Chapter 62

Chapter 62
## Chapter 62

The Cathedral Raid Incident (1)

Events unfolded with dizzying speed.

“What is the status of our readiness? Do we have an adequate number of combat-ready troops available immediately?”

“Rest assured. We initiated preparations ahead of schedule, ensuring we possess sufficient reserve numbers. Besides, our strategy for this deployment was always to utilize only our top-tier combatants.”

The signature energy signature had been detected at the far western boundary of the continent.

Given the immense geographic separation, there was a strict constraint on the volume of personnel they could transport with maximum urgency.

They were unable to mobilize the full Immortal King eradication coalition from the Talia Kingdom as they had previously. If any indication leaked that the Church was actively pursuing him, he might vanish once more, leaving them entirely in the dark about his next destination.

Furthermore, because combatants beneath a particular threshold of strength would offer negligible assistance in this conflict, the decision was made to request reinforcements from the Talia Temple restricted solely to holy knight orders and battle priests holding the rank of high priest or above.

“A total of four Paladins are committed to this engagement, alongside three Archbishops, myself included. The Heresy Inquisitors are also slated to deploy.”

It was an intensive mobilization designed to concentrate every formidable individual capable of immediate transit into a single strike force.

Three Paladins currently assigned to the Roselia Cathedral and two Archbishops were designated for the march, while an additional Paladin and Archbishop already operating in the western regions would converge with them at the target destination.

In tandem with these leaders, the premier combat talents culled from the various holy knight orders and battle priests were ordered to deploy.

“Additionally… Cardinal Pirei, representing the Jeron Cathedral situated within the Empire, has formally communicated his intent to join the operation.”

Even a Cardinal, occupying the absolute pinnacle of clerical power across the continent’s few grand cathedrals, had committed himself to the coming clash.

“Ah… his combative nature is well known. Let us not forget he served as a holy knight prior to his elevation to Cardinal. Word reached me that he was deeply unsatisfied with his inability to partake in the initial eradication attempt.”

“It appears his schedule permits it this around. His inclusion is a welcome development, particularly since our strategy hinges on a highly concentrated, elite contingent.”

While two Cardinals remained stationed at the Roselia Cathedral, they had surrendered all oversight regarding the Immortal King to the Saintess, choosing instead to focus their energies entirely on the administration of the cathedral grounds and the broader Church network.

“In that case… perhaps I ought to join the—”

“That is out of the question, Saintess.”

Archbishop Latiaus interjected with absolute finality before her proposition could even be fully articulated.

“With the Pope currently confined to his chambers due to advanced age, you stand as the living embodiment of the Main God Church. Your presence here is mandatory, most especially during a crisis of this magnitude.”

“But the Cardinals remain present to—”

“The defensive complement of the cathedral is already being severely diminished for this strike, meaning you must safeguard this sanctuary, Saintess. Regardless of how covertly we execute this deployment, the risk of unforeseen complications always exists.”

“A heavy sigh… Very well, I understand.”

The ripples of that executive decision quickly reached Heinrich as well.

“Mm… Sir Heinrich Landguard, it is our judgment that your skills would be best utilized remaining here to protect the cathedral alongside the Saintess during this deployment.”

“I am to stay behind as well?”

Heinrich, who had been a central figure in these developments from the outset, had fully anticipated his inclusion in the vanguard, causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

Archbishop Latiaus guided him to an isolated corridor, his features hardening into an expression of profound gravity as he spoke.

“The Saintess appears deeply burdened by these events, and it is my wish that you remain close by to offer her reassurance. Furthermore…”

The Archbishop hesitated briefly, letting out a heavy breath.

“This deployment carries immense peril. With an authority as high as a Cardinal personally taking the field, the target will find it far more difficult to slip away as he did previously. A devastating confrontation is almost certain to erupt.”

Having failed to apprehend Hans even after deploying a specialized containment boundary during their prior encounter, they were taking no chances this time, reinforcing their approach thoroughly under a Cardinal’s direction.

“The cost in lives and injuries during this engagement will be severe. There is zero assurance that I will escape unscathed.”

Heinrich represented far too critical an asset to be thrown needlessly into such a meat grinder.

While his current martial capabilities were certainly sufficient to justify his inclusion among the elite holy knights selected for the march, his present strength was merely on par with them.

The Archbishop recognized that Heinrich’s true worth to the order rested entirely upon his future realization of his immense latent power.

He was the foundational seed of a true champion, possessing an astonishing rate of development and enjoying the personal favor of both the Main God and the Saintess.

They were required to insulate themselves against the worst possible outcomes.

“We must clearheadedly evaluate the prospect of the operation collapsing entirely. The distinct possibility that our entire force is eradicated.”

Though they were deploying a force that bordered on excessive, the shifting tides of the future remained entirely unpredictable.

Should disaster strike, the Saintess and Heinrich would represent the enduring spark of renewal for the Church.

“…Understood. I shall defer to your judgment, Archbishop.”

Faced with Archbishop Latiaus’s unyielding posture, Heinrich could manage nothing more than a strained, compliant expression.

‘Well… your dedication to the cause is certainly something to behold.’

The systematic transit through the mystical portal was executed in successive waves, supported heavily by the collective incantations of the clerical staff who were not designated for active combat, including the Saintess herself.

Despite the highly restrictive criteria for the vanguard, the chosen elites still numbered in the dozens, necessitating a full day’s labor to successfully relocate every combatant to the Talia Temple.

“There is no cause for reckless haste, given that the final destination cannot be reached within a day or two regardless. He is unlikely to abandon a sanctuary he has occupied for so long without warning.”

Archbishop Latiaus managed the logistics with disciplined composure, personally overseeing the departure of the Roselia Cathedral’s detachment.

Hummmmm—

As the final group of combatants assembled for transit, the portal rippled with renewed energy, entering its operational cycle.

Standing among the departing ranks, the Archbishop turned his gaze toward the gathering of individuals who had assembled to witness their departure.

His eyes swept over the onlookers, pausing briefly on the Saintess and Heinrich, before he offered a single, resolute nod and stepped decisively into the shimmering gateway.

The rigid set of his shoulders conveyed a silent message: ‘Should the worst occur, the future rests in your hands.’

‘…Do enjoy your little excursion into the wilderness.’

A faint, unreadable smile touched Heinrich’s lips as he watched the figure vanish into the light.

Hummmmm—

The vibrant azure energy of the portal churned violently.

With that, the entirety of the striking force had been successfully relocated to the Talia Temple in the western territory.

—

[Mm… how many suns must set before the gathering at the Talia Temple manages to penetrate this far? Given their elite status, their transit should be remarkably swift.]

The journey from the heart of the Talia Kingdom to the deepest recesses of the wilderness forest was no small feat.

Under ordinary circumstances, a minimum of a month would be required even at a breakneck pace, but rendering a definitive judgment was premature given the potential divine favors they might employ to hasten their stride.

Heinrich, after all, possessed the unique attributes of “Blessing: Leap.”

Their primary objective would be to condense their travel time to the absolute absolute minimum.

They would almost certainly launch their trek the precise moment their forces consolidated at the Talia Temple, utilizing every mystical asset at their disposal.

[The hour to prepare has arrived.]

Hans emerged deliberately from the darkness of the cavern.

Swish—

Infernal flames manifested with every step he took, thoroughly incinerating any lingering remnants within the chamber.

Every piece of alchemical refuse from his research to the complex arrays etched into the stone dissolved into nothingness.

[Leaving any breadcrumbs for them would be an unnecessary courtesy. Heh…]

The defensive structures crumbled, but his form was already shielded by a complex matrix of obscuring wards designed to mask the signature of the artifact piece.

‘What moment provides the optimal window to strike?’

Presently, the security of the Roselia Cathedral was at its historical nadir.

The institution had stripped its own defenses to the bone to maximize the strength of the force hunting Hans.

‘Furthermore, the ritual casters are completely spent after forcing the portal to operate at such an unnatural frequency.’

Evaluating the complexity of the binding arrays securing the artifact piece, shattering the containment would be no simple task.
Liberating the fragment would demand a significant investment of time.

To guarantee success during that critical window, he needed to maximize the number of defenders lured far away from the holy grounds.

The timing aligned flawlessly with the commencement of the High Elf’s reconnaissance.

He could have intentionally broadcast his coordinates to draw them out, but such a blatant maneuver risked triggering the Church’s suspicions.

Consequently, he remained passive, structuring scenarios so his discovery appeared entirely organic.

‘I took the liberty of modifying the recovery cycle on the planar transition matrix beforehand as well.’

Though capable of initiating the sequence at any moment, Hans chose to bide his time until the sun dipped below the horizon.

This ensured that even if word of the breach reached the hunting party, the dark hours would render them incapable of mounting an immediate response.

[Hehehe… The curtain rises.]

The hour struck midnight, the lunar sphere hanging prominently in the sky.

The stark moonlight cast long shadows across the foliage of the woodland…

Yet, beneath Hans’s feet, no shadow formed.

—

《Transition to the Auterica Dimension finalized.》

The immediate sensation was an assault of pure radiance.

An oppressive, blinding deluge of light surged from every vector of the chamber, threatening to sear his vision.

[Heh, I anticipated a hostile reception, but the intensity is quite remarkable.]

The obscuring matrix enveloping his form disintegrated in a flash, and the abyssal energies radiating from his being instantly locked into a violent struggle with the ambient divine aura.

‘This presents a distinct disadvantage.’

The structural architecture of the space was fundamentally toxic to Hans’s existence.

Securing the artifact piece without damaging its integrity was impossible under these conditions.

His initial preference had been a silent extraction followed by a swift departure, but circumstances dictated otherwise.

Hans raised his staff into the air.

[Hahaha! Crumble to ash!]

The abyssal mana churning within him gathered into a single, dense point…

In an instant, the dark embers dancing upon the crown of his skeletal staff expanded exponentially.

Though the divine aura continued to actively erode his dark mana, Hans had long surpassed the point where such ambient resistance could unbalance his focus.

Swish— CRACK!

The bloated infernal fire fractured into distinct torrents, violently detonating against the structural walls where radiant, gilded iconography gleamed.

Thud, crash—

The sacred geometry etched into the stone splintered away and dissolved, causing the oppressive weight stifling his dark mana to plummet.

‘A marked improvement.’

The subterranean vault had been engineered specifically to suppress any unholy emanations from within.

It was naturally ill-equipped to withstand a direct, external bombardment.

‘Once more!’

Swoosh— Sizzle!

The stone beneath Hans’s boots darkened, the corruption radiating outward as obsidian tendrils manifested from the shadows, tearing through the air in all directions.

The illumination fueling the compromised iconography sputtered out, and the divine pressure pinning him down dissolved further.

[Heh, I can finally breathe comfortably.]

To be sure, while the active counter-measures standard to the chamber had been neutralized, he remained far from his peak operational capacity.

‘The sheer volume of interlocking divine wards currently triggering throughout the facility must be staggering.’

The moment Hans breached the perimeter, a myriad of defense arrays woven into the very bones of the cathedral flared into active states simultaneously.

‘Speed is of the essence. Fortunately, the labyrinthine layout of the approach corridors should guarantee a delay before the Church can muster a response.’

Amused by the unfolding chaos, he advanced toward the central dais.

‘Yet, this structure remains unblemished.’

The elevated dais and the monolithic spires maintaining the containment remained entirely unmarred, completely unaffected by the chaotic discharge of Hans’s dark magic.

Crackle—!

The instant his fingers brushed against the heavy links binding the artifact piece, brilliant white discharges and sacred embers erupted, consuming his forearm.

[Mm, quite so. It wouldn’t yield so effortlessly.]

Hans spoke in a detached murmur, utilizing a pulse of dark mana to shrug off the persistent embers clinging to his flesh.

[From this point forward, it is a pure contest of speed.]

He was required to unravel the binding matrix and secure the prize before any external actors managed to disrupt his work.

He extended his hands toward the artifact piece once more.

—

The disruption manifested in the dead of night.

Swish—

The intricate arrays woven into the cathedral’s stonework, previously regarded as mere aesthetic embellishments, suddenly flared with brilliant illumination in unison…

“What is the meaning of this?!”

“Identify the cause!”

The sentries patrolling the sectors voiced their confusion and alarm.

Gleaming iconography saturated with divine energy materialized across the flooring, the masonry, and the high ceilings.

These were absolute tactical barriers designed to isolate the local space, crush any internal manifestations of corrupt energy, and amplify the capabilities of those aligned with the light.

In this state, the Roselia Cathedral was transformed into an unassailable bastion.

‘And yet, the perimeter has already been compromised.’

While the companion guarding the checkpoint alongside him exhibited clear signs of panic, Heinrich calmly assessed the transforming environment, keeping his observations internal.

He was currently assigned to the nocturnal watch, holding a defensive position along the primary corridor that accessed the subterranean containment vault.

Having been ordered to reinforce the sanctuary, he had naturally reassigned himself to active rotations within the Radiance Guardian Holy Knight Order.

His assignment to this specific corridor was entirely premeditated; he had volunteered for the post under the pretense of wanting to pull his weight through domestic security since he could not accompany the strike force.

Utilizing his recent absence from standard duties as leverage, he willingly claimed the graveyard shift that his peers actively avoided, securing his current vantage point.

‘Positioned here, I can maintain an accurate read on the overarching situation. While Hans dismantles the seals on the artifact piece…’

In that exact instant,

[Maximum Alert—!]

A wave of divine energy so potent it reverberated through his consciousness detonated from the inner chambers of the cathedral.

[Maximum Alert! All combat units, assume defensive formations! Converge on your assigned rallying sectors the moment you are armed!]

[All holy knight orders are to maneuver strictly under the direction of their respective commanders!]

The booming declaration echoed directly within his mind.

It was the unmistakable voice of the Cardinal, a sound rarely heard by the rank and file.

The crisis was accelerating at breakneck speed.

Swish—!

Right then, a contingent of roughly twenty individuals clad in midnight-black garments bolted down the corridor toward their position.

Spearheading the advance was the Heresy Inquisitor General, a figure Heinrich had caught sight of only once before.

‘Though his facial features remain hidden.’

His countenance was obscured in the same fashion as his subordinates, but the unique heraldry denoting his rank as General was unmistakable.

That emblem functioned as an absolute authorization pass for this restricted sector.

As Heinrich and his fellow guard quickly pressed themselves against the masonry to clear the path, the dark-clad contingent swept past them like a gale, vanishing into the inner depths.

“…This is no ordinary security breach.”

The sentry beside him remarked, his tone laced with grim gravity.

His assessment was undeniable.

The inaugural domestic infiltration by an outside adversary in the grand history of the Roselia Cathedral had officially commenced.