Chapter 82 : Chapter 82

Chapter 82 - The Fateful Formation (2)

Crackle!

Coming out of the Teleport gate, Artier was at a loss for words at the sight before him.

“This is a completely different civilization……?”

Carriages that moved with mana and train-like vehicles connecting such carriages.

Mana stone streetlights emitting a blue light, illuminating the streets.

In a massive portal installed in the air, dozens of airships repeatedly disappeared and appeared.

“The county was shocking, but this is even more so.”

“Is it okay to use such expensive mana stones just to light up the streets?”

“I can't see the opposite castle wall. Surely this entire vast land is……?”

“Yes, this is Eridan, the capital of the Empire.”

Gerard extended his hand, pointed at the cityscape, and smiled.

“It has the nickname, the City of Dreams. It literally looks like a world from a dream.”

“It certainly is impressive.”

Tersion, who was adjusting her mask, glanced at Trophin's group, who were hesitating behind her.

“By the way, why are you guys hesitating like that?”

“……It’s our fi-first time.”

“First time? What do you mean?”

“It’s our first time coming to the human capital……”

Simon, Kali, and Milan looked around warily, their faces completely intimidated.

In the capital of the Empire, other races like them were nowhere to be seen.

“You brats, what crime have you committed?”

Trophin patted their backs, but it didn't change much.

“Good grief.”

Tersion opened her inventory and threw them robes and masks.

“What's this?”

“If it bothers you that much, just cover up. You stand out more with those guilty expressions.”

“……Thank you.”

After they put on the robes and masks, the group resumed their journey.

“Brother, by the way, does a priest's letter of recommendation count?”

“According to Gerard, it does.”

Priests who believe in the Rata faith are fundamentally treated differently from commoners.

They are ascetics who endlessly humble themselves and explore to understand the will of the stars. Especially a priest who can use holy magic was treated on par with a noble.

It meant they were beings on par with nobles, who could write a letter of recommendation.

“But asking for a letter of recommendation after contacting him for the first time in a while……. I don't know if Ropin will help.”

“He will.”

Gerard said in a confident voice.

“If he hears that you couldn't create a mercenary corps for such a trivial reason, he might even be disappointed in the Mercenary Guild.”

“Kuhaha. That’s right, he’s very sensitive to poorly designed rules.”

“He might even lecture the Guild Master with that letter of recommendation.”

Somehow, if it was Ropin, he might actually do that.

Laughter erupted from everyone at that thought.

“Is that the Papal State?”

Soon, a temple of enormous size appeared before them.

A large statue carved in the shape of two intersecting rhombuses, symbolizing Rata, stood before them, and the building made of pure white marble was so bright from reflecting the sunlight that it was dazzling.

“A waste of money…… doesn't seem like it, but it’s fascinating.”

“Indeed. It is certainly grand, yet at the same time, it feels modest.”

The reason was probably the lack of ornamentation.

Although it was huge and imposing, the Papal State did not have many conspicuous decorations.

If any existed, it was only to accentuate the raw material, marble.

“One would have to say it's typical of the Rata faith, who wished to express the dignity of the Papal State while avoiding excessive luxury.”

“Hah, let's get it straight. It's not that they wanted to avoid luxury, but that they had no choice. There's a limit set by the Empire.”

“That, too, was something they brought upon themselves.”

Soon, upon entering, a long corridor with no visible end stretched out on either side of a prayer hall, which was sparsely lit with dim lights.

As Artier was about to inadvertently enter the prayer hall, Tersion grabbed him.

“Hmm?”

“You didn't come here to pray, did you?”

“That's true, but we have to ask where to go, don't we?”

“There's no need for that.”

With a familiar voice, the door in front of the prayer hall opened.

Ropin, dressed in neat priestly robes instead of his old ones, smiled at Artier's group.

“It's been a while, Artier.”

“Have you been well?”

“I've been hectically busy. Looking into this and that.”

Ropin, who had come out of the prayer hall, guided them to a reception room.

Sitting in a chair, Ropin glanced over Trophin's party and then looked at Artier.

“Are these your new comrades?”

“They've just joined.”

“I see. Are they trustworthy people?”

Artier felt Ropin's gaze linger on Trophin for a long time.

It was clear at a glance that he wasn't about to have a lighthearted conversation.

“Trophin, could you wait outside for a moment?”

“Sure. Take your time.”

The quick-witted Trophin took his party members and left the room.

As soon as the sound of the door closing was heard, Ropin immediately began to speak.

“I'm sorry. I didn't want to make your efforts come to nothing, but the county collapsed before I could conduct a proper investigation.”

“It's alright. Perhaps they caught on.”

This world was no longer like the game days, where Artier could start the main quest whenever he wanted.

Nevertheless, from Artier's perspective, this main quest felt a bit fast.

“But that doesn't mean I didn't find out anything.”

Ropin's expression turned serious.

“Do you know? That the people of the capital are completely unaware of what happened in Condestraden County?”

“Pardon?”

“Does that make sense? Even if it's a frontier territory, that land, which is close to a marquisate, was reduced to ashes?”

“It seems the Empire has concealed the truth.”

“That's right, the Imperial Intelligence Agency intentionally blocked information coming from the east for several days.”

The communication network of the imperial capital is so strong that it cannot even be blocked by mediocre communication jamming magic.

Yet, such communication was completely cut off for several days.

At the very least, it was not a loophole that could be created by mistake.

“I have not been able to solve the mystery until now. While about half of the Empire was being turned to ashes by the Hellmorphs, what on earth was the Empire doing? And then this happened. So I continued to investigate in secret. Not the outside, but the inside.”

“What does that mean?”

“I have an uneasy feeling. Don't tell me the people of the imperial capital still don't know about the Hellmorph invasion?”

“What?”

“There's no way they wouldn't know information they could find out with a single communication attempt……”

“They don't know.”

Ropin cut Jeina off sharply.

“There was a large-scale monster attack in the north and some territories, and as a result, a few castles fell. This is the level of information the people in the capital know now.”

What on earth could be the reason?

Everything was a mystery.

However, one thing was certain: it was not out of good intentions.

“What is the world coming to……. Oh, I've been talking too much about myself. Now I'd like to hear why you've come to see me.”

“Ah, we……”

Artier belatedly told him the story of why they had come here.

After hearing the whole story, Ropin stroked his beard and sent him an interested look.

“A large mercenary corps, you say. I'm just asking, but what is your reason for creating it?”

“Pardon?”

“A large mercenary corps is like a private order of knights. They are just as strong and have a powerful voice. I feel I should hear the official reason.”

The reason for creating a mercenary corps.

Artier thought for a moment, but there was really nothing to say.

“The days we can act as mercenaries are not long from now.”

In about half a year, half of the Empire had collapsed.

So what would happen after a year?

‘All of the Empire's systems will collapse. The Mercenary Guild too.’

Then he would no longer be able to gain comrades through the Mercenary Guild.

This might not seem like a big deal, but in <Cross Destiny>, recruiting comrades without going through the Mercenary Guild was very limited.

“We intend to band together while we still can. To survive.”

“To survive……”

Ropin was lost in thought for a moment, then stood up.

He then began to lead Artier and his party deeper into the Papal State.

“This is a place where ordinary people cannot enter.”

“Why did you bring us here?”

“To make you an offer.”

Flash!

Ropin entered an old auditorium that might have been used as a prayer hall in the past and touched an old holy book on the altar.

As light flickered, the left wall moved, revealing a hidden passage.

‘……What is this?’

This was an event he had never experienced even during his time playing the game.

As Artier's body stiffened, Ropin smiled faintly.

“Do not worry. I swear in the name of Rata that no harm will come to you.”

A priest stakes the creed he believes in.

That was no different from a knight staking his strength and honor, or a mage staking his knowledge.

Everyone cast aside their suspicions and began to follow him down the dark stairs.

“To think there’s a secret place like this in the Papal State……”

“Is there a problem with that? There was something similar in Gigas Hall, you know.”

“This case is different. It's not a lord's castle that can be remodeled as a hobby, but the Papal State.”

Artier happened to notice beads of cold sweat trickling down Gerard's forehead.

“It's been a long time since I've hoped my imagination is wrong.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“No, it's nothing.”

The seemingly endless stairs disappeared.

Compared to the rough secret passage, the place they arrived at was an elegant prayer hall where sunlight naturally streamed in.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

With those words, Ropin quickly disappeared.

The party could not understand this situation at all.

“What kind of place is this?”

“The scent of one person is strong. Is this someone's room?”

“What are you talking about? Who uses a prayer hall by themselves?”

Artier looked around and was lost in his own thoughts.

‘What is this, was there a quest involving the Rata faith that led to a place like this?’

The Rata faith was a truly difficult group to understand even within <Cross Destiny>.

They were just a group or organization that produced priests.

Their creed, which opposed violence, made it difficult for them to be involved with Artier, who walked the path of a mercenary.

‘There are no quests that bring people to such a secret place. If so, is what's about to happen a quest I know nothing about, like last time?’

Clomp, clomp.

The sound of Ropin returning could be heard.

But there were two sets of footsteps.

Finally, the door opened, and the person who entered through it was wearing a large crown decorated with a little gold and pieces of marble.

In his left hand was a large prayer book that looked heavy for an old man to hold, and in his right was an elegant staff embedded with the symbol of Rata.

“Wh-what……”

The first to react was Gerard.

He bowed his head with the most flustered and trembling voice Artier had ever seen from him.

“I-I greet His Holiness, the Pope.”

“Pardon?”

The atmosphere of the surroundings instantly froze.

No one could properly understand the current situation.

‘That person is the highest authority of the Rata faith……?’

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