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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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Chapter 112: The Church (1)
***
“This is still an amazing place, even after seeing it again.”
The outer walls alone were so high and sturdy, and there were two more massive walls built inside. The structure of the castle was protected by three layers of walls.
The moat surrounding the walls also made the siege difficult. It was called a moat, but it was almost like a river.
In his previous life, even Dorugo had to use all of his undead army to capture the Church.
“Shall I go in?”
Damien led his horse towards the Church. He followed the bridge built over the moat and stood in front of the gate.
There were two giant statues on either side of the gate, holding spears.
As Damien approached, the eyes of the two giant statues glowed.
Then they blocked Damien’s path with the spears they were holding.
The size of the spear blades was so large that it seemed like a wall was blocking the way.
Surprisingly, these two giant statues were not ordinary structures, but a type of golem.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them.’
These two giant statues were golems called the Gift of Achilles.
They were one of the war weapons possessed by the Church, created by the saint Achilles after a lifetime of research.
They had a powerful fighting ability and could even be mass-produced. In his previous life, a single giant statue had matched the army of tens of thousands of undead.
– Halt. The Church does not welcome visitors from afar.
A voice came from the giant statue. Damien spoke to the statue.
“I am Damien Haksen. I have come to receive the reward promised by the Church.”
– Please wait a moment. I will find someone to verify your identity.
The giant statues didn’t say anything for a while. Then, they suddenly removed the spears that were blocking Damien’s path.
The high gate opened slightly, and someone walked out through the gap.
With short hair like a man, but still with a beautiful appearance that caught the eye.
It was Agnes, the direct disciple of the Cheongyeum, one of the five great elders of the Church.
“Sir Damien!”
Agnes ran up to him. Her usual expressionless face was filled with joy.
“Why did it take you so long? I have been waiting for you to come.”
“I had a lot of work to do.”
“Ah, I heard. You found the dark mages who had infiltrated the Apple Kingdom, didn’t you? You also fought the Demonic sword in the process.”
Anger began to rise in Agnes’ eyes.
“They are truly like cockroaches. They spread germs everywhere they go. I am glad that Sir Damien has punished them. God will be pleased.”
Agnes made the sign of the cross.
“Come this way. I will guide you.”
Damien followed Agnes into the Church.
***
As the two walked together, gazes poured in from all directions.
“Who is that man?”
“I don’t feel any divine power, so he must be an outsider?”
“What? How did an outsider get into the Church?”
Most of the gazes were filled with wariness.
This was because the Sanctum of the Church was basically forbidden to outsiders.
“How can an outsider be with Lady Agnes……”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen Lady Agnes’ expression so relaxed.”
“Damn it, he’s an eyesore.”
Damien ignored the murmuring of the paladins and looked around the Church.
Roads made of marble. Buildings that gave off an old-fashioned atmosphere due to their age.
It was all a familiar sight. This was because he had visited the Church once in his previous life.
Of course, he hadn’t visited for a good reason. He had come to capture the Church on Dorugo’s orders.
Dorugo had been unable to capture the Church even after throwing all of his undead army at it. The damage was only getting worse day by day.
In the end, Dorugo had no choice but to urgently call back Damien, who had been on a long-distance mission.
Damien, who had returned as Dorugo ordered, captured the Church in a single day.
The cries of the believers who had been massacred by the undead army on that day still seemed to ring in his ears.
“Sir Damien?”
Agnes, who was walking ahead, asked with a puzzled expression.
“Your expression doesn’t look good. Are you perhaps tired?”
“It’s nothing……”
Damien said with a forced smile. Agnes looked at Damien with a very worried expression.
“To enter the secret treasury, you must first meet Her Holiness and obtain permission.”
There was only one person in this world who was called by the title of Her Holiness.
None other than the leader of the Church, the Holy Empress.
“Her Holiness is currently away on giving the blessing. If you are okay with it, would you be able to spare some time for teacher?”
Agnes’ teacher.
She was referring to Cheongyeum, one of the five great elders of the Church.
“Teacher wants to thank Sir Damien……”
Among the master classes he had fought against during his time as a Death Knight, Cheongyeum was a particularly powerful figure.
He was an impressive opponent, so he couldn’t help but be curious.
What kind of person was Cheongyeum when he was not an enemy but an ally?
“Let’s go and see.”
Damien followed Agnes, filled with curiosity.
***
Following Agnes, Damien arrived at the northern region of the Church.
“The buildings here are all used by the members of our sect.”
The aura he felt from the paladins walking around was somehow unusual.
“Isn’t that Lady Agnes?”
“Who is that next to her? Who is he to be with Lady Agnes?”
“He looks like an outsider? Is he by any chance Lady Agnes’s… No, it can’t be.”
The paladins of the sect, as if they had conspired with the outside, showed similar reactions.
Here too, Damien was met with suspicion..
“This is the building used by our sect.”
Agnes soon arrived in front of a building and opened the gate of the fence to guide Damien into the garden.
There, an old man was watering the flower bed.
His back was hunched and his limbs were frail. His face was covered in wrinkles.
It was like looking at an old tree that seemed like it would break at any moment.
“Master, I have brought Sir Damien.”
Agnes bowed her head to the old man. The old man slowly turned his head.
Damien was captivated by a strange feeling. Perhaps because he was old, he looked exactly the same as Damien remembered.
This old man was none other than Cheongyeum, one of the five great elders of the Church.
“Oh, Agnes. You must have had a hard time fulfilling this old man’s request.”
The old man approached the two with a kind smile.
No matter how he looked at him, he looked like a grandfather you would often see in the neighborhood. He didn’t look like a great figure like the great elder.
“So you are Sir Damien Haksen.”
“Yes, it is an honor to meet you.”
Cheongyeum offered a handshake. Damien took Cheongyeum’s hand.
‘He’s strong.’
Cheongyeum’s palms were covered with calluses. It felt like he was being squeezed by shackles just by gripping him slightly.
“Looking at you like this… you have a really handsome face. No wonder our Agnes is going crazy.”
“M-Master! You shouldn’t say such strange things! Sir Damien will misunderstand!”
“What misunderstanding? The rumors are already spreading. Agnes, you…”
“T-that’s enough! Stop it!”
Agnes shouted in a hurry. Cheongyeum clicked his tongue.
“To yell at this old master because of a man. What you’ll going to do with this old man when you mar-?”
“Master!”
“Alright, go and bring something to eat.”
At those words, Agnes flinched.
“Master… you don’t mean that, do you?”
“Don’t worry. Sir Damien is a benefactor of our sect. I wouldn’t treat him harshly.”
Cheongyeum said firmly. Agnes sent him a suspicious look before muttering and leaving.
“Please sit here.”
As Agnes disappeared, Cheongyeum sat down at a wooden table on one side of the garden.
There was even a wooden table set up, perhaps for entertaining guests.
Damien sat down across from him and Cheongyeum opened his mouth.
“The reason I asked to see Sir Damien is to thank you. Thanks to you, my disciples returned safely.”
Cheongyeum said, bowing his head.
One of the Five Great Elders.
He was showing his respect too easily for someone who was no different from a king within the Church.
“My disciples… are truly special beings to me. It is no exaggeration to say that those children are my whole life.”
Cheongyeum said with an affectionate face.
“You don’t have to thank me. Anyone would have saved the two of them in that situation.”
“You are even humble. You are truly a wonderful person, just as Agnes told me.”
Cheongyeum nodded as if he was impressed. Then, he handed Damien a silver plate.
The hexagonal silver plate was stamped with a complex seal.
“This is a silver plate with my seal on it. If you need my help, go to any church and show them this plate. Then I will be contacted immediately.”
The Five Great Saints were beings far superior to the Master Class.
When the strongest humans were mentioned, they were always mentioned together with the Imperial Supreme Sword.
Such a powerful being was telling Damien that he would help him at any time.
“I will keep it safe.”
Damien took the silver plate.
It was Damien’s belief to always be prepared for the worst. He didn’t know when this silver plate might come in handy.
Suddenly, Damien felt Cheongyeum staring at him.
“By the way, you are a very interesting person. This is the first time I’ve met someone so difficult to assess.”
Cheongyeum looked at Damien’s face with an interested expression.
“I don’t mean to brag, but I am confident in my ability to read people. But you… I can’t see through you.”
He was indeed a Master Class.
Damien was hiding his abilities. He had pretended to be a Middle Class to others.
Cheongyeum couldn’t see Damien’s true strength either. However, he didn’t fall for the deception either.
“I apologize for asking this on our first meeting, but can you please grant me one request?”
“What is it?”
“I have a bad habit. When I see young people with great talent, I want to see it for myself.”
A sense of foreboding arose in Damien’s mind.
At that moment, Cheongyeum kicked Damien in the head.
It was a surprisingly fast and powerful kick for someone sitting down.
Damien reacted immediately and crossed his forearms to block the attack.
He was thrown backward by the impact. Damien crashed backward, destroying a flower bed.
“What is this?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m just so curious about your skills.”
Cheongyeum bared his teeth and smiled. He looked like a predator.
‘That temper hasn’t changed at all.’
Cheongyeum was the most ferocious of the Five Great Elders.
He was so feared and dreaded even among the dark mages.
“Since it’s come to this, what can we do? I have to give you a taste of my power.”
Before Damien could respond, Cheongyeum charged forward.
***
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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