TGBAP 43

“Tsk, he’s late.”

It had already been twenty minutes since he sent the trainee priests up.

Thinking ten minutes would be enough, the bishop couldn’t hide his displeasure as time passed.

“This is why I wanted to bring elite priests instead of greenhorns.”

Elite priests secretly raised by the temple. On the outside they were no different from ordinary priests, but if an order is given, they are the temple’s weapons who will carry it out to the end, even if it means losing arms and legs.

Certainly, this time the difficulty was easy enough that there was no need to use elite priests, but he couldn’t help feeling regret.

Because being able to use elite priests as one’s hands and feet is also proof that you hold that level of power.

“I will rise to the Pope. Do you think I’d be satisfied with this seat?”

He would expand his position little by little so that no one could look down on him. To do that, once this matter ended, he would have to dig into the temple’s affairs even more.

Teobeok teobeok-

At that moment, footsteps came from the stairs. After confirming exactly twenty-three minutes had passed, he lifted his back off the wall he’d been leaning on.

“You’re taking too long. Looks like you want to become a sacrifice too?”

“A sacrifice…… are you speaking of me, perhaps?”

At the unfamiliar voice, the bishop flinched. A huge shadow was coming down the stairs.

The shadow gradually deepened, and one foot appeared.

White hair and golden eyes. A child with every single imperial trait.

Having only been told by the higher-ups that it was a boy around ten years old, the bishop couldn’t help being flustered. But he quickly regained his composure.

“You aren’t the Crown Prince…… it seems.”

How could those ominous eyes belong to the naive Crown Prince who knows nothing of the world?

The bishop glared at the child, then checked behind him—where there was no one.

“The people who went up should be there.”

“Ah, those humans. I killed them all.”

The bishop’s hand twitched.

“You tried to kidnap me openly, so I’d say my hand moved first in self-defense.”

His tone was casual, as if he’d simply been out for a stroll. That only made the bishop’s skin crawl even more.

“H-ha, haha…… they said he was an ordinary child—what part of this is ordinary?”

After letting out a hollow laugh, the bishop clenched his teeth.

A child who looks identical to the Crown Prince. If he had to guess, he must be a twin. To think the imperial family managed to hide that fact.

Recalling the order that had come down to him, it meant the higher-ups also knew there was an imperial grandchild here.

No matter how unknown to the world an imperial grandchild is, he cannot be handled carelessly.

Which means, if things go wrong, the temple plans to use him as a chess piece and throw him away.

The bishop ground his teeth.

“Since it’s come to this, there’s no choice. We planned to offer you as a sacrifice ten years later, but…….”

Black flame surged over both the bishop’s hands.

“We have no choice but to offer you as a sacrifice here and now!”

Seeing the bishop reveal his true nature, Lucian…… no, Kaiser disguised as Lucian cooled his gaze.

‘I don’t really know either. We only offered a condemned criminal, and…… one trainee priest, as sacrifices, and we were ordered to check the condition of the ten-year-old child in the manor and come back.’

Javier’s words were true.

It doesn’t seem he intends to offer the real Lucian as a sacrifice today, but the fact that he is a sacrifice candidate is certain.

‘Worms like you. Do you think I’ll just watch that happen?’

Kaiser, fully prepared, glared at the one before him.

Truthfully, he still hadn’t escaped the basement trauma.

He could feel on his skin that the wraith’s thoughts he’d sensed in the basement two years ago had appeared again.

But what was different from two years ago was that this time, the wraith was helping him.

He heard the wraith’s whisper.

-……They are those who defy the principles of the world. Their source of power is different from ours.

“But it’s not like I can’t bring them down.”

-I will help you. Those bastards must be wiped out at the root!

The black flame the bishop exuded felt hot.

Red dragons have basic resistance to flame, so unless it’s an attack on par with breath, they don’t even feel heat from most fire.

And yet that small black flame felt hot—meaning it was no ordinary attack.

-Black flame does not disappear unless the caster dies or withdraws it. Once it spreads, there’s no time to do anything.

By chance, the wraith offered appropriate advice too.

“I know that much……!”

Kaiser grit his teeth and dodged the bishop’s attacks.

The more he dodged, the wider the black flame’s range became. At this rate, he would be surrounded by black flame.

“Kwahahaha! If you surrender quietly, I won’t make it painful. I’ll kill you so you won’t even know you’re dying!”

“Where are you spewing that filthy mouth-breath?”

Kaiser snorted and lightly dodged his attacks. But he couldn’t easily get close to him.

Normally he would want to brainwash the bastard and pry out information, but since he still lacked the ability, to brainwash he would have to grab his head and meet both eyes for about five seconds.

He would have to get right up close, but the black flame blooming from the bishop’s hands was in the way.

Damn it, what in the world do I do…….

-I will tell you one spell.

“I’m busy right now. When do I have time to learn that!”

-It is something any red dragon clan member can do.

Kaiser flinched. When he looked where the thoughts were, those green eyes curved like a crescent moon.

-The one thing that can respond to black flame. White flame, the flame of purification.

“Damn it! Only a Lord can use that, you bastard!”

-From what I see, it looks like you can use blue flame.

The flame he used a moment ago, when destroying Javier’s art on the first floor.

That was blue flame. Not as strong as white flame, but it has the effect of erasing vile power.

-I will help you.

“……Ghn! If you fail, I’ll tear your soul apart for real this time!”

Kaiser had no choice but to yield his body to the wraith.

The sensation of two souls in one body. Disgusting beyond measure.

But paradoxically, power overflowed through his whole body.

When Kaiser’s momentum suddenly changed as he muttered to himself, the bishop flinched.

“Hmph, you’re up to nonsense. You can’t even come near me—what are you going to do?”

Lucian’s golden eyes slowly vanished, and Kaiser’s green eye appeared in his left eye.

“The lifespans of traitors are too long. A worm that can’t even raise its head before me.”

Hwaruk-

A pure white flame bloomed over Kaiser’s whole body, contrasted against the pitch-black flame blooming in the bishop’s hands.

The bishop’s teeth clacked together. Goosebumps erupted over his whole body starting at the back of his neck.

Instinct ordered him.

Run away from that flame right now!

The moment the bishop flinched back, Kaiser was before his nose in the blink of an eye.

“Already too late.”

As Kaiser lifted both hands, the bishop’s black flame floated into the air.

“Uaaaaaah!”

The bishop, who lost both hands in an instant, screamed in pain. But his scream was quickly blocked by Kaiser’s hand.

The pure white flame flickered before his eyes, then enveloped the bishop’s head.

Kkeuaaaak! Kkeueueuaaaak!

The pure white flame spread to the bishop’s entire body.

It burned nothing, and yet only an immense heat could be felt through the whole body.

The power of purification. To a bishop who used vile power, it was no different than a deadly poison.

“Tell me everything you know. If you do not, then.”

I’ll make you feel, to the bone, what it means to be unable to die even if you want to.

* * *

Beyond his closed eyes, he could feel bright sunlight. His eyebrows trembled as he opened his eyes, and a vast forest spread out before him.

The chirping of birds, the babbling of a stream, the sound of leaves scattering in the wind, and more.

Everything felt unfamiliar.

Somehow, his heart felt at ease.

‘I told you how many times that’s not how you do it!’

At that moment, a familiar voice pierced his ear.

When he turned around, he saw a man and woman huddled together near a campfire.

‘If you’re just going to eat it, what’s the problem!’

‘Do you think we’re lizards like you? At least you have to skin it before you eat it!’

A woman with black hair streaming and a man with long red hair insisted each of them was right, arguing.

It was a sight he had always seen.

A laugh rose on its own and he ended up letting it out.

When a clear, bright laugh rang out, the two stopped fighting and turned this way.

‘Stop laughing and say something too. This lizard is trying to ruin our dinner.’

‘That lizard, lizard! This body is the next Lord Dragon! What a foolish witch!’

‘Hmph, like you wouldn’t be dead without me.’

‘Even if you are my savior, wrong is wrong!’

‘Tsk…… ah! Leon! What do you think?!’

The woman called a witch turned squarely toward this way and spoke.

The moment he tried to answer in his stead, suddenly no voice came out.

……Sian!

He had to answer quickly. Right now, the two of them are waiting for an answer.

……Lucian!

Who in the world is Lucian? My name isn’t Lucian, it’s O—d…….

Lucian!

.

.

Huhk!

At a voice drilling directly into his ear, Lucian sucked in breath urgently and shot upright in bed.

His whole body was soaked with sweat, and for some reason, the corners of his eyes felt damp.

When he rubbed at them, tears came off on his fingers.

“……Why did I cry?”

It feels like I had a nostalgic dream. What on earth was it?

He wanted to dream it again.

Lucian buried his face in both hands and bent his upper body forward.

“Lucian! This isn’t the time for that!”

At the familiar voice, he turned to the side in confusion. Dio, hair standing up like a crow’s nest, wore an urgent expression.

“Dio, why are you here…… ah, right, I told you to sleep over yesterday.”

For a moment he forgot that he’d invited Dio home.

“It’s only one o’clock—what’s wrong?”

It felt like he’d slept a long time, but outside was still swallowed by darkness, and the clock pointed to one.

“Do you need to use the bathroom?”

“That’s not it. This house has been strange for a while.”

“Hm?”

“I thought I might have been mistaken because I was half-asleep, but I keep hearing screams from somewhere.”

Judging by his frightened expression, he didn’t seem to be lying.

“Screams? Are you sure you heard it right?”

“I’m telling you! It’s been like that for thirty minutes! And the manor shook!”

Lucian looked around. It was his familiar room, the same as always. No matter how he listened, there weren’t any screams—there wasn’t even a single human voice. The manor was only quiet.

“Stop saying I was mistaken. I’ve been awake for forty minutes.”

“Then you should’ve woken me earlier.”

“Who was it that wouldn’t wake up no matter how much I shook you!”

Ah, really?

Lucian scratched the back of his head with a dazed face. It looks like Dio is thoroughly frightened.

He had the blanket pulled over his head and his whole body was trembling.

“Wait. I’ll call Ria and Kaiser.”

“What?! N-no! Don’t leave me behind!”

“I’ll call without going outside the room. Stay here.”

After barely calming Dio down, Lucian pulled the bell cord by the bed.

If you shook this, usually Ria would come in no more than a minute.

But no matter how much time passed, Ria didn’t come.

“R-Ria came?”

Dio asked, still under the blanket.

“No.”

He shook it again and again, but Ria didn’t come.

That was strange. There hadn’t been a single time Ria didn’t come.

“……Like you said, I think something really happened in the manor. I have to go out and check.”

“Let’s just stay in the room!”

“You stay here. I’ll go and come back.”

Seeing Lucian put on his shoes and take up the lantern, Dio hesitated, then ended up following behind him.

The moment they left the room, an eerie, dark corridor stretched on endlessly without a single light.

At the feeling of being in a haunted house, Dio’s face turned pale, and Lucian frowned at the unusually dark manor.

“Ria always keeps the lights on…….”

She always lit candles at night so he wouldn’t be scared. But they were all out?

“W-where are you going……!”

When Lucian walked quickly, Dio hurried after him. Lucian headed for the stairs.

He was about to go down to the first floor and check the living room first, when—

Thuk-

“Huh?”

Something snagged at his feet. When he lowered the lantern—

“U-uaaah!”

A man he’d never seen before lay there as a cold corpse, unable to even close his eyes.

Dio stumbled back as if he were about to faint, and Lucian also flinched, unable to hide his panic.

“Lu-Lucian! Look over there!”

At that moment, Dio pointed ahead, having spotted something.

When Lucian thrust the lantern forward, he saw two more corpses.

All of them had different causes of death, but it was certain they were dead.