NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 18.2
“There’s no need for her to join me.”
“…What?”
Leoden tilted his head in confusion, and Claire’s expression immediately fell.
As the most powerful force on this battlefield, the Hero’s Party was naturally Leoden’s first choice to assist me.
But I truly didn’t need them.
Clearing this event didn’t require overwhelming strength.
“Do you need more troops, then? If so…”
“I don’t need troops either.”
“Hy-Hyun Woo! Are you… are you planning to go alone again?! But… but that’s too dangerous!”
“Alone?”
I shook my head.
“I’m not alone.”
The moment Claire heard my reply, she bit her lip hard.
“General Leoden!”
The lieutenant came rushing toward us, panting heavily as she shouted,
“The Church’s inquisitors have arrived!”
At her report, Claire’s face hardened even more, while I chuckled inwardly.
The third part of the event had begun: the arrival of Cardinal Veronica, the Church’s inquisitor.
In this world, religious groups exist. The group known simply as “The Church” is much like any other, revering light and striving for peace and harmony.
Unlike in some other games where religious groups often cause trouble, this Church is relatively benign. There are event quests tied to them for achievements, but they’re rarely a source of conflict.
Because of this, maintaining a certain level of trust with the Church was crucial, and over time, I had come to know several of their clergy.
Among them was Veronica, one of the key figures in this event.
As the group of silver-armored paladins and priests entered the camp, some knights and soldiers knelt to cross themselves in reverence, while others openly grimaced in displeasure.
The paladins ignored these reactions entirely, while the priests following them sprinkled holy water and offered blessings to those nearby.
In the midst of their impressive numbers—easily in the hundreds—one figure stood out.
Unlike the others clad in silver and white, this person wore a pitch-black robe that covered them from head to toe.
Beneath the flowing black robes, a slim yet commanding figure moved with an aura of authority. At her waist hung a mace—its sinister design utterly at odds with her status as a priest.
The moment Claire saw her, she bit down on her lip so hard it seemed like she might draw blood.
Leventia clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles white with tension.
Evangeline was nowhere to be seen, but had she been present, her expression likely wouldn’t have been pleasant either.
The woman in black—Cardinal Veronica—was a notable figure among the Church’s inquisitors. Her relationship with the Hero’s Party was strained at best.
With a complicated expression, General Leoden watched as she approached. Upon reaching him, Veronica removed her hood, revealing her long silver hair and sharp, cold beauty.
“Cardinal Veronica, what brings you here?”
“May the light bless your path. We received word that the heretics we pursued in White Silver Village have established a foothold here.”
Her reply was brief, but her gaze flicked toward Claire. Claire avoided eye contact, her discomfort clear, while Veronica continued speaking calmly.
“At the time, we were unable to pursue them further despite the Sage’s assistance. It was regrettable to lose track of those heretics, who sought to destroy a village for their vile rituals. I’ve been chasing them ever since.”
Leoden frowned, visibly puzzled.
It made sense—Veronica was famous for her relentless extermination of heretical groups.
“The Sage was with you, yet you failed to capture them? They must have been formidable.”
“Yes. Quite.”
Veronica’s gaze lingered on Claire again, as if preparing to say more, but I cut her off.
“It’s been a while, Veronica.”
“…Oh. Sage. It has indeed been a while.”
Veronica turned toward me with a faint, enigmatic smile, closing the distance between us.
She was visibly closer to me than anyone else in the Hero’s Party had ever dared to be, but I didn’t feel the need to stop her.
After all, she was one of the few sane people in this world—and someone I was on good terms with.
“May the light bless your path. How have you been?”
“Same as always.”
“I heard you’ve become the princess’s tutor. I told you several times there was a place for you under me, didn’t I?”
She wasn’t lying.
After completing a few Church-related quests for achievements, Veronica had offered me a position as one of her inquisitors.
“Yeah, but working solo is better than working under a friend.”
As one of Veronica’s direct subordinates, I could have become a city priest with considerable income and status.
Her position was so prestigious that many priests aspired to serve directly under her.
But I had turned her down for one simple reason.
“You haven’t changed, have you?”
Veronica glanced briefly at the Hero’s Party again, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. But before she could say anything else—
“Whoa! It’s the Sage! Sage! It’s been so long! How’ve you been?!”
“Ohoho! A performance on the battlefield? If I can unleash my d.e.s.t.r.u.c.t.i.v.e art here, then I don’t mind dying for it!”
The voices, loud and chaotic, came from a new group entering the camp.
Adventurers.
Among them were some of the most eccentric, though undeniably skilled individuals I’d ever met.
“Adventurers?!”
Leoden looked completely caught off guard, as if this hadn’t been part of any plan.
Even Veronica seemed puzzled, clearly unaware of their presence.
And I…
I was just plain baffled.
What the hell are they doing here?
“Hey, why are you here?”
Adventurers rarely fought on the front lines against monsters.
At my blunt question, Lark, the rooster-crested lizardman musician with a flair for dramatics, flipped his long hair and replied smoothly,
“The royal princess sent us. Sage, she requested that we protect you.”
Huh… looks like my student is more useful than I thought.
Unexpected reinforcements, huh?
“And the reward?”
“Ha. The princess offered me the honor of being the main act for her birthday party. Truly, this is proof of the value of my artistic genius!”
Lark puffed up proudly, his satisfaction almost palpable.
As I watched him revel in his ego, I had only one thought.
I need to make sure I’m far away from the palace on that day.
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