ACT 6: CHAPTER 22: THE CARDINAL'S JUSTICE

Disciple of Immortal

We followed Cardinal Wardell walking along a dark, underground passage.

「The 《Saint Staff》 is kept inside this room.」

「Thank you for your cooperation, Cardinal Wardell. I haven’t heard much from Sophia, but what kind of relationship do you have with the trading company?」

「I was asked to do something similar a really long time ago. Back then, it was a direct request from Sophia-sama herself. ‘Obey, for it is the will of a higher being'… Haha, I’d prefer not to discuss what happened back then. It suffices to say, while it wasn’t as significant as this time, it was something deeply tied to the very foundation of the Jonas Church’s purpose.」

Cardinal Wardell looked dejected when he said those words.

「Back then, I accepted Sophia-sama's contract out of self-preservation. Not a day has passed since that I haven’t lamented my own foolishness. …Though, in truth, I never really had a choice back then. After fifty years of training and countless experiences, here I am once again, just as I was back then—trying to trade the pride of the Jonas Church for peace. To uphold one’s principles or will, strength is indispensable. Nobility alone will never suffice to make up for it.」

Cardinal Wardell showed a despondent look on his face.

I might have come here with a rather careless attitude.

Even if it was the most prudent course of action, we are trying to take away the pride of the Jonas Church.

However, we couldn't entrust the protection of the ‘Saint Staff,' whose power remains unknown, solely to the templar.

They couldn't protect the ‘Saint Staff' from the interference of higher beings in the future.

As Cardinal Wardell said, nobility cannot make up for a lack of strength.

「So, you are aware of the higher beings as well. I had no idea that you've already known that much.」

「…Ah, yes, I am aware of them. I know that the gods and the miracles of the Jonas Church are nothing more than the creations of higher beings. Do you find it laughable, emissary of the Sophia Trading Company? That even after being confronted with the truth behind the scenes, I still cling to the maintenance of that illusion! Yet, it is precisely because this world is so warped that people must have an absolute source of salvation! And I strongly believed in that!」

Cardinal Wardell clenched his fists, his voice trembling as he spoke.

「I won't laugh. I do feel that your resolution is an admirable one.」

Knowing that this Locklore was nothing more than a vulgar pastime created by those higher beings would benefit no one.

There was no need to go out of our way to spread such a cruel truth.

「However, I never expected Cardinal Wardell to have changed so much.」

I had heard he was a cowardly, irresponsible playboy, but the current him was the exact opposite of that.

「Even his head is completely bald now!」

「P-Philia-chan, you mustn't say that! P-Please forgive her, Your Eminence!」

Pomera quickly covered Philia's mouth and bowed her head in apology toward Cardinal Wardell.

…Indeed, the biggest change might actually be his hairstyle.

I had heard he was a handsome man with long hair, but to think he had turned into a bald old man…

「I appreciate you quietly listening to the fleeting wish of an old man with little time left… Pardon me, but I haven’t yet heard your name. The young lady over there is Philia-sama… and the mage is Pomera-sama… And you are?」 Ṛἁ𝐍ỗBƐs

Cardinal Wardell, who was walking ahead, stopped in his tracks.

「I'm Kanata.」

「I see… Kanata, is it? I don't hate you, but for our meeting to happen under these circumstances… I can only blame the circumstances.」

Cardinal Wardell turned around toward us.

The expression on his face, marked by deep wrinkles, was twisted with malice.

「Cardinal… Wardell?」

Suddenly, at that moment, I felt a presence approaching from above.

I instinctively stepped back.

A pair of figures landed between Cardinal Wardell and us.

「Hey, is this pathetic excuse really the vanguard of the ‘Invisible Hand of God'? I feel like I wasted my time getting ready.」

「Those who are transcendent beyond a certain level often don't look the part.」

They were a tall man and a short woman.

The man held a large, rugged sword, while the woman was equipped with a slender rapier.

Both of them had cold expressions, and their eyes gleamed red even in the darkness.

「… What are you trying to do, Cardinal Wardell?」

I called out to Cardinal Wardell, who had walked over to the two in black armor.

「Gahahaha! I refuse to be a puppet of you so-called higher beings! These here are the Dark Templar, raised through any means necessary—be it curses or elixirs—over the course of my life for the sole purpose of opposing higher beings… they are 《Divine Execution Knight》! I always knew that one day, those long-eared dogs of the higher beings would interfere again!」

Cardinal Wardell spread his arms wide and began to laugh madly.

It seems his plan was to feign subservience to the higher beings, lure us into the cathedral's basement, and use these so-called 《Divine Execution Knight》 to crush us.

At this point, the 《Invisible Hand of God》 was no longer under the higher beings' control.

Choosing to stay silent, assuming it couldn’t be explained, ended up being a costly mistake.

Even if I try to persuade them now, it seems unlikely they would listen.

「Did I not tell you? Without power, one cannot impose their will! But I have obtained that power, you fools! If you thought I would meekly hand over the 《Saint Staff》, then you are gravely mistaken! Behold, Jonas-sama! I shall beat these lowly puppeteers… And bring true salvation to this world! As the first step toward that end, I shall test whether my 《Divine Execution Knight》 are a match for the 《Invisible Hand of God》!」

It seems that siccing the church knight Rizel on us wasn’t just a desperate act of blind faith—he wanted to confirm whether we truly were part of the 《Invisible Hand of God》 fighting force.

「It seems you've changed completely, even losing your sense of reason—what a pity, Cardinal Wardell…!」

I drew my sword and took a stance against the two 《Divine Execution Knight》.

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My first CN project, why waifu though? Well, coz the main heroine's job is buying soy sauce till the end of act 1

New Project:

Harem, Hero, Demon King, Seven Deadly Sin, Seven Virtue, Sacred Beast, Sword and Magic, Dystopian Future, DESTINY PROJECT HAD IT REALIZED!, Dungeon, Dragon, 72 Demons, Reincarnations