprise.
【Where did you get that?!】
"I picked it up next to your corpse, Saintess."
【Th-throw that away! It's a cursed Sacred Relic I carried around because I couldn't destroy it! That 'Distorted Holy Grail' turns any liquid it touches into an incurable deadly poison—I confiscated it from the Serpent Church...!】
[The 'Distorted Holy Grail' reacts to the drink of the gods.]
[The 'Fountain of Eternity' resonates with its lost other half.]
Wooong.
Nectar surged up from the Fountain of Eternity, which had begun to shake. It snatched the grail from my hand and dropped it into the Nectar with a plop.
"What now..."
【Th-the Nectar will be contaminated! Noooooo!!】
"I don't think that's what's happening."
The churning surface gradually calmed. In the silence, a small ripple spread with a soft plop.
The Nectar flowing from the Fountain of Eternity stopped. The Nectar pooled atop the fountain also began to slowly vanish.
[The 'Fountain of Eternity' regains its true form.]
Cup and drink.
When the two combined, the Sacred Relic that had truly become one revealed itself atop the Fountain of Eternity.
It looked like the Distorted Holy Grail from before...
But the shape was different. The crumpled cup was gone, and in its place lay a long, cylindrical canteen.
[The 'Cup of Eternity' awaits your choice.]
...Cup of Eternity?
There was a Hidden Piece I didn't know about?
【Wh-where did the Fountain of Eternity go...such a tiny...?】
Amid Beatrice's questions, I picked up the canteen. Nectar sloshed inside the vessel called the 'Cup of Eternity.'
[Cup of Eternity]
A priest who coveted Ra's glory and divinity stole her cup and fled. But no one realized that it was only half of the whole.
As time passed, the Fountain of Eternity kept its color, but the cup, having lost the drink it was meant to hold, lost its sanctity.
What seeped into the empty space was resentment toward the one who had separated it from itself.
Thus was born the Distorted Holy Grail, which possessed the power to turn everything it held into deadly poison. But the Distorted Holy Grail has now regained its true form.
The Fountain of Eternity will no longer let go of its other half. Though its sanctity and majesty may not be what they once were, it has sworn to remain with its other half forever.
The Cup of Eternity expresses its gratitude to you.
-The Cup of Eternity produces 100ml of Nectar per day.
-The maximum amount the Cup of Eternity can store is 100ml.
-At the owner's request, any desired amount of Nectar can be sprayed out.
-Upon first consuming Nectar, your vessel's capacity expands.
-Upon first consuming Nectar, the soul widens.
-Upon first consuming Nectar, the Sacred Mark deepens.
-Nectar induces a potent hypnotic effect.
-Nectar induces a potent aphrodisiac effect.
-Nectar induces a potent recovery effect.
-Nectar induces a potent stimulant effect.
-Nectar induces a potent anti-demonic effect.
-Nectar induces a potent doping effect.
-Overdosing on Nectar can lead to death.
-When using 10ml of Nectar per day, higher beings may notice the existence of the Nectar.
-When using Nectar, nearby demons notice the existence of the Nectar.
-Extreme caution is advised when using Nectar.
"...This is insane."
A portable Fountain of Eternity?!
What a windfall!
, , ,
I set a bottle filled with 9ml of Nectar in front of Isabel. Isabel carefully opened the lid.
"...Hah!"
Her pupils dilated. Her strength left her hand and the bottle dropped. I quickly snatched it and closed the lid again.
"Well?"
"Th-this is really...the thing you wrote in the business plan..."
"Nectar."
"The drink of the gods...according to the records...a material that can make a supreme High Potion just by diluting it to 1/1000...!"
Isabel gasped for breath. Still too excited to settle down, she seemed to be rapidly running the numbers in her head.
"With this amount, 90 High Potions can be manufactured...the manufacturing process...impossible with a simple potion factory...materials worthy of High Potions are needed...the capital is..."
"We'll have to secure the capital from now on."
"No. We don't need to."
Drool dripped from her slack-jawed mouth.
"I can do it. I have money I've saved up. That'll be enough. Hah...hahh...good...good...Za-Zahard. Will you do it with me?"
"Calm down."
"Ahh...my body...my body's burning up..."
I placed a hand on her shoulder. I couldn't pounce on my business partner.
[Purification (C) activates.]
[The effects of Nectar grow faint.]
"Wh-what was I saying."
"So?"
"......"
Isabel frowned.
"First...making this is an issue, but I can manage that somehow. I know a few alchemists. They're people I can trust as long as I pay them."
"You're not going to just dump it at the auction house, right?"
"No. I'll compile a list focused on customers who buy expensive items at the auction house. That's easy. It's not that difficult. But..."
"But?"
"We need one organization to launder the money so the source of the drug isn't exposed. A trustworthy organization. It needs to be big. A powerful force, strong enough that we won't have to worry about being chased."
"An organization, huh."
I leaned back in my chair. I spun it around. I rubbed my hands together.
"As it happens, I do know some good guys."