Chapter 94: Rebirth (3)
“Silver flash…”
“Carlos Gonzalez?”
“I think I’ve seen him once in the Holy City, and it really is him…”
Carlos belonged to the renowned Pope Knights from the Western Continent. Even without his badge, his disheveled appearance was unmistakable enough for the knights to quickly recognize him. Their sheathed longswords were drawn back to their sides, and the captain of the knights instinctively asked, “Mr. Carlos, what are you doing here…?”
“I came with my teacher. Which division of the First Knights Order are you from? I need to see your commanding officer. Time is of the essence; take me to him, quick!”
“We’re from the Grace Scales, under Commander Seattle’s order, here to assist Elder Ryan in exterminating the heretics from the Eastern Continent…”
The captain answered honestly while dismounting his beast to salute him. “But this time, the commander has more pressing matters at hand. The one in charge of the operation is his younger brother, Bishop Aresta. What do you need him for? Is something wrong here—”
“Just tell me where he is.”
Carlos interrupted, “Forget it, I can find him myself.”
“……”
The captain paused at the sudden interruption. He sensed the urgency in the Pope Knight’s tone. He almost suggested sending someone to relay the message, but feared it might delay important matters.
Given the tense atmosphere in the town, everyone was on edge. Recognizing Carlos, they couldn’t just brush off his words lightly. After a brief hesitation, he pointed back toward a direction behind him. “The bishop came into the town with us… just where the Light of MaFa arises; he should be here soon—”
“No need to wait for him.”
Zzzt—
A flash of thunder.
The man wasted no time and transformed into a blinding arc of electricity, soaring into the sky, disregarding the captain’s shout behind him, “Wait! You’re injured—” as he sped off toward the direction where the young bishop was located.
Carlos, wrapped in bursts of lightning, dashed through the rubble, soon spotting the clerics galloping along the main road, with the leading figure clad in bishop robes.
Boom!
The flying bolt gently tapped the remnants around, turning nearly 180 degrees and, with a deafening crash, blocked the path of the clerics some ten meters away. Carlos emerged from the scattered lightning and solemnly asked, “Bishop Aresta?”
“Hoo—”
The young bishop hurriedly reined in his massive beast. The moment he saw the lightning surge, he already had a hunch about who was coming. The silver flash, Carlos, had been helping the Old Sword Saint in the Eastern Continent since last year; even if the knights of the First Knights Order were oblivious, he knew all too well.
“…It’s Mr. Carlos.”
Aresta signaled for those behind him to stop. Steady on his Horned Horse, he squinted, sizing up the Pope Knight blocking their way, and upon noticing his injuries, his mind raced.
Just yesterday, this man didn’t appear with Elder Ryan.
But now, he suddenly popped up in front of him, and it seemed like he had already engaged in some action and sustained injuries… What had he done?
Had he crossed paths with heretics?
Or—
“I didn’t expect the famous Mr. Carlos to know me. What an honor,” Aresta replied nonchalantly.
Or was he planning to do something about that orb before the bishop or the Church Knights got there… something he didn’t want them to know about?
Carlos pressed on, “Are you the Church’s appointed leader for the Eastern operation?”
When the young bishop heard the inquiry and nodded in affirmation, his mind was still racing.
Why?
Why did he arrive in town early? Why hadn’t Elder Ryan informed them?
Carlos was the Elder’s disciple, summoned to assist in investigating the Fire Seed. With the situation having developed to this point, he arrived in town even before the First Knights Order. Regardless of his motivations, Elder Ryan couldn’t be completely clueless about it, yet he hadn’t mentioned anything to Aresta.
Moreover, that old man was playing it cool like he knew nothing while allowing him to send people to investigate the town, only for the scouting team to vanish shortly after entering. When Aresta attempted to bring his people to rescue them and get to the bottom of what was happening, Elder Ryan continually obstructed him, trying to order the knights to withdraw three kilometers back and to stop meddling.
At the time, Aresta didn’t think too deeply about it; he just felt he was losing the old hero’s trust, which frustrated and angered him.
But now, in hindsight…
Things seemed to have taken on a bit of curiosity.
A hundred thoughts flashed through the young bishop’s mind. He felt he was finally grasping the situation, a trace of disdainful, mocking smile forming on his lips, as he fell silent, waiting for Carlos to utter the words he expected.
“The situation has changed; do not let your people recklessly approach that thing.”
Carlos spoke swiftly, without room for negotiation, as if issuing a command. “There are complex reasons for this, and I’ll explain everything later. For now, please take your people and evacuate the town immediately, as far away as possible! Leave the next steps to me… and Teacher Ryan; you won’t be able to handle this. Don’t make senseless sacrifices due to recklessness.”
…Ha.
Aresta couldn’t help but smirk coldly in his heart.
As expected.
He wanted him to pull out of the town and not get close to that Fire Seed.
This man had the same attitude as the Old Sword Saint, even down to almost identical phrasing—Aresta was already anticipating it.
What recklessly approaching, what senseless sacrifices…
All just empty words to brush him off.
They just didn’t want him getting involved in this.
They…
Wanted to claim the credit for recovering the Fire Seed entirely for themselves.
…Or perhaps, these people had even more ambitious motives; that wasn’t entirely out of the question.
So the Old Sword Saint remained indifferent toward him all along. Once they were outside of town, he repeatedly obstructed him, finding various excuses to deny him entry with his people outright, opting to send Lord Apheir ahead, secretly meeting up with Carlos who was already in town. By the time Aresta’s side reacted, everything might already be settled by then.
—That was surely the case, right?
But it seemed like a tiny little accident was happening now.
“Hahaha.”
The young bishop couldn’t help but laugh: “Mr. Carlos, are you teaching me how to do my job?”
That old man…
At his age, who knows when he’ll return to the embrace of the deity, and he’s still playing these hypocritical tricks with him? It was simply despicable, a disgrace to the hero’s name.
Thinking of this, Aresta suddenly felt contempt for these people, and his tone took on a sarcastic edge, “Though you and Mr. Ryan are both revered heroes, your might is undeniable, even the strongest can’t handle everything, right? This time, you all seem to be struggling a bit…”
