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“Who gave you your orders?”
“…”
“What is the relationship between the Holy Nation and the criminal organization?”
“…”
The question-and-answer session following the interrogation continued without any gain.
Despite the tremendous pain endured, the assassin had not changed course.
-Not opening their mouth even after all that
-Doesn’t seem like they were just following orders
-Yeah, they were pretty heated earlier too. lol
-???:Filthy heretic!
As the viewers had noted, the assassin’s attack had carried genuine emotion.
The order from above to assassinate the unnamed devotee would have been a welcome assignment.
‘Well, of course.’
In his experience, extracting information from a monster built by faith was impossible.
To betray the master one followed would be seen as sacrilege.
At the very least, a bishop or above in rank.
Someone who expressed particularly fierce anger at the unnamed devotee’s use of sacred power.
That meant it was likely someone in a high position who was nonetheless unable to wield sacred power themselves.
Of course, Hanbit already knew who it was.
“The 7th Bishop Kleb.”
“…!”
The name spoken quietly made the assassin’s body give a small jolt.
Despite having provided no information, the master’s identity had been uncovered.
The shock of it couldn’t be easily hidden.
“Affiliated with the Archbishop of Dawn, Baltaniel’s faction. Rose to the bishopric by demonstrating exceptional achievement in the interpretation of scripture. But even now, ten years on, the inability to use sacred power is shaking the position. Recently, was it — developing magical devices as a way to find a solution?”
The identity of the assassin’s master — something he had recognized from the moment he saw the figure’s face.
A long run spent possessing the First Bishop had pressed an enormous amount of information inaccessible from the outside into his head.
“You… who are you. Could you be from the Twilight Archbishop’s faction?”
The assassin put forward the most likely possibility.
The magical device development matter in particular was information not even widely known within the Holy Nation.
Someone who knew that most likely belonged to a rival faction.
That must have been the conclusion reached.
“The Archbishop? Why would I ever be under someone like that?”
“…What?”
The pointed remark sent the assassin into confusion.
The eyes behind the mask seemed to be spinning.
After several hesitant attempts, the figure spoke carefully.
“…Could it be that the Cardinal——”
“The Cardinal? That person doesn’t have the capacity.”
“In that — in that case, could it be…!”
Above the archbishops was the cardinal.
And above that was only one.
The one who looked down upon all things in the Holy Nation from above — the true representative of the deity.
The Holy Nation’s Pope, Soladeus.
“Does that give you a mind to answer?”
“Ugh.”
A direct subordinate of no one less than the Pope.
Given the adventurer’s appearance, it was likely a direct agent assigned a special mission.
But something about the situation was still off.
“All reports should be reaching the Pope. Then why is he asking about the situation here?”
The assassin’s suspicion was understandable.
Hanbit, who had anticipated this, stepped close to the assassin.
Then he leaned in and whispered quietly near the figure’s ear.
“The Garden of the Rift. You would know this information.”
“…!”
The Garden of the Rift.
A space within the Holy Nation where oracles are received, known only to a select few.
How much exhausting effort and time had it taken to obtain this information himself.
It had been a mistake made under overwhelming reverence for the words of the deity, accessible only to the Pope.
“Phew.”
The figure was now certain that the man who had captured them was one of the Pope’s people.
To go against His Holiness’s will was sacrilege — no different from heresy.
The assassin immediately nodded.
“Understood. I will answer everything.”
-lololol
-Pulled off another con
-What did you whisper?
-???:Idiot
-Brook Act 2
-Wind-style mouth-jutsu GOAT
-But why did you do the torture then?
-Gotta make them pay for the poison needle.
The viewers’ minds seemed to be overlapping the scene with a certain character named Brook.
Some among them questioned whether the torture had been unnecessary — but the state of the mask and the assassin’s face would be reported back to the bishop.
The pattern seared into the face dozens of times over would serve its purpose as a clear warning and threat.
While those thoughts were running through his mind, the assassin’s testimony began.
“The plan I heard was to unify the criminal factions of the Raven Kingdom and convert them into an anti-government force. As the scale grew dramatically during the process, each faction began sending senior devotees one by one as administrators.”
“The people in northern armor?”
“The army of the exiled royalty, driven out of Raven. That royal family, who had been living as though dead, had become Holy Nation devotees and aligned their cause with ours. We are helping them replace the king. In time, it would naturally become Holy Nation territory.”
The continued account matched what was in his memory.
The Holy Nation’s plan to swallow the Raven Kingdom.
Using the exiled royalty was only one piece of it, but the Holy Nation never held back on investment when it saw potential.
In other words, Hanbit’s plan could proceed without complications.
“Why did you try to kill the unnamed devotee? His Holiness gave no particular signal about her.”
“Nor did He say not to kill her. There is no reason to keep someone who does not believe in the deity within the Holy Nation. Do you think there is anyone in this world who would welcome the sacred power that thing possesses?”
“Ngh….”
At the mention of herself, the unnamed devotee stepped backward.
Unable to even hold onto Hanbit’s clothes anymore, she was now pressed against the wall.
“You could have cultivated that power and made it useful to the Holy Nation.”
“You think no one considered that? Education and training were repeated, and the result is what stands before you now. Not remarkable growth by any measure. Just a deranged creature babbling about status windows and experience points.”
It seemed the unnamed devotee was a source of bewilderment even to the Holy Nation.
Given that the concepts of a status window and experience points had also been dismissed outright, it was reasonable to conclude she had simply been neglected.
‘That’s enough.’
All the necessary information had been obtained.
No point spending any more time on this.
Sllling—
Hanbit drew his sword and leveled it at the assassin’s throat.
Still bound, the figure asked in a voice that held no fear.
“What will become of Bishop Kleb?”
“You have proven the bishop’s innocence, so nothing will happen to them. You, however, having learned my identity, will die.”
“I see.”
Crunch—
With the short reply came the sound of something being bitten.
When Hanbit’s gaze turned to the assassin’s mask, green liquid was seeping out from it.
“..Self-termination.”
“The Holy Nation never does produce anyone normal.”
Ashid and Bolt quickly registered the assassin’s death.
It was something he had anticipated, but Hanbit made no move to stop it.
The assassin had been one of the individuals who needed to die here to begin with.
“You seem to know quite a lot about the Holy Nation. Is that from being entangled with them so many times?”
Ashid turned his gaze and asked quietly.
A slight undercurrent of suspicion in his voice.
Even accounting for saving Edelen and Ifrit, the possibility that it was groundwork for a bigger picture couldn’t be entirely ruled out.
“That’s part of it, but I’m a spirit user to begin with. Information just naturally comes to me.”
“….That’s also true.”
The spirit-user massacre carried out by the Holy Nation.
An event from a hundred years ago, but because many of those involved had been adventurers as well, those in the know could know of it.
“So what are you going to do with her?”
Haneul, who had been listening to the exchange, pointed to the unnamed devotee and said.
The girl who had been against the wall had moved a few steps further away.
“She’s coming with us. There are things to confirm.”
With the answer given, Hanbit moved toward the unnamed devotee.
The black-haired girl stepped back a little more.
“What’s wrong?”
“….”
The unnamed devotee came to a still stop at Hanbit’s question.
The unseen eyes within the veil seemed to be focused on him.
“You really… aren’t from the Holy Nation, are you?”
“Ah.”
The fearful voice told him why.
Having nearly been assassinated, it was only natural to distrust everything.
The fact that she hadn’t run was probably only because he was the one who had saved her.
“Sylph.”
[Yes!]
At the name, the wind bird appeared with its reply.
It drifted lightly over to the unnamed devotee.
“Huh?”
The girl, seeing a manifested spirit for the first time, let out a surprised sound.
When Sylph settled on her small finger, Hanbit asked again:
“I really am a spirit user — you understand now?”
“Wow…”
-As expected, it’s Sylph.
-Supreme authority in babysitting.
-Works on adults too.
-Still falling off the Edelen cliff for a week straight.
-I’m on two weeks now.
The unnamed devotee, without answering, carefully touched the bird with its mysterious texture.
As always, nothing calmed a child like that like a spirit.
“Follow me. I’ll protect you until things here are finished. Once we’re out, you can do as you like.”
“…Yes.”
The girl finally nodded and, cradling Sylph against her chest, slowly came closer.
The fact that she grabbed onto Hanbit’s clothes again suggested her distrust had cleared.
“So — you’re heading outside now, right? You’ll need to call for reinforcements.”
Ashid stroked his chin while looking through the semi-transparent floor.
Among the serious criminals spread throughout this place, there were also many who had made combat their livelihood.
On top of that, with the northern army and Holy Nation forces added, an all-out confrontation here was out of the question.
A message to the capital had to be sent to call for support.
“No, I’ll deal with the administrators before leaving.”
“…What?”
The firm decision left Ashid taken aback.
He came closer and waved his hand.
“No, no, hold on. You might not have seen it all yet, but this is beyond anything we can handle. You can even contact the Royal Guard, can’t you?”
“Making a big obvious move and getting caught will mess everything up. Until we draw out the truly exiled royalty — the real backers — we’d just be fighting phantoms.”
Figures who should have appeared far later had shown themselves in this underground.
Now it was time to kill them all, then light a fire under both the exiled royalty and the Holy Nation simultaneously.
An all-out confrontation that started before the real backers had come onto the stage was pointless.
“Ignore the criminals, and just clean up the administrators from above. Let’s move.”
Hanbit walked along the semi-transparent floor.
The path was far more complex than the underground passages — but that wasn’t a problem.
“I was going to use Path of Light…”
“…Is that also a spirit’s power?”
Noeul, fiddling with his staff, and Ashid, tucking away his makeshift map and watching Hanbit.
Moving ahead, he navigated the paths without a single moment’s hesitation.
Slide—
Just then, at a bend in the path, Hanbit gave the signal to stop.
He lowered his stance and focused his gaze on a large open space in the distance.
“Deployed to a worthless hole like this. Isn’t this too much? And bringing along those smelly northerners too.”
“Your Archbishop has my sympathy. I, for one, am here with a grateful heart.”
“We just have to manage the lower sorts, right? It’s all for the Holy Nation.”
Three senior devotees seated in white chairs.
In terms of rank they were equivalent to Icis, but all of them had the confidence of an archbishop.
“Are those all Holy Nation people?”
Bolt glanced at the situation and furrowed his brow.
The number of holy knights standing guard around the perimeter was substantial.
Five of the knight rank. The remaining twenty-five were all soldiers.
A considerable privilege of forces for protecting three senior devotees.
-There’s a lot of them
-Kill all of those and it’s over?
-Weren’t there also the northern people?
-Right, the exiled royalty’s subordinates.
Whoosh—
The gale surging from the pale blue blade in Hanbit’s hand.
He fixed his target and put his weight on his right foot.
And then—
Tat—!
He immediately kicked off and surged forward with Wind Leap.
“…What!”
“Enemy——!”
Slash—!
Two knights and three soldiers whose throats were cut the moment they spotted Hanbit.
Arriving in the heart of the enemy formation, Hanbit swung his sword in a circle and continued Storm Barrage.
Fwish—!
Slash—!
The holy knights, barely able to react, met their deaths without even a chance to scream.
“That demon——!”
One knight who had just barely had time to respond came charging in, sword in hand.
But—
Thud—!
Haneul’s dagger, arriving in an instant, drove into the back of their neck.
Fwish—!
Shhk—!
The time it took for the two of them to cut down thirty holy knights: thirty seconds.
The three senior devotees seated in their chairs hadn’t even properly grasped what was happening.
“…What?”
“Wh — what is…”
“Ugh.”
Their voices, each beginning to speak, trembled violently.
Hanbit stepped closer and came to a stop directly in front of them.
“Wait, just wait!”
The blood-soaked floor and Hanbit standing on it with a drawn sword — the sight was brutal.
One of the flustered devotees hurriedly rose from their seat.
“Let’s talk this out, shall we? They may call us barbaric, but I do have interest in adventurers!”
“That’s right! We’re senior devotees answering to the archbishops! Even speaking with us is an enormous privilege!”
“I’ll act like none of this happened! If you just talk things out with us, even lowly humans like you could find a place in the Holy Nation——!”
Shhk—!
Before the last word could be finished, the pale blue sword swept across.
When the three heads had been severed with precision, Hanbit turned his back.
“One more left. Let’s go.”
