Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 333

“The information was sent by the head of the Philip Trading Company as payment. It seems that Bishop Ilia hasn’t simply gone into seclusion.”

“…What?”

Logan frowned as he heard the bad news this morning. It made him rub his tired eyes, trying to understand.

“I tried to contact her through her surroundings since direct contact was impossible. I went to find the holy priests, but none of them had seen her,”

“Oh dear…”

With the war against the Empire coming, Logan didn’t want to worry about the Holy Kingdom. But now he had to. He felt uneasy ever since he heard the news.

Logan first thought Bishop Ilia was just hiding away, maybe to make the Pope stronger. But now, he wasn’t so sure.

“The Pope’s words, Prince Baros visiting the Holy Kingdom, and now the Saintess disappearing?”

“We must think the Empire is playing tricks,”

Logan agreed with Damian. He was thinking the same thing.

The Temple usually stayed away from normal world power. They didn’t take sides in politics.

The Empire knew they had to be careful with the Holy Kingdom. If they treated them badly, there would be problems. So, the Empire usually didn’t do much against them.

‘How on earth did they do it?’

Logan sighed, but he couldn’t just sit around. He quickly thought and spoke.

“If Pope Austin wants to work with the Empire…”

He was friendly with Bishop Ilia, so he was worried about her. But Logan’s biggest worry was this.

“At the very least, the McLaine Diocese is like a bomb in our kingdom.”

“Yes. People might criticize the priests for being corrupt, but most people still believe in their faith. If the priests wanted to, they could really hurt the soldiers’ spirits.”

“Yes, I suppose so. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

“The worst thing is the Holy Knights fighting for the Empire. We’re not heretics, so I doubt they’d do that, but…”

Damian said it strongly, but Logan still felt uneasy.

He remembered Archbishop Pamiel of the McLaine Diocese saying:

– For years, children have been born here who aren’t touched by divine power – The Pope thinks this kingdom might be ‘abandoned by God.’

He thought of Stella, his teacher’s daughter, whom he loved like a niece.

That idea kept bothering him whenever he thought of that sweet child.

It was hard to ignore.

“Maybe that could be the worst thing…”

“Yes?”

“No, never mind. First, we need to find out what’s happening. If the Empire is doing this, we need to act. We can’t just let them take advantage of us.”

“But Your Majesty, if the head of the Philip Trading Company can’t do anything, we can’t do anything from here.”

“We need to send someone who can find out.”

“Yes?”

“Someone who can find out what the Temple is hiding.”

Damian was confused. Viktor, who was standing behind Logan, stepped forward and knelt, as if he was waiting for this.

“I will go. Please let me, Your Majesty. I will bring Lady Ilia back safely.”

“Yes. You’re probably the best person. You’re also friends with Bishop Ilia.”

Logan nodded calmly, as if he knew this was coming. Damian spoke with a worried look.

“It takes three months to get to Noviens. It might be too late by then. They probably won’t kill Bishop Ilia, but…”

That was a good point, but Logan smiled and shook his head.

“Damian, you’re good at everything, but you think too broadly.”

“Yes?”

“I could get there in a week, maybe three days.”

“Sir Viktor. Even if you change horses and ride all day and night, it will take more than a week.”

“I can do it.”

“Huh…”

Damian looked at Logan, surprised by Viktor’s very confident statement. But Logan agreed.

“You probably can. It’s going to be hard.”

Viktor had amazing stamina after becoming a transcendent. So, it was possible.

And besides…

“Take the ghosts’ artifacts you got this time. You’ve used them before, so you should be able to do well.”

The ghosts’ artifacts became weaker when they lost their owner. Clayton hadn’t figured out why yet.

The ghosts who attacked Louisa were helpful in that way.

“Yes, I understand.”

Logan patted Viktor’s shoulder. Viktor looked firm. Damian spoke with regret.

“Even if that’s possible, finding out about the Temple isn’t just about digging it up. How can Sir Viktor do that alone and…”

But Logan didn’t listen to Damian’s worry. He thought Viktor’s skills, the ghosts’ artifacts, and Philip’s help would find something out.

“If you need more people, meet Philip and ask him. He’s probably ready. And…”

Logan looked at Viktor, who looked worried, and said calmly.

“Bishop Ilia’s safety is important. But more than that, find out what the Empire is doing. And if you can, stop them.”

“…Yes.”

Did he understand? Viktor looked a bit darker, but Logan just nodded and turned away.

That day, Viktor, the unknown transcendent of McLaine, left the royal castle.

Tap tap tap tap.

Neighhhh!

A rider was galloping across the fields very fast. He stopped in front of a trading company’s camp.

The horse collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

But the rider was already standing in front of the head of the trading company, who was carrying the ‘Flame’ banner.

“It’s been a while, Philip.”

The young man with grey eyes, who looked about thirty, smiled with a slightly confused smile.

“Viktor, it really is you. But how, in just three days…? Surely you weren’t in the Empire without my knowing?”

“Yes, something like that.” Viktor laughed, looking uncomfortable.

Viktor had a secret, and besides that, he and Phillip were not good friends. They knew each other from when they both lived at the McLaine estate.

Viktor had always hated that he and his sister were sold for money when they were young. Phillip, however, seemed like a merchant through and through.

“Haha, you’ve grown so much. You’re almost as big as your lord now. When you were little…”

“Phillip, I’m sorry, but I’d like to hear about the task I’m supposed to be doing first.”

Phillip wanted to talk about old times with Viktor, since they hadn’t seen each other for years. He clicked his tongue and laughed a little, but it wasn’t a happy laugh.

‘This guy,’ Phillip thought. ‘He was boring as a kid, and he’s even more boring now.’

But Phillip knew this was important. So, he quickly became serious again and led Viktor into the tent.

They were deep in a forest, the air smelling damp and earthy, about half a day’s travel from the capital city, Noviens. Inside the canvas tent, which flapped gently in the breeze and was set up in a small, muddy camp, Viktor saw simple models of the main temple buildings. They looked quickly made, perhaps from clay and sticks. A big map was spread out on a rough wooden table, taking up most of the space.

The map showed every part of the temple inside, with lines and symbols marking every room and hallway. It even showed little figures for the guards, with notes about when they changed shifts. Viktor stopped just inside the tent flap, surprised by how much detail Phillip had gathered. *This is more than just a map,* he thought. *It’s like looking at the temple itself.*

“…Did you prepare all of this in just three days?”

“Of course not. I started preparing as soon as I suspected the Saintess might be imprisoned.”

“…Thank you for working so hard.”

“No problem. It’s my job. The Holy State is acting weird lately. Most people who sell basic materials have stopped trading and are just watching to see what happens. I’m losing money every day. Well, not just my money, but the country’s money is getting less.”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you impressed?”

*This man,* Viktor thought. *He’s still the same.* Viktor shook his head. Phillip was still acting the same way he always had, which made Viktor almost laugh. Then, Viktor asked about the important task.

“No, it’s nothing. Anyway, has the Saintess been hurt?”

“Saintess? Are you and her… friends? Well, she is very beautiful… Haha, just joking, joking! Wow, look at your eyes! Tsk tsk.”

“…Lady Ilia is very important for the world.”

*That cold young man has become even colder,* Phillip thought. Phillip spoke as if he was talking to himself, then pointed to the temple model with a serious face.

“Here,” Phillip said, pointing. “The bad old men who live here are too afraid to hurt the Saintess. They fear God’s punishment. Especially this Saintess! She wasn’t just born after 30 years – no, wait. Because the last Pope said she was fake, this Saintess is even more special. She has the Holy Scar and was born after 80 years! They would never hurt her. I promise you, her life is safe.”

“Is that right.”

Phillip looked at Viktor’s face. Viktor looked relieved. Phillip wondered if Viktor knew the Saintess. He remembered that Viktor never showed any feelings, except when it was about his sister.

But Phillip was also a businessman. Even though he said good things, he had to talk about the bad things that could happen too. He didn’t want Viktor to panic if something bad really did happen.

“Like I said, we know she’s alive, but we don’t know if she’s okay.”

Viktor stopped for a moment. Phillip saw Viktor’s face become serious and wanted to make sure Viktor understood.

“In the past, no one has been punished by God for cutting off a saint or saintess’s arms or legs. Or for making them lose their minds. It seems the gods are very forgiving about these things.”

If he showed excessive excitement after hearing these words, he would exclude him from the operation, even if it meant disobeying the lord’s orders.

Phillip was carefully watching Viktor’s reaction, when Viktor spoke in an unexpectedly calm voice.

“That’s not likely.”

“Huh?”

“Lady Ilia is not just a Saintess. She’s also done good things to make the priests and other religious people better.”

“So what?”

“Because the new Pope is not very strong yet, he will need to show Saintess Ilia to everyone. She has many people who support her. So, they probably haven’t hurt her.”

Phillip clicked his tongue again and smiled a little.

“……You’ve gotten smarter, ice cube.”

*If he’s smart and strong,* Phillip thought, *then he’s definitely the right person for this important job.*

Phillip decided to trust Viktor, even more than what the king had ordered. As the leader here, Phillip trusted Viktor’s skills.

Three days later, in the evening, just as the sun was going down, noise and confusion started all over the central temple.

“Oi, let me see the Saintess! My wife’s due to give birth the day after tomorrow, damn it!”

“If you’ve been drinking, you should go home quietly.”

“I have a lot of money! I can ask the Cardinal for a blessing!”

“Such blasphemous words! Shut up!”

“Bullshit. You were taking money for it until recently, what blasphemy are you talking about!”

“This guy, really…!”

Starting with a drunken man’s clash with a temple soldier on the outskirts of the temple.

“My daughter is dying! The Saintess, I need the Saintess’s blessing. Please, let me meet her!”

“I told you, it’s not allowed! This guy, really!”

A person seeking the Saintess for a sick child.

“Ahem. I am a noble of the Empire. I would like to see the Saintess.”

“I’m sorry, but the Saintess is currently in seclusion…”

“Excuse me? You don’t know who I am after I’ve said that? Are you ignoring me now?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

Even foreign nobles suddenly seeking the Saintess.

The inside and outside of the temple were like a marketplace due to the sudden commotion.

And although the temple soldiers did not notice, there were several people who were secretly watching the movements of the Holy Knights, taking advantage of the chaotic situation.

Then, as the sun set and the commotion around the temple subsided.

“We have identified the directions the Holy Knights are looking at during the commotion. There is one place that particularly overlaps with places we thought she might be. It would be faster to start by looking there.”

“Okay.”

Viktor, wearing black clothes, moved so quickly he almost disappeared.