Chapter 150

Chapter 150
## Chapter 150

Hero Party (4)

A heavy stillness settled over the briefing room following Heinrich’s momentous declaration.

The weight of his words carried immense gravity, far surpassing the natural, reverence-inducing quality of his divinely empowered voice.

“The Main God… actually spoke to you?”

“Good heavens—.”

A wave of astonished whispers rippled through the high-ranking clergy.

While every soul in Auterica acknowledged the reality of the divine, the immense disparity in existence meant that mere mortals could rarely comprehend the true intent of the heavens.

Even the devoted priesthood faced this limitation.

Unwavering devotion could strengthen one’s spiritual bond and offer a clearer perception of the divine presence, yet discerning even a fraction of God’s actual will typically required the spiritual heights of the Saintess.

Consequently, hearing Heinrich assert that he had received a direct revelation from the Main God struck them with absolute awe.

Some swallowed hard to ease their dry throats, others pulled out cloths to dab away cold sweat, and a few clasped their hands in fervent prayer, fixing their eyes upon him.

The entire room adjusted their posture, hanging on his every breath.

‘The impression is certainly powerful… but the pressure is getting intense.’

Deliberately averting his eyes from the Saintess, who was gazing at him with shimmering, rapt attention, Heinrich calmly began to speak.

“Consider the facts. Have you not found the erratic behavior of the Immortal King, Hannibal Strauss, to be utterly baffling?”

Though the question appeared to pivot abruptly, the gathered officials immediately focused on the point he raised.

Naturally, the puzzle had crossed all their minds.

They simply had made no headway in deciphering the Lich’s intentions, given that the creature operated entirely outside the boundaries of mortal logic.

“The current incarnation of the Immortal King is nothing like those who came before him. He possesses no real desire to blanket the entire continent in a shroud of death.”

“I had harbored similar suspicions, yet…”

“His actions are driven purely by a quest for personal amusement. He halted his prior assault on our sanctuary simply because Harris from the Elven Kingdom managed to entertain his curiosity… Furthermore, he seems deeply invested in capturing the gaze of the populace.”

He laid out his argument by first highlighting the strange whims of Hans.

“…That aligns with our experiences. When our team was sent to inspect the rift to the abyss, the Immortal King possessed the power to annihilate us instantly, yet he chose leniency. It felt as though he deliberately spared us to spread the word of his deeds.”

A Paladin who had survived the deployment to the southern wasteland offered this cautious agreement.

“Reflecting on past events, this pattern holds true. The devastation wrought by the Immortal King across the land is undeniable, yet the locations he chooses to grace with his personal presence suffer remarkably light casualties. We witnessed this exact phenomenon during the recent strike on Tobea City within the Empire.”

“So, while his ultimate trajectory points toward global ruin, his immediate conduct at any given site is dictated by whatever keeps him entertained…?”

“Precisely! And that is a vulnerability we can exploit.”

“In what manner?”

Heinrich was intentionally reinterpreting historical encounters to bolster the plausibility of his strategy.

Supported by the perceived backing of the Main God, guiding their line of thought proved to be an easy task.

“He is profoundly fixated on me. That fascination took root the moment I pierced his chest to strike him down, and it has only intensified since my elevation to sainthood.”

This was common knowledge among the leadership.

The Immortal King had repeatedly demonstrated an acute awareness of his existence, and during the ambush at the grand gathering, he had deemed only Heinrich worthy of direct dialogue.

The sole anomaly had been his interaction with Harris, who had dared to loose an arrow at him.

“I intend to challenge him to a wager… one structured specifically to capture his fancy.”

“Pardon? A wager… you intend to gamble with him?”

The atmosphere in the chamber grew tangibly skeptical the moment the proposition left his lips.

‘Moments like this demand absolute, unyielding confidence.’

Maintaining a solemn expression, he reinforced his tone with absolute conviction.

“The Immortal King views his campaign against the continent as nothing more than an elaborate game. We shall play our part to heighten his entertainment, but we will introduce a binding ‘rule’ in exchange.”

“…And this rule stipulates that he must bypass the Rohan Duchy?”

Confused frowns appeared around the table as the listeners tried to process the idea.

It was only logical for them to doubt that a monstrous tyrant would cooperate so seamlessly…

“Naturally, the terms may shift depending on what he demands in return, but that remains our foundational objective.”

“…Do you truly believe the Immortal King will agree to such constraints?”

“He will.”

Heinrich had resolved to see it through, which meant he would force the outcome by any means necessary.

‘Even if it requires blatant deception, I have no alternative.’

His solitary anchor in this gamble was the purported directive of the Supreme Deity.

“Attempting a treaty with the Immortal King…”

The Heresy Inquisitor General murmured under his breath, clearly dissatisfied with the notion. Yet, regardless of his personal misgivings, he held no authority to override a Saint selected directly by the heavens.

Moreover, Heinrich had already anchored his defense by invoking the divine name.

“But what occurs if the legions of the dead march southward this very hour? Without immediate mobilization, both the duchy and the broader Empire face imminent peril.”

“Have no fear. The deathless legions will remain stationary.”

“And your absolute certainty on this matter stems from…?”

“…The Main God imparted this to me.”

Having exhausted factual reasoning, he resorted to pure divine authority.

It was an entirely unprovable assertion, yet none could openly challenge the word of the Saint.

‘Just take it at face value, please.’

While the senior members of the clergy could only blink in silent astonishment at his unyielding declaration…

The Saintess, who had remained quiet throughout the proceedings, suddenly brought her hands together, her eyes gleaming with profound awe.

*Clap, clap, clap!*

“Truly magnificent, Sir Saint! The Supreme Deity perceives all, yet our flawed natures prevent us from grasping the depth of his designs. I can catch only the faintest whispers of his intent, making your clarity nothing short of miraculous!”

“You praise me too highly, Lady Saintess…”

He offered a hollow laugh, doing his best to suppress the prickle of his own conscience.

In truth, the Saintess likely possessed a far deeper spiritual connection to the cosmos than he did.

Heinrich primarily tapped into the divine currents to replenish his stores of holy power, and the solitary impression he had ever gleaned from the higher power was a sense of detached ‘amusement’.

That distant sensation remained unchanged even now.

However, with the Saintess offering such vocal and genuine validation, the skepticism in the room dissolved into rising enthusiasm.

The notion that Heinrich, their revered Saint, might be spinning a falsehood never even crossed their minds.

“We shall alter our course to align with the Saint’s revelation. Altering the Empire’s momentum will prove challenging given their tactical shrewdness, but we will deploy our influence to secure as much time as possible.”

Though a staggering concession for one of the world’s premier authorities, it underscored their absolute devotion to Heinrich.

The moment the Saint claimed a direct mandate from the heavens, it transformed into an immutable decree within the order.

‘They may carry themselves as the shield of mortals against the undead… but at their core… ’

They remained a theological institution, and every individual in the room had climbed the ranks through unyielding religious devotion.

‘To put it plainly, I am surrounded by zealots.’

To a true believer, a divine mandate brooked no argument, making this outcome entirely predictable.

“I leave the logistics in your capable hands. Delaying the imperial retreat will require swift action, but they will soon bend to our strategy.”

“Tell us, did the Main God offer guidance on that front as well…?”

In response to the query, Heinrich merely closed his eyes and offered a slow, deliberate nod.

Fabricating these claims so routinely was beginning to make him feel as though he actually were channeling a higher power.

‘Hannibal Strauss… you may think the Empire is your next victim, but so long as Heinrich stands vigilant, your plans will shatter!’

Wholly consumed by his heroic persona, the young champion tightened his fist in determination, surrounded by a room radiating absolute faith.

The assembled leaders returned his gesture with glances of unwavering trust.

Bizarrely, the guilt that usually nagged at his mind had fallen silent, thoroughly exhausted by constant overexertion.

—

While Heinrich was occupied spinning holy fabrications to sway the clergy, Harley had concluded his training bout and was enjoying a gathering with familiar companions.

“Greetings, Harley. Though a brief period has passed since our paths last crossed, you seem to have grown even more imposing.”

“Bwahahaha! It has indeed been some time, young lady! You look remarkably radiant; life has clearly treated you well.”

“I owe much of that to your assistance, Harley. I have successfully ascended as a High Elf.”

Cecily Granwood offered him a gentle, welcoming smile.

“A pleasure to meet again. Though… wait, actually, do not mind me.”

Rapori Granwood displayed a flicker of hesitation, evidently detecting the subtle shift in Harley’s aura.

“It is good to see you, Harley.”

“Ah— Harris, my old friend! Wonderful to see you! Hahaha!”

Even his long-standing companion, Harris, greeted him warmly.

“S-so this is the land of Ion. Physically, it appears far more mundane than my expectations led me to believe… yet it matches my mental image precisely…”

Seemingly intimidated by his towering stature, Shapiron drifted behind Harris to murmur her eccentric observations, though he chose to disregard it, well-accustomed to her peculiar demeanor.

“Harley, do you recall the pledge I made? I vowed to grant you a genuine benediction once I achieved the rank of High Elf… While its utility to someone of your stature may be modest now, it remains a token of my regard.”

Cecily stepped closer with a warm expression.

This time, there was no need for him to lower his massive frame.

A sudden draft swirled around Cecily’s feet, lifting her smoothly into the air until her gaze aligned perfectly with his own.

*Whoosh—*

The moment her lips brushed against his brow, a soothing warmth diffused through his veins, mirroring the sensation from their previous encounter.

Furthermore, given the presence of Harris, who now shared the spiritual criteria of a High Elf, Harley found himself capable of discerning the precise origin of this energy.

‘This is no mere manifestation of the natural world; its essence mirrors holy power. Do High Elves serve as literal conduits for the vitality of the World Tree? They truly are the ordained priesthood of that faith.’

As the energy fully integrated with his physiology, a notification materialized before him.

《The target’s elemental affinity and overall resistances have experienced a substantial surge due to the “Blessing of Nature”.》

In a departure from their past meeting, the system explicitly recognized the transformation this time.

Though it granted no active techniques, earning the system’s formal acknowledgement indicated that the passive amplification was far from trivial.

‘Harris will likely command this same capability once his ascension is complete. I wonder about the limitations of this gift. Let’s see… I have secured Harley’s enhancement, though obviously, this path is entirely closed to Hans.’

His tactical mind automatically calculated the utility of the boon.

Her generosity extended further, as she presented him with a carved amulet fashioned from a portion of the sacred wood she had obtained from the World Tree.

“I customized the design to complement your aesthetic, Harley, utilizing suggestions provided by Lord Rapori.”

Standing silently in the background, Rapori gave a solemn nod to confirm her statement.

True to his words, the token—designed to be suspended from a necklace or fastened to a belt—carried a fierce, painstakingly detailed likeness of a predatory beast’s visage.

It matched Harley’s personal taste flawlessly.

“Bwahahaha! This is magnificent. You really went above and beyond!”

Despite his polite protests, the charm—which conferred a broad array of protective resistances and defensive bonuses—was already securely attached to his waistline.

It was highly unlikely he would ever take it off.

“To be frank, your presence here catches me off guard, Harley. To achieve such a monumental leap in strength within this timeframe is remarkable.”

Having quietly monitored the exchange, Rapori finally voiced his thoughts.

As an elder High Elf blessed with centuries of experience, he had clearly discerned a portion of Harley’s underlying nature, sparking a hint of apprehension. Yet…

“…Regardless, I am certain your path is guided by valid motives, Harley. Given that the Main God Church raises no objections, it is outside my purview to interrogate you. Since you have arrived here… does this mean you intend to enlist in the upcoming campaign?”

He offered a casual shrug, choosing to pivot the conversation immediately.

Having the foremost representative of the Main God Church as a personal shield proved incredibly convenient.

“Hmm? Ah—! Regarding that matter…”

Harley began to respond, casually scratching the back of his neck as he prepared to address the inquiry.