The Dungeon Seeker Volume 3 Chapter 2.4

At the same place. A happening that occurred after Junpei left.

If that scene was described, it is probably called as a small scale Daimyo’s procession.

The one who was leading it, was a Holy Knight wearing a platinum full plate armor inscribed with the Holy Church’s symbol riding a white horse.

The people went to the side to give way, and all of those people were kneeling down on the ground.

In the middle of the group, there was a VIP box that was enshrined also inscribed with the symbol of the holy church.

The procession only had 20 people.

Thinking of the status of the person inside the box, that scale was far too small.

But, however, this case was nominally an inspection of the city incognito, so if that was mentioned, that was all that there was.

Although, the twenty bodyguards, are people who are very befitting for their role.

The one who leads the way, is an S-Rank Holy Knight that is dyed in the wool even in the church.

And in addition to that, there are 3 A-Rank Holy Knights that are protecting the box.

The remaining Holy Knights, all of them are also B-Ranked, and even if this place turns into a battlefield, without exaggerationーーthey are skilled people who can turn around local wars.

They can really be called as a strategical strength.

The person that those elite bodyguards protectーー

ーーThe Holy Church’s 17th Arch Bishop, Pietro Monocis.

To explain what an arch bishop is, the holy church must be explained first.

The Holy Church, which is the largest faction of the Vina Religion that can be called as the world’s religion. The expansion of its authority has the following circ.u.mstances.

Once upon a time, this continent had a lot of revolts and usurpation due to disparity.

The ruling cla.s.s, they were struggling on how to tame the uneducated, violent low-caste people which were rather closer to animals.

But having that said, the rulers at that time were not mature enough to have a revolution, implementing the system of compulsory education. They feared, that from that, the social structure that was full of exploitation and deception would be noticed. If that happens, if would not only end with revolts or usurpation, that is also unplanned violence, but it would rather cause a revolution..

And the thing that was introduced there, was the teachings of the Holy Church that was still newly founded back then.

Honest, honourable poverty.

Self-discipline.

Diligence, hard work.

These teachings that sounds good to the ears was very convenient to the side who exploits.

Saying it simpler, under the name of moral education, it is very useful policy to create increase of the cultural level of the citizens also called as slaves.

And the royalty and emperors who noticed that advantage, officially recognized the holy church.

And even within those countries, the Sacred Vina Empire created a closer relations.h.i.+p with the holy church compared to other countries, and had created a enormous territory that sweeps the continent.

For the side of the empire, the dispatch of the imperial blood and the empire’s upper echelons to the backbone of the church.

For the side of the church, the peremptory appointment of the upper echelons of the backbone of the church starting from the Pope, into the key positions of the empire.

At times, the Pope’s peremptory appointment is to be the Emperor, and there are times that the Emperor would become the next Pope.

And as the result of that kind of shape and having too closely similar wavelength being repeated for many long years, the Sacred Emperor points to the nation’s current Emperor, and at the same time, as in authority, it is also essentially the top of the Holy Church. This is something that in the citizen of this world, even the children knows about.

The Arch Bishop, is the Holy Church’s Number 2, that comes after the Pope.

However, it has far more holy powers compared to the Pope.

In the first place, the Pope is completely different when it comes to virtue and legal force, it’s what people call as uniformed pivot, a political t.i.tle, that was chosen through a struggle for power.

Therefore, even though they are similarly the core of the holy church, the Pope and the Arch Bishop has completely different authorities.

As viewed as a company organization in j.a.pan, a career achiever, and a staff that came from the main company……would probably better understood.

Anyways, the Arch Bishop is a t.i.tle only given to people who have earnestly pursued virtues, heightened their holy powers, and had become the Holy Church’s strongest exorcist.

If the arch bishops in the history are read, the proportion of the ones who were commoners was 50%, and that only means that it is a holy profession that is chosen purely through abilities.

ーーthat is why, the fame of the arch bishop between the ma.s.ses is very high.

In fact, from how the situation looks, the ones that were shedding their tears while praying were not of a few people.

Of course, the gate’s guards, to not lose their respects, they lined up in perfect order, and were showing their highest level of salute.

ーーand, there, something that cannot be understood happened.

When the procession has pa.s.sed through a third of the gate, a voice was heard from the box. And at the same time, the group had emergency stopped.

And very surprisinglyーーthe Arch Bishop, from insideーーa white haired man lightly stepped down to the ground.

The instant that the elderly man who was wearing a clerical garment made with gold thread had stepped onto the ground, clammors could be heard from the surroundings.

The elderly man, while a.s.suming his confident posture, started to walk towards one guardーーthe man who Junpei talked to earlierーーand greeted him.

「Hmm……is, nice to meet you……proper here?」

ーーthe one who was surprised was the guard.

In authority, a person who is treated higher than the Sacred Emperor who conquers the continent, and also in the level of the peak of S-Rank adventurers. On top of that, he also have a tremendous support from the people.

That heavenly person……he stood down to a place where a commoner like himself stood, and greeted him.

Of course, the guard doesn’t understand what in the world was happening.

The male guard immediately kneeled to the ground(dogeza), and while having a cold sweat like “did I do something rude……”, he thought of his actions.

「Raise your head. It’s very hard to talk, really……by the way, you are?」(TL: arch bishop-san talks elderly, ends sentences with 〜no jya)

Receiving those words, the guard raised his head.

What the guard saw, was a very wrinkled face with a soft smile.

「With clairvoyance……I had looked at you just a little. How do you……relate with that boy? I saw that you were very friendly with each other」

“What is it again”, the guard tilted his head.

“That boy……don’t tell me, is it the boy who had a sugar snack from earlier……?”, he thought.

「……with that boy, do you mean that boy that I have dealt with just earlier? ……even if I am asked what relations.h.i.+p we have, I just……」

「Hmm……I see, yes, I got it. Oi, you there? You……how did you saw that boy?」

「How did I saw him……? Honestly answering to that……a very shabby boy……. other than that……」

「Hohho. Well, from how I saw him……that, I could only see it as……a monster」

The guard narrowed his eyebrows dubiously.

「A monster……?」

「ーー【Mimicry】. And even one that is on super-cla.s.s. I wonder if the face under that is an oni or a devil, or maybe it is a Demon King. Well, his status are even under【Mimicry】……and with my【Appraisal Eyes】, I could only find out that, that boy……he is standing in a far higher place than me」

「Exceeds……the Arch Bishop-sama?」

The guard couldn’t help but soften his cheeks and started to laugh.

「……fufu!……please do not joeke」

The arch bishop didn’t change his soft smile, however, he glared at the guard with strong eyes, then continued.

「Hohho……they say, don’t look don’t touch, don’t touch don’t look. That boy, rather than the strength in a different dimension that he possesses, from how I saw it, his disposition is one that has the problem」

Receiving the look of the arch bishop, the man trembled as if a frog glared at by a snake, and gulped to clear his through.

「Disposition……you mean?」

「The misfortune and karma he carries……it is. If it is touched carelessly, the dark flames of h.e.l.l that he clad, it will devour everything and change it into a scorched earth」

「You know, there are two things that should never be touched in this world. One is the dragon species, and the other thing, is the Interstice Labyrinth. Both of them, they are controlled from outside this world’s laws. He is most probably, someone who’s related with one of them……」

The male guard was already, completely left behind.

However, the arch bishop continued without caring about him.

「Well, there are things in the world that should be left untouched. Even I……if possible, in my remaining life, I would not want to get involved with that boy」

For the guard, just being called out by the arch bishopーーno, just getting involved with him was already like “please leave me alone already”, on top of that, the series of words that he can’t understand.

He really felt like shouting “please leave me alone already”, but there was no way that he could be that rude.

While making a stiff smile, the guard responded with a coa.r.s.e voice.

「Oh really……the Arch Bishop-sama is very good with jokes…… I’ll catch that vagrant boy then……」

「A joke? Can you say I’m joking even if you see this?」

After grinning, the arch bishop reached out his right hand to the guard, and spread his palm.

There was sweat falling off from his palm like a waterfall, they fell to the ground, creating a stain.

「Anyways, I was planning on staying in this town for a while, but……should I go back instead?」

「Eh!……ah!……u!……?/」

After saying up to that, the arch bishop returned to his box.

「Something like that……exorcising it would be impossible even betting my life………………if several S-Rank Adventurers of the Sacred Empire was sent to hunt…………no, even with that, I can’t see the probability of surely winning」

“d.a.m.n it really……”, the arch bishop spat out.

「……truly, I do not want to get involved……」

ーーafter a few minutes, several things went in and out of the guard’s head.

The big shots within the town were very busy these past few days to welcome the arch bishop.

And the conversation that happened here.

Looking from the side, it isn’t strange that it could be taken as, he himself doing a rude thing, and making the arch bishop be in a bad mood and go back.

ーーhow should I report this……

While looking at the procession that was leaving far away, the guard held his head with both hands.

And, he turned around to the gate where Junpei had left, and whispered.

「……that brat……really……what in the world is he?」