The vaults had been beautifully restored with no traces of the theft left behind.
So the party left the vault without being able to obtain much information….
"Hold it! Who are you people?"
Outside the vault, a group of knights stopped them for questioning.
"Captain Bachelet, these are the adventurers from the Papal Palace."
The priest introduced the party to the knights.
"Hmm. Adventurers from the Papal Palace? I don't quite understand. I am Andre de Bachelet, commander of the Third Detachment of the Knights Templar."
The most distinguished of the knights introduced himself.
"Pardon me. You must be a priest if you are the commander of a detachment. We are adventurers commissioned by Cardinal Graham of the Papal Palace for an investigation."
Etho handed him the Holy Seal and Cardinal Graham's letter of authorization.
"Confirmed. We are also searching for the items that were stolen from the vault. I will have to ask you to hand over the information you have obtained."
In a commanding tone.
The commanding tone reminded Ryo of something.
"Niels, these are the people who were in the Onge Church when we returned from the Centaurs."
"Onge? Oh. They couldn't get up because of Ryo's ice floor magic…"
Ryo whispered to Niels next to him, and Niels seemed to recollect the events.
And at about the same time Ryo remembered…
"Commander, these are the same guys we encountered back in the Onge Church."
A knight beside Commander Bachelet said.
Hearing that, Commander Bacelet thought for a moment but then recollected immediately.
"The bunch who returned from the centaurs?"
"Did the Bishop lift the curse after that?"
Etho asked with a smile.
The knights were convinced that they had fallen under an incomprehensible curse, a curse that prevented them from getting up from the slippery ground, that they had to summon the bishop from the neighboring town.
By taking advantage of the chaos, the party was able to leave.
Of course, it was all due to Ryo's
"H-Hmm. Of course."
For Commander Bachelet, it must be a bad memory.
He looked a little pale.
Then, Etho turned to Niels and whispered to him.
"We don't have much information anyway, so why don't we ask them?"
"I don't think they will readily share what they have, but… I'll leave it to Etho."
Niels also replied in a whisper.
"Then I'll turn it over to Ryo."
"Eh…"
Ryo was absolutely stunned by the sudden and reckless move made by Etho.
Unlike Abel, Etho doesn't do such things very often, so why now…
"The information that we've got. Of course, we would be happy to share it with you."
"Hmm. Very good."
"But there's some measure of magic involved, so I'll direct you to our magician. Come on, Ryo."
Etho introduced Ryo to Commander Bachelet.
Niels urged Ryo to take his place.
"Oh, yes, now, if you'll excuse me. Uh~, the door was breached using fire-attribute magic."
"Mm, we heard about that too."
"It seems there was quite a commotion when they did that, but no one in the church noticed."
"So it seems."
Ryo's explanation seemed to be all that Commander Bachelet already knew.
Since he had no choice, he presented an appropriate inference.
"It's possible that the robbers may have a wind-attribute magician in their ranks."
"What? I haven't heard such a report."
"Yeah. The reason they didn't hear the sound of the door being destroyed, even though it must have been quite loud, is because they used wind-attribute magic to block the air… well, wind, so that the sound wouldn't travel through."
"Hmm… is that possible?"
"Yes, in theory. That's probably the most likely explanation for not hearing the sound."
Again, of course, that was Ryo's reasoning.
But he was probably not wrong, since sound propagation can be prevented by blocking the air…
As for whether or not that can be done with wind-attribute magic, is an entirely different story.
But science fiction writer Jules Verne said.
Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real.
Since this is true even in a world without magic, it should be even easier to realize in this magical 'Phi' world!
Ryo believed so.
"In other words, among the robbers, are both fire and wind-attribute magicians. This suggests that the robbers are most likely from a rather powerful organization."
Ryo concluded.
"I see."
Commander Bachelet muttered as he nodded repeatedly.
"And that's all we've got so far… but I'm sure the famous Knights Templar would have found some more promising clues that would lead us closer to the robbers…"
Ryo said, modestly.
Niels thought he was on to another one of his tricks.
"Well, of course. First of all, the Papacy's storage department was thoroughly investigated, but no one was involved in this case. However, the head of the storage department had been sent on a foreign business trip by Archbishop Goon before that, so he could not be questioned."
"I see. The head of the department has not returned yet…"
"Unfortunately, he passed away while on the business trip. The inn where he was staying caught fire."
"Oh my…"
Then it occurred to Ryo. As he remembered the name Archbishop Goon.
It was the archbishop who had previously ordered the surveillance of Gladys Aldiss, the negotiator for the Ministry of Military Affairs.
According to the information he got from Graham.
(I believe he is the Archbishop who is Cardinal Camillo's protégé…)
Ryo boldly asked the Templars, who were about to enter the vault guided by the priest.
"If I may, Commander Bachelet."
"Mm? What is it? Ask away."
"Thank you very much. Um, could you tell me who gave the order to the commander this time?"
It wasn't the Knights Templar who were stunned by Ryo's question, but Niels.
His eyes practically screamed, "Do you ask such a thing directly?".
"The one who sent us was His Eminence, Cardinal Oskar."
"I see. Perhaps, when you were in Onge Church before, it was on the orders of Cardinal Oskar?"
"No, that's different. At that time, it was by order of the headquarters of the Knights Templar, in other words, the Captain of the Knights Gaster."
"Understood. Thank you very much for your candor."
Ryo bowed politely.
Not many people would feel bad about being politely bowed to.
It was Ryo's personal rule.
And so, the third detachment of the Knights Templar entered the vault.
"It was Cardinal Oskar who sent them."
"As I recall, he was in charge of receiving the envoys before Mr. Graham."
Ryo said, and Etho replied, remembering.
"Oh, right."
Ryo turned to Etho, his cheeks puffed out a little.
"Etho, why did you suddenly dump that on me earlier…?"
"Oh. Ryo is quick-witted, so I thought you could handle it."
"Eh? No, that's not true."
Ryo was embarrassed by Etho's words.
"That's amazing, Etho…"
"Nah, Ryo is just too easy…"
Amon was impressed and Niels shook his head slightly.
Etho laughed innocently, while Ryo remained embarrassed.
Everyone was cheerful, so ultimately all's well that ends well.
The party then looked around the second vault in the eastern city of Euros and the third vault in the southern city of Notos.
There was nothing new to be found, but those two vaults were much smaller than the first one.
However, it was about the size of a school gymnasium…
As it was getting late in the evening, they decided to visit the fourth vault in the western city of Zephyrus on the morrow and took up lodging in the southern city of Notos for the day.
Thus they decided to discuss over dinner at the inn's cafeteria.
All four of them were seriously looking at the menu list and making their selections.
While they were choosing… Ryo's eyes stopped on a particular item and couldn't take his eyes off there.
"Karaage…"
After muttering that one word, he couldn't even move his mouth.
"Ryo-san? What's wrong?"
Amon asked curiously.
It was very rare to see Ryo stop to look at a menu.
"A-Amon… have you ever heard of Karaage?"
"Karaage? No, never heard of it."
"It's chicken covered with wheat and deep-fried in oil… sometimes with seasoning."
"It doesn't sound complicated, but I've never heard of it in the central countries. Is it good?"
Ryo has eaten a good many dishes since he came to 'Phi'.
There were quite a few dishes based on recipes that may have been brought from Earth by reincarnators or transferees.
Curry, hamburgers, crepes, Mont Blanc cakes… and the Ramen in Twilight Land!
But he'd never had Karaage*. (TLN: Fried Chicken)
As Amon said, it's not a difficult dish to make.
There's usually chicken, and flour is also common. And of course, there is oil. Whether it be rapeseed oil or olive oil, it is available in the central countries.
But he'd never had Karaage!
"I'll have the Karaage set meal."
Ryo solemnly announced.
Yup, it is a 'set meal' that is being served at the inn's cafeteria.
Not the Karaage alone…
Ryo waited, feeling a little anxious.
Meanwhile, the other three were reviewing the day's events and discussing plans for tomorrow.
However, Ryo could not hear them.
It was inevitable.
As he was curious about the 'Karaage Set Meal'!
And then, ten minutes later.
"Here you are! Karaage Set Meal."
Saying that, the waitress brought the dish….
Eight bite-sized pieces of fried chicken!
And white rice.
With… soup?
But it was, without a doubt, the Karaage set meal!
"Ooh…"
Ryo involuntarily excliamed.
"Wow, that looks delicious."
"Is that chicken?"
"Is this the karaage you were talking about earlier?"
Niels tried to extend his finger, Etho asked about the meat, and Amon recalled the name, karaage.
Ryo stuck a piece of karaage with a fork.
Gravy overflowed.
Then he put it in his mouth…
No mistaking it!
It had a little seasoning with vinegar or something, but it was definitely fried.
And.
"So good…"
He couldn't help but let out an honest comment.
"I-I'd like to try one…"
Niels looked at the karaage and Ryo's face alternately unable to contain himself.
"Help yourself. Etho and Amon too."
Ryo said, and all three of them stuck a fork in each one and ate it.
"Damn!"
"This is…"
"So delicious!"
Niels, Etho, and of course, Amon, smiled!
Yup, the taste of karaage transcends the world!
Needless to say, 'karaage' was then ordered additionally as a stand-alone order…
-x-X-x-
The next morning.
The four of them left for the western city of Zephyrus.
"I heard at the inn when we were leaving earlier that yesterday's karaage dish is called 'New-sama's cuisine' and is one of the traditional dishes."
Etho shared the information he had obtained.
New-sama is the one called the founder of the Western Church.
"Traditional dish…"
Ryo muttered involuntarily.
"But we've never come across it at the Mission quarters, have we?"
"Nope. I've eaten all the food options there, and they don't have karaage."
Amon asked, and Niels gave the perfect answer.
What could be more perfect than that?
"I kind of respect that about Niels…"
"Ah! You're messing with me a little aren't you, Ryo!"
Ryo said with a small shake of his head, and Niels realized that he had been made fun of.
Etho and Amon burst out laughing.
The four of them were lively again today.
The Zephyrus Church is located in the center of the western city of Zephyrus.
The fourth vault is located on its grounds.
"I think it's about time the enemy attacked us, and we intercept them, take them prisoner, and make them talk and give up their stronghold… or something like that."
"If only it could be that convenient…"
Niels denied Ryo's cliché light novel-like development.
"Ryo likes that kind of thing, doesn't he?"
"Like power trumps all, that kind of thing. I kind of admire it."
Etho said with a wry smile, and Amon seemed to admire power… even though he was the most sensible person in 'Room 10'.
On this day, the priest in charge of the Zephyrus Church was absent.
"Apologies. The priest has been in the Holy Capital since yesterday…"
Deacon Pilar, who was in charge in place of the priest, explained.
As usual, Etho showed him the Holy Seal and Cardinal Graham's letter of authorization.
With that, Deacon Pilar led them to the fourth vault.
The inside was much larger than the second and third vaults.
However, it was not as large as the first vault.
In particular, the difference from the other three vaults was its robust structure.
"It's got pretty sturdy-looking stone walls."
"Yeah, it's impressive. It looks more like a fortress than a vault."
Ryo said, and Niels agreed.
Both inside and outside of the vaults were made of solid stones.
"As you say, there was a time when this vault was a fortress."
"Oh really?"
"It was here that Saint Joshua holed up and fought against the army of the rebel Kozlov. The second and upper floors have been removed, but this first floor and the foundation are exactly as they were during that period."
Deacon Pilar spoke passionately.
He seemed proud to be a deacon in the Zephyrus church where Saint Joshua originated.
Etho nodded broadly.
Because he could understand Deacon Pilar's feelings very well.
"I-I see."
Niels did not seem to get it, apparently.
"If Niels was told by Abel to 'take care of this land', you would be willing to die to protect it, wouldn't you? That's how it is."
"I see! Now I understand."
Ryo explained with a subtle analogy that may or may not be accurate… but it seemed to make sense to Niels.
"About a third of the shelves were knocked over and broken around here."
Deacon Pilar said at the far end of the vault.
Of course, the shelves were now back in order and there was not a speck of dust on the floor…
"The floor stone here, has a crack."
"Oh, yeah. The size of the new shelves is a little different from the old ones. You can now see the part that used to be under the shelves. We found a crack in part of it and were going to have it replaced. I believe that's scheduled to happen this afternoon…"
Deacon Pilar nodded and responded to Ryo's observation.
Cracks in floor stones are not uncommon.
But for some reason, it bothered Ryo.
(
He sent a 'ping' to the floor.
Basically, it hits the floor and bounces back…
(This sensation… there is a space underneath this?)
It was not that large a space, but more like a staircase leading down…
It was pretty vague and ambiguous, as he guessed by the feel of the reflections from the floor, not from the vapor directly.
(But the entrance isn't on this floor, is it… usually somewhere on the wall?)
Ryo looked around.
It was Amon who noticed that.
"Ryo-san, is something the matter?"
Amon must have understood that Ryo was snooping around.
And so asked in a whisper.
"Amon, there may be a path, like a staircase under this building that leads to an even deeper basement."
"Eh…?"
Amon was taken aback by Ryo's words.
Amon then began looking around as well.
After looking around for a while, he must have noticed something.
He stared at the innermost wall and approached it.
At this time, Niels and Etho had also noticed that Amon and Ryo were acting differently from their usual selves.
But they instead continued chatting with Deacon Pilar to divert his attention.
Then Amon pushed one of the stones on the innermost wall.
Shzzzzzzz…
A spiral staircase appeared in the wall.
"Eh…"
Deacon Pilar was the most surprised to see it.
He was immensely surprised and stiffened.
It was a full minute before he moved again.
"Why is there a staircase there?"
"So Deacon Pilar wasn't aware of it?"
"No. As shameful as that sounds, I don't… In fact, this vault is usually only open to priests. Of course, in the absence of a priest, as is the case this time, I am left in charge of the church, so I sometimes come in here… I had no idea such a thing was here."
Deacon Pilar replied, his eyes wide open.
"Well, may we go down?"
Ryo asked Deacon Pilar.
"Honestly, I really can't make that decision… However, since you all have the Holy Seal and the authorization from His Eminence the Cardinal, I don't think anyone has the authority to stop you… except His Holiness the Pope. So I think it's okay to go down…"
Deacon Pilar answered thoughtfully.
In short, as long as the four of them insisted on going down there, it wouldn't be a problem.
Niels made the judgment and gave the order.
"Me, Amon, Etho, and Ryo will go down in that order. Deacon Pilar, please wait here."
"Understood."
Thus, the four of them descended to the basement by the stairs inside the vault that had suddenly appeared.
The 'lamppost' alchemy tools automatically turned on one after another as the four began to descend.
After descending for a while on the spiral staircase, it became a downhill slope from the middle.
Shaped like it just traverses the bottom of the vault from the back to the front.
It was this passage that Ryo sensed with his
The passageway was two and a half meters wide and two and a half meters high, and both the floor and the surrounding area were made of hardened stone.
Shzzzzzzz…
Above, there was the sound of heavy objects being moved.
Perhaps the door through which the four had entered had closed.
"We kind of came in because there was a passageway, but there's a good chance it has nothing to do with our current investigation into the magicians and the Holy Sword."
"I think so too."
Niels nodded in agreement with Ryo's point.
That said, at present, they had no leads whatsoever to go on.
So even if a spiral staircase to the basement appeared in front of them, unknown even to the cleric in charge of the place, they would still follow it down.
Because the four of them are adventurers.
They had walked quite a distance.
"We're still going downhill all the way, so it must be pretty deep underground, right?"
Etho asked casually to no one in particular.
"I think the angle is about the same as that of a very steep road."
Ryo muttered.
If it's a road that is very steep, there is a marker that would say '10%'.
In other words, if you go sideways for a hundred meters, you are going down ten meters….
If you go sideways one kilometer, you are one hundred meters below the ground, a great depth!
It was sudden.
When they thought the descent was over, they found themselves in a wide… no, a vast space.
Ryo first imagined the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel, which was built to save the metropolitan area of Japan from flood damage.
It's a huge underground space that could be described as an underground temple.
The great depth, the vast space, and the surprisingly thick and high pillars erected in large numbers…
The space was probably more than 50 meters high up to the ceiling.
Sure enough, Ryo couldn't contain himself completely.
It took him a few seconds later to calm down.
(
The result was a space that was more than 400 meters from the back wall.
With no sign of anybody.
The reason they could see just fine even though it was a large underground space was because of the 'lamppost' alchemy tools embedded in the pillars.
"Well, at least there's no one here. And it's about 400 meters to the back."
"It's pretty huge…"
Niels was astounded by Ryo's report.
In the center of the space was a place where no pillars had been erected at all.
That area alone was quite large.
"There's something written on the ground, I think?"
"…A magic circle?"
Amon pointed it out, and Ryo answered while tilting his head.
The reason he tilted his head was because if it was a magic circle, it was surprisingly huge.
It was drawn using the entire area where no pillars had been erected…
Roughly, more than 30 meters in diameter.
It was so large that they honestly didn't know what it was depicting.
"If it's a magic circle, then it must be alchemy. What do you think, Ryo?"
Niels turned to Ryo and asked.
Ryo, not needing to be asked, was also looking at it, but it's just… too massive.
"I'm going to go take a look from above.
With that, he floated up into the air.
"I saw it at the Battle of Gold Hill, but… it's really amazing how a person can float in the sky."
"I thought the magician from 'Six Petals' said that normally, magicians can't fly."
"Well… it's Ryo after all."
Niels was impressed, Amon dredged up memories, and Etho nodded his head in conclusion.
Ryo, who had risen nearly forty meters, looked down.
From that height, he could see the whole thing.
Clearing up the mystery.
(What an amazingly complex magic circle…)
Ryo, who knew it would not be easy, generated an ice platform and laid down on it.
Even though it was underground, the ice platform rose forty meters high.
Lying face down on it, he started to analyze the magic circle.
"Ryo-san just created a platform…"
"A forty-meter-high bed, perhaps… you don't see that every day."
"…It's Ryo, after all."
Amon was amazed, Etho marveled, and Niels gave up and accepted everything.
But all three realized.
Even Ryo, who loves alchemy, could not easily decipher the magic circle.
It was twenty minutes later when Ryo came down.
"Welcome back."
Etho greeted him with a smile.
The other two were doing push-ups and swinging swords… because, well, they are swordsmen.
Still, they gathered as Ryo came down.
"I think we hit the jackpot."
"Jackpot?"
Ryo stated furrowing his brows, and Etho tilted his head and asked.
"Yeah. This magic circle is probably the magic circle to be used for the so-called 'Sacrifice'."
"What?"
Niels reacted to Ryo's words with a burst of energy.
"You didn't activate it, did you?"
"No, I didn't. So nothing is going to happen to us here."
"Good…"
Etho asked, Ryo answered, and Amon was relieved.
Magic circles do not manifest magical phenomena or generate magic unless activated by the flow of magic power.
"It's pretty deep in here, isn't it? How can a magic circle in a place like this have an effect above ground?"
Niels' question was probably valid.
The site is at a depth of one or two hundred meters below the surface.
"Even if this place is 200 meters underground with hard bedrock in the way, it would still be possible to generate magic that would affect the surface. Since it's set up in a way that the magic power for activation would come from somewhere else. And since the role of this magic circle is to absorb fragments of God… if these fragments of God are permeable to the ground, there should be no problem."
The Super-Kamiokande or KamLAND in Japan is located 1,000 meters underground.
This is a device that detects neutrinos and other particles that come down to Earth from space.
Since even things like neutrinos which are extremely small but have mass, can reach as far as 1,000 meters underground, it seems to Ryo that something as seemingly massless as fragments of God, which he perceives as spiritual, could easily reach a depth of about 200 meters underground…
Probably.
"What do we do? Should we destroy this magic circle while at it?"
Niels suggested with a frown.
"But there's still more than ten days until the inauguration… so if they realize it's been destroyed, they'll think of something else, won't they?"
Etho expressed concern.
"It's hard to prepare for a move you can't see. It's easier to let the enemy show its hand and match your attack to it."
Amon recited a parable of the art of warfare… how fearsome.
"How about tampering with it in a way that they won't notice it? Since there is a possibility that they might find out about it, we'll try and avoid 'Sacrifice' on the surface as much as possible, but I think it would be better to double or even triple our measures just in case."
Ryo nodded and concluded.
"Can you pull it off?"
"I have to admit that I don't understand everything about this magic circle. There are many parts in the process that I don't understand at all… like magic formulas, magic circles change drastically depending on the creator, too. However, as with anything, there are some common parts. I'll try to make it undetectable, somehow."
Niels asked, and Ryo replied.
Ryo approached the magic circle.
"Activation point… branching point… chain formula…. I'll probably do a test activation… so I'll use the loop mechanism here…"
He mumbled something like that as he walked around the magic circle.
"We came looking for the magicians and Holy Sword, only to happen upon a magic circle…"
"Should we consider ourselves lucky or unlucky…"
Niels said, and Etho replied.
Amon was wracking his head all by his lonesome.
"What is it, Amon?"
Niels asked.
"Nah… just this seems like such a very important place, but there's no one guarding it, so I was wondering why."
"Yeah, indeed."
Niels nodded in agreement to Amon's question.
"Maybe… the one who created it fundamentally doesn't place trust in others."
Etho replied, looking at the magic circle.
"In others…"
"Doesn't place trust?"
Niels and Amon tilted their heads and asked.
"The magic circle itself can be created by a single person, though it would take a long time. Even with its size. And once it is created, all he has to do is channel magic power to it somehow to activate it. He doesn't need to man anyone there. Not like it can just up and leave on its own, nor can it be stolen. So no need to keep an eye on it. Rather, I think he may have been more concerned of the watcher betraying him or slipping up somewhere… that must have been their train of thought."
"I see."
Amon nodded in agreement with Etho's reasoning.
"It's kind of sad not to have friends you can trust with all your heart."
At Niels' muttering, Etho and Amon nodded.
"Now, this is the magic circle to be attached. The activation will be automatic in conjunction with the activation of the main magic circle… but I need to keep this magic circle in this same space~"
Ryo muttered and looked around.
The main power comes from an outlet, but some machines have small button batteries built in to keep the memory even when they're unplugged… he was looking for something that could serve as a button battery.
"If it were a forest or something, I could just drop the magic stone anywhere amid the grass, but on this floor, even a small magic stone stands out…"
He looked around some more and found something good.
The 'lamppost' alchemy tools attached to the pillars.
"Bingo. I'll draw the magic power from the tool to maintain it."
"Done!"
Ryo said, and the other three gathered around.
"You're really done? "
"Uh? But there's nothing… here?"
"Apart from the initial gigantic magic circle… that is."
Amon was delighted, Etho tilted his head, and Niels was lost.
"Obviously. If I make it so they can see it, they might destroy it… though, I'm not sure if they can destroy it or not."
"Pardon?"
Niels also tilted his head at Ryo's words.
"I drew a magic circle with the water vapor in the air… which is a little bit minuscule and floats around here. It's a variant of the
What Ryo envisioned was an infinite loop, which he often used in computer programming.
Well, he shouldn't do it often, but… yeah, some things just can't be helped.
"I don't quite follow… but in other words, this magic circle won't activate, right?"
"Part of it will activate, but the last crucial part won't."
Ryo nodded in reply to Niels' question.
"Good, now, let's get out of here."
And so the four of them went back the way they came…
-x-X-x-
On the way back from the underground space.
"Ryo-san, I have a question."
"What is it, Amon? Did Niels make an unreasonable demand of you again? What an excuse of a leader, don't worry, I'll put him on ice right away!"
"Hey, cut it out, you blockhead."
Ryo responded to Amon's question proactively, and Niels stopped him.
Of course, Etho was laughing.
"No, it has nothing to do with Niels-san. I understand this is a basic question, but I was wondering what's the difference between a magic circle and a magic formula?"
"The difference?"
"Yeah. Both of them produce magical phenomena when magic power is channeled through them, right? Then, in that case, can't the magic circle and the magic formula be combined into one, instead of being separated into two…?"
Amon asked while pondering.
"Amon, that's a good point! You are much better suited to be an alchemist than someone like Niels. You should come apprentice under Kenneth immediately…"
"Don't drag me into this…"
Ryo said, and Niels frowned.
"Well, to put it simply, a magic circle can be activated by channeling magic power of any attribute, but a magic formula can only be activated by channeling magic power of the same attribute. For example, a magic formula with water attribute will only activate if water-attribute magic power is channeled through it."
"I see…"
"As a trade-off, magic circles can only generate relatively simple magic, because you would have to write very complicated formulas. Well, it is possible to make an amazingly huge and complex magic circle, like the one we just saw… but the more complex it is, the more likely it is to fail. But it is also quite easy to link thousands or tens of thousands of magic formulas together. From the very beginning, they are written or created on the premise of linking several magic formulas together. So, in the end, you can generate some pretty complex magic."
Of course, Ryo had learned this from Viscount Kenneth Hayward previously.
"Like in sword arts, there are two-handed swords and one-handed swords. Both are ways of using swords, both are sword styles… but they have developed separately, right? You can sort of relate magic circle and magic formula in that manner."
"Oh, I kinda get it!"
There are many things in the world that, at first glance, seem more reasonable if they were integrated.
However, Ryo believes that there is a good reason for the fact that they have developed separately.
Perhaps because he's used to seeing things from a historical perspective.
Combining things because, "It's the logical thing to do", is not a bad idea… but sometimes it may prove to be a catastrophic move a few years or decades down the line, or so he thought.
The four of them finally arrived at the fourth vault after an endless uphill walk.
"We proceeded downhill going there, so it wasn't a hassle, but the way back was tough…"
Etho could only shake his head, unable to say anything about Niels' impression.
He seemed to be quite fatigued.
However, when the four of them got back out to the fourth vault, there was no one there.
Instead, the sound of sword fights could be heard from outside.
"Sounds like quite a few people are going at it."
Amon muttered, and Ryo nodded.
The door to the vault was gently opened, and the four of them looked outside with only their heads out.
About twenty knights in similar costumes were fighting each other.
"An internal discord?"
"They are, the Knights Templar."
"Ah! Captain Bachelet from yesterday is among them."
"So it's the bunch from the Third Detachment or something, and another faction."
Ryo gave his honest opinion, Etho pointed out, Amon made an observation, and Niels identified those who were fighting.
The Third Detachment versus another faction of the Knights Templar.
Etho noticed that Deacon Pilar was in the immediate vicinity.
At the same time, Deacon Pilar also noticed the four of them and came running.
"Gentlemen, I'm relieved to see you all made it back safely."
"Thanks for your concern, and sorry it took us so long to get back. So, what's going on here…?"
Deacon Pilar called out to them, and Etho responded.
"Yeah. The third detachment, led by Commander Bachelet, examined the vault. Just like you. And when they left the vault, it seemed that they had a dispute with another group of Templars…. I was closing the door to the vault at the time, so I don't know the details of what transpired, but before I knew it, the situation had escalated to this…"
Deacon Pilar frowned and shook his head slightly.
"We met the members of the third detachment yesterday at another vault. And like us, they're investigating the stolen items."
"Yes, it seems so."
Deacon Pilar nodded to Etho's explanation.
"The members of the third detachment are avoiding fatal strikes, but their opponents, on the other hand, are really going for the kill. Commander Bachelet and the others are slightly more skilled with swords than them, but because they are being careful not to kill them, they can't beat them. You never know what will happen when they get tired."
Niels commented casually.
Neither of them, in particular, was an enemy or an ally, but it seemed that they tended to side with the third detachment because of their somewhat tenuous relationship…
That is human sentiment.
"Niels, what do you want to do?"
Ryo asked.
After all, Niels is the party leader.
"I want the third detachment to win without either side finding out… can you do that?"
"Maybe. Let's find out."
"
The elbow joint of the opponent, who was about to receive Commander Bachelet's sword froze for a moment.
As a result, the opponent's sword was sent flying, as he failed in his timing to receive it.
Going with the flow, Bachelet struck his opponent in the back of the head with the broadside of his sword, knocking him out cold.
From that point on, it became one-sided.
When there is an equal number of opponents and the balance is maintained, the battle can easily be decided if that balance is broken.
In one place, a two-on-one situation would arise, and one side would be defeated.
Yet another two-on-one situation would arise in another place….
Eleven Templars were unconscious.
There, Deacon Pilar and the four stepped out.
"Mhm? You lot are the adventurers we met yesterday."
Commander Bachelet seemed to remember.
"We started watching midway. We thought it would be impolite for adventurers to meddle in a battle between knights."
Etho said politely.
The Templars are both clergy and knights.
"Mm, that's very admirable. They just came at us without question. I wonder which unit they belong to…"
While Commander Bachelet was saying that, his men were searching through their belongings.
And apparently found something.
"Commander, here."
What they found turned out to be a permit.
"A permit from His Eminence Camilo? Are they working under the order of His Eminence Camilo? But even so, how dare they attack fellow Templar Knights…?"
Commander Bachelet's muttering was a little too loud to be called a murmur.
And naturally, the four of them heard it too.
All four exchanged glances without saying a word.
All four knew who Cardinal Camilo was.
Well, they don't know exactly what kind of person he is.
Archbishop Goon, who was keeping an eye on Gladys Aldiss, the negotiator for the Ministry of Military Affairs.
Archbishop Goon is Cardinal Camilo's protege….
So the four of them know Cardinal Camilo's name.
"We will interrogate them right here and now. Tie them up."
Commander Bachelet ordered his men.
Hearing this, the four began to talk quietly.
"They are going to interrogate them."
"Perhaps we will be able to learn some valuable information from them."
"The priests in the Central Countries are not good at interrogations, so this will be a good learning experience."
"It's a church with people like the Inquisition after all… it's not going to be pretty once they really get started."
Ryo described the impending event, Amon voiced his expectations, Etho spoke from an educational standpoint, and Niels worried about the scene that would unfold.
The four of them decided to watch from there, seeing as no one said otherwise.
Someone who appeared to be the commander of the attackers woke up.
"Hnn…"
"I see you're up. I have a few questions for you lot. And I swear by the name of New-sama, you will answer it truthfully."
Commander Bachelet announced gravely.
The commander of the attacking party was silent.
"You and your men have the permit of His Eminence Camilo, but answer me, why did you attack us? "
"…"
Commander Bachelet asked, but the commander of the attackers remained silent.
He didn't even try to make eye contact.
"You mongrel! And you call yourself a glorious Templar Knight? Answer me! "
"…"
Commander Bachelet asked fiercely, but the commander of the attackers remained silent.
"Filthy bastard! Then I will change the question. Why did you come to this place? Tell me what you came here for!"
"…"
Commander Bachelet asked a different question, but the commander of the attackers remained silent.
"Well… uh… honestly, I don't think we can expect much from this."
"Y-Yeah… the attackers don't feel like talking… so of course."
"Is there no way to get them to talk?"
"…No, well, they're priests, so it's only natural that they don't do stuff like torture…"
Ryo was disappointed, Etho agreed, Amon questioned, and Niels voiced his resignation.
It was a very decent, non-violent interrogation.
It may as well be… the kind of Interrogation practiced in the advanced nations of modern Earth…
No one who recognizes that they have done something wrong would ever talk.
"While dwelling on the subject… Ryo made a move.
"What's wrong?"
Niels asked.
"Someone's coming. Some kinda bigshot."
"Bigshot?"
Ryo relayed the information he got from
"The way he's walking suggests he's a bigshot. Plus he has people with him."
"What do you mean by the way he walks…?"
Ryo said, and Niels was taken aback.
"Bigshots have a way of walking that is unique to bigshots. I've come to understand such things, recently."
"Ryo-san, that's amazing!"
Amon applauded Ryo's words.
Amon is a great guy as always.
"Walking like a bigshot, like His Majesty Abel?"
Etho seemed to have taken up an interest in the subject.
"Exactly, but Abel's lineage is different from the one approaching us now. Abel is a martial artist."
"Martial artist…"
At Ryo's reply, Niels choked on his words.
The swordsman and former A-rank adventurer king… is certainly a martial artist.
"If anything, it's more like His Majesty Roberto Pirlo of the Union."
"I see."
Ryo's explanation was insightful to Etho.
"Bigshots and upper-class people have a characteristic walking speed. They walk slowly but rhythmically. Oh, and fat people walk differently too, they rarely put their feet on the ground from the heels…"
Etho and Amon were listening intently to Ryo's explanation.
Only Niels had a subtle look on his face….
Of course, there are nobles in the Theocracy as well….
"When talking about bigshots or upper class in the Theocracy, it's gotta be…"
"The clergymen, yeah. Bishops, archbishops…"
Amon said, and Etho responded with a nod.
"Obviously, even with
Ryo replied regretfully.
Someday, it will have the accuracy to be able to figure out even that….
Would it though? Logically, it seems impossible….
"Can you please put this interrogation to an end?"
Said the bigshot who appeared.
He was wearing scarlet vestments… with knights behind him….
"Cardinal Camilo…"
Commander Bachelet muttered and exclaimed.
But he quickly dropped to one knee and took a bow.
So did the other members of the Third Detachment.
Deacon Pilar, who was next to the four from Room 10, bowed his head, standing.
Perhaps Templar Knights and other clergy have different ways of showing respect.
At any rate, the four of them also bowed while standing.
"I understand that you are the Templar Knights of the Holy City Garrison Battalion, the Third Detachment?"
Cardinal Camilo asked calmly.
"Yes. I am Andre de Bachelet, commander of the Third Detachment."
Commander Bachelet did not make eye contact with Cardinal Camilo, and answered with his head down.
"Right, Commander Bachelet. Those men over there are members of the Investigation Unit, working under my orders. It appears there was some kind of misunderstanding, in which case, allow me to apologize for that. I will vouch for their identities, so could you please let them go?"
"O-Of course, Your Eminence."
Camilo's calm words weren't to be taken at face value it seemed.
Sweat was streaming down Commander Bachelet's face.
Then, the eleven knights were released.
"Now then, I will be bringing the members of the Investigation Unit with me. Thank you for your hard work, Commander Bachelet."
"Sure…"
Without being presented with a clear choice… more like, no clergyman could possibly refuse… the pressure was so overwhelming that Commander Bachelet felt crushed.
The Third Detachment was unable to move until well over a minute after Cardinal Camilo and the others had left.
"Whew…"
With a sigh from Commander Bachelet, the rest of the Third Detachment were finally able to move.
"That was quite the pressure."
"So Cardinals are that amazing."
"The pressure felt like that of a veteran swordsman."
"Those are the kind of people Cardinal Graham is going toe-to-toe with…"
Ryo commented, Amon was stunned, Niels compared him to a swordsman, and Etho thought about Graham's hardship.
The Third Detachment gathered around Commander Bachelet.
"Commander, Cardinal Camilo showing up here means…"
"Yeah, something is definitely going on. He came all the way here to rescue those men, knowing full well that his actions may draw suspicion towards him…. They may be the ones responsible for the raid on the vaults, or some of them."
The four were listening in on the conversation.
"You heard 'em."
"Should we go after those guys?"
"I can still just barely track them with
Ryo then suddenly stopped talking.
"What is it, Ryo?"
"Just now, Eleven bio-signals vanished."
"What does that mean?"
"Most likely, the eleven guys from earlier have been killed…"
Ryo answered Etho's question with a frown.
Knowing that they would be suspected and pursued, Cardinal Camilo and his team showed up.
Took eleven potential witnesses with them.
And silenced them at the drop of a hat.
"This is really frightening, a Cardinal…"
"Looks like he doesn't care even if he is under suspicion."
Niels said, and Etho agreed.
"Let's go to the place where the eleven were killed."
The place was a pond surrounded by forests on the outskirts of the western city of Zephyrus.
"Did he kill them and drop them in the pond?"
"Yeah. Let me take a look.
He applied the magic spell he had created to probe Abel's body in detail to look inside the pond.
"Found them.
He placed the water around their bodies under his control.
Then, he floated the eleven corpses to the surface of the water and finally placed them on the ground.
"Something like this is a piece of cake for a water-attribute magician."
"Ryo-san, you're so cool!"
"No, it's no big deal."
Amon praised him honestly, and Ryo was embarrassed.
Niels and Etho were already inspecting the corpses.
"They've only just been thrown in, and already… something's already got to them…"
"They were used as bait, that's why."
The two were muttering to themselves as they looked at the bodies.
"Everything that could possibly identify these guys has been peeled off…"
"Except, this locket. It was sewn into the inside of the clothes. I think it belongs to the commander of this unit, the one who was being interrogated earlier… though his head is missing."
The locket that Etho showed was a pendant with a picture of a young woman inside it.
A bewitching beauty.
The locket was engraved with the words.
'My dearest Elena, to whom I, Tommaso, dedicate my eternal love.'
"The woman in the picture must be Elena, and the man must be Tommaso."
Niels made a pretty reasonable assumption.
"It is also possible that this painting is Tommaso dressed as a woman and the corpse is Elena dressed as a man…"
"Yeah right!"
Ryo's bizarre theory was immediately denied by Niels.
Of course, Ryo didn't think that was the case either.
He just dared… yup, dared, to look at it from another perspective.
To further the discussion!
For the heck of it.
"The fact that this is all we have to go on is just…"
"Yeah, it's pretty sad."
"This is going to require so much work."
"It's already late, let's stay in the city of Zephyrus today."
Niels lamented the lack of information, Etho agreed, Amon understood the difficulties ahead, and Ryo suggested staying the night.
"You seem unfazed, Ryo."
"To stay in perfect physical condition, lodging and meals are very important."
Niels' tone of exasperation was met with Ryo wagging his finger at him in a pompous manner.
Since there was no reason to deny it, the three of them agreed in the end and looked for a place to stay in Zephyrus.
-x-X-x-
The inn where the four stayed did not have a cafeteria.
Because there was a diner and bar next door.
Incidentally, it seemed that the owner of the inn and the owner of the diner/bar were the same person.
He's quite the businessman!
The diner/bar had a counter in the back with a line of liquors, where the men were hanging out.
In the front, there were many desks and chairs where men and women, young and old, ate and drank.
The place seemed to be doing quite well.
As soon as the four of them sat down, a young man approached them. He looked like he just come of age.
"Here is the menu. I'll take your drink orders first."
"Four beers for now."
Niels answered without hesitation.
The fact that a commonplace scene on Earth is now spreading on 'Phi' is something that Ryo is witnessing in real-time….
"Beer for now, what a powerful statement…"
His muttering was drowned out by the surrounding clamor and no one heard it.
In the midst of all this, Ryo's eyes caught a strange sight.
Amon, who was sitting in front of Ryo, was slanting his head quite significantly.
"What is it, Amon?"
"Nothing… just, the woman behind the counter…"
Amon answered Ryo's question with his head still stretched out.
"Oh! Finally, a woman who can steal Amon's heart?"
"No, I don't think that's the case."
Niels said laughing, and Etho refuted it.
Ryo also turned around and looked towards the counter.
Indeed, a woman was working behind the counter.
It seemed that many of the men at the counter were there just to talk to her.
That's how eye-catching she was.
But then, he remembered having seen her from somewhere…
Ryo then tilted his head as well, like Amon.
Niels and Etho must be wondering the same thing.
Tilting their heads.
It must be very strange seeing all four of them tilting their heads so openly.
However, they were in a diner and bar.
People who have had their fill of alcohol didn't care about such things!
"Ah, I got it!"
Etho said.
At about the same time, Amon shouted.
"It's that woman!"
"See, Etho and Amon both seem to have figured it out. While Niels here, is still wracking up his head."
"Shut it! Ryo hasn't either, have you?"
Ryo and Niels had yet to figure it out…
But after thirty seconds.
"Got it!"
They both said at the same time.
"It's the woman on the locket!"
"To think I'd draw with Niels, talk about a new low."
Nils said, and Ryo felt depressed.
Anyway, the woman behind the counter was the woman depicted on the locket pendant.
Her name is probably 'Elena'.
"What a convenient turn of events…"
Ryo's muttering was drowned out by the clamor and no one could hear him.
Then he continued.
"But sometimes, this kind of convenient development is good!"
"I'd like to go and ask about the locket, but…"
"Yeah, good luck with that. Look at all those men surrounding her."
"Let's just have our dinner for now. Once they're all drunk silly, we can go ahead and talk to her."
Etho spoke up, Amon pointed out the difficulty, and Niels made a realistic proposal.
"Niels here, just need to go taunt them like, let's have a drinking contest! And just get them all wasted, simple right?"
"As if, I can't hold my liquor that well…"
"What a surprise! I seem to recall you drinking like a champion back at the centaur's."
"Of course, I know how to hold my liquor, but… some people are simply monsters when it comes to their tolerance for alcohol."
Niels may have recalled someone from his memory who was a heavy drinker.
And he shook his head slightly.
At any rate, the four of them decided to eat.
Needless to say, they all unanimously ordered 'karaage'…
It was almost closing time when most of the customers at the counter had either drunk themselves into a stupor or left.
As for the four, Etho was completely drunk.
The other three were talking, drinking, and eating moderately.
"Shall we?"
"Let's go."
"And Etho… well, let's just let him sleep and we'll pick him up later."
"Welcome. The store is about to close, would you like a drink before you go?"
When the three of them got to the counter, the woman.. probably Elena, the bartender, called out to them.
"No, we already ate and drank over there. We just wanted to ask you something."
"Me? What~?"
Elena answered Niels' question while wiping the glass cups.
Niels took out a locket and placed it on the counter.
Elena glanced at it.
But her expression didn't waver.
Niels opened the locket and showed her the picture of 'Elena' inside.
"This is you, isn't it?"
"Oh, that's a beautiful picture. It kinda looks like me, but… it's hard to say."
All the while, Elena's expression did not change.
"Oh… right, I'd also be wary of an adventurer coming in here all of a sudden and saying something like that. I want you to calm down and listen to me for a moment… the owner of this locket was killed. We're trying to avenge him… or rather, find out why he was killed."
"Eh…"
As expected, when she heard that he had been killed, her expression wavered.
For a brief moment, her gaze swept across the locket pendant.
At the very least, she knew the owner of the locket, that's for sure.
"You said he was killed."
Elena did not open her mouth until well over a minute later.
"That's right."
"Do you know who killed him?"
"Eighty to ninety percent positive."
Niels responded calmly and consciously to Elena's monotonous words.
"What I am about to tell you is a parable. It has nothing to do with this person of interest."
"Sure."
"There was a third son of a Count's family. Let's call him Tommaso. Tommaso, from Count Padawan's family. He was the third son of the Count, so he couldn't take over the family. He could either become a government official or a clergyman… He was somewhat religious, so he became a clergyman. And he was trained at home from a young age, so he could use a sword pretty well. He was only in his mid-twenties when he became the captain of the famous Order of the Holy Knights. For a third son of a noble family, he must have been quite a career man."
Elena poured herself a glass of water and drank it down in one gulp.
Then she continued.
"But then he went astray. He fell in love with a bar girl. Stupid, isn't it? It's not very admirable for a Holy Knight to frequent a bar… but to fall in love with a bar girl is like throwing away one's career. But he said it was still fine…"
Elena, whose tone of voice had been completely undisturbed up to this point, became a little shaky.
Her fingers were shaking as she wiped the glass cup.
"The two promised their future together. In a year, the man would quit the Holy Knights and transfer to a knight order in a neighboring country, and the woman would follow him… that kind of promise. Six months later, the man took on a pretty big assignment. Until then, he had always smiled cheerfully, but his face gradually became more and more distressed. Still, in front of the woman, he was as gentle as ever…. And the day before yesterday… the man told the woman. That his father was also involved in the case…and that the Count family was entrusted with taking care of a matter. The woman didn't understand what he meant. But all she knew was that the man was suffering…"
Elena let out a small sigh.
"That is my story. Was it helpful?"
"Yes. Very much."
Niels said and got up from his seat.
Amon and Ryo followed.
Their destination, Padawan County, Tommaso's family home….
-x-X-x-
The next day.
The four of them returned to the Holy Capital and investigated the Count Padawan family.
"Their territory is in the western part of the Theocracy, but it's not that big. It seems that the family has produced quite a few knights and abbots like Tommaso. The current head of the family is Tommaso's father, Hilario. He has a mansion on the outskirts of the Holy Capital… the capital is too far from the territory, so if he were to keep the things he took from the vaults, would it be in a mansion on the outskirts of the Holy Capital?''
Etho told the other three what he had deduced.
Etho was quite good at that kind of investigation.
"Okay, then let's investigate that mansion."
The other three also agreed to Niels' decision.
"It's suspicious just by looking at it. Well, it's not visible, but just by seeing…"
Ryo said.
It was a strange thing to say, but the other three understood.
The four of them were on the hill.
From there, they could see the Count Padawan mansion in the distance.
However, there were quite a number of something deployed on the road leading to the mansion.
Golems.
"Do nobles also have golems?"
"No, I heard that the nobles in the Theocracy don't own them."
Etho answers Niels' question.
"So that means that the golems were arranged by the Theocracy, the Church, or some high-ranking official there."
"I see roughly twenty of them."
Niels commented and Amon counted the number of golems within sight.
"Twenty golems, fifty people… if they're going to hide a secret, I think they should make it a little more discreet."
"Yeah… it's like broadcasting to the public that there's something suspicious."
Etho agreed with Ryo's report and impressions.
"Well, it's not in the middle of the city. Even if they have this many defense forces deployed, ordinary people don't know about it. We already had suspicions and since we're watching from a viewpoint like this, it's obvious."
"It seems they are actually expecting someone to attack them?"
"I guess so. On top of that, they plan to use force to repel the attackers."
Niels said, Amon questioned, and Etho agreed.
Meanwhile, Ryo was searching with Active Sonar.
(Those golems are, I knew it, Holy Knights from that time at the Republic… a sword in their right hand, a small shield in their left… equipment is the same as when I saw them in the Republic. They are official golems of the Theocracy. Judging from the equipment of the 50 individuals, they are not knights… What does this mean? If the Holy Knights are deployed, doesn't that mean they have the backing of the Theocracy? And yet, the people on guard are… probably adventurers.)
Ryo conveyed the information he obtained using Active Sonar.
"Perhaps they also know who will be attacking them?"
"…The Knights Templars?"
Etho guessed and Amon added on.
"You don't know what will happen if a fight broke out between Knights Templars… they might have hired adventurers as a precaution."
"I see…"
Niels added and Ryo nodded.
Given the circumstances, it seemed possible.
"In any case, the main intercepting force would be the Holy Knights."
After saying that, there was a reaction in Ryo's Passive Sonar.
"Fifty cavalrymen are approaching."
"Knights Templars?"
"Yeah… that Third Detachment is here. Commander Bachelet is present."
"Did they find out that the items stolen from the vaults were here too? Aren't they brilliant?"
Niels crossed his arms and nodded.
Indeed, it could be said that they arrived quite quickly… maybe they also compared the information obtained by other teams.
When it comes to information gathering, there is power in numbers.
"Among the Knights Templars, there are those who follow Cardinal Camilo's orders, and there are those who follow Cardinal Oskar's orders… that's what you mean?"
"That's a possibility."
Etho conjectured and Niels agreed.
The Knights Templars are said to number over 1,000 people in total.
Of course, not all of them are in and around the Holy Capital but are scattered throughout the country.
Still, there indeed are quite a few of them in the Holy Capital, and the chain of command may be complicated.
After all, the Cardinals are the top leaders of the Western Church, apart from the Pope.
Being at the top of the church means being at the top not only in the Theocracy but also in the entire Western world.
If it is not a monolithic structure, it is not difficult to imagine that the organizations below it will be faced with various difficult demands.
"It's a tough world."
Ryo muttered.
Hearing that, the three of them laughed bitterly.
This time, they agreed with Ryo's words… Yes, it's a tough world.
While the four were talking about that, fifty Knights Templars approached the Count Padawan mansion.
And then, they reached the first line of defense.
They could see four people at the head of the Knights Templars group swing something over their heads.
"Is that really… bolas?"
Ryo muttered.
It was released from the hands of the four templars.
A string with weights attached to both ends and when they hit the Holy Knight's legs, they wrapped around them.
Naturally, the Holy Knights fell.
"Ooh"
All four of them, including Ryo, let out cries of admiration.
"Since it's a golem from their country, they know its weaknesses?"
"I see, that might be the case."
Etho nodded in agreement with Amon's words.
"As expected of the Knights Templars. They don't always lose."
"I think it is Ryo's ice floor that gives them the image of always losing."
Niels replied with an astonished expression as Ryo said that while folding his arms and nodding.
The golems were defeated, but since they were only tangled in their legs, they would eventually escape by cutting or removing the strings.
As if that didn't matter, the templars all rode past without slowing down.
They ignored the fallen Holy Knights.
Immediately, the next two Holy Knights blocked the front.
Just like before, bolas flew from the hands of the four Templars.
The bolas wrapped… not around their legs, but the sword in their hands.
The Holy Knights blocked the bolas that were flying toward their legs with their swords.
"They already deduced a countermeasure."
Etho was surprised.
"The 20 Holy Knights may be constantly exchanging information in some way."
Ryo commented, remembering the golem battle between the Holy Knights and the Civilians that he saw in the Republic.
After seeing the battle in the first row, the Holy Knights in the second row and beyond seemed to have changed their response, but he figured they may have been exchanging information rather than just 'watching'.
Even on Earth in the 21st century, fighter aircraft, for example, instantaneously share information obtained by other aircraft through tactical data links and utilize it for tactical deployment.
He wondered if the Holy Knights have a hint of artificial intelligence… Ryo pondered.
"I definitely want one."
Of course, Ryo's rice field management golem did not have that kind of function.
It didn't have any artificial intelligence.
Through this trip to the Western countries, he was able to see the interior of quite a few golems.
As for the golem of the QC Duchy, he was able to literally disassemble it from top to bottom and examine it… that contributed to Ryo's knowledge of golems more than he had imagined.
He was sure that if he returned to the Rondo Duchy and gave feedback to the rice field management golem… its combat power would increase exponentially!
Of course, no one knew why a rice field management golem needed combat power.
The templars ignored the Holy Knights and rode past them on horseback.
However, not everyone could run through.
"Ah, they fell!"
"Two people… the Holy Knights body slammed into the horse… it's only possible because the golem is a three-meter class golem."
Amon exclaimed in admiration, using the three-meter class golem category that Ryo created on his own.
Well, it would indeed be impossible for a human to ram a horse…
"Can you fight against a golem?"
"If I remember correctly, the golems of the Theocracy are the strongest in the Western Countries, right?"
"Um, it's stronger than the one from the QC Duchy?"
"As expected, it would be difficult for a human to defeat a golem one-on-one in a ground battle…"
Niels asked, Amon confirmed, Etho expressed resignation, and Ryo remembered the battle in the Inbury Duchy, where they once participated.
The Union's artificial golems were powerful.
There was a time when the adventurers of the Southern army surrounded one… but he remembered the sight of Ra, the leader swordsman from 'Switchback', being blown away by a golem.
During the war, some golems were attacked and defeated by the knights of the Inbury Duchy, but that was only due to the violence of numbers.
In a one-on-one situation, humans have no advantage.
"I recall a certain water-attribute magician tipping over the golem of the QC Duchy…"
Niels' murmur didn't reach Ryo.
The two knights who were body slammed by the Holy Knights and fell off their horses were each blown away by the Holy Knights' shield bash and fainted.
Even though they blocked it with a shield.
Power is everything.
The Holy Knights embodied that.
"They got hit, but… in any case, all we can do is watch. As expected, from this distance, even my magic can't reach them. Probably."
"Probably."
Ryo declared and Etho murmured.
In fact, they were more than 200 meters away, so there was no way to help them.
However, if they got any closer, there was a possibility that they would be detected by the Holy Knights.
When Ryo tinkered with the destroyed Holy Knight, Ryo realized that the detection ability of the Holy Knight was set to be extremely high due to its powerful output.
Rumor has it that this is possible because the Theocracy collects large magic stones indiscriminately, backed by the authority of the church in the Western Countries.
Neil Andersen didn't deny the rumor either, so it was probably true.
In the end, national power has a great influence on the development of science and technology and on what is produced as a result.
That is largely the reason why developing countries are unable to reach the same level of science and technology as developed countries.
It's not a difference in human resources, but a difference in national power…
That is why politicians must work hard to ensure that the country does not become weak…
So far, 48 templars had broken through a total of four golems.
However, what appeared before them then was a wall of golems and nearly 30 adventurers.
It was clear that the mansion's guards were trying their best to stop the templars there.
"Okay, it's time for us to move too."
The three of them nodded at Niels' words.
It's underhanded, but they would use the templars as decoys.
Well, the templars just rushed in on their own volition anyway…
-x-X-x-
The four people from 'Room 10' made a large detour to the back of the mansion.
The sounds of the battle at the front could be heard even where they were, which was quite far away.
But on the other hand, as long as they could hear that, there shouldn't be much attention on them…
"All the golems went to the other side, right?"
"Yes. There are ten adventurers in the garden of the mansion, but seven are near the front door. Three are near the back door."
With Ryo's
"As always, Ryo's detection is overpowered."
"We can attack with peace of mind."
"I feel like Amon's thinking is growing in a strange direction…"
Etho was impressed, Amon gave his honest impressions, and Niels shook his head slightly.
"I hope the golem don't notice us and come over…"
"It's okay, Etho. That's why Niels unscrupulously waited until the Knights Templars engaged the main Golem force. Even if they notice, it would be difficult for them to simply break away from the battle and pursue us."
Ryo answered Etho's concerns.
"You're not wrong, but is there a need to express it that way?"
Niels seemed dissatisfied…
In the end, the adventurers near the back door were immediately frozen in ice, and the four of them succeeded in entering the mansion without anyone noticing.
"Inside the mansion… as far as I can tell, there are six people."
"That's quite little."
Niels commented on Ryo's report.
"One person… is drunk on the third floor. There's a bedroom connected to the room he's in, so I guess he's the owner of this mansion. Count What's-his-name. There's also five people gathered in a large room that looks like a dining room on the first floor."
"You can even tell that he's drunk…"
"He's swirling the drink next to him at a fairly fast pace, but his movements are a bit unsteady… so he's probably drunk.''
In any situation, you have to analyze the information you have obtained and make inferences from it.
Even for magic.
No, in fact, because it's magic, the ability to analyze and reason is extremely important.
No one else has that information.
Only him.
So of course, the only person he could rely on for analysis was himself.
"First, let's take control of the five people on the first floor."
Niels decided on a direction, and the three of them nodded.
The four of them arrive in front of the door.
Niels nodded to Ryo.
Ryo held up three fingers.
Next, two.
And then one.
(
The moment it turned to go, Niels kicked down the door.
All four rushed in.
Five adventurers were lying on the floor.
Their hands, feet, and mouth were bound with ice.
So that they couldn't resist, so that they couldn't scream…
"Um…"
Niels was confused and looked at Ryo.
"I knew the location of the five people through sonar, so I incapacitated them while I was counting down three, two, and one. I was nervous because there might be a sixth person that I didn't know about, but it's all good, just the five of them."
"O-oh…"
Ryo took a deep breath and looked satisfied, while Niels accepted it, looking a little dissatisfied.
Etho and Amon smiled wryly.
In that way, the mansion was conquered.
"Next, the Count on the third floor."
A door that appeared to lead to the Count's room.
Niels knocked properly.
"Enter!"
They heard a drunk man's voice coming from inside.
When they opened the door and entered, a man in his mid-fifties, visibly drunk at first glance, sat in a chair and looked at them.
"Hn? Who are you guys? You're not the adventurers I hired."
"Yes, we're not."
Niels politely answered the Count's question.
After all, the man in front of them was probably a noble, so his words were those addressed to nobles.
"I see. Have you come to kill me? Go ahead, kill me. I have no regrets in this world anymore."
"You're Count Padawan, aren't you?"
"That's right. Ah, of course, you won't kill me unless you confirm it. Look, my identification plate."
After saying that, the Count threw the small plate he wore around his neck to Niels.
It was a little different from the plate that Ryo had… The appearances varied considerably depending on the country.
However, the alchemy tools that could read that had become quite common in both the Central and Western Countries.
At the minimum, they are placed at the gates of many cities.
In some cases, even guards carry them around.
Its spread felt unnatural…
However, none of the four people there had such alchemy tools.
"Marie is dead. Lance is already a cripple, and Osiris will not return. And now, Tommaso is dead too… There is no one left to inherit the Count Padawan family… Tommaso was the only hope… really the last… To keep him safe, I did whatever the church asked me to do… When I was told to kill people, I killed them. When I was told to attack the city, I attacked. When I was told to keep it in a place where no one could find it, I kept it… Then… as if all that I have done was not enough, they let Tommaso get attacked. Don't fuck with me! What priest, what cardinal, what do they think people are?…"
In the end, Count Padawan's words were filled with anger.
"I pretty much got the whole story."
"Yeah."
Etho said and Niels nodded.
"Count Padawan. We came to look for that something you were told to keep somewhere where no one could find it. Please tell us where it is."
"…Why do I have to tell you?"
Count Padawan answered Niels' question with clouded eyes and a frown.
"If you tell me, I will tell you Tommaso's final wish."
It was Etho who answered that.
The other three mentally tilted their heads.
What was his final wish?
"Tommaso's final wish? Hmm, interesting. It's probably a lie anyway, but I like the way you phrase it. I'll tell you. There's a special storage room connected to the neighboring bedroom. It's inside there. Follow me."
After saying that, Count Padawan stood up, but his feet were unsteady.
However, he waved off Niels' extended hand.
And then he started walking.
When he pulled a book on the bookshelf in the bedroom, the bookshelf moved sideways.
"Great gimmick."
Ryo was a little moved and muttered, but Niels was the only one who reacted to that.
He just shook his head without saying a word.
The storage room contained several barrels, armor, and a bag containing gems.
And there were four long, thin bundles.
Judging from their shapes and sizes, they were probably swords.
"Over there is the something I was told to keep. Take it with you as you like. I'll be killed anyway."
When Count Padawan said that, he chuckled.
They opened the four bundles and confirmed that there was a sword inside each one.
A holy sword prevents people other than the owner from touching it… Hugh said that.
The bundles were probably a special bag that allowed the holy sword to be moved.
Niels picked up two of the four swords, and Amon and Ryo each held one in their bags.
Meanwhile, Etho gave the locket to Count Padawan.
It was the locket that Elena at the bar refused to accept.
Because it had nothing to do with her.
"If you're going to die anyway, why not help others before you die?"
"What?"
"The woman depicted on this locket is the woman Tommaso loved."
"What!?"
"They had promised to move to a foreign country together in six months.''
"I see… Maybe that would have made him happier."
Count Padawan also nodded slightly at Etho's words.
"But let's get to the point. It's likely that she, Elena, is pregnant with Tommaso's child."
"Are you sure!?"
Count Padawan wasn't the only one who was surprised by Etho's words.
Niels, Amon, and Ryo too.
The three of them made eye contact.
"I'm a priest, so I could tell. There's a new life in her. If you're going to die anyway, wouldn't it be too late to die after saving her?"
Etho said and gave him the location of the bar and restaurant where Elena worked on a piece of paper.
"You can't buy time back. But you can atone for your sins."
Author's note:
They obtained the holy swords without any major issue.
That's great.
But they are on the outskirts of the Holy Capital.
I hope they can return to the Holy Capital safely… hehehe.