Chapter 66

Tap!

"Wh-What is this...!"

"This corpse... it's Sir Ilak! How could this happen!"

Having hoisted Ilak's corpse-obtained on Hiram's mission-before them, Irene opened her mouth while displaying Yaan's knight badge.

"Sir Ilak insulted Sir Verkut-my liege and commander-before me, and sought to intimidate me. Therefore Sir Yan Verkut challenged Sir Ilak Belkuth to a duel. I report that he has won."

The report from Irene, a commander, was as brief and concise as that of her own commander Yaan.

When the Belkuth knights grasped what had happened, they began to rampage wildly.

"A duel! Knights of the Empire crossing swords in a duel here, of all places! Do you have any idea how crucial this moment is, to pull a stunt so ridiculous!"

"What could Sir Verkut be thinking, the one you serve! Why, in the very heart of the Church, would you slay a fellow knight...!"

"Enough!"

The one who calmed the enraged knights was Bidel.

"Commander, you're Irene Petricia, yes?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Bidel, eyes raised savagely, studied Irene's face. It was a glare that would make most grown men flinch, yet Irene's expression remained perfectly composed.

"Is there any falsehood in what you just stated?"

"None."

Her answer came without the slightest hesitation.

After gazing at her for a moment, Bidel sighed and spoke.

"Very well. I shall send word to my main house."

"M-Master!?"

"Do you intend to simply let this matter pass!?"

Bidel's disciples immediately protested the Old Knight's single remark, yet Bidel was immovable.

"My thanks."

With a brief word of gratitude to Bidel, Irene turned and returned to her quarters.

"What are you planning, Master! If matters stand like this, the plan...!"

"Now is not the time to bare our fangs. Look clearly at the present situation."

Bidel slowly opened his mouth toward the knights, who had fallen silent at his words.

"By Prince Klaus's order, the colossus cannot be deployed. Moreover, Yan Verkut's unit is a band of killers who specialize in night raids and guerrilla warfare. Do you still not understand!"

At Bidel's shout, the Belkuth knights paled as they grasped the state of affairs.

"H-Hold on..."

"Then, at this moment..."

Confirming that his disciples had grasped his meaning, Bidel spoke with a heavy heart.

"That knight, Yan Verkut, has just delivered a warning to us. While we remain in the Church, they can kill us at any time...!"

Hearing those words, the disciples rose and shifted the curtain in their quarters.

The streets of the Church, blanketed in a snowstorm.

Yet the instant they focused mana in their eyes, they could easily pick out the gazes of roughly ten individuals surrounding their quarters.

The muzzles of snipers aiming at them under the pretext of protection.

"With mana communications impossible, we have no way to contact the main house...!"

Bewilderment turned to dread, then to terror.

Bidel's voice reached the disciples, who fought to suppress the chill running down their spines.

"Without justification, they cannot touch us. So we wait. The moment we board the colossus will be our chance."

Seeing their master's spirit unbroken, the disciples could only nod and rekindle their fighting will.

***

"You've arrived?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you, I've crossed the entire continent from the southernmost tip to the northernmost in a week. I believe you're the first knight in imperial history to drag royalty around like this."

"Even so, I'm alive thanks to you."

Klaus gave a weary sigh, exhaustion etched on his face; Yaan merely shrugged.

"We were lucky. Don't expect it to happen again."

"I know. I'll summon you earlier next time."

"Haha, that's what I like to hear."

Klaus muttered as if resigned, then turned toward the quarters and spoke.

"There was gunfire earlier-was that your doing?"

"I killed a Belkuth knight in a duel. If they have any sense left, they won't provoke us further."

Hearing that, Klaus could only sigh and stare at the sky in exasperation.

"Did you make the first move?"

"Of course not. They approached Irene first. Likely to extract information."

"Hah... we've reached a point where I can't even tell friend from foe."

Klaus shook his head, and Yaan pressed on.

"How did the negotiations go?"

"Settled amicably. A few details remain, but we've agreed on the main points."

The Empire would keep silent on the Church's development and use of the colossus; in exchange, the Church would grant permission to explore the uncharted land beyond the Iron Wall-the Crystal City.

That was the core of the agreement Klaus had described.

Klaus added that the tariff relief previously imposed on the Church had also been lifted, but Yaan only absently searched his pocket for a cigarette.

"First I'll report to the homeland via mana communication, then deploy my dig team."

"You intend to enter the Crystal City?"

At Yaan's quiet question, Klaus shrugged.

"You may not know, but the Empire has just become the only nation to secure excavation rights to the Crystal City from the Church. We may find weapons like Tauros..."

"And a high probability of eliminating the risk factors."

Yaan cut in.

Recalling the Tauros incident, Klaus looked at the man who had resolved it and chose his words carefully.

"Ah, I'd nearly forgotten."

As if to lighten the mood, Klaus pulled an envelope from his pocket and showed it to Yaan.

Unlike the imperial missive on fine vellum bearing the Emperor's seal, this was ordinary stationery- a letter from the Pope.

"First the Emperor of the Empire, now the Pope of the Church... soon I may be speaking with Alphi and Rhea as well."

"Was Your Highness the one who converses with corpses?"

"I imagine ghosts are easier to catch."

With idle banter Yaan opened the letter, and the Pope's neat script met his eyes.

'I would like to speak of what was left unsaid. Please visit my chambers at the Holy See at your convenience. I shall await you.'

By the time he finished reading, the two had reached the quarters.

The cardinals had offered to prepare lodgings befitting royalty, but Prince Klaus had flatly refused.

"...I must pay a visit to the Holy See."

"Trouble never ends for either of you."

With that, Cain waved Yaan toward the quarters and went inside.

"...His Highness knows that as well."

Saying so, Yaan turned and set off for the Holy See.

"Ah, Mister Yaan? You're... early."

"Yes. You said to come at my convenience."

The Pope had broken into a cold sweat at how quickly Yaan arrived- less than an hour after the letter was sent- but thankfully he didn't seem offended.

The Pope served tea and prepared refreshments, just as before. Yaan watched him for a moment, then lifted the cup to his lips.

The fragrant herbs, the scent of old wood- together they seemed to loosen the tension in his body.

"Your letter said you had something to tell me."

"Ah, yes. More precisely, I called because I have a favor to ask."

As he studied the Pope, Yaan felt the same déjà vu he'd had when they first met and sighed.

"You intend to ask something through the survey team the Empire is sending."

"Haha, exactly right."

With that, the Pope seated himself across from Yaan and opened his mouth.

"In the Crystal City, what did you see?"

"I saw bones. I was told they were the bones of martyrs."

"That's right. They are indeed martyrs."

Saying so, the Pope handed Yaan a map.

Looking at the map showing the topography of the Crystal City-more precisely, the old city entirely encased in glass-Yaan finally pointed to one marked spot.

"The marked spot is where you're making your request, I take it."

"Yes. And probably... whatever you're looking for is there as well."

Still gazing at the map, Yaan opened his mouth toward the Pope who spoke those words.

"I'm sure you know, but I'm no longer a prisoner as in the past. I'm sitting here as a knight of the Empire."

"Yes. I know."

"Then what do you intend to give me in exchange for this request, Your Holiness?"

Offering a deal to the Pope-practically a symbol of holiness-might itself be a grave blasphemy.

Yet the Pope only smiled faintly at Yaan, offering neither rebuke nor reproach.

"The cooperation of every Creator Church scattered across the continent. And I shall give you the truth."

"...The truth?"

As he echoed the word and looked at the Pope, Yaan could have sworn the boyish face darkened.

"Yes. The truth. I shall tell you the truth that has sustained the Holy See... the truth of the Creator Church."

***

"Never thought I'd end up working with the wandering dwarf tribes. Thanks to you, I'm racking up some strange experiences."

The northernmost point of the Kelt Holy See-the Iron Wall.

One week after leaving to prevent a clash between the Holy See and the Empire, the dwarfs waiting for the next expedition were dividing duties with Prince Klaus's dig team.

"Ah, so we can't use the excavation equipment here?"

"To anchor anything, you need to drive in supports, right? But the ground's all glass-ordinary supports won't even bite."

"Even if they did, the foundation itself would shatter."

"If you're unlucky, the defense system might trigger and wipe you out, so be careful."

Compared to the Holy See's humans who spoke of faith and martyrdom, the dwarfs found the Empire's humans far more comfortable, and they unreservedly gave friendly advice to the dig team.

"Pitch camp on the edge of the secured zone and proceed with the colossus. You can even fight parts of the defense system, so you'll secure more relics."

"Fascinating. The whole region's ringed in glass-how does the defense system even operate?"

When Prince Klaus, directing the dig team while listening to the dwarf, asked in puzzlement, the dwarf's expression hardened.

"...The ground opens."

"What?"

"You'll see when you watch. This part can't be explained. In any case, the instant someone shouts 'danger,' pull out immediately."

"All right. We'll do that."

An incomprehensible phenomenon had to be handled by relying as much as possible on the veteran's advice.

"All excavation team members, listen up."

At length Klaus gathered the dig-team members in one place and earnestly addressed them.

"Your lives are the most important. As a prince of the Empire, I will severely punish anyone who throws their life away for results-so come back alive."

"Understood."

"We'll follow His Highness's orders."

Looking over the team member who spoke with a laughing face, Prince Klaus at last approached the knights waiting by the colossus.

"Belkuth Knights, I ask you as well-keep them safe."

Having entered with lowered posture in the first place, even Belkuth-who opposed Lorenz-could not refuse.

"It's for the Empire. We'll do our utmost."

"Hmm. My thanks."

There was no reunion with Yaan. They merely looked at each other for a moment, then nodded.

"Right! We're off!"

"Let's bring back something this time!"

With the dwarfs' voices urging the hogs and the Empire's flag raised high, the massive column began to cross the glass plain.

Thump-! Thump-!

One hundred dwarfs and fifty dig-team members. Five colossi. The largest expedition in history.

***

[Second authentication complete.]

[Iris implantation result confirmed. Objection from AI #2 due to re-examination confirmed.]

[Rejecting. Detecting approach of Human Federation forces' standard-issue doll weapons.]

[Boot sequence skipped from 21 to 772. Switching to emergency power.]

[Reproduce humanity's glory.]

[Reproduce humanity's glory.]

[Reproduce humanity's glory.]