Chapter 8: Priests of Libra

After a while, members of the church arrived.
Those who appeared to be believers treated Naelun with utmost respect. Having been informed of something, they also bowed to me and loaded the Forest Ruler’s corpse onto a massive carriage.
It seemed like the vehicle was specifically designed for such purposes.
Upon arriving at the church, experts in that field would thoroughly analyze the Forest Ruler.

Honestly, I doubted if they’d learn anything.
There weren’t any such events in the game.

“Even if they find something, they won’t share it with me.”

A normal institution would provide information to me, who had made a huge contribution.
However, based on what the ‘creator of the Church’ in this world had hinted at, that was unlikely. The person had the viewpoint that corruption within the church was common sense in the fantasy genre.
Naelun was an anomaly.

“What kind of person will come?”

Now that the mastermind was identified as a black magician, the church couldn’t ignore the incident.
Naelun had mentioned that reinforcements would be dispatched. From his tone, it seemed they were his superiors.
My job remained the same.
Cooperating without revealing my Authorities.

I couldn’t back out since there was a quest.
In that sense, the presence of reinforcements was welcome to me as well.

‘If it’s a high-ranking priest, I might be able to get a bus ride.’

Even in a crazy world, sometimes you needed a bit of that. As I ran through hopeful scenarios, the day finally arrived. Nothing significant happened in between.
Ah, Naelun did make a fuss once.

“Lady Tiamat! Something terrible has happened!”
“What is it now?”
“The monsters’ corpses have disappeared!”

Around the time the Forest Ruler’s corpse was being transported, he had intended to send the Gapsan Monster stored in the warehouse along with it.
However, there was no way the summoned creature’s body would still be there. Convinced it had vanished, he fell into confusion.

“They were definitely there when I last checked them recently…!”
“Are you sure? Didn’t you put them somewhere else and get confused?”
“I’m certain. I checked them every day. Because it was a monster I’d never seen before, I was worried about what strange phenomena might occur.”
“Then it seems that strange phenomenon occurred.”
“A strange phenomenon, you mean?”
“Yes. Like corpses vanishing after a certain amount of time. Like monsters that explode or cause decay around them when they die.”

I remember saying it quite seriously.
It wasn’t entirely illogical, so Naelun also accepted it, but he seemed somewhat unconvinced. When I told him the only remaining possibility was theft, he finally acquiesced.
If someone had stolen them, it could only be the villagers, and he didn’t want to suspect them.

I felt a little bad, but no guilt.

‘It’s fine. Nothing will come up even if they investigate anyway.’

From the start, Tiamat and her summoned creatures were completely separate entities. Demonic power, and the phantom beasts animated by it, were outside the laws of this world.
Like beings from an ‘otherworld.’
Analysis was impossible, and even if it were possible, it would be extremely difficult.

That day, Naelun was exceptionally busy from morning.
It seemed a new person had been assigned to handle the case, as the higher-ups deemed it too difficult for him, a junior priest.

“So that’s your senior?”
“No. She’s a very high-ranking superior. I haven’t met her before, so I don’t know what kind of person she is. My senior will come as her adjutant.”

Judging by how they paid attention to their posture, hair, and even nail cleanliness, the church seemed to prefer a clean image.
More than that, whether they were sensitive to black magicians or not, it was a bit of excessive force.
Black magicians had ranks, and the one in this remote area probably wasn’t high-ranking.
Well, it was good for me.
As long as they were allies, it was better to have stronger forces.

“A senior of Sir Naelun, and someone even higher than her…”
“The church is on high alert too.”

Vandine and Robin chimed in from nearby.
They had expressed their desire to fight alongside us to avenge their comrades, so I allowed them to stay nearby. There was no reason to refuse their help, but I was slightly puzzled.
Magicians weren’t usually such benevolent people.

Naelun stared at me and the two magicians, as if observing us.

He seemed to be assessing our grooming; he nodded upon seeing me, then furrowed his brows when he looked at the magicians.
My habits were a result of my life on Earth, and this world’s average hygiene level was low. He pondered for a moment but seemed to consider it excessive interference, so he kept his words to himself.

“They’re coming.”

A luxurious carriage was visible in the distance.
It bore the symbol of the Church of El Seneca, a set of scales. Even without that, it was a carriage of a caliber that wouldn’t normally come to such a village.
Let’s see what kind of person it is.

The rapidly gliding carriage came to an artistic halt. The door opened, and two people appeared.

“Hey there~ Naelun. How have you been?”
“It’s been a long time, Senior.”

The first to approach was a man dressed in a similar cassock to Naelun. The difference was more gold embroidery and a splendid insignia.
Standard issue for a regular priest.
Judging by his friendly demeanor, he seemed to be the senior Naelun mentioned.

“You’ve done a proper job, haven’t you? This must have been just an assignment to clean things up. The higher-ups seemed quite surprised.”
“Haha… As I reported, I didn’t really do anything.”
“Is that so? Sometimes, being too honest isn’t good. Even if you’re a junior, it would be problematic if a priest of the Church was inferior to an outsider, wouldn’t it?”
“…Senior?”

He glanced at me.
It was an unsettling gaze. Naelun must have reported something, but it was indeed hard to believe at face value.

“This must be the outsider. I heard of your exploits. I am Bofiro, a righteous priest serving the Mother of Order and Law. On behalf of the Church, I express my gratitude.”
“You’re welcome. Call me Tiamat.”

I responded appropriately to his polite greeting.
Bofiro’s eyes narrowed. He probably didn’t like my short reply.

“It seems my junior wasn’t entirely wrong after all.”
“I don’t know what he said, but he didn’t seem like someone who would lie.”
“You can tell that from such a brief meeting?”
“Ah, I mispoke. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t lie, but that he’d be caught if he did.”

Disregarding his challenge, I spoke my thoughts plainly. Bofiro burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! You are precise. How did you know?”
“It was easy to tell.”

The pressure visibly lessened.
Naelun made a pained expression, having been called out by both of them. Bofiro extended his hand as if for a handshake.
I took his hand.
A hand covered by thin silk gloves and a long robe. Gloves I had prepared just in case.

Tiamat’s physical characteristics, her peculiar tattoos.
These were settings I added to emphasize her wild side, but they wouldn’t be welcomed by church people.

“Bofiro, refrain from disrespectful words and actions towards the Church’s benefactor.”

The moment I let go of his hand, a cold voice entered the conversation.
It wasn’t directed at me, yet I felt a sudden chill. The woman who spoke wore a silver cassock with lace.
A thick holy book encased at her waist caught the eye.

‘Is this woman in charge of this incident?’

From her appearance, she was a Quest Priest.
Those with powerful divinity, above regular priests and below baptismal priests. They were skilled individuals who could turn most black magicians to ash in an instant.
I quietly looked at her face.
I didn’t recognize her. She didn’t seem to be an NPC created by my colleagues.

“My apologies, Lady Miriam.”
“Remember that every word and action of ours reflects the dignity of the Church.”
“I will keep that in mind.”

Bofiro politely bowed.
His attitude was completely different from when he dealt with me. Miriam’s blue eyes met mine.

“……”

It was quite an intimidating presence.
Almost enough to make me flinch. An opponent whom I couldn’t guarantee victory against right now.
But I didn’t avoid her gaze.
We weren’t meeting as enemies, and as she said, I had helped the church.

A small ripple appeared in her pupils.

“Miriam.”

A fleeting moment passed, and it vanished as if it had never been there.

“I’m Tiamat.”
“I’ve heard. I also personally saw the Forest Ruler being transported. It is magnificent that you subjugated that impure being alone. The higher-ups are keeping an eye on you.”
“Really? That’s a burden.”

I meant it sincerely.
The church ‘keeping an eye’ could be interpreted in several ways.
Miriam continued without a hint of a smile.

“It’s humility. It’s a matter worthy of it. The terms you requested in exchange for yielding the Forest Ruler to Junior Priest Naelun are being reviewed favorably. Our Church wishes to establish a friendly relationship with you. In that sense—”

Listening attentively to her mechanically emotionless words, I reflected on the chill I had first felt.
Unlike Bofiro, the Quest Priest showed no wariness or suspicion. Yet, my intuition warned me.
That this one was more dangerous.

She looked around at me, the junior priest, and the two tense magicians, then coolly uttered.

“Remove your hood and state your identity.”

A heavy silence descended.
Everyone except Miriam and me, who quietly stared at each other, revealed overt perplexity.
It was a legitimate demand.
Considering the church’s stance, its authority, and the trust between both sides, it was.

At the same time, it could also be interpreted as an insult directed at me personally. If there was a valid reason to hide my identity, it would be breaking that will.

“That… Lady Miriam.”

Naelun seemed to have taken it as the latter.
He stammered as he began to speak.

“As I reported, this person has certain circumstances. I understand your intention, but I believe it’s a bit sudden.”

He was speaking to someone he himself referred to as a very high-ranking superior. His voice cracked with how nervous he was.
Miriam’s blue gaze finally turned to him.

“I heard. But most of your story was circumstantial. Meaning it’s largely speculative.”
“While that may be true, Lady Tiamat proved it with her actions. If she were a turncoat or something similar, why would she punish rogue monsters and seize the black magician’s lair?”
“That’s why I said it. If there hadn’t been such actions, the Church wouldn’t have desired a friendly relationship.”
“Then her circumstances should also be respected. A little more consideration—”

Naelun suddenly felt a chill and looked up.
Miriam’s eyes. In her blue gaze, an uncomfortable displeasure was visible.
Did he only then realize what he had done? Just as his face turned pale, Bofiro’s shout erupted.

“What do you think you’re doing right now!”
“…Senior.”
“Are you kidding me? How dare a junior priest contradict the Quest Priest! Is this what happens when you accomplish something small, you can’t see anything else?”

A stark rebuke followed.
Naelun , flustered, and Bofiro, continuously shouting. At first glance, it just looked like a scolding, but there wasn’t much anger in the regular priest’s demeanor.
It almost seemed as if he was helping Naelun avoid greater trouble.

The Quest Priest’s fierce gaze had subsided by now.
Was he protecting his junior despite appearances?

‘Why did he have to step in?’

It was only natural for it to turn out this way.
Even if I had been insulted, it wasn’t a life-threatening situation, so there was no reason for him to intervene.
Had he grown fond of me in the meantime? Or were the things I showed him truly so impressive?

None of it mattered.

“You, did you understand? Identity verification is a given. It doesn’t matter if you’re evil or good. That’s the procedure.”

Bofiro’s persuasion was drawing to a close.
Ultimately, the choice was mine.
To comply, or to refuse.

Miriam, who had been observing the situation, spoke again.

“If you truly dislike it, you are welcome to refuse. The Church does not bear grudges for such matters. If you do not wish to be involved with the Church, I will respect your wishes.”

Nonsense. They would absolutely hold a grudge.
They might not openly oppose me immediately, but even that would be a burden to me in my current state. I didn’t know what actions the Church would take in the future, but if things were to go awry, it should only happen after I gained strength.

‘Even so, I can’t reveal my true identity.’

Even if I did, they wouldn’t believe me.
I couldn’t completely conceal it, nor could I fully expose it. So what to do?
One method came to mind.
It was an absurd plan, but it might be possible given Tiamat’s conditions.

“Alright. It’s not a difficult thing to do anyway.”

Swoosh. My hand, encased in a silk glove, smoothly pushed back my hood. My brilliant silver hair fluttered with a sense of liberation.
It felt like a long time since I had shown my bare face to others.
Why had this natural act become so unfamiliar? It was a world I disliked, regardless.

As I savored the sensation of the cool wind hitting my pale face.
A silence of a different kind from before descended.

“…!”

It was a silence filled with astonishment.
Miriam’s eyebrows, which had been expressionless throughout, twitched, and Bofiro’s eyes were wide open.
Robin and Vandine’s jaws dropped in shock. The calmest reaction came from Naelun, who let out a breath of admiration.
These were reactions I remembered.

After completing Tiamat’s appearance, when I first revealed her to my colleagues.
It felt like I was being rewarded for the countless days I had poured my heart and soul into it.

[Seafood Ramyeon]: Oh, Jesus.
[Fashion Nerd]: Who’s this hot sister?
[Civilian (True)]: If she had come for comfort performance during my service, our unit would have been ranked #1 in tactical evaluation.
[MoeMoeKyun]: When you think about it, Russo-nim…
[Russo]: Yes?
[MoeMoeKyun]: You seem to have a good sense. Want to collaborate with me next time?

I was even happier because they were colleagues who shared my vision and veterans whose skills had reached the peak.

[Russo]: Just say the word. Haha, I’ll get to learn Moe-nim’s secret techniques.

But now, I couldn’t meet them anymore.
When the brief reminiscence ended, I unconsciously wore a faint smile.

“Is this enough?”
“……Not yet. I have not heard your identity.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have an identity to reveal. I’m just an ordinary foreigner.”
“A foreigner?”
“Yes. If you ask a Julleng resident the same question, what would they answer? They’d say ‘an ordinary villager,’ wouldn’t they? Is that the answer you want?”

Miriam blinked, then ran a hand over her lips. Her eyes were slightly lowered, as if she was deep in thought.
Unlike before, her expressions were richer.
Was she the type to show her emotions when agitated?

“…Is that so.”

She murmured softly, then nodded.

“Understood. We will compromise with this.”

Compromise, indeed.
She seemed to have accepted it on her own.

“That is all.”

Naelun’s temporary residence.
Nominally, the newly joined duo held the lead in this case, so all information had to be relayed to them as much as possible.
Robin, who had to give the same explanation again, finished his words with a weary expression.

“I see. So the mastermind is just one black magicians for now. Though we can’t rule out the possibility of more.”

Robin echoed Bofiro’s agreement.

“Yes. We only saw that one.”
“Hmm. Is it black magic that controls the monsters? This shouldn’t be underestimated either. It practically means there are many.”
“That’s not all, Senior.”

Naelun interjected.
A determination to say this much was apparent.

“A strange monster was spotted not far from the black magician’s lair.”
“What are you talking about?”
“They wielded bows and fire, but the most threatening thing was their high intelligence. I can’t show you since the corpses vanished, but… if they were also the black magician’s minions, we might need to be especially careful.”

I wanted to cover his mouth immediately, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Bofiro listened with a serious expression, and the two magicians looked surprised, as if to say, “There was even something like that…?”
Naelun’s misguided warning effectively raised the estimated risk of the operation.

“Perception-altering magic, trap-type destruction spells, mana conversion devices, the forbidden spell that created the Forest Ruler…”

Miriam, stroking her holy book, summarized the keywords. Her conclusion was concise.

“It might be resolved more easily than expected.”
“Really?”

Vandine’s eyes widened.
The Quest Priest nodded.

“Unlike a black magic tainted by evil, he is precise and meticulous. This type of individual is very obsessive. He will certainly not give up easily.”
“Does that mean he’ll come back?”
“Yes, as he himself stated. In fact, the most difficult part when pursuing such an individual is tracking them. If that is omitted, then we, with our superior forces, have nothing to fear.”

It was a sound argument.
Currently, the identified enemy was a single black magicians.
In contrast, even excluding me and the magicians, there were three priests here. Moreover, if one of them was a Quest Priest, it was clearly an overwhelming force.
The key was the method to lure him out and the precise timing.

She seemed to have something in mind as she looked at me and the two magicians.

“From here on, we will require your cooperation.”