Chapter 72 : Chapter 72
Chapter 72. The Knight Who Lost His Honor (1)
“Thank you for protecting her end. Baron Blanc.”
“I only did what I had to do. Your Holiness.”
The death of the 16th Saintess had not yet leaked out of the Room of Blessing.
The death of someone of the Saintess' level was an event that would bring about large repercussions both internally and externally.
Therefore, Pope Bonifacius planned to hold her funeral after organizing matters internally within the Order and giving a hint to the Kings of the three kingdoms first.
Like this, those who bear great responsibilities have duties they must fulfill even in death.
“It had been over 20 years since she heard the voices of the Goddesses. Still, she must have been happy to hear Their voices at the end.”
“20 years, you say?”
Blanc put down his teacup and asked the Pope.
‘It certainly didn't look like a situation to give an oracle.’
Blanc saw the Void stretching from beyond human cognition through his soul.
Since the Goddesses were struggling with all their might to protect the world they created, they probably couldn't easily turn their heads to look at humans.
“Actually. The 16th Saintess already knew that her divine power was greatly declining.”
The Pope spoke while lifting his teacup.
“The position of Saintess is one continued by young, pure, and chaste virgins. The 16th Saintess maintaining the Saintess position until over sixty years of age is a very special case.”
As the Pope said, the position of Saintess was a seat difficult for one person to maintain for more than 10 years.
Since one gets stained by secular things as they age, and moreover, because they have to receive the voices of the Goddesses with a mere human body, there were Saintesses who died early due to the aftermath.
“Since you are Aselheit’s sixth knight, and now have become the Seeker of the Blue Star, I shall speak honestly to you, Baron Blanc.”
At the Pope’s eye signal, some Holy Knights guarding the room opened the door and started to leave.
‘There must be complicated circumstances.’
Blanc thought while drinking tea.
In any case, through the death of the Saintess, Blanc had no choice but to form a close relationship with the Order.
‘If it cannot be avoided.’
The Goddess Order was an organization like the foundation forming the order of the world.
If he cooperated with them, doing what needed to be done and gaining what could be gained, it wouldn't be a bad thing from Blanc’s perspective either.
However, the words that came out of the Pope’s mouth far exceeded Blanc’s expectations.
“There is a certain organization.”
“What organization is it?”
At Blanc’s question, the Pope approached close to his ear as if afraid someone might hear and spoke.
“Those who wish to sever the connection between the Goddesses and humans.”
“……Are they black magicians?”
Blanc’s guess was reasonable, but Pope Bonifacius shook his head.
“We thought so at first too, but they are cutting off even those who handle Evil.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The Pope’s words meant that a new force whose identity was currently unknown was threatening even those who handle Evil along with the Order.
‘Perhaps?’
Instantly, there was a ray of light flashing through Blanc’s mind.
Aselheit and the Torch Knights had grasped a clue about the Void.
In Blanc’s view, it seemed they had at least found traces of the Void, but.
However, in the last life, the Torch Knights collapsed faster than any other group due to the Void, and information about the Void could not be passed on to the Liberation Front.
“Lord Aselheit initially thought it was a new form of Evil, but upon investigation, it was something not belonging to the laws of this world.”
Where there is light, there is also shadow.
If the Goddesses are light, things like Evil belong to the shadow.
In other words, things called Evil were wicked and ominous, but they were strictly things belonging to this world.
“That it doesn't correspond to the laws of this world means…….”
“We judge them to be things created outside the hands of the Goddesses. So Lord Aselheit decided to refer to it as the Void.”
‘……!’
The word Void came out of the Pope’s mouth too.
The people of this era had already grasped it.
Blanc quietly lowered his hand under the table to hide the agitation of his heart.
“We haven't been able to find even their tails yet, so we cannot announce it to the world. Only a few including myself and Lord Aselheit notice its existence.”
Blanc asked quietly.
“What is the reason you tell such a heavy and secretive story to me?”
The Pope looked at Blanc with deep eyes and spoke.
“Baron Blanc, you are the Seeker of the Blue Star directly chosen by the Goddesses. It means you are a trustworthy person. And…….”
“Please speak.”
The Pope tossed the last sip remaining in the teacup into his mouth as if his throat were burning.
“It was to inform you that the task of finding the 17th Saintess is a path of suffering.”
When Blanc made a questioning expression, the Pope showed a sorrowful smile with a face that seemed to have lost strength.
“Because the girls chosen as the 17th Saintess one and all passed away early for unknown reasons. Because of that, the 16th Saintess suffered much hardship.”
The Pope warned Blanc with shining eyes.
“I hope you are careful. Because not only Evil but things of unknown identity are stretching their limbs.”
“I understand what you mean.”
Blanc answered that he would do so.
Even though he was actually already doing so.
Hearing Blanc’s words, the old Pope closed his eyes as if relieved.
***
The Goddess Order did not particularly state their position when the Cadmus family burned.
They had merely watched.
Not involving themselves in secular affairs.
That was the common point held by the Goddess Order and the Torch Knights.
Exercising influence within the independent world they established and moving only for the greater cause was who they were.
However, Pope Bonifacius, who said he would voice his stance regarding Blanc’s legitimacy this time.
The Pope’s declaration of support for Blanc would be the payment for Blanc’s labor in having to find the Saintess.
Moreover, since it wasn't creating a justification that didn't exist originally, but adding a little strength to the justification for a rightful avenger that Blanc possessed, it wasn't a very burdensome task from the Order’s perspective either.
“Announcing the Seeker of the Blue Star will have to be after a little time passes.”
“Please do as you wish, Your Holiness.”
The Pope said he would announce Blanc’s title after finishing preparations for the Saintess' death.
Since Blanc had already gained everything he could from the Order, he wasn't greatly concerned about that title.
‘Fate will guide.’
Finding the Saintess was a very important task from the Order’s perspective, but Blanc decided to put his mind at ease.
The Goddesses entrusting the blue bead to him must be because there was a reason for it.
Since even the Pope said discovering the Saintess was a task requiring listening to the revelation of the Goddesses, it meant it wasn't something that could be found just because he forcibly tried to find it.
‘I do my work.’
Blanc dismissed the knights, sat in the inn room, closed his eyes, and organized his thoughts.
During that time, Blanc gathered mercenaries and gathered talents who would follow him.
He paid with experiences of the past to gain profit, and through the step taken forward due to that, he got closer to the truth of the world he hadn't known before.
“You’re doing well.”
Blanc deliberately made a sound to praise himself.
Because there were no people here to understand him and send him applause.
The only person in this world who could understand him was only himself.
Blanc poured brandy sitting on the desk into a glass and drank it in one gulp.
The pungent scent of brandy flowed down burning Blanc’s throat.
Now he just had to finish the Quiesco matter and prepare for the coming war.
And after that…….
“Phew…….”
At the moment Blanc let out a sigh tilting his neck back behind the chair thinking of the next task, Billy knocked on his door.
“My Lord, a person from the Torch Knights has come.”
‘Torch Knights?’
Blanc searched inside his head for a reason why the Torch Knights would come to find him.
“Show him in.”
However, Blanc, unable to find a reason for them to visit him at night, decided to let the person in and hear the story first.
“I greet Baron Blanc Cadmus, Aselheit’s sixth knight.”
“It is an honor to meet a Torch lighting the darkness.”
It was a middle-aged man.
‘He’s injured.’
It didn't look like he had suffered a fatal wound, but the smell of blood emanating and his uncomfortable movement allowed guessing his condition.
“Please sit.”
Blanc guided him to the table and poured him the brandy he had been drinking just now.
“……Thank you.”
The scarred knight swallowed the brandy Blanc poured into his throat without hesitation.
‘He must have received some shock.’
Watching him shake his head after drinking as if trying to shake off psychological pressure, Blanc waited patiently.
The middle-aged knight asked Blanc with eyes glowing with a red aura.
“I heard you wield the White Thunderbolt.”
“It is the family’s secret technique.”
Since there was nothing particularly to hide, Blanc answered.
However, the Gray Knight asked back urgently.
“By any chance do you know about the forest in the Straus Territory? If you know anything about the old mansion there, please tell me. The one there is looking for the one who handles the White Thunderbolt…….”
“Speak slowly.”
Blanc poured one more glass of brandy for the Gray Knight and examined his complexion.
‘…….’
And simultaneously with pouring him the drink, he naturally hid his agitation.
The forest in the Straus Territory.
It is a forest that doesn't even have a proper name right now, but it was a forest that would become known by name in 20 years.
The forest where a star fell. Starfall.
Blanc had gone in there following Ulrich’s instruction to find a fallen meteorite.
There was a memory of safely escaping from those infected by the Void who were targeting the meteorite like him there and handing the meteorite to Ulrich.
And also that the mages of the Liberation Front used that meteorite as a material to launch the large-scale magic Meteor toward the ninth Void Tree.
However, the Blanc of the current timeline had no reason to know about that forest.
“I don't know the geography of the Anton Kingdom well. I am sorry.”
Therefore, he had no choice but to pretend not to know.
The Gray Knight was listening to Blanc’s words with his head bowed.
“Still, you must go…….”
“What did you say?”
The Gray Knight mumbled bowing his head.
“Tarania is captured. Please help.”
“……What did you say just now?”
Instead of answering Blanc, the Gray Knight took out a letter from his bosom and showed it.
“Lord Ronbrando directly requested help. I beg of you. As a knight of Lord Aselheit, please rescue her with us.”
The Gray Knight stood up from his seat, bowed his waist deeply, and knocked his head to Blanc.
Perhaps the wound on his flank had burst, blood was spreading out.
Blanc tore open the letter the Gray Knight conveyed and read it down quickly.
‘This is…….’
Blanc, who read down the entire letter, ordered Billy with a serious voice.
“Billy. Tell my knights to prepare for combat.”
“Yes. My Lord.”
Blanc grabbed and raised the Gray Knight who was still bowing his head in front of him.
“Do not worry. Since the Torch Knights and Aselheit’s knights are like brothers.”
“My Lord.”
The Gray Knight was truly impressed and expressed gratitude to him.
“Guide me to Commander Ronbrando.”
“Understood!”
As soon as Blanc finished speaking, the Gray Knight ran down outside the inn to prepare horses.
Blanc’s room where everyone had left.
Blanc looked at the night sky through the window.
-I have placed something in the old mansion in the forest where a star fell, so the White Thunderbolt shall guide the way.
“Looking for the White Thunderbolt, it says.”
Blanc lowered his head that was looking at the stars and gazed blankly at the brandy bottle on his desk.
“The star calls me.”
Blanc closed the open bottle of brandy and left the room.
Blanc had forgotten for a moment.
Although the people who would understand him and send him applause were not here right now.
Instead, the Regressor who returned to 190 years ago had embedded stars in the night sky for him so he wouldn't lose his way.