Volume 2 - CH 316

Chapter 0316 Archbishop Graham

Translator: Jay_Forestieri

Editor: Tseirp

Five days after leaving the Holy City of Marlomar, ‘Room 10’, ‘Room 11’, and Ryo’s search party arrived in Bacirta, the capital of the Eastern Kingdom of Lasha.

Of course, since the search party was carrying the ‘Holy Seal’, they were able to enter the city with virtually no checks.

Bacirta is a fairly large city, being the capital of the Eastern Kingdom.

The Eastern Kingdom itself is an above-average power in the Western Countries.

It may not be considered a major power, but it is certainly not to be underestimated as a middle-tier power.

The search party headed to the Bacirta Church before finding lodging.

After all, they were not sure if they would be forced to leave immediately after meeting Graham.

The Bacirta Church was easy to find.

In the center of the city was a huge building.

It was so large that it was worthy of being an archbishop’s parish….

It was certainly larger than the Central Temple in the royal capital of the Knightley Kingdom.

“Heating costs during winter is sure to be tremendous.”

No one responded to Ryo’s muttering.

But Ryo wasn’t about to back down!

“We go in and all of sudden we are surrounded by soldiers. And then the captain of the soldiers comes out and says: Kukuku, you foolish adventurers of the Central Countries, you have fallen into our trap. We’ve already got our hands on Graham. So give up any thoughts of struggling.”

Ryo’s ad-lib conspiracy story… the three from Room 10 just shook their heads.

The three from Room 11 looked on in slight surprise.

They were surprised but did not look impressed….

Maybe it was too short a story!

Better carry on!

“And there we are. Trying to resist, but then the enemy brings out their trump card. The trump card turns out to be a golem! And it is an angelic golem and it attacks us! It has magic resistance to all attributes, armor that cannot be damaged by swords, beams from its eyes, rockets on its arms, and finally, a self-destruct function. One after another, we get knocked down…. Niels gets pummeled, Niels gets done in, Niels runs out of juice…”

“Hey, how come I’m the only one being targeted.”

The other five laughed at Niels’ retort.

There were some words mixed in that they did not quite understand, but they decided not to care….

Since the person in question was Ryo.

Inside the church was a surprisingly large cathedral.

“Shit… I should have reserved the saying that the heating bill during winter is sure to be massive here… dammit, what a blunder.”

Whose muttering that was needed no mention, obviously.

That said, the room was so spacious and the ceiling was so high that it was not surprising that Ryo muttered so.

The ceiling and its surroundings were covered with stained glass, and the light that poured down from the ceiling was extremely brilliant.

The surrounding walls were decorated with sculptures, perhaps representing the missionary activities of saints in the past, or perhaps legends of the same kind.

However, the space was as solemn as it was glittering.

There were several benches inside, and a total of about ten believers were sitting on them with their eyes closed.

Some of them were muttering something, others in tears….

Not even one of them paid any mind to the search party.

With Niels in the lead, the group went further inside.

Deep inside the chapel, before them, stood a sculpture of a man with a benevolent expression on his face, his arms outstretched as if to embrace all.

“It’s probably the founder of the Western Church, New-sama.”

Priest Etho explained in a low voice.

“Not a god, but a statue of the founder?”

Ryo asked.

“Yeah. In the Western Church, it is forbidden to represent God in statues or drawings.”

Etho nodded and answered.

Etho is a priest of the Central Countries, and at the same time, seems to have been educated in the doctrines of the Western Church.

“Exactly.”

With that word, a man who appeared to be a priest came out of a side door and approached the group.

The priest bowed and continued speaking.

“By the looks of you… are you a priest from the Central Countries?”

“Yes. I am Etho, a Priest of the Central Church. We’ve come to visit His Excellency Archbishop Graham. Could you please take us to him?”

Saying that, Etho showed him the ‘Holy Seal’.

When the priest saw the Holy Seal, his eyes widened for a moment, but his expression quickly returned to normal and he said:

“I understand. Let me show you to the bishop’s residence. Please come this way.”

With that, the priest led the way as they walked.

The group was told to wait in the dining room of the bishop’s residence.

In some instances, the dining room is also used as a meeting room or a reception room.

They must have waited for about two minutes.

Archbishop Graham opened the door and entered.

“Ohh…. I was told you are guests from the Central Countries but… as I recall, the name of the party is ‘Room 10’, isn’t it? Niels, Etho, Amon, and Ryo. We haven’t seen since the time we defeated that vampire if memory serves.”

Graham, breaking into a smile, looked a little gentler than he did three years ago.

Dressed in the green and white vestments of the archbishop and holding the staff that he had carried three years ago, his appearance had not changed at all.

Judging from the flesh on his face and neck, his body tone was still the same, and hadn’t taken in any excess fat.

He must still be exercising his body regularly, just as he did when they traveled together back then.

Ryo took the liberty of interpreting it that way.

“Your Excellency Graham, it’s been a while.”

When Niels said that, Graham chuckled.

“Nah, it’s very embarrassing to be called Your Excellency by old acquaintances. Please call me Graham, as before.”

After a pause, Graham continued.

“So, are you here on orders… from Master McGrath or something?”

“Oh no. I have heard that you have been in contact with the Grand Master, but our visit is not directly related to that matter. However, we have the Grand Master’s permission, of course.”

Niels then explained the details of the visit.

“I see, you’re searching for the Demon Lord…”

Graham nodded slightly, as he muttered that.

“I don’t know the whereabouts of the Demon Lord either. As for someone who might have a clue… I really can’t think of any.”

“Is that so…”

Niels nodded in reply to Graham’s words.

“Could you tell us how the Hero party got to the Demon Lord the last time he was defeated? That might be of some help.”

It was Etho who asked that.

It would be worth knowing how many of them noticed Graham’s expression hardening just a little the moment he asked that.

A really, very slight facial distortion.

Or perhaps, a tremor in his expression.

“Let’s see. That way might seem roundabout, but might also be your best bet. I’ll show you a map of it later. But first…”

Graham said, then looked at Harold and continued.

“So, you’re Harold. I understand you’re under the ‘Rupture Spirit Curse’, may I ‘examine’ your body with magic for a moment?”

Harold looked at Niels.

Seeing this, Niels gave a small nod.

“Sure.”

“Then, if you’ll excuse me. <Evil Search>.”

Graham chanted, lightly stretching his right hand forward.

“Indeed, it’s the ‘Rupture Spirit Curse’ alright…”

Saying that, he opened his eyes wide, looked at Niels and continued:

“Niels, Etho, Amon… actually, even Harold and the other two? All of you except for Ryo? What in the world happened to you?”

“Eh?”

The six other than Ryo uttered in unison.

They didn’t quite understand what Graham was talking about.

“Recently… have you experienced anything strange or unusual?”

When Graham said that, something finally pooped into Etho’s mind.

“We may… have been temporarily teleported by a supernatural being.”

“Ah~”

Niels and Amon nodded as Etho explained.

He was talking about the ‘priest’-like man who showed an unusual obsession with the concept of the ‘Fallen’.

When he thought of the word strange or unusual, that occurrence was the first thing that came to mind.

“I see…a supernatural being who uses teleportation at will. Then, perhaps the residue from that encounter is stuck on the six of you.”

“Stuck…”

Ryo muttered to Graham’s words.

“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about. There is a smoke from consecrated incense called ‘Holy Smoke’, which can scrub it off when you bathe in it. We’ll do that later, too.”

As expected of the archbishop, he truly is a man of many talents.

“Truth be told, I’d have loved to ask Maurice, who was the scout of the Hero party, to show you guys the way, but unfortunately, she is currently all over the Western Countries on missions…. Instead, I’ll give you a portable map.”

“Is that really okay?”

“But of course. You possess the ‘Holy Seal’ after all. It is only natural for me, one of the priests of the Church, to give my full cooperation with such people.”

After parting with Graham, the party left the church.

And then, they noticed right away.

“We’re being watched.”

“There are… three of them.”

Niels and Amon attested in murmuring, low voices.

“But… this sensation?”

“Almost like, they’re not trying to hide it.”

“It’s a creepy sensation.”

Harold, Zeke, and Gowan also felt it.

“Oh, you guys feel it too, uh. They weren’t here when we entered the church, so they must have come while we were inside…”

Niels muttered.

“You’re right… there’s a Rindo Bakery here.”

“Ryo, I don’t think that’s the point here.”

Ryo pointed out the Rindo bakery on the other side of the plaza, and Etho disproved him with a wry smile.

“I can’t really pick out other things more significant than the Rindo bakery here, do you?”

To Ryo, the Rindo bakery was more important than those who seemed to be lurking around the church and monitoring the seven and the church itself, who were not likely to attack anyway.

But then, the situation was rather unavoidable.

Soon after the group left.

Graham was helping clean up the dining room of the bishop’s residence when three men came in.

They were wearing cloaks and looked like knights.

“Archbishop Graham, I want you to tell us what you just told those adventurers from the Central Countries.”

One of the knights spoke in a high-handed manner.

To an archbishop no less.

“And if I say no?”

Graham replied with a smile. His usual staff already in his hand.

“How dare you, a mere archbishop, just so you know we can do whatever we want, if we, the Templar Knights, are so inclined!”

With that, the men drew their swords and pointed the tips at Graham.

“Funny you should say that…”

A moment later, a devilish smile appeared on Graham’s face.

“Ughh.”

“Ugh-ha!”

“Ugh….”

Literally, ‘in the blink of an eye’, two of the Templars were in agony, clutching their stomachs, and the remaining one had a sword… Graham’s sword incorporated into his staff, at his throat.

“Do you know my other name?”

Graham asked quietly.

“…”

The man didn’t answer.

Graham moved the sword slightly, and a red line formed on the man’s neck.

Blood oozed out.

The sword had lightly cut the skin of his neck.

“Do you know my other name?”

“…Vampire Hunter… Master Graham.”

The man answered when Graham asked again.

“Not Master, Doctor.”

Graham corrected him without a change in emotion.

“I’m someone who has dealt with vampires before, you know? And you now think that I’d be done in by some measly Templars? Fools.”

The man could not reply to Graham’s words.

It was only natural, having been shown the overwhelming difference in strength.

“Now then… who the hell sent you guys? Or, more to the point, which Cardinal? Adolfito? Or Camilo? Or is it Sacharias?”

He took a breath there. And continued.

“Ohh, Cardinal Sacharias, huh.”

“! “

“To make a move at this particular time… interesting, Cardinal Sacharias. No, very interesting indeed…”

“Ar-Archbishop Graham, if you don’t release me immediately, you will be making enemies of the entire Knights Templar Order.”

Hearing Graham’s words, the man put up his final bravado.

“If I let you go, you’ll just go running to Sacharias, which isn’t any better, right? I guess I’ll have to rewrite your memories. Oh, don’t worry, you will live.”

The man shuddered at Graham’s cheery words.

Then he remembered.

The position Archbishop Graham held before.

And rewriting memories was but child’s play to him….

After all, he was the head of the Inquisition.