Warrior’s Party (4)
Everyone froze at once at Heinrich’s heavy words that echoed through the meeting room.
Aside from the voice that is filled with divine power and becomes reverent, the meaning contained in the words had such a ripple effect.
“Is the Lord… the Word?”
“Huh—.”
The leaders of the Great War fought in amazement.
It was a fact acknowledged by everyone in Auterica that a god exists, but there was a limit to how mortals could feel his will because the difference in rank was so great.
And the situation was not so different with the clergy.
The stronger the faith, the stronger the connection and the more clearly you can feel the presence, but in order to understand the will of God even slightly, you had to be at the level of a saint.
However, now that Heinrich brought out the fact that he had received a revelation directly from the main priest, they were surprised.
Those who swallow dry saliva with a nervous expression, those who take out handkerchiefs and wipe their sweat, and those who look at him with their hands folded as if praying…
Everyone straightened their minds and sat still, waiting for the next word to come out of his mouth.
‘It works well… Although it’s a bit burdensome.’
Heinrich opened his mouth slowly, trying to ignore the eyes of the saintess staring at him with sparkling eyes.
“Didn’t you find it strange? The contradictory behavior of Hannibal Strauss, the Immortal King.”
It was a statement that could be considered a bit out of the blue, but they focused on the topic raised by the saint without saying anything.
Of course, everyone felt that.
It was just that the other person was an existence that could not be understood with common sense, and there was nothing special about the analysis of that thought pattern.
“The Immortal King of this generation is distinctly different from the previous generations. They are not bound by the compulsion to stain the continent with death.”
“I certainly felt that way, but…”
“The principle of action that drives him is only his own interest. The last time we invaded the Great Temple, Harris of the Elven Kingdom satisfied that interest, so we quietly withdrew. . . . If I had to add one more thing to that, it would be about attracting public attention.”
It started by reminding them of Hans’ singularity.
“There is a certain point. When we were sent to investigate the Abyssal Gate, the Immortal King could have killed us, but he didn’t. As if he were trying to leave a witness to what he did.”
A paladin who had been dispatched to the southern wasteland in the past carefully agreed with Heinrich’s words.
“Come to think of it, that wasn’t the first time or two. Although the evil the Immortal King caused to the entire continent was great, the damage to the place where he appeared was surprisingly small. The same goes for the raid that took place in the Imperial city of Tobea not too long ago.”
“Basically, he shows a move to destroy the continent, but where he is, his personal interests take precedence…?”
“Exactly! And we can take advantage of that.”
“How do you mean?”
It adds credence to current claims by forcibly fitting past events.
In addition, Heinrich now had the authority of the Lord, who would give him persuasion no matter what bullshit he said, so it wasn’t too difficult to convince them.
“He is very interested in me. That interest, which started when I first stabbed him in the heart and defeated it, grew even more when I became a saint.”
It was a fact that others were well aware of.
In fact, the Immortal King often showed signs of being conscious of him, and during the raid on the summit, he only acknowledged Heinrich as his conversation partner.
Except when dealing with Harris who shot an arrow at him at the end.
“I intend to propose a bet . . . that might interest him.”
“Yes? bet… you mean?
As soon as the words were over, I felt the audience’s reaction become subtler for a moment.
‘What is needed at a time like this is, of course, brazenness.’
He nodded his head earnestly and spoke with strength in his voice.
“The Immortal King regards the process of conquering the continent itself as a game. Then, instead of fitting in and adding interest to it, you just add one ‘rule’.”
“…Is that not an invasion of the Principality of Rohan?”
Those who listened to him frowned and tilted their heads one by one.
It must have been because of a very natural question of whether things could work out so badly…
“Of course, there may be further variations depending on the requirements of the other side, but that is the basic goal.”
“…would the Immortal King accept such a condition?”
“I will accept it.”
As long as he puts his mind to it, he will do it.
‘Even if I’m a bit forced, there’s no other way, so I can’t help it.’
What I believed in now was only the majesty of the Lord God.
“Negotiating with the Immortal King…”
The head of the Heretic Inquisition, looking uncomfortable, muttered in a low voice, but no matter how strong his authority was, even the saint who had been chosen by the gods could not help it.
What’s more, isn’t it a situation where the name of the main god is mentioned and even ground food is laid out?
“But what if the undead move south right now? If we do not prepare immediately, not only the principality but also the empire could be in danger.”
“it’s okay. The Immortal Army will not move.”
“Why are you so sure of that?”
“…the Lord has told me.”
Now, the logic to persuade me is running out, so I just recklessly pushed on.
It was a reckless assertion without any grounds, but what can I do if a saint is like that?
‘Ah, I don’t know, if so, you should know that.’
The leaders of the church simply blinked their eyes at his firm answer.
The saintess, who had been quietly looking at him the entire time, finally clapped her hands with bright eyes and exclaimed in admiration.
clap clap clap!
“As expected, you are a saint! The Lord God knows everything, but we, who are lacking, cannot fully fathom its meaning. I can only vaguely feel that part, but it’s really amazing!”
“ha ha ha. It was nothing···.”
He ignored the remorse and just let out a cheeky laugh.
Probably, the level of sympathy with the main character was higher for the saintess than for Heinrich.
He was using most of the spiritual veins connected to the gods only for the purpose of supplying divine power, and he had no feelings other than ‘interest’ from the main god.
It was the same even at this moment.
However, when the saintess made a fuss as if she were sincerely admiring her, the reactions around her gradually began to heat up as if she was swept away by the atmosphere.
All of them seemed not to be concerned about the possibility that the saint Heinrich lied.
“Then, let’s proceed with the work on the premise of what the Holy Son said. The Empire is not an idiot either, so it won’t be easy, but I’ll try to make it as long as possible.”
It was a decision that felt absurd to be the first organization on the continent, but this was proof that they believed in Heinrich, the saint.
The moment the saint directly brought out the name of the Lord God, it became no different from an absolute rule within the church.
‘Recently, while responding to the Immortal King, he seemed like a representative of mankind…’
Their essence was, after all, a religious organization, and all of them were leaders who were recognized as having reached the peak of their faith.
‘To put it simply, everyone here except me is just fanatics.’
And to the fanatics, the word of God was the truth, so this kind of reaction was natural.
“Then please. It will only take a moment to stop the Imperial retreat. They will soon follow our will.”
“Yes? Could it be that the giver of that also revealed…?”
To that question, Heinrich just gently closed his eyes and nodded slowly.
Since I did this often, somehow I felt as if a revelation from the Lord had just come down.
‘Hannibal Strauss… it looks like he’s aiming for the empire next, but as long as I am Heinrich, things won’t go your way!’
A conference room where firm determination and godly faith sway.
The hero, immersed in his role, clench his fists and burn with enthusiasm.
Those in the conference hall looked at him like that, as if he were trustworthy.
It must have been that he was paralyzed from being overworked, and strangely, he no longer felt any remorse.
***
Around the time when Heinrich was selling the name of the main god and running a scam.
After the sparring, Harley was sharing a long-awaited reunion with good friends.
“Hello, Harley. It hasn’t been long since we broke up, but you’ve grown bigger than before.”
“Ha ha ha! It’s been a while, girl! I guess you’ve been doing well since your face is shiny?”
“It’s all thanks to Harley. Am I a high elf now?”
With Cecily Granwood, who greets him warmly.
“See you soon. Um… but, no, no.”
Laforie Granwood shows a subtle reaction to Harley’s change.
“Long time no see, Harley.”
“Ah— nice to meet you, Harris! hahahahaha!”
Even Harris, who was set up as an old friend.
“And, indeed, it is the Ion Continent. I’ve been thinking that it’s more normal than expected… but just as I imagined…”
Shapiron, who seemed to be overwhelmed by his intimidating look, secretly hid behind Harris and muttered a small mutter, but she easily ignored it because it wasn’t a day or two.
“Harley, did I promise you last time? When I open my eyes as a high elf, I will properly protect you again. I don’t know how helpful it will be to Harley-sama now, but it’s still better than nothing.”
Cecily smiled broadly as she met his eyes.
This time he didn’t even have to squat like the last time.
The wind that naturally rose beneath Cecily’s feet gently lifted her body and brought her to eye level with him in an instant.
Hwaaak—
Then, as her lips touched Harley’s forehead, the same warm energy began to settle in his body.
Also… Perhaps because Harris, who had obtained the qualifications of a high elf, was with him, this time he was able to clearly grasp the nature of that energy.
‘This isn’t just natural power, it’s similar in nature to divine power, isn’t it? Can a high elf draw the energy of the World Tree directly through himself? Indeed, he deserves to be called the priest of the World Tree Church.’
And after a while, let it completely settle into Harley’s body.
《Due to 「Mother Nature’s Protection」, the object’s attribute affinity and resistance increase significantly.》
Unlike that time, a message appeared in front of Harley’s eyes this time.
It wasn’t like he created a special skill, but if he even professed the system like this, the effect would be greater than expected.
‘Harris will be able to use it soon after he becomes a high elf, how many times can he do this? Let’s see… First of all, I saved Harley’s portion, and of course Hans won’t be.’
Of course, it was a very natural phenomenon that led to such thoughts.
Also, her gift didn’t stop there, it was an accessory made from a part of the branch that she had been bestowed by the World Tree.
“I took Lafori-sama’s advice and made it to suit Harley-sama’s taste.”
At Cecily’s words, Laforei, who was standing still behind, nodded heavily.
True to its word, the ornaments carved to be worn on necklaces or belts were vicious and lively, as if they had been copied from the head of a ferocious beast.
Just like Harley.
“hahahaha! I really like this one. You don’t even have to do this!”
Of course, he only said that, and the accessories that gave him all kinds of resistance and additional defense were firmly fixed to his waist.
It’s probably unlikely that it will fall from its place in the future.
“Anyway, I didn’t expect to see Harley here. How can you become so strong in such a short amount of time?”
When the work with Cecily was finished, Laforei, who had been looking at him quietly, opened her mouth.
Like a high elf who has lived for a long time, he must have seen through Harley to some extent, but he seemed concerned about something…
“…Well, Harley-sama must have an idea. Even the main church doesn’t say much, so I’m not in a position to say anything. But if you came all the way here, did you decide to join the death squad?”
He shrugged lightly and immediately changed the subject.
After all, he has the best support of being a saint of the main church, so it’s so comfortable.
“Well? Ahh-! it···.”
And at that question, Harley scratched the back of her head and opened her mouth slowly.
