"Hooo."

Cedric was alone in his office, which was filled with white smoke from his cigars.

A hazy mist filled the room, making it difficult to see him.

The ashtray was full of burnt cigars.

Tock, tock.

Cedric, who had been sitting with his head bowed, raised his face at the knocking sound.

He rubbed the cigar he had been holding in his mouth on the ashtray, extinguishing it, and cleaned his face with a cloth once before opening his mouth.

"Come in."

The footsteps were familiar.

It was his henchman.

"How was it?"

"It's true. He told a pilgrim named Callius to take over the debt that Cedric-sama owed."

"Huh, that was actually true?"

Just for that –

He had his servants sent out at this late hour to ask for confirmation.

It couldn’t be a lie.

Because it was a story that no one knew except the herbalist Armo, and himself.

"You had to work late. Good job."

"Yes, sir."

As the man stepped back, Cedric pondered what Callius had said.

The location of the relic, the Oracle's Gaiters.

"Is it true?"

The Oracle’s Gaiters that had not been found for centuries. The generational goal of the Madrician family.

Its location was that simple?

Cedric's father had spent his life searching, so did his grandfather, and his great-grandfather, and yet in the end they hadn’t been able to find the Oracle’s Gaiters, the relic of the Twin Gods.

Objectively speaking, it was hard to believe.

Especially since it was an uncouth young man who was only about twenty years old, and even more so, because he was an uncouth person who was also reputed to be an idiot.[1]

One would have to be a fool to believe.

How could a person who seemingly had never left the Kingdom, know where the relic is hidden? It didn't make sense.

‘However… ….'

Even if the chance was one in a thousand. But still, what if that statement was true? What if he really knew the location of the relic Cedric had been looking for so long?

Then, of course, there was no reason not to accept his conditions.

Whatever they were, he must meet the conditions to find the relic.

Cedric had a duty to find the Oracle's Relic, even if it meant sacrificing everything he had.

‘Establish a Church in Carpe.'

His request was absurd.

They swore to God that they would become brothers, and promised to establish the Church of the Twin Gods in the Carpe Kingdom.

The location of the relic.

"Jervain's bastard…"

What's your plan?

No matter how much I think about it, I don't know what kind of secret he is hiding.

Establish a Church in the Carpe Kingdom.

Brotherhood with himself.

These two do not seem closely related in any way.

"He must know that my Cestuses are not simple decoration."

Even so, Callius did not dodge an inch away from his extended fist.

Didn't even blink an eye.

Great guts, or just fearless?

‘Haa… … That’s what you’d have to be like to be a brother.'

But really, what was that about establishment of a Church in Carpe?

Even if the Church is resurrected after search for the holy relic succeeds, there is no benefit for him to gain by establishing it in Carpe.

‘For the sake of the Kingdom, you say?'

I was wondering what kind of bullshit that was.

However, it didn't look like he was telling a bald-faced lie.

So, I couldn’t understand him more and more.

He did not have a pivotal role in the Order of Valtherus, nor was he the next head of the family who will inherit the title of count.

The collected information about Callius depicted a very typical young noble aristocrat. And even more than that, he was a Pilgrim abandoned by the family.

But, did such a person do things for the Kingdom and for the Church?

Confusing. That guy –

"What is your design…?"

Hopefully, that bastard –

“You don’t want to be a patriot and fight against the Empire, right?”

No way. How are you going to save the Kingdom that is already falling apart?

If I had been in his position, I would have had no affection for the Kingdom beyond my family and the Church.

In addition, it was none other than the Valtherus faith which was established as the state religion in Carpe.

But are you thinking of establishing the Church of the Twin Gods in that place?

Neither the state nor the Church will let that go.

It’s all nonsense.

But, ironically, that's why it's even harder to figure out the truth.

‘Am I worrying too much?'

Did the mental energy I put into searching for the holy relic made me pessimistic?

"I’m probably just tired."

Let's hear the location first.

If I find the relic in that location, he will become my own irreplaceable brother.

Otherwise, he doesn’t need to live under the heavens. So just hit him and kill him.

‘Establishing a Church in Carpe… ….'

If I was still searching for the relic, it would be beyond stupid to set up a Church in Carpe.

Why would I dare do that in a country on the verge of being eaten by the Empire?

"No, no."

If only I could find the relic.

Once you find it, you can do anything.

Cedric made up his mind.

That was then –

Click.

"Cedric! Pilgrim Callius has moved."

"Yeah? Where did he go?"

"Trish."

"Trish? If you're young, you want to keep your waist light."

Cedric stroked his chin and nodded.

“Now that you have too much money, you want to spend it.”

"What should we do?"

"Report every detail to me, even whether he pees with his right hand or holds it with his left hand."

No.

"You said he went to the auction house. I'll have to go see it myself."

Is he someone to trust or someone to kill?

I want to watch him in person.

Cedric put on his coat.

But he couldn't get out of his office.

"Who's this? Isn't it Sir Ryburn, Heretic Inquisitor of the Order of Valtherus?"

At some point, in front of him, Steel Justice Heretic Inquisitor Ryburn had arrived.

Behind him were the other Inquisitors.

Cedric's eyes narrowed.

A pretty tough guy has arrived.

To him, who was hiding his identity, the Inquisitors from the Church were one of the people he did not want to get involved with.

"Sir Cedric. Long time no see."

"What're you all doing here at this late hour? Suddenly arriving like this without informing us in advance, isn’t that a bit rude?"

Cedric's lips drew a curve.

His mouth was smiling, but his eyes gave off a sharp glint like an angry beast. The Inquisitors around him narrowed their brows as if they felt uncomfortable because of his surly momentum.

"We are looking for an apostate. We ask for your cooperation."

Apostate?

"Why do you need my help in finding an apostate?"

"Besides ‘Gerald of Judgment' in Tristar, you are the most influential person."

Ryburn's answer was short and concise.

He was indicating that it was better to come to him instead of the other choice.

Cedric pretended not to notice.

"What did that old official, Gerald, say?"

"No. We haven’t met Gerald-sama yet."

"Huh~ You haven’t even talked to the official in charge, but you're still bringing an armed group into my business place and giving orders as if it's the right thing to do."

"… I apologize if I was rude. I am following God's will, and I ask for your understanding."

"Then I ask for your pardon. Please don't bother us and go away."

"Rude!"

Sreung!

An Inquisitor, who was not familiar with Cedric, drew his sword. But the tip of his sword could not even begin to point towards Cedric.

Taeaeng! Whik, pak!

Before the sword could be pulled out, it was snapped in two by Cedric's fist. After being snapped in two, it quickly turned into black smoke and disappeared.

A broken Carcass.

"Aren't the Inquisitors of the Valtherus Church purposefully carrying broken swords?"

Is it fashionable these days? The interrogators bit their lips at Cedric's sniffling laugh.

Many people were angry at his sarcasm, but no one dared come forward.

"You're still very good. It would have been great if you had turned to God Valtherus."

"Heh, that's the kind of stuff I hear every day, even from the old official."

Ryburn looked at him with serious eyes as if he was apologetic.

"Sir Cedric. We have one request. We ask for your cooperation in the search for Callius, a possible apostate currently in Tristar."

"… Apostate?"

Callius was an apostate.

‘Maybe he….'

The Oracle’s Relic.

‘Were you actually a Brother?'

Trish Auction House.

Callius was wearing a half-mask and had changed into neat clothes, and Bruns was next to him.

‘If it's Cedric, he'll probably want the location of the relic as soon as possible.'

I have two conditions.

Make a kinship with me as my brother.

This is a naturally a condition that must be met, since it is likely that his power as well as combat prowess will become stronger if he finds the holy relic.

And the other condition was the establishment of the Church in Carpe.

It won't be easy, but by the time he finds the holy relic and reappears to form a Church, this side will also be busy.

The Empire will try to suppress Carpe by force and trample down and uproot all religions other than its own Gods.

As long as I'm a follower of Valtherus, I have to stop that much.

So, form a balance of power.

The way for me to survive is to establish the Church of the Twin Gods in Carpe and add more strength to the Kingdom.

"There's nothing worthwhile."

"Is that so? From my point of view, all the things here are precious enough to make my eyes pop out, aren't they?"

The quality is definitely different.

The ordinary swords hanging here are all quenched by a master's hand.

All the armor and helmets are of high quality.

"Hey, master. This dress is worth three hundred gold coins!"

"Bruns. You’re being noisy."

"Oh, okay!"

However, as Bruns said, the goods here are of good quality, but they are expensive.

Expensive, but too expensive.

Not good value for money.

‘These are just for showing off.'

In other words, not something that Callius needed.

"Where is the basement?"

The items on the exchange were equipment for ordinary people. It was not the place where the extraordinary things he was looking for would be located.

When Callius lost interest, Bruns stepped in and asked around. He asked some of the employees who were sitting there, but there was no profit until he sprinkled some silver coins.

Only then did Bruns' expression brighten up and he rushed back.

"I know the location. Shall I take you there?"

"Okay."

I thought I’d brought a low-class thug as a retainer, but they were more discerning than I thought.

Can’t be trusted yet, but still, not useless, so it won't hurt to wait a while longer.

"Come this way."

As I headed after Bruns's guidance, the way became narrower and narrower.

After a while, a small auction house appeared.

People were bidding for something.

However, the bidders and items looked quite ordinary.

Callius recognized at a glance that this was not the auction house he wanted.

"Let's go underground."

There is no meaning in staying here.

As they walked along a more secret path, they saw a staircase leading to the basement.

In front of them, again, there were guards at the entrance.

"Please identify yourself."

"Hey, do you know who you’re talking to… But, master, what was your name?"

"Move."

Pushing Bruns away, Callius handed over a card, and the staff's eyes widened.

"Black Card… You are Cedric-sama's distinguished guest. I didn't know."

The staff looked at the card carefully with a magnifying glass, interpreted the password only they knew, and shook their head.

"Confirmed. The card says Ashen Wolf, would you like to use a pseudonym or just use as it is?"

"… No need."

"Okay. Ashen Wolf, number 770."

The auctioneer handed Callius a sign with the number 770 on it.

‘An ash-gray wolf… ….'

He wrote something strange.

Cedric, that little…

"But master’s respect…"

"Enough."

"Yes!"

Callius, who had changed his half-mask, adjusted his clothes and headed downstairs.

"It's dark."

The stairs continued for quite some time.

Each candle led them as if they were a procession of guides in the dark.

How far down the stairs did they have to go?

"Oh, there’s the end!"

"Can't you just shut your mouth for a moment?"

"So-, I'm sorry."

As I went down the stairs, my ears caught the remote noise seeping into the quiet.

The roaring noise and the cries of several animals were mixed in.

‘This is it.'

There was a stinky smell.

Bad odour, lack of proper ventilation.

The smell of distressed animals and blood.

And the smell of greed.

Chuckle.

The guard at the entrance looked at Callius with sharp eyes.

The eyes were different from those outside.

The gatekeeper here showed the coldness of somebody who had crossed the line between life and death several times.

"Looks like you're right."

Satisfied, Callius showed his card and token from his bosom.

The guard immediately bowed his head and escorted him to the auction house's VIP room.

The number was 770, but he had a black card, so he was guided to the VIP seat.

It was the at centre of the second floor where you could see the entire auction house at a glance.

The sofa, which was wider and more comfortable than the normal seats, spoke of the specialness of the location.

"Is there an auction going on?"

"We're just getting started. The catalogue is here. If you need anything else, please just let me know."

Is there even a dedicated staff?

Looks like Cedric has a strong influence here.

"Well."

The catalogue was full of all kinds of artifacts and precious materials that Trish possessed.

Of course, there was also a booklet confirming the items being auctioned off.

But I first looked at the catalogue. These were things that could be purchased right away without going through an auction.

Items not listed here could also be filled in if you wished. I checked a few items in the catalogue and filled in the necessary materials separately.

The employee's pupils dilated when he returned to check the ingredients I had entered.

"Is it fine?"

"Of course."

The employee disappeared with a confident face, and Bruns approached me curiously.

"What are you buying, master?"

"You don't need to know."

I had written in the supplementary materials for Holy Water.

Ironically, the Holy Water of Valtherus has a quite surprising composition because most of the auxiliary materials were extremely poisonous substances.

‘Originally, these are things that will only be used for assassination.'

Now that we have secured most of the materials, we should focus on the auction.

"Bruns."

"Yes! Master! What's going on!"

"I can't see, so get out of the way."

"Ah, yes…"

As Bruns stepped aside, I could see the auction house with a full view.

‘Is it the second item?'

The item currently in the auction is the one in the second order.

It's not something I'm interested in.

No, it's not a good thing in the first place.

[Do I hear any more? One hundred and forty gold coins!]

One hundred and forty gold coins.

The object was a small beast imprisoned in an iron cage.

‘No, it's called a monster.'

Often, it is in fashion for nobles to raise beasts for entertainment.

Because of this, even dangerous monsters are sometimes raised by nobles by hiring a dedicated manager.

The monster trapped inside the iron cage took the form of a lion cub.

However, as it grows up, it will grow to the size of a house, and it’s known as a monster that can lead its own group to attack and devour people.

Callius felt pity as he looked at the monster inside the cage.

Knowing the secret behind the birth of the monster, he couldn't help but sympathize.

[Two hundred!! Customer number 447 called for two hundred gold coins! Do I hear any more!? If I don’t hear any more… ….]

Tang tang! The black lion was sold to the person sitting next to him, who was using the pseudonym Tongue of Allos. It was difficult to discern his identity because he was wearing a half mask, but he had the unique attitude and dignity of an aristocrat.

‘And then… ….'

Cheok, cheok.

[This is something you don't see often here. There are a few flaws, but there is nothing else as good as this! Bidding will start at 100 gold coins!]

A short slave without one eye.

You couldn't see his face properly as it was covered in loose hair and a beard.

However, the poison in his remaining eye and the stubbornness in the narrowed eyebrows seemed notable.

The arm muscles were quite uneven, and an unbalanced height that was lower than that of a normal adult male.

He was of a different race, a devotee of the Hammer God not easily found in Carpe. A dwarf.

[One hundred gold coins! Do I hear any more?]

The auction host, who was looking through the crowd, soon saw the 2nd floor VIP seat give a sign.

[Customer number 770! You quoted two hundred gold coins!]

The eyes all around were focused on the second floor at once. They wonder who would bid two hundred gold coins on that useless thing.

‘Dwarves are good at crafting.'

They have good talent for creating artifacts that are known as failed imitations of holy relics.

But they are just a very stubborn people.

They don’t make you what you want.

So, they were useless as slaves.

However.

‘If you can get their favour, a dwarf would be the most valuable here by a large margin.'

Callius' lips drew an arc.

Gray eyes distinguished the three colours.

From the one-eyed dwarf, a golden light was fluctuating.

Editor's Notes:

[1] 말종의 (lit. horse human) basically means somebody who behaves badly. Being translated as uncouth.