novelraw Chapter 104 : Preparing for Infiltration (1)
Chapter 104 : Preparing for Infiltration (1)
Chapter 104: Preparing for Infiltration (1)
Chirp, chirp chirp.
“Phew….”
It was around 6 a.m. when I finally made it out of Ain Kabbalah.
The moment I stepped outside, I hurried toward the nearest station.
The duffel bag stuffed full of artifacts felt unusually heavy.
Before I left, they had insisted I take them with me.
‘After all that payment, wouldn’t a little gift be reasonable?’
That had been Ephraim’s parting words.
― Wouldn’t it be better to rest a little longer, my friend?
‘I can rest along the way.’
― Hmm… but why are those people being so kind to you?
‘…Who knows.’
Ephraim Robinson, the current leader of Ain Kabbalah, never showed goodwill without reason.
I didn’t know what his real motive was, but there had to be one.
After all, he was also a Code Black holder.
Even if he didn’t fully grasp what the Eye of Kabbalah had shown, he must’ve inferred enough.
And based on that, he must’ve reached a conclusion—
That this matter, at the very least, wouldn’t harm his side.
‘Well, that’s only natural.’
The Empire didn’t even officially recognize holy magic.
So what would they think of black magic?
I’d been exposed to black magic for only a short time, and thanks to Rubia, I had managed to offset most of its side effects.
But for those who had been black magicians for years, there was no escape.
After the commotion I caused at the conference and the news about my proposal to cooperate with the Resistance, they must’ve quickly realized my enemies were the Imperial elites.
And drawing conclusions from predictable variables—well, that was what magicians did best.
If someone could bring them benefit, they’d rather support that person actively.
‘Still, it’s so like them that their “support” amounted to a few artifacts….’
During the entire carriage ride I hastily rented from the only station in Sector 5 to return to Carvena, I struggled to organize the tangled mess of thoughts in my head.
There had been a few brief mental exchanges, but the information I’d gained through the Eye of Kabbalah was clear.
A massive fortress guarding the city’s center, lined with countless religious structures.
A grand cathedral marked with the emblem of the Inquisition, and beneath it, sprawling catacombs.
And deep within that underground necropolis lay a collection of mana stones of various kinds.
When all those scenes were pieced together—
There was only one possible location.
“Dellowell’s Martyrsland….”
I let out a hollow laugh, covering my eyes.
‘…Well, from the Church’s standpoint, I suppose desperation is only natural.’
The Ribenian Orthodox Faith had always taken a stance that went against the mainstream ideology of the current age.
Among them, the most twisted were the Inquisitors, and Dellowell was the very cradle that birthed them.
They would take every precaution imaginable to keep their true nature hidden.
Any trace of blasphemy left behind would be purged without hesitation, even if it meant turning the entire area into ruins—another form of “holy” silence.
To accomplish that, overwhelming force was essential.
That was why most talented individuals within the Church passed through Dellowell at least once.
‘That must be why they’ve secured the Reincarnation Stone as well.’
They were ensuring that not a single crack could form in their web of warped doctrine, reclaiming anything that could threaten their supposed justification.
Worthless items would’ve long been destroyed, but something like the Reincarnation Stone held considerable value even for them.
Yet leaving it unattended could risk future complications.
So they must’ve concluded it’d be safer to keep it somewhere they could trust.
And that meant—
“…As long as I can infiltrate successfully, I can secure it with one hundred percent certainty.”
A dagger to bring them down.
After returning to Carvena, the first thing I did was stuff myself with food.
Then, after taking a short nap, I found that class time was already just around the corner.
‘I honestly don’t even know where the day went.’
By the time I finished classes in a rush, the sun was already setting.
Only then could I finally focus on gathering information.
Even if the academy was under direct Imperial management, its library couldn’t possibly compare to that of the Imperial Assembly.
Still, Carvena was one of the academies most well-informed about the Empire’s latest trends.
For me right now, that was what mattered most.
Tap.
Tap.
Thud!
The more books piled up on the table, the heavier the surrounding gazes felt.
But I ignored them completely and began storing all the information from the books into my memory.
It was the power of my unique ability—Capture Memory.
Capture Memory : Artificial SSS
You can recall the contents of any written work you have blinked at.
The recorded contents are organized and stored as keywords.
Current stored works: 522 / 5000
※ This ability can only be used on works created by humans.
It was an ability that had proven invaluable for information gathering, allowing me to perfectly remember anything written on paper like a photograph.
There was a limit to how much I could store, but it was large enough that I wouldn’t reach it anytime soon.
Looking at the stacks of books on either side of me, I couldn’t help but sigh.
‘If I had to read all this without my ability….’
Just the thought made me dizzy.
Either way, I steadily accumulated every bit of information about Dellowell—its geography, climate, city culture, diet, clothing, road structures, key buildings, and even its local rules.
And then—
“…This one.”
A single line caught my eye.
Three Apostolos visit the Twelve Grand Cathedrals of the Ribenian Orthodox Faith during Descent Week, carry out their schedules, and then return to their respective orders.
The Apostolos—the only three “saints” recognized by the Faith.
“If it’s Descent Week, then it should be….”
I quickly rose to my feet and moved toward the publication line of newspapers.
Every paper printed in the Empire over the past week was stored there.
As expected, today’s morning editions were filled with news about the Centre Agreement.
I memorized two papers with distinctly different editorial stances, then began combing through the older issues.
After about twenty minutes of continuous reading at the same spot,
I was able to roughly piece together the movements of the Apostolos.
Among them, one person stood out particularly.
“Torquemada of Velut… huh.”
His real name was Pierna Torquemada.
A man who had once been the very symbol of the Inquisitors, before Karen Rosefield rose to prominence.
His cruelty was so extreme that even the members of the same faith avoided mentioning him openly.
Now, at over sixty years old and having been retired from the front lines for more than twenty years, there were few left who still remembered his infamous name.
He was a case similar to Frederick Lake.
The difference was that, after stepping back from the front, Frederick’s temper had mellowed somewhat—
But Torquemada’s nature hadn’t changed in the slightest.
When the time came, he was still the first to volunteer for interrogation—a cold-blooded man through and through.
That was the Torquemada of Velut I knew.
The noble Apostle of Velut, Pierna Torquemada, announced that after completing his thirty-four-day visitation schedule, he would return to Dellowell on Saturday morning.
Torquemada was to finish his final schedule in the capital on Friday, then return to Dellowell via Flock Naivea.
Further details about the Church’s Descent Day were written afterward, but I skimmed over them.
The main point was simple—he would be passing through Naivea on Saturday on his way to Dellowell.
“…With some effort, I can match that timing.”
Before taking action, some level of information sharing was necessary.
Since this would be something bound to enrage them, it would be better to discuss and prepare ourselves—
That was what I was thinking when—
“Haa… haa… I was wondering where you went, and here you are!”
A familiar voice called out from afar, and I turned my gaze.
It was Rubia, whose absence would’ve felt strange by now.
Having run all the way here, she caught her breath before speaking.
“A message came… from the Magic Tower!”
“From Gustav?”
“That, I’m not entirely sure of….”
“Understood. For now.”
I accepted the receiving orb she handed me and promptly took her left hand.
“Yu—Eugene?”
“Let’s go together. There’s something we need to discuss.”
Rubia also had a good grasp of how things were unfolding.
That was to be expected—related articles had been pouring out since morning.
Though it was an extension of what we already knew, quite a bit of new information had surfaced, so I decided to give her a brief explanation.
From why I had visited the Special Task Force, to the conclusions I had reached through it, I explained everything step by step.
“…So, we have to infiltrate and secure the Reincarnation Stone somehow.”
“If we use the Reincarnation Stone to resurrect the Beast, then kill it immediately after, you’ll be freed from the curse… right?”
“Yes.”
“And only once you’re completely freed, we’ll stand even a small chance in an all-out war against Dellowell, correct?”
“Yes.”
After summarizing everything once more, Rubia looked at me cautiously and asked,
“There’s… no option to not fight, is there?”
“Even if we don’t choose to, they will.”
“…So it’s better to strike first than to be dragged into it unfairly, is that what you’re saying?”
I nodded silently.
The Empire, as it stood now, could never respond to the coming Apocalypse.
Which meant that, at this rate, within a few years, someone would inevitably die.
And that outcome had no place in my plan.
The Empire had to change.
The current rot and decay had to be purged, and everything had to begin anew.
The Imperial Family, the nobles, and the Church—all were at the heart of that corruption.
For them, upheaval wasn’t an option; it was a necessity.
It was true that our current strength was unstable, but—
It was also true that there would likely never be a better opportunity than this.
Seeing the firm conviction on my face, Rubia scratched the corner of her lips.
“Stealing from the holiest place in the Empire… the punishment for getting caught would be quite severe, I’m sure.”
“Even if it weren’t, they’d have planned to kill me anyway.”
And then—
“You’re included among those they plan to purge, Rubia.”
“…Of course I am.”
Once Dellowell took action, a few sacrifices would be unavoidable.
To them, what they carried out was a Holy War—a judgment.
And against those they had already deemed heretics, they showed no mercy.
She looked at me with worried eyes and asked,
“Do you think… we can face her? That Karen Rosefield?”
“…If we join forces.”
Even if I were to regain the full strength of my prime, I’d still be no match for Karen.
A body that couldn’t fully support its innate talent—
That was the simplest way to describe Eugene Carter’s specs.
Karen, on the other hand, was the exact opposite.
Her natural talent was matched by a body capable of perfectly supporting it.
There wasn’t a single character within MAGA whose physical abilities could definitively surpass hers.
Which meant we’d have to exploit her weaknesses.
But no poison, no matter how deadly, killed its victim instantly.
In other words… to shake her, we’d need someone who could at least buy us time.
‘Of all people, my body is the one that clashes the worst with hers.’
Though Francia had blossomed far sooner than expected, she still wasn’t ready to handle Karen.
Michel and Edel, due to their status and positions, couldn’t intervene directly—and even if they could, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Karen.
If there was any real possibility, it lay with only one person.
Only Rubia Magnus was capable of facing Karen head-on.
With that in mind, I smiled faintly and spoke softly,
“Have you ever heard of Holy Descent?”
Along with the keyword that would completely transform her into something new.