The Media Ruins is a high-difficulty dungeon with a danger rank of 4, located about 10 kilometers from the Capital Daedalus.
The investigation of the recently discovered new section in the vast underground space of the Media Ruins had been nearly untouched due to the Crusaders’ invasion, which rendered adventurers unable to act.
For about a month after the fall of Capital Daedalus, the Adventurer Guild had completely ceased its operations.
And naturally, the Crusaders, who would not allow any freedom for the Demon Race, still control the situation, meaning that adventurers from Daedalus are currently, and likely forever, forbidden from acting.
Thus, in the Media Ruins, where adventurers would usually be seen here and there, their robust figures are nowhere to be found.
However, the area is now bustling with a number of people far greater than the usual active adventurers.
All of them are human, dressed in matching outfits adorned with a cross symbol on a white background; there is no doubt that they are Crusaders.
Most of them are concentrated in the new section of the Media Ruins.
This is because the object of their interest is located there.
“Wow, is this really it? I apologize; I can see it’s an impressive altar, but I’m not an expert in ancient magic—”
Bishop Judas, the head of the White of Sacred, had just reached the anticipated “altar” when he was interrupted by this annoying, high-pitched, rapid-fire dialogue from behind.
With the same furrowed brow and stern expression as usual, Judas turned to face the source of the noisy voice.
“Ah, thank you! I am Gregorius, the Supreme Commander of His Eminence Cardinal Mercedes’ direct army. Oh, you see, I am a bishop as well, so, hee hee, we are both bishops, and there’s no need for any unnecessary formalities, so please, nice to meet you!”
The loud man, unmistakably clad in the ceremonial garments of a bishop, stands as an average height for an adult male, with only a somewhat slender appearance that does not particularly stand out.
Gregorius, who casually extended his hand for a handshake with Judas, squinted his eyes excessively—a rather squinty appearance that makes him look like some sly character from a fairy tale, adorned with a dubious smile.
“Ah, ‘Prophet’ Gregorius… So, what is it you want, Bishop Sir?”
While it seemed like he was going to ignore him entirely, Judas did not appear particularly offended and shook his hand in response.
“Oh no, how embarrassing it is to be called a ‘Prophet.’ I actually call myself that, ha ha ha!”
As both bishops exchanged laughs and stood side by side, they began to converse.
“I asked what you want.”
“Ah, my apologies, I’m a bit of a chatterbox, you see. I tend to go off-topic easily; people often tell me to get to the point.”
“…”
It seems that Gregorius was not an entirely oblivious man, as he did understand the unspoken pressure from Judas.
“There is no deep meaning; it is just a greeting.
I truly wish to get along well with ‘everyone’ in the Crusaders, so I am making my rounds to say hello. You tend to be rather unnoticeable—oh, my, you are quite a mysterious person, so it has been a bit hard to ascertain your whereabouts and contact details. Meeting you here is quite the coincidence; please don’t take offense.”
“Then you’ve likely achieved your purpose.”
It was quite clear that the subtext was telling him to leave.
However, whether he realized it or not, Gregorius deepened his smile and continued to talk.
“Not at all, since we are fortunate enough to meet like this, would you care to share a bit about recent events or exchange information?
I have a rather wide network, you know, and I believe I could provide some insights into the happenings in Daedalus over the last month.”
“I have no need for that information; you would have nothing to say to an old man who is deep into research.”
Despite holding the high rank of bishop, Judas is well-known within the Church for his unrelenting dedication to his research.
It is said that Judas climbed to the rank of bishop solely to secure a satisfactory research environment for himself.
This means that as long as he can conduct his research without interruption, he desires nothing else and disregards the ‘wealth’ and ‘power’ sought by many clergy.
The only insights one could derive from discussions with Judas pertain to some obscure and specialized research, none which would lead to any advantage for themselves.
Judas’ achievements, including the creation of the Seventh Apostle Sariel, are widely publicized and have garnered high praise from both inside and outside the Church.
However, the troublesome rank of bishop keeps others at bay from attempting to incorporate his competency into their own endeavors, especially given that he has caught the attention of the Pope himself, which is regarded as wise in the Church.
Of course, Gregorius could not possibly be unaware of such a reputation, yet he still persisted with his probing remarks that were reminiscent of a persistent brothel’s invitation.
“I am well aware that you do not pose a significant influence on ‘our’ actions; however—”
A slight, sharp light danced in Gregorius’ narrow eyes.
“—wouldn’t conducting ‘demon hunting’ at various locations be a somewhat dangerous action that could easily invite resentment?”
Judas slowly turned his face toward Gregorius.
The tall Judas looked down at Gregorius.
His physique, well-toned and defined for an aging researcher, gave the impression of a knight who fights on the front lines.
Nevertheless, even in the face of such intimidating presence, Gregorius remained unperturbed.
“To question why is rather dull.
You must have ‘foreseen’ my actions, is that not so?”
“Ah, indeed, it is true. I had no evidence other than this, and it was quite challenging to investigate!
It seems you excel at operating under the radar; is that the wisdom that comes with age? Hee hee hee.”
Only the Pope knows about Judas’ secret efforts to have his subordinates, functioning as Crusader Soldiers and Mercenaries, infiltrate the occupation force to capture useful ‘test subjects.’
That was how it should have been.
“So, how was the capture of the demons from Pandora? Were you satisfied with the results?”
“I have secured the necessary numbers for the time being; research will proceed as planned.”
Understanding that there was no longer any need to hide, Judas answered quite honestly.
“Ah, wasn’t it called the ‘Divine Soldier Project’? It appears to be more competent than I expected; if ‘mass production’ is successful, won’t all the Crusader Soldiers find themselves unemployed?”
Whether it was praise or mockery was difficult to determine; Judas chose not to say more than that it was “the expected results of the research.”
Flattery and insults were the same as a prayer to a horse’s ear for the bishop devoted to this research, and such comments were beyond his concerns.
“Oh, by the way, I heard that a certain squad was wiped out; I happen to know a bit about that. It was, if I recall correctly, the Cyprus Mercenary Corps, wasn’t it?”
Judas briefly pictured the face of the young man who was the only one not to return from the demon capture mission in Cyprus, but he quickly pushed the memory out of his mind.
He had no use for the dead; if necessary pieces were broken, they simply needed to be replaced with new ones.
The squad assigned to Cyprus had zero captures, and the number of surviving test subjects was less than half, resulting in total annihilation.
However, considering that failures like this were factored into the plan, as mentioned earlier, there were enough demon subjects secured for experimentation, and the objectives had been met.
Thus, appearing unfazed even by Gregorius’ potentially irritating comments, Judas instead countered with a query of his own.
“You seem to have moved the Apostle.
Eradicating a population of demons numbering less than ten thousand is not the Apostle’s work.”
“Well, I thought so too, but it seems one cannot go against ‘prophecy.’
While it was good to move them, they returned in quite a foul mood, and the increases in my ‘reward’ kept multiplying; it turned out completely wasted my ‘bonus.’ Ha ha!”
Scratching his dull blonde hair as he spoke, Gregorius amusingly recounted the violent behavior of the Eleventh Apostle Misa.
“You should know that he has received a ‘blessing’ far more powerful than yours. Just because you can slightly interfere with the ‘Divine Will’ doesn’t mean you should think you can easily control an Apostle.”
“…Yes, indeed, I will remember that well.”
For just a moment, Judas detected a sharp change in the atmosphere surrounding Gregorius.
It was either a sign of agitation or alertness at having his method for ‘prediction’ exposed; regardless, neither party seemed inclined to act upon it at this moment.
“Please do not misunderstand; I have no intention of opposing or hindering you.
Whenever we intend to do something in ‘our Daedalus,’ if you simply let me know, I can facilitate various arrangements for you.
Although our motives may differ, we are both working for the deity, and I believe it is the desire of both God and myself to build a smooth cooperative relationship.”
“…I will keep that in mind.”
As Gregorius graciously bowed his head, Judas no longer focused on him.
His gaze was fixed on the ancient altar towering directly in front of him.
Without specialized knowledge, one could hardly comprehend what kind of magical device it concealed, as Gregorius had noted.
Yet Judas instantly grasped what it was, how to use it, and what it could do, all from a single glance.
Thus, despite being within a rank 4 dangerous dungeon, he did not hesitate to make his ‘decision.’
“Oh, I almost forgot to congratulate you.
Congratulations on the establishment of the White of Sacred’s ‘Fourth Laboratory.'”
This was no longer just an anonymous new section within the Media Ruins.
It was a new research facility succeeding the infamous Third Research Institute, which pushed forward the Divine Soldier Project and produced numerous test subjects, including Chrono, constructed on Pandora’s land.
Chapter 9 marks the end of this part. It is quite fitting that I could conclude at the 150th installment, isn’t it?
What will Chrono, who has fled to Spada, do next to rise again? Please look forward to the next chapter. Their battle is far from over!