I Became the Villain of a Romance Fantasy

154 – Cogs(1)

It flies far away.

Sir Robin flew higher into the sky than I thought, probably because of the emotions involved. He flew so far that he wondered what would happen if he went beyond the mansion. A normal person would have to worry about life and death, but Sir Robin will be fine. Because he was a knight.

I turned my head and looked at the gymnasium, which had widened as Sir Robin had disappeared.

Even though the number of people was reduced by one, the gymnasium still looked cramped.

This is not a matter of my senses. Robin didn’t seem to notice until the end, but something invisible was spreading its presence here asking for recognition, so I spoke to something that was looking at me.

“Come with me.”

As soon as my words are over, the space on one side of the gymnasium is distorted.

What emerged from the hole in the twisted space was a red-eyed woman with dark black hair. The appearance of her unusual black hair made me wonder if she was a blood relative of an unknown family, but I soon realized that it was not just the color that defined her.

I have experienced similar sensations before.

A stronger and more heterogeneous presence than before. To them, the name human would surely be an insult. Even the pressure of power radiating from it implicitly was more destructive than any other transcendent being I had ever seen.

However, strangely, unlike the people I met before, I didn’t feel the disgust that made my skin rise. Is this me changing or is that woman special? This feeling, somehow familiar, was definitely something I knew.

She clapped her hands as if congratulating me on the fact that I recognized her, and spoke to me.

[It’s a great sense. I thought it wouldn’t be noticed by God, but it’s not completely ripe, but the dragon’s sense is more amazing than I thought.]

“Morning is Altair’s time. It’s not even night, but in the morning, and that’s how it happened that an apostle of foreign powers was openly roaming around Luden?”

[What can I do that other people can enter?]

In an instant, she changes her appearance from a woman with a mysterious spirit to a dignified old gentleman. If it was just the appearance, my senses momentarily lost sight of its existence. If I hadn’t been conscious of it, I might have missed its existence.

Not only can you move through space, but you can also twist people’s perceptions to your liking.

I know that the reason why it is difficult for pagans to invade Luden is because of the correlation between Altair and the divinity of foreign gods, but the existence in front of me seemed to have a special corner unlike other people.

“Orcus will wail if he finds out…”

It’s a really strange thing to say, but the being in front of me was being polite to me.

A strong man who can’t even be compared to the pagan cardinal he faced before. Is it because it becomes troublesome when there is a commotion? It seems like you have too much room to say that, but it may be because I am confident that I can control it enough.

Is it shallow?

I only have a wooden sword in my hand, but that’s not all of my weapons. To be honest, it might be difficult to win, but I was confident in holding out until Elena came.

If she had a joint battle with Elena in her mansion, it might not be unreasonable for her to win, she thought so, and when she touched the holy relic touching her chest, it smiled and said to me.

[Ah, it might be a bit difficult to call him now.]

Your senses go numb again at its smile. I couldn’t feel the holy relic that I had just touched. The existence of the holy object was erased without a trace from sight or touch. The relic did not disappear. It will definitely stay in the same place. But I couldn’t feel where it was now.

I think it’s because of that power that twists my cognition… But even though he mixed up my senses like this, he didn’t show any sign of doing anything to me.

I don’t know if she acted that way to ease her guard, but it changed back into a woman’s form and bowed her head politely, as if a maid were greeting her master.

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[You don’t have to be too vigilant. I just came to talk with you this time.]

“How can I believe that?”

[You don’t have to believe it, but… I think it’s good to know this first. I know who you are.]

You know me? What is that talking about now?

Is it deja vu that a case like this happened just a few days ago?

Before I could question the words that came out of nowhere, they continued talking.

[Damian Krause, a man who was originally supposed to be swallowed up by his own body and became a dragon…But now a new weight added to balance the scales that have collapsed due to the gods. Wheesung. Just like my lord, you are a being who came over from the other world. I know you.]

A name I had forgotten for so long comes to my ears.

It is a resonant that is familiar but not heard here. There were some incomprehensible words, but one thing was certain. That this guy also knew about me, that was the unmistakable truth.

***

In a space where there was only darkness, there were five candles placed on the table. Originally, it was supposed to maintain seven fires at all times no matter what, but the failure to do so showed how weak the current situation of the church had become.

For them, it would be a painfully obvious thing for them to have a vacancy in their current seat, but there was only one seat in this meeting that should never be vacated.

【Where is the Archbishop? Wasn’t she calling us?]

Only the archbishop has the authority to summon cardinals, who can be said to be an important force in the church. But when I arrived, I couldn’t see where the archbishop had gone. As if it was strange, someone asked in the air, and a man walked out from behind the archbishop’s seat.

【I called.】

A gray-haired old man. His face was full of wrinkles, but his body was as solid as that of a knight in his prime. But he was not the one they were waiting for, and the one who questioned the appearance of the old man, who was not the archbishop, shouted at him in an angry voice.

【Cain! No matter how long you’ve been in the Order among us, this is a clear oversight!! With what authority did you exercise the convocation order, which only the Archbishop has!]

The position of cardinal was a position that stood on an equal footing, regardless of age or ability. However, because he used the superior’s authority to call others on his own, he got angry at it. Not only the one criticizing him, but others also looked at the old man with dissatisfied eyes.

The old man responded with emotionless eyes, sat down quietly, and answered his words in a low voice.

【I’ll take the reprimand later. There is an important matter first.]

【Is there anything more than your right now?】

【The Archbishop has abandoned us.】

!!!!

At the words of the old man, the audience was shocked.

That’s because the old man’s words made no sense.

Who is the Archbishop? The founder of the church and the guardian of the church who has been protecting the church for a thousand years. Above all, isn’t he the one and only apostle of God left in this world?

It was hard to believe that such an existence betrayed the church. She had ruled as the master of her religion, and betraying her religion was no different from saying that she had abandoned her own.

【Are you really senile?】

[Nonsense! Why would God’s most faithful servant betray the Church!]

Unsurprisingly, some cardinals rose to their feet as if rebelling against the old man’s words.

The old man did not refute anything, and waited patiently for their words to end. When the raised voice lowered again, he opened his mouth again.

[Recently, there have been a lot of attacks on church branches. Even the places on the periphery where their influence away from the system is not closed.]

【Are you saying that the Archbishop has released information to them? Cain?】

【That’s not it. Archbishop didn’t release the information. How could a meager force from the frontier destroy the church’s branch? She broke it with her own hands.]

【It’s evil! Where did you get that stupid hair!!! You…】

【A self-made play I made up? Nice It’s okay to think so. But think about it. Don’t you think these days, she’s been away from her seat a lot in this Great War? Normally, she would only pray all day, but why would she go outside?]

【Isn’t it a new hobby? That, apparently, stayed only in the Great Temple for hundreds of years…]

【Is that hobby talking about massacring believers? One branch is gone every time she goes out!!! Even if you think of it as an offering to the gods, this is too much! I’m sure! She may be for God, but she has no interest in this Order!!!!】

The air that suddenly became heavy along with the raised voice informed that the old man was now surrounded by a deep sense of betrayal. The other cardinals who had condemned him at the old man’s words of anger were also forced to cower for a moment.

Those who defended the archbishop, saying that his words were contempt for the archbishop, gradually sprouted suspicion. That’s why the old man’s opinion was credible. By the time they were putting the puzzle pieces together in their heads and reaching some understanding, the old man caught his breath and opened his mouth again.

【I don’t know if she’s crazy, or if she’s really what the god who descended on this earth really wants. But either way, the Church will truly be destroyed if it goes on like this. So you need to find a way out. I, not the archbishop, should seek God myself and ask him.]

【Are you going to apostatize now?】

【No. This is not apostasy. Is she a newbie? She is not a god. You are confusing this.]

【An apostle represents the will of God. Isn’t this a matter of course? Cain. You are rebelling against the Archbishop, who is doing God’s will. If that is not apostasy, what is it?]

【That said, I can’t sit still and be killed by the archbishop. She didn’t keep her promise to us. What she promised in the name of her god to the kings of her first seven kingdoms was the power to uphold the kingdom’s glory. But where is the kingdom now? Aren’t they all lost and buried in history? So the Archbishop can’t be trusted. I’ll ask God myself I want you to give us what you promised.]

The old man sighed and continued.

【Think about the history of how this church was created. Why are there seven cardinals and why did you become a cardinal? Wasn’t it the revival of a ruined royal family? Maybe it’s because I’ve been stuck in the name of the church for a long time, so I’ve forgotten the essence.]

It seemed that he himself was going back and forth whether he was speaking as a descendant of an old royal family or as a cardinal of the order, but the cardinal could not refute the old man’s words.

They united under the name of a church, but it was only a means, and the revival of the fallen royal family was their long-cherished wish, so in the end everyone present nodded their heads to the old man’s words.