Episode 164
Episode 164
“Leon, if this becomes known to the world……”
“Can I be honest with you?”
“I think it’s probably what I think…… Tell me……”
“It wouldn’t be strange if a war broke out as soon as word got out that Orichalcum could be mined to some extent.”
All you have to do is come up with an excuse.
The value of the mines where orichalcum was mined was astronomical.
The world's only existing orichalcum mine.
That's pretty much what it meant.
“This… I want to hide it for now, but does anyone else know?”
“At least the administrator of the Bergal Association knows.”
“Oh my… That association is a place where information is actively exchanged openly here and there.”
It wasn't anything to worry about.
Since Lidar owes me something, all he has to do is report back that this mine was resolved by natural phenomena.
“There won’t be any problems there. The manager is a bit more friendly to me.”
“That’s good. How much is the reserve?”
Now the important thing was the reserves.
“I’m not sure, but since Orichalcum is made by a series of coincidences, there probably won’t be that many.”
Orichalcum is something that cannot be created even if you know the principle.
It wasn't very good in terms of technology or efficiency.
Nevertheless, the value of Orichalcum was certain.
“This is Orichalcum… I never thought I would see Orichalcum in my lifetime… But is there a technique that can handle this?”
It was a fundamental problem.
In the first place, Orichalcum isn't a normal metal, and how many people have the skills to handle it?
“Even a skilled dwarf may not have much experience in crafting, but he can make a sword that you can use.”
“You’re not using it?”
“I thought about it, but the sword fits my hand better than I thought.”
She nodded as I briefly pulled out the handle of the demon sword Elextra from the subspace and showed it to her.
Anyway, with the Orichalcum that we can secure right now, there is nothing we can make other than a sword.
“Well, if it’s that rare, I guess you don’t really need the Orichalcum Sword.”
I have handled Orichalcum several times.
However, this sword, Elextra, did not feel like it was inferior to the orichalcum swords.
After I return the sword, I don't think I'll have any use for it right now.
Of course, I plan on plowing some orichalcum to make whatever I have in mind.
“I'll give you a little kick later.”
“It’s your achievement, so do whatever you want. Anyway, there’s no one else who can process it right now besides you, and even if you take all the Orichalcum and use it for something, I’ll at least accept it.”
You don't do things for no reason, right?
Now that I look back, I'm surprised to see that Melissa's trust in me is thicker than I thought.
“Huh? A letter from the Holy Land? Was it sent by the Saint?”
“Ah. Look at my mind. I came when you went to the mine…….”
She moaned briefly.
“It seems like things are going well and I don’t need your help anymore.”
Hmm? Well, it doesn't matter, but the person who said things were urgent just a little while ago is suddenly?
“Did you check the handwriting?”
“Uh. I think what I wrote was correct…….”
My eyes, which had been staring intently at the letter the saint had sent, narrowed.
The content really did seem to indicate that things with the Hael tribe would be resolved without any problems.
That's good news, though.
I couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling.
So, just in case, I skimmed through the paper with the heart of a machine god.
And then I was sure.
“This isn’t ordinary paper.”
After thinking about it, I immediately leaped into space to my workshop, took out a special pigment, and poured it on the letter.
Then he went back to Melissa's office and slid the paper into the fireplace and pulled it out.
“Hey… Hey?! What are you doing?!”
The paper burned quickly, but strangely enough, the shape remained intact, as if only the outside had burned.
Immediately after the fire went out on its own, I dusted off the soot on the paper.
“The content is hidden.”
“What does it say?”
“Location, time.”
“…….”
Melissa took the letter and scanned its contents with a blank expression.
The letter only contained a specific location and time.
Are you crazy? Why are you hiding this information like a riddle?
I'm speechless.
“Why are you making such a fuss about requesting to join?”
But since it was sent by the saint, it would be only right to respond.
* * *
The scheduled time written in the letter is about three days from now.
In fact, it was an issue we would never have been able to respond to if we hadn't noticed it.
Is it okay if you don't know, or are you in a situation where you have no choice but to send it like this?
If it's the former, I don't know, but if it's the latter, as Melissa fears, there could be a conflict with the Holy Nation.
If something goes wrong, it will be difficult to expect help from the Kingdom of Bata, so it will inevitably be a burden for Melissa, who is the Count and head of the territory.
“Is this the right place?”
The meeting place was, contrary to my expectations, not on the road leading to the Hael tribe, but in the outskirts on the opposite side of the Holy Land.
This fortress is home to a branch office directly under the headquarters of the Inquisitor General, and is one of the natural fortresses that the Holy Nation is proud of.
It is a place known for its strict security among the places where heretics are usually imprisoned, but it also attracts quite a few tourists due to its magnificent appearance.
“Hmm…….”
I let out a short exclamation at the sight of the fortress I arrived at after using the teleportation gate to a nearby city and then using flight magic.
Whatever the circumstances, the fortress's grandeur was certainly impressive.
There is also a strange atmosphere where it feels like if you are caught, you will be immediately labeled a heretic.
Of course, there is no reason for me, who is neither the head office nor the branch office of the heretic inquisitors, and who is not a heretic, to be arrested by them.
If there was any place where the saint could be, it would be the headquarters of the Inquisitors at the center of the fortress.
After proving my identity to the soldiers of the Holy Nation guarding the fortress and entering the fortress, I was greeted by a neat and restrained interior.
Including this place, the main office and branch offices where the heretic inquisitors live are all places where many people live according to such strict and tidy rules.
On the streets, men and women dressed in the uniforms of the Inquisitors could be seen patrolling in groups of two or three.
The momentum they had was quite impressive, as if they had all undergone strict training.
However, the security felt tighter than expected for normal times.
“Hold on there.”
A team of inquisitors approached us as we entered the city.
“What's going on?”
“Excuse me. We will be conducting a security check. Ladies, please remove your hood and mask.”
“Rejected.”
“Currently, a heretic has escaped from this fortress. The number of members is one man and one woman. Therefore, we have a duty to search for the heretic.”
If a heretic escaped from a place where there was a prison to catch and imprison heretics, the inquisitors would go crazy.
I felt Luna glancing in my direction.
“Just cooperate.”
At my words, she quietly took off her mask and pushed back her hood.
At the same time, the eyes of the heretic inquisitors open wide.
Afterwards, when I showed him the family crest of the Cascadia family, he seemed convinced and backed off.
“Ahhh… Ahem! It looks like this isn’t the cult we’re looking for. Have a nice trip.”
“What's going on?”
I had already figured out the situation a little while ago, but when I asked him to gather information, he sighed.
“They say that a heretic who committed a heinous crime escaped from the concentration camp. It seems he had an accomplice.”
"hey."
“Whatever, they’re just ordinary citizens. So we’re looking for them, so if you see anyone acting suspiciously, please report it.”
“Yeah.”
It seemed like someone had escaped at just the right time.
As Luna put her mask back on, watching the backs of the heretic inquisitors pass us by, I started walking.
The streets feel filled with sacred energy.
It was a power I had never experienced before, but I could definitely feel its presence.
I was walking to the branch office where Saint Nadia was.
“Found it!”
“Move!!”
The atmosphere began to take an ominous turn as the inquisitors patrolling the streets became busy.
The citizens stood silently out of the way, lest sparks fly, while the Inquisitors quickly and accurately swarmed the area where the signal had sounded, surrounding it.
Thanks to this, the streets were quieter and we were able to head to our destination leisurely without any traffic jams.
Even in the Holy Land, there is never a day of peace.
After arriving at the Holy Land's Inquisition Office, a low-ranking priest greeted us at the reception desk.
“I have come at the request of High Priest Nabel. Are you inside?”
“Me… Belle? Just a moment.”
At my request, he tilted his head and began quickly leafing through the list.
“That’s strange. There’s no one in the branch office who uses the name Nabel. Is that really the name Nabel?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
If it weren't for the saint's whim, Nadia ten Lilybelle would not have been engraved with her name.
“That’s strange. Hmm…….”
As he was quickly going through the list, his eyes opened wide.
“Ah! Here it is. High Priest Nabel… Huh? Heretic? Wait a minute, this is a list of heretics.”
He asked with a frown.
“Is it really Nabel?”
There was even suspicion in that gaze.
“Yes. I came here because I needed help, but was it a heresy?”
“…….”
“If it’s a heresy, we’ll just leave. There’s no reason to help a heretic.”
“……Okay, I understand. Since you were declared a heretic not long ago, I will take your situation into consideration.”
I drew the line appropriately because I knew that things would get complicated if I got involved with heresy.
By the way, things are taking a funny turn.
“Heresy? Has the Holy Nation really gone mad?”
And you're saying that you accused the saint of being a heretic?
So, does that mean that the heretic currently fleeing this city is Saint Nadia ten Lilibel?
Luna said she didn't like the stigmata very much, but that and her being a heretic are two separate stories.
The Holy Nation should not dare to designate a saint with intact stigmata as a heretic.
Because it is like the foundation of the Holy Nation is shaking.
But if they were branded heretics, then either they were crazy as a group, or Saint Nadia was causing serious trouble while holding the stigmata.
It's probably one of the two.
