Chapter 112

Now the priestess who thought nothing of using ceremonial conjurings in a way that no one else could manage slouched dejectedly at Michele’s harshness. “Those people who used to be Executioners didn’t seem like they’d listen to you at all,” Hooseyard mumbled. “I don’t know how you thought of a plan like this in the first place.” “Even the most witless fools have a use. Besides, it’s up to them to make the choice.” “That’s so like you, Michele. You always manage to find a way to kill two birds with one stone and force your goals to succeed.” “Don’t be absurd. You don’t know anything about me.” “Hmm…” Hooseyard tilted her head. “That’s how my former boss was, so I figured you might be the same. You’re from the holy land, too, aren’t you? Surely you’ve heard of Archbishop Elcami?” “……” Michele sank into silence at Hooseyard’s innocent question. Archbishop Elcami of the Faust’s holy land. In truth, Elcami was Michele’s previous self. She went by “Michele” now, but the woman had restarted her life many times in service of Hakua. She had no memory of her lives before the latest restart. However, from what she was told, her pathetic previous self had failed to defend the holy land where Hakua dwelled, thus failing the Lord she was sworn to serve. This version of her would never do such a thing. “…And why would your former boss’s personality have anything to do with me?” “Who knows?” Hooseyard’s smile was almost miraculously pure. It reminded Michele once again that this woman had never dreamed of dealing in taboo. “Maybe I’m sticking with you so I can find out.” “You’re sticking with me because it’s your job.” “Well, yes, but…” Hooseyard sighed at her junior’s excessively cold and serious attitude. “So we’re going to the City of Ruins, hmm? I’ve seen it before, so I can’t say I’m terribly excited to go back…” “That’s surprising. I would have thought a freak like you would jump at the chance to see the place.” “Well, of course, it’s an important astral vein point. Our current conjuring technology has no way of connecting to it, but if materialogy develops further, it’ll be a fascinating place for sure. The thing is…it’s just not quite right, you know?” Hooseyard used Guiding Force to activate the Guiding Vision crest in her glasses. Using the crest conjuring to view the flow of Guiding Force through her lenses, she peered up at the Starhusk floating in the sky. “The Guiding Force there should have combined with the Starhusk already. I don’t really like the astral vein in the northern continent, especially around the City of Ruins, because there’s nothing to be gained by fiddling with it. I’d rather play with the Guiding Force lines in town…” When Michele realized the meaning behind Hooseyard’s seemingly nonsensical observation, she was stunned into silence. Hooseyard’s observation was exactly right. Few other conjurers could make that assessment merely by looking at the Starhusk. In fact, even a thousand years ago, when Guiding Force technology was rapidly developing, almost no one had reached the conclusion Hooseyard had. Hooseyard had deduced the conjuring theory behind the Pure Concept Star, said to be the very best of all in the ancient civilization, despite growing up in a culture with a more primitive understanding of Guiding Force. No one could have reached that understanding without an enormous amount of knowledge and intuition about Guiding Force. “How do you…” “Mm? What?” “…Never mind.” Michele shook off the chill that ran down her spine. Hooseyard’s strength in combat didn’t matter much since she was a genius. Ultimately, brilliant talents like her were born to lead the world forward. As conjuring techniques advanced, they would surpass any military technique. Michele was living proof. She’d only been a nameless foot soldier a thousand years ago. The Starhusk that floated overhead was a deterrent against many Human Errors. It had the power to move the world, and the right to use it was entrusted only to the Astrologer. It couldn’t be allowed to fall into the hands of anyone else, least of all Flarette. “Remember to stay in my sight at all times. Even when your role in this is done, I’m not letting you go.” “Oh goody. I’m glad my junior likes me so much.” Hooseyard delivered this line with a gloomy, deadpan tone while Michele dragged her all the way to the train. An old, broken-down chapel stood tucked into a corner of town. A meeting of Faust members secretly called by Teach was about to begin. Many priestesses were gathered there, white and indigo robes alike. There were too many to fit into the pews, so the rest stood in the back and aisles. They were essentially the members of an anti-Michele faction. Most of them were priestesses who’d dirtied their hands as Executioners for many years. To these women, the systematic dismantling of their positions, something largely spearheaded by Michele, was tyranny that could not stand. The sound of footsteps clacking briskly to the pulpit echoed through the unnatural silence. The priestess who stepped up to the front of the chapel had a large scar on her cheek. It was Teach, a former instructor at the monastery for training Executioners. “Thank you all for coming today. We have only one matter to discuss: Michele, the Inquisitor who seeks to rule us with an iron fist.” Her steady voice resounded through the chamber. “I acknowledge that Michele is a capable priestess. Had she risen through the ranks of the Faust by respectable means, we would follow her without question. However!” She raised her voice, her face twisting with hatred. “That woman has brought taboo into the Faust!” There was a heavy quiet, but not from a lack of reaction from the crowd. It was the weighty silence of the calm before the storm. “Michele’s unit created in supposed service to the Lord is a band of heretics. Forcing personnel to transfer into her unit is one thing, but she’s even taken in those who committed taboos. Even the infamous Priestess Killer Genom Cthulha is among her recruits!” The second she spoke Genom’s name, murderous rage rippled throughout the chapel. The hatred from the priestesses in their thirties or older burned exceptionally bright. It was during their generation that Genom had earned the nickname Priestess Killer. They knew firsthand how many had fallen to the monster born of the Commons. “Even if it’s not public knowledge, I know for a fact that Michele personally invited Genom to join her after he left the Mechanical Society. What further proof do you need that she is the enemy? We must drag Michele down from the position of Inquisitor, no matter what it takes! And how better than by capturing the traitor Flarette ourselves and leveraging that achievement to have Michele answer for her transgressions?” Shouts of agreement rose from the crowd. Their anger at Michele for trying to take away their place as Executioners, their loathing of her forces, and their hatred of Genom Cthulha all boiled over. The priestesses gathered in the chapel vented their rage. They resembled an angry mob. Occasionally, negative emotions could invite Evil. Conjurings seldom occurred spontaneously, of course. However, by fanning the flames of dark emotions in so many people, it became easier to summon Evil through human means. One of the white-robed priestesses was acting slightly strange. She produced a red capsule from her robes. It was monstrine, the illegal substance that had spread in Libelle not long ago. “Goodness me… The Magician is much too lenient.” When Manon Libelle had used the substance, it was for the express purpose of infecting people and transforming them into monsters. However, monstrine was actually extracted from the body of an Otherworlder—from Pandæmonium. The bodies of Otherworlders made for excellent conjuring materials. And monstrine was no exception. Guiding Force: Sacrifice—Monstrine, Pseudo-Concept—Summon [Original Sin Fiend: Invidia] A spirit of malice was summoned by an Original Sin Conjuring. The process was so stealthy that none of the gathered priestesses noticed. Hidden amid the heated fervor of the Executioners, a dark red fog formed above Teach’s head as she stood at the pulpit. The fumes slipped into her body through her ear and disappeared without a trace. “Now, that should do it. This should cause some trouble for all involved.” As she watched the results of her conjuring, the white-robed priestess sneered coldly with outright contempt for the world. She closed her eyes, then her jaw suddenly dropped open. It looked as though she’d fallen asleep on her feet. Awakening with a start, the white-robed priestess looked around nervously. Noticing the bizarre energy emanating from her assembled peers, she hurriedly left the chapel. This white-robed priestess was no Executioner, nor had she been invited to the meeting. She was simply a virtuous priestess who lived in town. She’d never invoked an Original Sin Conjuring and had no memory of touching monstrine. Unaware that such a priestess had been among them, the anti-Michele priestesses planned their attack on Menou to reclaim their standings.