Chapter 119
Reinhardt was faced with a choice between two options.
The first option was to grant Truma’s request. It was the path of protecting Dalton and killing Rosin.
The second option was the opposite.
To let Dalton die and allow Rosin to live and escape.
If he sided with Truma, an angry Agrio-s would erge.
If he sided with Agrio-s, it was unknown what an angry Truma would do.
Either way, it was a developnt that was not very welco to Reinhardt.
Because he was a human now, and humans could not stand against gods or demons.
“I’ve received a clear answer.”
But Reinhardt had received permission.
Agrio-s had answered that it was fine to slay his own retainer.
Of course, he had not heard it directly with his voice. He had only grasped it by observing Rosin’s reaction.
THUD.
The high-ranking warlock Rosin t his end.
Though invisible, his soul must be screaming and being dragged to hell right about now.
“What a nasty bastard.”
[You have executed ‘Rosin’.]
The effect of [Justice] has been enhanced due to a righteous choice.
Stat increase per stack 10
The new reward was groundbreaking.
It was not a bonus received purely for slaying a warlock. This was the price for choosing the right option on the path of a choice between two.
“Bbi-iit- bbit!”
Bitdori was in a very excited state. Seeing its particularly strong halo, it seed Truma had offered so praise again.
‘Truma is satisfied. And I have to assu Agrio-s is satisfied too. Seeing as he’s been quiet so far.’
Demons were beings faithful to their desires.
When they wanted sothing, they would get it by any ans necessary, and even if they were in the middle of a major task, if sothing piqued their interest, they would head that way without hesitation.
This ti, it ant Reinhardt had succeeded in piquing Agrio-s’s interest.
To the point where he let the warlock he had just empowered die.
‘……There’s more than one or two strange things. According to the original story, Rosin should still be a low-ranking mber. He shouldn’t be an Archbishop of the Dark Order already.’
The story had been flowing in a different stream from what Reinhardt rembered for a long ti now.
But the original story was still an important indicator for Reinhardt.
Because even if it was not the sa flow, there was information he could obtain just by comparing.
“Bitdori. Let’s clean up those things first. First, help Dirk…… just enough so he doesn’t die. If possible, let that guy take care of them himself.”
Bitdori spun around excitedly and flew towards Dirk.
There were still live, roaring Magical Beasts there. They were in a slightly more ferocious state because they had lost the control of the warlock.
Reinhardt sat on the hill and watched Dirk fighting hard.
He did not intervene in the battle.
Because the promising talent Dirk was growing at an exceptional rate with every swing of his sword.
‘Since it’s co to this, I have to suck it dry to the marrow.’
Dirk was gaining valuable real-world combat experience. It was an even more precious mont for Dirk because he had the safety net of Bitdori.
Reinhardt left the place. Leaving Dirk’s battle behind, he walked along the trail of Magical Beast blood that continued through the forest.
At the end of it was Dalton, leaning against a tree stump and panting.
“Ah, you’ve co. Truma told that you were coming, Sir.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, thankfully.”
Dalton smiled more brightly than ever and nodded.
Reinhardt looked him over with a reluctant gaze.
He was a ss.
His left arm was dangling as if broken, and a long gash remained on his thigh.
Blood was also trickling down from his abdon as if he had been stabbed deeply by sothing.
“You don’t look alright.”
“You are here, Sir, and Truma is watching over . Could there be a happier mont than this?”
“I was asking about your physical condition.”
“So that’s what it was! I’m bleeding heavily. I will lose consciousness and collapse soon.”
It was a statent in which not a shred of a sense of crisis could be felt.
“Can you heal it with divine power?”
“Yes, I can!”
Then he should have healed himself first.
In front of his dumbfounded gaze, Dalton declared proudly.
“I saved it to use for you, Sir. Shouldn’t a staff wait for its use like a staff?”
“Heal yourself first.”
“Yes, Sir Reinhardt.”
As soon as the order was given, Dalton spread a brilliant light.
The bleeding stopped, and new flesh grew.
When the process, which was like showering in light, was over, Dalton was neat and tidy.
Only the tattered clothes showed the traces of battle.
“From now on, prioritize your own safety.”
“Yes, Sir Reinhardt.”
“Sacrifice is a last resort.”
“I will think so.”
That was enough for a ntal education.
Because he was a man who would follow Reinhardt’s words even if it cost him his life.
And only then did Reinhardt get a chance to grasp the whole story.
“What happened? In the Capital.”
***
The existence of Archbishop Dalton is the prosperity of the order.
That was the first thing Dalton heard when he visited the Capital.
The Cardinal, whose beard had turned pure white, treated Dalton with the utmost respect as if he were the Pope, and soone who had treated him with a wary look on his last visit had turned pale.
The one who heard Truma’s voice.
The one who received the Incarnation directly into his own body.
There was a stark difference between the two positions. The expression ‘heaven and earth’ was not an exaggeration.
“I beca a Cardinal of the order.”
And so, Archbishop Dalton beca a Cardinal.
It was a natural course of action.
The authority of the order cos from the god it serves.
Overwhelming treatnt naturally followed the believer whom the god cherished and loved.
“Is it that simple? There must be procedures, right?”
“Yes, your words are very true, Sir. It was a process that required at least a year, but it was all omitted.”
“Were there no opposing votes?”
“No. It was unanimous.”
In fact, it was a natural result.
Because no clergyman would want to be disliked by the god.
The high-ranking officials of the order, that is, the Cardinals, had all cast a vote of approval for this matter without exception.
They had omitted all the cumberso and ssy procedures and created the youngest Cardinal at an unprecedented speed.
“What did Truma say?”
“He said nothing. I heard Truma’s voice today, that is, right before you arrived here, Sir.”
“Before I arrived.”
“Do not harm your brothers and sisters. For salvation is near.”
Truma had in a way told him that Reinhardt would be coming soon.
‘But he didn’t warn him. Even though he asked for help early on.’
He could have warned him if he wanted to.
If he had just thrown out an oracle, Dalton would have taken asures accordingly.
Reinhardt added a line to the ‘strange things’ list in his head and nodded.
“Let’s return first.”
“Yes, Sir Reinhardt.”
Dalton, who was returning with him, seed light in body and mind.
Seeing him walk with a brisk stride, he seed to be in better condition than usual.
‘The dead comrades will have gone to heaven anyway.’
A soldier would have been depressed, and a knight would have hardened his expression.
But the clergy of this world do not fear death.
They do not mourn their dead comrades either.
Because death was not the end.
Rather, it was a ti to receive the rewards for their devotion so far.
The reason they stubbornly survived and endured was solely to carry out the will of the god here.
“S-Sir Knight!”
The battle was already over.
Dirk, who had spotted Reinhardt, sent him a desperate look like a child who had found his lost parent.
The surroundings were filled with fallen Magical Beasts. They were all spewing ink like octopuses.
“Good work.”
“I-I thought I was going to die!”
“Don’t be a crybaby.”
“But I survived! I have grown one step further. The trial that did not break has made stronger- keok!”
“Be quiet.”
Reinhardt covered Dirk’s mouth and took out a bunch of glass bottles from his [Inventory].
They were bottles containing the neutralizing agent.
“Sprinkle this everywhere. It’s sothing that prevents contamination by Magi.”
“Yes, sir! How much should I sprinkle?”
“Until you can’t see the black-stained parts.”
“Understood!”
Dirk seed to have plenty of stamina left despite having fought a fierce battle.
This too was proof of his talent. His strong stamina and innate recovery ability allowed him to not even pant for breath.
“Dalton, heal your comrades first. After the treatnt is over, you can help Dirk.”
“I will gladly do so, Sir Reinhardt.”
Only after the order was given did Dalton begin to heal the unconscious clergy.
‘Those guys were on a similar level. They were all crazy.’
They were guys who would willingly offer their necks even when a comrade aid a weapon at them.
But the world was originally like that. The order was a place where one had to have that kind of mindset to survive.
“Good work, Bitdori. You weren’t in any danger, right?”
“Bbit- bbi-i.”
“It was worth getting bigger.”
Among the fallen Magical Beasts, there were quite a few that were around Grade 3.
If Dirk had been alone, he would have been dismbered long ago, but the grown Bitdori had that much strength.
“Was there nothing else?”
“Bbit.”
“From up there.”
Reinhardt raised his index finger and pointed to the sky. Bitdori, as if it understood, made a ‘bbit’ sound and stroked its own head with its short arm.
“You were praised.”
“Bbit.”
“Of course it’s sothing to be praised for. Good job.”
There was no particular change in Bitdori.
‘Did he think it was a chance to develop Dirk? Or was he trying to help enhance my Justice skill? That can’t be it.’
Only Reinhardt knew about the existence of [Justice].
It was the sa even for beings called gods or demons.
No matter how great their abilities were, in the end, it was impossible to break the established laws.
‘Bitdori has grown, but there’s also the possibility that I can’t see it.’
There were more than one or two things to think about.
Why did Rosin beco an Archbishop, why did Agrio-s willingly throw away Rosin’s life, and why on earth did Truma call him, Reinhardt, all the way here?
It was not a problem that would be answered even if he asked Han Yura.
She would probably just give back a low-accuracy speculative opinion, saying that according to the original developnt, and so on.
“Sir Knight! We’re running out of neutralizing agent!”
“I’ll pile it up here, so you can use it.”
“Sir Reinhardt! Everyone has recovered. They will need so rest, but Truma will be with them, so there will be nothing to worry about!”
“Please help Dirk. I would also ask the others to help as soon as they regain consciousness.”
The work that followed was the purification of the contamination.
Reinhardt took out the vast amount of neutralizing agent he had stored in his inventory.
Dirk, Dalton, the three clergy who had regained consciousness, and even Bitdori lent a hand.
The performance of the neutralizing agent was outstanding. Just a handful of it could push back the severe contamination.
The earth that had been stained black regained its vitality.
Cardinal Dalton, who was leading the work, was sweating profusely, but his expression was one of ecstasy.
“Ah, as expected of Truma……!”
He seed to think that the effect of the neutralizing agent was the power of Truma. Of course, even if he knew it was a neutralizing agent, he was the type of person who would shed tears of gratitude, saying that it too was thanks to Truma.
“In that case.”
Reinhardt looked over the pile of purified Magical Beast carcasses.
Those were enormous spoils of war.
The only drawback was that he had to dismantle them one by one by hand.
‘It would be hard to get help for this.’
There were not many people who could cut through the hard claws of a Magical Beast.
It was the sa no matter how talented Dalton was, having achieved a rapid promotion.
Pouring divine power on them would not soften the claws.
Just as Reinhardt was contemplating this.
“Bbit.”
Bitdori flew over with a triumphant air and placed its short hand on the carcass of a Magical Beast.
“What the……”
What followed was disassembly.
The Magical Beast, surrounded by light, instantly lted away, then completely disappeared.
And what remained in its place were only the materials that Reinhardt needed.
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