Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Master Piece
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Matteo Ricci raised his sword high, vigilantly scanning the surroundings as he asked,
"What happened?"
The white-haired girl, Joanna Ark, drenched in blood, trembled as she replied to him.
"Th-th-the... suddenly... from the darkness... a demon appeared... and ate the vice bishop."
"A demon?"
"Yes... the demon... the demon..."
Joanna Ark, filled with terror, couldn't continue speaking.
Matteo Ricci didn't fully understand her words, but he spotted the clear bloody footprints on the floor.
"Lampi, take the lead and track the enemy's blood trail while keeping watch ahead."
"Yes, Captain."
"Ballack, protect the girl from the rear. Neither of you lower your guard."
"Yes, Captain."
With that, the three followed the footprints into the cathedral.
And at the end of the trail, the three knights arrived at a room beneath the cathedral, emanating an ominous aura.
'Why does a cathedral have a place like this?'
A thick stench of blood assaulted their noses.
Lampi carefully swept his palm over the footprints, then gave Matteo Ricci a short nod.
The moment Matteo Ricci raised his sword toward the front and moved to enter,
"What is the meaning of this?!"
A bishop who had appeared behind them glared at them with cold eyes.
"...Bishop?"
The bishop glanced at the white-haired girl hiding behind the knights and shook his head.
"Miss Joanna, playing pranks on adventurers again?"
"That's not—"
"Sir Knight, I'm sorry, but you mustn't believe this child. She's one who lives with lies on her tongue, deceived by Satan."
"Satan?"
"Yes, every time new adventurers come to the village, she claims her parents are missing and asks them to find them."
"......"
"She kills chickens or dogs, smears blood on her head, and acts terrified like that. Not every day, but occasionally, and it's a huge problem."
Matteo Ricci looked at the girl.
She kept her head down, saying nothing.
"Miss Joanna, if you keep this up, I'll have no choice but to make you repent your sins."
At the word "repent," Joanna began trembling violently.
"Pl-please spare me."
The bishop slowly approached and grabbed Joanna's shoulder.
Joanna Ark clutched Matteo Ricci's collar tightly with terrified eyes.
But he could do nothing.
The bishop's will was the will of God. How could mere knights stand against it?
"Then, gentlemen, please go and rest."
The bishop dragged Joanna Ark into the ominous room.
"Pl-please spare me! Knight, please save me!"
Matteo Ricci shrugged uncomfortably, brow furrowed.
Though doubts swirled in his mind, he had no choice but to return to his room.
"Lampi, Ballack. I'd like to hear your thoughts on what just happened."
Matteo Ricci asked the two knights with a stern expression.
Lampi replied quietly as he checked his gear.
"We need to check that room. The bishop's behavior was too suspicious, wasn't it?"
But Ballack thought differently.
"But he's a bishop. If we act rashly, we'll be in danger."
After hearing their responses, Matteo Ricci pondered deeply.
Then he stood and issued orders.
"Lampi, come with me to check that room. Ballack, stay here armed and ready for any contingencies."
His instructions were precise and concise.
Despite differing opinions, no complaints arose.
Matteo Ricci headed straight to the church basement, and upon reaching the ominous door, he kicked it open without hesitation.
Bam!
"......?!"
And there, Matteo Ricci witnessed a truly shocking scene.
The white-haired girl who had just been attending to him was stripped naked, being whipped by the old bishop.
Her mouth gagged to prevent screams, her hands and feet shackled to immobilize her.
'How could he do such a thing to such a young, fragile girl.'
The tears streaming down Joanna Ark's cheeks and the faint groans escaping the gag ignited Matteo Ricci's rage.
"Bishop, what in the world is this?!"
The old bishop, mid-whip, looked at him with a wicked smile.
"Ha? Sir Knight, why have you come here? I clearly told you to return to your room."
Matteo Ricci scanned the room.
In the corner, corpses of the already dead were piled up, reeking of decay.
Not just one or two, but at least dozens, confirming Joanna Ark's story as truth.
'The demon is that man.'
"Sir Knight, we're in the midst of repentance. Shall we talk later?"
"......Repentance?"
"Yes, for these lowly creatures worse than livestock. I'm personally conveying His Highness's will to them."
"Is pointless torture and murder truly His will?"
"No. This is for bearing falsehoods on their tongues. Enduring that pain is repentance!"
"......"
"Even in death, they'll meet Him, so they should gladly accept my teachings, no?"
Matteo Ricci's reason snapped.
When he came to, the bishop's head was already on the ground.
"C-Captain. This man is a bishop under the Papal Court. No matter his crimes, if we punish him, it'll cause problems."
"So?"
"S-so what do you mean?"
"I don't care what they say."
"......"
"I'll go to the Papal Court myself and report what happened here."
Matteo Ricci removed the gag from the white-haired girl's mouth and unlocked the shackles binding her hands and feet.
Then he embraced her gently and whispered,
"I'm sorry."
Joanna Ark replied with unfocused eyes.
"It's... my fault..."
"No, it's not. The fault lies with us, not you."
"I need to beg forgiveness from God..."
"What have you done to need forgiveness?"
"Only if I receive God's forgiveness... can Mother come back."
Pray not.
Those who must beg forgiveness are the ones who created a world that doesn't embrace people like you.
Matteo Ricci immediately returned to the Papal Court and reported the events.
The result, as Lampi predicted, was dismissed as a "bishop murder case," and Matteo Ricci was punished for his crime.
"I saw it with my own eyes. He not only tortured an innocent child but killed countless villagers under the guise of repentance!"
"What you saw doesn't matter. What matters is that more people died because of it."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"I clearly told you not to cause trouble in Strange territory, yet you provoked them."
"...What does Strange have to do with this that you're so afraid? We who follow God's will are justice itself!"
His argument fell on deaf ears.
"Right now, Strange is justice. Without them, there's no peace on the continent."
Instead, his rebuttal only extended his prison time.
'God.'
Why do You inflict unbearable trials on those You call Your children, who have done no wrong?
If this is truly Your will that I believe in and follow, then I'll go not to heaven, but to hell.
There, I'll meet those You didn't embrace and pray.
'In my next life, let me be born into a world without You.'
Matteo Ricci stroked the white-haired girl Joanna Ark's head.
"Wait here. I'll come back someday."
"Don't go. If you leave like my parents, you won't come back."
"No, I will return. So you stay here no matter what. Never go back to that village. I've asked Knights Lampi and Ballack to look after you, so don't worry."
"Will you really come back?"
"Of course! I promise. I don't know how long it'll take, but I will return."
Joanna Ark held out her pinky.
Matteo Ricci hooked his pinky with hers and continued.
"Stay healthy until we meet again. On the day I return, I'll take you to the land of the fairies."
"The land of the fairies?"
"Yes, a peaceful place with no wars."
Over a dozen years passed.
After a time long enough to change mountains and rivers, Matteo Ricci finally emerged from the stifling Papal Court prison.
"It took longer than expected."
On the day he left the monastery basement prison, to keep his promise to the girl, he sought out his former aides, Lampi and Ballack.
"Where is Joanna Ark?"
Upon hearing her news, Matteo Ricci was overcome with shock.
Joanna Ark, raised in the Papal Court during that time, had been chosen by God, granted holy powers, and became known as the Saint who spread miracles to the masses. But just before Matteo Ricci's release, she was falsely accused and thrown into the underground prison with a 100-year sentence she could never survive.
"We're sorry, Captain. We tried to stop it..."
"The Strange knights threatened to attack the Papal Court if they didn't hand over the Saint..."
Matteo Ricci bowed his head.
"Strange."
You again.
'God, why do You inflict such trials on me?'
He had no means to act with his own power.
Thus, Matteo Ricci left the Papal Court and began planning to rescue Joanna Ark.
And visiting the tower, he chanced upon Baron Monestier.
"Hey, you. Want to join me?"
"What?"
"I'm looking for strong allies to kill this guy called God. You seem perfect."
Veratir's hand blade pierced Matteo Ricci's abdomen.
Splat!
Blood gushed from Matteo Ricci's stomach, dripping down Veratir's elbow.
"I told you. Useless skills like yours can't beat me."
Despite struggling to escape Veratir's grasp, every exertion brought excruciating pain and numb fingertips.
"Urk..."
What could he do now?
He couldn't even defeat Veratir, whom he had to fight right this instant, let alone kill Roys.
"Hey, Matteo. I heard you led a legion to catch the dying Roys? Ha! What a novel piece of trash."
Veratir withdrew the hand blade from his abdomen.
Thud.
He patted Matteo's head with his bloody palm.
"I don't get why you're after Roys. If word spreads that trash like you caught him, even I, who was once your comrade, will be looked down on."
"...Veratir, do you know my past?"
"Why would I? A mere hunting dog like you."
"Then you're destined to lose to me today."
"What?"
Matteo Ricci took a deep breath, then summoned his remaining strength, dashing to the training hall wall and grabbing a sword.
Swish.
"Joanna, I'm sorry. I don't think I can return this time."
I watched their fight with great interest.
The surprising part was how Matteo Ricci, who had been overwhelmingly outmatched, reversed the situation the moment he picked up the sword.
'Could that technique be... Berserker?'
The ultimate skill used by swordsmen on the brink of death, sacrificing their life for proportional power in a final strike.
I'd heard it was a berserk ability unique to the northern barbarians called barbarians.
Thud thud thud—
Veratir charged at full speed, swinging his fist.
Whoosh—
Matteo Ricci swung his sword without dodging the strike.
Slash!
Obviously, the armed side struck first.
Splat.
The sharp blade dug into Veratir's trapezius.
Boom!
The aura exploding from the fist hit Matteo Ricci's abdomen, sending him crashing into the opposite wall.
Crash!
Both landed perfect blows.
Now, it was impossible to predict the winner.
Sensing the moment had come, I slowly drew Mistilteinn from my back and spoke to them.
Shing—
"Veratis, Matteo Ricci."
Their gazes turned to me.
"The purpose of you both coming here is my father's head, right?"
Neither denied my words.
"Then what happens if I do this?"
I slowly approached my father.
Step, step, step.
The current head of the Strange Family.
The continent's strongest swordsman.
And my father.
Roys de Strange.
'At last, the time has come to inherit your will.'
Splat!
I stabbed my father's heart.