NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48
Chapter 48
“……”
Nahun suddenly felt a strange sensation and looked up at the sky. After a moment of staring, he began to worry about whether Seere was doing well. He let out a deep sigh, prompting Dein to ask beside him.
“Nahun, are you feeling unwell?”
“…No. It’s nothing like that.”
Was this how it felt to leave a child at the waterside? He was concerned about what kind of trouble Seere might cause.
She was a clever child, but she was a Demon King. Unlike himself, she didn’t see humans as individuals. She viewed them merely like ants crawling along the roadside. No one would say anything about what she might do to the ants, and she wouldn’t feel guilty at all.
This meant she was likely to cause trouble more easily. He had warned her not to, but…
‘Considering the nature of the Demon King, there’s a chance she might ignore my advice.’
The Demon Kings from the Ebel Queen Maker were essentially brutal. They weren’t all psychopathic by nature, but they were born to dominate and rule. From the perspective of ordinary people, they were born with a cruel and brutal temperament, which was an essential virtue for dominance.
That’s why Nahun was surprised when he first saw Seere. She looked and acted just like a young child. Even now, she was delicate and quite cute for a Demon King…
“…I can’t deny my instincts.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. By the way, are you ready?”
“Yes, I have gathered everything.”
Nahun and Dein were about to commit an unfathomable act. It was something unimaginable for the citizens of the Holy Kingdom. Dein was handing Nahun a white robe, a cross necklace, and even a thick book.
Indeed, they planned to infiltrate the Grand Cathedral disguised as priests. It was bold, but Nahun was confident they wouldn’t be caught.
“What’s our identity?”
“There’s no verification of identity inside the cathedral anyway. The doctrine states that all identities are inconsequential before the Heavenly God. But we need a name to use, so I’ve secured one in advance.”
“I see.”
“For names, Nahun will be Antonio, and I will be Georgius.”
They were names that sounded like they belonged to clerics. When Dein handed over the identification, Nahun squinted slightly.
“Dein, there’s blood on the ID.”
“…I’m sorry. I’ll fix that.”
“I guess I won’t need my adventurer identity anymore.”
Nahun set the clothes he received from Dein down on the floor momentarily and snapped his fingers. In an instant, the clothes transformed onto his body. Dein looked on with wonder and remarked.
“The clothes changed in an instant.”
“Well, it’s not like I put them on.”
“Excuse me?”
Nahun pointed at the floor. The priest’s robes that Dein handed him lay there unchanged.
“I transformed the clothes I was already wearing into these.”
“Ah…”
It seemed to be magic. Unlike when Eri used magic, Nahun had occasionally used spells like this without reciting incantations.
‘That’s quite fascinating.’
As he thought this, Dein handed Nahun his own clothes.
“Could I do the same?”
Even though they were in a secluded alley, they were still outside. If he were alone, he would have changed quickly, but being with Nahun made it a bit awkward.
“Sure.”
As Nahun performed the same transformation for him, Dein bowed in gratitude. Nahun adjusted his voice slightly and deliberately spoke in a different tone.
“Then let’s go, Brother Georgius.”
“…Yes, understood. Brother Antonio.”
Dein was honestly taken aback. Could Nahun even change his voice? At this rate, he was beginning to wonder what Nahun couldn’t do.
As Antonio and Georgius approached the entrance of the Grand Cathedral, solemn Holy Knights glanced at them once. However, they did not stop Nahun and Dein. They merely lowered their heads slightly in greeting.
‘The disguise seems perfect.’
Dein’s outfit was precisely that of a priest belonging to the Grand Cathedral, so they would not arouse any suspicion. Who would dare think to kill a priest in the Grand Cathedral and wear his clothes?
Nahun thought to himself that keeping Dein alive and raising him five years ago was indeed a very good decision.
Upon entering the Grand Cathedral, an inexplicable unpleasant feeling suddenly washed over him. Nahun realized this discomfort stemmed from the divine power of the Heavenly God residing in the cathedral.
“Brother Georgius, where should we go?”
Thinking he needed to handle things quickly and leave, Nahun inquired. Dein raised his tone and answered in a different voice.
“Let’s head to the central hall, Brother Antonio.”
As the two walked toward the hall, a passing priest noticed them and offered a nod. Nahun then asked the priest.
“Brother.”
“Yes?”
“Has the Holy Father emerged from his chambers today? I missed the news because I was away.”
“Um, I’m not really sure, Priest. I haven’t seen the Holy Father recently.”
“Is that so?”
“I apologize for not being of help, Priest.”
“It’s alright, Brother.”
Nahun made the sign of the cross and said.
“May the blessings of the Heavenly God be with you.”
“May the blessings of the Heavenly God be with you.”
As the priest bowed and left, Nahun wore a self-deprecating smile. Here he was, possessing the essence of a Great Demon while making the sign of the cross and praying for the blessings of the Heavenly God. It was quite an ironic situation.
“The Holy Father must be in his chambers.”
“There’s a high chance of that. Have you identified the location of the chambers?”
“Not the exact position, but there’s a quarter accessible only to priests that leads from the central hall. There’s an underground space here whose purpose is unknown… so I suspect he might be there.”
“Hidden away well.”
Nahun set foot into the central hall. He paused for a moment to quietly observe the scenery of the hall. The exceptionally high ceiling, colorful stained glass, and the clergy, priests, and Holy Knights bustling about in the central hall.
This was the landscape of a sanctuary imbued with the blessings of the Heavenly God. Nahun briefly looked around before heading towards the priest’s quarters that Dein had indicated.
Perhaps because he had stepped into this sanctuary, Nahun’s mood gradually worsened. He felt unnecessarily irritated and uneasy. Perhaps sensing the atmosphere, Dein intentionally kept quiet and began to observe carefully.
“Dein.”
Even though they were still inside the cathedral, Nahun was calling him by his real name instead of a pseudonym. Dein did not point this out and bowed obediently in response.
“Yes, Nahun.”
“It’s exceedingly unpleasant to be here. We need to take care of business quickly.”
“I’ll find it.”
Dein vanished just like that. It was impressive how he could hide himself in this vast open space; he disappeared in the blink of an eye. Nahun raised his hand and brushed his hair back.
‘This feeling… isn’t going away.’
Was it because he was a Great Demon? Or was there some other reason? Every time he sensed the divine energy pervading the area, his mood soured even more.
“…I need to handle this quickly and get out.”
With that thought, Nahun followed the path that Dein had taken.
#
“…Your Holiness.”
A woman who was in a state of undress in the Holy Father’s chambers spoke with a puzzled tone. Resting her head on his thigh, the Holy Father opened his eyes at the sound of her voice.
“What is it, Riri?”
“Did you call for someone other than me?”
“What are you talking about? Riri, you are the only one for me. You are the only one who understands my struggles; how could I possibly do that?”
“Then what is this presence…?”
Riri squinted her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Then she quietly listened.
Footsteps from the direction of the quarters.
The sound of dust rolling.
The sound of a small insect crawling.
Sounds of something heavy falling.
‘…Weight?’
Riri propped the Holy Father up and sought his permission.
“Your Holiness, may I trouble you for a moment?”
“What is it?”
“I’m going to break through here for a bit.”
“Huh?”
Riri lightly balled her fist and struck up towards the ceiling. The Holy Father’s chambers were built with materials designed to withstand external invasions. Being underground, it wouldn’t easily collapse even under significant earthquakes.
Boom!!
However, when Riri punched, the ceiling shattered immediately. The Holy Father, taken aback by the sight, called out to her.
“R-Riri!?”
“Indeed… there was a rat here.”
In Riri’s hand was something that she had grasped. When she tugged at it, a man was pulled down from above. Riri slammed him forcefully to the ground.
“Guh!!!”
“What on earth is this, Your Holiness?”
He was a well-groomed man with a slender build. The Holy Father had never seen this face before. The man shook his head while saying.
“I-I don’t really know. Am I an intruder? But how did I get here….”
“That’s what I want to ask, Your Holiness.”
As Riri’s expression hardened, the Holy Father turned pale and urgently tried to calm her.
“Th-This isn’t right. No one can intrude on my chambers. It’s directly beneath the priest’s quarters, so unless you’re a priest, you can’t enter from above, and the path to the underground is guarded by skilled Holy Knights I’ve personally selected. You know that, Riri.”
“Then how did this rat get in here?”
Riri pointed at the man sprawled on the floor. However, Riri was a bit taken aback.
“…What the?”
He vanished somewhere. Even though she had struck him hard enough to almost knock him out, Riri blinked and surveyed her surroundings. She could hear the sound of him escaping beyond the hole in the ceiling she had created.
‘How did a mere human withstand that impact?’
Riri gritted her teeth and spoke to the Holy Father.
“Catch him. Right away.”
“Ah, understood. I’ll contact the Holy Knights immediately….”
“Well done, Dein.”
It was then. Riri raised her head at the voice that echoed from beyond the ceiling and locked eyes with a pair of golden eyes that were terrifying to behold.
“…Huh?”
“Indeed, it was the work of the underworld.”
A man dropped down with a thud. From where he came, he had descended right into the Holy Father’s chambers. Riri, who had been confidently demanding various things from the Holy Father just moments before, now fell silent.
This was because Riri recognized him. Although his appearance had changed slightly, he was someone the demoness could not forget. The very golden eyes that sent chills down her spine were a symbol of a Great Demon.
“W-Why are you here…?”
“It’s best to answer while you still can.”
At that moment, a small white whale appeared beside the man. It popped into view, looking up at the man with an adorably innocent expression. However, for Riri, she could never think of it as cute, not even once.
‘The harbinger of doom…Leviathan…’
It was a creature categorized as one of the most dangerous beasts from hell. The man who commanded such a monster casually posed a question to Riri.
“By whose command have you come?”