Chapter 99
20. The Promise with the Language That Builds the World
Tessilid Argent had returned from the dead!
A man who, just days earlier, had been disgraced and given a funeral without even a body to bury.
Now he had appeared at the front gate of the Holy Church, looking perfectly unharmed and dignified.
Within an hour, the rumor had spread everywhere, and chaos erupted inside the Holy Church.
Groups of people gathered everywhere, whispering incessantly.
“What on earth happened? I heard he entered the dungeon alone relying only on the Holy Sword, triggered a burst, and died?”
“I also heard he captured six members of the Chanyoung Knights and brought them back. It seems the truth is different from what we were told.”
“As expected, we must hear both sides of the story.”
Ordinary priests gathered in the courtyard, waiting for the next development.
“If this continues, an inquisition might be held soon. According to Sir Tessilid, the Chanyoung Knights made a pact with demons and abandoned him in the dungeon.”
“What!? A holy knight making a pact with demons? Is that truly possible?”
“You know his position. If an inquisitor of heresy makes an accusation of heresy, it must be taken seriously.”
“This is unprecedented. The Minister of the Gospel Division tried so hard to support the Chanyoung Knights and rush Sir Tessilid’s funeral, but this may backfire.”
“I agree. There’s no way the Inspection Bureau and the Pope would miss such an opportunity.”
“It seems Sir Tessilid only intends to hold a public trial to restore his honor, but the ripple effects of this incident are unavoidable.”
High-ranking officials above the level of bishops exchanged political discussions based on their intelligence networks.
“But there is something else…”
At the words of one cardinal, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.
There was already a topic everyone was dying to talk about.
“Ahem… is it true that Sir Tessilid came with an unrelated woman?”
“I saw her. A lovely young lady with pink hair.”
“It hasn’t even been more than half a month since Sir Tessilid disappeared… and they say the Chanyoung Knights were captured today…”
“Th-then does that mean Sir Tessilid spent half a month alone with that woman…?!”
“Unbelievable! How could a single holy knight behave so indecently? When I was young, such things were unimaginable!”
“Exactly. It’s disgraceful even to hear.”
The conservative church was buzzing over trivial matters.
Meanwhile, in a hidden place, those who held clear hostility toward Tessilid’s return were also speaking.
“Father, have you heard? The enemy of my brother has returned alive. And with a woman.”
“I know, Helsion.”
Inside a well-insulated confession chamber, father and son spoke.
They were Cardinal Kanoil Odrek and his son, Helsion Odrek.
Because Illeon, who became the vessel of the Demon Sword, had caused trouble, the Odrek family had suffered greatly.
Only thanks to the prestige of their ancestor Varkus Odrek, former master of the Holy Sword, and Cardinal Kanoil’s position as Vice Minister of the Gospel Division, had they avoided ruin.
Otherwise, they might have been executed for having a heretic son.
It had already been four months since they lost their eldest son Illeon. Their period of laying low was long enough; it was time to resume activity.
And then came the news of Tessilid Argent’s return at the perfect timing.
“So ‘He of Strict Order and Righteousness’ has delivered punishment, but it seems that was not the case.”
“Will we just watch, Father?”
“Do not act rashly out of personal feelings, Helsion.”
Kanoil, as expected of the man who held the position of Vice Minister of the Gospel Division, remained calm.
“Do not see him as your brother’s enemy, but as the adopted son of Argent.”
“…Yes, Father.”
What mattered to the Odrek family was not revenge for their eldest son, but political power.
As the church had become a state, the Holy See was inseparable from politics.
Two major factions had long opposed each other within the Holy Church.
Even now, that division remained—depending on whether one belonged to the Gospel Division or the Inspection Bureau.
The current Pope came from the Inspection Bureau, known for advocating heresy trials, and his faction included Cardinal Bezalelius Argent.
Opposing them was the Gospel Division, which prioritized missionary work and expansion. Cardinal Kanoil Odrek belonged to this side.
As with most political struggles, neither side could be clearly called good or evil.
One leaned toward extreme doctrine enforcement and exclusion; the other toward pragmatic expansion.
Which was worse depended on perspective.
However, one thing was certain: the pro-Gospel faction had always harbored dissatisfaction toward the Saint lineage.
They had been raised from the start as inquisitors serving under the Pope’s direction within the Inspection Bureau, so it was only natural.
“They say Chanyoung will be brought to a religious trial. If Argent’s adopted son restores his honor as well, the Inspection Bureau will become even more powerful.”
“That boy is growing too fast. We should have raised some useful orphans ourselves.”
“It’s too late for regrets now.”
“At this rate, the balance of power will completely shift toward the Inspection Bureau. Is there truly no way to counter it?”
“There is. You know it already.”
Kanoil’s aged eyes flashed.
“The Saint.”
“….”
“We must find the Saint before the Inspection Bureau does.”
In reality, the Gospel Division had already been secretly searching for the Saint for quite some time.
Helsion’s knight order had also been dispatched under the guise of dungeon subjugations, gathering information about the Saint from the village Clovis had visited.
Helsion spoke skeptically.
“The last divine descent was ten years ago. Could she even still be alive?”
“Unless there is proof of death, she is alive. So…”
A strong light of hope burned in Kanoil’s eyes, equal to his ambition.
“We must find the Saint first and bring her to our side. No matter what it takes.”
✠
At present, Tessilid and I were waiting in front of the Holy Church’s main gate.
“It’s been over two hours. How long are they planning to keep us standing here?”
At my complaint, Tessilid tried hard to hide his embarrassment on his handsome face.
“My mistake. I didn’t expect they would block entry until higher-ups made a decision.”
“I’m not blaming you.”
It was within expectations that the conservative and bureaucratic Holy Church would hesitate over Tessilid’s return.
But still, I hadn’t expected them to literally block us at the gate.
“This kind of treatment—is this even acceptable? He’s the master of the Holy Sword.”
“The master of the Holy Sword who is hated by the world.”
“……”
His self-awareness was painfully heavy.
We were standing a bit away from the main gate, near a flowerbed. The guards kept their distance.
The Holy Church’s security forces hadn’t shown themselves since they took the Chanyoung Knights.
There was no telling how long this waiting would last.
As I was about to sit on the edge of the flowerbed, Tessilid stopped me.
He removed his uniform coat and placed it on the stone ledge.
“Sit, Iye.”
What is this? A romance novel?
“Duty.”
He added it simply and calmly.
Only then did I recall the “Rules of the Seven Pillars and Seven Sins.”
To help him cultivate his divine power, I quickly sat down.
Tessilid gave a troubled smile and said,
“You even have Cardinal Katleya as a connection, so I didn’t really need to verify your identity. If I had known this would be troublesome for you, I would’ve parted ways earlier.”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”
In truth, Tessilid should not be worrying about others right now—he should be worrying about himself.
The longer the upper officials talked, the worse things tended to become. This story always followed the pattern of escalating trouble proportional to waiting time.
And finally, members of the security force appeared. It had been three full hours.
What decision had the higher-ups made?
The man presumed to be the captain spoke with deep apology.
“Sir Tessilid Argent, a decision from the Cardinal Council has been made.”
“I will obey.”
Without question or hesitation, he immediately submitted.
The captain gestured, and two holy knights nervously approached, holding something.
Manacles.
The captain spoke.
“Sir Tessilid is charged with causing a dungeon burst in the A-rank dungeon of Greenwall through unauthorized action. Therefore, you must be treated as a suspect and undergo investigation and trial, just like the Chanyoung Knights.”
