Chapter 181 – Amaranth Monastery (5)

“Achtila was originally a warrior who fought in front, but I heard that his personality changed a bit after being cut to pieces by a hero. It must have been a bit of a shock that he survived then.”

The information Millia gave as a joke was as follows.

After being beaten to death by the hero Wolf and his party, Ahthila refused to fight directly after that. He started to use low-key tactics to fight by manipulating his subordinate demons, and most of his subordinates, who originally admired his majestic appearance, left, leaving little power left.

She thought that if Ahtila were in the Amaranth Monastery, he would choose to fight by manipulating the abbot rather than fighting himself.

All of our operations were based on the premise that Ahthila would fight by piloting.

******

“I saw terrible torture and abuse taking place at the Amaranth Monastery. We request an investigation into the Amaranth Monastery and the arrest of Abbot Andrew.”

Rumia’s remark turned the atmosphere of the church upside down. The quick-witted ones agreed with her argument and smiled broadly, and the priests who remembered Andre from the past made faces that couldn’t believe Rumia’s remarks.

Alexander was rolling his head with a frown on his face among the high priests who reacted differently. Everything had to be done with political judgment, not justice.

The church led by Alexander now has grown so large that it cannot survive on love and justice alone.

Alexander was facing a crisis. It was because his main supporters were dissatisfied because they lost their families in the war and did not gain any achievements in the northern subjugation. Just as a skilled acrobat has no meaning without an audience, the church’s power has meaning only with someone’s patronage and strong support from nobles.

The more he did for the head of the church, the more he had to be certain that he would get a high position and various benefits in the church, so he could maintain a close relationship like a spider’s web.

“Priest Ernrich Rumia. Didn’t you once be taught by Priest Andrew? What made you suddenly accuse him?”

The meeting continued in Alexander’s silence. Rumia said to the priest who was looking at her intentions.

“Because I have seen children suffer. Andrew forced the boy to repent in front of me, made him recite prayers, and tortured him with a magic device. I also witnessed the use of strange powers to subdue my party as they tried to drag the boy out. As a priest, I couldn’t just pass over such a sin.”

The priests were watching Alexander. Alexander saw this as a good opportunity to appease the disgruntled supporters and appease the people of the kingdom.

The Order of the Holy Knights, who exterminated a cruel pseudo-religionist who tortured civilians to repent of their sins.

Isn’t it a story that resonates just by listening to it?

Alexander said with a satisfied smile.

“I remember Andre. I knew him to be a very sincere man, but I can’t believe he’s fallen that far. ‘We’ will send the Holy Knights to investigate in detail.”

Rumia nodded and said.

“Thank you for listening. Saint. However, as the whistleblower in this case, I also want to contribute to solving the case. I have heard that Abbot Andrew holds a street event every month in the town near Amaranth Monastery to promote the monastery.”

“That is very good information. We’ll make sure to convey your opinion to the Holy Knights.”

No matter what Rumia brought up, Alexander had no intention of putting her Rumia in her arresting squad. She gave only one seat to the children of the nobles she knew and to the priests she was close to, but the place in her arresting team was not enough. She didn’t want to give credit to a woman with a rootless and tired personality like Rumia.

Abbot Andre was originally a human who was not recognized because he could not use his divine power properly. There was no way that such a person could defeat the Holy Knights even if he used ‘suspicious power’. No matter how much he chose Alexander’s aides, he basically had to take a test to enter the Holy Knights.

It meant a group with basic skills.

“Still, Priest Lumia is a skilled priest. She has many records of extermination of demons and is famous for her religious piety. Wouldn’t it be nice to take it with you just in case? Last time…”

Alexander knew what would go after the words “Last time too.” It was referring to the incident in which two high-ranking priests were killed and the priests were wiped out during the previous imp subjugation operation. He heard criticism saying that he set up an easy strategy by thinking that he was nothing but an imp, and the nobles who believed in Alexander and sent his family scolded him with letters.

“When are you talking about it? Is it the same now as then?”

Even as Alexander said that, he couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat. What if Abbot Andrew really had terrifying powers? What if he refuses to send additional troops this time and all the Holy Knights die again?

One mistake was enough. Alexander looked at the priest with an uncomfortable expression, but he remained silent with his eyes averted. Alexander was uncomfortable with this situation. He didn’t like the attitude of the priest who seemed to attack him, and he hated the reality of having to admit that he was right.

“…But, as the priest said, it wouldn’t be bad to prepare for unexpected situations. Let’s do as you say.”

But it was always a ball and a sign of life. If he worked with his personal feelings put in, he would surely run to ruin. Alexander learned from his past trauma and took a step back. Rumia nodded her head with her satisfied face, and the priests also looked at each other with relieved expressions.

Said Alexander.

“Prepare a reserve force around Ernrich Lumia. However, if Abbot Andre judges that there is no danger, the troops under Lumia will focus on controlling the number of people and organizing the surrounding situation.”

“All right.”

Rumia laughed and nodded his head. Alexander thought her smile was very beautiful. At the same time, he regretted that she was her opposite personality. If she had been a little interested in her success, she would have done well for herself.

******

“Sir! Aren’t we supposed to go out too?”

Andre was running amok. However, Rumia’s expression as she watched the situation from a little distance was calm. Her priests and paladins following her were stomping her feet with her anxious faces.

No matter how corrupt they were who supported Alexander, they were paladin colleagues who had trained together. They were priests who had spent their training days together. From the standpoint of worshiping God, it was never pleasant to watch the death of a comrade.

Every time Andre rampaged, the knights gnashed their teeth and were pushed back and bounced in all directions. The Paladins with their own experience built their shields by demonstrating their divine power in the front line, and the priests fired divine magic in the rear.

“Kuaaaaa!”

Andre twisted his body and sat down, then stood up again and swung his arms around him.

A golden shield floated in the air and collided with a heavy track, and a white cloud of light spread out as particles, causing an explosion.

In the midst of a tighter fight than expected, Rumia said.

“We are here to protect people. Civilians have yet to evacuate the plaza, and monks are trying to escape the chaos. Knights control the entrance to the square and subdue the monks. Priests follow me and evacuate the civilians. We do what needs to be done first.”

Paladins and priests nodded.

In the shade of the alley behind the market, there was a pink-haired woman who was watching the situation with her hood on. She chewed on a side of her apple from her ownerless stall and raised her magic transmitter.

“Ah, test. Test. I can hear?”

A languid voice came from the forest outside the castle.

“I can hear.”

I could even feel the chill in his short, cool voice. Sophia said as she left the castle following the guidance of the priests.

“I am fighting hard. I guess you’ll have to step in. You have to come right now. Because I can’t ask for help.”

The receiver is disconnected. Sofia smashed her receiver with her fists and slipped it into a barrel full of rotten fish.

And she hurriedly walked out of the square, humming her song.

******

“Turn the wounded back! Stay alert!”

The knight was breaking out in a cold sweat. She had heard of ‘suspicious powers’, but she had never heard of terrifying powers. When she said that Ernrich Rumia, a priest famous in the East and West, would be assigned to her, she thought that Alexander was exaggerating the trauma of the previous subjugation.

“Aaaaagh!”

But no.

Andrew was a truly ruthless monster. A monstrous being from a myth that the Knights encountered only in old records was sweeping the plaza.

The paladin gritted his teeth.

“Rumia priest! We need your support!”

The paladin was thinking of calling priest Rumia and pushing her commanding force. She and she intended to retreat back and ask for additional support.

Because she’s a demon exorcist. I’d better deal with this demon.

Because all the knights here are precious.

“I need your support!”

And the paladin saw a black lump flying into the sky. A black figure of unknown origin soared into the sky like smoke and was approaching the plaza.

The paladin could not take her eyes off her even in the midst of tension.

*****

Taffy quickly scanned the plaza.

She quickly started looking for the paladins she was supposed to kill.

In the distance, Lumia could be seen using divine magic. I saw light radiating from her fingertips, and white light hovering around the swords of the knights surrounding the demon.

Taffy smiled slightly as she looked at Rumia.

Knights whose swords were shining brightly as if to be matched, and priests whose bodies glowed.

It was a target.