Chapter 406 - Interlocking Pieces
Having handed over the disposal plant site to the Intelligence Department, we headed straight for the church.
I don't think all black churches are necessarily evil. At the very least, the nun who made my eye patch can be trusted.
The church we visited during the day was crowded, likely due to the recent news of undead revivals. With our conspicuous presence, we would only add to the unwarranted tension if seven of us showed up. So, Gradena and I decided to visit alone, sending the others back ahead of time.
I pushed the slightly ajar door wide open and scanned the interior, searching for the nun. The priest was delivering a passionate speech, and by the wall, the nun we were looking for was standing. She noticed us but gestured for us to wait a moment. Since there was no rush, we decided to blend in with the congregation and take a seat.
I had hoped to hear something useful related to the undead revivals, but the priest seemed to be recounting an ancient tale about the sins of a great figure and their atonement. Boring to death.
Gradena quickly dozed off, and the monotonous lecture started to lull me as well.
We couldn't both fall asleep; that would be embarrassing and unprofessional. Snoring or talking in our sleep would be the worst.
I hadn’t had much sleep and was already tired. Combined with the boring sermon, it was hard to keep my eyes open, but I had to endure.
...yawn
I stifled the yawn and decided to focus on my magical perception to pass the time.
The church, far from being harmless, was a dark organization. We were already marked by their shadows after several encounters with suspicious characters. Visiting the church openly might provoke a dramatic response. Before entering, I carefully scanned for any suspicious devices or hidden undead.
Churches are known for their excellent magical defenses. They serve as emergency shelters, and especially old churches maintain their anti-undead functions from ancient times.
Several powerful magical artifacts are installed, making it difficult to discern any suspicious activity from the outside.
I thought this church was probably safe, but I decided to scan it again from the inside.
The floor, walls, ceiling, and multiple magical artifacts showed no signs of aggression. A few people glanced at us, likely due to our unfamiliar appearance and my eyepatch. They seemed like ordinary civilians.
The priest, engrossed in his speech, appeared to have no combat skills and wasn’t paying us any special attention.
It seemed there were no issues. Yawn...sorry, getting sleepy.
---
The sensation of people rising from their seats partially roused me from my daze. I nudged Gradena awake and waited for the crowd to disperse.
Sitting at the back, we were quite noticeable. I glared at anyone who stared rudely, and they quickly averted their eyes.
The priest and several nuns were engaging in conversations with the congregation. I figured we’d have to wait a bit longer, but the nun we were looking for was soon free. The other nuns were busy, and the priest had retreated to a back room with an elderly woman for a more involved discussion.
"Looks like we can go."
"Yeah, she's free now."
The congregation had mostly left, and with the undead revivals being a hot topic, our presence wouldn’t raise suspicion. If anyone asked, it wouldn’t matter.
The nun joined us near the wall for a conversation.
"Nice to see you again, Sister."
"You’ve been busy, haven’t you? Is it about the Holy City’s announcement?"
Beltoria has several churches, and the larger ones would be even busier, likely receiving visits from important figures.
"Yes...many people are worried. How have you been?"
"Thanks to this eyepatch, I’m managing. I’m slowly getting used to the curse. Speaking of which, can we talk about the Holy City’s announcement?"
"I don’t have much more information than was announced, but I can try if it helps."
The main points of the announcement were the revival of numerous undead across the continent and the church’s resolve to wage a holy war. The specifics, such as when and how they would fight, remained unclear. A nun in a small Beltoria church likely wouldn’t have that information, and I didn’t particularly care.
"Can you tell me some general information about the undead? Just in case we run into one."
"Even in Beltoria, the undead have appeared on Kishibul Island and possibly elsewhere. Though it’s unbecoming for me to say this, we’re not very devout. We don’t know much about church lore, so could you enlighten us? Here, a token of appreciation."
I handed her a small gem from my pouch, worth a few thousand Gist. It was a modest reward for a brief conversation, but it would do.
"Thank you."
I was also interested in any methods to combat the undead beyond holy artifacts.
The nun paused thoughtfully before speaking.
"I should mention that I only know what’s written in ancient stories and holy texts. For specific details, you’d need to speak to an Exorcist Priest."
Exorcist Priest...I’d heard of them before.
"They can remove curses, right? Are they the main force in the undead war?"
"Yes. It’s said that the impure have been eradicated, so the role of Exorcist Priests is mostly ceremonial. However, there are many of them in the Holy City, suggesting they were prepared for this eventuality."
"So, they’re stepping up as the main players. That’s interesting."
It was odd. The undead were supposed to have been eradicated long ago. It made no sense to maintain a large, purposeless group of exorcists. This suggested that the Holy City had foreseen or even orchestrated this current upheaval.
They would face scrutiny, but they would likely deny any wrongdoing.
"In any case, can you share what you know, even if it’s just stories or legends?"
"Certainly, to the best of my knowledge—"
According to the nun, the undead can be broadly categorized into physical entities made of bones or decaying flesh, and ethereal beings without corporeal form. While holy artifacts can easily defeat them, they are nearly invulnerable without such items.
From my experience in the Forest of the Underworld, destroying the head seemed to incapacitate skeletons and zombies, but I couldn’t confirm if they were truly destroyed or just temporarily disabled.
I had drained the evil dragon of its mana, but even that might not prevent its eventual return. I had brought back some golden bones and black scales, but they hadn’t shown any unusual changes. It was hard to believe.
The church might simply want to assert that only holy artifacts can vanquish the undead.
The holy texts and books published by the Holy City contain various descriptions of the undead, but the nun hadn’t heard of the 'Dromarius' we encountered at the disposal plant. It might be rare, special, or classified.
"What I’m most curious about is how the undead come to be. They were supposed to have been eradicated long ago, so what does their revival imply?"
"I don’t know why they’ve returned. We’ll have to wait for the Holy City’s official announcement. However, there is a legend about their creation."
"You know? Go on."
"According to the legend, if a creature is killed by an undead, its soul becomes tainted and it turns into an undead."
A soul tainted by fantasy...the whole chicken or egg problem. How did the first one come to be? But let’s move on.
"So, as long as we’re not killed by them, we won’t turn into undead?"
"According to the legend, yes."
"Is there any way to save someone who has turned into an undead?"
"No. Purifying the soul is equivalent to destroying the body. There’s no other way, according to the legend."
That made sense. If being killed by an undead turned you into one, there was no cure.
"Interesting. Can I buy any holy artifacts here? I’d like to if they’re available."
"Holy artifacts for fighting the undead? Those are only sold at the Beltoria Central Church. Given the recent announcement, I doubt they’d have any in stock."
"Rich people will probably snap them up, along with guilds and officials. They won’t be available through normal channels."
"Indeed. Black markets might emerge, and counterfeit items will flood the market."
"That’s a likely scenario. Desperate times call for desperate measures."
Fine, I’ll have to give up on getting any reserve holy artifacts.
"Sister, what about holy water?"
The researchers who were doused in Dromarius’s blood suffered from a curse that burned their bodies. From their conversation, it seemed holy water could extinguish the cursed fire. If available, we needed some.
"You’re familiar with holy water? It’s made through a special ritual, and it’s as difficult to obtain as holy artifacts."
"I see. If it’s not available, there’s no point in asking. I might come back if I have more questions."
It seemed holy artifacts and water would be in high demand and hard to come by.
"Many of your questions will be answered by official announcements from the Holy City. We’ll receive information here, so feel free to visit anytime."
"Thanks. You’re busy, so I’ll leave now."
"We’ve been a burden. Thank you, Sister. I’ll be back."
We likely wouldn’t get more information from any other church. For additional details, we’d have to rely on newspapers or the Intelligence Department.
This nun was a good person. We should avoid unnecessary contact to minimize risk.
We were already on the radar of various unsavory factions. Anything could go wrong, spreading more trouble.
On the other hand, if necessary, we’d have to ensure others’ misfortunes...though not necessarily of those we liked.
After leaving the church, Gradena and I decided to visit Anastasia Union next.
The powerful old hag, Gozen-sama, had said she would investigate the church. We wanted to hear about her findings and any information on the stolen pendant and ring.
When we arrived, the place seemed unusually busy and tense. We observed from outside the gates.
"No need to start a fight now, right?"
"With external threats and the undead situation, Anastasia Union is probably very busy. They wouldn’t fall for any provocations."
The entire headquarters was bustling, not just a minor skirmish but their usual operations.
Just as we were about to leave, a notably assertive old woman and a familiar veteran warrior emerged and approached our vehicle.
"That old hag decided to show up."
We must have been spotted by their surveillance. Still, it was unexpected for Gozen to come out herself.
The old woman opened the back door and climbed in, leaving her guard outside.
"You have the worst timing, you two."
"Long time no see, Gozen-sama. You look busy. What happened?"
"We’ve pinpointed the Imperial bastards’ base. We’re about to wipe them out. We also had a minor operation to clear out some rats before that."
Ah, they must have dealt with some traitors or spies. They were about to intensify their efforts against the Empire’s infiltration in Beltoria.
"That explains the tension. So, the church isn’t your concern right now?"
"Our investigation has progressed, and I thought I’d share the findings."
I had considered leaving and coming back later, but she came out to prevent any complications.
"What did you find?"
"Nothing much. The church people aren’t fools. They showed no suspicious activity. We know about the suspicious research facility, but they seem to have cut ties. Investigating further would be futile. The churches in Beltoria appear to be legitimate."
"They’re all clean? Pretty thorough."
It was possible they were genuinely innocent. Even the notorious Exembra had praised the church as a virtuous organization.
If there was anything fishy, even if they couldn’t be pinned down, there would be some red flags. The lack of even that suggested professional handling.
"We visited a church earlier, and it was all above board. If we want to investigate, we should target the Holy City."
"Agreed. But we did find something out."
"Spit it out, will you?"
"About the stolen ring. Your Academy’s pendant was also stolen, right? We’ve figured out the meaning of the inscription on it."
"You’ve figured it out already? What does it mean?"
True to Anastasia Union’s reputation, they had done their homework.
The stolen antique accessories had inscriptions with unknown effects, but they were valuable enough to warrant such a high-profile theft. We needed to know what they were for.
"It was a tough process, but the inscription means 'Release' or 'Liberation.'"
Release or liberation, the words didn’t sound inherently negative, but the implications were unsettling.
"...You mentioned the ring didn’t do anything when you infused it with mana, right?"
"Yeah, what’s the deal?"
"It’s likely that the items have limited activation conditions. They need to be used in a specific place to achieve release or liberation. That’s what I think."
"Maybe. We’d have to ask the thieves, but it’s not hard to guess."
We had heard of multiple magical artifact thefts across the continent. If these artifacts were designed to break seals, the sudden resurgence of undead made sense.
Despite various questions, that seemed to be the core of the matter.