novelraw Chapter 105 : Preparing for Infiltration (2)
Chapter 105 : Preparing for Infiltration (2)
Chapter 105: Preparing for Infiltration (2)
At Eugene Carter’s request, Rubia Magnus was walking alone toward the Chairwoman’s office.
Her expression, unlike usual, looked utterly confused.
“Haa…”
Even after letting out a series of sighs, she couldn’t stop herself from sighing again.
Well, it was only natural—she’d just heard something completely absurd.
If it had been anyone else, she would’ve dismissed it as nonsense.
But since the one who said it was Eugene—the person she trusted the most—her doubts only deepened.
‘To think Sir Eugene would say something like that to me.’
Recalling the conversation they’d had earlier in the library, she hastened her steps for no real reason.
“‘Holy Descent’ is a well-known concept, so of course I know it. It means a guardian deity passes a portion of their divine power to their most loyal successor, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Pardon?”
“To face a chosen successor, one must also become a chosen successor.”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean…”
“You’re the only one who can become that successor, Rubia.”
“…Excuse me?”
“You’re the only chosen successor who can stand against Karen Rosefield.”
No matter how many times she recalled those words, they still didn’t make sense.
Even if her Ribenian nationality was currently frozen due to her affiliation with Duel Mallet, she was still an Imperial citizen.
She didn’t deny the existence of guardian deities, but neither did she truly believe in them.
Yet he was saying that she would become a chosen successor of a guardian deity?
Weren’t guardian deities supposed to bestow their blessings only upon those who had devoted their entire lives to faith?
How could someone like her ever be the object of a Holy Descent?
‘Just what kind of deity would choose me…?’
There was something else that puzzled her.
The explanation about Karen Rosefield.
Rubia muttered, mulling over Eugene’s words.
“To face a chosen successor, one must also become a chosen successor… meaning…”
Could it be that the strongest executor of the Ribenian Orthodox Faith… had been chosen by a guardian deity? Not by the God of Origin?
Her confusion lingered only for a moment.
Before she knew it, her quickened steps had brought her right to the front of the Chairwoman’s office.
Even at this late hour, a faint light seeped through the cracks of the door.
“Please state your name and purpose.”
“I’m Rubia Magnus. Please tell the Chairwoman that I came with a message from Eugene Carter.”
The servant standing guard outside relayed her words exactly as they were.
Only then did the tightly closed door open.
The negotiations had collapsed, and the other side had resolved to invade.
Once they found a justifiable reason, they would launch their offensive at any time.
If it couldn’t be avoided, then all they could do was strengthen themselves to the fullest.
Thus, the plan was to infiltrate Dellowell and retrieve the Reincarnation Stone.
Even if Eugene Carter were to commit the act himself, their true enemy would still be Mallet.
Labeling Karbenna as the villain would be far too great a risk.
They’d most likely claim that the wicked forces of the Magic Tower deceived and brainwashed Karbenna’s financiers into orchestrating such an act.
Therefore, instead of focusing on internal defenses, Karbenna should devote more effort to supporting Mallet.
After relaying Eugene’s message exactly as it was, Rubia let out a shallow sigh.
“Phew… that’s all I was asked to convey, Chairwoman.”
“I see.”
Michel Bernhardt’s response was as calm as expected.
“But actually, Professor Rubia, there’s something I’d been wanting to consult you about as well.”
Her next words, however, caught Rubia completely off guard.
“Consult… me?”
Michel hesitated—unlike her usual self—then looked up and asked,
“Do you happen to know how Duel treats asylum seekers?”
At the same time, in Dellowell, an emergency assembly order had been issued.
Beyond the impregnable fortress walls of Velut stood the grand cathedral Flavia.
In the center of its most magnificent main hall, several people had gathered.
Archbishop Dominico, who had rushed to Dellowell immediately after the failed negotiation, spoke first to those waiting.
“So, where is Torquemada right now?”
The Inquisition Director, Heinrich, replied stiffly.
“I believe he’s still in Arpe.”
“And it’ll take another full day for him to finish his official schedule and return?”
“Yes. It seems he’s already informed the reporters as well…”
Ignoring Heinrich’s flustered tone, the Archbishop continued coldly,
“What about the others?”
“Bovair and Beckett should arrive shortly. As for the Executor of Light… her mission isn’t complete yet, so returning might be difficult…”
As Heinrich trailed off cautiously, his vision suddenly blurred—
Smack!
Without warning, the Archbishop struck his cheek sharply, glaring down with a frozen expression.
“You seem to have no grasp of the gravity of this situation… Inquisition Director.”
“Y-Yes, Your Excellency!”
“The leader of the entire Faith issues an emergency summons, yet the so-called Apostles are nowhere to be seen, and an Executor uses her mission as an excuse to refuse recall—do you think that’s acceptable?”
“N-No, I believe it’s unacceptable!”
Dominico seized Heinrich’s jaw and declared coldly,
“The Archbishop is the highest representative who conveys the God of Origin’s divine will to the mortal realm, you wretched fool.”
“……”
“I’ve been far too lenient with you people. Have you forgotten the weight of divine command? Hm?”
“N-Never! I wouldn’t dare…!”
“Then bring me the Apostles—before I make you pay for this insolence.”
Once the Inquisition Director hurried out, only two Executors remained in the hall.
Dominico’s gaze fixed upon one of them—Karen Rosefield, the Executor of Blood.
“If an individual’s sin grows large enough to taint the whole, then the whole must be purged in flame.”
I don’t deny that teaching…
“Yet even so,” the Archbishop continued, “the Lord wishes to grant them one last chance.”
Karen’s eyes gleamed as she spoke.
“Are you referring to Mallet—or to Karbenna?”
“The latter.”
“……”
“Of course, the vile contagion festering within must be eradicated entirely.”
Dominico drew out two brief dossiers and handed them to her.
“The contagion: Eugene Carter and Rubia Magnus.”
“What are their charges?”
“Repeated acts of blasphemy, smuggling of heretical books, and above all—evidence that they’ve been plotting to overthrow the Ribenian Orthodox Faith.”
With each charge the Archbishop listed, the murderous intent radiating from Karen grew increasingly dense.
Once she finished reading the report, she handed it to the Executor beside her and asked quietly,
“Will immediate judgment suffice?”
“I’ll leave that to your discretion, Executor.”
“……”
“If they truly repent and swear obedience, confinement will be enough… but if there’s no sign of remorse…”
“In that case, I’ll proceed with execution.”
Suppressing a faint smile, the Archbishop nodded slowly.
“…If that is your judgment, so be it.”
“I understand.”
Once her orders were received, Karen strode out of the cathedral with firm, decisive steps.
Dominico couldn’t help but chuckle at her reliable figure as she departed.
“Heh heh…”
Let’s see if you can remain that defiant this time.
No one has ever insulted me twice and lived, you wretches.
If you truly repent, perhaps I’ll reconsider then—but for creatures already tainted by evil, that’s impossible.
Struggle as much as you want… and die that way.
The next morning.
At the entrance of Naivea—the only major city in Flock—two people dressed in suspicious-looking outfits stood out conspicuously.
“…You didn’t have anything else to wear?”
And of course, one of those two was me. Damn it.
Gustav tilted his head slightly, looking at the square-cut cloak draped around him.
“This is the most typical casual attire for mages… is there a problem with it?”
“…No, nothing. Let’s just get going.”
Although Flock was mostly vast open plains, that didn’t mean it was without cities.
Aside from Mallet, which was too small to truly be called a city, and Dellowell, the symbol of Flock, Naivea was its largest settlement.
It also had the highest proportion of farmers in the entire Empire.
Another defining feature was that it was the only city in Flock where the lodging business flourished.
In particular, Naivea saw extremely high usage rates from travelers headed to Dellowell.
In fact, the story noted that over 95 percent of visitors stayed here before proceeding to Dellowell.
It made sense—Dellowell was the only city in the Empire where entry inspections were mandatory.
Unless you were someone special like an Executor or an Apostolos, no one could bypass it.
And since even the fastest screening process took at least a full day, most people submitted their applications here and waited before departing later.
I, too, had already submitted mine under a forged identity.
“Information can be faked easily enough… but what about your appearance?”
“I’ve got a sponsored artifact for that.”
“Oh? From where?”
“That’s a secret.”
We headed down a narrow alley with few passersby and found the shabbiest tavern around.
Everyone except the owner was passed out drunk.
We ordered a simple breakfast and continued our private conversation.
“Seems like you landed a solid hit.”
“The reports exaggerated a bit, but… well, something like that.”
Scratching his chin awkwardly, Gustav asked,
“The message you left yesterday… was it true?”
“Yeah.”
It wasn’t all that different from what I’d told Rubia—
the purpose and storage of the Reincarnation Stone, the resurrection of the beasts, and how to destroy them. That was about it.
I could’ve just told them not to worry and focus on preparing for extermination since I’d handle the theft myself.
But I wanted to meet him in person because there was something I needed to ask—something like both a request and a warning.
Once this infiltration mission ended, Dellowell’s blade would be right at Mallet’s throat.
Before that happened, I needed to find out what this bastard’s “second move” was.
Seeing my calm expression, Gustav sighed heavily.
“Phew… want to know how I really feel?”
“……”
“It’s madness. I’ve never heard of anyone using the Reincarnation Stone like that, and even if it’s possible, no one in their right mind would try sneaking into Dellowell’s Martyrs’ Land.”
“You can’t save the world without going a little mad.”
“…What?”
“I’m kidding.”
I brushed it off lightly, then narrowed my eyes at him.
“The real reason I called you here is because I’ve got a few questions, Gustav.”
“Like what?”
“Where’s your breathing hole?”
At my sudden bluntness, his face twisted for a split second.
“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
But soon enough, he regained his composure and pretended ignorance.
“Then let me give you a hint.”
Recalling the possible second option I’d long suspected, I spoke briefly.
“The Arta Family. Am I right?”